Layout:
Home > Page: 9

Viewing the 'Life' Category

money, yay

October 18th, 2005 at 02:42 pm

My first paycheck was twice what I thought it was going to be (I thought I'd only get paid for one week, but they paid me for two). Awesome! My aunt also sent a "congrats on your new job" gift. This extra cash means my Christmas gift fund is still full, and I'll be able to buy a plane ticket home for the holidays. The latter would be easier if I could get an answer out of my employer about time off, but at least I'll be able to pay for a ticket if I ever get an answer. I'm starting to feel like a pest, but ticket prices are rising as we speak, people! Chop chop!

I've been bad about sleeping too late the past few days and missing the bus, which means I have to drive to work. I don't mind driving, but it sucks up cash to pay for parking, and it's dumb when I have a bus pass. I need to figure out a way to make myself get up earlier. This morning I even had everything ready (lunch, clothes, etc) and still missed the bus!

Over the weekend we visited an apple orchard and picked thirty pounds of apples for $19! It was fun, and the weather was beautiful. We gave away five pounds of apples, but we are still swimming in them! I'll have to look up apple recipes. I made dinner from scratch on Sunday night, too. I also went to the gym last night and worked out! How do you like that? Hopefully I'm getting back into the swing of things.

holiday visits

October 12th, 2005 at 09:28 pm

I'm trying to figure out how I can go home for the holidays. Since I started a new job, I have very little vacation time, and can't really use it around the holidays anyway because everyone else has more senority than me. However, I can't bear the thought of missing Christmas with my family. I have plenty of frequent flier miles that I've racked up over the past eight years, and I wanted to use them before NWA goes completely belly-up. Unfortunately, they rachet up the number of miles you need to get a free ticket during the holidays, and I don't have enough. I am left with three choices now: buy a ticket at an inflated price, go the weekend before Christmas and pay slightly less, or not go at all. I'm not too thrilled about any of those choices.

Tonight we're going grocery shopping. If I have any energy later, I should look at cookbooks for meal ideas, but I'm guessing I'll end up on the couch watching tv.

Spent $33 today on a bus pass. Next month I should probably get back into the habit of writing about every penny I spend, because not doing so means I go on a shopping binge!

done with clothes shopping

October 11th, 2005 at 07:18 pm

I visited a couple of Columbus Day sales yesterday and completed my wardrobe makeover (I know I said I'd wait - I didn't). I spent a lot of money - I freely admit it - but I don't regret it. I will be able to pay it off this month. The items I bought should last a while, and look good!

We haven't gone grocery shopping at all yet this month. We have a full pantry and need to use up what we have. Eggs, milk, and produce will have to be picked up this week, but otherwise, we're fine. I need to get back into the habit of cooking rather than eating processed food...it's just so much easier to pull something out of the freezer, but so much unhealthier. I have been really lazy about cooking for the last six months.

I can see how people get so wrapped up in their significant others and kids. Not knowing anyone at work and rarely seeing my friends makes SO my only real-life human contact. I know some people really crave that "us against them" mentality of marriage or a relationship, but I never really have. It's a little lonely, but it makes me appreciate SO! Without him, I would be completely alone right now.

always on the edge

September 21st, 2005 at 05:23 pm

Perhaps I subconsciously sabatoge my budget every month. I justify purchases that I don't have budgeted, and then I try to figure out how to wiggle things around so I have enough money to pay off my credit card in full, along with rent. How ridiculous. Do I like feeling like I'm on the edge, somehow?

This month I'll receive an extra paycheck, simply because I'll be starting my new job next month. That will help with my inflated credit card bill, but I'll have to set enough aside to stay afloat in October until I get my first paycheck. I want to buy new work clothes, because I feel so "non-profit" and many of my clothes are disintigrating before my very eyes (with good reason - my standbys are at least 5 years old). I'm budgeting about $100 for that, but I'd like to spend much more. I'm getting my hair cut and colored before my new job starts (last time was in June), so that will be $90.

My new job does have a discounted bus pass program, so that will help, although I'm not sure what the discount will be. I like my new messenger bag, but it's really sporty. Does that say "I work downtown"? not really. I guess when I bought it I was thinking more along the lines of "riding my bike to the library and back." I need a classy-looking fall jacket, too, because my favorite one is 5 years old, puffy, and has paint marks on it. I don't want to start my new job looking like I belong in a What Not To Wear episode.

