I haven't gotten a SPOT message from J since Tuesday. It's Friday now, and I'm a little worried. He said that they would send a message out every day. J's mom wrote me a nice little e-mail though and told me that J is experienced and knows what he's doing, and not to worry. She thinks that the weather is probably bad up on the mountain or something, so maybe they just haven't moved from their last spot yet. Hmm.
I had a great hike yesterday with my friend, and we're going to try to get in an evening hike every week or so. We're going again next Wednesday, and we're going to try something a little more challenging - with more elevation. It should be another 5 hr. hike, so I'm stoked for that! After our hike last night, he took me around on a little tour of North Vancouver, since I haven't spent much time there before. It was a good time indeed. :)
Well it's Week 4, so that means we're done the May Grocery Challenge! Hoorah!
How did you do this week? Did you learn anything from this challenge?
I learned that without even trying very hard, I was able to shave my monthly grocery spending from around $150 down to under $125. $25/month may not seem like much, but over the course of a year, that's $300 that I could be saving instead of (literally) flushing it down the toilet. :) So I'm going to keep on trying to spend $125/month on groceries from now on ... but if one week I want to buy chicken, or something special, I know I'll be able to afford it b/c I'm used to budgeting $150/month.
This is also the last call for participants in the June Dining Out Challenge! :)
- Amphritrite - $72.17/$85
- Arual - $190/$125
- BeachGirl - $131.55/$150
- change is a good thing - $56.18/$80
- Dolly Iris - $189/200
- Frugaleconome - $113.43/$125
- Frugal Trenches - $130/$160
- honugurl16 - $406.59/$350
- Hyperchondriac - $48.59/$50
- krystalatwork - $118.07/$125
- livingpaychecktopaycheck - $256.65/100
- LP - $352 /370
- meg - $135/$150
- no more spending - £229.32/£200
- SpillingBuckets - $251.70/$250
- stackingpennies - $146/$145 (so close!!!)
- Strange Bird - $110/$150
Note: the following post is sponsored
About a month ago, I signed up for SocialSpark. If you want to check out my profile, or add me as a friend, my screen name is krystalatwork.
Anyway, I'm still not sure how I feel about SocialSpark. I like PayPerPost a lot better. The website is easier to use, and I understand how it works. With SocialSpark, when you want to take an opp, you have to be put on a wait list, and then if you get the opportunity to write it, you only have 12 hours to finish your post. Where as with PPP, if the opp is available, you can write your post right then and there, when you have the time.
I kind of want to compare SocialSpark and PPP to MySpace and Facebook. I love Facebook b/c it's a lot cleaner and easier to use than MySpace. I hate MySpace. HATE it with a passion. It's so annoying and the way it's set up is so confusing. Although, Facebook is getting that way too. Everyone's profiles are all cluttered and it isn't clean anymore.
I'm going to give SocialSpark more of a chance though. It seems like it would be another good avenue to make money online. First, I have to figure out how the website works, and what it's all about. Anyone else feel the same way about SocialSpark?
Thanks for all of your comments yesterday about what you'd like me to blog about. This definitely gives me an idea as to what you guys want to read. I'm going to slowly answer all of your questions over the next few weeks ... although a few of you asked questions that I'm just not familiar with (or at least not familiar enough to write about them) ... so when I answer those questions, I'll either have to do some research and then write about it, or refer you to another blog that will be able to provide you with the answer you're looking for. :)
First up is Mama Bear and pictureman, who want to see pictures.
Sure, I'll start posting more pictures. I take pictures all the time. But pictures of me, or of people that I know? No way. :) There are a few pictures of me that I've posted on this blog, but they've all hid my face somehow. My anonymity is something I'm not willing to give up. I almost gave up that information in April when I was interviewed for the Globe and Mail ... but in the end, I decided I didn't want to go there. Not just yet, anyway. There are certain circumstances where I would definitely reveal who I am, but until those circumstances arise, I'm going to remain safe behind this computer screen.
But I have definitely promised you guys pictures before, that I just haven't followed through on. I still need to post pictures of my place here in Vancouver, and Anne Marie wanted to see pictures of the bed J made for me, as well as how much it cost to build. So, to answer your question, I paid him $250 to make the bed - $150 for the wood, $50 for gas/ferry to get the wood from the Sunshine Coast, and $50 for sanding/finishing material. I tried to pay him for his labour to make the bed, but he wouldn't take anything. Although, I'm pretty sure I treated him to dinner or something like that.
