*Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Overall, May was a much better month than April.  I made more progress on my financial goals and just generally felt better physically and mentally.  It’s been a great month, and I’m looking forward to what June will bring! Here is my month in review: May 2016.

Frugal Successes

-I put an extra $1,000 toward my student loans!  Our progress toward paying off $117,000 of student loans feels slow, but we’re getting there, little by little.

-I got a free oil change with an old coupon I had (of course, the shop charged us $2.80 for an “extra” quart of oil, so it wasn’t actually free).  They also found that my car needed a repair (my car is 16 years old, so I’m used to hearing this every time I bring it to a shop for oil changes).

They quoted us $90 for the repair, but my hubby was able to do it himself for $35!  It’s awesome to be married to someone who is knowledgeable about cars and can do many minor repairs himself.

-I signed up to become an Amazon affiliate.  If you’re not familiar with the program, this means that occasionally I will post links to products on Amazon’s website.  If someone clicks on the link and then buys something on Amazon, I will receive a small commission on the sale.

-I went to free holy yoga classes twice per week.

Frugal (and Other) Failures

-We didn’t put an extra $500 in our emergency fund – we added $250, and we’ll add the remaining $250 in June.  (We’re beefing up our emergency fund in preparation for becoming pug parents in June).

-I had mixed results on my goal of spending less time glued to my phone.  I have noticed that I feel happier and more relaxed when I unplug.  I’ve also found that the constant pain/muscle tension in my neck/shoulders lessens when I’m not on my phone as much (all the yoga might be helping too!).

-I gained a few pounds – for the first time since I started eating clean and exercising 6 days per week.  I’ve been having too many cheat meals, and it’s time to buckle down on my diet again.

Highlights of the Month

-I went to the Walk for Animals with friends and had a great time.  We also got some free swag and we won a gift card for pet photography services.  I’m excited to get some professional photos with our new puppy soon!

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What I Read

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – I’ve read this book before, but I recently re-read it because it’s that good.  It is truly one of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read.  In Quiet, Susan Cain describes how American society values “the Extrovert Ideal” and undervalues the unique skills that introverts possess.  As an introvert, I can relate to so many aspects of this book.

Cain discusses how workplaces are designed for extroverts (how many companies have “open” office environments these days?), how introversion in children is often seen as a “problem” that needs to be “fixed”, and many other issues surrounding ways that American culture favors extroverts.  If you’re an introvert, you will love this book.  Even if you’re an extrovert, I still recommend reading it because it will help you to understand the introverts in your life better – 1 out of 3 people in the US are introverts, so there’s a good chance that you know many introverts.  You may have coworkers, classmates, friends, family members, and loved ones who are introverts.

What I Watched

I finished season 2 of How to Get Away With Murder.  It’s amazing!  If you haven’t watched it yet, go watch it.  Seriously.  Right now.

I also watched old seasons of Gilmore Girls (can’t wait for the revival!) and started watching Better Call Saul – which is pretty good so far.

In Case You Missed It

I shared my journey to debt freedom on The Penny Hoarder.  TPH is the most popular personal finance site on the web, and writing for them was a dream come true.  The one downside was that I received a few negative comments on the article.  I’ll be sharing my thoughts on that sometime over the next couple of weeks.  Stay tuned!

How was your May?  What are your plans for June?