Change is good, but stressful.

good benefits

September 19th, 2005 at 11:10 pm

Thanks everyone!! I am really excited about my new job. Only nine days left of my current one...and my boss was at my desk for roughly half of the day today. I see that happening every day for the next 9 days. Oh well, it's almost over.

I think I'll have great benefits at my new job. Medical will be half the cost it is now, and I will have a 401k. They will match 80% of what I put in, up to 6%. I will find out more when I start, I suppose. I'll shell out less for gasoline every month because I'll take the bus to work, but I'll have to pay for bus passes. It should be interesting to see how this works out. If I'm contributing to a 401k, I won't have as much to contribute to my Roth IRA, my savings accounts, or my smaller college loan. The thought of a part-time job after work has never thrilled me...normally during the week, all I want to do is come home after work and chill. It may be a necessity, though, if I'm going to achieve my savings goals.

I asked if my car insurance premium would be lower since I'd be taking to bus to work, and they said that I'd have to drive 7500 miles per year or less. Yikes! It would only be a $63 per year discount anyway - not worth it to have them checking my mileage.

I do need to revamp my budget...thanks for the ideas. It will be an ongoing project.

another interview

September 12th, 2005 at 07:08 pm

Things are looking up. I had another interview today at a different business. It was hardcore - three proofreading/writing tests, then an interview with a HR rep, then an interview with the person who would be my boss. Each interviewer had THREE pages of questions to ask me. I felt I did pretty well, though. I felt I had a much better "rapport" with this supervisor than I did with the last one, too! They should let me know next week. I sent out an email thank you to both interviewers, and will write up paper thank you notes when I get home tonight. I really hope this one comes through! It would be a slight pay cut, but not nearly as much as the other job.

I am way overbudget already this month. Self-medicating with "stuff"? Could be. I have lots of beading supplies now, so I think have a great start on Christmas gifts. I just have to sit down and start figuring out how to make things. I made two bracelets this weekend, one that's on my wrist right now and another matching one that I'm sending to my sister. It's always fun to get mail when you're living in a dorm.

where did the weekend go?

September 6th, 2005 at 03:09 pm

Family really means a lot to me. I bought $110 in stuff for my sister's dorm room, helped her move in, took her and my mom shopping all day yesterday, and did my best to be entertaining. We had a really nice time together, but it was too short, as usual. They stayed with us for two nights. My SO is the nicest man in the world for being so sweet when he didn't feel well at all. I'm so glad my mom came to visit...it's been a long time.

I spent way too much money this weekend, of course. This morning I discovered that I had spent more than what's in my bank account, so I had to hurry up and transfer some savings into my account. Whoops. Hopefully it will drop into my account before the rent check is withdrawn. I also completely blew my first September goal by charging more onto my credit card, but it will get paid off this month.

I got two job calls on Friday. I need to call them back today, but it's hard to slip away and make a private phone call in such a small office. I sit in a cube, so there's no door to close, and people go around screaming my name at the top of their lungs if I'm not sitting in my chair (I wish I was kidding).

I can't watch any more Katrina coverage. I bought something from Crafter's United, so I feel like I did a small part. How can our government be so slow with help? It seems like they are always rushing troops to far-flung reaches of the world, but suddenly can't figure out what to do when things go down at home. I've said it before, I'll say it again -- I can't wait for 2008. It feels like an enternity away at the moment.

pleasant trip

August 31st, 2005 at 08:11 pm

August 26 Spending
$21 gasoline
$11 lunch for two
$500 credit card payments
$25 emergency fund
$25 family savings fund
$50 Roth IRA

TOTAL: $632

August 27 Spending
$0

August 28 Spending
$0

August 29 Spending
$7 beads

August 30 Spending
$10 lunch for two

August 31 Spending
$0

What a nice visit to my parents' house. We came back with the kitty so now we have a furry buddy to play with! He is the sweetest little thing, and hardly made a peep all the way home. My mom gave us all the necessary items for him, so we are set for a while. She also gave me a bunch of stuff for my new cake decorating hobby, and I'm really excited about that. I bought more beading supplies at half off the regular price, so I'm going to start fiddling with that again. Band starts up next week. Looks like hobby season has arrived! My mom gave me $60, completely unnecessary, but I have to pick up a bunch of things for my sister's dorm room this week, so it will be helpful.