I can't post pictures of the finished bed yet, b/c J hasn't installed the shelves or the rod on the bottom it (the bed is raised to about 4 ft so I can have some storage space, since my place is so darn small). He has been so busy, and even though the shelves/rod are stained and ready to be installed, we both just keep forgetting. He meant to do it before he left, but it's really not that big of a deal.
Anyway, I'll make it a priority next week to take pictures of my place and my unfinished bed.
Ugg. I can't find my Visa card. I know it's here somewhere. I remember throwing it in my purse or in a pocket or something, and thinking to myself that I must remember that I put it there, and not in my wallet! And now I can't find it. It's been about 3 days. Nevermind, I found it in the pocket of my hoodie. The hoodie that I've worn every single day since I misplaced my Visa. I'm a dork. :)
Damnit!
On another note, I grabbed a tea, and then went out for dinner with my old high school friend tonight. I spent $20, but it was worth it. I haven't seen or talked to her in about 5 years, and it was like nothing had changed. We are totally on the same page with everything. She also finds it difficult to live in Vancouver, and even though she's been here for about 1.5 years, she hasn't made many friends. So needless to say, we're happy to have reconnected. In fact, we're going to see the Sex and the City movie next Tuesday night. Which is good, because J refused to take me to see it. :)
I'm really, really happy that I saw her again. I feel a lot less lonely now that I have 2 friends here in Vancouver (besides J), and this is the second day that I haven't cried over missing him (out of the 6 days he's been gone). It's not a nice feeling, being pseudo-single ... but keeping myself busy with friends doesn't make it seem so bad.
So ... I was thinking. All I do is write about what I want to write about. And the daily happenings in my life. Multiple posts per day, all day, every day. Is it getting boring? It seems boring to me when I'm writing it ... but my readership keeps growing, so maybe doing what I'm doing is fine? Should I stay on topic when it comes to personal finance? I feel like sometimes I tend to get sidetracked.
I guess I'll open up the floor to you guys.
Is there anything you want to know about me? It can be about money and personal finance, or about who I am (not literally who I am) ... if it's too personal, I just won't answer it.
Is there anything you want me to blog about in particular?
Anything you'd like to see different with this blog?
Just wondering... :)
May Goals (end of month review):
- Make an extra $100. Check! I made $88.44 through my PT job, and $53.78 from PPP opps, for a grand total of $142.22 of extra income this month.
- $200 into Travel Fund. Check! I reduced my contributions from $150 bi-weekly to $100 ... but I will increase it again once my raise comes into effect.
- $400 into Retirement Portfolio. Check!
- $200 into Emergency Fund. Check! I was able to deposit $350.
- $200 into Condo Down Payment Fund. Check! I really need to start saving up more for this ... but I just don't know where to cut expenses.
- Successfully complete the May Grocery Challenge. Check! I had $125 to spend, and I'm very pleased to report that I only spent $118.07. I now know that I can stay comfortably around $125/month for my groceries, and I really didn't even have to try very hard. What I'm happiest about is I was able to cook and provide food for J a couple of times per week, without having to buy anything extra than what I'd buy for myself.
- Switch my cell phone over to a local Vancouver number. No. I still can't decide. If I have a Vancouver number, none of my friends from my hometown will call me when I'm back on the island, b/c they're cheap as hell. But if I keep my old number, I'll just have to pay these stupid charges whenever I answer my phone when I'm here in Vancouver. Oh, the agony! I should probably switch it over. Maybe.
- Get my dry cleaning done. Pending. Seriously. How many weeks have to go by? Now that I have the use of J's car, there is 100% no excuse not to get this done over the next couple of weeks. I think I'm going to bring my dry cleaning home to the island this coming weekend, and then pick it all up again the following week when I'm back.
So J and his 2 mountain climbing friends have a SPOT Satellite tracker with them. It uses the GPS satellite network to acquire its coordinates, and then sends an e-mail - with a link to Google maps - and a pre-programmed message to its recipients. These messages are super simple: OK and HELP. There's also a 911 button if they are in serious trouble. And that gets linked to some sort of emergency response unit. I'm not really sure what happens, I hope I never find out.
So far, I've gotten 5 or 6 SPOT messages from them since Friday, saying that they're OK. He said that they would send a message out almost every day. It's comforting to know that they're okay, and that I can see exactly where they are via Google maps. It's also kind of amazing that this technology exists to be used by the everyday person (it's relatively inexpensive, considering what it does). And because it uses 100% satellite technology, SPOT works around the world – even up on Mt. McKinley, where cell phones don't work.
