for a while now when necessary – not every week, but it’s helped me keep less on hand, therefore wasting less money in groceries that sit around on a shelf instead of being eaten up. I’d say it’s worth it! I spend less on prepared foods because I plan out a crockpot meal or two and freeze them for lunches.

My dog needed to have a lump removed and it cost about $1000 in all. That’s ok because I have my emergency fund built up, and I will divert a little from my next installment to my Hawaii savings in order to restore it. In a month I will have a raise and that will help with moving forward with my debt plan as well.

American Swedish Institute Swedish Language Classes

I got the class info, only now I need to think about if I will spend the money on a class at this time. It costs $110 for nine weeks plus an initial investment of $72 for a text (you use it through about four levels).

It’s so hard when goals contradict each other . . . for example, to take and spend $200 on a language class is not fulfilling my goal of working on my snowball with gazelle intensity. It’s this kind of constant reprioritizing that has up until now kept me from meeting my now #1 goal of “get out of debt.”

Luckily, I have a few weeks to mull it over. I can also keep my eyes open for a Community Education class. Unfortunately, classes at the U of M meet too often for my work life.

We had to drive the whole North Shore of Minnesota to Grand Portage in order to go to Isle Royale. We had to pass up a lot of interesting sights because of time . . . depending on funding, I’d like to do this trip. Maybe we’ll take my BF’s camper trailer, or maybe the gas will be more than hotel would! Good thing I like to crunch numbers!

A wry review of the author’s trip up the North Shore of Lake Superior, across the Grand Portage, through the waters that form the border between Minnesota and Ontario/Manitoba, and to Hudson Bay. A quick read and especially fun if you’ve been to any of the places he talks about.

As I examine my list (once it gets close to 43, then I start to freak . . . I suppose that’s why they limit us: so we actually have to get some stuff done!!) I see that this would be an easy goal to tick off. The whole scrapbook is laid out digitally but will cost about $50 to buy from the printing service. It’s just a matter of being willing to spend $50 to make it happen. I think once I get my raise I may splurge to get this done and check it off.