Day 31: Level ONE Complete!

I did it! This has probably been the longest month of my life, but seriously, who's excited!? I'M excited!
I definitely had some minor slip ups this month...but I'm very happy to report my results.

For the month of January, I have saved
::drum roll please::
$656.75!

What the what! 

http://i.imgur.com/8CA0C.gif

It's more than I would have ever imagined...mostly because I wasn't expecting to make it into the second week, let alone all month long!

This money is being used to make an additional $409.88 payment towards a student loan. 

Also, I'll make a $100 payment to my aunt who loaned me money for a car (so long ago. it's embarrassing.)

I'm making a $300 payment towards my credit card this month, however that money will not be coming out of these savings. 

I've been throwing ALL of my change into a big plastic jar for the past year and calling it my "Vegas Fund." We're taking a trip to Las Vegas in March for my brother's 21st birthday and since vacations don't fit into the Fast, I intend of using just the collected money to pay my way.
I had to put my plane ticket on my credit card (MAN it's expensive to try to be a jetsetter..) Now that the jar is full, I'll cash it in, pay off the tickets, and put the rest into savings until March!

Let's go ahead and address some things that need to be worked on in February (also known as the never ending birthday month.)

-I feel like I can spend probably half the amount I spent on groceries this month. So I'm going to take an envelope and stick 45 dollars in it tomorrow and that's what I have for February's food budget.

-I don't have cable, so I'm going to just cancel my internet connection. I can use the internet at work or use my phone if I need to. That'll save me $52.55/month.

-I spent a total of $5.41 on Starbucks this month. Next month it will be zero. (We all have moments of weakness, people!)

-Somehow, my miscellaneous column is a whopping $161.43! Not.good. That includes a Zipcar rental, a new pair of glasses, postage costs, my photography website, and BEER. Did I really need to buy 2 six-packs of fancy beer for my man's birthday?! It felt necessary in the moment... SIGH.




Anyway! I'm really looking forward to this next month. Hopefully it'll suck a little bit less than January!

Day 30

Today is this little lady's birthday!

Happy birthday, mamabear!

(stay tuned folks! tomorrow is the end of Month 1! i'm so excited to share my results!)

Day 28: Run, Forest, run!

Leaving work Friday night, my boss very sweetly asked me if I was interested in training with her and the other nanny that works for them.

For what, you ask? For the Chicago Marathon, of course.

And being the charming person that I am, I promptly responded by laughing in her face. 

Listen, lady. I don't even like running for the bus (ask my guy, he loves to tell anyone who will listen about my lack of hustle.) I don't know what would give her the idea that I have the ability to run 26.2 miles! 

Yes, I wear a lot of yoga pants...giving the ILLUSION of a person that works out.

Yes, I did run (ahem...run/walk) two 5k's this summer. 

And, yes, I do have the basic knowledge of how to get in shape. 

However, I have absolutely no self discipline. I don't enjoy running. And I really like eating. Especially cheese. Ok, MOSTLY cheese.

SO, that being said, I'm going to try to train for a HALF marathon this summer. 

1. Running is freefreefree. 

2. My boss gave me custom NikeID running shoes for Christmas. (seriously, are they awesome or what?)

3. My sister pointed out that as I'm training, I'd be RUNNING past stores rather than strolling aka window shopping.

4. Why not?! I'm young, I have no physical reasons holding me back, and, frankly, it'd just be cool to say I DID IT!

(Laurel and I after my first 5k. I'm probably in that super hero stance because I'm so proud to have lived through the experience!)

Now that I've made my SECOND public declaration this month, who is going to be the person waking my butt up in the morning and strapping my new shoes on for me?? Anyone...? ;)

Day 26: Make art, not war.

Art is not free to make but I'll certainly take advantage of an art show with no cover! My sister's boyfriend had a exhibit thrown by his tattoo shop at the Beat Kitchen last night. They're a seriously talented bunch.


There's always free events in the city, if you take the time to look!
And if you pregame at your apartment like an underage college kid, the evening will cost approximately zero dollars!

Day 24: Unsubscribe!

If you're anything like me, your inbox is just chock full of temptation. Each subject line more enticing than the next!

24 hour clearances...
12 hour flash sales...
30 minute value customer-closeout-basement bargains...
I'm a sucker for a sale.

