Week of Money: Where I have an uncomfortable encounter with a strange guy

DAY ONE

??:?? — Little Bun is screaming. I am trying to calm him down but he is just ANGRY.

??:?? — I wake up. Am tired. Could do with a nap but it will screw with my night sleep. AHHH DILEMMA…….

8:10 a.m. — We head out early to someone’s house who is selling children’s books, and I pick up a whole set of books for Little Bun. This woman’s house is GORGEOUS. She is asking $3.5 million for it, but likely it will take $500K to restore it back to its original period finishes — 3 open fireplaces, 5 bedrooms, in the heart of Toronto…. It is gorgeous and on a quiet street. $55

8:40 a.m. — We make it home, put things away, and Little Bun gets a fruit smoothie while I make a tea.

9:16 a.m. — We head out downtown to look for blankets and just to walk around. Little Bun is driving me nuts again. I am not close to crying this time but he is working my last nerve. Just WORKING IT. It also doesn’t help that I am clearly sleep-deprived.

11:25 p.m. — We don’t find anything, and head home. Little Bun starts whining about how he doesn’t want to go back, and I am just tired, I ignore him, tuning him out.

11:30 p.m. — What a pretty print in gold.. it is a tree trunk section done in gold.

12:37 p.m. — I do take the time to tell him that he is really not being a good boy today and I am starting to dislike going out with him. He looks like he wants to burst into tears and says tearfully: “Mommy doesn’t hate going out with me!” which makes me feel like a monster for saying so in the first place, but then, he behaves the rest of the trip after I tell him to prove me wrong, and show me how he can behave and be a good boys so that I love taking him out with me. Go figure. I had to guilt trip him.

12:56 p.m. — Hangry, my partner is on his fruit diet, but makes eggs and bread for us. I slather mine with this new Okazu miso chili paste I finally bought after having it in my Notes as a “Must Buy and Try” thing.. It is SO GOOD and made in Canada.

1:23 p.m. — I drain, wash and soak my fountain pen nibs while Little Bun naps. Im amazed at how brown the residue ink is, and how much is in there, soaked in. I leave them overnight to be flushed out.

2:59 p.m. — Little Bun is up from his nap, CRYING, kicking and screaming. I quickly scramble up from my own napping nest on the couch downstairs, and go upstairs to see what the trouble is. WTF…. He stops crying the minute he sees me. I guess he thought I abandoned him but usually he comes to check before crying. I don’t know what is going on. I guess he wanted a HUGE bottle of milk but only got a small one as per usual. He is just grumpy today.

4:40 p.m. — My partner goes out to buy more milk, and I take a shower and stick him in front of Kiki and Miu Miu videos on Youtube. Everyone needs a break. My parents are home, cooking dinner for themselves, and Little Bun is happy.

5:11 p.m. — “Mommy, when it rains the cloud is crying.”

5:16 p.m. — “Mommy, the dogs use the grass as their toilet and the leaves are their toilet paper.” Out of the mouth of babes.

5:20 p.m. — “Mommy, treats soothe my tummy and soul.”

6:34 p.m. — I feed him salmon and rice, and a vegetable stew.

8:56 p.m. — He gets to play guitar all night with my father, and this is so much fun to watch him love everything about it and strumming hard on the strings.

Spent: $55

DAY TWO

??:?? — Angry Screaming again. This is probably the third or fourth night in a row.

??:?? — Tired. REALLY TIRED. WHY IS HE NIGHT SCREAMING? … Ugh.

7:20 a.m. — I am bleary-eyed. I go and make tea, organize myself and my day. I have to go to pick up a water filter, buy some plates, return the shoes at UPS…

8:53 a.m. — We drop off packages at UPS.

9:47 a.m. — Little Bun is kicking the back of my chair and driving me nuts. OMG. I scold him and he bursts into tears. *sigh* I think we are all tired.

10:11 a.m. — We buy a bunch of plates for my mother. She seems to have random crap like a crêpe machine ($400), random pots and pans ($300-ish each), and yet she doesn’t have enough plates, platters, bowls…. This is very frustrating. I have to keep reminding myself this is not my home and they choose to live this way, but they waste so much money on lottery tickets but can’t cover a new roof easily ($4500), and could have spent a  great time to organize the kitchen, and have a beautiful home / space, but instead, they waste it on stuff that makes NO SENSE in terms of practical living. /rant over $236.58

10:31 a.m. — We pick up a new water filter for cooking water. $54.23

12:31 p.m. — We pick up a chicken for lunch. My partner wants a break from cooking, I fully support this. $15

1:05 p.m. — Little Bun naps. Or at least I think he does but I am sure he is doing anything but napping.

