Losin', Savin', Earnin', Lovin'

Cutter's Log - Stardate 3102.72.10
Current Song - Makes Me Wonder (Maroon 5)

Life is just being lived right now.

Recently it's been in a constant state of flux with nothing new ever happening. I just finished my fifth straight day of work, and finished with nearly 39 hours for the first time in a long time.

Three straight weeks of 39 hours can be both good and bad.

I feel like writing, but can't organize a thought together.

Here goes:


Losin'

I recently hit the -30 mark in losing weight. Much of that is because I'm just not eating the things I used to in the same quantity. I have reduced the number of calories consumed per day while moving around a little more than usual.

The next stage involves eliminating certain foods from the cabinet. Fast food has gone down. Meat has gone down. Everything else, however, has remained the same.

A trip from a friend made me aware of sodium. Because of trying to save money, the stuff that I have been buying to keep meals wholesome happen to have plenty of sodium in them: chili, soups, pot pies, etc. Perhaps that's the next step.

I'll try by going normal for a couple of days while making a sodium count. Then cut back on that, and see if that translates into weight loss.

Chili, soups, pot pies and TV dinners have been this single man's food intake lately. Why? Because they are cheap, but filling.


Savin'

As a result of my constant price checking, I have determined that I won't pay more than a dollar for chili. Most chili is the same except for Wolf (too spicy for me) and Chiliman (my favorite). As far as chicken noodle soup goes, my limit is 50 cents a can.

The pot pies and TV dinners have all come courtesy of Hy-Vee. No, I didn't travel all the way to Clinton (the nearest Hy-Vee) just for them. I pulled the flyers out of the Quad City newspapers I sell at work. Then I take them to Wal-Mart, where they price match things.

I was able to get pot pies for 60 cents for 10 and get TV dinners for 80 cents for 10. All at Wal-Mart. All using price matching.

Actually, I had a 75-cents-off-8 coupon for the TV dinners. Ten TV dinners for $7.25. Without price matching and coupons, you'll be paying $10.00 instead.

I try to establish a minimum when I buy my "staple" items. I won't go any more than $2.50 for a 12-pack of pop, although I once bought 5 12-packs at Kroger for $10 during a sale. I won't go any more than $2.89 for a gallon of milk, although I saw an amazing-low $1.99 sale price for a gallon at a grocery store in Rockford recently.

Kroger was my latest store trip. I got a thing in the mail from them for a "$5 off" checkout coupon. I spent time sifting through the discounted bread and the manager's special shelves for things, as well as sifting through my coupons to see what can be doubled.

One thing I bought at Kroger was a four-pack of Energizer AAA batteries. It had a sale price of $3.49, but after doubling my 50-cent-off coupon, got it for $2.49. I haven't opened them yet, but really the only things I used a battery for are my audio recorder and my walkman. I'll be exploring the world of generic batties and see if they are worth it. Do they last as long?


Earnin'

As mentioned already, I will be working quite a bit lately. I have an off-day on Tuesday and one more on Friday, but I work another string of six days after that (working 14 days in a 16-day stretch).

I've never had a constant stretch like this since the times I used to fill in at the Dixon stations.

39 hours x 9.25/hour x 0.77 = my typical paycheck for this time. It's certainly a much-needed stimulus. Aside from the typicals, I need a new picture camera, two new rear tires for my car, and new wiper blades.

I'm working a mix of days and nights. Some say that I'm the reason for the scheduling drama, but I always try to find ways to make conflicts resolveable. While I am harsh about my Fridays, I was able to work out a deal where I could do two hours this coming Friday night to help someone.

Bending around like that needs to be a habit to survive in adulthood.


Lovin'

I have a poem for Valentine's Day. It is dedicated to four special girls whom I love very much.