This post has nothing really to do with personal finance, but I just wanted to share. :)
Yesterday after work I completed my first mystery shopping assignment ever. I would say that I spent about 30 minutes in the store, and another 30 minutes at home completing the reports. So for an hour's worth of work, I made $75. Pretty good! Especially b/c I needed to go to that store anyway to pick up a few things (a new mascara and a bread knife).
The woman who gave me the assignment told me that I would be paid out at the end of the month via Hyperwallet, which can be then transferred directly to PayPal. I've never used Hyperwallet before, but it seems easy enough.
As long as the payment process goes smoothly, I would definitely do this again. It was so easy, and it was actually really fun too. I liked talking and being friendly with people, and I actually got a lot of useful information on products that I was researching into anyway. And if I do only a few assignments a month, plus the occasional PPP opp, I think I can bring in a fair amount of extra cash.
Another way I think I'm going to try and keep myself busy is going running and working out. I've stepped away from that lately, but with all this extra time that I have, I might as well. A friend and I are going for a 5 hr. hike on the North Shore right after work on Thursday. I'm excited! Apparently it's a beautiful 15km hike with a nice waterfall. It's not going to cost me anything, and it'll be a great work out and a chance to catch up with an old friend.
Tomorrow I'm meeting up with an old high school friend for coffee at Metrotown. I also want to pick up a book that my cousin was raving about. It's $13. Normally, I would go to the library and borrow it ... but I just checked online, and there's a wait list about a million people long ... and I want to read it now, while I have the time. Not the most frugal thing to do. I still might change my mind.
Saturday, my friend was coming over from the island, and we were going to head down to Seattle to catch an evening ball game. Unfortunately, it looks like the Mariners are playing an afternoon game instead! Boo! So she's not coming anymore ... but I think I'm going to head down myself anyway. Not for the game though. There's something I want to pick up at a store (only available in the USA - no online ordering available), and I really think I could use the drive. Saturday is supposed to be sunny ... I'm still not sure if I will actually end up going, but I would really like to.
Then, Sunday I'm heading back to the island just for the day to see Cirque du Soleil. My friend got 3rd row tickets ... it's going to be rather expensive, but my mystery shopping assignment from tonight will more than cover the cost.
Also, you have 4 days left to sign up for the June Dining Out Challenge. So far, we have 32 37 participants! :)
I just talked to J for the last time, and he's going to board the plane for the mountain in just about an hour. He's really excited, and I'm excited for him. I'm sitting here in my cubicle, and I kind of want to cry, but I won't. Because I've done enough of that over the weekend.
So instead, I'm keeping myself occupied. I just accepted my first mystery shopping assignment. It will pay me $60 and I have to go to a store and interact in 5 departments. It shouldn't be too hard, and it seems like easy money. I'm going to read over the assignment and complete it tomorrow evening. I'll let you know how it goes.
- Successfully complete the June Dining Out Challenge. I set myself a target to only spend $200 in June for dining out. This may seem like a lot, but it's not. I want to pay for J's birthday/our anniversary dinner, and my sister and I will be contributing to our dad's 60th birthday dinner.
- Get my raise processed at work. Fingers crossed that I'll see the raise on my June 6th pay cheque.
- $100 into Emergency Fund.
- $200 into Travel Fund. I feel kind of bad because I'm putting so much into my Travel Fund, when all that could be going to other places ... but it's important to me ... so until I can convince myself otherwise, I'm going to keep contributing between $200-300/month.
- $400 into Retirement Portfolio. When I hit my Retirement Portfolio goal, I'll probably stop contributing altogether. By July, I'll be eligible for my company's RPP plan. It's only 4%, but it comes with a 4% match ... so that's not bad. I doubt I'll max out my RRSPs this year, but who knows? I didn't plan on maxing them out last year, but I did it anyway.
- $200 into Condo Down Payment Fund. At this rate, I'm never going to afford to buy a condo. But, I guess I'm not in a rush. If by some chance, I do end up going traveling after 2010 for 6 months, I wouldn't want to buy property before then anyway.
- Hang out with 3 different people who live in Vancouver. This will be my attempt at "making friends." I'm such a shy, introverted person until you get to know me, so this is going to be interesting. Sometimes I feel like just by saying I'm introverted, that gives me an excuse to keep being that way.
