Even though it was sleety/snowy yesterday, I forced myself out in the nasty weather to go shopping for a mattress. I went to MattressFIRM, because they were advertising big sales. I ended up getting a mattress that was not on sale (the sale items were still too expensive for me). But I did get a $185 discount. It is a Simmons Beautyrest Springhill mattress (and box spring) with a 20-year warranty. I also got a premium mattress pad. The total was $996, which was just within my budget.

Since I was out, I got a few errands done -- a watch battery replaced at the jewelry store ($10), a package mailed ($3), and some late Christmas gifts for co-workers (free, because I used a gift card). Then, because I was at the mall, I checked the movies and saw that "Wild" was just starting, so I ducked in to see that. ($6). I'm so glad I did! It was a very inspiring, yet down-to-earth movie, with a wonderful performance by Reese Witherspoon.

Because I was out of the house so long, I had to stop and get some lunch, but it was only $1 at McDonalds.

The mattress will be delivered today, so this morning I washed the dust ruffle and tried to get the worst of the dust bunnies under the bed. I'm sure more will be revealed when they remove the old box spring!

I would like to get a haircut today, since I know my favorite stylist at Supercuts works on Sundays. I hope the mattress arrives soon enough for me to do that!

I made the turkey-potato casserole yesterday. It's only so-so as far as taste goes, and I don't think I can freeze it, because of the potatoes, so I'll have to eat it in order not to waste it! I had it for supper and then again for breakfast. I packaged a big serving to take to work tomorrow. There is still some left. I can't face it for lunch, but I'll have it for supper again.

I also have a lot of broth and turkey meat to deal with, but I can freeze that. And I still have all that baby spinach, so I'll have a salad today and then cook the rest. That's the nice thing about buying spinach as opposed to other greens -- at least you can cook it!

Tomorrow I go back to work, and I am dreading it. Not just because it's work, but also they are predicting below-zero temperatures tomorrow. I don't want to walk to the train station and stand on the icy platform. I think I may drive!

Though I'm not too successful at following through on resolutions, I think it's a good idea to have some general goals to bring some focus into your life.

I've already mentioned that I want to raise my net worth by $10K. I raised it $25K last year, but I gave myself a big jump in my condo value, when a comparable unit sold for $17K more than I paid myself. So the actual rise was more like $8K. I think doing $10K this year is within my reach.

I am not setting any weight-loss goals, other than these two: I will track my calories/exercise daily in MyFitnessPal, and my eventual aim will be to be in a size 12 by the end of the year. I'm a 14 now, but topping the charts, if you know what I mean.

Personally, I want to stop worrying about what others think/feel about me. I can get myself quite depressed when I feel like I am not loved or appreciated enough. I pledge to concentrate instead on being a good person -- someone I like myself -- and let the chips fall where they may.

I think those three areas are enough to keep me busy!

I had a very quiet day at home yesterday. I did not leave the house, so it was a no-spend day.

Today I have to get out and do things. I need to start shopping for the mattress, I need to stop at the jewelers to get a battery replaced, I need to go to the post office, and I also want to see the movie "Wild."

I'm planning to make a turkey casserole today, too. I parboiled a bunch of potatoes for the brunch, but didn't use them all so I'm going to slice them and layer with turkey, top with white sauce, bake, and add cheese topping near the end of the baking cycle. I think it will be good! I also have to use up some baby spinach, so a salad is in my near future!

I've started keeping grocery lists on the "Out of Milk" app on my phone. My plan was to go shop when it got to ten items. But if I do that, I will shop too often! My list is at 13 now, and I just shopped on New Year's eve. So, I will continue to keep the list, but try to keep the shopping trip to once a week, and make some hard decisions about what makes the cut.

I guess that's it for today!

The first number is the yearly total - the second is the monthly average.

Housing - $8141 - $678
Car Repair/Maintenance - $4268 - $356
Furnishing/Equipment/Decor - $3522 - $294
Gifts/Charity - $2564 - $214
Taxes - $2264 - $189
Vacation/Travel - $2146 - $179
Groceries - $1658 - $138
Fares/Parking - $1414 - $118
Utilities - $1406 - $117
Medical/Health - $906 - $76
Eating Out - $837 - $70
Insurance - $644 - $54
Gas - $640 - $53
Phone - $606 - $51
Clothing $598 - $50
Vet/Pet Supplies - $535 - $45
Fees/Services - $445 - $37
Entertainment - $387 - $32
Home Repair/Maintenance - $359 - $30
Household Supplies - $240 - $20
Laundry - $193 - $16
Personal - $193 - $16
Miscellaneous - $29 - $3

Grand Total - $33,995 - $2,833

My average monthly spending was $486 less than in 2013; $249 less than in 2012; but $218 more than in 2011.

