Monday, September 30, 2002
Today I made turkey soup from the left over turkey I made Sunday. I've never made turkey soup before (I've actally never made a turkey before Sunday either - so I'm jumping all sorts of new hurdles). Anyway, the soup is going to feed me for weeks. But I kind of screwed up... I put red cabbage in the soup instead of green cabbage, so now I have purple turkey soup. Even the turkey IN the soup turned purple. I tried to give some to my roommate, but he woudln't eat it because it is purple. But I'll eat it up because it tastes fine.

The moral of today's buck is... I used leftovers and made something that will feed me for weeks. AND because I screwed up, no one else will eat my soup, so it'll feed me that much longer. That's it.

Sunday, September 29, 2002
Some guy sent me 1/2 of a twenty dollar bill and said he'd send me the other half if I print this on my site: GO GIANTS!

Just made 20 bucks.

UPDATE: That guy never sent me the other half of the twenty. I don't even like football.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 14...
Saturday, September 28, 2002
Today I scored some free coffee from my neighbor. He said, "I am cleaning out my freezer and I found some old coffee, do you want it?" And I said, "Sure." Nothing was wrong with the coffee, he just needed to make room for some other stuff. It should last about two weeks. Considering I've been buying my coffee at the deli for $1 a cup, I'm coming out $14 ahead. And it tastes better.

Friday, September 27, 2002
Tonight I rented movies. I'm still kind of sick and I don't want to go out, so I decided to spend some quality time with myself. I don't go to Blockbuster because they charge like $4 a movie. I instead go to my local video store, where they only charge $2.50 a movie. And for every 10 movies I rent, I get 1 free. I rented Monster's Ball, Hollywood Ending and Mulholland Drive. I paid $5 for the first two, and the last one was free. So I saved $5.50 today.

Thursday, September 26, 2002
Today I had to go to the pet store to buy some more Petromalt to control the cat's barfing, and I stumbled upon something that could save me loads of money in the future: The Kitty Whiz Transfer System. Yup. I am going to try to toilet train my cat.

It's this cool plastic thingy that I put on my toilet that will teach the cat how to use the loo. Imagine how much I'd save on litter and aggravation in the future! If he learns how to use it properly, I can call up and get a diploma for him from "Kitty Whiz University." Saving money can be so fun!

If your cat barfs and you want to try some Petromalt, click below to get your own. My cat likes the malt flavor one...
Buy Petromalt @ 1-800-PetMeds

UPDATE: The Kitty Whiz Transfer System is now in the garbage after the cat fell in the loo.

Wednesday, September 25, 2002
Today I received a present from my sister. You see, I've been having a hard time selling my favorite purse, my big Gucci bucket. I use it every day and have sold all my other purses, and didn't have another to use in it's place. I'm also really attached to it. So anyway, I got a package in the mail from my big sister and inside was a new purse with a note that said, "Now sell that purse!" So with the help of family and friends I am going to make some bucks next week when I put the purse on eBay.

UPDATE: I put the purse on eBay and a nice girl named Michelle bid on it and won it. She then sent me the money with a note that said, "You shouldn't have to sell your favorite purse. Please keep this money, but do NOT send me the purse. And DO NOT sell it again to anyone else on eBay. I still have the purse.

Tuesday, September 24, 2002
Partly because I'm still sick and didn't want to go outside, and partly because it's more economical, I read my favorite newspaper, The New York Post, online. It's not as much fun as flipping through the pages, but I saved 25 cents.

Monday, September 23, 2002
Yup. I'm sick. So today I slept all day. Because I slept all day, I didn't spend one dime! Being sick sucks, but at least it's really economical.

Sunday, September 22, 2002
I think I'm getting sick. I feel it in my chest. The slight achey feeling, and then the cough. Yuck. I HATE being sick, and I kinda act like a freak around people who are because I have a germ phobia. I'm usually really careful, but somehow one of those germs found me and now I'm sick. Damn!

Today is no day to be conservative. So I went to the store and stocked up on orange juice, chicken noodle soup, and echinacea. You may laugh at the chicken noodle soup, but I read somewhere that there actually is something in chicken noodle soup that makes you feel better, and I'm not taking any chances here. I'll let you know how I fare out...

UPDATE: I got better after a few days.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 13...
Saturday, September 21, 2002
This weekend I am dog sitting for my neighbor's again. They pay me $25/night. I really don't mind doing it either because they live right next door to me, and we share a backyard, so it's super easy.

Well, they always tell me that I can eat whatever I want when I dog sit for them, but I never take them up on the offer, that is until today. Today I discovered some fishsticks in their freezer and for some reason, they just looked so good! I haven't had fishsticks since I was little! So I took them out, opened them up, cooked 'em up, and ate them all. They were nummy. So I scored a free meal AND made $25.

Friday, September 20, 2002
Today I brushed my cat to help get rid of the excess fur so he doesn't get furballs and barf all over the furniture. I can't keep washing my sheets every few days because he can't keep his grub down. But in the course of brushing him I got a bit carried away and stirred up quite a bad case of dandruff on his coat. It's really kind of gross. My cat barfs, pees all over and has a bad case of the flakes.

So by trying to save money and keep the groom the cat, I realized that I have to figure out how to fix his dry skin, and may end up spending more money. Damn.

