Don’t worry, this isn’t a trend.
It’s been a rough couple of months. A lot of time has been spent preparing for the worst, worrying, and just being sad and lame.
I’ve been staying with my sister in Washington, DC, which is an amazing city, but I don’t have any friends up here other than hers (who are lovely). She’s also been wonderful about showing me around the city, but after a week with her gone on a trip, I’ve felt a little lonely and lost.
I had an appointment in my hometown on Wednesday, so I ended up taking an impromptu day off. I thought, instead of focusing on the SAVE SAVE SAVE aspect of life right now, I’d share how I spent my money for fun. I just wanted a day to do whatever I felt like.
First, I took my damn time getting ready and was running late. I got myself an Egg McMuffin meal with coffee on the way to my destination (about a 75 min drive). $8.15
I went to my appointment– an in-person therapy session– which I continued solo after couples counseling didn’t work out. I really like my therapist, and we started EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) treatment that day. It’s an interesting modality, and I’m hoping for some clarity and overall better well being. $150 (our insurance plan sucks and doesn’t cover any of this)
Then I drove to the county seat and bought 3 used books and a gorgeous Alice in Wonderland tote from a company called Out of Print. It was between that and a cartoony, colorful Alex DeLarge design (A Clockwork Orange). $31.80
Across the street is a little coffee shop that prides itself on its mimosa flights on tap. I didn’t get that today, but instead grabbed a glass of sauvignon blanc and a brie/bacon/apple flatbread. $24
A block over is a witchy store that I cannot get enough of. This town is beautiful, but up until recently was mostly an “old money,” stuffy crowd that didn’t like new people or new ideas. It’s since been refreshed by youth in recent years, and the new places popping up are so cool. At this spot, I got myself a candle and a few gifts for friends and my sister. The picture only shows one candle, but I got another identical one for a friend that I gave her before taking this photo. $104.52
I met with my old boss/mentor, who I haven’t spoken to in months. He was my boss at the job I left for my career break. He is now back down from his current position due to stress and burnout. It’s a thing! He ended up telling me of a few job offers where I’d be a shoo-in, but I have since graciously declined for the sake of not further complicating life right now.
After that, it was a quick visit to one of my best friends. I brought her on of the candles from the witchy shop and a hug. She’s been one of the steadiest, most reliable and neutral friends, which has been a blessing since my marital issues started over the summer (and before, especially during my mom’s illness and death).
Later, I went to my house and attempted to scan some documents for taxes. Our printer/scanner has died, I think, and neither my husband nor I could make it work. Plan B for that. We ate leftover Chinese food for dinner.
I stopped at Aldi on the way out of town to stock up on groceries at non-DC prices! It still set me back $90.15
So the total for that day, not including the gas for the round trip was $408.62. An enormously expensive day, at no mistake, but overall it was a good one.
Have you done any guilt-free, superfluous spending lately?
-K