Pocket holes and other mysteries...

It's truly amazing what getting paid will do for my mood. Two days ago I was feeling pretty low. Not having money in a city overrun with increasingly wealthy transplants has been getting more and more discouraging. But there's a special feeling on payday where I feel a greater sense of freedom. All of a sudden I have significantly more options than I did twenty-four hours ago. And the options run the gamut: I can treat myself to some sushi if I want, or I can go to the store and buy the ingredients for a full balanced meal. I can choose between wine or sparkling water, instead of choosing between tap water and two-week old O.J. (which may or not be on the verge of stagnant). I can choose to put extra cash on my credit cards, or work on bulking up my savings. I can think about what I want to do the next day without anticipating a crippling boredom. I can buy my cat an extra toy at the pet store, or think about finally getting a haircut (although I don't have enough to actually get one).

Then... the bills get paid, and all of the sudden I have $150 to last me two weeks. Again. Why? I've cut my expenses in HUGE ways. I quit smoking, which saves me about $200 a month. I quit therapy which saves me $160 a month. I've added a couple things, like Netflix, but nothing that would suck up that extra $360. And San Francisco continues to get more and more expensive. I joined the public health care program with the city, which takes $150 per quarter and I couldn't get an appointment. There's $150 down the drain. I've been subsisting on junk food because it's cheaper, and accordingly I feel like crap. And to top it off, I'm going to start paying my student loans off next month. Ugh.

But I just got paid, and today I'm going to the Japanese dollar store, and maybe Ross. Then I'm going to go grocery shopping and get the ingredients for some yummy and healthy dinners that can be turned into next day lunches. Even when I had all those extra expenses, though, I don't remember having such a hard time. I don't remember having to plan my life around having three dollars a day.

I guess it's time to rework the ol' monthly budget. Wish me luck!

Happy (Belated) New Year

Hello hello. Happy 2009. I keep forgetting that I have this thing. A blog, I mean. Wow, a lot has happened since I last wrote. We celebrated the New Year (both American and Chinese), our brand spankin new President was inaugurated, I started school, and . . . (drum roll) I quit smoking. Huge deal for me, as I was a pack a day smoker for a decade. I've been smoke-free for sixteen days now, and I'm feeling good. I have nicotine patches, which are horrible in every respect, except that they're a godsend for preventing cravings. In every other respect, though, I hate them. I don't really feel like myself lately; I feel a bit removed from everything. They mess with my sleep too. Good thing I have such understanding teachers, or I'd be in huge trouble for sleeping through my classes. But I'm not smoking. The condition is temporary, and I'll come out of it better than ever. Maybe with a lower GPA, but my health is worth it... I guess. I joined a research study that has supplied the patches and lozenges for free, as well as free therapy, and hypnosis. The hypnosis has been a trip so far.

To distract myself, I've started to find new stuff to keep myself busy. I just went to the library today and took out a bunch of books on how to make your own kite. I'm really excited. Next weekend, I'm going to scour the hobby shops for all the equipment and will start building! Look at this bitchin dragon kite:



I definitely won't be able to do that when I'm just starting. Hopefully, though, I'll get up to that level eventually.

I also took out some books on how to make your own beauty products. Most of the stuff I'll be able to buy at the grocery store, like almond oil, yogurt, avocados, etc. The general rule is that if you wouldn't eat it, you shouldn't put it on your skin. I still have to go to Rainbow Grocery to get jars and some essential oils, but I think overall it'll be pretty inexpensive. I wonder how much different I'll feel after a couple of months of not using chemical lotions, washes, shampoos or conditioners. We shall see.