We used our incentive check to pay down the homeowner's line of credit that we have for emergencies -- such as my being out of work for six months.

Part of it also went to pay the mortgage that month.

I am now working as an optech-trainee at Sears Optical at Fox Run Mall. A friend asked if I was tempted to spend money by being in the mall all day. No way! The only items in the mall that I'm tempted by (and succumb) are necessities of life purchased at CVS so I don't have to stop at another drugstore on the way home. There is absolutely nothing else sold at the mall that I'm even the slightest bit tempted by, at least not at retail prices. I'm just totally amazed that people spend that much money on such ...crap. (I was looking for another word, but that's the only one that seems appropriate. Okay, the books at J. Dalton aren't crap, but I really try not to pay retail even for books -- there's the library sale, yardsales, thrift shops, etc. for most of my reading needs.

My wardrobe and most of our household items come from yardsales, thrift shops, etcet etcet. Less stuff in the landfills and more money for me to do silly things like eat, pay the mortgage and utilities, heat the house this winter (omagawd, I don't even want to think about it) and put gas in the car to get me to the lowpaying job which enables me to put gas in the car...

Sorry. I'm a bit depressed about finances right now.

"I bought my wife a brand new bread knife, hollow ground, hollow ground." -- Kipper Family

Linn