hey everyone

I know i promised more potential barriers to 30 being cool but since several of you pointed out that my last post was more "suicidy" than usual i decided to just drop it
For the record I am not suicidal and in fact looking forward to turning 30 as a new era in my life and am specifically excited about venturing into my thirties with a new sense of. OWWW I AM CHOKING ON THESE WORDS!!!! I AM NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO TURNING 30 NOT AT ALL
30 CAN KISS MY ASS

Im done

one of the things that I was hoping to accomplish some time before I turn 30 is to get my finances in order. Mostly this is just because people who have thier finances in order seem happier somehow but also because the federal and provincial goverement have decided (in conjunction with CIBC) that it is time for me to resume student loan payments. I am dying to be outraged by this but it actually seems pretty fair. This means that I am now faced with the dual burden of making monthly student loan payments and also saving enough money to buy and I-POD and/or go to cuba. Ok so with this in mind lets take a look at my day yesterday and see if we cant find a way to possibly trim a couple of dollars here or there which could then in turn be used to purchase an I-POD. I will call these trimed dollars I-Dollars.

1:00 pm: GOOD MORNING WORLD Thankyou DANA CRAIG and the staff at TEDS COLLISION for making sure that I am mildly hungover. a big no-thankyou to whoever does the ordering at teds for allowing them to run out of giant 50 bottles.

2:30 pm: i have had a bowl of cereal and an apple and a protien shake and also watched yesterdays NBA highlights. This is partially for entertainment but I also am researching basketball moves to apply to dennis at tonights run.

3:00 pm: i dont know if you are keeping track but the day is well over half done and I have not spent a cent, this is about to change as I spend $2 at the internet cafe checking my email

TALLY: -$2

3:30 PM: At Danas recomendation i am at aunties and uncles on college for brunch. I am apparently the last person in the city to eat here. I eat in restaurants by myself all the time (not just on valentines day) and in fact the lack of distractions from my cheesy eggs is very welcome. My breakfast + juice is $12 plus $5 grat makes Aunties and Uncles a delicous bargain at $17

TALLY: -$19

4:15 PM: Also at Danas recomendation I am at American Apparal on college. it is an understatment to call this store bright and it is kind of a wierd contrast between the sterile store inviroment and thier somewhat creepy/sexy posters (the ones that are also on the back of now mag) The sales person is really enthusiastic and her contemporary is kind of cute so I buy a t-shirt even though it fits a little big. this cost $21 with tax

TALLY: -$40

4:45 PM: I am walking around Kensington Market for the third time this week. My friend Lucia sells me a velour shirt and some sunglasses for $20. Worn in combination these items make me look 8 years older. I hang out there for an hour or so trying to teach Lucia's Japenese friend basketball tricks.

TALLY: -$60

6:30 PM $3 cofee at starbucks because i would hate to be under energized for basketball

Tally: -$63

6:45 PM: Basketball Time
I score a cafiene-fuelled orgy of fast break points but the man I am gaurding really lights it up from behind the line so it is kind of a wash. basketball cost $10

TALLY: -$73

9:30 PM: i walk home from ball so that saves money and also I have cereal and protien shake for dinner to that is more I-money

11:30 PM subway to duke $2 (rounding down from $2.25

TALLY: -$75

11:45 PM: we have a pretty good crowd at the duke I cant stomach beer because I have not fully recovered from basketball and starbucks. I do manage to stomach two delicios pints of tenents at $7 each plus $2 each tips for a total or $18

Tally: -$88

12:50 PM: everone else has a real job so in thier absence i wander across to the bedford to hang out with my buddy rob. The kitchen staff from one of out neighbouring restaurants is pretty coked up even by thier standards. also the paintjob guy from "pimp my ride" is there. (he was also sitting right behind us at the duke but we werent sure if it was him, he spent most of the time talking about how he can kick tons of ass even though he is only 130 pounds) I am feeling a bit better now and manage to squeez in 3 pints of beer at $24 each total

Tally: -$112


HMMMMMM in retrospect what seemed like a pretty benign day was actually kind of expensive. This is not the kind of saving that is going to land me a kick-ass I pod let alone send me to cuba in march. The good news is that we should be able to easily trim some cash from this kind of nothing day in the future. In fact if I had just stayed in bed crying all day like I wanted too I would be half way to a I-Shuffle right now or 1/10th of the way to Cuba (virginia).
Please forward me your financial tips to lukepettigrew@yahoo.ca*#**

*girls "paying me to make out with you" is more of a propasition than a financial tip
#Also I indefinitly refuse to get a real job
**anyone suggesting "drink less" as a financial tip or any variation of can keep thier "captain bring-down" financial tips to themselves