Goals for August:
$150 to emergency fund: not quite - only $50
$50 to family fund: CHECK
$100 to Roth IRA: CHECK
$100 to Christmas gift fund: Put $125 in!
$100 to smaller college loan (twice the payment due): CHECK
get my car fixed (the main part, anyway): CHECK

GOALS FOR SEPTEMBER:
Pay off current American Express=$138, charge no more.
$100 to smaller college loan.
$50 each to Roth IRA, family savings, and emergency savings.
$75 to Christmas fund.
Keep spending at less than income. (sounds so easy, wish it was!)

Friday!

August 26th, 2005 at 04:15 pm

August 25 Spending
$15.25 lunch with coworker

Is anyone else shocked that it is the end of August already? Summer always flies by sooo quickly!! I wish it was the other way around -- short winter, long summer.

Looks like an inexpensive end-of-the-month ahead...gasoline should be the only real cost. There are no good restaurants where my parents live, so we'll probably be eating in the whole time (mom's cooking! yeah!).

SO and I have been watching a Mexican soap opera on Univision for the last few months, so I can brush up on my Spanish. He never studied Spanish but is learning. I translate what is happening for him with the help of closed captioning (it's easier for me translate quickly when I'm reading rather than just listening). Mexican telenovelas only last about six months, though, unlike our never-ending storylines in the USA. The one we've been watching is wrapping up, and it is so exciting! It's like watching an extended movie and now it is getting to the really good parts. We're going to miss it for the next few days, but TIVO has us covered. Watching it really is helping me regain my Spanish skills, though...I find myself thinking and dreaming in Spanish more frequently. I'll have to find a replacement after this one ends on September 5.

makeup

August 24th, 2005 at 02:28 pm

August 23 Spending:
$115 makeup
$12 dinner
TOTAL: $127

1/3 of that makeup is my sister's birthday gift, 1/3 is my mother's Christmas gift, and 1/3 was for me. I am completely done with my mother's Christmas and birthday gifts, and done with my sister's birthday gift. Now I just have to figure out what to get everyone else for Christmas. My mom is always the easiest for me. I had a great time shopping and chatting with my friend, too...definitely worth the $12!

I woke up with a headache this morning...never a good sign. I took painkiller immediately upon waking up. I hope it kicks in soon!

We may be getting a free cat this weekend! My mom has one that she rescued, and she says he's very sweet. If we're not allergic to him, we may take him home with us. We'd want to get another one to keep him company during the day. I miss having a cat. I wonder how he will take to a seven hour car ride...?

itching to go on a trip

August 23rd, 2005 at 04:54 pm

I don't know what my problem is lately, but I have been dreaming about going on a trip. Oregon or NYC. Anywhere, really, that requires me to get on a plane and fly away from here. Tickets to Portland are $199 right now. I can't afford it...just have to repeat that mantra to myself. *sigh* I AM getting out of town this weekend again, through Tuesday, to see my family. That qualifies as a trip, but not the kind I'm itching to take.

August 22 Spending:
$0
Washed two loads of clothes, made dinner at home, resisted a take-out coffee. Oh and I went to work too, but that doesn't mean I did anything.

I'm going shopping with a friend tonight and I'm planning to pick up some birthday/Christmas presents. Will probably have dinner with her, too.

great weekend!

August 22nd, 2005 at 02:44 pm

What beautiful weekend weather! We got poured on on Friday night, but we stayed mostly dry, and the rest of the weekend was gorgeous. It's funny how tired you can be after a weekend of camping, though!

August 19 Spending:
$25 camping groceries & supplies at Walmart
$10 more camping groceries
$11 beer
$25 year-long state park parking sticker
$3 firewood
TOTAL: $74

August 20 Spending:
$0

August 21 Spending:
$6 chocolate shakes at a fair

quiet day

August 19th, 2005 at 03:08 pm

My workplace is like a tomb today. It's like this every Friday in the summer, because half the staff isn't here. I wish I were one of them.

