Another day, another dollar

Well, not if you're us. We seem to spend like crazy all the time here, but really who can begrudge fire extinguishers and used furniture? 

Rob's co-worker hooked us up with a buddy with extra furniture to sell. Now we have a loveseat in the living room along with a nice big tv stand (which contains all the flying toys, so no clutter). In the kitchen we've moved our little table and made a computer nook with a little computer desk. We bought some humidifiers because it's so dry. We also now have a small dresser that  is my new bedside table/exclusive set of drawers (underwear and socks and shirts too if I want!). We got a pantry-like shelving unit for sweaters and things in the bedroom AND we got a free double boxspring and metal bed frame! We will eventually buy a nice mattress and the guestroom will be ready for people to sleep happily. If you come visit us you can have a humidifier in your bedroom too. You're welcome.

I get paid this week for three whole days of work. Thanks to the pay period system, I worked the last three days of a pay period, then two weeks in order to get paid in arrears...three days. In two weeks form the 25th I'll finally see my first paycheque. Even if you know money is coming and that all is fine, I really suck at spending money. I am so, so glad to have a house that feels like a home. Of course all this happened a few days after posted the videos, but maybe soon I'll get some pics up. 

This morning we went out to the Airport Motel for breakfast (more money!), which is next door almost. I think it'll be our local greasy spoon and it was nice. Like a diner should be...staffed by older, grizzled women who call you 'hun' and make little jokes with you. The food was beige and greasy and therefore good. On our way out a trucker was coming in asking to buy a shower so we knew we were in the right place. If it's okay by the truckers, it's okay by me.  We are also going to eventually try the brunch at the actual airport because we hear that's good and there's another hotel that just opened called the Skky so we'll get there too.  Getting to know our little neighbourhood. 

What else? Rob's loving his job and his job is loving him. I'm not over it yet. He has always worked hard but to have it pay off where his natural talents fit in and contribute to the overall goals is incredible. My job is working out really well too. I like where I work and what I'm working on a lot and I have high hopes. I know those don't usually last but or now I'm pleased. 

I have discovered that my natural affliction of being super fastidious with thrifting pays dividends over here. I keep an eye on the fliers and I noticed that the printer we bought for $130 at staples was on at Canadian tire for $60. We did the prince match and got the money back. Yessss! Also, my new habit when shopping at the superstore is to mark the listed price of everything we buy, then check the receipt afterwards. This time 5 items were mis-priced including a $9 bottle of sinus medication. I got it all for free and saved us $16. You better believe it's worth the time at customer service and I'm going to to that every time. I think the key is to hit the sales the day the fliers go live to get the best deals, since the prices haven't been changed yet. But, we don't abuse the system (easy as it would be). Even being honest we do well enough. The $85 we saved doesn't come close to edging out the expenses of moving but it sure does help!

We are really beginning to feel like we are settling in nicely here. We are enjoying our weekday routine of coming home together (I walk to rob's work from mine because I finish earlier), make our dinner, do dishes and stuff, make lunches, read/watch t.v., sleep by 10. We are homebodies, really and don't need to go out to feel alive, but one day I suppose we'll make friends and go out now and then, which will be good. This summer I'm hoping we can find a good cat sitter and take some weekend trips. 

We seem to be coming out of our illness phase. I think humidifying the air and keeping ourselves warm are helping, plus just being here longer. You know, pretty soon we're going to surpass the daily levels of daylight you (current) southerners  call a long day and start making up for our longer winters. Next weekend I'm off to a community garden meeting...maybe soon I"ll be starting seeds on my window sill and dreaming of northern veggies!