Frugal Friday in August

Hola friends! Hope everyone has a fantastic week! I feel so out of the loop with catching up with everyone because of going back to work. I only worked three days but am completely beat. I like to attribute some of my tiredness to my parents who are emotionally draining me by the minute but I digress…..

They do have some good characteristics and habits , like getting two or three newspapers on Sundays. You all can only imagine how elated I get when I wake up, have my coffee and breakfast and get to clipping! I take full advantage of the coupons by clipping them, alphabetizing them and scouring the ads to see if any items are sale that week (that I can use) and have a coupon for.

I combed the ads for CVS and Walgreens and found sales on a few items that I had coupons for which resulted in amazing savings! The best deal I got was at CVS:

All of this for $13.16! I had a BOGO coupon for the Clean & Clear and Dove products. I normally don’t buy men’s products but the coupon was a his and hers kind of coupon and it was free so why not?
At Walgreens I got these two items for $6 plus I received $3 off to use on my next purchase sop I like to think that’s like getting it for $3 something.

After CVS I went to Fresh Market. For those who don’t have FM, it’s like a smaller Whole Foods but without the made to order foods. I rarely buy anything there since it can pretty pricey after two or three items. So the real reason I go?
Free coffee.

Oh yeah.
They have sample cups for you to try and they always have interesting flavors on hand along with organic half and half and raw sugar, The other weekend they have Georgia Pecan and I kinda wished that I had brought along my coffee tumbler to fill up. After I had a few sample cups of coffee, I walked through the chip aisle and saw they have BOGO sale on Kettle Brand chips. I quickly remembered that I had a $1 off coupon for Kettle Brand because I somehow have a photographic memory when it comes to my coupons (I do NOT forget savings) Do I need potato chips? Hell to the no but if I can get a flavorful bag for $1.15, I’m not going to pass that up.

I was sad they didn’t have my favorite flavor, Spicy Thai but picked up two other solid choices instead.
When not working, my mom and I have been checking out thrift stores a couple of times a week. I like to take her with me on Wednesdays since all the Good Wills in the area offer 25% off to seniors. So I shop, give her money, have her purchase and save some dough. I am not looking forward to getting older but discounts at thrift stores and cheap coffee at McDonalds make it seem a little better. At the Goodwill we went to last week, it was not only senior citizens day but I also saw this beautiful sign right when we walked in

The thrift store is the main place I get books and now thanks to reading a post about books over at The Lofty Appetite , I have another avenue to find books. I got three books for $1.23 when at Goodwill and although I could have stayed there for hours looking through the titles, I kept it at a minimum because sometimes I buy too many books and never get to reading them.

Speaking of McDonalds, they have been sending mad coupons as of late. They send us two pamphlets of coupons featuring not only BOGO coupons but also coupons for free coffee, smoothies and sodas.

I tried the pineapple mango smoothie and even though it was free, it was pretty nasty. It was entirely too sweet for me and I winced when taking the three sips that I did because I felt if something tasted that bad, it should get me drunk.

  

I used this coupon for a free coffee regardless of size, this afternoon at the McDonalds near my temporary work

 

I found it highly amusing that when ordering, the cashier asked me if it was for there or to go. I tilted my head and stared at her and answered/asked “To go?” Not only free coffee but free entertainment as well. I dig.

What I don’t dig is that I’ve been trying so hard to save any money I can on the daily including not going to Starbucks everyday like I used to. I lived within walking distance of a Starbucks for six years and now the closest one is a few miles away….and nowhere on the way to work. So I’ve been drinking this:

Gag. I’m a coffee snob and feel like anytime I take a sip of this stuff, hair is going to pop up on my chest. It’s a step above car dealership coffee though, when I drink that I react as if I’m taking a shot of hooch. I would love to know who this Maxwell fellow is and why he likes such crappy coffee in his house.

Where do you buy books? If you don’t buy, do you go to the library or borrow from friends or just don’t read literature other than my blog?

What are your tips for making good coffee at home?

Frugal Friday: Saving money when without home

Happy Frugal Friday! I am about to hit the hay because I have to wake up early for another traveling adventure. This time?

(source)

Boston!

I haven’t been there since I was 11 years old and can’t wait to experience it as an adult. I’m taking the train up there so I’m sure that will be an experience itself and am intrigued by the whole train business. I haven’t been on am Amtrak train since I was in fifth grade when we went up to DC for the safety patrol field trip. I can’t wait to people watch but don’t think there will be as many skeezers on it than a bus. Stayed tuned for tons of pics and blogger meetup details!

As many of you know, I’m still living the vagabond lifestyle and much to my surprise, I haven’t been spending a lot of money. We’ve been eating out but not as much as I thought we were going to. If not eating out, I’ve been having leftovers at home (AKA Neyals house) or eating meals at home. Neyal likes to go out to eat but she is all about saving money and calories as well so we have been doing one meal at home and then go out for one each day if we don’t eat both meals at home.

