Merry Merry Month of May

The numbers for April are in and they're pretty good:

• the budget line for gasoline was $60 but I only spent $45 😁 yippee yahoo! Still have about a half tank of gas left. 
• the budget line for food was set at the usual $280 but I only spent $212 😁
• Utilities came in under budget by $35 😁
• Savings per month has risen to $1200 from $1000 which will shorten the amount of time needed to replenish money spent on new car😁 This means a smaller amount of misc spending money but so far so good. 
• Misc $$ was spent on: two movies- "Game Night" (fairly funny) and "A Quiet Place" (EXCELLENT!!! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!); two albums purchased from iTunes; a Scotland guidebook downloaded to my Kindle App; $55 spent on fundraising dinner; a pair of gloves used in grooming Luna and Lily ($15 on Amazon - they work really well!); a six-pack of craft beer; a couple of pints after volleyball; $65 spent on a spring tuneup and new rear brakes for my bike; $25 spent at Dollarama (but I don't remember what I bought!); $26 for dinner with family at Morrissey House (it was 15% off for women to make up for gender equity issues!); $15 at Walmart for cat food; $25 to The Red Cross
• Internet bill has risen from $79 to $88  😡
• Paid income tax 😡

Looking ahead at expenses for May:

• As it's my birthday month I get to pay the gov't $120 for a new license sticker for my car 😡
• I will want to purchase flowers for my patio and for the front garden - I'm hoping I can keep my purchases to a reasonable amount - HAH!! That almost NEVER happens - I usually overspend on flowers! 💚

• I will need to keep misc spending to roughly $90 per week so that I can move $1200 to savings. Done  By the end of 2018 my savings accounts will be back to their pre-car purchase amounts!! 😁 I see several trips in 2019!!!

I have budgeted $45 for gas but I hope to spend ZERO now that I have my bike ready as my main source of transportation in the coming months 😁 Also hoping I can keep grocery spending to a minimum.  In aid of that I received and used a $25.00 gift card from Loblaw's to make up for their bread price fixing scandal. That should get me through to the weekend!! I also have $40 in points that I can use for groceries if need be.

Was April kind or nasty to your monthly budget??

February Blahs

So this is what I'm working with these days - I saw an Occupational Therapist last week who said if I didn't stop playing volleyball and put my fingers in a splint for at least 6 weeks I would have permanent damage. Being right-handed I had to take her seriously. Php$pb#bbt%t! I can only remove the splint to take a shower and even then I'm not to use my hand. 

Just think about all of the things you do with your dominant hand and/or use two hands for. Basically everything.  Just try pulling up your pants with one hand...or brushing your teeth...turning the key in the ignition...doing dishes...using the bathroom...turning doorknobs...the list is endless. 

To make a pot of chilli I had to get Kazi to open the cans of beans and tomatoes etc. I've had two other cans sitting on the counter awaiting her two good hands but I haven't seen her for two days...so they wait...I'll get even with her later as it's recycling day! 

Technically I shouldn't be typing either...I'm using my left hand plus my index finger of my right hand. Typos like crazy!!

Last week we had a bit of sunshine and snow so I went out and took a long walk and a few photos (with my left hand!) It was glorious to be outside.

Unfortunately neither the sun or snow lasted long and now it's raining like all get out with the promise of freezing rain just to mix things up a little.

 LOOK AT THAT SKY!!!

 I have a bag I keep stale bread in - I made the duckys' day :)

 I love patterns in nature - here the warp and weft and the water and the icicles made for a pleasing photo.

 I'm pleased I didn't drop my camera in the water - I'm not very dexterous with my left hand.

Finally...My darling Lilypad knows something is up - I've covered the dining room table in maps and passport renewal form and notebooks and calendars!  More on that another day. It's time to hit the exercise bike - don't need hands for that!

Disappointment

Yesterday, a friend and I went to an event being held in a new art/antiques/crafts and funky furniture store. It was billed as a creative get together of crafters and artists - a time when we could create together, feed off each other's ideas and forge new relationships within London's artistic community.

It was NONE of these - it was a joke! And the joke was on us! I'll let my friend's email to the organizer explain in the way only she can - honestly and boldly.

"I would like to say the your 'Create with Me' event was a real letdown and as my friend said 'A total rip-off'. Please do not use the photo you took of us in any of your advertising. You need to polish up your communication and other skills such as punctuality and manners. A proper host should not show up late, stare at their phone most of the time, ignore their guests, forget some refreshments like milk (coffee & terrible mini muffins were offered), not explain anything about your business or your goals, not engage your guests in conversations and ignore us when we left without even getting your butt off the couch to say goodbye. An awkward, boring waste of time. We got all this for $7…please help me understand why we had to pay you this when we brought our own crafts? You are clearly out of your element as a host. Big fail. We felt so sorry for the man who showed up late and was left on his own to colour while you continued to gossip with your friend. I was so embarrassed that I invited my friend to this fiasco I ended up treating her to lunch nearby. We both would like a refund of our $7. You can leave it with Kate-who should seriously evaluate any future 'create with me' events at lost&found."

Needless to say we won't be going back. Oh yes, and I was the friend who said it's "a total ripoff!" Stay tuned to see if we get our money back!

In better news, my refund cheque arrived!! Yippee!! A whopping $204.22! Better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick! AND all the snow and ice is gone from my patio!! I went out and cleaned up a little bit. I took the tarps off my patio furniture so everything could dry out and of course it's raining today. The kitties have been outside once and now mew piteously whenever I come near the patio door. They have spring fever! I was going to go out on my bike today - the tires feeling quite firm about a winter spent languishing in the basement hallway - but again, it's raining so will have to wait. 

BUT...spring IS in the air!!