Autumn firmly upon us

It is with a strange feeling that I find myself in a somewhat unfamiliar situation of having to budget. I haven't had to 'budget' ever since I started full time work over three years ago. I honestly don't remember how I survived university, now that I think of it. I didn't make much money at all, so I don't actually remember how I managed to budget enough to fund a holiday to Europe. Hmm..

It was in March that I decided I needed to budget if I wanted to achieve my goals in the timeframe I've set. And yet I found I spent a huge chunk of my salary in the past month. Naughty, naughty Thuy. So now I'm stepping up two notches. I have to budget.

I was planning to go shopping this weekend when I realised on Friday evening I wasn't working. But thankfully I was reminded that stocktake is starting in a few weeks, which was my reason for NOT shopping, although I was still itching to shop. The weather has certainly helped me with this budgeting task. I just don't want to step out and do anything when it's cold outside. And it's been raining all day. Autumn is firmly upon us now.

The streets of Melbourne have transformed remarkably since the close of the Commonwealth Games. I keep forgetting to bring my camera to take pictures of this gorgeous city I live in. Especially in this season when the summer greens have turned into the breathtaking hues of golden yellow, marmalade orange and fiery red.

Not much has been happening. Well, nothing specifically to report. I've been terribly busy. There seems to be an endless supply of things to do, people to see, things to buy (oops!), places to chill. Or bum. Life is going on at a frantic pace, and I suppose I wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh, one thing you may be interested in. If you're out and about in the city looking for a cheap eat on a Monday evening, check out The Lounge on Swanston St. They still have their Monday night special after 6pm: the price of your food is the time you order your food. Thus, at 6pm, you can get a fantastic decent sized porterhouse steak for all of $6. My favourite is the chicken surf and coop. Yum! Great food at a great price. But get there before 6pm to get a table, because, quite understandably, they become packed out!