two cents

A downside to my new nanny job is that it starts in mid-June. This is great because my phlebotomy class will have finished, but not so great because my savings will continue to dwindle until then. You know you are tight when you set aside a chunk of change titled, “To get me back to California…” It has encouraged me to budget like I haven't had to before and inspired a little challenge for myself which I'll explain in a bit.

I moved into a Craig’s list find last week, which is cheap and feels pretty safe, but also smells like mold and begged for a good bleach/scrubbing of the bathroom and a wipe down of everything else. My two roommates are nice though which makes all things tolerable. Here it is before I moved and beside my room it looks pretty much the same.

My entry way which was rather frightening to go
 through when a random Craig's list person says:
 "Enter through the gates with an X on them."

The gate opens to bonsai trees everywhere. 

                     

My basement window. Passed the fence there a view of the park  :)

Furniture-less livingroom, cut in half with bookshelves for the 3rd "room"

Kitchen...yes that's mold you smell.

     

I was using my camera to try and get a perspective on how high
the shelves should be. It was tricky, but I think it
demonstrates my resourcefulness.

Along with my two carloads of stuff (which I can hardly believe fit into one on the way up here!), I needed food! My dear friends in Edmonds housed as well as fed me, so I didn’t need many groceries there save for the one meal I made a week. All I had to my name food-wise was lots of tea, a bottle of balsamic vinegar from Paso, and a dark chocolate bar (of course). I picked up a few things at Safeway to get me through a day or two, but needed a more economical solution to hunger.

Three things culminated in my frugality experiment. 1) I shopped at the Grocery Discount Center 2) I bought an ORCA card (for mass transit) and 3) My gas light turned on. Saturday night I decided I wouldn’t fill up, but instead, would use mass transit, my bike, or my legs to get around. Then I went one further and challenged myself to curb my coffee/pastry impulse buying…along with any other “eating out” item. This is particularly difficult for me because there are sooo many interesting gastronomic delights here! So basically, I’m not spending any money this week, besides what’s already on my bus card. It’s not too terribly extreme, but gives me a challenge that is stretching and entertaining in its infancy. I know it will get old soon, but let me enjoy it while I can. Frankly, it’s a little embarrassing that I haven’t had to worry about how much I eat and where it’s coming from up until this point, especially when so many do that regularly. I can’t help but be thankful!

This Sunday started me off with a bicycle ride to church. I was concerned about getting my church clothes dirty and helmet hair, but I was running late, so walking wasn’t happening. I tried a new church about a mile away that an acquaintance recommended, Bethany Presbyterian. The sanctuary was full, but when I walked into the overflow chapel I ran into him and his girlfriend there! It was a rare chance because this is a 3 campus, 4 service kind of church, and they normally go to the night service, but we happily worshipped together. We parted ways post-service, and I rode back as it started to sprinkle. Hehe, I laughed as I rode home thinking, “Biking, in church clothes, in the rain…I would never do this in California!”

I will try to post more about this week as I find wireless reception, but for now here are some pics of my post-Grocery Outlet Friday night. I cooked risotto, in flannel pants, listening to Radiolab on NPR (very fun and nerdy, an audio equivalent to Vsauce). Steph said I already sound like a Seattl-lite, but I would have done this in CA too!

  

2lbs of arborio rice/99c + last chance veggies + homemade broth + very cheap wine (in a mug)

I didn't have a container larger enough...

Dessert! Dark chocolate + strawberries 4lbs/$4