Thursday, September 19, 2002
Today I got an email that said, "Your favorite poem could be worth $10,000!" Now, I usually trash these types of emails, but this one really caught my eye. So I decided to enter the International Open Ameteur Poetry Contest.

Here's my poem:

Money doesn't grow on trees
And I won't get on my knees
To make a few bucks.
I need to get
all my ducks
in order.

I hope I win.

UPDATE: I didn't win.

Wednesday, September 18, 2002
Today I made use of an old water bottle I found lying around. You see, my roommate's dog barks too much and it's really annoying. She is a Jack Russell in desperate need of some doggie ritalin, and I'm really at my wit's end when it comes to her barking.

Rather than sell her on the black market and face the legal consequences that would surely follow, I decided to squirt the little freak with a water bottle every time she barks. It's harmless and it scares the bejesus out of her. I say, "Quiet!" and squirt. She then runs for cover and doesn't make a peep for a few minutes! And my cat gets a funny look of satisfaction on his face every time I squirt her. By not selling the dog and getting sued by my roommate, and instead squirting the dog with a little harmless water, I saved a lot of money today.

Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Today I decided to pen a letter to Donald Trump. You see, I am nearing paying off my debt, and because of it, things have slowed down. So I decided to write the Donald a letter, tell him about my website and see if he'd be interested in paying off the rest of my debt. I'm hoping he'll recognize and appreciate the true entrepreneurial spirit of my website and acknowledge it by sending me the rest of the loot. Then maybe Matt Lauer will have me back on the Today show and the Don can come with me. I'll let you know how it turns out.

UPDATE: The Donald never replied to my letter.

Monday, September 16, 2002
Tonight I slept with the light off. Okay - I am going to confess... I am afraid of the dark. I have been ever since I was little. I just get really freaked out in pitch black, so I sleep with the light on. We're not talking "night light" light here - we're talking "full-fledged lamp with a 60-watt bulb" light.

But tonight I decided to sleep with the light out. I didn't do it just to save money on electricty, but that definitely is a perk to sleeping with the light out. Enough of a perk to put it as a Daily Buck.

I didn't quit sleeping with the light "cold turkey." For the last few weeks I have been sleeping with the bathroom light on and the door closed a bit. But tonight I decided to turn off the bathroom light and bust out a plug-in night light. Okay I busted out two. But two night lights are better than one 60 watt bulb light. So I am making progress. I have no idea how much I saved because I have no idea how much it costs in electricty to use a 60-watt bulb everynight.

UPDATE: I broke one of my night lights and am down to one. It's considerably darker in my room. But I am doing okay.

Sunday, September 15, 2002
Today it rained. I had to return my rental movie "Pootie Tang" and it was raining. Normally I would say, "Forget it" and stay home, return the movie tomorrow, and pay the late fee. But not the new me. The NEW me got out my umbrella, put on my slicker (I really don't have a slicker but I just like saying it), and made my way to the video rental place with "Pootie" in tow. I saved myself $2.50 by returning the movie.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 12...
Saturday, September 14, 2002
Today my neighbors and I had "Movie Night" outside. Basically we have a yard with a big white wall which is the side of the building next to us. It's the perfect outdoort movie screen. So my neighbor borrowed a super expensive projector from work and hooked it up to my other neighbor's DVD player, and then hooked it up to that same neighbor's surround speakers and WHAM!!! Better and cheaper than a drive in movie.

We all invited friends over and watched movies. My choice was "Pootie Tang". That's one good movie. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. I rented it for the low price of $2.50. But not everyone liked my choice, so they turned it off after 1/2 hour. "Sah-da-tay! Sine your piddy on the runny kine." (If you see the movie you'll get the lingo.)

We then watched Pulp Fiction, and Zoolander. Two more fine flicks. But nothing compares to Pootie. "Sepatown."

Friday, September 13, 2002
Today I went to the grocery store. I really wanted to buy all-natural almond butter instead of peanut butter because I hear peanuts are bad for you, so I put it in my cart. Two aisles away I felt guilty because it was so much more expensive and I'm now a cheapo. So I took the almond butter out of my cart and placed it on a shelf where it didn't belong.

While in the next aisle I felt guilty because I didn't put the almond butter back in the right place where it belonged. So I went back and got it, and brought it back to the correct aisle. I put it back up on the shelf and bought some cheapy peanut butter instead. Not even Skippy. Not even the crunchy kind. And I had a double whammy savings: I saved about $5 because the almond butter was $7, and I saved about 30 cents on top of that because I didn't buy Skippy. Cool.

Thursday, September 12, 2002
Today I scored a free Diet Coke in a meeting. The meeting was in a conference room with a bunch of Diet Cokes and bottles of water in the middle of the table. I took a water and drank it during the meeting, and took a Diet Coke and put it in my purse for later. I love Diet Coke, but didn't want to drink it during the meeting because I get kinda CRAZY when I drink Diet Coke. The aspartame makes me act kind of like a whack job. Otherwise I always act totally sane.

Wednesday, September 11, 2002
Today I got lotioned up with my favorite new lotion: Palmer's Cocoa Butter. It's dirt cheap and it smells nummy like chocolate. Makes me want to eat my arm off. I get lots of compliments from the guys when I wear the cocoa buttter. I read that somewhere that guys like things that smell like home cooking, like vanilla and stuff. I'm really particular about the Palmer's though. Not all cocoa butter smells like the Palmer's. Palmer's is the best. Makes my skin soft too.

