Sewing old blankets and brewing up soups

Just paid off another $2,056 on my car loan. (The $56 was this month's interest... cringe). So now I have $12,000 of debt left to pay. If I pay $2,400/month for the next 5 months I can be debt-free by my 32nd birthday in early May.

A few spending diet wins since my last post:

  • My beloved blanket started coming apart so I hand sewed it up. I don't think I've picked up a needle and thread since college. I loved it... Sewing is so peaceful.
  • A client gave me one of her Southwest drink tickets, and I enjoyed a coffee with Baileys on my flight to Oakland at the end of October. So lovely to enjoy that over the crossword puzzle (Southwest magazine always has good crosswords).
  • The same client gave me an almost full HUGE jar of organic paleo chocolate protein powder, and I use it in my breakfast shakes. She didn't dig it, but I do. Probably saved $30 on groceries right there.
  • Another client gave me an AMC gift card that she found when we cleaned out her desk. How kind was that?
  • Made a delicious soup the other day that was made of things I already had in my pantry and freezer: 1 can of chicken broth, quinoa, black beans, scallions, cilantro, sea salt. I love making concoctions from leftovers off the top of my head.

Yummy soup


In three days my doggie Petri and I are leaving for New Jersey on a 3 day road trip. We will be in the Northeast for 2.5 weeks, including driving time. A friend out there has hired me for the entire week after Thanksgiving to help him declutter and organize, so Petri and I get extra time back home, which I really need. The Midwest and I need a little break right now. I can't wait for Petri to finally meet his Northeast family! He has been acting out quite a bit lately, and I know it's because I will have worked 17 days straight with no days off. Not healthy- I did it because I knew that I was taking the 18th-27th off this month, and wanted to make sure I was financially covered. Paying off my car loan is important, but sanity should come first- I should have taken 2 days off. Lesson learned. Petri and I will bond like crazy over the next 3 weeks.

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