Today's thoughts on the budget

It's going. It's not easy, but it's what I WANT and I'm going to keep on keeping on. That said...

1. Cash is easier than trying to remind myself how much I can spend when I'm still using my debit card. I'm going back to the cash withdrawal on Friday.
2. It's hard to say "no" to things that people invite you to - even when they're family or close friends. And it's hard to rationalize your choice when it's decidedly not in the budget. And it's hard to tell those people you can't do it. At this point. I've said "yes" to two things that I don't think I can really afford. I don't want to back out, so that might just mean taking $ from savings...which I also can't afford.
3. Cooking, especially on weeknights and just for one, is not exactly my cup of tea. But practice makes perfect and I don't have any other options here. I've learned that just because a magazine can take a pretty picture of a so-called "simple" recipe, doesn't mean it will taste any good. I've got to be far more judicious in where I draw my recipes - I would rather not eat my mistakes, and can't rationalize tossing things out while on a strict budget.
4. It's not budget-related, but I am not a morning runner. I was a super crank today and I just can't start my day off well when I'm running late, tired, and don't have coffee. Ok, so maybe it IS budget related. I forgot the coffee, and have now run out of my budget for the week, so it will have to wait till Friday.