I hate when I have to contradict myself! I said there would be no more splurges in February. But then I wanted to take advantage of the $15 rebate from PayPal. So I ordered a chili pot from Cooking.com. It is a Calphalon pot, offered at the greatly reduced price of $29.99. (I can't remember what the retail value was, but if you know Calphalon cookware, you know it's high). With shipping the final cost was $38.98. Subtract $15 and it's a very fine pot for $24.98. I am slowly collecting Calphalon, and this was an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I also desperately needed a pot this size -- I have a huge one, I have a skillet, I have some small sauce pans, but nothing intermediate. So I feel pretty good about this splurge.

I also donated $6 at work for retirement gifts.

It snowed again yesterday -- not as dramatically as it did on Tuesday -- but enough to make me decide to stay in this weekend. I have been enjoying my time with a mix of reading, playing computer games, cleaning and laundry. I also made a big batch of muffins and froze them in little snack bags, and cooked three pounds of hamburger and froze it in one-pound portions.

I truly intended to put another coat of paint on my cabinets, but I CANNOT get the paint can open. What really frustrates me is that I got one of those easy-open Dutch Boy containers. I cannot turn the lid. It was closed by the guy who put in my floors (he touched up the molding afterwards). He probably screwed the lid on with all his strength, but all MY strength will not open it. I would have been better off with a traditional metal can; at least I could have pried it open. Sooooo -- I guess I'll take it to work tomorrow and see if any of the he-men there can open it. If not, I guess I'll take it back to Menard's and throw myself upon their mercy.

I got a call from my eye doctor saying that my new prescription sunglasses are in. They are a little over $150 -- just perfect -- that will use up the rest of my flexible spending. Now I have to spend $300 more out of this year's account before I retire. What was I thinking? I shouldn't have put anything in flexible spending this year!