My $20 Bucks

Facebook post July 1, 2012.   Every morning I pull $20 out of my wallet and at the end of the day my pocket is empty; I never understand where it went. So a few days ago I decided to keep track. Here's my record:
6 a.m: I start with $20 from which I deduct $2.37 for a 32-oz. Diet Mountain Dew and a medium banana from the quick-mart. I put 3 cents in the Take A Penny/Leave A Penny (TAPLAP) container at the register. $17.60 remaining.
6:15: I spend exactly $2 on a single espresso at Heine Bros on Blankenbaker. Put $1 in the tip bowl which leaves me $14.60.
7:30: I head to a meeting downtown and find a spot to park on the street. I put 75 cents in the meter before I realize it's not working. I am frustrated now with $13.85.
7:40: I head into a downtown Starbucks for my meeting, grab a bottle of water that costs me $3.14. Another $1 goes in the tip jar and 1 cent to TAPLAP. I am left with $9.70 at 7:43 a.m.
8:05: I'm still toting my 32-oz Mountain Dew from earlier (which seems to be the best investment so far).
9:45: I'm off to Heine Bros. in St. Matthews to interview an employee candidate. His coffee and my single espresso are $4.77. $1 tip and 3 cents to TAPLAP. $3.90 left.
12:30 p.m: I am hungry and am happy that my noon meeting includes lunch.
5:18: I head back to Anchorage with my Diet Mountain Dew cup empty. I stop at the same quick-mart I started at in the morning for another one. The cost is $1.86. I hand the cashier $1.85 and take a penny from TAPLAP because I believe it is owed to me. This leaves me exactly $2.05.
6 p.m: I am scheduled to meet a friend for a drink on Bardstown road but phone him to change the location to my bar -- The Sea Hag -- where I can get our drinks comped. At 9:15 p.m. I pull the last $2 out of my pocket and leave it on the bar for a tip, which leaves me a nickel.
10:30: As I'm undressing for the evening I hear my nickel fall to the floor and roll somewhere. After a 20-second search I am reminded that that was the end of my $20 -- I am down to 0.
I'm sure there's some type of message here. Maybe it's I drink too many espressos, I need to give less to TAPLAP, or I should make employee candidates buy their own coffee. But at $20 a day, that's $7,300 a year (net). Gross makes it closer to$13,000. That would cover a damn nice car lease payment, or even pretty good health insurance!!! I'm just sayin'. I'm going to go look for that nickel.