- Make an extra $100.
- Weigh less than 130 lbs. I was reminded of this goal by SavingDiva, who is also trying to get below 130 lbs. Ideally, I'd be between 125-127. It won't really make that much of a difference, I don't think. I'm a size 4 right now at 133 ... perhaps I'd drop down to a size 2, but I doubt it.
I've found the perfect way to keep busy, without spending money. Unfortunately, I'm going to be vague about it until I think it could actually become a reality for me.
I'm embarking on a secret PF side project. It's something I've only discussed with J before, and I think that even if it doesn't pan out, it will be good for me. It's something I'm really interested in doing, but haven't been able to find the time or the energy over the past few years to really get serious with it.
There's no time line, but I expect to see the results of my labour by the end of the year.
This is exciting. :)
I've realized that keeping myself busy over the next few weeks is just going to cost me money. Even if I want to do things that are free, I still have to drive there. Friday after work, I filled up J's car before heading out to the ferries ... this is the first time I have personally filled up a gas tank in about 18 months ... so I was in shock that it cost $66 for 3/4 of a tank. How are people affording this!?! Man, what a drag.
When I got home this weekend, my mom had baked 3 huge slabs of lasagna for me to take back to Vancouver (2 for me, and 1 for J). When she was over with the field hockey team last weekend, she thought I was looking too skinny. So she went and made the most fattening dish she could think of. :) It has everything I never eat - meat, pasta, and a crap load of cheese. I would never make something like this for myself, nor would I ever order it from a restaurant. But there's something comforting and yummy about your own mom's home cooking, even if it has just about a zillion calories per serving.
Anyway, there are a lot of things I'd like to do now that the weather is cooperating. I'd like to walk the beach in Kitsilano, go to Granville Island, go hiking ... go to PlayLand ... catch a Vancouver Canadians baseball game ... I don't know ... normal summertime things. Not only will these things cost me money (gas money, admission, etc), but it just doesn't seem like any fun doing them by myself. But, I do know a few people who live here in the city, so maybe I can figure something out.
A friend called today, and he's moving to Vancouver in September. I'm super excited. We were very close friends over the past few years, but slowly stopped hanging out once our little core high school group started to drift apart. Having him here will be nice, especially because he's pretty much in the same boat as me. New to the city, and only really knows his girlfriend who lives here.
J called me today. They made it to Alaska and are hopefully going to catch a little plane tomorrow and get to the mountain. So, I guess that's the last I will hear from him until he's back. I, composed as I am, was a crying blubbering idiot on the phone. He kept asking what was wrong, but I couldn't say a thing without bursting into tears again. I had an awful dream last night that he fell down a crevasse on a glacier ... and that's all I've been thinking about today. But I didn't want to tell him that. I need to stop thinking of these horrible scenarios, otherwise the next 3 weeks will be unbearable. He's going to have a lot of fun up there, and I'm really excited for him.
I'm kind of annoyed. I have to work at an event in my hometown on June 7th ... which just so happens to be when we were going to throw my Dad his 60th birthday party. It was perfect because work would pay for my transportation costs ... but now a lot of family can't make it, so we have to postpone it until June 21st or 28th - meaning I'll have to come back home again. Not that I mind. He's turning 60, which is a pretty big deal ... but it's just annoying to have had it planned out perfectly, and then have it changed all of a sudden.
Oh well. My mom was pretty disappointed that J wouldn't be able to come since he's in Alaska, so now he'll be able to.
I once worked with a guy who was in debt. I was still in school, so I was in debt too. We would sometimes talk about our debt, and how we were dealing with it. He had maxed out his line of credit, so in order to avoid paying down the debt, whenever he got paid, he would dump his entire pay cheque into the LOC, and then take it right back out again - thereby making it seem as if he had made a payment. It seemed like a sneaky little plan, so I did that for a while too. Actually, probably until I graduated college. So, for about a year I would just transfer money back and forth from my accounts, and coasted along ... spending more and more, and getting deeper and deeper into debt.
Nobody knew that I did that. My family had no idea, and I didn't tell any of my friends. I didn't even tell the guy who told me about it. I just did it. I mean, I knew people in debt were doing the same thing as me, and for some reason it didn't make me feel as bad. I remember lying to my mom about how much I owed on my LOC (she was the co-signer). I remember even telling K that I didn't carry a balance on my credit cards. But I did. And that was 5 or 6 months into the relationship.