My net worth rose by $25,676. A lot of that was from a rise in the market value of my condo. I likely won't see that kind of rise in my net worth next year.

The first number is the yearly total - the second is the monthly average.

Housing - $8141 - $678
Car Repair/Maintenance - $4268 - $356
Furnishing/Equipment/Décor - $3522 - $294
Gifts/Charity - $2564 - $214
Taxes - $2264 - $189
Vacation/Travel - $2146 - $179
Groceries - $1658 - $138
Fares/Parking - $1414 - $118
Utilities - $1406 - $117
Medical/Health - $906 - $76
Eating Out - $837 - $70
Insurance - $644 - $54
Gas - $640 - $53
Phone - $606 - $51
Clothing $598 - $50
Vet/Pet Supplies - $535 - $45
Fees/Services - $445 - $37
Entertainment - $387 - $32
Home Repair/Maintenance - $359 - $30
Household Supplies - $240 - $20
Laundry - $193 - $16
Personal - $193 - $16
Miscellaneous - $29 - $3

Grand Total - $33,995 - $2,833

My average monthly spending was $486 less than in 2013; $249 less than in 2012; but $218 more than in 2011.

My net worth rose by $25,676. A lot of that was from a rise in the market value of my condo. I likely won't see that kind of rise in my net worth next year.

Car Repair/Maintenance - $1103 (mostly catalytic converter)
Gifts/Charity - $716
Housing - $677
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor - $674 (Couch recover payment, DVD player, Christmas decor)
Vacation/Travel - $295 (Florida, Girls' Weekend)
Insurance - $265
Fares/Parking - $220 (includes 2 train passes)
Groceries - $206
Utilities - $126
Fees/Services - $99 (Amazon Prime)
Medical/Health - $74 (Dentist payment)
Eating Out - $66
Phone - $50
Gas - $47
Entertainment - $37
Household Supplies - $14
Laundry - $9 (probably too low, but that's what I logged)
Vet/Pet Supplies - $5

Grand Total - $4499 (Not my worst month. That honor goes to October!)

It's been a few days, and they've been busy days!

Two days ago, my brother, his wife, his daughter and his SIL came to Chicago on a spontaneous day trip. I joined them downtown and spent the day. They were in a holiday mood and insisted on paying for everything. I finally managed to pay their parking fee - $32 - which is all that the whole outing cost me. We went to the planetarium and saw two shows (and had lunch as well), then went to Water Tower Place. All the others shopped, but I wasn't interested in buying anything. I was happy to look around. We had supper at M Burger. MMmmm! We also did a LOT of walking around, so I'm sure I burned off that burger, fries and shake!

Yesterday I hosted the New Year's Day brunch. It was a big success, in that everyone seemed to have a really good time and spent most of the day here. I had a few cooking mishaps. The bacon-wrapped dates and the egg casserole were both overdone. I watched and watched those two dishes (cooking together in the oven) and it seemed like they would never get done -- and then they were overdone! Still edible, but a bit of a disappointment.

The pineapple upside down cake, however, was glorious, both in taste and appearance!

It was a rough morning getting ready, because I blew a circuit three times. The dishwasher and the vacuum cleaner were the culprits, and I wasn't even running them at the same time! Oh well, I was very relieved that the dishwasher wasn't broken, which is what I thought at first!

My ex brought me a gift. We did not attend the same gift-opening this year, so I didn't get him a gift, and was surprised that he brought one. However, I do have some things in my gift stash that I can wrap and run over there if I decide to do so.

He gave me a Barnes & Noble gift card -- the funny part is that there is no indication how much it will buy! I know I can look it up; it just made me chuckle because I'm always careful to provide that kind of information when I give a card.

I cooked off my bargain turkey on New Year's Eve and had the kids over for dinner. Now I have lots of leftovers, and the carcass is simmering on the stove for broth. I have hardly any leftovers from the brunch, however. I hope everyone got enough to eat!

Later today I will do my December recap and my 2014 recap. I know already that December was a pretty wild month for spending.

I'm not setting any rigid resolutions, but I do plan to increase my net worth by $10K this year. However, if I get laid off in March, or if I have to retire before December, that won't be an achievable goal. So we'll see. It may be an interesting year.

I have one more month for the Discover challenge. My tentative plans for this month's spending are: mattress, coffeemaker, pots & pans, sheets/comforter. All are needed updates. I also may invest in some tall boots. The mattress is the only thing I'll get for sure.

I'm glad I've done this Discover challenge to make myself buy things I need for the long haul, but I'll be happy to go back to a frugal life in February!

I went to the grocery yesterday and bought 10 items. I will have to go back in a few days to get more things I need for the brunch, but I hope I can hold it to 10 again. It's so much easier to carry up only 10 items. I spent $22 and I bought: 2 bottles of Sprite, napkins, crackers, canned pineapple, pineapple cake mix, plastic cups, granola, white bread, sourdough bread. The Sprite is for the punch; the pineapple items are for the pineapple upside down cake.

