Just a week after moving in, I am starting to make little adjustments and make note of key things — like the fact that I need to hoard loonies for laundry and that I should remember to take my backpack if I grocery shop by bus. On the plus side, bus to/from work is now 20 minutes door to door — about half what it was from the house (mainly because I am now on multiple direct routes to campus).
I’m also aware that I have way too many clothes. I kind of knew this already but had been in denial. Now that I am trying to make everything fit, it’s painfully obvious as I have run out of clothes hangers and drawer space! I will grab a WIN donation bag next time I am in town and until then, start putting aside those items I can part with.
After rediscovering my favourite green glass bowls from storage, I have rearranged the kitchen cupboards to both accommodate those and also to have better access to the regular-use dishes (plates are lower down now, and the low-use teacups are up above). I went to the Esquimalt Garage Sale today and was very judicious in my purchases: I managed to spend just $5 and got a small pyrex glass dish, a kitchen scale, and a silicone baking mat. New, those items would have cost about $30.
I’ve managed to set up most of the tech — except the surround sound system — and I have curtains on the living room windows, which should help with the drafts in the evening. I definitely need to pick up shelving soon, so I can unpack most of what remains and put it where it belongs! That said, the place is basically functional at this point.
I am trying to keep to a budget, but I have no idea what a reasonable portion for food costs really looks like. For now, I am just tracking what I buy– I’ll do that for a few months to see what an average month looks like. Of course this month there are added costs for things like Kiddo’s futon, shelving, additional power bars, and the few other things I’ve had to buy to round out what I needed. Foodwise, I took a fair bit from the house, at Shawn’s urging, and Tina brought by some prepped foods as part of our housewarming gift (thank you!), which got us through the week as far as lunches and a couple of evening meals. This means I’ve only bought a few groceries to fill in the gaps, but now it is time to get back to meal plans!