2:08 p.m. — He BETTER be napping. We have to meet someone downtown with the car, and it’ll take an hour to get there AT LEAST…

2:13 p.m. — I Crest White Strip my teeth. These are way better today than the first time I tried them years ago. The plastic piece doesn’t move anymore and REALLY sticks to my teeth.

4:04 p.m. — We are about to go and my partner crows: I found the Dyson V7 online for $300!! … and I end up realizing at Best Buy they have a promotion on for $300 for the exact same vacuum I wanted to buy from that guy, plus a free cleaning kit that is worth $60. Sweet. We pick one up at Best Buy instead. I checked with the guy if he would sell it for $250 but he said no, he could only do $325. His loss. $338.99

4:56 p.m. — We are back, we checked out a store and picked up a blanket as well, using up the rest of a credit we had at a store for about $100. $56.80

5:27 p.m. — I browse DSW Canada but don’t see anything else I want. I have a $5 credit there.

6:33 p.m. — I get into a fight with my mother. I just spent over $600 on plates for her and she wants to give some to my brother who lives alone and never asked for plates or bowls!?!? WTF. She gets gifts of practical items they NEED (they literally had 4 plates before we showed up and used platters as plates), and now she wants to give them AWAY???? F$&@.

8:08 p.m. — Obsessed with this song by The Walls Group – Perfect People

And this song by Jasmine Sokko – Tired

9:28 p.m. — I show my parents how to work their new Dyson. I’m over the fight now. I’m not going to buy anything more for her if she is going to be like this. Or I’ll just charge her for everything so that she sees it as HERS and HER MONEY, and doesn’t give it away. F$&@?!

10:56 p.m. — Bedtime. We are on vacation so sleep times are all off.

Spent: $701.60

DAY THREE

??:?? — He is wiggling around. It is hot and he is trying to find a cool spot to sleep but this wakes me up.

7:24 a.m. — I get up and make a cup of tea. Little Bun gets taken care of by his father. This bonding is starting to work, I’m leaving them alone a lot more and my partner is stepping up.

7:59 a.m. — I register my parents’ new Dyson cleaner. Way easier to use. I’m also itching to declutter their home but am resisting the urge. I’d do such a good job. I know it.

8:08 a.m. — Little Bun doesn’t want to go out. My partner looks relieved a little, as I do, when Little Bun opts to stay at home. He asks to stay in with Mommy and I happily agree. We need some time together alone and his father could use a break especially since I plan on leaving them all weekend to do my own thing.

9:25 a.m. — I feed Little Bun vegetable stew and he asks for eggs but I’ll wait closer to lunch so that my partner cooks them (he does a better job).

9:43 a.m. — I organize my next few days. I have a lot of meetups next week so I need to make sure I don’t drop the ball on other things that also need to get done.

10:18 a.m. — Oooo! All of my recent Poshmark purchases should be coming today including my Lanvin gold sneakers. <3

10:25 a.m. — I make another cup of tea.

1:25 p.m. — He goes down for his nap after lunch.

4:08 p.m. — We head out for a little walkabout on a street where we have passed many times by bus but have never stopped to look at. It seems really nice there, so we go for a walk.

4:58 p.m. — Little Bun is having a mini meltdown. He is asking for, nay DEMANDING a treat for having been forced to go out on an unscheduled walkabout in an area he cares nothing for because there is nothing of value to him here — specific bakery, books, toys….

5:27 p.m. — We finally manage to calm him down, and get a few more books for him (educational, not the ones he cares about yet), and we grab a little treat, and then head back home. We are on vacation after all, and he did walk quite a bit.  $57

6:11 p.m. — After his treat, he is much better but still a bit grumpy in general. He likes to just PLAY all day but we have other things on our adult agenda as well that he doesn’t see eye to eye on. Too bad. $4.50

7:25 p.m. — At home, I feed him dinner, he reads books, and I do all the dishes, then we play until bedtime.

Spent: $61.50

DAY FOUR

??:?? — Tired. BUT MY FRIEND IS HERE! I miss her so much, it has been 4.5 years since she met Little Bun when he was a 3-month old Little Bun, and held him in her arms. We are just so far from each other, 6-7 hours by train or car is no joke. I can handle 3, but 6-7 is a long time.

7:20 a.m. — I get up, start getting ready, and am super excited.