I also gave $5 to a very nice man who often sells Street Wise magazine outside the store.

Today I went to the movies (Penguins of Madagascar) with my grandsons and their other grandmother. She treated for the movie, so I bought edible treats: $12 for popcorn and drinks.

I also spent $1.50 on laundry.

I'm feeling a little off today -- kind of achy and tired. I'm also really suffering pain in the mouth; my gum is inflamed and also, I have a popcorn husk stuck in my throat. Agony!

My bargain turkey I bought before Christmas is now thawing in the fridge. I will cook it tomorrow when it is fully thawed, and will have the family over for dinner. I'm getting kind of low on sides, but I can serve mac & cheese (for the boys), couscous or rice, and vegetables. I COULD make dressing, too, but I don't know if I want to use up my sourdough bread. I'll have to investigate my pantry to see if there are other options.

Anyway, I'll have to feel better tomorrow than I do today to take on making a dinner.

I'm really enjoying reading The Goldfinch, so that's all I plan to do with the rest of the evening!

I think ... I think ... I had a no-spend day yesterday! Except for bills that came automatically out of my account, no money passed out of my hands!

I did not make that walk to the post office. Since it was Saturday, I thought it might close early. And I was quite busy with home things. One accomplishment that feels good -- I finally got through the mountain of mail! 99% of it was junk, but I had to look for the few items I need to keep, or act upon. I also organized and put away all the gift wrap I had dragged out. Then I also did ordinary things like laundry and vacuuming and such.

My tree and decorations will stay up through December 6, the Feast of Epiphany. Mostly because my house looks its best in Christmas finery! I just enjoy it.

It occurred to me in the middle of the night that I didn't get my January train ticket when I was last at the downtown station. I still have a few days, so I may just make the free trip down to buy it. It's either that, or buy a one-way ticket on January 5 to get downtown. That's $4.75, which seems a waste. On the other hand, I'd much rather put the ticket cost on my January Discover bill!

I don't think I mentioned before that I broke the temporary crown again. It is mostly intact, but some pieces came off the back. I don't think it is worth going back to the dentist; I'll just wait it out till my appointment for the real one on January 8. But it is uncomfortable. I'll be SO SO glad when this is all over.

Today's plans -- I think I will be lazy!

My son's family came over yesterday. He set up the TV and he also got my Bose connected to the TV and my phone. Now I can play Pandora on the Bose, which is delightful! I'm listening to the James Taylor station now.

My DIL helped him a bit with the wiring, and she also put up new pictures of the grandsons and fixed some cranky doorknobs. I told them I got quite a deal! Afterwards I played Sushi Go! with the boys.

My son had me order a DVD player and some cables, which came to about $38 on Amazon. He didn't think I needed to get a Blue-ray, since I only use the player for Redbox and library loans, and Blue-ray rentals are more expensive on Redbox.

If it hadn't been for that order, it would have been a no-spend day.

Now I'm trying to figure out how to buy groceries for my New Year's brunch and keep it within 10 items. I'm tentatively planning to serve an egg casserole, home fries, fruit salad, Cheddar Bay biscuits, Monkey Bread, bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese, punch and coffee. It looks like I will have everyone -- my son's family, my nephew's family, my ex and his wife, and my DIL's mother.

And now, something sad to report. No more quests on Candy Crush! I got to level 185, and it looks like going on quests to get to the next level is no longer an option. They want me to link to Facebook and ask friends for "help." That does not appeal to me. And of course I'm not going to pay!

Later today I'm going to walk to the post office, which is a bit longer walk than my usual one to the train station. I need the exercise, and I have to mail a hairbrush to one of the girlfriends, who left it here. I'm also mailing in a $3 prize claim to the Illinois Lottery! The lottery ticket was a gift -- I don't buy them as a rule!

Edit: I forgot about the pineapple-upside down cake! I think I will substitute that for the monkey bread. It was my brother's favorite dessert, and I always think of him on New Year's Day, the day he passed. It would be a nice way to honor his memory.

I kind of like the idea of calling this Boxing Day, even though I don't celebrate Boxing Day in any way! Since I am 7/8 English, I should look it up and maybe add it to my traditions!

The kids and I had a lovely day yesterday. Gift opening in the morning, which my DIL wisely allowed to be rather long and drawn-out, so the little ones could play with the gifts they opened. At noon we had a lunch of Chicken Lo Mein and Shredded Pork with Peking Sauce. Then for dinner, we had pork tenderloin with all the traditional trimmings. About midday I took a walk with DIL's mother beside the beach.

I had my usual Christmas paranoia about having spent too much, and having spent too little. Wacko! Next year, I will either be entering into retirement, or already there, so spending will have to be ruthlessly re-examined.

