Day(s) 96 and 95

Good evening, Friends!  First, I want to thank Kristen of The Frugal Girl for sending so many of you to visit me here to cheer me on. Your comments are so encouraging and I feel incredibly blessed to have all of you pulling for me. I am constantly amazed at the community that blogging and other forms of social media have created in the last few years. So many of us were alone and struggling without support and now it does not have to be that way. No matter if you are in New York City or in the midst of the Montana wilderness, there is always someone there to share your story with and find new friends.

Second, I have a little catching up to do. I was commuting for training yesterday and today and fell into bed last night exhausted. Our agency is pretty much pretending that nothing is happening while those of us who are being laid off are walking around like zombies. This means that any mandatory training has to be completed even if we are not going to be around to use it. Our exempts received their paper layoffs yesterday. Bargaining unit (union)  members are still waiting, with the promise we could receive them anywhere from late April to the first week of May. I hate the unknown. The only thing I do know is there will not be any severance. Ugh!

So, I missed yesterday's post. I vow to keep that down to a minimum because it defeats the whole purpose of me being here. First, the spending catch up:

Sunday
After my post on Sunday, I spent $11 at Panera for lunch and $94.55 for groceries. My children were with their father, so I took my book and had a chai latte and a Mediterranean Veggie sandwich (I know, but I'm being honest). The grocery trip is for two weeks minus fresh veggies, milk, juice and bread. I also had three cigarettes Sunday.

Monday
I spent $5.30 on a quick breakfast at McDonald's for me and my 16 year-old and smoked two cigarettes.

Today
I spent $13.34 at Kroger for salmon (on sale), green beans, dishwasher tabs, and bread (total groceries $107.93) and gave $10 to the neighbor boy who picked up my son from school because I was in Columbus and had no one to tag team. I also smoked two cigarettes.

What I did to improve my situation on Day 96:

•  I notified my apartment manager of my impending layoff and that there may be some hiccups in getting the rent in on time with the transition to unemployment or a new job, which ever comes first. I have a lease until October and will be charged an extra $760 to break the lease, so that's off the table. My apartment manager said she would be happy to work with me and should keep her updated. I figured I would tell her now instead of blindsiding (or avoiding) her later.
• I started packing my lunches! I have never been much of an eater and most of the time I won't (or forget to) eat until I am starved and then dash to the drive-thru and drop $5-$7 bucks on lunch. I had a lot more energy and saved about $4.50.

What I did to improve my situation on Day 95:

• I gave an old 40 gig Dell computer to a friend who needed one. My friend C's divorce case has been dragging on for a year and a half. Her finances are even tighter than mine. At the moment she is taking classes at the local community college after being a SAHM for 17 years. I probably could have sold it for $50 but she really needed it and I got rid of the clutter on my dining room floor.
• I packed my breakfast and ported coffee from home (along with my lunch). I felt guilty about the $5.30 at McDonald's yesterday. I brought yogurt, almonds, and a banana. I actually stayed energized all day without totally relying on caffeine.

Finally, I am thinking about adding a "day(s) without cigarettes" widget to the sidebar. I am not brave enough yet, but I'll get there. Don't worry, I don't smoke in our home or around my children. Shame keeps me in the corner of the patio, with the lights off (lol).

Thank-you again my lovelies for being there for me. Just knowing you are pulling for me makes dealing with my life a whole lot easier.

Hugs,

Rita