I had forgotten some stuff at WalMart, including my new assistant's birthday, so I had to spend 63 there and another 35 at Whole Foods - stuff I had forgotten. That leaves me .60 that I know of...remember, I think I still have a padding of about $123 at the minimum.

Oh well.

I was just going through my checkbook and double-checking how much money I have because this is one place where I get in trouble. I think I have money, but then I find out I added wrong or something and I end up short. I just triple checked as a matter of fact, and discovered that I have $96.02 left over and maybe as much as $155 or even $223.

The reason I'm vague is that there are a couple of outstanding expenses. For instance, if I were to have bounced a check at Linens & Things (which I did months ago), they will auto-deduct the amount of the check. Then sometime they will auto deduct the $30 check fee for bouncing the check. And you don't know for sure when that will happen or if it will happen. I'm pretty sure that once I bounced a 30.53 donation to PBS (really, how low can a girl go? Taking money out of Elmo's mouth?) and I don't think it was ever taken out. (Every month I give that as a donation, which is good for money circulation reasons but it was how I got my Suze Orman kit as well.) I wrote a check to my mother for $43 months ago to repay her for something - gas, I think - and I think she's lost it. Either that or she's decided not to deposit it because I had helped her out a lot that week. Either is fine, but it would be nice to know what was in there for sure and if I ask her, that's a good way to lose it.

There are two other $30 fees as well.

These are the stupidest, stupidest mistakes I can make financially. It's totally dumb and I haven't done it in over a month, so it's a step in the right direction...

OK, here's how I spent the rest of the money.

I decided that I can borrow spending money from my mother for my vacation IF I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO (and this will not be my first choice) because the other stuff was more important.

The electric bill was actually $120.50. This will keep me from getting cut off!

30.63 at the cleaners
6.13 at Wendy's
30.93 gas, which should last me most of the next two weeks since I'll be out of town
300 short term loan (UGH)
35.94 Whole Foods (includes $10 cash for my "mad money")
89.00 Kroger
This leaves me 7.51 for the rest of the month.

I didn't have my grocery list with me so I'm quite sure I forgot some stuff. I also haven't received my drugs for the month - asked the pharmacist to get a one month supply from my doctor - so that will be $20 more. I have some padding in there I believe - there are some charges that I'm not sure will come through or not so I allocate money for them just in case - then I end up spending it because I don't have spare $.

I spent my $40 savings last month on the electric bill so I didn't add more.

Hopefully I'll be able to earn some before vacation.

Today is pay day (delayed a day) and as usual, I'm a little despondent over too much month left over at the end of the money. I'm going on vacation on Friday (don't leave until next week) and have no money to spend.

Here's how it breaks down:

$1690.27 came in.

Had negative balance (although nothing had bounced) so that left me $1460.

Yesterday I spent $9.50 at a going away party for a friend.

Today's expenses are:

368.05 for car payment
89.00 for bank loan
30.53 donation for PBS station (and how I got the Suze Orman stuff)
303.04 rental insurance (had I kept up with all these payments, I wouldn't have had to pay the remainder in one lump sum, but I didn't keep up, so now I have to pay all this)
300.00 short term loan. If I don't pay this straight up, they'll start deducting from my account. I may or may not have it in the account and then I have a bunch of bounced checks charges again.
125.00 balance on the electric bill. Surprised I haven't been cut off yet.
50.37 for supplements - probably not enough for the time period, but it'll do for the short term.
This leaves $194.01 for groceries and spending money on my vacation. Not nearly enough.

I had run out of a supplement that I need, so I went to Whole Foods at lunch and spent $30.94 on the supplements ($15.99), a salad (8.71), tea (1.00) and an oprah magazine at 4.50. Total: $30.94. I didn't have that much in my account, but I wrote a check and my paycheck should be here tomorrow anyway.