August 18 Spending
$45 messenger bag online -

Text is this and Link is http://www.ebags.com/products/index.cfm?modelID=54842&Subcategory_Link=Details_Timberland_54842
this is the one I chose - thanks for the link to ebags!
$1.50 ice cream sundae from Sam's Club - good lord, that thing was huge
$26 gasoline
TOTAL: $72.50

I found another fish baby! Now there are four in the little tank. The bigger fish are really enjoying their aquarium within the aquarium.

We didn't go shopping last night for camping stuff - we'll have to do it on the way out of town. Still looking like ominous weather. Unfortunately there is an 80% chance of rain tonight where we are camping. Saturday and Sunday look beautiful and dry, though, so all we'll need is an extra tarp under the tent and we should stay dry tonight. Probably no fire tonight, so PB&J for dinner...hehe. That's fine...we can cuddle in the tent and read our books by flashlight.

Have a good weekend, all!!

cash is evil

August 18th, 2005 at 03:11 pm

I can't keep cash in my wallet. It pours out like water.

August 17 Spending:
$6 Target
$4 Petsmart
$58 bassoon reeds
TOTAL: $67

I bought a baby saver for my fish tank. There are already too many fish in there...I know...but I can't stand the thought of the little babies starving to death in the tank (they don't seem to be eaten by the bigger ones, just don't get any food). I captured three of them and put them in the baby saver. It's so fun to watch them grow up! They are too cute! I'm going to have to figure out what to do with all of them, though. I wonder if the pet store will take fish from people's homes. SO and I are tossing around the idea of getting another tank, but I'm not sure where we'd put it.

Tonight we have to pick up some camping supplies. Hershey's bars for sure. Wink I hope it stops raining. I'm excited about being out in nature and getting away!

coffee

August 17th, 2005 at 03:28 pm

August 16 Spending
$20 coffee beans and two mochas

Not a no-spend day after all. We biked to the library, checked out a bunch of books, and picked up coffee along the way.

Thanks for the bag ideas! I found some that were nice, but not exactly what I am looking for. I'm being kind of picky about it, I guess.

I'm also debating about getting my hair cut and colored. My roots are something awful and I really need a cut (short hair really can be a pain in the butt!). I don't feel like spending $90, though. Maybe if I ask her to dye it closer to my natural color, I can stop having to go in every other month. It was fun for a while, but I'm growing tired of it.

Have to buy some bassoon reeds tonight...I haven't bought any for years, and band starts up again next month. Probably about $45.

SO and I are going camping all weekend - I forgot to include that on Monday's spending! Whoops. Campsite, $30.50. We'll have to buy a parking permit ($25) and I need a fishing license ($18).

I'm starting to feel guilty about my car. It cannot possibly be within emissions standards...not that I have to worry about that in MN...but I hate feeling like I am doing my part to harm the environment. Since practically all the dealerships have those "you pay what we pay" deals going on, I'm thinking about going to look at the trade-ins. Maybe I'll start by looking online.

trying to lie low

August 16th, 2005 at 07:03 pm

August 15 Spending
$54 car insurance (automatic)
$3 ice cream
$15 copay
TOTAL: $72

Tonight I'm going to the library via bike. I resisted going out to lunch with a coworker and ate what I brought to work instead.

I just canceled an order I placed for a hemp messenger bag back in July. They had it backordered until mid-August. Ok, it's mid-August, and they haven't returned my email from last week asking what the status was. I wrote to them today and canceled the order. $91 saved. I really want a messenger bag, though. It would be nice to consolidate my lunch, purse, and exercise clothes into one bag rather than several plastic bags. Maybe I will go out into the frightening world of pre-school sales and see what they are offering.

This might turn out to be a no-spend day!

more testing to be done

August 15th, 2005 at 04:57 pm

August 11 Spending
$11 restaurant dinner with my girlfriends (kind of spur of the moment)
$64 credit card payoff
TOTAL: $75

August 12 Spending (payday)
$25 to family savings fund
$25 to emergency savings fund
$50 to Roth IRA
$125 to Christmas gift savings fund
$135 college loan payment
$100 college loan payment
TOTAL: $460

August 13 Spending
$100 ATM (but only about $20 spent - didn't go to the Irish Festival as we had planned)
$64 Target
$11 Petsmart
$150 Ikea (two more barstools, two DVD racks, and a birthday gift for my sister)
TOTAL: $325
Got my rental return in the mail, $291 to deposit.
SO paid for groceries, $62. We went out to a movie with his parents, and they paid. Very sweet.