My kids bought me a new TV, which really humbles me. I hope they got a great deal! I think they were just sick of looking at my old tube TV, to tell you the truth! My son will come and install it today.

I will have to get a DVD player now, since the old TV is a combo set. I've heard I can get them really cheaply -- I'll look around.

Today I'm just puttering -- putting things away, doing laundry, catching up on little tasks. Loving the leisurely life!

Adding my best wishes for a wonderful Christmas to all my SA friends!

Wrapped up my Christmas shopping yesterday ($93) and bought a poinsettia as well ($6). It's a little droopy, it turns out -- it's been sitting in the shop too long, no doubt!

All my gifts are wrapped. Tonight I will go to my son's house for French bread pizza and a movie, and then tomorrow morning, back again, to see what Santa's brought.

I have Mannheim Steamroller playing on my new Bose, the Christmas tree lights are sparkling, my dining room is beautifully decorated, and all is well.

Peace on earth!

Girls' weekend - done.
Tree up and decorated.
House decorated and Santa collection on windowsills.
Christmas shopping ALMOST done.
Most wrapping done.

Girls' weekend went really well, even though I wasn't feeling the greatest. I think I had some sort of mild bug that kept me tired and headachy. We went to lunch at a popular restaurant called "Farmhouse." I had eggs benedict, which is apparently becoming an addiction of mine. I took home a doggy bag of spicy potatoes and a biscuit (already consumed for breakfast this morning). I put $40 toward the total bill, though I think it was a little more than I owed.

We did some shopping, mostly at Barnes & Noble. I found some more gifts for my grandsons, the best one being a reference book on owls -- yes, my oldest grandson is very much into that kind of stuff! I think I spent $98 all together. I still need to get one more gift for my younger grandson, to even the value level, and also something little for my son and DIL.

We had chili at home for dinner, and just basically had a great time talking and catching up. The following morning we walked along the beach and then went to breakfast at a local coffee shop that serves wonderful pastries and breakfast sandwiches. I think I spent $8 there.

As soon as my friends left on Sunday I slept the day away, and I feel much better now.

I invited my kids over tonight to finish the chili (there's tons of it) but they haven't responded yet.

My grandsons actually decorated my tree for me, and helped me carry it and all the boxes up from the basement. It was so wonderful to have that help, and they did a very good job!

Now I'm just enjoying my first day of my two-week staycation. What a luxury!

Last night, between trains, I dashed into a store at the station and bought a soft winter scarf for our boss. It was just four of us contributing $5 each, so I was glad to find something for $20 that seemed right, and so quickly.

This morning I drove and filled up the tank for $19. It was only about half-down, but when gas is so cheap, I can't resist!

In one hour I will go to the dentist to get this temporary crown fixed. It feels like a have a knife in my mouth! I can hardly wait to get it done.

My DIL came over last night to borrow a pie pan, and she was in a talkative mood. I just wanted to crash, but she did catch me up on all kinds of family stuff. The most interesting -- my ex's daughter from his second marriage is expecting. What makes that interesting is that he is basically supporting her, even though she is an adult and married. I wonder what this will do to the dynamics?

My DIL also offered to have her mother and her sons come over tonight after work and help me get the tree up and the house decorated. I said I would call to make sure I am not too tired to do that!

I did get some housework done last night, so I'm feeling a little better about the weekend coming up. Both girlfriends have emailed me that they are coming, so I just have to get my stuff together and then let myself enjoy the wonderful time I know we will have.

I was eating a bagel for breakfast this morning and suddenly realized that I was feeling sharp edges on my crown. Apparently I swallowed the pieces that fell off. Gosh, I'm tired of this. I just got the temporary crown yesterday. Why do they have to be so VERY temporary? I made an appointment to have it replaced tomorrow. Which means I'll have to drive again.

I guess I will have to eat VERY soft food until January 8, when I finally get the permanent one!

Got a free dinner last night at our office Christmas party, and there will be free eats all day in the break room. In fact, there is so much food in there, I think we will all have to take home doggy bags.

I brought in fruit kabobs, because I had signed up to do so, but I really wish we didn't do so much partying with food at this time of year. It doesn't feel festive, it feels excessive. Wasteful.

My girlfriends are not arriving till noon on Saturday, so I am feeling more relaxed, knowing I have the morning to get ready. After they are gone on Sunday, I can turn my attention to finishing up my Christmas shopping and wrapping. And then get ready for my New Year's brunch. Anybody have ideas for easy make-ahead brunch foods? I really want to simplify things this year!

What a spendy day it was yesterday! The car repair cost $1102. I spent $9 on fast food. Groceries were $79. I also spent $33 on gifts. Then this morning I bought a cake for the office Christmas party tonight - $8, and breakfast for $3.

