I'm having a consumption hangover.

I've spent so much money in the last week, even in the last three days.

It's a combination of just starting school and trying to do all my errands at once. It also has to do with the fact that I spent more money than I have. Here's the rundown:

Got my cat spayed: $67*
Rented a car to get to spay center: $106 (plus $20 in gas)
Because I had a car, went grocery shopping: $78
Also went to Target: $212
Books for school: $114
My once-a-season dry cleaning: $59
Total: $656

I feel gross.

In retrospect, I could have saved some money with a little more conscientious planning. I rented a car for two days just to be on the safe side; in fact, I did get home early enough to have returned the car on the same day. That would have saved me about $50.

I could have, uh, not bought so much stuff at Target. This is the thing, though: I looked over my receipt two or three times, and I look around to see if what I bought is not being used, and I've decided that everything that I bought -- mostly toiletries, cat stuff, and things to keep me warm** -- was either essential or will be in the future. It's just that I saved up my list to buy it all at once.

I am not looking forward to my next credit card bill. I know I feel too guilty to spend any money in the next couple weeks, though, and I shouldn't have to, because I've essentially filled my needs for the next month at least. Anything that I buy in the near future would just be superfluous.




*I actually saved some money getting my cat spayed at TEAM, a non-profit spay/neuter clinic in Connecticut. My vet wanted between $200-$400 for the same procedure!!
**I'm trying to save on my heating bill by keeping my heat down a bit, but it gets cold. I bought another blanket, some curtains, and a space heater. I don't know about the environmental tradeoffs of using electricity vs. gas heating though; I know it will just save me money in the long run. Can anyone out there help?