I used to use this pricey lotion by Fresh called Lychee that I got at Barneys. I wanted to eat my arm off when I wore that too. But it's really pricey so I can't buy it. Oh well. I'll survive.

Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Today I scored a free Quicken 2003 Deluxe computer financial program. The folks at Quicken sent it to me as their contribution to help me with my credit card problem. I don't know how much this puppy retails for, but I'm guessing it ain't cheap. So I saved LOADS of money today.

I can do all sorts of cool things with my new Quicken like figure out what my net worth is (-$5,000), keep track of my investments (um... I have none), make sure I'm on target with my retirement savings (um... have none again), and warn me when my bills are due (have a TON of those). The coolest thing is that I can even GRAPH these things so I can VISUALLY see how screwed up my financial situation is right now! Kick butt! Seriously, it's a very cool program. It has someting called a "Debt Reduction Planner", and I am sure I will get tons of use out of it...

Monday, September 9, 2002
Today I pet my kitty. It didn't necessarily help me save a buck or make a buck, but he is sweet and he deserves to be pet. I guess it kept me occupied for a good long while so I didn't think about spending any money. That's it. Yup. He helped me save money because he's so cute and has a fluffy belly.

Sunday, September 8, 2002
Today I went to Circuit City because I had a $25 gift card. I bought the new Sheryl Crow CD. I like that new "Soak Up the Sun" song. In the song she says, "It's not having what you want, it's wanting what you got." She also says, "I want to soak up the sun, I want to tell everyone to lighten up..." Ain't it the truth? Good song.

Anywho... as I was paying, the nice sales associate named Gavin told me that if I go to Circuit City's website and fill out an online survey about my shopping experience, I will get a chance to win $10,000! So I did. And I gave them all "10s" for the stellar customer service that they gave to me. I also did it because Gavin was nice and deserves a raise. I hope he gets one.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 11...
Saturday, September 7, 2002
Today I needed to clean my bedroom wood floor, but I didn't have any stuff to clean it with. Instead of buying new floor cleaner, I decided to use Windex because I have a big bottle of it under the sink. It worked. It's clean.

Friday, September 6, 2002
Tonight all my friends were going out, but I stayed home 'cuz I'm broke. My friend Mark also stayed home. So we both decided to rent "Crossroads" with Britney Spears and watch it at the same time and talk on the phone. It was fun. That guy in it is foxy. And that Britney did one fine job. I am not embarassed to say that I have all of her CDs.

Thursday, September 5, 2002
Tonight I scored a free beer from a guy I used to work with. The last time I saw him he bought me a bag of popcorn. Maybe I need to hang out with ths guy more frequently, because he seems to like to buy me things. He wears Elvis sunglasses. I like Elvis.

Wednesday, September 4, 2002
Today I scooped the kitty litter. It's really gross. I'm gonna be honest, I always buy the scoopy kind of litter, but when it comes down to actually scooping the "clumps", I just get grossed out and throw it all away. But today I scooped. I held my nose and I scooped. Then I poured in the same amount of new, fresh, clean litter. My cat is picky. I hope he thinks it's okay that I decided to scoop. I'll keep you posted. If I scooped all the time, I'd save a lot of money on kitty litter.

Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Today I saved $180. Cool. I received an email from some guy from www.chineselaundry.com, as in Chinese Laundry the shoe maker. They sell them at Bloomingdale's. He told me that I can pick out any two pairs of shoes that I like, and he will send them to me for FREE! Wow! I am so excited!

I chose to get two pairs of boots because I live in New York, and I am thinking ahead as to what I will need this fall and winter. Smart girl. I chose the Krunch boot in black leather and the Acrobat boot in Cognac leather. Those will carry me through winter! Because they are so nice, I encourage all of you to visit www.chineselaundry.com, and buy their shoes. They have a nice sale going on right now.

Monday, September 2, 2002
Tonight to celebrate Labor Day my roommate convinced me to eat out. We went to a French restaurant. I don't have any money, so I had to order from the appetizer menu. I ordered a beet salad. I like beets. I seem to be eating a lot of beets lately. The salad was $6. Since most of the entrees were about $17, I saved $11.

Sunday, September 1, 2002
Today I ate a can of beets for breakfast. I like beets. They were a low-sodium can of beets with no added salt. Salt makes you look bloated. I hate looking bloated. So I buy things that are low-sodium.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 10...
Saturday, August 31, 2002
Today I passed on a cute coat that my neighbor was selling. It was orange and had a furry collar. She was having a sidewalk sale and I tried it on and I really wanted it. By not buying the coat I saved myself $40. But if I did buy the coat, I would have saved $110, considering the coat was worth about $150. Maybe I made the wrong decision.

Friday, August 30, 2002
Today when I was in the shower I decided to lather, rinse and skip the repeat. If I did this every day, I'd literally cut my shampoo budget in half. But sometimes my hair doesn't feel clean after just one wash, so double-duty washing is necessary.

Thursday, August 29, 2002
It happened. Today I received my first credit card application since launching the site. I opened it up just to take a look. It was pretty. It was platinum. I sighed... then tore it up and threw it away. Are these people crazy? What are they thinking sending me an application? So by tearing up the application I saved LOADS of money. And LOADS of finance charges.