It didn't occur to me till it was all done, but I should have just taken my car home and scheduled the repair after January 1. Then that big expense could have gone on January's Discover challenge. As it is, I will overshoot December by quite a bit. But it's all done now, so I won't beat myself up.

More dumbness -- I bought breakfast on the way to work, forgetting that my boss was bringing in a free breakfast.

I just got back from the dentist, having a new crown mold made -- which is quite involved! Half of my face is numb. But I didn't owe any more, which I was relieved to know. The permanent crown will be placed on January 8. My temporary has to last till then.

With yesterday evening spent in the grocery store, I still have not had time to get ready for my girlfriends this weekend. The house is a mess, laundry needs to be done, the aquarium needs cleaning, and the Christmas tree is still in basement storage in a box. But at least I have the ingredients for the chili dinner! Hoping that Thursday and Friday evening will be enough to get ready.

I'm going to remember this next year -- not to schedule too many events so close together. I've been going full tilt since Thanksgiving, and I'm about ready to drop!

I got the call yesterday -- a new catalytic converter is needed. With parts and labor, it is more than $1000. I certainly hope this will be the last repair for a while. I know I am working with an old car, but it's hard when all the repairs seem to come at once. I sure don't want to buy a new car, and I don't want to give up the car yet, so .... needs must.

Work is nice and slow this last week before Christmas break. I have but a few tasks today, and yesterday I had plenty of time to catch up on the work that piled up during vacation. Meetings are being canceled left and right.

I did some Amazon Christmas shopping yesterday and spent about $88 out of pocket. All that's left to do is to fill some "goody" boxes (instead of stockings) and buy some little gifts to open for the grandsons. Also need to get a little something for the boys' other grandma (we are both at the gift-opening). Oh, and a little something for the girlfriends. I guess I'm not done at all. Sigh.

Got back from vacation last night. It was pretty thrifty for me, since my cousin paid most of the expenses (in return for driving her to Florida). I spent $155, most of which was for a hotel room and airline baggage fees. I also spent $275 on Christmas gifts for my son's family (and that's half of Christmas done for me! My cousin let me put $550 in expenses on my Discover card and wrote me a check, to help me meet this month's spending goal.

I had three bad surprises upon coming home. One, my son parked my car too close to a fire hydrant, costing me a $58 fine. (I'm sure he didn't notice, and he did a lot of pet care and cleanup while I was gone, so I'm not even going to mention it to him.) Two, my check engine light is indicating trouble with the catalytic converter (I'll find out today when I drop off the car at the shop). And three, our interim president at the college has announced a RIF. Nine faculty positions will be eliminated in January, but in March, even more admin positions will go. I'm nervous that I will be targeted as an almost-retiree. I don't want to retire in March!

Other than that, it's good to be home!

I will have a busy week, getting ready for my "girls' weekend" guests, but after that, I get to chill at home for two whole weeks. Blissful!

I still have Christmas shopping to do, but I think it will be an Amazon Christmas. Plus, my main gift to the grandsons will be contributions to their college funds, so, all in all, I don't think I'll do much mall-shopping. Hurrah!

Drove in today, so I can attend the Christmas program and not have to take a late train.

I noticed that my check engine light is on. In the past, that has usually been because of a loose gas cap, but I don't think that is the case now. I just refilled the tank, and the cap was tight. I put it back on tight, and the light remained on. I'll have to stop at AutoZone on the way home.

I bought breakfast at McD ($5) but I do have my lunch packed. I will probably have to buy dinner, as it will be a long day. I don't know what the gas cost; I forgot to grab the receipt. It will show up on Discover, however.

I got a message yesterday that my couch is ready to be delivered! Woo-hoo! Of course, they want to deliver on Saturday, when I will be babysitting all day. I will have to make the boys stay at my house until the delivery is made.

I did another load of laundry last night ($1.50). I think I will still have to do three loads on Sunday, but at least I am making progress.

Today's focus will be wrapping things up at work for a week's absence!

I really just wanted to crash when I got home last night, but I forced myself to put in a load of laundry, then went over to check on the grandsons. My DIL's mom kindly gave me supper and then gave me a new Christmas tablecloth she never used. It's a red tartan plaid, very nice. It may not be long enough for my new table, but perhaps I can angle it over another cloth.

When I came home, I finished up the laundry and loaded and ran the dishwasher.

I still have so much to do before I fly out of town on Monday, and Saturday will be completely taken up with babysitting. But it felt good to at least get one load of laundry done and get the dishes cleaned.

This morning I bought a muffin and a banana at Corner Bakery for $3. Cheaper than a muffin and coffee! Why was I always buying coffee? I still have the banana for a mid-morning snack. I grabbed some pizza from the freezer, so I won't have to buy lunch.

I realized yesterday I will miss the big (interdepartmental) holiday party at work. I don't mind so much except that it is always a wonderful brunch. I never win any of the awesome raffle prizes!

