Spending Fast: Day Nineteen

 
(Photo Credit) 

I attended my aunt's funeral on Wednesday, only to be stuck over one hundred miles from home because I got a nail in the sidewall of my tire. (No, I don't know how I did it either.) Thankfully, my father is an auto mechanic and was able to order me a tire replacement, but said it wouldn't arrive until the next morning.

The bonus about this was that I'd get an awesome home-cooked meal from my mom and catch up on some much-needed sleep by turning in early. The bad news was that I'd be pressed for time to get to my CT scan appointment the next morning, nearly two hours away. I got the tire replacement, an oil change, new spark plugs, and cool contour windshield wipers. I consider them a lovely gift from my dad, since I did not approve for nor ask for these other modifications to my car. =)

$46 in gasoline later, I was sitting in my hospital pajama pants waiting to have my bone scan. I received the equivalent radiation of thirty chest x-rays in a matter of moments, and was sent on my way. Now I have to await a follow-up appointment with the surgeon to determine how extensive the surgery will need to be.

I also polished off the last of my medical deductible with a nasty $630 bill for my MRI visit. From here on out, all expenses will be covered by my insurance, as long as the medical provider is approved by my coverage (and it will be, because I always check ahead of time). Paying that bill was deflating both to my bank account and my stress, because now I know it's over. I got the lump sum done and out of the way... and I was able to do so because I hadn't been spending money on anything else.

This month's additional expenses now include (so far):

• Medical bills
• Emergency vet visit
• One tank of gasoline

I have still not needed to go grocery shopping. I just ran out of milk and peanut butter, and my giant bag of homemade trail mix is winding down. I still have a few eggs remaining, along with some strawberry jam I made using a friend's amazing recipe. I even made orange juice from a can of that weird frozen gunk that has been living in my freezer for who knows how long. Breakfast is still on, everybody!

Last night I made caramelized onion and mushroom risotto, which will provide leftovers for a few days. I wanted to use up the last of the mushrooms as not to waste them. I also recently made pizza using random ingredients as toppings: leftover pepperoni, roasted red peppers from a jar, sliced black olives, mushrooms, and garlic. I even made a really lame snack out of tortilla chips with shredded cheese and taco seasoning. I put them in the microwave to heat them, and called them Sad Nachos, because that's what they were.

Still to come: Spending time without having to spend money.