Fri Jul 8 - Guess what? Guess what?! We got the apartment! We got the apartment! Mel called me late last night while I was leaving the shire meeting, with the "unofficial approval" but I didn't want to jinx anything by announcing we'd gotten it. But today at work I got the official phone call from the gals in the Manager's office. So tomorrow morning we're meeting the manager to sign the lease and sort out all the details. They're starting the lease on the 15th for us, and then *whooppeee!* we have a new apartment!

It's payday, and so it's my big day to pay bills and balance my checkbook every two weeks. I hate when I go through cycles of being responsible versus letting things slide, and so when I *do* find something that works, I start treating it like it's a hard and fast rule in my life. For example, everyone has to do laundry. Trying to fit laundry into my weekend never works, but after work on a Monday fits neatly. If I can't get out on Monday nights, Wednesday is a good substitute.

The same with paying bills and balancing my checkbook: since I get paid on every other Friday, I just sit down on that Friday and pay everything for the next two weeks, chart out which bills go on which paychecks for the next 4-6 weeks, and put it all away neatly again. It's really helped me keep up on every penny, and not have any financial stress anymore. Have I mentioned lately how much I love my job?? *grin*

And so that's my really exciting Friday night. Hmm. I need to redefine "exciting," don't you think?