One of the nice things about setting your own challenge is getting to explore the loopholes and plug them (or not) at will. Today, I have the incredible urge to "stock up" on anything that will become unaffordable tomorrow. However, since I recognize that spending $500 today would essentially negate the point of the experiment, I'm setting a ceiling on spending of ... $62, my entire May budget.

That ought to be enough to fill my car with gas and set aside enough dues for hashing . I've been on and off the fence about the hash, which, since insinuating myself a year ago , has become more than a weekly routine, but a mandatory expense. On the one hand, it should fall under the "regular expenses" exemption, but on the other hand, I feel a bit cheesy about considering a social club that essentially revolves around beer as a monthly bill. So I'm compromising and considering the $25 part of today's preparatory spending. (And hey, $5 a week for all you can drink is certainly frugal enough to be within the spirit of the thing ... or am I just making justifications for alcohol? Disturbing trend ahoy.)

I also need a haircut, but I don't know if my budget will stretch that far. And I kind of like the idea of getting shaggy due to an inability to afford even a buzzcut. Although a co-worker has already helpfully offered to cut my hair for free if I want. "Drunk or sober, your choice."

Speaking of getting things for free, I've got another little rule I'm going to try to follow: no accepting gifts from people who know what I'm doing. I don't want this to become some sort of lame charity drive for my sorry mishandling of personal finances. Accepting an offer from a stranger can be dealt with on the same case-to-case basis as usual, but it wouldn't prove anything other than how fantastic my friends are if I were to coast on their generosity for a month.

That should cover it. Tonight: the first grocery trip. I'm going to start at Shoppers Corner, then try out different stores each week to compare the expense. The full bloody details will be right here, including pictures, if I can remember to bring my camera around. 

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