Our unit is pretty lackluster about holiday parties, so I'm lucky in that there is no gift exchange or carry-in to worry about. I will bring food for the food bank drive, however.

Tomorrow is the College's Christmas concert. I do believe I will try to make it to that. I don't think there is any other inspirational program on my docket this year. And, of course, it's free!

I spent a half-hour plus in the dentist's chair yesterday, but nothing was accomplished. He wasn't satisfied with the way the crown fit, so in the end he had me make appointments for a new mold and fitting. Now my temporary crown has to last until January 8!

I do appreciate that he is such a perfectionist. I know that when I get my crown, it will be perfect.

I paid him $74 yesterday to settle up what the insurance didn't pay. I do not think there will be another bill, but we'll see. I hope I will not get charged for more office visits.

Since yesterday was Giving Tuesday, I sent $25 to my alma mater.

I also paid my professional association dues, but I will be reimbursed for that by my employer.

I bought dinner on the way home at Arby's ($7) and bought lunch at the cafeteria ($5). I am really out of the swing of packing meals. However, today I managed to bring breakfast and lunch, and I should be home early enough today to make dinner at home.

That's all my spending! Today I'm going to reserve a taxi for my airport run next week. I got an email for a preferred-customer discount from the company I use most often.

I sure hope to get some laundry done tonight. Last night I went over to the grandsons' and checked on them, but they are very happy in their other grandma's care, and while they were happy to see me, nobody seemed to particularly need my help. I may go tonight, but I'll make it brief.

I just dropped my sister off at the airport, then drove the rest of the way into work. I treated her to dinner last night at a local restaurant ($30) and I got myself breakfast on the way in ($5).

I will get my crown put on this afternoon, and I will stop to get gas before going home.

I have a ton of laundry to do! But tonight I need to check in on the grandchildren, unless I am too sore from the dental procedure.

I can hardly imagine right now that I will be flying out to NC in a week to begin a road trip to Florida. And then getting ready to host friends as soon as I get home. And I have NOT done any Christmas shopping or decorating!

This is a really busy time for me. And just think, next year at this time, I will be getting ready to wrap up my career and retire. Sounds awfully good to me right now!

My last day of vacation was spoiled by getting sick. My sister came down with the bug first, and I got it the day after. Mostly stomach cramps and "digestive issues." It was an awful drive home, but we arrived safely, and it was good to sleep in my own bed. This morning I woke up feeling fine, so I went to work.

First order of business -- I summed up my November spending:

Housing: $677
Furnishings/Equipment/Decor: $674
Medical/Health: $442
Gifts/Charity: $184
Groceries: $175
Utilities: $131
Eating Out: $107
Vet/Pet Supplies: $106
Clothing/Accessories: $100
Vacation/Travel: $90
Fares/Parking: $83
Fees/Services: $75
Phone: $51
Laundry/Dry Cleaning: $32
Gas: $20
Entertainment: $9
Personal: $9
Grand Total: $2965

The big items were buying the Bose and making a big payment on my crown.

This morning I was shocked to realize it was December 1 -- and I did not have my December train pass. I had to pay $4.25 to get to the downtown station, where I bought the pass ($76). Missed the train while standing in line, and had to take the later one. Not an auspicious way to begin the month!

This evening I am taking the grandsons out for dinner -- mainly to give their other Grandma a break. She is babysitting while the kids are in Mexico on a second honeymoon. (Really, the first, just 10 years after their wedding!)

Tomorrow I take my sister to the airport, then I'll drive to work, so that I can leave early and get my permanent crown put in.

On Wednesday I may be able to rest!

My sister, SIL and I went to an upscale women's resale shop for Small Business Saturday. I was armed with my Amex card to get the $10 rebates. At first I didn't find anything, but my SIL became my personal shopper, and found some great things. I ended up buying a sweater, two vests, a jacket and a pair of pants. Everything was 40% off, and I will get $20 off from Amex, as well, because I bought them in two transactions. The third transaction was on my sister's finds; she will pay me back. Right now I'm not sure what my personal total was, but I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of $20-25.

Afterwards we went to Kohl's. I bought a pair of pajama pants; I think they were around $12. I don't have my receipts near to hand, but I'll figure it all out later.

This has been a really nice holiday. Tomorrow I head home. My sister will stay with me one more day and then fly home on Tuesday. Then on December 8 I'll fly to North Carolina to drive my cousin to Florida. A lot of traveling in a short amount of time!

I checked Discover this morning and it said I had reached 100% of my $2000 spending requirement and that I am on track for the bonus. However, there are two reimbursements pending, which are counterbalanced by two pending purchases (movie tickets and CVS). I have really, truly spent $2000 within the time period but I never really trust a big company -- just hope the timing doesn't mess me up.