Wednesday, August 28, 2002
Today I decided to gamble. Someone sent me 2 scratch-off lottery tickets, and they were winners! I'm up $10 today! When I went to cash them in, I decided to buy one more. I chose the one called "Fat Cat" in honor of my skinny puking cat. I was going to scratch it off right at the store, but I decided to wait and do it at home so we could experience it together. So here goes...

There are two winning numbers: 1 and 2
There are 12 numbers with a prize underneath each number. If any of the number matches either of the winning number, I win the prize. So I'm scratching... 12, 14, 21, 3, 17, 4, 18, 6, 7, 19, 15, 8. Damn. So now I'm up $8 today.

Tuesday, August 27, 2002
Tonight I'm dog sitting for my neighbors. They have two big dogs, a doberman and wolf. I'm kind of frightened of the wolf dog. The doberman is a baby. I have to sleep there. I'm going to make $25. Cool.

Monday, August 26, 2002
Yesterday was my sister's birthday. I didn't buy her a present because I don't have any money. She understands. But I do need to send her a card, so today I was cleaning out a box in my closet and found a REALLY old birthday card that I can send. It has a cartoon on the front with a panda bear in a birthday gift box. It's SUPER OLD because I just would not buy a birthday card with a panda bear in a birthday gift box nowadays. But she's my sister and she understands.

Sunday, August 25, 2002
Today I suffered. I had a headache and no Tylenol. So I suffered with it. I tried drinking lots of water, because I hear that's supposed to help. But it didn't. I also tried rubbing my temples and between my eyes. That didn't help either. It still kind of hurts. Maybe it's allergies. I used to take that Allegra for allergies. But I don't have insurance anymore, so no more of that Allegra. By not buying the Tylenol, I saved myself a few bucks. I don't know how much and my head hurts, so I don't feel like figuring it out.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 9...
Friday & Saturday, August 23 & 24, 2002
Tonight I decided to meet some of my friends at a local corner pub for some drinks. Because I'm on a budget, I opted to drink tap beer. The tap beer at this place usually gives me a super bad headache the next day, and I try to avoid it, but you get more bang for your buck when you drink tap beer. So tap beer it was. It's cheaper than bottled beer and mixed drinks. Since I started drinking the tap beer Friday night, and kept drinking the tap beer into the wee hours of Saturday morning, I decided to count this Daily Buck as two Daily Bucks for both Friday and Saturday. Cheers.

Thursday, August 22, 2003
Today I went to Starbucks with a $3 coupon that someone sent me. I like Starbucks. Like some people are addicted to the rock, I am addicted to the bean. On the way there I found a dime on the ground, which put me 10 cents ahead from when I woke up. Once I got to Starbucks I ordered a Iced Grande Americano, which came to $2.36. I gave the woman my $3 coupon and got 64 cents back. I was now 74 cents ahead... But get this - on the way home I found a penny on the ground. Cool. So today I came out a whole 75 cents ahead, and scored a free Americano.

Wednesday, August 21, 2002
Today I broke down and ordered some much needed contact lenses. I called my eye doctor and he told me they were $30/box. I then did some exploring and found out that I can get the same contacts for $20/box at 1-800-CONTACTS' website. So I placed my order for four boxes, and saved myself $40. (See Sunday, August 11th's Daily Buck for the story behind the contacts)

Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Today I needed to get some cash out of the money mover, (aka the ATM.) Now, the most convenient place for me to do that would be at the corner store. But the corner store charges me $1.75 to use their money mover. It was a nice night, so I decided to walk 15 minutes to my bank and use their money mover instead for free. If I did this all the time, I'd save buttloads of fees. Buttloads.

Monday, August 19, 2002
Today I was making a salad, and realized that I didn't have any salad dressing, so I "borrowed" some of my roommate's salad dressing, instead of buying my own bottle. I saved about $3.

UPDATE: I bought my own salad dressing a few days later.

Sunday, August 18, 2002
Today I may or may not have returned a pair of worn pants to a store in SoHo. It may not be legal to return a pair of worn pants with re-attached tags and pass them off as unworn. So I have to be safe and not incriminate myself by admitting that I did it, so I might not have done it. If I did do it, I may have saved myself about $84. But I might not have done it and I might just be making it up.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 8...
Saturday, August 17, 2002
Today I bought some deli turkey that was on sale at my local grocery store for $2.99 a pound. I can make about four sandwiches with a pound of turkey. The corner deli charges me $3 a sandwich, so I figure I came out about $9 ahead. The turkey was really slippery and rubbery. It kind of stretched. But it was cheap and it filled me up.

Friday, August 16, 2002
Today I made some long distance calls from my friend's office phone. I was on for about 30 minutes, so I figure I saved about $3.

NOTE: My friend owns the company and said I could make the calls.

Thursday, August 15, 2002
Tonight I applied a really old self-tanner to give myself a bit of color. I really like Clarins, but I can't afford to buy a new bottle, so I am going to try the really old stuff. I do not like to sunbathe because I do not want to get wrinkles. You have to plan early for these types of things. I also do not smoke because I do not want wrinkles OR lung cancer. The self-tanner smells funny. I hope I don't turn orange.

Wednesday, August 14, 2002
Today I scored some free salmon from my neighbor. He was cooking dinner on the grill and said, "I have an extra piece of salmon if you want it." And I said, "Sure I'll take your salmon." So I ate the salmon. He had some rice too. It was fluffy. I figure I saved about $5.