The point is, nobody knew I was in debt. I mean, they knew I had student loans, but not the maxed out credit cards or the maxed out LOC. It's easy to hide debt, because you can't tell just by looking at that person what their net worth is, or how much they owe the credit card companies. And because of that, it makes it so easy to ignore the debt.
Even now, because I'm so open with this blog, you all know exactly how much I have, down to the penny. But if you saw me, and were just to make an assumption of me, you couldn't tell how much money I was worth. If I saw a person like myself wearing my standard articles of clothing - hoodie, jeans, converse skate shoes ... I'd probably guess that person lives pay cheque-to-pay cheque, and that they may or may not have a hard time making ends meet.
And then I look at J. And I have no clue what his financial situation is. I mean, I know the basics. I know approximately how much he makes. I know he pays for everything in cash or with his debit card. I know he made a lot of money on a piece of property he owned a few years ago. I know that over the past few months, he's been spending more than he earns, because he's been buying hiking gear like nobody's business (for the trip that he's currently on). I know his car loan has a high interest rate due to him not taking care of his finances when he was younger. I can relate to that, because I was there too. But other than that? No clue. Absolutely no idea. I don't even have a ballpark figure about how much he has. Part of me really wants to know, but another part of me doesn't even want to go there. It's a touchy subject, and it's something I always avoided talking about in past relationships. It's just that with this blog, I can't exactly turtle and hide from any of it anymore.
I don't really know what this post is about, and I feel like the point of this all is right around the corner ... but I haven't quite put my finger on it yet. It's driving me insane. I'll have to get back to you.
According to my calculations, this month I saved $825, which amounts to 35% of my net income. Ideally, I'd like to be saving closer to $1,000/month ... but I can't think of any other ways to cut my budget. I mean, there are the little things that I could cut - like getting rid of my cable (which I really don't want to do b/c I enjoy watching baseball and hockey throughout the year) ... but really, I'm careful with my groceries, I walk everywhere, don't own a car, don't have expensive hobbies, and I don't go out and drink/party all the time. The only time I go out to eat is when I'm with J, and I think we're pretty even in terms of money spent on restaurants. Although, I probably should be treating him more often, since we use his car (and his gas) whenever we're together, and I make more money than him.
What I do spend my money on is concerts ... but I really only go 3-4 times per year. I travel home once or twice a month, but usually that cost is off-set by working while I'm home. And since I've been here in Vancouver, I've only been home once during a weekend when I haven't had to work.
But without getting a PT job for the summer (my PT job at the arena will start up again in October ... provided my boss wants me back, since I can only work on Saturdays) ... the only other way I can make money (besides getting a PT job here in Vancouver) is through PPP opps. So far for June, I should be receiving just over $110 US ... which isn't bad for minimal effort.
Still. There must be another way. Next week I'm going to take a long, hard look at my budget and try to figure out if I can't find some way to increase how much I'm saving, without sacrificing my lifestyle.
It's the end of Week 3! How did you do this week with your May Grocery Challenge?
For those that are looking for next month's challenge, it's going to be a dining out challenge. So don't forget to sign up for it!
Anyway, please leave a comment with how much you've spent so far, and what your monthly goal was!
- ambellamy - $111.07/$120
- Amphritrite - $38.31/$85
- BeachGirl - $102.75/$150
- change is a good thing - $34.79/$80
- Dolly Iris - $130/$200
- Frugaleconome - $91.16/$125
- honugurl16 - $290.59/$350
- Hyperchondriac - $39.50/$50
- krystalatwork - $89.05/$125
- L@SpillingBuckets - $164.55/$250
- livingpaychecktopaycheck - $97.96/$100
- Looby - $205/$300
- LP - $272/$370
- Nerd Money - $151.04/$200
- Pleasant Girl - $216.11/$225.00
- stackingpennies - $125/$145
- Strange Bird - $96.81/$150
- Twiggers - $162/$700
Safeway
- $2.99 - Stirfry sauce
- $1.99 - Thai chili sauce
- $2.50 - Kettle chips
- $4.49 - Mozzarella ball
- $1.89 - 6 pieces of naan bread
- $2.55 - 1 package of tofu
- $1.65 - 2 packages of dessert tofu
- $1.49 - 6 eggs
Asian Grocery Store
- $0.42 - 1 onion
- $0.41 - 2 jalapenos
- $0.51 - 1 red onion
- $0.95 - 3 Braeburn apples
- $0.84 - 3 bananas
- $1.90 - 1 head of cauliflower
- $1.08 - bag of mushrooms
- $0.64 - 1 red pepper
- $1.13 - 2 heads of broccoli
So, I spent $27.56 this week ... which means I've spent $89.05 out of my $125 for May. I have $35.95 left to spend for the last week of May. Right on track!
