And they were singing…

The farmers’ market opened today. One of the advantages of living in a rural area is that the farmers’ market has lots of producers, they’re all local and they have really great stuff and the prices are good. So in an effort to eat better — inspired by Aleta’s diet overhaul — I’m tweaking my routine to start shopping at the market each week, then go to the grocery store for the remaining items.
It’s early in the season, and I didn’t get there until about 10 a.m., so I only could pick up pumpkin and wheat breads, plus two ham pockets (think sealed ham biscuit) for breakfast. And for the fellow Yankees reading this, that means country ham, which is salt-cured so it doesn’t need to be refrigerated. It’s not my first choice, but every once in a while I’ll eat it.
I’m also biting the bullet Monday and canceling my cable. Not broadband, but cable. I haven’t actually watched a TV show at home in longer than I can remember — generally I watch at work — and it seems really dumb to waste $50 a month on it when I could put that toward paying off my credit card.
My state tax refund also will be going there. Now that I’ve paid my (overdue) car tax, I can file my state return this weekend. I should get about $100 back, based on last year’s refund. (My federal was roughly the same, so I imagine state will be too.)
I also should be teaching a color guard class in May, which would net me between $200 and $600, depending on how many kids sign up. They asked me to do a one-day class in August, which could bring in another $100. If both go well, I might be able to teach two, possibly three in the fall, depending on interest. I’m hoping this develops into a second job of sorts, since my other second job options are limited by my schedule. The money would let me pay off my debt faster, which means I’ll be in a position to replace my aging car sooner — hopefully by my 30th birthday. (By replace, I mean have enough saved up so I only have to finance 2 years max, at less than $200 a month. It’ll take a substantial downpayment, but will hopefully mean I can pay cash for my third car.)
I’m also going to be busting my butt at work to get off my boss’ shit list and hopefully make a case for giving me a good evaluation and raise come late June. *crosses fingers* I discovered last year that screwing up even fairly minor stuff between March and June means a big ding, especially if there’s a computer element to the screw-up. Not going to happen this year.