Tuesday, August 13, 2002
Tonight I went out for drinks with a long lost friend who came to New York on business. You now what that means? EXPENSE ACCOUNT! Yup! We met at a swanky little place in the meatpacking district... and got to catch up & drink up for free! Expense accounts rock.

Monday, August 12, 2002
Today I killed a roach the size of a small child in my kitchen. I squashed him flat with an Allure magazine after the cat cornered him. That cat's got one good eye. It was really one of most horrifying things that has ever happened to me. That and the mouse I had this past winter. That little bugger ran right underneath my bed while I was sleeping. The cat cornered him too. He's both a mouser AND a roacher.

I'm not sure if you picked this up from ths website or anything... but I'm not the type of girl who is used to roaches and mice. But since moving to Brooklyn, I've have both. I figure that's what I have to put up with to compensate for the cheaper rent.

I'm not sure how killing the roach made me save or make a buck today. But I didn't call an exterminator, I got him myself. So I figure I saved a few bucks there.

Sunday, August 11, 2002
Today I decided to wear my disposable contacts for another week. I've been wearing the same pair for a month now, because I ran out and have to order new ones. I was going to order some new ones today, but I'm waiting for a check to clear and don't have any money. So another week with dry eyes I go... Yesterday I had a close call and dropped one on the bathroom floor. But I found it. They are kind of dry and I blink a lot when I wear them. People think I'm winking at them, but I'm not.

I know it would be cheaper if I just wore my glasses, but I get confused when I wear my glasses. Have you ever tried to grocery shop while wearing your glasses after you've been wearing contacts for a while? WOW! I feel like I'm on drugs! The perception is all funky, I drop things. I reach for the shelf, but just grab air. I usually end up leaving empty handed and frustrated. Trust me, New York definitely does not want me walking the streets with my glasses on. I'd bump into people, knock them down, and then that could start a riot... I NEED MY CONTACTS.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 7...
Saturday, August 10, 2002
Today I went to Starbucks. I know what you are thinking, I fell off the wagon. But I didn't. I had a coupon for a free frappucino courtesy of WKTU-FM in NY. The guy there sent me 4 of them. Thanks! I even treated my roommate to one for putting up with me during these meek times. Since it was around noon, I counted the frap as breakfast AND lunch, aka brunch. So I paid nothing AND saved myself an additional $8 for skipping the meals. Thanks! Rock on!

Friday, August 9, 2002
Because I can't afford a facial and I need one, I put tomato slices on my face. I heard they make a good face mask. But they burned, so I took them off and rinsed with cold water. I saved myself $100, but my face stayed really red for a while.

Thursday, August 8, 2002
Today I cancelled my gym membership. I owed them two months of past dues, so I haven't been able to go for the last two months anyway. By cancelling my membership, I am saving myself $65 a month. I can run outside instead.

Wednesday, August 7, 2002
Tonight I had a friend from out of town come visit. She stayed in a hotel. I went to visit her and took the mini shampoo and bath gel. She'll get more tomorrow. They smell nice.

Tuesday, August 6, 2002
Today I returned a pair of black pants that still had the tag on them to Banana Republic. I mean, how many pairs of black pants can one have? I have a million. I also had some left over money on an old Banana Republic gift certificate. So, I used both credits to buy a hot little number to wear to an important meeting today, and didn't spend one dime. Kick butt.

Monday, August 5, 2002
Today I gave myself a manicure. The quick-dry top coat was really old and kind of goopy, but I used it anyway. Now my nails are lumpy.

Sunday, August 4, 2002
Today I used some really gnarly shower gel that I got as a Christmas gift. I was out of soap, and found the gel under my sink, way in the back. It was way in the back for a reason.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 6...
Saturday, August 3, 2002
Today I did laundry. I went to the dollar store to get some more detergent and picked up some fabric softener while I was there. Got some toothpaste too. While at the laundromat, I started wondering why and how things end up at the dollar store. Is something wrong with them? I then realized that the fabric softener was in Spanish, and it didn't have one of those fancy "no drip" caps. It spilled all down the sides and all over my hands. It kinda sucked. Maybe that's why.

Friday, August 2, 2002
Today I got lost again on the train. I tend to "space out" and always miss my connections. I was on my way to see my psychic friend. She was having this party and I thought for sure there would be some free food there. But I got there late and the party was over. What a drag.

Thursday, August 1, 2002
Today I decided to NOT turn on the AC and therefore save money on my electric bill. Holy smokes is it hot! It's like 100 million degrees in New York. I just put on a tank and some shorts and drank lots of ice water. I figure it'll help me lose weight too.

Wednesday,July 31, 2002
I'm trying to get my life on track, so today I went to a grocery store that I recently bounced a check at to "make good on the money." I didn't bounce the check on purpose. When I wrote the check I actually had money in the account. But when the check got to my bank, that money was gone. Oops. I thought their bank would send the check through twice, like the phone company does when you bounce their checks. But they didn't, so I had to go and find out how to make good on the money.

While at the grocery store, I decided to partake in the free samples, and counted it as dinner. I had bread, olive oil, cheese, and a small piece of a deli sandwich. While at the deli counter, I asked if I could sample a few salads as well. I opted for the vegetable salads because aside from my neighbor's tomatoes, I haven't eaten any veges in a while. The salads were good, but I pretended that I didn't like them so I wouldn't have to buy any.

