Being busy is expensive

Now that I'm working and working out more, I'm home less. Add in a few social outings and my home life is pretty minimal. It's great that I'm making more money and working out more, but it's making me spend more money.

On Sunday, when I worked a double, you can bet your bottom dollar I wasn't going to come home at 11pm, stop at the grocery store and prepare lunches for the week. Then on Monday when I workout after work and don't get home until later (yup, I'm spending lots of time at the gym with these classes and running!) I'm still not really in the mood to cook that late. Then yesterday I was just plain tired. Tired from working Thurs and Friday nights, getting up early on Saturday to go to the beach all day and stay out late, getting up early on Sunday to drive back into the city and work a double, and working and working out all day Monday. I headed home and was starving. While I walked I debated grabbing food so I wouldn't have to cook. I walked past the yummy take out places, attempted to get groceries at Trader Joes but my hungry stomach was not going to wait in that line without maybe eating the arm off the person in front of me...definitely frowned upon at Trader Joes. I ended up going all the way home, slamming two bowls of cereal and relaxing all night. That has resulted in me eating out way too much this week. Yes, I'm making more so technically I can afford it but I'd rather not be spending all my money on food.

Additionally, when I'm busier, it requires me to remember a lot of things in the morning. I have to remember food (if I've prepared any) for breakfast/lunch and sometimes dinner, my workout clothes/shoes or work clothes/shoes, a book for the subway, my iPod and headphones, socks and sports bra for workouts, a water bottle and an umbrella, just in case. Sometimes I forget these things but I won't have time all day to go back home to get them.

One day I forgot socks when I had gotten all the way to work. Being in tennis shoes for 13 hours a day requires socks so I had to run to Duane Reade and get a new pair. Sometimes I forget my water bottle (actually I can't find my new one, major bummer), so I have to pay a dollar at the gym for one.

This morning I couldn't find my iPod when I was leaving for work. Normally that sucks big time but as long as I have my headphones I can listen to Pandora on my work computer and on my phone while I work out. I made sure I had my headphones but when I went to get them out of the bag, I couldn't find them anywhere! They were old and the headphone padding had come off on both ears so I went to Duane Reade to get a new pair. Bad idea. The only selection of headphones was kept behind the counter so I couldn't make a good decision because there was a long line behind me. I grabbed a random pair and they are by far the worst headphones I've worn. They don't fit in my ears well and the sound seems to be coming from miles away. They are already in the garbage. When I returned to my desk and cleaned up my bagel wrapper from breakfast, ta da, there were my original headphones! Such a Katie move.

So I'm struggling with the idea of if working more is even worth it because it's causing me to spend more. Ultimately yes, it is worth it because I am still putting so much more in savings and towards debt but it's not increasing stuff I'm trying to save for because I have to spend it on stupid things I forget or don't have time to prepare. It might just mean I should cut back on time at the gym one night a week so I can prepare meals and maybe I should probably pack my bag before I go to bed since Lord knows I'm not great in the morning. I just don't know how to pack enough down time in when I have so much on my plate and I don't want to spend the little down time I have planning meals and "working" at saving money.