tip #9: get a subscription

This goes hand-in-hand with becoming a member. There's more bang for your buck when you subscribe! I love to read, and I love magazines. I read Entertainment Weekly, all manner of food magazines, and most recently, Self. A magazine off the shelf is like $4.99!!! but you can get a whole year for usually $10-$12.

Also keep your eyes open for gift subscriptions. Usually about once a year they'll send you a card to give a friend a free year if you renew. I got Bon Apétit from Alecia, and Martha Stewart Living from Krysten. I gave the Food Network Magazine back to K-- all those were free. And I recently got Candice a Self subscription for $5. Totally worth it!! And if it's a magazine you know you are going to read for years, buy in bulk. I buy my EW subscription 3 years at a time for a huge savings.

So, I ended up spending $22 on Sunday night, and yesterday I spent a ton. Sigh. I mean, all of it was within my "allowance" so I'm not using a card, but still. I spent $15 on a Christmas present for my mom, $5 on a cocktail, then made $3.50 at Crossroads by selling a sweater that I never wear, then $7 on a sandwich, $26 at the movies, and $15 on wine after. Brutal. BUT it was an impromptu triple date with my man and 4 of our very favorite people-- an occurrence that doesn't happen with any sort of frequency, and I had a marvelous time. For me personally, I would much rather spend money DOING things than BUYING things. That time with my friends is priceless. Those people are my family. Worth it.

And tomorrow I have to run errands and buy things for my trip-- it's not going to be free-- so today is a zero dollar day. I'm off to the gym and then home to decorate the tree, then making dinner at home!