NOTE: I do not make a habit of bouncing checks. I do not owe anyone else any money anywhere for a bounced check. It was an accident.

Tuesday, July 30, 2002
I'd like to use today's Daily Buck to "make money." Talk about crummy timing... I lost my job on Friday. I was working freelance and the project I was working on came to an early end. I thought I was going to be working until THIS Friday and then move on to a new project. My how things change quickly...

So between yesterday and today, I called around and have four job leads. I hope to be back to work by Monday. So ALERT, ALERT!!! If anyone in New York is looking to hire an able-bodied bright young lady, please send me an e-mail. Here are my strong points: I like to write. I enjoy working with people. I'm creative AND detail-oriented. And look at it this way: If you hire me, maybe you'll get to see my purdy face...

UPDATE: I got a job a week later.

Monday, July 29, 2002
Today, with the help of Jennifer in Detroit, I saved myself $3.99 by reading the July 2002 issue of InStyle with Britney on the cover. Jennifer sent it to me FOR FREE, along with $5! I can't even explain how I feel! I feel rejuvenated, exhilarated- I FEEL SEXY! I also learned how to plan the perfect backyard party. And those tips are priceless! (See Friday, July 5th's Daily Buck for the story behind the magazine.)

Sunday, July 28, 2002
Today I happened to be roaming around in Manhattan because Claire, my trusty laptop, broke down last night. I'm devastated. So I took her to some guy named Steve to get her fixed.

While waiting for Steve to work his magic, I happened to walk by Saks Fifth Avenue. As I approached the store, I became nostalgic for days gone by, because I saw some girl exiting the store with ROCK-STAR SUNGLASSES and a fancy new GUCCI PURSE.

The OLD Karyn would have marched right into Saks to find out how much the purse was and figure which credit card had enough room left on it to handle the purchase. But the NEW Karyn kept her chin up, and turned away from the entrance without a second thought. By exerting that bit of self-control, I figure I saved myself about $600.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 5...
Saturday, July 27, 2002
Today I decided to go to my local Walgreen's to buy some more Oil of Olay face lotion because I can't afford the department store stuff anymore. As I was looking at the pretty pink bottle sitting on the shelf, I noticed a bottle of "Walgreen's Beauty Oil" right next to it for 1/2 the price. It said, "Compare the ingredients," which I did. They are the same thing! So I bought the Walgreen's Beauty Oil and saved myself $4!

Click below to buy some Oil of Olay. It's good stuff.
Oil of Olay


Friday, Jul 26, 2002
Tonight I scored on my neighbor's tomato plants. Just as I suspected, he was growing too many tomatos for one guy to eat, and brought some over. They were good. All you need is a little salt, and you got yourself a meal! (See Friday, July 12th's Daily Buck for the story behind the tomatoes.)

Thursday, July 25, 2002
Tonight I decided to explore the condiments in my fridge, and found some spray butter. I also found some soy cheese that's been hiding in the butter compartment for months now. To me, that equals grilled cheese. Kick butt.

I had to take the top off the butter and dab it on in spots around the bread because there wasn't a lot left. When I grilled the sandwich, only those spots turned brown. But the fake cheese melted really nice.

Wednesday, July 24, 2002
Today I fell off the wagon and ate Taco Bell and Hostess Cupcakes for lunch. I spent $7.

But I choose to look at it in a more positive manner. By giving into my temptation, I am giving myself something to write about in my journal for the PMS study. This entry alone will show the ladies who run the study that I have REALLY, REALLY bad PMS, rather than just REGULAR bad PMS. Once they realize this, they will no doubt accept me to study and I'll make $500.

So if you subtract my splurge today, I still come out $493 ahead. Oh, and I also got really cranky with the dude I work with. That's one more step toward PMS study acceptance. (See June 26th's Daily Buck for the story behind the PMS study.)

Tuesday, July 23, 2002
Today I ate dry toast for breakfast due to lack of butter and jam in the fridge. I got stuck on the way down and kind of made me "hiccup" a bit.

Monday, July 22, 2002
Today I stole the top off of some girl's water bottle at work because I lost mine. She's one of those girls who throws her bottle away when she's done, one of those girls I USED to be. Except she wears her sunglasses at her desk and I would never do that.

Because I stopped buying bottled water and have been refilling my bottle from the Brita, the top is really important. The top helps me get the water from home to work. The top helps me to not spill my water on every pedestrian on the train. Since I've been reusing this bottle for about two weeks, the top has saved me about $28. So I really needed the top. And I bet she didn't even notice hers was gone. (See Tuesday July 9th's Daily Buck for the story behind the Brita.)

Sunday, July 21, 2002
Today my roommate and I cleaned our apartment from the party we had last night. While cleaning, we found two unopened bottles of wine! Cha-Ching! I would usually count this as coming out about $40 ahead. But since I donated two bottles to the party, I technically broke even.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 4...
Saturday, July 20, 2002
Today the lights went out in Manhattan. There was a power outage, and half the island lost its electricity. So my roommate and I decided to party in Brooklyn at our place, and invited friends over.

I didn't have any money to put toward the party, so I donated a bottle of champagne and some wine that I got as a gift last year. The party started at 9 and people poured in with more drinks in tow.