This month I've spent an incredible amount of time UNSUBSCRIBING.
I clearly have no self control when it comes to my spending habits (uh...duh...the blog..)
I figure, hey, I can at least avoid dangling the gazelle in front of the puma (that's a saying, right? sounds right!) by not having the allure of dozens of daily emails calling me!

So! Goodbyyyyye... 

Gap. Urban. Nordstrom. Justfab. Stylemint. Victoria's Secret. Amazon. Ebay. Levi's. Nike. Groupon. Fab.com. Gilt. Rent the Runway. Travelocity. Pink Nation (Why do I need Victoria's Secret AND Pink Nation?!). Shutterfly. Sunglass Hut. Topshop. Snapfish. Hanes.com (Why?) and TheKnot.com (Mostly because I'm not even engaged...) 

You've all been a great comfort to me after a few too many glasses of wine on a Tuesday night...and Friday often times feels like -surprise- Christmas! But I've turned over a new leaf. And mindlessly clicking on your brightly colored and flashy banners is just not on the agenda!

Oh, baby!

This Monday, my old friend, Tom, and his lovely wife, Kaitie, welcomed their first child into the world! YAY!

Back in November I had big plans to make them a sweet "gender neutral" crib blanket as well as a few lovie blankies. Little did I know, this blanket was going to take me roughly 100 hours to make(!)...so the lovie idea kindaaa fell to the wayside.

As far as cost is concerned, this project was very inexpensive. In addition to hoarding cupcake liners, I also (luckily) collect skeins of yarn!
So total I spent $10.73 (for shipping) on this gift. Plus all the time and love put into it! Which, of course, is priceless! :)



Here are a few DIY (cost effective) baby gifts for the baby boomers in your life!

Crochet/knit baby blanket/lovies/wash cloths There are so many cute (and free) patterns online these days! And if this is a skill you haven't picked up yet, check out Youtube. There are hundreds of great tutorial videos for beginners!

No-Sew fleece blankies

Custom made onsies Buy a few packages of inexpensive white onsies in different sizes and dye them bright colors (which are difficult to find!) Or use Monthly Iron-on numbers and make a cute "Watch me Grow" set!

Baby Leggings I love little chubby baby legs in leggings! Boy, girl...I don't care! They are adorable. Here's a super easy tutorial, you can buy scrap fabric or use anything you have laying around the house. You'll want to make dozens, I swear!

Nursery Decor I love homemade art that doesn't LOOK homemade. Here's an Alphabet Art tutorial (total savings about $290! EEP!) and a tutorial for the sweetest baby room garland.

The CUTEST Growth Chart tutorial. It will cost you less than 10 bucks and be used for their whole childhood!

Make freezer meals When making your own meals for the week, just double the recipe! Put it in labeled tupperware with cooking directions taped to the lid.

Offer to take baby for a evening (or weekend!) Don't underestimate the value of your time! The new Mom and Dad will absolutely appreciate having an evening to themselves. Even if it's 3 months down the road...and even if they use it just to sleep!

Sure, many of these items can easily be bought at the store. But they're much less expensive and more personal if you make them yourself!

What do you think? Are homemade baby gifts just being cheap? Or are they thoughtful?



((Welcome, baby Emery! We are so happy that you are here!))

Day 21: DIY Coffee Sweetener

We are 3 weeks in today and I've surprisingly not run out of food or coffee yet!
I've been making a real effort to make meals out of whatever I already have in the house. They're usually missing a side dish and are mostly veggies thrown into a stirfry, but are still filling!

I also seem to waste a lot of coffee. I'm sure most of you who live solo can relate. I make a pot, have a cup or 2, then the rest goes down the drain. I started putting the excess in a pitcher and sticking it in the fridge to have iced coffee in the morning, but the result was kind of weak.

Solution: Double brewing my leftover java! Pour the extra coffee back into the machine, grab another filter and fresh scoop of coffee , and voila! A cup'a Joe that'll put hair on your chest.
Here's a quick recipe for a DIY sweetener that'll make your at home coffee taste a little fancier. On a dime :)

Almond Coffee Syrup (recipe adapted from abeautifulmess.com)
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp almond extract
Splash of vanilla extract

Heat water and sugar until completely dissolved. Add extract(s). Use a funnel to pour into whatever bottle you choose (I used a leftover wine bottle!) Your syrup can be kept in the fridge or left out on the counter.


Next time I'm going to omit the vanilla and add a small tsp of Nutella to make an Almond Roca syrup. After I collect a few more empty bottles, of course ;)