Leftover chicken verde stew

Ropa Vieja made in the crockpot

Neyal’s garden is sick. But in a good way! She has a ton of vegetables growing right there in her backyard which saves her money on produce, especially in the summertime. Right now she has tons of peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, basil, parsley and more.

Check out these zucchinis!

Matilda took a liking to the big zucchini right away

I stopped by Trader Joe’s the other day after reading about Stephanie’s love for Joe.

I tried the tortellini bowl for lunch the other day and it was wonderful! It is pretty much the same as Amy’s Pesto Bowl. I usually have to add protein or some kind of space to kick up a frozen meal but this didn’t need anything additional.

 

When we went to the thrift store the other day, they had a ridiculous music selection. Not just cd’s, they also has cassette tapes, records and I saw an eight track! They cd’s were only $1 each so I grabbed some for all the road trips ahead of me. Apparently  I was trying to go back to my college days.

And yes, I did buy the Baha Men cd. One can never get enough Who Let The Dogs Out. Plus, there could be other hidden gems on there!

We went to 7-11 on 7-11 for a free 7.11 oz slurpee.

I’ve collected a bunch of reusable shopping bags at different events throughout the years. Instead of using them for shopping only, I use them day to day as well.

My Vitamin Water bag doubles as both a gym bag and a beach bag for me . It smells really interesting.

And my Food Lion bag used to be used for grocery shopping but now it’s used strictly for groceries. I cleaned out my cupboards when I left my apartment in Charlotte and the remainder was snack foods so why not take it on the road with me?

Instead of going out for fro yo, we made spinach ice cream the other night. I’ve made spinach smoothies but never spinach ice cream so I wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out. Neyal got the recipe from Costco magazine, I couldn’t find it anywhere online but I found this recipe for it which uses the same ingredients.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We followed the directions to a T but it still came out more like a smoothie than ice cream. It was good though,thanks to the agave nectar.

Totally not Frugal Friday related but has anyone else heard about the new Style Network show Big Rich Texas???

It’s supposed to be like Real Housewives but only saucier and cattier—can’t wait!

How have you saved money this week?

Do you grow your own vegetables or herbs?

Did you get your free Slurpee on 7/11?

In plain view

I started Monday with an early morning workout.

Ok maybe not so much early morning but a 11am workout. What can I say, it takes a few hours for me to mentally wake up.

And can we just say holy workout from hell?

Kettlebell 20 lbs

*Plie Squats (15 reps, 4 sets)

*Tricep extensions (13 reps, 4 sets)

*Lateral Row (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Shrugs (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Halos (13 reps, 2 sets)

*Chest Press  (13 reps, 4 sets)

*Side Bends (25 reps, 2 sets)

Dumbbell 10 lbs

*Deltoid raise (13 reps, 3 sets)

*Tricep kickbacks (13 reps, 2 sets)

*Curls (13 reps, 3 sets)

In between sets, I would do sets of 30 jumping jacks or crunches which made me super sweaty in no time. It may not look like a lot of stuff but this workout had me reaching for my water. Oddly enough, no matter how tired I get when strength training, I can keep going. Not so much with cardio though, I get too bored after awhile and can’t concentrate.

*

Kicked

My

Butt

I don’t even want to talk about how much pain I’m in today but to say I’m hurting a bit is an understatement. I couldn’t cool down after that even after showering and lounging for awhile but I’m I got that out of the way early on so I could go play!

First stop was Wagging Tails Thrift Store, which benefits the Humane Society.

This place didn’t look like much from the outside but once you step inside, it’s like a huge warehouse full of junk! And I’m talking really, really random junk!

I wanted to buy these and some clear pepsi to go along with it

Other random trinkets included:

I have no clue who the Fercos are but I imagine some kind of Siegfried & Roy knockoff? Aha, turns out they are just like Siegfried & Roy and will have their own show on Animal Planet!

All BSB, all the time!

Oddly enough, one of the Twilight movies is playing in the background as I type this. I am definitely not Team Edward, he is too emo and needs a tan. Team Jacob all the what!

Look what I found!

I guess others don’t hold Dawson’s Creek in such high regards as I do?

And this place has Playboy dvd’s right in plain view for all to see. Awkward much? Personally I would never buy nudie dvd’s at a thrift store but to each his own. And if it’s raising money for the pups, that can’t be bad right?

After that and the longest trip to Target ever, we went to lunch at a Panera-esque place, Corner Bakery. I have to say, I really like how pretty much every place I’ve been to in DC has the calorie contents in plain view. A girl could definitely get used to that. A girl being me of course but I guess if other girls need it, it’s ok as well.

I ate a light Asian wonton salad since it was humid and hot out plus I wanted to save room for something sweet….cupcakes! My friend and another friend mentioned Lilly Magilly’s and once they did, I knew we had to stop there for a treat.

I love the pink and black décor of Lilly’s plus the beautiful display of cupcakes. Plus, the aroma of cupcakes just make me happy.

