No Spend Thursday, #2

Today is No Spend Thursday, #2.

This weekend, I'll see three plays for free, one play for reduced price, and use my Groupon purchase of a month's unlimited drop-in classes at my local yoga center to set up what I hope will be a promising month of healthy yoga classes, 1-2 times weekly.

Since I am paid monthly, yesterday was it. Already, my bills and credit cards are paid: got to love that online banking! I already went in and set up payments for April, as well; I am working systematically to pay down my credit cards, as I've said before, and so making that money disappear out of my account on the same day it enters... genius.

In addition, my rent gets paid automatically, and I have set up monthly withdrawals to my savings account. I feel giddy, I'm so practical!

This week I did pretty well in buying groceries: by my math I saved 50% of what I spent, which turned out to be just under $30. I do have a dinner party for four on Friday, but I already have all the ingredients for the meal. Except dessert, which might turn out to be something very simple, like pears poached in red wine. Only need to buy the pears.

Update: One of my guests insists on bringing dessert. So, no worries! 
I had two meals out, one with a former student and one with my brother-in-law, and both times I was treated. Both dinners were really fun, talking about film, the Oscars, and people we know. Thanks, guys, by the way...

Yesterday, I began culling the books, DVDs, CDs, and cassette tapes in the living room. Rather impressively, I filled up a Rubbermaid bin (one of my cast-offs) with hardcover books. I still have three book cases to go through in detail, but this is good. There are large gaps in the shelves, currently.

The next step is the cassette tapes, some of which I'll take to my school office, where I still have a tape player. But most will be sold with the books. My plan is to fill the bin, then divide it into smaller bags; over our spring break, I'll take the bags in and get cash for the lot.

My focus in going through the books was to identify books that I have never yet read (although I say I will), or have read once long ago and never re-read. Like clothes with the tags still on, these books can go! They don't "fit" who I am now, even if they did once. Or I thought they might. Also, duplicates in either subject matter or literal duplicates, where I can sell one.

The ultimate goal is to reduce my bookcases by one, by June: empty it, then sell the bookcase on Craigslist.