生活在多伦多可以得到expensive; it’s consistently ranked as one of the cities with the highest cost of living in Canada (今年排名第二）。
在酒吧和餐馆的无法承受的住房和昂贵的食品和饮料之间，保持预算可能很困难。而且，作为最近几年来第一次独自搬出的人，我对这个真理有了新的重新认识。
因此，当TFD向这项挑战发出呼吁时，我知道这是再次节俭并推动自己减少一些可酌情支出的绝佳机会。
Author’s Note:Before this weekend, I had already done a very small grocery shopping, so my fridge and pantry were decently stocked to begin with. Also, I had already paid my rent for the month, which is all-inclusive of utilities, so no major bills came up during this time. Lastly, each day, I vaped my医用大麻, which genuinely brings me some joy (and relief), and had already been purchased as part of my monthly budget.
星期五
支出挑战始于周五，当我为周末分配预算时，我做出了一个故意的选择，使第一天无限期。这样，我可以在星期六和周日花更多的钱，以使他们更有趣。
另外，我在周一至周五的时间表中在家工作，所以我知道我一天中的大部分时间都会被占领，而不愿花在其他事情上。
我的一个很大的弱点是订购外卖（这是千禧一代的陈词滥调，但对我来说是真的！）。当我有很多工作要做，而且我感到疲倦时，我的即时反射是从当地的星巴克订购一大杯冷啤酒，以使我继续前进。
So, one thing I’ve been making a point of — even before this challenge — is to actively combat that urge. (There’s nothing wrong with ordering coffee on the regular, but I know that I need to be putting more money towards my bills now, so it’s a consideration.)
我这样做的方式是故意在一家高端的杂货店购物（与我以前最便宜的折扣超市相反），因为我知道他们在大型纸箱中出售了非常好的冷啤酒。
然后，我将其纳入我的杂货预算中。It’s much cheaper for me to buy two large cartons to have on hand in my fridge (at approx. $4.99 CAD per carton) than to buy Starbucks delivery multiple times during the week, complete with snacks, service charges, delivery fees, and driver tips.
It may seem like a small thing, but I notice it’s helped me keep my takeout spending low, and I still get to enjoy the simple pleasure of a really nice cup of coffee.
So, here’s my at-home version for Friday AM:
- Cold-brew with some oat milk in a reusable cup.
- 费用：当天$ 0（用于我的每周杂货预算）。
这使我整天都为我提供了动力，下班后，我做了我最喜欢的（免费）大流行活动：去附近散步。正如我提到的那样，我最近搬到了一个新区域，所以在街区散步实际上是很新颖的！
我有一个不错的阳光漫步，然后我做了其他一些最喜欢的免费活动：在家冥想和练习瑜伽（使用YouTube视频；大喊大叫Yoga With Adriene）。I also chatted with my folks on the phone and watched some TV before bed.
每日总支出：$ 0
周六
For Saturday, I planned on spending a little bit of money here and there. To start, I walked to the bank to run an errand and stopped at a local bakery to get a coffee and snack. It was a lovely treat, and I was able to discover some new neighborhood spots just by walking around.
- 冰咖啡和羊角面包。
- 费用：总计6.75美元。
我还计划洗一些衣物，但决定第二天离开。因此，我还有一些额外的钱。
为了不花钱而忙碌，我在YouTube上观看了一些美容视频，听了直观的饮食播客，然后再次在电话上聊天。晚餐时，我提出了在冰箱变坏之前在冰箱里消耗一些食物。
每日总支出：$ 6.75 cad
有关的
Sunday
星期日是我清洁的一天，我有一个例行的工作，在开始之前总是订购一些早餐。这是一种有趣的享受，使我有动力完成琐事。我知道这将是我周末最大的成本，因此我确保我分配了足够的习惯。
Cold brew, cookie, and breakfast sandwich (not pictured).
费用（带有交货费，提示，税收等）：$ 18.98加仑。
我当天唯一的其他费用是在做我（硬币）洗衣店。
一载洗衣店。
费用：$ 7 cad。
除此之外，我还深深地清洗了我的公寓，听了另一个直观的饮食播客，与家人进行了视频通话，并更新了我的简历 - 所有免费活动。我还度过了大部分早晨睡觉和闲逛，值得庆幸的是，这也不花任何钱！
每日总支出：$ 25.98 CAD
***
预算细分the Daily Pocket app：
- $ 25.73 CAD（78％）的食品和餐饮。
- 洗衣店的$ 7 cad（21％）。
Total Weekly Spending: $32.73 CAD (under budget!)
As you can see, I’m not much of a home cook. But I also don’t really spend much on anything else like clothes, accessories, or shoes. I don’t drink alcohol either, which used to take up a lot of my weekend budget. So, the only real treat I allow myself these days is some takeout.
And I’m still very much getting settled in my new apartment, so this weekend mainly involved walking around my neighborhood and taking care of my place. It was pretty low-key, so it didn’t take too much effort to stay on budget.
上周在社交活动上也很沉重，所以我并没有真正觉得这个周末有很多计划。如果我做过有计划，我可能会跳过周日早上的外卖，而是在露台约会上花了这笔钱。而且，根据我的去向，我可能需要为一些公共汽车票价预算6.50美元（因为我不开车）。
Overall, I enjoyed the practice of challenging myself to spend less — it helped me be more mindful of my “fun” spending. I’d definitely do it again!
梅赛德斯·基林（Mercedes Killeen）是多伦多的自由职业者和编辑。您可以了解有关她的工作的更多信息，并在Mercedeskilleen.com。
图像通过Unplash