We split two cupcakes to get the true Lilly’s experience. I got the chocolate coconut and Neyal got the red velvet cupcake. She says she always orders red velvet wherever she goes to test the place on how they do. Me, I like to get whatever sings to me that day.

Both cupcakes were fantastic but the coconut was definitely my favorite.

I’m still curious who Lilly Magilly is though.

Matilda was there with us! I’m sad that Matilda scared some people out there—she means no harm!

We stopped by 7-11 on the way home to take partake in free slurpee day! I thought the idea of them giving out 7.11 oz slurpess was creative but cmon, give me a bigger slurpee. I’m not a midget so my slurpee shouldn’t be either.

Later on, the plan was to have shrimp and mango kebabs on the grill with grilled veggies

But then Mother Earth decided to be a bitter beezy and ruin our plans

We brought everything in before the rain hit and put the kebabs in the oven and let the veggies cook over the stovetop. I made cucumber and tomato salad to go with the veggie themed meal and dinner was served!

 

Do restaurants post calorie content for public view where you live?

What’s your favorite thing to make on the grill?

For my kettlebell users-what are some other exercises I can do? I need to mix it up and will occasionally do wind mills and swings with my workout but other than what I normally do, I’m at a loss of what else to do with mine.

Stimulating the economy

Hi all! It’s 10:30pm and I am finally getting some down time. My time has been filled with packing and some fun. Shall we?

I was craving bar food like whoa last night. I didn’t want to go out and still need to go through stuff in my fridge so why not make something at home, right? I found a lone container of crescent rolls sitting in my fridge and I couldn’t even remember when I bought them or for what purpose. I’m not the kind of girl who will just buy crescent rolls since I could probably down seven or eight in a sitting and we just don’t need that.

I also had some Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheese and Tyson Grilled & Ready Chicken and there you have the ingredients of dinner.

I sprinkled two crescent rolls with Penzey’s Mural of Flavor then threw in the chicken and cheese and wrapped up

Kinda, I really didn’t have a set plan on how I was going to make these and just tried to get them to stay together as a roll.

I also threw some kale, extra virgin olive oil, pepper and garlic together to make kale chips while that was cooking. They had the same cook time of about 15 minutes so it worked out perfectly.

Complete with some Chick Fil A Fat Free Honey Mustard for dipping. Yum.

Today, I helped boost the economy. I had a thrift store + lunch date with one of a new friend. What’s up with me meeting fabulous people right as I’m about to leave Charlotte? Can we say dislike?

We went to Mac’s Speedshop. Mac’s holds a special place in my heart. Mac’s holds a special place in my heart because it was one of the first restaurants I went to when I first moved to Charlotte and when out of towners ask where they should eat when they visit Charlotte, Mac’s is my answer.

And then when we were looking through the menu (which I just pretend to do since I get the same thing 99% of the time), it hit me that it would be my last time at Mac’s.

Farewell, Little Pig sandwich with a side of mac n cheese. We’ve had some good times together and will miss you dearly.

This is exactly how I want to remember you and your meaty goodness.

When I got home, Lincoln could send that I had some delicious for lunch. Sorry, little dog, no meat for you.

But let’s get back to me stimulating the economy today. I can’t say no to a deal and it all started with Big Lots.

I really don’t need these in the house but for $1, I needed to try these since Almond Joy is one of my all time favorite candies

Like little chocolate and coconut M&M’s….only better. This is what heaven tastes like.

I found some other good deals:

Can you tell I’m a wee bit obsessed with this anti aging stuff?

We went to Value Village to find some new threads. I am well aware I’m trying to get rid of stuff but I wanted to get a few skirts since it’s starting to get steamy out and if I’m going to get some skirts, it’s going to be at the VV.

$2.50. I love the pocket in the front and the inside is a sweatshirt like material!

This purse? Ok, well, it’s probably a bag but I deemed it my new summer purse, only $1.61! I didn’t even find this on my own, I walking to the cash register and saw this in a ladies shopping cart. I ooooohhhhed and ahhhhhhed when I saw it and pet it (because that’s the weird thing I do with purses) and she told me I could have it. I asked her four or five times if she was sure and she insisted so I did a happy dance and  walked away as quickly as I could before she changed her mind.

$1.50

$3.50

I’m not a let’s wear a white visor kind of girl but for $1, I definitely get down with it. Plus it will be good to wear on afternoon walks with the Linx so I can get that evil sunlight away from my face.

Now to my two favorite finds of the day:

Do I need brown and orange plaid trimmed shoes? No but they were only $3.50 and went perfectly with a dress I soon found after, also for only $3.50

I can’t wait to rock my $7 outfit!

What kind of moisturizer do you use?
What’s your favorite restaurant of all time—give me details!

Oh, if you are looking for some clothes or other goods, check out my ebay page. I’m selling some of my coworkers clothes and getting rid of other stuff.

Frugal Friday: It’s June?