Bottom line is this: just because you're poor doesn't mean you can't have fun. All you need are sexy people, good music and nice lighting. Those things are free (if you're friends with sexy people that is...)

Friday, July 19, 2002
Tonight it was raining, so I took a different train home because it was closer to work and I didn't have umbrella. I missed my transfer because I wasn't paying attention and got lost. I so badly wanted to run upstairs from the station and hail a cab to take me home, but that would have cost me money. So instead, I figured it out, transfered four times, and got home an hour later. Patience is a virtue. I'm learning that more and more every day.

Thursday, July 18, 2002
Tonight I went out for drinks with "Nice Guy But Not My Type." NGBNMT is really nice, like me. But he's not my type. I went out with him for drinks because I knew he'd take me to a place that served food and I'm hungry. So I had some nice conversation, scored a bit of liquor AND some grub. That was nice. ATTENTION: NGBNMT IS AWARE THAT HE IS NOT MY TYPE. I'M NOT LEADING HIM ON.

Wednesday, July 17, 2002
Today my minidisc player ran out of batteries on the train on the way to work. Since I don't have any money for new batteries, I sat there and stared at the man accross from me. I saved myself about $2, but have really started to wonder why men jam themselves into pants that are too small and then sit with their legs wide open on the train.

Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Tonight I went to the grocery store and bought a box of macaroni & cheese. It was 99 cents. It wasn't Kraft. As I was paying, the lady handed me one of those foot-long coupons that they always give you nowadays, and I won a free turkey! I seriosuly won a 13-pound free turkey, which retails for $15.47! Holy smokes! 3 bucks 'til Friday and I win a free turkey! I don't know how to cook a turkey, but this I'm guessing this puppy's going to feed me for weeks.

Monday, July 15, 2002
I only have $3 til Friday, so today I ate a half a bag of stale Baked Tostitos and some old bread and butter pickles. I ate tostitos for breakfast, tostitos for lunch, and tostitos for dinner, followed by the pickles.

Sunday, July 14, 2002
Let's be honest here... gnarly feet suck. And no matter how poor you may be, there is no excuse for gnarly feet. Especially in sandal season, when not only you, but everyone has to look at your feet. So, today I decided to give myself an at-home pedicure. I soaked, scrubbed and moisturized. I trimmed, filed and painted. And Voila! Purdy feet. I did it for myself, I did it for my co-workers, I did it for the strangers on the train. AND I saved about $30.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 3...
Saturday, July 13, 2002
Today I was digging through my closet pulling out stuff to sell on eBay, and I came accross an old laundry card. You know, one of those things that you put money on to do your laundry. So I marched down to the laundrymat, and checked the balance and I had $3.25 on it still! AND the card is worth $2 if I turn it in, so I just scored $5.25 today!

Friday, July 12, 2002
Tonight I decided to talk to my neighbors tomato plants to help them grow more quickly. He's got like 10 of them, and he isn't going to be able to eat all those tomatoes. So I figure if I talk to them and he sees me, and then the tomatoes grow more quickly and get really, really big, he'll give me some for free. It was an investment.

Thursday, July 11, 2002
Tonight the dude that I stole the apple from (See Tuesday July 2nd's Daily Buck) bought me a beer after work. Because it wasn't a lite beer, I decided to count it as dinner, therefore saving myself about 4 bucks. AND, since I got the $5 beer for FREE, I'm really coming out nine whole dollars ahead!

Wednesday, July 10, 2002
Today I bought my cat Friskies. If you don't already know about my cat, he has a problem digesting his food and frequently barfs on my sheets (See Wednesday July 3rd's Daily Buck). Like, we're talking daily here... So anyway, I have been buying him "Science Diet for the Sensitive Stomach" and he seems to have improved a bit. Recently he's been only barfing once a week or so. But it's really pricey. And he's just as happy when he eats Friskies. I've taken him to the vet and they always tell me he's fine - he just likes to barf. So, oh well. Back to Friskies we go. He eats it back up anyway after he reguritates it, so it's not like I have to buy twice the amount.

UPDATE: Someone sent me a huge bag of the good stuff, so I'm back to the Science Diet.

Tuesday, July 9, 2002
Today I drank water from the Brita. I'm gonna be honest here. I'm afraid of tap water because of the whole anthrax and chemical warfare thing. Not because I'm too good for tap water - it wasn't anything like that. And because I live in New York and everyone was freaked out after the 11th because of what it could have done to the water supply. I haven't exactly gotten over that fear. It's kind of like a phobia.

So my roommate has one of those "clean your water" Brita things in the fridge, but I don't really think it works. It always has crud in it. Even when you clean it, there is still stuff floating in the water. It's kind of creepy.

Anyway, I was really thirsty and I just came to the realization that I have to stop buying bottled water and I drank the Brita for the first time. And I'm okay. I really jumped over a hurdle today by doing that. I used to buy about 3 jugs per week, so that's a savings of about $4 a week!

UPDATE: I've grown to like the Brita.

Click below to buy your own...
Brita Water Filtration Dispenser


Monday, July 8, 2002
Today I turned down an invitation to go to Bryant Park for a FREE movie. I know the movie was free, but I didn't go because my friends will probably have food and drinks, and I don't want to be the "cheap" friend who goes and eats all their food and drinks all their drinks and doesn't give any money.