I've been wrapped up in my own little world for the past week or so. J is leaving for 3 weeks, and that's all I've been able to think about. I'll be worried for his safety the entire time he's gone, and I won't stop worrying until he's safe and back here with me.
I've also been worrying a lot about being lonely. He's the only one I know - the only one I really talk to here in Vancouver. And I've been in this whole "what will I do without him" mode ... until I realized that 3 weeks is not a long time at all. Provided he comes back alive, that is. My best friend, her BF has been living in France for the past 3 years, and they see each other only 2 times a year. My sister, her BF is living in Saskatchewan on a summer internship ... and I know a lot of you PF bloggers out there are doing LD relationships. So what right do I have to complain? 3 weeks is nothing in comparison. Although, to be fair, they live back on the island, and are surrounded by friends and family.
But, I'm finally creating some sort of network for myself here in Vancouver. In fact, I'm going for coffee with an old high school friend sometime after work next week. She was one of my very best friends from grade 8-12, and then just fell out of touch once I went away to University. And my friend who was supposed to be moving back to my hometown, he's decided to stay here ... plus, 2 of my cousins are supposed to be moving here before the end of the summer ... and I'm becoming friends with the receptionist and the intern here at work.
I don't know what it is though, but it's hard to make friends here in Vancouver. A good friend lived here for 6 years, and when she moved back to the island, she only had a couple of people she would even consider to be "friends" to her. Everyone else seems so wrapped up in their own little world (kind of like I've been feeling), and it's hard to feel accepted in J's circle of friends. They've all known each other for so long, and I feel like I just don't fit in. I'm not even sure if they know anything about me, aside from what my name is. And the only time I see them is at the bars, when they're all drunk and with all their other friends ... so it's hard too get to know them and connect with them. It's frustrating, but I don't mean to get all emo and mope about it. That's how it is whenever you're the new person.
Anyway, in personal finance news, I'm moving my balance of $56.50 out of my PayPal account and into my chequing account. Screw the $0.50 service charge. If I have to wait until I make $150 US in order to transfer the money without incurring a service charge, then screw it. I'll end up spending the money before then.
Note: the following post is sponsored
I've been scouring the internet for Mariners/Blue Jays tickets. I've been searching for weeks, and I'm not going to give up until I have awesome tickets for J and I. It's the Canada Day July 1st game, so it's a really popular one to go to. Plus, like I've blogged about before, it's his first ball game, and my only Jays game of the season. I plan on going down and catching at least 2 or 3 more ball games during the summer with a friend of mine.
Over the past few years, I've done my share of buying, selling and flipping concert and sporting event tickets online. I have my favourite sites that I use, but today I came across Free Ticket Exchange, a free site where you can buy and sell tickets to all of your favourite events.
It's actually a pretty cool site. I searched for July 1st ball game tickets, and I got about 10-12 tickets to choose from. They were very reasonably priced (compared to some other sites I've been using), and the website seems simple and easy to use. It's still in beta stage, but I can see how this would be a good resource in the future. I'll definitely keep it in mind the next time I want to buy event or concert tickets.
Yesterday, I made a huge double batch of chocolate peanut butter cup cookies. I think I baked about 3 dozen, and then rolled the rest of the batter into little balls and put them in the freezer. I saved a few for myself, and gave the rest to J. I was thinking him and his friends could eat them on the drive up to Alaska ... but at the rate he's plowing through them, I'm not sure if they'll last until Friday. Anyway, I love being able to have freshly baked cookies whenever I want ... so that's why I always make a double batch.
They've been my sister's favourite cookies for the last couple of years, and whenever people try them, they always ask for the recipe. They're pretty fattening, and probably more chocolate than actual cookie, but that's what makes them so darn good. :) Whenever I make them, I usually just chuck in whatever chocolate I have lying around, so the recipe below is for the batch that I just made yesterday.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup toffee chips
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 6 chocolate covered peanut butter cups, cut into eighths
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, peanut butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking soda; stir into the peanut butter mixture. Mix in all the chocolate, and the peanut butter cups. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool for 1 or 2 minutes on sheet before removing, or they will fall apart.