8:34 a.m. — I head out later than I wanted (I like a little “me” time before), because I did the dishes, reloaded the dishwasher again, and puttered around helping Little Bun until it was really time to go.

9:02 a.m. — We sit and chat. Just chat and chat and chat until it is time for lunch.

9:12 a.m. — Some very creepy older man sidles up to us as we are having our chai lattes, and says in a slimy manner: “Good morning ladies” …. we give him raised eyebrows, say “Hello“, and go back to our chat. Thankfully, he walks away from us.

12:08 p.m. — On our way to the lunch spot (she wanted ramen badly, as she announced to me she is 3 months along and craving it), some random guy kept calling out “Girls, GIRLS” …. and I thought he was talking to some actual girls far ahead of us (because we’re women, natch, not GIRLS), and it wasn’t until he said: Oh so you two bitches think you’re too good for me. Well fine, you can both f*#$ off that I realized he was talking to us. I had no idea, we were engrossed in our conversation and I thought he was talking loudly on the phone to someone, the way he was holding it out.

12:11 p.m. — That was really uncomfortable for me, because my initial thought was – Is he armed? Will he hurt us? My friend is pregnant, I have to protect her and the baby! … and then it dawned on me how crazy it is that I have to be hyper vigilant that a man COULD stab me just because I don’t respond to their attention, and that I would be a bitch either way. To live in constant, subconscious fear, keeping eyes and ears out for danger is mentally EXHAUSTING as a woman, and I live in CANADA, where it is mostly safe, but even here in Canada, during the Toronto Raptors Celebration when we won the NBA and we don’t allow guns, there was a shooting into a mass crowd!! I mean, WTF.

12:20 p.m. — At the ramen place, I calm down a little, and just try not to let it ruin my only day with my friend. We had takoyaki (fried octopus doughnuts), pork ramen and frozen black sesame mochi ice cream afterwards (there was ice cream inside the mochi). All of it was delicious. $23.58

The stuff on top are bonito (tuna) flakes.. this was very yummy.

This is the black sesame Tan Tan ramen. Very flavourful.

2:40 p.m. — Chatting. Still chatting. Now we are wandering around, shopping.  I love the vibe of this Kensington Market.

3:03 p.m. — I say goodbye to her for now, and our families will meet for dinner later. I head home.

3:40 p.m. — What a cool idea. You have two picture frames, you hinge them together, line the inside with old wine bottle corks, and make it into a jewellery box that is hidden behind a picture because once you close it, it just looks like a frame with a photo.

5:10 p.m. — Her baby is still napping, we text that we’ll meet up a bit later when she is awake.

5:45 p.m. — We are at the restaurant now. The two of them take to each other only after her toddler hand feeds my son French Fries. She was so enamoured with feeding him, and he was so happy to get her French Fries that the two seriously bonded, and then were inseparable for the night. She wants to sit super close to him, he holds her hand and tells her to be careful and what to do and not to do in the car (good protective role model influence), and the play like best friends despite the 3-year age difference. $208.50

7:22 p.m. — Little Bun keeps asking me when we will give presents. He helped me wrap them, and wants to give all the presents to his Cousin (we aren’t related, but we are like sisters). He is so excited, and when she opens all of them, he is so happy to see her do so.

9:25 p.m. — I hug my friend tight to say goodbye, and promise to come up again before the baby arrives. I think I will also make time to take trips with her to hang out and do a 4-day weekend thing too.

Spent: $232.08

DAY FIVE

??:?? — Tired. We really slept late last night, but I do have to meet up to sell something off Kijiji.

7:30 a.m. — I make a tea.

7:59 a.m. — I start to get ready to head out.

8:26 a.m. — Little Bun wakes up. He had such a good time yesterday, running around and eating well. I really wish we lived in the same city, my friend and I would be together every weekend with our kids, pretty much. It is really hard being separated from those you are closest to. We may not talk daily or keep in touch except on and off (we both have busy lives, she runs a clinic), but we are best friends in our hearts and will always be that way forever. That’s a TRUE friendship that can pick up so easily after a few years and that has endured over 20 years.

9:15 a.m. — I head out, and avoid going to Starbucks as a treat. I am selling these Clarisonic brush heads and I WANT THE MONEY. $165

10:31 a.m. — Home. I narrowly missed stopping at Chipotle for a “snack” (YEAH RIGHT), and headed home to eat the food we have instead. Again, saving money.