August 14 Spending
No spend day!

I have decided not to go with the first Lasik place I went to. The doctor didn't bother to call me back until today. I'm pretty irritated about their lack of customer service, especially about something so important - MY EYES. I went to a new optometrist today and had a bunch of testing done. He referred me to a retinal specialist to have a look at something odd in the back of my right eye, just to determine if I really can have Lasik done. Apparently I have a scar in the back of my eye, which could be adversely affected if I have Lasik. As in, I could end up with a blank spot in the center of my vision. Not cool. I can't believe that other Lasik clinic was so hellbent on getting my money that they didn't want to explore this issue further! I'd much rather play this safe than sorry. The doctor today said something rather disturbing - after seeing that scar in the back of my eye, he is surprised that I can see as well as I can. YIKES. So, we'll see what the specialist says next week.

SO and I were both feeling rather crappy all weekend. We couldn't pinpoint anything bad that we had eaten..maybe it was just viral. Feeling better today! Smile

still debating

August 11th, 2005 at 03:47 pm

August 9 Spending
$0
earned $3.21 from half.com

August 10 Spending
$30 Indian restaurant lunch buffet for three

I'm waiting for a doctor at the Lasik clinic to call me back so I can ask some questions. I'm going to make my decision after I talk to her. I am getting so sick of wearing my glasses!! Today I put my contacts in. I will take them out tonight and leave them out if I decide to do the surgery next week. I'm meeting some friends for dinner tonight, and wearing my glasses is giving me a major headache, so I put the contacts in.

Today feels like Friday. All day yesterday I thought it was Thursday! Payday can't come soon enough, I guess.

Lasik

August 9th, 2005 at 06:34 pm

I'm really not sure what to do. I went to my appointment today and it went fairly well. It's just going to be rather expensive...like $3300. I can get a $0 down 0% interest for one year thing, but that will still be $275 a month if I don't want to pay interest. I'm really not sure. I want to get the procedure done but the payments don't sound appealing at all. But when do they ever? Stick Out Tongue My eyes are dialated and it's giving me a headache. I will have to consider this more when I can think straight. I scheduled a tentative surgery date, though, and it's next week, so I need to do some quick thinking.

August 8 Spending:
$7 mochas for SO and me

He bought some groceries at the whole foods market, about $24. I offered to pay but he said he would!
We made an Indian dish for dinner and I made a raw dessert (interesting).

weekend flew by...

August 8th, 2005 at 03:00 pm

I just read about Peter Jennings in the paper. How sad. It scares the crap out of me too, because I know the smoker in my life will never quit (my father). Everyone has tried talking sense into him for years, but he'll never quit...he's too stubborn. *sigh*

August 5 Spending:
$0!!!
SO and I went to the art fair, where everything is beautiful but way too expensive. He bought dinner for us both, ~$8.

August 6 Spending:
$35 Super Target (saved approx $3 with coupons)
$27 Walgreens (prescription was finally filled)
TOTAL: $62
SO bought groceries, ~$50.
Saturday was the most productive day I've had in quite a while. I baked four loaves of bread and a peach pie and made hummus, and we washed three loads of laundry and one load of dishes. We also bought groceries, some things at Target, and picked up both of our prescriptions. In the evening, we watched a movie that we had checked out from the library, and had a frozen pizza for dinner.

August 7 Spending:
$21 Gasoline
I took a drive to have lunch with friends. It was a nice, mellow (and low-cost) day. I paid my half of the electric bill too, but I'm not going to track regular bills like that here.

what luck!

August 5th, 2005 at 04:57 pm

I went to pick up my car last night, expecting the checkbook blow....and it didn't come. The part they thought was bad was not, so they only replaced a gasket, to the tune of $65. My car is a LOT quieter now and I am so happy about the price!!! I think the healthy money tree is still helping me out! hehe. I'd better go home and give it a thorough watering.

