How to make no money and still spend 200E on "Rebajas"

So I survived the month of January, after spending ALMOST ALL OF MY MONEY on vacation in France and Barcelona, despite demonstrating incredible self-restraint and thriftiness on said vacation. I survived by picking up a couple of english lessons - as in I "teach" people English. and "a couple" as in 4, soon to be 5 (cross yer fingersssss).

And then I got paid yesterday. Since then I have spent at least (i haven't actually looked at my bank statement, I'm too scared) 200 euros. I am wearing a new pair of shoes. And when i go out to the movies tonight I will be wearing a new t-shirt and sweatshirt. And thats not couting the other pair of shoes and t-shirts and and and....

I am ill. I have shopping-itis. And yes, things are cheaper, relatively speaking this time of year (January and February -wow I just forgot that February had two r's- are post christmas sale months, aka "Rebajas"). And I like having nice things, that at other times would cost more money.

At the same time, I'm reflecting a lot lately on various global issues...like, exaggerated consumerism EVERYWHERE, the contribution of the meat industry to greenhouse gases (mmm-mmmmm, cow farts in the air)... And I wonder every time i try on something new, or buy myself hamburger because I don't know what else to cook; could I go without? Wouldn't it be better if I did?

I guess this is just part of this strange process I've been noticing lately in myself -being much more specific with and conscious of my choices, in who I spend my time with (or don't), what companies or people or places I choose to support with my money, and the times that I recognize that i'm putting my money somewhere that I really don't want to, but don't at the moment have much of a choice - economically speaking mostly.

In that vein, I'm trying to eat more vegetarian, and hoping to do a WOOF program this summer, learn some more about organic agriculture and hopefully yummy vegetarianism. I mean, I'll probably always eat some meat, but there are ways you can support humanitarian animal-raising and butchering practices, as well as local butchers and people who make little money actually dedicating their lives to what they do instead of just grabbing a quick and easy job at the supermarket.

I'm not really sure why all of this came out quite this way in this entry. I cold tell you about the mini-happenings and coincidences of my life right now, like how I'm probably living in Madrid next year with Virginia - my colleague aforementioned in this blog, how I'm so sick of my smelly roommate I considered moving, how one of my students IS Lucy from the Peanuts comics - she's only missing the blue dress. But Honestly, this is more important to me, on a grander scale, than all of that. And I'd rather share the important stuff.

I'm doing well. I'm musing on what I could do with my future, trying to hustle out a living, reading books... I think I'm enjoying myself. I hope that makes you glad.