Tracking Coinage

Okay, a little legend for the calendars below:

Green = No Spend Day

Yellow = Spend Day

Red = Used Credit Card

Here's how it went for the month of February:

February - All Spending
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
		$75.00	$1.25	$0.00	$1.25	$24.00
$0.00	$2.09	$0.00	$2.85	$3.16	$117.15	$13.13
$0.00	$27.37	$199.59	$2.85	$15.24	$1.60	$0.00
$0.00	$3.57	$4.20	$0.00	$1.60	$31.66	$1.25
$0.00	$1.25

*fritter fritter*

*fritter*

*fritter fritter fritter*

You hear that? That's the sound of me frittering away money on a near daily basis buying tea and breakfast items at the university. It occurred to me about half way through the month that I was doing this, so I decided to see what my spending would look like if I took the morning treats out of there. This was the result:

February - Spending, Without Morning Snacks
Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
		$75.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$24.00
$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$115.00	$13.13
$0.00	$25.27	$195.39	$0.00	$12.90	$0.00	$0.00
$0.00	$3.57	$0.00	$0.00	$0.00	$31.66	$1.25
$0.00	$0.00

Considerably more no spend days!

However, when I totalled it up, my morning breakfasts out added up to about $30.79 over the course of the month. That's just over a dollar a day. I expected it to be much higher than that once I realized how often I was doing it.

Now I'm trying to decide whether this is something I want to stem for the sake of saving a little extra money, or just let slide for the sake of sanity? I know that the *right* answer is to bring my tea and scones from home and put the savings towards my emergency fund; but right now I am feeling a bit of frugal fatigue.

It sucks. Hard.

The savings grace of having this habit at the university is where I can go to get my snack attack breakfast fix. If I was getting a venti chai latte and scone at Starbucks, it would set me back about $8. Grabbing an extra large chai tea and scone at Cram Dunk? Closer to $2.50, $2 if they have day old baking. The tea itself is $1.25.

I have a month and a half until class is done. To be completely honest, I'm probably going to let myself fritter on this in the morning.

Frugal? No.

Sane? Yes.

I'm already crazy enough as it is, I don't need money driving me further down the rabbit hole.

Grappling With Groupon

I think I'm going to cancel my Groupon account.

It's not really a problem with Groupon persay. Well, it is and it isn't.

I thought it was for coupons, not discounted gift certificates. The name is a little misleading.

Every day a new promotion is delivered to my inbox, tempting me with the siren song of heavily discounted wares. 50% off event tickets. 67% off spa services. Marked down dinners out, clothing and hair care. Everything I would spend money on, if only I had it.

Today's Groupon was my final straw. 50% off my favourite Indian restaurant. Only $15. It's just $15, that's not such a big deal, that doesn't hurt. Oh, but what about that spa package that's only $40, that's such a steal, I really should get that too. And on, and on... Next thing you know my debt payments aren't digging me out nearly as fast as they should be. Bugger.

If it was a coupon, it could sit in my envelope, patiently waiting until the cash reserves build up enough that I could use it. Instead, it's a limited time offer, like a sale sign in a store window screaming "BUY ME NOW WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!"

If I avoid the mall to get away from shopping temptations, why should I be allowing it in my inbox? At least at the mall I get to stretch my legs.

But anyway, Ta Ta for now Groupon. See you when I have money.

Going A Little Far Don't You Think?

Don't get me wrong, I love my Starbucks, but don't you think you're going a little too far?

http://www.everydaymoney.ca/2011/01/starbucks-adds-whopping-drink-size.html

A 31 fluid ounces of sweetened beverage? 3 ounces shy of 1 liter? Is this really necessary? No, it's not. It's enabling gluttony. Why not just make the people walk out the door with 2 grandes or 4 shorts? They're the same thing!

I've always been a bit miffed by the fact that Starbucks doesn't list it's short beverage prices on the menu. I was right ticked off when I heard they were planning to take the talls off the menu as well. Marketers know full well that people order what they can see, do most people even know that they have a short option?

The problem here is twofold. Larger sizes come at larger prices. Only show people the larger sizes, and more often than not that's what they'll buy. Waistlines get larger and wallets get smaller.

I like the small coffee shop concept of Starbucks. Yes, the charm has taken a considerable hit during it's global hyper-expansion, but it's still there. Competing with McDonalds and 7-11? Come on Starbucks, I'm disappointed in you.

Falling off the Bandwagon

I've been curious to see what happens to my blogging when I fall off the band wagon. It apparently falls off the band wagon too. In the last week I've over $100 on makeup, underwear and patterned nylons. Not entirely unnecessary purchases, but not strictly necessary from a frugal standpoint either.

And now I'm going skiing.

So much for budget smoothing this month.