Spending Time, Spending Money

I haven't done a post recently because of all my non-progress in my finances and my weight. Let me explain.

We are still in the process of buying furnishings for the new apartment, so my savings rate is flat. It's really sad, because I had planned to get my emergency fund back up to $6k by now. I'm losing $100 here, $400 there, and with my large rent bill every month, it's hard to gain footing. Luckily, August is a 3-paycheck month, so I can do a little catching up with some careful planning.

Speaking of careful planning, I am contributing like mad to my Roth IRA, but only because I've been attempting to time the market. I know it's stupid, but I see a low price, and say to myself, "even though I've already made my purchase for this month, I'm sure this is the lowest the price will go, so I better get while the gettin's good." Then, I invest $250, and the price drops $0.30. Rinse, repeat! Thank goodness there's a ceiling to how much you can invest in one year, or I might play this game until my bank account is empty!

My other large expense, as I've discussed before, is my weight-loss program. However, in recent weeks, I have not been doing well. 2 weeks ago, I only lost 1 pound. Last week, I gained 0.5 lbs. Not a big deal, I know, but it stresses me out and only exacerbates the problem. Obviously I've hit a plateau for a couple reasons: (i) I haven't been getting in much physical activity, and (ii) I've become more comfortable and much less compliant with the diet. At this point, I can't afford any allowances. I've come so far, and I can't stop now. I think I'll take a walk at lunch today...