Girl on a Budget

Budget should be a four-letter word.

I've had them before. I've tried and failed; lather, rinse, repeat. But the big difference is, this time I actually believe it will work.

Over the past week, I've had to face some pretty tough budgeting issues. My gas expenditure is way too high, so I'm looking at getting a more economical car. (I'm also only a little embarrassed to say that I've asked to co-sign with me, so I can get a lower interest rate.) I'm spending only what's allocated, and I'm paying my dad back money that I've borrowed.

Don't even get me started on why I owe Dad money. Suffice it to say that when a company sends you money, and the check doesn't arrive, so they send you a replacement check but eventually you receive the original one ... only deposit one of them. (It sounds simple. It was an honest mistake.)

So with my sister Pat's help, I have what I think is a working budget. It only makes me panic a little bit. I still have the big goal of home ownership on the horizon, but I also accept that I may not want to own my own place when it's time to move back out into the world on my own. (Criminy, that makes me sound like the little ducky in "Are You My Mother?") I need to drive a safe, economical car because my commute is significant, and I will likely spend less on the car payment/gas combo than I'm paying just for gas now. The work-in-progress known as Maggie has learned a lot in the first three months at Camp, and I'm sure there are lots more opportunities on the horizon.

But for now, the budget is as big a change as I can manage.

Holy shit! We bought a stove!

Last night, Pat and I went out and did the unthinkable.

We bought a stove.

Not just a stove, mind you; an oven, too. Some might call it a "range".

It's pretty cool. It's white, and it has four burners with these cool cast iron grates, and an oven that gets hot enough to bake things. That's pretty much all I know about it.

Pat hasn't had a working oven for awhile, but we both want to bake cookies (and other foodstuffs) this fall and winter, so it was time. We split the cost, and it is going to be so much fun to do the holiday baking thing in our shared kitchen! I promise there will be pictures once it's been delivered and installed. Booyah.