11:40 a.m. — Apparently my friend’s toddler is a kleptomaniac LOL! She snatched Little Bun’s motion sickness glasses from the car and stuffed it in her Mommy’s purse to play with later. My friend calls me in a panic and comes by to drop it off before making the trek back home.

1:23 p.m. — Time for his nap. I am playing word games with him, and he very willingly puts away the iPad when his father tells him to. He also asked me for a super long subway ride (from one station on Line 1 to the other), and I told him we had to see what we had to get done today first. I WILL do this long 2-hour trip with him though, but maybe later on this week. He is so cute, asking me for this trip. I really want to make it happen. Maybe tomorrow.

2:32 p.m. — I love watching Michelle Obama on any talk show… 3:03 is my favourite because she talks about the house they bought while Barack was President and he doesn’t have enough closet space. LOL … sounds like my partner. He is about to turn our shower into a closet (just putting a rack in there).

2:41 p.m. — This is making me laugh so hard, Michelle Obama & Ellen at Costco doing book signings. Michelle Obama is such a professional, she is truly trying to get through this massive line-up to sign everyone’s books, but Ellen is really annoying her. LOL

3:56 p.m. — We head out and forget it is Pride Parade. I LOVE the vibe of these things, but (A) I am really annoyed at crowds and loud (too loud) music, and (B) there was a shooting at the Raptors’ Parade not even a week or two ago when they celebrated the NBA win. I am all for fun and games, but I won’t (and don’t) like putting our lives in danger. I know it sounds stupid because I should live my life without fear, but I do have the fear and if I can avoid crowds which I don’t love, and just enjoy it from a safe vantage point (e.g. inside a store, second floor looking down), I’d rather do that.

4:14 p.m. — Little Bun wants to stay out all day. Apparently it is MY JOB to always watch him all the time because he gives me #%@$ for not watching him (I was googling the nearest Chipotle to eat at), but when I ask him to watch Little Bun, he lets him wander off / around and doesn’t keep a direct eye on him EITHER. SERIOUSLY? ARE WE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION? The penalty on mothers is so much higher than on fathers. Fathers can just stand around and chat, while their kids run into traffic, but mothers will be penalized if they move out of our line of sight.

4:35 p.m. — We are in another store, and I am paying. I ask him to watch Little Bun, and I guess he realized how HYPOCRITICAL IT WAS to yell at me earlier, when Little Bun wanders off from his line of sight to come to me across the store, when I gave him the LOOK and said — CAN YOU WATCH HIM? …. Don’t give me crap when you do the exact same thing. He ends up taking Little Bun out of the store so he can sit with him and really keep an eye.

4:44 p.m. — I use up all of our gift cards and pay the balance. We bought a bunch of plates. I know some will go back, so we will likely have a small credit left over to use. $75.10

5:16 p.m. — We leave to head home, but not before I ask to go eat at Chipotle (another craving for a burrito)… except it is right smack in the middle of the Pride Parade route, so we just take the metro home. I guess I will eat it tomorrow. That, or ramen.

6:00 p.m. — Home, we get inside, and my whole upper back and neck is killing me. I think I need a massage to loosen it up, I am very achey.

6:22 p.m. — I feed Little Bun, then eat my own dinner.

6:47 p.m. — Little Bun hassled his father for eggs. LOL.. so my partner fries up a few for him. Little Bottomless Pit should be his new name.

6:50 p.m. — I bathe Little Bun who jumps up and down in happiness. He loves baths. I scrub him down, he loves watching the water drain in the tub.. he is just tickled pink.

9:35 p.m. — Time for bed. We just had nonsense beforehand – playing, blocks, reading…

Income: $165

Spent: $75.10

DAY SIX

??:?? — Little Bun is so dang cute when he sleeps. Like a little baby angel. I can see his still-baby face in him when he sleeps, and he still sleeps like when he was a baby, on his back, arms up like a little cactus.

??:?? — I am about to get up (finally) and go to the washroom but then Little Bun senses my need to get up, and rolls over, clinging to me like the cutest little baby koala in the world. SQUEE. I can’t leave now. This is too good. He is so soft and sweet, and we are cuddling. I resist the washroom and just stare at him.

??:?? — He rolls off me. Okay. Good. I can get up now.

6:30 a.m. — Wow. WHY AM I UP SO EARLY!???….

6:47 a.m. — I make a cup of tea after washing my face. I have another physio appointment today for my knee but I am starting to really get frustrated with how long it is taking to heal. I have plans to not let this ever happen again, the limited extension and use of my knee has been extremely difficult, and at my age I should not be having these issues. I have just been LAZY in building muscle mass and staying strong. This changes this year! I even have time to do this, so I am excited.