I was wondering what the return would bring, since I used a lot of cashbucks to make the purchase. I was reimbursed with credit, and the cashbucks are used up. Seems like kind of a loophole, but I'm not complaining.

My family went to see the new Disney movie -- the title escapes me, but it's about superheroes. Good fun for the boys. One of these days, I'd like to take in a grown-up movie again! I bought the tickets for my crew, and my brother bought popcorn.

Today my sister and my SIL will go to a resale shop to make some Small Business Saturdays purchases on Amex. Might make a bakery stop, as well, though we are loaded with leftovers, and that might not be wise.

I sure am enjoying the view here! The lakeside is beautiful, even with bare trees and snow on the ground. There was a gorgeous pink sunrise this morning. Wish I could stay forever!

Thanksgiving was a lovely day, with good food, lots of family, games and laughter. It snowed all day, but we were cozy inside. There were 24 people for dinner, and different family groups came and went all day.

I picked up my sister at the airport on Tuesday night. Parking only cost $2, which was a big win, though I almost couldn't find the car again!

We headed up north on Wednesday morning, missing the bad traffic, and we stopped for a pancake breakfast along the way, which was about $18 for the two of us. At one point, while talking about what we packed, my sister realized she didn't pack enough underwear, and I didn't pack enough socks, so we stopped at a CVS to remedy that. I think I spent about $8 for a pack of socks.

I checked my Discover bill and have spent 99% of the $2000 required for November. Actually, not everything was counted yet, so I know I am over the top. The only spending I will do from now on is to go to a movie today (family tradition) and Small Business Saturday shopping with my Amex card.

I don't know what I did, but I hurt my knee yesterday. This would be the other knee, not the one that gave me so much trouble before. I can barely move around this morning, so I am going to work from home.

This is actually good in a way, because I will be home (I hope) when the Bose is delivered. They left an attempt-to-deliver message yesterday and they will try again today. I say "I hope" because I have to go to the airport to pick up my sister today. I hope they will not deliver while I am gone. Her plane arrives at 4 something, so it's not the best timing.

I did go to the dentist yesterday and now have a new temporary crown. It sure feels a lot better. There was no charge.

It's cold again in my condo. Clearly, whenever it is cold outside, it will be cold inside. (We had a notice from the homeowners' association that the furnace has been worked on but will work on a sensor system, meaning it will cycle on and off. It doesn't seem to cycle on very often.) I have my radiators full on; that's all I can do. I am wearing layers today; I will adjust.

Today I need to pack and make my cranberry salad. I'm contemplating taking a bag of laundry to my brother's house. I'm also contemplating getting a hotel room tonight. Since I have no couch, I will have to give my bed to my sister (she has a bad back), and sleep with her (yeah, right, I can't sleep even when I sleep alone! And she really snores) or sleep on the floor. If I spring for a hotel room, we could leave tonight, get a jump on the trip, and miss most of the bad traffic, as well as be a lot more comfortable, in separate beds. It's a thought.

I got my $100 check from Citi yesterday and put it in checking. It will help me to cashflow this month's Discover bill.

Seems like nothing is really going right now, but I AM looking forward to the holiday and the family gathering! Thanksgiving is really my favorite holiday!

This weekend was spendier than I anticipated. It began on Friday, when I got lunch at the cafeteria -- empanadas and plantains for $7. You would think something nice and soft like that would not break my temporary crown, right? Wrong. The crown is busted. I called the dentist's office, but my dentist was out, and not available till today. Since it wasn't completely broken and was not painful, I went with that.

So on the way home, I stopped at Walgreen's and got some kind of goop to patch it, as well as milk and frosting for my son's birthday party, spending $10. I ended up not using the goop, since the crown is still holding, so I might return it.

On Saturday morning, I spent $4.50 on laundry. Then I went to the doctor to have him look at the mole on my back again. That was $15 more. (He froze it again, but it's still there as of today.)

I went to the grocery to finish up shopping for my son's birthday party and spent $32. I bought a cake, since I lost a lot of time at the doctor's, and I also bought some prepared fruit salad.

The party went great, but my gift was a scream. When I ordered from his Amazon gift list, I did not realize that they showed me "bestsellers" first rather than his real picks. I bought 3 CDs and a movie he didn't want! (I thought they were kind of odd choices for him!) Well, his wife and kids want to keep two of the CDs -- one CD and the movie are going back. I had him order a game for himself in place of the returns. Bah! Since they were bought mostly with cashback rewards, I'm not sure what I'll be refunded, and the rewards are gone, so I think I lost some money on that deal.

On Sunday I went back to the grocery because my brother called and asked me to bring cranberry relish to Thanksgiving dinner. I spent $40 -- most of that going to a bottle of Grand Marnier. I guess I could have left it out of the relish, but I do hate to be cheap when my brother is providing so very much....