Happy Frugal Friday! Um, I don’t even want to start the conversation on how it’s June already so we just won’t. I just need to ask-seriously- where has this year gone??

A couple of months ago, I was perusing Groupon for the deal of the day. I started to look around at other cities to see what they were offering as well. Indianapolis’ sounded interesting—$8 worth of Mexican food for $4 at Bajio Mexican Grill . I am all about the Mexican food but cheap Mexican food, si papi!

 

I had some free time last weekend so drove over and ordered the Pineapple Shrimp Salad.

Bajio was just like Qdoba or anything other Mexican fast food restaurant. I loved the number of add ins and when it came out, it was gorgeous. Looks tasty right? Wrong. There was too much juice from the black beans and the salsa so what should’ve been a salad turned into cold Mexican soup. No bueno. It would have been fine if there wasn’t so much juice, add to the fact that the lettuce was shredded lettuce as opposed to bigger pieces, I wasn’t a huge fan.

Tip: If you know you’re traveling to another city and  know what part of town you will be staying in or have a card with you, check out Groupon or other discount sites in advance. It’s a great, cheap way to check out local cuisine!

My sister told me about a Sparkling Ice Water they sell at Kroger for $.99/bottle. She said it tastes better than Crystal Light all while being calorie free. I went to the local Kroger and stocked up, they had a number of flavors and even though I didn’t have a Kroger savings card because we don’t have Kroger here, found out that I could use my Bi-Lo supermarket card since they are affiliates.

I also bought some snacks for the road since I wanted to get back on track with getting my fruits, veggies and produce in my life.

Tip: If you’re in need of food or drink while on vacation, go to the grocery store instead of the convenience store or eating out every meal. You will save tons of money and possibly discover new products like I did!

 

On Memorial Day, we went to the local Salvation Army thrift store. They were having a huge sale with all of their clothes half off! I found some wonderful tops and skirts for super cheap.

All of this? $7 and some change. Can we say holla?  Where else can you find Nike and Adidas tops for under $.80? On another note, I don’t think I’ve ever had donuts for dinner but wouldn’t be opposed to the idea.

Tip: Retail stores have huge sales on holiday weekends but don’t forget your local thrift stores! They are usually packed to the gills with clothes and other items and have sales as well!

When I got back to Charlotte, I was looking through the circulars to see what was on sale. I saw Voskos Greek Yogurt on sale for $1. I’ve never tried that brand before but if I’m going to try something, it’s going to be when it’s on sale as opposed to regular price.

A possibility of winning a trip to Greece? Don’t mind if I do.

Tip: Some times you may not like the product you get on sale. I tried the honey flavor and wasn’t a fan at all. However, I refuse to let the other three go to waste. I like to throw greek yogurt in smoothies as a replacement for milk and for a little kick of protein.

Also while looking through the mail, I found this advertisement (with coupons!) for Einsteins’ Brothers

I don’t need a fresh baked treat but it’s good to know if I’m jonesing for one, I can get one for free at Einsteins in the afternoon with a drink purchase.

Tip: Don’t just throw out your mail, check out the advertisements. Often they are full of sales, discounts and coupons!

I went to Logan’s Roadhouse with my aunt and uncle last weekend in Indianapolis. When we sat down the server did their normal schpeal asking us if we’ve ever been there. I told them I’ve heard of Logan’s but never been to a Logan’s before. Before we were about to leave the manager came over and gave me this card for a free appetizer since it was my first visit since they hoped I would return. The best part is I can use it at any Logan’s location!

 

Tip: Sorry, I don’t have one this was total luck right here!

Do you shop for groceries while you’re out of town? Do you buy Groupons/ Living Social/ etc deals for cities you will be visiting?

Frugal Friday: On the road again

Happy Friday all! I am rolling back up to Charlotte today and not looking forward to the 11 hour drive. I am driving back from the west coast of Florida (recap coming soon!) and am excited for a new route to take but nervous since I’ve never come from this way. Maybe one of these days I will finally put out the money for a GPS? Until then, it’s Google Map directions all the way.

Am I the only person who still uses paper directions? Maybe I haven’t bought into the whole GPS thing is because I have a problem with authority and don’t like people telling me what to do?

Some tips for saving money while road tripping:

*Bring a lunch box with you. I like to bring one with one or two ice packs so I can bring drinks, yogurt and other perishable items

*Instead of buying snacks at gas stations, stock up before hand. I raided my parents cupboard before I drove to my sisters and snagged some trail mix, soda, fruit and granola bars.

Holy crap, my parents are hipsters and now organic!

*Check your local newspaper for deals. I found a coupon for a $19.99 Mani/Pedi comboo—unhead of!

So there was a catch with this deal.

The place was huge however it reeked of old people, Aqua Net and moth balls.

Seriously, this troll looking senior was off her rocker. She kept talking about how bunions ran in her family but she was blessed because she didn’t have any. From the look on her nail tech’s face, she was lying.

