Flours and Diamonds

5:47am -- Because I am CRAZY, I wake up at 5:20am every Saturday morning to work a 6am-10am air shift at my radio station. The saving grace in this is that I don't have to get ready. I go to the bathroom, rinse my face with cool water, get dressed, grab some breakfast, and head out the door. I consider a quick Starbucks order, but skip the coffee this morning... sometimes it hypes me up too much and I talk too fast on the air... oops! Today I pack a GF bagel with cream cheese, pear, and apple sauce for breakfast. I have to be careful what time I eat because otherwise I will be starving by the time I get off at 10am. 8:03am -- I have eaten my bagel and apple sauce. I am eyeing my pear, but making myself have restraint. During the election on Tuesday night I needed a distraction... A local news station posted a live Facebook video of puppies at the Oakland Animal Shelter. They showcased a 5 month old blue nose pit bull named Lincoln (my husband's favorite historical figure). No

7:16am -- I woke up at my normal time, 6:30am, and went about my routine, but a bit different. I go to the bathroom and have my shower, but sit in the living room and watch the news for a while because my husband is still in bed since he has the day off. My on-air boss texts me about my shift for Thanksgiving weekend and we negotiate whether I need time off to go down to Oceanside to potentially meet our new niece (if she makes her debut early). We come to an amicable agreement and she compliments me about my presence on-air. It gives me a little validation that I didn't totally know I needed. 8:53am -- I skipped my regular breakfast at home, so I choked down a protein bar at the office. I decide I need coffee so I venture to the kitchen to make an iced mocha to find that someone has used the rest of the creamer I brought in last week... I use powdered cream and just deal with it. As I walk back to my office I catch one of my bosses in the hallway and we start chatting and joking

6:23am -- Mornings like today get me a little off track. I get up early and do the regular routine because I have to pause around 7:30am to call in to my radio station for a segment I do every week called "Foodapedia". I chat with the morning show hosts about food and showcase a recipe. This morning I'm asked about bell peppers. I hate bell peppers most ways. So I text my momma for the info on roasting peppers and cooking them down with tomatoes. It makes my mouth water, but I wait until later to have breakfast. 7:41am -- After my call-in, I pour myself some Honey Nut Cheerios and start typing out the recipe for roasted red peppers, and the time gets away from me. I decide I want Starbucks since I found I have money on my gold card. So I stop with the recipe and finish getting ready. I still have to put my makeup on, fix my hair, and get dressed. 8:37am -- I should have ordered my coffee via the Starbucks app before I left the house, but I forgot. So I have to wait in

Day 2 5:47am -- My husband left with out turning off his alarm. Since I'm unfamiliar with the clock he uses, I have to turn the light on and get out of bed to turn it off. After the election results last night, I only got about 5 hours of sleep - and there's no way I'm going back to bed now. I force myself to stay off Facebook. I can't handle the extreme sadness and disappointment, let alone the few gloaters I encountered, right now. Instead, I briefly look on Amazon for Christmas gifts for my nephew before deciding I need to buy myself a present: a "Make America Kind Again" tote bag on Etsy; and in the moment, it makes me feel better... $20.35 7:23am -- Looks like I WAS going back to sleep after the alarm debacle. I slipped off to sleep while watching a feel-good movie (The Way Way Back), and missed my 6:30am alarm. So I scramble around to get ready. Shower, get dressed, and toss some GF raisin bread in the toaster while I'm putting my make up on. I

Personal and Spending Overview: Industry:  Graphic Design.  Position: I work at a radio station and wear a lot of hats, but my title - Creative Services Manager - implies that my primary function is to create artwork and manage marketing materials. I also freelance for 2 different organizations, but the money I make there is pretty minimal, and I only get paid every other month. I also work for the same radio station as a part time radio DJ on weekends.  Age:  31 Location:  San Jose, CA. My husband and I just purchased our first home in July. Salary:  Base at the radio station: Under $50,000 annually - Freelance: $250/month - DJ: $10.30/hour (yup, I only make minimum wage). My husband's salary, however, brings our annual income to over $100k.  Paycheck Amount (bi-weekly):  Under $1,400 less taxes and deductions: flexible spending account allocation, 401K deposit, Roth IRA, and health insurance # of roommates:  1 (my husband) Monthly Expenses Mortga

So, I regularly read a series called "Money Diary" on Refinery29: a digital media company which brings into sharp focus the latest fashion, make-up, hair style, and life style trends for women in my age group. The series takes a 7-day diary of a woman's spending habits. Most of them are in their late 20's to early 30's, some have roommates, some live alone, some are married, and they live in varying places, thought most seem to be in New York. Since I have never seen one for the Silicon Valley, and Frank and I just achieved such a coveted goal: home ownership in San Jose, I thought it would be a fun and educational experience to give this a shot. Starting tomorrow, I will create a simple dialogue based on my spending, eating, and regular activities, which I am able to do based on my salary. These things will include, but are not limited to: Morning Starbucks runs, lunches out with my coworkers, trips to the vending machine, the bottled water I buy at the gas s