I couldn't sleep last night, then woke up this morning with a brutal headache and overall body aches. So I am staying home today. I am feeling better now, but I expect my lack of sleep will catch up with me later.

So, to catch up on financial things. On Friday evening, as I walked home from the train station, I bought an issue of StreetWise from a street vendor ($2). Then I bought a lemonade from a young neighbor ($.50). I was feeling expansive! Such different kinds of charity, a block apart. A man trying to lift himself up, and a well-heeled child trying to make a few bucks for a toy, or something. Of course, I support his entrepreneurship, so that's why I bought the lemonade (which sure wasn't very good!) Probably organic, my son said.

The StreetWise magazine had a really interesting article, which was about a day in the life of one of the vendors. So enlightening to learn how others live, all around us, but we don't really see them. I'm going to keep buying StreetWise -- it seems to provide a beacon of hope to its sellers.

On Saturday I went to Home Depot and bought batteries ($9), and then picked up nachos for lunch ($7). The nacho order was so large, I had three meals out of it! Warmed-up nachos aren't quite the same, but they are edible!

Yesterday I grocery-shopped. It was a larger-than-usual order, because I was buying ingredients for my DIL's birthday meal. She wants enchiladas. I already had the chicken, but needed to buy most of the other materials, and I also bought a card, some wine, and -- impulse item -- a set of bowl covers, for me! That's something I've missed having around, so I thought I'd better grab them when I saw them. Anyway, the total bill was $68.

There was no garage sale shopping this weekend.

I was going through my mail yesterday (I tend to only do it on weekends) and found a $5 Starbucks card. Yep, I need to keep opening my mail, no matter how junky it looks!

I ordered a wedding gift for my niece, using my Discover cash back points on Amazon, so it was free. She had it on her Wal-Mart gift registry, where it retailed for close to $100. On Amazon, it was only $78, but for me it was free. I texted her mother to see if she could somehow get it off the Wal-Mart registry, so she doesn't get two. She doesn't need two theater-style popcorn poppers! Unless they plan to have really big parties!

Anyway, a free gift has made me feel a little better about the expensive hotel rooms!

My plans today are to do some cleaning, bake a birthday cake, and assemble the enchiladas. The birthday dinner is tomorrow evening, but I won't have time to cook, since I don't get home till 6! But there was no other day that worked, without getting ridiculously late.

Hope everyone has a great Monday.