Budgeting

I went through the last twelve months of credit card statements to figure what I spend on groceries per month. I had a guess, and I was curious how accurate I was. I guessed within less than five dollars of the actual average total. Yay me for having a good sense of how much I was spending at the grocery stores.

What I didn't have a good grasp on was how much I was spending on frivolous stuff like restaurants, craft stuff, and fabric. Wow. Too much.

Hancock's purchases are necessary, because I can't use the fabric I already have without zippers, thread, interfacing, etc., and that stuff runs out faster than the fabric stash. But do I really need anything else from Michael's? No. I'm also going to limit my restaurant spending to twice-a-month-treats. This does not include my alcohol bill, mind you. I'll still go out for the drinkies more than occasionally because that's a keystone to my happiness and sanity--but I'm going to pay with cash now. And I'm going to avoid ordering food with the booze. That'll make me a cheaper drunk, anyway, so everybody wins.

And for the love of god, I am not splurging on any more make-up binges until 2010. Seriously. Jesus Christ.