Have you signed up for the June Dining Out Challenge yet?
4 comments Posted onFor most of us, the June Dining Out Challenge is probably going to be the hardest monthly challenge yet - but that's all the more reason to sign up! :)
I was reluctant to do this, but dining out is my one biggest weakness. Especially with 2 big dinners in June ... but it's important not to hide from my finances and from what I'm spending.
So, what are you waiting for!? We already have 17 29 participants!
Here's what I spent this weekend:
- $147.15 - tournament fees & hotel costs
- $26.00 - breakfast with J (for both of us)
- $10.00 - breakfast
- $3.13 - cough drops from 7-11
- $22.29 - white shirt from Zara
- $14.55 - Narrow Stairs, Death Cab for Cutie CD
I had budgeted $250 for the weekend, so I'm under that (thanks to my Mom buying me dinner Saturday night, and J buying me dinner Sunday night) ... but I really shouldn't have gotten the shirt and CD. The shirt, maybe ... 2 years ago, I bought the same shirt from Zara and I wear it to death ... but white shirts never really stay nice for too long. Sooner or later, they just start to look gross. So I replaced it. And the CD? Well, I couldn't really resist. I like DCFC a lot. So. Yeah.
Also, do you know what sucks? Because I'm not going into work today (sick), and my boss was on holidays from Thursday-Monday ... my boss won't be able to sign my time sheet until tomorrow morning ... and by then, it might be too late to process my hours. So, I might not get paid on Friday. I mean, I have the EF that I can draw from to pay for my rent and everything ... but it would certainly be a huge pain in the butt not to get paid. I've e-mailed the accountant to see if my paperwork can be processed tomorrow morning. Fingers are crossed.
I called in sick today. I've been feeling awful all weekend. My throat feels like it's on fire, and I've got a cough and the sniffles. Ugg.
So obviously, this resulted in a really crappy field hockey tournament. Saturday was okay, but Sunday and Monday were really hard to keep my energy up. Especially when I started to breathe hard, my throat got so raw and painful. Anyway, we lost in sudden death shoot-outs in the semi-finals (to the 4th place team), which was a real let-down. :(
This coming weekend, I'm going back home to the island ... then May 31st, I'll be down in Seattle to watch a ball game (Mariners vs. Tigers, I think...), and June 6-8 I'm back on the island again for my dad's 60th birthday. I'm not sure when J gets back from Alaska (he leaves on Friday), as I guess it depends on the weather and how long it takes them to climb the mountain. I don't care how long he goes for, as long as he comes home alive. I'm already getting sad to see him leave, and he's still got 3 nights here.
Anyway, I'm going to get off the computer and curl up on my couch.
I love concerts. Live shows are absolutely the best, but aside from local indie shows, the last concert I was at was Mika in February, and the Ryan Adams show in January ... and I didn't have another concert lined up until today!
On July 12th, Wolf Parade is coming to the Commodore Ballroom (the best venue for live music I've ever been to) here in Vancouver, and I'm stoked! I bought tickets for both J and I, which set me back about $75 for both of them, after all the awesome Ticketmaster charges. I also think that 2 or 3 of my friends might be coming over for the show too, so that might be cool.
I'd also really like to see the Mason Jennings show at the Commodore on Monday, but I don't think I'll have time ... which is too bad, because he's amazing.
Tonight I'm going to a concert with J. I don't really want to go, because I dislike that kind of music. A lot. One of the bands that's opening is pretty good - we heard them a few weeks ago at another show ... but the headliner? Not my thing. It's basically screamo music that makes no sense whatsoever. I've heard them play a couple of times before, and while they're good musicians, they just play awful music. But J is really good friends with them, so I don't mind going. Even if everyone except me is going to be drunk and belligerent.
Plus, another reason for going tonight is that he's leaving for 3 weeks next week, so I'd like to see him as much as possible before then. The climb he's doing in Alaska is pretty dangerous. We watched a show on it a few days ago, and as you go up the mountain, there are random frozen bodies just strewn about ... from those that didn't make it. He said something like 4 or 5 people died last year, out of the 1,200 that attempted the climb. So there's a slim, but real chance that he might get seriously injured, or even worse. I try not to think about it though. Soon, this is going to be his career ... so I should try to get used to it.