I was the youngest person in there so that boosted my ego for a few minutes until I sat down and figured out what the deal was with the cheap price. You can get a regular pedicure (the one with the $19.99 combo) or a spa pedicure. The spa pedicure is like a normal pedi–chair, hot water, bubbles and all. The regular? Not so much. Instead of going into one of the comfy chairs, they brought me a foot bath to soak my feet in. It’s all gravy b/c you would think that it would be plugged in so the water would be kept warm right? Negative. So my feet sat in the foot bath while the water quickly went cold. Nasty. WTF??
There was one lady who shelled out the extra $5 to get the spa pedicure and the other old ladies scowled at her since apparently, she was a big spender. I wish I would have followed her lead and spent the extra $5. At least I got my nails did and they looked good.

*Go to local thrift stores for new digs, books, knick knacks, etc. I went to a Habitat for Humanity thrift store on Thursday and found this Nine West purse for $1

Do I need another purse? Hell to the no but for as many purses that I have, I don’t have a plain black one. I think it’s $1 spent wisely.

*Itching to work out on vacation? Check out the gyms in the area you are going to visit. I belong to the YMCA and checked out the one in Florida and my membership allowed me to go 14 times at another branch outside of my metro area. I checked into LA Fitness which offers three day passes for free and Life Time Fitness offered a one day pass. I ended up not going to either one but Life Time Fitness was a bit pushy about me coming in. Homegirl slice is still emailing me and even offered to buy me lunch if I went in!

*Rely on the kindness of strangers. Ok, maybe everyone shouldn’t do this. But if you know me, I am a social bird and a talker. I often chat it up with strangers when out and I was at a bar the other night and a guy overhead I was from out of town and bought me a free drink. Score. Bonus points if they buy you a mixed drink on $1 beer night!

*Go to the local supermarket or discount score to get goodies for the ride back. I went to Big Lots on Wednesday night and got the following for under $7:

Hello Bear Granola! I haven’t tried this brand yet but it’s been on my list of must try’s

Happy savings!

What’s the longest road trip you’re made?

Anyone have any fun road trips planned for the summer?

So, now what?

Some of you have asked what my next steps are going to be now that I am without job. In all honestly, I have no clue. All I know is that I’m taking a much needed break from life. However, while doing so, I’m going to focusing on three things:

1) Reclaiming my health-I’ve gained 15 lbs this past year due to depression and stress. Needless to say, I’m not too happy about that when I’ve worked so hard to lose weight in the first place. I’m going to start going to the gym more consistently because, hi, what other excuse do I have not to go? I’m going to check out some classes at the YMCA to take since they are included in my membership fee and up the ante with my strength training. I may also really up the ante and start swimming again since it won’t put a lot of pressure on my knee. They have a pretty sweet sauna and jacuzzi that I can use afterwards so when I go to the gym, it’s probably going to turn into a two to three hour event. Fine with me, I want to get my moneys worth and get back on the right track!

2) Unwind-This is piggybacking off of #1. I need to lower my stress level, I just have to. My most recent job put a lot of stress on me but so did my job before that, that I was in for four years. I like to think of myself as a laid back person but truth is, I’ve never been so high strung in my life as I’ve been in the past year. My blood pressure is borderline high and I’ve never had issues with blood pressure in the past (blaming weight gain and stress on that). Add the fact, that on a normal day I would down two to three cups of coffee from Starbucks (and I’m not talking tall cups, go grande or go home!) so I’m pretty sure that wasn’t good for my central nervous system. Also, depression is not a good look for me. The past five months have been rough. It got to the point where I didn’t want to talk to my friends or get out of bed in the mornings (weekends included) And all because of a stupid job. The money was great and I had a history with the bank but what’s the point in making all of this money if I can’t even look forward to enjoying it?

3) Travel-I’m going to Florida next week to see the parental units and my sister. I don’t have a set plan of how long I will be gone, which is nice for a chance. I have to be back in Charlotte for a wedding the weekend of the 21st so I feel like I have a lot of time to spend there with them, see high school friends and duh-work on the tan. Once I get back to Charlotte, I will be here for a week then go to Indianapolis to see my other sisters and nieces for Memorial Day weekend. From there I will be driving to Chicago to check out the scene there. NYC and Colorado may be making a special appearance in there as well! My lease is up June 30 so I have to be out of there by then and would like to be out of Charlotte by then as well. I am going to try to sell most of my stuff on Craigslist or Ebay and if that doesn’t work, give the bigger things to charity and if I still have a lot of clothes and random things laying around, put those in storage.

So, yeah, that’s it for now. Today was a perfectly relaxing yet productive start to my “me-time”

The first stop of the day was the Value Village to get some new digs for cheap! I found some pretty good deals. The tags of the day were any item that had a pink tag was 50% off and any one with yellow was 75% off. That being said, I had my eye on the prize since I am now without job and have to really be frugal. I kept my eye on the pink and yellow prize and kept singing to myself “Pink and yellow, pink and yellow” to the tune of “Black and Yellow” which worked out in my favor since the first thing I found was a Pittsburgh Steelers T-shirt. No pink or yellow tag but I didn’t mind shelling out $1.50 for the shirt since I know Neyal will love it.

