Frugal Tuesday: the good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good:

• saved $44.51 at the grocery and drug stores this weekend, which was slightly less than I spent
• decided not to buy a new summer bag, then found a (gently used) orange tote in the spot by my complex's dumpster where residents put things that are still nice but being discarded--not trash, but moving along; it is bright orange canvas and "vinyl" and has only one small scuff mark
• received quarterly payment on retirement account that was reinvested--if I am reading it correctly, I earned a $7K increase in this quarter alone--wow!

The Bad:

• going to court on Thursday for the first ticket--means fine of some kind
• moving with movers on Friday, which means paying them hourly plus distance charges
• haven't managed Goodwill or consignment gigs, so no decluttering or cash flow from those yet

The Ugly

• as of Friday I will have two utility streams (old and new) for two weeks, as we head into air conditioning time...
• have one more month of double rent and no summer classes yet, which will diminish my secret savings account nearly completely

I did manage a couple of good things, besides the new summer tote (in the hot color, for once!). I am working the pantry challenge really well, and bought lots of cheap strawberries to freeze for smoothies all winter. I got to a free movie (my student's award winning film) and a free concert where another friend had the world premiere of his musical composition and a free dinner with a friend from the English department at My U and a guest lecturer--and all were delightful! I discovered that the grocery store within biking distance of my new apartment is even better than my (former) favorite in that chain--good produce, lovely renovations, pharmacy and post office onsite--and yes, I can bike there and back between 8 am and 10 pm in the summer. And my old apartment is ridiculously cheerful with the bunches of cheap daffodils I bought on Sunday as well.