Headline: Allie single-handedly saves newspaper business through subscription

I am trying to think of an Office-esque ridiculously long subhead to go with that spectacular (and totally realistic) headline. But seriously, I did purchase a subscription to the local newspaper today when I went to get groceries at HEB. A woman outside the door was selling subscriptions, and I figured that, since I'm new to the area and will now be a not-college-student resident of this town, I might as well get to know what's going on in it. Plus, the woman promised me a $30 HEB gift card (and it turns out it costs a lot to cook things for yourself and a 22-year-old male when he comes over for dinner). I accepted, immediately spent my $30, and now cannot be blamed for the demise of the industry. Plus, I was flipping through the paper this afternoon, and I am very pleased with the way my $11 went, because it looks like a very good paper.

I feel like I've spent a lot of money since moving. (This may be relative, since I spent the last four years clinging tightly to every penny that came my way.) I am cheap, but I keep having to buy things, some of which end up being a waste. For example, today I bought Hercules Hooks. I bought them to hang my curtains, because supposedly the wall is too shallow to hold the screws that came with the curtains. I didn't think about how the Hercules Hooks work prior to buying them (the wall can't be that shallow), so now I have Hercules Hooks and nothing to use them on. Goodbye $15. If anyone would like to buy them from me, I would be more than happy to pass them off to someone who might use them. PLUS I'll throw in the laser light level thing that came with them ABSOLUTELY FREE!!!

I also finally bought a kitchen table. No chairs, just the table. One day at a time. It's one of those little folding tables that's padded on top to make it look a little fancier, and I think I will use some of the leftover cloth from reupholstering my chair as a tablecloth to hide the metal. My mom has promised to lend me some folding chairs to go with it (until I decide to buy the Real Thing), but she doesn't know when she's coming to visit. At least the table is light enough that I can always move it to in front of the couch, because it turns out balancing plates on your lap on the couch and trying to cut things is a good way to slop food everywhere.

After all this buying, I decided that I am NOT going to spend any more money. So I went to get the mail, and got an invoice from a magazine I subscribed to last month, demanding I pay them.

Other things of note: I love coupons, but need to remember to use them. Target has wine bottles with really cute labels.