Fila shirt –$1.50

NY& Company Skirt- $1.25

Nike T-Shirt-$.38

Eddie Bauer Cardigan-$.63

Pink T-Shirt-$.75

Plaid Shirt-$1.50

Denim Jacket-$3.50 (don’t think I almost put this away because it was so expensive compared to everything else)

Lincoln burrowing under all my finds-priceless

Total spent– $11.90

What would I do without Value Village? I’ll tell you-be in credit card from too much shopping. The only downside to the place is the questionable people there (I seem to be the most normal person there and that’s not saying a lot) and the fact that I need major hand sanitizer action going on afterwards

I went to Ross afterwards since I didn’t find a dress at VV. I was just looking for a simple sun dress or strapless dress to wear when I’m in FL and found this cute dress for $10. I wasn’t too happy about having to pay $10 for something new but it was on clearance so that smoothed the burn over a bit.

When I got back home, Lincoln and I went for an hour long walk. I can’t tell you the last time we went out for that long and it was a perfect day to do so! The past three months my knee has been killing me, so much that the single act of walking more than a few blocks would leave me in pain. But the past few days, not so much. Could stress from work really have been making my knee pain worse? I guess we will see but I just thought it’s a bit odd it starts to feel better as soon as work went adios. Anyways, Lincoln and I headed over to  park in my neighborhood that I’ve been wanting to check out. The park is only 1/2 mile away but I always made excuses not to go. Excuses like I was exhausted by the time I got home from work to go or that I was too busy on the weekend running errands that I didn’t have time (or energy) to run during the week. I hate that I made so many excuses in the past not to go so it felt extra good to go today. Turns out the park has trails and tables throughout it with different paths to walk on. Lincoln was sniffing away, enjoying the new terrain and when he would stop, I would do calf raises or squats. I figure if we have to keep stopping every other minute, I may as well keep the burn going.

After lunch, Lincoln and I continued to enjoy the day. I have a side yard that’s fenced in and gets optimal sun light so it was tanning and relaxing time for me! All was right-the sun was out, Pandora was playing, iced water in hand and dog by my side. It was hot enough that I could feel it on my skin but not so much that I was sweating my balls off.  Lincoln had to go in a little after we went out there since it was too hot for him but I continued to stay and enjoy the sun.

All in all, a successful first day of “God-knows-where-my-life-is-going?”

How much sleep did you get last night? There was some little announcement late last night from the President. In the past, I would have dismissed it and said “Oh, I’ll just catch it on YouTube in the morning” but it was nice to stay up without having to worry about work in the morning and take part in history. I think I got about seven hours of sleep so I was a happy gal.

Do you visit your local parks or national parks?

I’ve pissed off the cupcake gods

Hello friends! How in the hell is already Sunday afternoon–where did this weekend go?

We are supposed to get hit with major snow (read seven inches) tonight and I’m hoping I won’t be able to go into work tomorrow. The south freaks out over any kind of snow, even if it doesn’t stick, but I am interested to see how it pans out tomorrow. So until there, I am actively doing a snow dance every 15 minutes in hopes of a lazy day with a weekend extension tomorrow.

Last night, I made a trip  just to check out Sweetcakes Bakery.  I’ve seen rave reviews about this place on Yelp and had plans to go to that side of town to meet a friend for dinner.  My friend was running late so I went over there to see what the deal was. The store is right off the main road so once I figured out the parking sitch in the back (heeeeeeey) I walked up and saw a sign in the window saying they were sold out of cupcakes. Isn’t this the main product they offer? If it was closing time I could see this but two hours before they closed? Me no likey. If you may remember, I had another cupcakeless occurence this summer when I went to Crave Dessert Bar. Maybe this a higher power trying to tell me that I don’t need cupcakes? From the size of my ass, I know damn straight I don’t need any cupcakes but wanting cupcakes is a totally different ballgame. Somewhere along the line in my cupcake adventures, I’ve  pissed off the cupcake gods. Must fix ASAP.

So what’s a girl to do when she can’t get cupcakes? Shop! Don’t worry, I didn’t break my resolution of not buying any new clothes until March. I saw a Salvation Army I hadn’t been into and figured what else but low prices could fix my negative cupcake experience? I was in and the place was absolutely huge. I like to jam when I shop and they had a mix of hip hop and gospel music to raise my spirits for all the good deals I found. This one is  near the lake where all the rich folk live and apparently, donate all of their stuff.

I found some shoes……

$4.99-ugly but comfortable for the work place.

Aerosoles that are also good for the work place. Chapped by ass to pay $7.99 for these but oh well, they will last me a while.