Sunday, July 7, 2002
Today I needed to do laundry, but I'm out of detergent. That can be quite pricey. That is unless you've discovered THE DOLLAR STORE!!!!! Oh my gosh! What an emporium! Everything in the whole store is just $1. One buck. Seems appropriate that I talk about it in my "Daily Buck" column. And you don't need to go anywhere else. They have everything! Shampoo, toilet paper (pretty decent quality too - doesn't scratch your booty), mops, even food! It's truly amazing.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 2...
Saturday, July 6, 2002
Today I colored my own hair. Don't tell anyone, but I'm not a real blond.... shh!!! I've been getting my hair colored since I was in grade school. The myth is true - gentlemen DO prefer blonds... At least for me anyway. I bought a bottle of Loreal Preference. At $8, it's a bargain. And Allure magazine told me that it was the same stuff that the salons use. Getting your hair colored at a salon is pretty expensive- a color and highlight will run you about $150. So I figure I saved $142.

UPDATE: I'm still coloring my own hair even after my debt is paid off.

Click below to buy some Loreal...
Loreal Preference Hair Color


Friday, July 5, 2002
Let me just say that I LOVE magazines. There's nothing quite like a new fresh Bazaar to enjoy on your train ride home from work. However, magazines can be quite expensive. And they are NOT something that should be purchased if you are watching your budget. These last few weeks have been difficult for me. There's a new InStyle with Britney on the cover... a new Allure... too many to name. So tonight, I went to my local bookstore, plopped down in the corner, and read all of my favorite magazines for free. The more I read, the more money I saved. I even read the pricey European ones with the extra thick, glossy pages. Those are like $8. Fashion magaiznes are like therapy. They make me want to be a better person.

Thursday, July 4, 2002
Happy Fourth of July! Today I listed a bunch of my crap on eBay. Not just "Big Ticket Items", but a bunch of smaller things too. You'd be surprised how much people want the small stuff too. They just sit in my closet and collect dust. So I am gonna try to make a buck on them. Check 'em out.

Wednesday, July 3, 2002
Today my cat barfed on my new sheets. (See Saturday, June 29th's Daily Buck to understand the story of ther sheets.) I'm not gonna get new sheets again, because cat barf comes out of sheets. I can't afford the $3 to wash them because I don't get apid until Friday, so I just clened 'em up real good with some woolite. No one will ever notice.

Tuesday, July 2, 2002
Today I ate a co-workers apple. I saw it sitting on their desk at work for a couple of days now. It was going to go bad! If they ask where their apple went, I'll just tell them that I bet the cleaning man threw it away because he doesn't want mice in the building. UPDATE: I fessed up to eating the apple on Wednesday. The person really didn't seem to care. And I bought them an apple of my own on Friday, but once again, they didn't eat that apple either. So I brought it back home and ate it Saturday. I'M NOT A THIEF!

Monday, July 1, 2002
Today I drank some really bad instant coffee that I found in the back of a random cabinet at work. I mean it was REALLY REALLY bad... Not just your average run of the mill bad, but REALLY REALLY bad. You really have no idea. I figure I saved at least 3 bucks. It was BAD bad.

Sunday, June 30, 2002
Today I really needed to do laundry, but I didn't have enough money. So I washed some t-shirts in the tub, and hung them to dry. You gotta do what you gotta do.


BUCKS FROM WEEK 1...
Saturday, June 29, 2002
My cat peed on my bed last night. Fucker. Don't know why. I'm going to have a talk with him later. I needed new sheets because you know how cat pee smells. So I took a shirt that my mom bought me that I never wore and returned it to the store that she bought it at and exchanged it for some new sheets. Sheets can be expensive...

Friday, June 28, 2002
Today I answered ads that I saw in the wanted section on Craigslist. Some guy was looking for a fake Rolex. He collects them. I just happened to have one fake Rolex, and two fake Cartiers. He is going to take them all, and pay me $50!

UPDATE: He only bought one watch for $25.

Thursday, June 27, 2002
Tonight all my friends went out and invited me, but I passed on the offer. I can't afford it.

Wednesday, June 26, 2002
Today I called about an ad that I saw on a website looking for volunteers to partcipate in a PMS study. I left a message. If they approve me, I can make $500 AND I'll get a free exam. Since I don't have health insurance, the free exam would save me around $200! So technically, if they accept me, I'll come out $700 ahead!

UPDATE: I didn't get accepted to the PMS study because my PMS "wasn't that bad" they said. That's a bunch of crap.

Tuesday, June 25, 2002
Today I was so poor that I bought a turkey sandwich on bread with mustard and ate half of it for lunch and half of it for dinner. I was hungry, but I could stand to lose a few pounds. Maybe I could be a supermodel.

UPDATE: I'm still not a supermodel.

Monday, June 24, 2002
Today I entered a contest in the NY Post to win a motorcycle. I don't know how to drive a motorcycle. But I figure if I win it I'll sell and use the cash to help pay off my debt. I'll let you know how it turns out.

UPDATE: I didn't win the motorcycle.

Sunday, June 23, 2002
Today I had a sidewalk sale. I only made $4. I sold mostly crap. I seem to have a lot of crap. It's the kind of crap that I had to have when I saw it in the store. Anyway, at the last minute some guy swooped in and bought a planter I had for $10. So I really made $14.