I still had two stops to make. At PetSmart I bought more kitty litter and three-day fish pellets, and I also got a supersize litter pan. All that was $32. Then I went to Kohl's to use my Kohl's cash. I ended up buying a Christmas wreath for my door, $11 after using the Kohl's cash and getting the wreath half off. It will look a lot better than my morning glory wreath, which is very summery! I couldn't find anything gifty or anything else I really needed.

So, it will be back to the dentist this afternoon -- probably another charge. I may not get that Target gift card on Black Friday -- I may have already met the $2000 by then!

My Bose is supposed to be delivered today. I wish I could have stayed home to accept it, but the broken crown made that impossible. I hope they will be smart and leave an attempt-to-deliver notice!

This morning, when I got to the downtown station, I realized I wasn't wearing earrings. Now, ordinarily, I would not let that bother me, but today we are having a very important meeting with the new interim president. I dressed very carefully today and I didn't want to spoil it with bald earlobes!

So I went to Hudson News, where they had a 2 pair for $20 sale. I picked out two, since I could really use new earrings anyway -- or the second pair may be a gift; I haven't decided. Anyway, when the price rang up, the 2 for $20 price was not in the cash register. I pointed out the sign to the cashier, and she gave me the employee discount. So they were only $18! So at least I can feel good about getting a deal.

I will have to buy lunch today, too. I did have some cranberry bread in the freezer to bring for breakfast, but there was nothing ready for lunch. I would say I'm slipping, but I can tell you exactly what happened -- my unit is so cold, I am going to bed almost as soon as I get home, just so I can get under the covers. (A comforter and two quilts!) I am going to call maintenance today. This is ridiculous. The trouble is, I know the radiators are working. I think they have set the thermostat low to save money. But I will call and see what I find out. At least the temperature will climb this weekend, so I may have a few days of comfort. But what's going to happen when the polar vortex hits?

Anyway, I am getting nothing at all done in the evenings because I am too cold to function. I can't even read in bed because my hands are too cold outside of the covers!

So, back to the meeting today. Our new interim president is scheduling meetings with all the various departments, but the boss of each department is not invited, so that everyone can be open about their thoughts on the college, the workplace, the future, etc. A smart move, I think, but it's not going to work for our department, because our boss WILL STILL BE THERE! Not the VP, who is the figurehead, but the exec director who actually runs the place, and runs the VP. I have referred to her in earlier posts as "mean girl." Yep, she's planning to be there, so everyone will be zip-lipped as usual. A shame.

All this will be easier to bear knowing that I only have to put in one more year. Then I'm done with office politics forever! Hurray!

Yesterday I ordered the Bose wave system. It was approximately $600, for the version that hooks up to a computer/phone. It also plays CDs and AM/FM radio. Has an alarm, too, though I won't use it for that! I got a $50 discount and free shipping.

I didn't have a chance to give shipping instructions in the process of ordering, so I emailed the company afterwards to stipulate that I do not want it left in the vestibule! The box it comes in is clearly marked, which makes it a theft target. I would hope the carrier's policy is not to leave such an item without placing it into the recipient's hands, but you never know. I will gladly go to a UPS site and get it a few days later rather than risk having someone take it.

That worry aside, I'm very excited! I can hardly wait to start playing my music again!

Before I ordered the Bose, I called the upholsterer to find out when the couch will be ready. It will be done in December, so I knew that expense could be shifted to the December challenge. For November, I have already spent $1719. I will spend $300 on a Target gift card on Black Friday. So I am pretty much done with November. I will have gas expense for Thanksgiving, but otherwise will try to tow the line on spending. (Except for my "free" spending on Amex on Small Business Saturday.)

So it looks like December expenses will be -- upholster, Florida trip, Christmas, dentist. In January -- the last month of the challenge -- I will have to get my mattress and box spring. And I may be able to fit a new TV into either December or January, depending on how expenses go.

I will have made all my big purchases, and will be more than ready to be frugal again!

I'm going to retire at the end of 2015. I will started drawing Social Security in August, when I reach full retirement age. But working those few extra months will give me a nice boost. Plus, I will get the full benefit of my employer's medical coverage and will be able to finish my board term (it is a professional association and board members are supposed to be fully employed in the field).

So, a little more than one year to go. The countdown is on!

I do not think the museum job will materialize. I've had a misunderstanding with the former boss who is at the museum. It is not really my fault or hers, but an awkward situation I won't go into. Anyway, I think that will be enough to count that opportunity out -- and I never thought it was a strong possibility anyway.

Nope, I'm just going to get ready for retirement. That said, I do hope to find some freelance work in my field after I retire. It is a good field for that.

Last night I mailed my sister's package ($14), bought gas (forgot to grab receipt, probably about $25 -- it will post on Discover later), and bought dinner ($6).