Ralph Lauren wool pants for only $4! They are a little snug but I will make it work one of these days, I just couldn’t pass them up for $4. And some random label of jeans for $2.

Cute summer-y top (or dress?) for $2.50

Very Bradley head band. Don’t hate me if I tell you I got it for free. The cashier there recognized me from another Salvation Army I frequent and he didn’t feel like calling to see what the price was so he said it would be our little secret (well, not anymore!)

When I got back to my car, my friend called and asked if I still wanted to go to Sweetcakes. I told her the story about them running out of cupcakes and she was a bit disappointed as well. We brainstormed for a few minutes about other cupcake venues in her part of town and we called some places but everything was closed. We did dinner as planned since I had a BOGO coupon. We went to Asiana Fusion Sushi. The menu is huge with separate listings for appetizers, rice dishes , noodles, entrees and sushi. They have sushi rolls that are only $3 to $5 in addition to their regular sushi menu. I wanted sushi so badly after scanning their extensive menu however the cold chill tonight had me looking for something to warm me up. I looked and looked and everything looked delicious so I went with old faithful—shrimp pad thai.

If you mess up pad thai, that’s how I know you’re a bad place. And it was quite tasty!! I like how they put peanuts on the side and it is enough for two or three servings so I could enjoy it there plus take some home for leftovers one day. The pieces of shrimp they threw in there were huge and fresh, score! I am just bummed that I don’t live closer to this place because I won’t be able to hit it up as often as I’d like.

Besides that, this weekend has been low-key. I had plans to go to two yoga classes, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. The one on Saturday was a free class at a local jiujitsu studio but when I got to said location, there was no sign on the door or name written anywhere so that was a fail. Then today, I had planned to go to a $5 good karma class and really wasn’t feeling it. I feel like I have a cold coming on so felt a little heavy in the head and when I got there, they told me it was canceled. I was happy about this because I just wanted to get back home and do nothing. But I made a trip to Trader Joe’s before going home since I needed to pick up some fresh produce and my hair was looking good so if I saw the cashier I went out with, I wouldn’t mind.

I got a nice selection of veggies, fruits and pizza dough

and something new……

Ohhhh lala! Now I can make cold and hot Chai at home, which will most definitely assist in my quest to spend less money on Starbucks. And boy was not there so I didn’t have to worry about stepping into his check out line then having an awkward moment…..even though my hair was kinda hoping for that moment.

I got some good news on Friday night—I am going to be joining the YMCA. There is some bad blood between me and the Y. I refuse to pay $65 for a membership of my own but my friend told me her and her other friend are wanting to go splitsies with someone else on their membership so my cut will only be $26/month. I can’t wait to get back to something consistent and eek, going on an elliptical again! It’s been over a year since I’ve been on one–I wonder if it will be like riding a bike??

Do you go to a gym or workout at home? If you do go to a gym, do you spend an insane amount for membership or do you think it’s reasonable?

Girl On A Budget

I am a girl on a budget, I’m not embarrassed to admit it. I like clipping coupons, searching clearance racks, cutting coupons and doing anything that will save me some dough. I’ve been in search of some new digs but after my company messing up this past paycheck, that’s been virtually impossible to do. The paycheck money that was missing will be deposited into my checking account tomorrow (thank God!) Since I had today off, I figured it was a perfect time to shop around for new members of my wardrobe. But I was also on the hunt for something else-an ugly sweater for an Ugly Christmas Sweater party I’m going to next month. I could’ve gone to Cracker Barrel like some friends suggested or asked my mom for one but I decided to be proactive and visit Value Village. Value Village is like a thrift store but not non for profit. They have a huge selection of used clothes including great brands like Nine West, Banana Republic, Michael Kors. etc. The only downside to this place is that they don’t have dressing rooms so you really have to go in knowing your size and what you can fit into. I always find something there and knew it would be the perfect spot to find an ugly Christmas sweater so away I went!

I searched for about 15 minutes then hit the motherload of ugly Christmas sweaters. I quickly called my friend who would be attending the party and told her to get her butt down to Value Village asap so she could partake in the festivities. We found some ugly ones

But then we found moo moo’s and Christmas pajamas! I saw a Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer onesie pajama piece that was too tall for me but perfect for my friend who has a few inches on me. I told her that if she wore that to the party, I would wear the moo moo with an ugly Christmas sweater on top

Awww yeah. Mission accomplished.

I saw this pair of Stuart Weitzman shoes that would have been perfect for work and only $3.50 but they were sadly a size 7 when I am an 8. It broke my heart that I had to pass up on these babies.

Some people may laugh at me because I shop at thrift stores but I am trying to save all the money I can. I think that if you go in with the mindset that you aren’t going to find anything and devote a good chunk of time to sifting through the racks, you can find some goodies. That being said, I present my finds from Value Village today.

Old Navy Pants $4

The Moo Moo for $3.50, Lincoln was quite taken with it also

Silver Turtleneck $3.50

Pink Jacket for $4, I can pair it up with jeans or black pants

!!! I was most excited for this $4 top from Cato, perfect for work!!