7:17 a.m. — I love getting messages on Instagram of people continuing the conversation. I was asking about self defence and these sweet people said to take up Krav Maga (more suited towards women), kickboxing, and in Canada, as Tasers, Kimber Pepper Spray or any kind of bear spray for instance, is considered a weapon. You can carry pepper spray but the one for dogs and attach it to your keychain. It is good to know, but sad that women have to know this. I’ll be taking a course this year to get the basics down, but the main thing is for me to get my cardio and muscle mass up first.

7:25 a.m. — I understand women who get into shape to lose weight and be slim, bla bla bla (I am vain AF too), but I never saw a practical need to be THAT fit with muscles and a 6-pack. Now, I still don’t see the need to be like that, except that it would give me a chance to fight for my life so I can run and escape if need be. Especially if I need to also pick up my son and sprint with him away from someone. YOU NEED MUSCLES for that, and good strong cardio so you don’t collapse after 10 metres. I would want to get in shape for self-defense, not so much to look cute.

7:39 a.m. — I hear Little Bun get up.. I can hear more noise which is how I can tell he is awake. He has been much better lately. The night screaming has stopped, and he is a nicer little boy as of late. Let’s see how long THIS lasts.

7:45 a.m. — He is not in a good mood today. He wants to just scratch the stairs (??) so he scratches them and I let him. He is very grumpy right now. I foresee trouble when I leave for my appointment.

7:54 a.m. — I cuddle him in my arms, and we watch the birds flying around outside, chirping. We live in a condo so we don’t really have this direct-ish link to nature. He loves it as we spot birds together. His father comes down, waving the bottle of milk. I guess he woke up and didn’t see me, then ran downstairs to find me to make sure I didn’t leave him, which is why he was just a bit grumpy just now, scared that I left without saying goodbye. He goes back up to drink the milk in bed.

8:15 a.m. — I do bird watching with him a bit more and explain about pigeons and seagulls. Then I start to get ready and he wants his iPad but I hold him off until I’m ready to go so that my partner doesn’t deal with a meltdown.

8:17 a.m. — Little Bun informs me that the airplane he just saw is a birdie machine. LOL. Kids. You can’t make this up.

8:19 a.m. — Oh and apparently the seagulls (who I said were scavengers) were looking for “broccoli and other garbage to eat”… I guess that confirms what he thinks broccoli is. HAHAH..

8:45 a.m. — I get ready, head out early and decide on Starbucks for a black sesame tea latte as a treat. I’ll also have a lunch today because I’m craving ramen. Something cheap. No drink.

10:47 a.m. — She does acupuncture on my knee and it doesn’t hurt so I’m good. $80

11:11 a.m. — I decide on ramen. I had it at a “famous” place last weekend with my friend but I’m trying it out at my local haunt to see if it is any different. $14.50

12:20 p.m. — I decide to take the bus across for a change of pace and drop by a consignment shop having a 50% off sale.

12:37 p.m. — On the way there I see this. I admire chutzpah and it is never too late to have some.

1:03 p.m. — At the store, I try on a few things. Here’s a quick look at a few items. If you want this real-time and MORE of it (I don’t post everything from IG here), you ought to get on Instagram and follow me and my posts/stories @saverspender.

1:34 p.m. — I end up taking home a beautiful Helmut Lang Pebble Wrap Top in a colour called Vein which is a deep reddish orange. $140.19

Great clothes make you look better, not worse. Some cuts and fits don’t work well on my body, and there is nothing wrong with me, it is just the cuts / fits don’t work on me. Period.

2:40 p.m. — Home. Little Bun is down for his nap. We are going to head out to run some errands at a mall today. I’m okay with a low-key day.

3:22 p.m. — Little Bun is up. And we are off!

4:05 p.m. — We wander around the mall, look at things, and then pick up some plates. My partner has a process where he checks for cracks and flaws, and our return rate is about 80% of whatever we buy. I’ve come to accept this. We use the gift card. $0

4:12 p.m. — Little Bun insists on a treat. He is starting to get the concept of “vacation” and “treats”. Once he gets back to Montreal though, this is all over.  We pick up a pack of 8 macarons from Ladurée. $22.60

4:50 p.m. — Home. We make him eat his vegetable stew first, and THEN he gets macarons. Everything goes down except for the last 8 mouthfuls. At least he ate most of it.

