Money Smart Week 3

I think I'm going to make Money Smart Week a regular feature.  Naturally, I love patting myself on the back for doing well with my money, but it's also a great way to set the tone for the upcoming week.  So far, the month of May has been one of my best for savings.  Of course, a lot of that is due to the fact that I have an extra paycheck this month, but I've also been remarkably restrained with purchasing things.

• I had four no-spend days this week.  I don't really get too hung up on how many no-spend days I can get in a week, because sometimes you just need to buy things.  This week, I didn't need to buy much.  We're stocked up on groceries, and the only socializing I did this week was to go to friends' house and eat their food and drink their booze, so free to me!
• Brought in cans for redemption.  Massachusetts allows you to bring your cans back to a redemption center and get $.05 apiece.  We usually stock up cans and make trip every once in a while (not often enough).  On Friday, I filled up my car, and bought those things in, then I bought some gin and other liquor cabinet staples for a lot less.
• I haven't bought any clothes this month.  I made a payment on my Old Navy card, so mint.com is showing that I spent $50 on clothes, but I actually have not made any clothing purchases in the month of May.  For those who have been reading this blog for a while, you'll know that this is HUGE.  I set  budget of $200 for clothes each month, and I always go over it.  I don' think I've ever not gone over it in the history of my budgeting.  Maybe it's the change of seasons and rediscovering clothes I haven't worn in a while, maybe it's creating that emergency fund that I'm not supposed to touch which forced me to realize how pathetic my savings balance is; maybe it's that saving for my upcoming vacation(s) is more fun that clothes shopping--who knows.  Either way, I'm pretty stoked.
• Biking!  The weather has calmed back down and is perfect for biking!  Thursdays, I usually have to drive to work because I have a 20 minute commute to job #2, but this Thursday, the weather was so nice, that I just had to bike even if it made me a scootch late.  It has been 75 degrees, sunny and clear and I love it!
• Presentation!  This really has very little to do with personal finance, but I'm presenting a poster at a conference at the end of the month.  I was putting it off and putting it off, but then I just ripped the band-aid off and got it done.  Now, I keep panicking thinking that I still need to do it, but then calm down when I remember that it's finished.  How the hell did I make it through ten years of college and grad school?!?!  I feel like a total spaz about this.

How was your week?