New With Tags Tweed Cardigan from JCP, it pained me to shell out $8 for it but it's worth it, yes?

Eddie Bauer Denim Blazer for $3.50

Life is Good tshirt with hoodie for $3

I loved the inside of it the most

Skirt for when it's warmer out, only $2.50

Old Navy Green T-Shirt, $2.50. I absolutely love the fitted waist line

Green Frilly Top for $3.50. It turned out to be too big but losing $3.50 doesn't kill me so much.

Black Sheet Top for $3.50

Liz Claiborne wallet for a dolla

Pink Vera Bradley Wallet

Yeah, the 60 means $.60…..HOLLA!

Lest we forget the ugly Christmas sweater I fell in love with

All of that comes to a grand total of $53 and some change, not too shabby huh? So, if you’re looking to dress cute on a budget, it IS possible!

After that, we stopped by Price’s Chicken Coop. Price’s is an institution here in Charlotte and known throughout the country for their fried chicken. They are an old school joint, by that I mean cash only and they charge you if you get a drink without ice. Anytime someone asks what place they must visit when in Charlotte, Price’s is always at the top of the list. It’s take only so my friend and I sat in the grass across the street and enjoyed some chicken and the gorgeous weather. I got the 1/4 Chicken Box which comes with hash browns, hush puppies, slaw and a biscuit.

Sometimes a girl needs a box of fried yummy goodness. And all of that for only $6? Sign me up. I couldn’t finish it all but saved the chicken breast for dinner this week.

Some other meals to note were from yesterday-leftovers of buffalo chicken with rice and peas

And an appetizer-licious meal of leftover chili and wings for dinner last night

I completely forgot I had a bag of these bad boys hidden deep in the cupboards

They were everything I dreamed of and more.

I wanted to share some posts I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this week:

*Tamara’s realistic view about eating healthy (not organic, local or whatever the fad of the moment is) on a budget 

*Rachaels experience with dumpster diving for food

*Remember The Babysitters Club? Check out Rachel’s Top 10 Questions for Ann M Martin

Giveaway! Win a Quaker Amazing Morning Kit!

Anyone else shop at thrift stores or am I the only one?

Retail Therapy is the Best Kind of Therapy

Good news-I got my registration renewed

Bad news-I didn’t get my NC license so it looks like I am still a Florida driver…..although I haven’t really lived there in over seven years.

I didn’t even get to take the test. Stupid me didn’t have a current insurance card and the most recent one I could find expired on 4.10. I tried to tell the lady I pay my insurance each month and that I could find a lot better things to do with the $80 something that goes towards that but she really wasn’t in the mood for insurance schtick and wasn’t amused by my humor (which in my book, you don’t think I’m funny, you kinda suck). I can understand though as I imagine there are many scammers that roll into the DMV each day.

Some reflections on waiting in line at the DMV:

*There are a lot of people out there who don’t know what personal hygiene is

*I think I was the only woman who didn’t have a knock off designer purse. I get my cute, big bags that are not name brand nor claim to be  at TJ Maxx thank you very much

*I am all about the love but is it really necessary to make out with your significant other in the DMV line?

* I keep confusing DMV and DMX—Get at me dog!!

* My workout session yesterday proved effective since my lower back was killing me while standing there and I can’t feel my thighs (thanks plie squats!)

I really had nothing planned for the rest of the morning. I had to stop at the Salvation Army thrift store to drop off a big donation and wandered in there for a little to see if I could snag any goodies

Mudd brown Mary Jane’s -$2.99

Books-$.99 each

Two tops-$1.50 and $3, not going out tops by any means but cute for work.

Polka dot bulletin board- $2.99

I stopped at Marshalls as well and got some other cute buys

Nike Dry-fit workout top- $10

Pink Halter top $3–HOLLA!

Graphic Top- $7

Mini Umbrella -$3

I stopped at The Common Market for lunch. I always forget that they have a newer location near my place and have been meaning to check it out. It’s an eclectic neighborhood convenience store but they also sell beer and wine (which you can enjoy there), deli sandwiches and a patio where they have live music, a dj, wine tastings and more! Check out their menu, they have some interesting wraps and sandwiches.

I went with the  Mid Eastern Wrap (Hummus and tabouleh with red onion, bell peppers, red cabbage and sprouts) on a spinach herb tortilla. I was going to just take it home but figured I was there so I might as well enjoy the patio. It was so peaceful out there and thankfully, not unbearably humid.

 

Such a beautiful wrap. This really filled me up and was delicious but the hummus or  tabouleh didn’t have alot of flavor so that was my only grip with it. Besides that, it was absolutely delicious and fresh!

Where my dog at?  He’s right here dog.

I am going to follow this boys lead and nap it up!!

PS-I am so happy to see that so many people agree on the ridiculousness of the no cupcake situation last night!! It makes me feel less crazy 🙂