I'm excited that this time tomorrow, I'll be with my teammates. It's something special, to have grown up playing with the same people ... playing for the same club ... watching some go on to play for Team Canada (we have 3 or 4 ex-National team members on our team, including one that has been to the Olympics!). It's pretty crazy to turn on CBC and see your friends or your coach wear the red and white - people that you actually know and interact with on a regular basis.
Anyway, I transferred $250 out of my Travel Fund to pay for this weekend. I think that will be enough for my tournament fees, 2 dinners & 2 breakfasts out with my team, plus a few drinks at the bar tonight.
Without even thinking, I wore a pair of cute brown/red sandals to work today. I bought them last fall (summer clearance sale!), but haven't broken them in yet ... and I guess I just forgot that they were new? But anyway, after the 40 min. walk to work, my feet were literally crying out in pain.
I cannot walk home in my shoes. Not a chance. I tried to put my shoes back on to walk the 10 metres to make some tea in the kitchen, and I was hobbling. It hurt so much. 3 blisters does not feel good at all. Especially with a field hockey tournament to play this weekend. I'm such an idiot.
So what does that mean? I have to catch a cab home. There's literally no one in the office today, and the people that are in the office, they all work different hours than me, or they live in the complete opposite direction.
Sigh. It's only $10 including tip, but still. I really should be using my head.
June's challenge is going to address a lot of people's major budget breaker - dining out!
This month's challenge is to set a monthly dining out budget for yourself (and your family, if applicable), and stick to it! If you would like to join me in my challenge, please leave a comment and indicate how much your budget is for.
Personally, dining out has always been a hard category for me to control. It's so hard to say no when friends want to go out, or when I want to treat my sister to a lunch ... or when I'm just feeling lazy and don't want to cook.
I really enjoy trying new restaurants and eating new food, and I know a lot of you out there do too. There's nothing wrong with it, as long as we're able to work that expense into our budget. For example, I want to treat J to a nice dinner out, in celebration of our 6-month anniversary and his birthday. So I'm going to have to somehow work my budget to accommodate that expense. Plus, I have my dad's 60th birthday dinner to attend, which is really important. Otherwise, my dining out budget usually ranges from $40-60/month.
So even though I'm budgeting a lot for dining out, I'm taking into consideration 2 very special occasions. If you've noticed, I've done a few PPP opps lately, and have about $110 coming to me ... so already I'm over half way there to saving up for these 2 dinners.
What's your dining out budget?
- Kelly - $10
- livingpaychecktopaycheck - $30
- lucian's mommy - $30
- passivefamilyincome - $30
- BeachGirl - $40
- x - $40
- laughing808 - $50
- LB - $50
- meg - $50
- Pushing30 - $50
- Twiggers - $50
- change is a good thing - $60
- Rocko - $75
- Frugaleconome - $80
- Archaeologychic - $85
- Amphritrite - $100
- asgreen - $100
- beautifulreality - $100
- CelticBuffy - $100
- Jude - $100
- Kate - $100
- lindaisdone - $100
- Lise - $100
- Meli - $100
- Single Spender - $100
- Strange Bird - $100
- Shevy - $120
- The Frugalista Files - $120
- honugurl16 - $150
- Hyperchondriac - $150
- Meg25 - $150
- otherdeb - $150
- Michele - $180
- Dolly Iris - $200
- JanePlain - $200
- krystalatwork - $200
- Tough Broad - $200
- Grad Student - $250
Well, it's about mid-way through May, so it's time for the Week 2 update of the May Grocery Challenge. How did you do? Are you still on track to meet your goal?
Please leave a comment with: how much you've spent/your grocery goal
- ambellamy - $88.95/$120
- Amphritrite - $12.31/$85
- asgreen - $112.26/$150
- BeachGirl - $69.43/$150
- change is a good thing - $34.79/$80
- Frugaleconome - $63.85/$125
- honugurl16 - $290.59/$350
- Hyperchondriac - $19.27/$50
- krystalatwork - $61.49/$125
- L@SpillingBuckets - $148/$250
- livingpaychecktopaycheck - $13.79/$100
- Looby - $135/300
- LP - $192/$370
- meg - $40/$150
- No More Spending - £124.68/£200
- paidtwice - $280.72/$435
- Rhonda - $332.55/$400
- Shevy - $297.86/$500
- sick of being poor - $154/$200
- stackingpennies - $94/$145
- Tough Broad - $58.90/$125