6:33 p.m. — I play with Little Bun on the apps on iPad and I am loving how much fun we are having together.

9:40 p.m. — Time for bed.

Spent: $234.69

DAY SEVEN

??:?? — Little Bun Screaming.

??:?? — Little Bun Nosebleed.

??:?? — Now he is wiggling around trying to find a cool spot to sleep. EMERGHERD…. He is waking me up.

7:20 a.m. — Exhausted AF. I did not sleep well last night. I was helping him with nosebleeds, and I am just tired. I make a tea.

9:03 a.m. — My partner thankfully takes Little Bun out alone, bribing him to go to the bakery with him and I stay in the house, relieved, and so excited to be free and ALONE.

9:33 a.m. — I steam out some clothes (new Poshmark arrivals), take out all the garbage, load the dishwasher and then go through receipts to sort them for scanning later.

10:20 a.m. — I head out to the mall because I see J. Crew is having a 50% off sale and I am dying to snag that blazer. I get there, and there is no inventory, my size is gone and not sale? WTF?

10:37 a.m. — I drop by David’s Tea and pick up some matcha samples because I am about to run out. I should have brought a spare 100 grams (I have so much at home), but miscalculated how much I would drink. $27.69

11:15 a.m. — I resist buying a pair of dark orangey red flowy wide-legged pants. I can wear a skirt instead, right? Same style / look? Ugh. Probably not but I cannot justify $180 on some pants right now. I need to find these used.

12:33 p.m. — I get a notification from Sephora that the Dyson Airwrap hair styler is BACK IN STOCK!! SQUEEE!!!! .. It isn’t 20% off with the VIB sale (ugh), but I pick it up anyway, because I am having it shipped to Toronto, I pay $13 less in taxes. I had actually accidentally ordered it and the shipping address changed back to Montreal, and when I called, canceled it, and reordered it, I saw it was $13 cheaper. I MAY not keep it, but I have waited so long for this hairdryer / styler… $790.99

1:00 p.m. — A seller goes and cancels an order I made for some books for Little Bun. She cites some BS reason that she financially could not ship it (hello I PAID THE SHIPPING), and I think it was because she didn’t want to sell all 10 books for just $1. She didn’t even tell me she was going to cancel it, she just goes and cancels and refunds me. After I leave negative feedback, she writes me a RUDE message.

1:20 p.m. — I am so incensed, I even spend the next 20 minutes finding out how to and finally calling eBay to report her. I am dedicated to do as much as possible to report her just because of a stupid message she sent to insult me after refusing to sell it for the $0.99 she listed it for and then reneged on the sale. #IDontTakeCrap I wouldn’t have even said or done anything had she not messaged me to insult me.

1:54 p.m. — I pick up two blazers in black from J. Crew on a deep sale. I have been patient and waiting, and this is going to replace my black blazers. I spend the next 20 minutes trying to check out but the site is doing some weird loop. I give up and close it all down. I wanted the Parke Blazer in Ponte to replace my other Ponte blazer, and the Going out Blazer in a cotton twill as it felt like a cardigan.

2:21 p.m. — I try again. Success! $220.80

3:08 p.m. — I wear my new top and jeans (I can’t wait) to go out with Little Bun. Love this look and colour.

3:40 p.m. — I book an 80 minute massage session to go with my friend to the spa in 2 weeks. Using a 20% off coupon it will be $160 instead of $200. Then we can have dinner afterwards.

4:47 p.m. — We head out for the afternoon and end up locating a French pastry/bakery shop called Douce France. It is AMAZING. They have chocolates from Voisin, which is THE best chocolatier in the world for me because they make their own chocolate blocks by mixing cocoa powder with the butter themselves, rather than buying it pre-made. The flavour is just beyond incredible. If you are in Toronto, come here, eat Voisin chocolates and any pastries they sell. This bakery is <3 $3.75

7:44 p.m. — The bus is delayed due to accidents, so we get back on the subway and take another bus home. We are lucky to have a few options in that regard.

8:20 p.m. — My partner is watching the Women’s World Cup and comments how it is stupid you have to say “Womens” World Cup because the default for the World Cup is that it is for men. He goes on to rant about how it is so unequal for women in sports, from the tinier trophies (plates, really) they get from winning tennis matches or that women are not paid the same amounts. He’s quite a feminist.

9:02 p.m. — Time for bed. I am tired. And very happy / excited to go back to this bakery. I am even planning to take friends there…

Spent: $1070.23

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Want more? Read all of my previous Week of Money Diaries.