Leveraging to get by until next payday

Ugh! I am down to the wire on money until I get paid at the end of the month.  A few things blew my "cushion" between paydays.  The battery on one of our vehicles died so had to fork out $100 for that and then we had to make a quick little trip out of state and spent one night in motel and gas and food.  So, I'm sitting here with $169 (and that was after raiding my coin jar - it was filled up anyway and needed to be rolled or taken to coinstar. Ended up with $61!) and still a week until I get paid.  Ugh!

I'm working on some creative financing here.  I think I have enough gas to get me to work the 3 more days I have to drive into the office until next Wed.  If not, if I charge the gas on my debit card as "credit" it takes 2 days to show up in my checking, so if I have to get gas on Mon or Tues, I'll be ok (my paycheck direct deposits on Tuesday night at midnight).  I still need some groceries, but am making due with scrounging the pantry for meals and just buying the very minimum of food. I could get some of it at Target (limited food selection) and then the Red Card Debit doesn't come out of my checking for 2 more days.  And then I remember I have to buy Dd's ASB card at $35,  a $20 copay for a dr visit on Friday, I had to spend $30 yesterday for meds for dh.   I'm sure other things will come up too :-(

My new plan is to "leverage" the college tuition money my mom is giving for Ds's fall quarter.  (Not sure if I've mentioned this before, but my parents have all along said they would pay for the kids college - something my dad really wanted to do.  THANK GOD!  It's been such a blessing to not have to take out loans, etc.  And mom is especially pleased that Ds is getting all A's!). Anyhow, tuition is due 8/31 and I was going to pick up the check from my mom when we have dinner at her house on Sunday.  I know my bank will hold it for at least one day, maybe 2, due to the dollar amount.  Plus, as my devious mind is at work trying to figure out how I'm going to make it on $169, I decided that if I can get her $1300 tuition check deposited I can "use" a little of that money to float us until the 31st, when I get paid and when I have to get online and pay Ds's tuition.  I emailed mom to ask if I could pick it up today or tomorrow and she said no problem - WHEW!

I hate middle of the month paydays - after the house payment and auto insurance, gas and groceries there is just enough to get to the end of the month.  The end of the month payday is much nicer.  I get my regular paycheck but I also get my paychecks for my 2 side jobs.  Plus, I don't have near as much expenses with no house payment coming out of that payday.