Atheists can count their blessings too

[Angrboda]

Things have just been going right lately. Part of that is me feeling better, and not depressed all the time, and part of it is making smart choices, but part of it is just luck. I wanted to get a better towel than I got at Walmart, so I look at Target, and all their towels are on sale this week. I ordered a set of wire shelves from Target, and before I actually pick them up, they go on sale, saving me $10. I went to Hallmark on Friday, looking for a birthday card for my brother-in-law's birthday. I found one, but it wasn't awesome, but I grabbed it and decided to spend time looking for a gift card holder to go with it. In doing so, I happened across a beer themed birthday card that I'd missed (he's into craft beers, and one of my gifts is a set of beer glasses). So things have just been overall going well for me. The only thing which didn't turn out well this week was that I found a reusable K-cup pod for $3 at a dollar store. I was happy about the find, but after opening it I realized it wouldn't work in my coffee maker, and so I'd wasted three dollars. On the other hand, a reusable K-cup pod that is supposed to work with my machine was $1 off this week. I bought two. The only thing not going well in my life is that I'm not doing a good job of sticking to my budget. I have spent more than I take in for most every month in the past year. I purchased a subscription to a budgeting tool, and it's helping, but I'm still not making ends meet. I don't think that I'm weak and undisciplined, but I just don't know. I keep saying "next month," but next month comes and I do the same damn thing. I need to figure this shit out. It hasn't significantly harmed me financially, but I can't keep going like this forever.

(Oh, one other thing that didn't go optimally. I picked up a new microwave, and the one I bought went on sale for $10 less this week. It's not practical to reorder the sale one, as I need the microwave now. Realizing I could have gotten a better deal is still something that sticks in my craw. Probably a consequence of my parents' obsession over getting the best deal and just money in general. I've addressed some of the bad habits and traits that I learned from my parents, but there are far more that I haven't. I'm still inclined in the direction of hoarding material goods (my mother was a classic hoarder), but I'm not fully there. Digital hoarding though, and getting better at that, is still a bridge that I've yet to cross. I've got a shit ton of stuff on computer storage, but instead of just getting rid of the useless stuff, I just keep buying more storage. And every week I add to it with copies of movies that I borrow from the library, but never watch. It's a sickness, it really is.)

(ETA: I ordered the microwave from Target after a prior one from Walmart that didn't work out. It took a week to deliver, and another week to get the warranty coverage straightened out before I opened it, so I've been without a microwave for 3-4 weeks. As noted, this morning, it's on sale for $10 off. So I contact Target customer service, and they gave me a price adjustment, no questions asked. Things just keep going right.)