August 4 Spending
$124 concert tickets
$65 car repair
TOTAL SPENT: $189

This daily spending log thing is an eye-opener.

Dinner last night was grilled corn on the cob, grilled eggplant (not good..I wish I knew how to prepare it properly), and vegetarian chicken burgers. Yum.

Tonight I think I'm going to an art fair, tomorrow I'm baking bread and cleaning, and Sunday I'm taking a drive to meet old friends for lunch. Laid back weekend!

car fix *gulp*

August 4th, 2005 at 06:59 pm

I dropped my car off at the repair shop last night, and SO and I walked home from there (about a mile). On the way home, we stopped at the bookstore.

August 3 Spending:
$15 on a book I've been wanting to read that the library doesn't have, and I can't wait to start it!
$5 on a bookmark for a dear friend that I've been out of touch with lately - "The road to a friend's house is never long" - although the road between Louisiana and Minnesota IS rather long, it's the thought that counts.
TOTAL SPENT: ~$20

I think I am sufficiently supplied with reading material for a while. I have seven books waiting to be devoured. I wish I could stay awake a bit longer before bed so I could read, but maybe I should start reading right after dinner instead.

Dinner last night was delicious. My sweetie made a great fresh-vegetable stir fry.

I am dreading the repair shop bill tonight, but at least I have a good idea of how much it will cost. I also bought concert tickets to Gwen Stefani for me and SO (he says he will pay me back, but it all works out in the end). The concert is in November - I'm excited! Totally unnecessary splurge, but I only go to a big-name concert about once every two years.

Yesterday afternoon I had a 1/2 hour phone interview. They asked some strange questions, so I'm not sure what they thought of me. The job I applied for was not a computer tech position, yet the questions were about how I would diagnose problems in PowerPoint. uh....might be useful if I was sitting in front of the computer looking at the problem, people.

Tonight I'm picking up the car, forking over half a paycheck, and going home to read. Smile

appt made

August 3rd, 2005 at 03:36 pm

Thanks for the bit of encouragement! I made a free consultation appointment with the Lasik people for next week. I know it will be expensive. I've worn glasses for 19 years and contacts for 12 years, and I think I'm ready for a change. The procedure seems a little scary to me, but maybe that will be cleared up during the consultation. I also have this other funny thought in my head...my eyesight is really pretty bad, so without correction, everything is blurry unless it is about three inches away from my nose. There is something oddly comforting about having the world be a blur when I go to sleep (maybe because my sight has been so bad for so long?). But, there are lots of good reasons to get the procedure done. I can't imagine being able to swim and see. I've never had that luxury, unless I've had my contacts in, and then they get all crunchy and stuck to the eyeballs.

August 2 Spending:
$5.45 grocery store for lunch
$3.57 soy mocha coffee

We went to Super Target after work for a few groceries and home things, but SO paid (I've decided to stop calling him BF because he is obviously much more than that). For dinner we grilled delicious corn, peppers, onions, and zucchini. I battered and fried an eggplant as well. Delicious. Tonight we'll be grilling again, because there's still a ton of veggies, and I don't want them to go bad!

Aug 1 spending

August 2nd, 2005 at 03:42 pm

$15.86 gasoline
$12.18 three used paperback mystery novels (one was signed by the author! how crazy is that?)
$18.34 dinner with a friend (good company but bad food, won't be going back to that restaurant)
$14.99 cute skirt

Total: $61.37

I'm not taking the cake decorating courses this month. I'm sure I won't have any problem finding things to spend the money on, though.

Last night I really had the desire to give up on trying to save money and trying to get thin. I'm obviously not very good at either, so what is the point of pretending? I'm still here showing everyone how much I'm spending, though, so I guess I haven't given up yet.

I'm thinking about going in for a Lasik vision correction consultation. I got a card in the mail saying that it's $0 down and 0% interest until 2007, but only for the rest of the month. It's tempting. I'm really getting sick of wearing contacts and glasses.

yes...I went shopping

July 31st, 2005 at 09:46 pm

Today I got up early and went to the Farmers Market. I was reading an article this morning in my latest Organic Style magazine about how it makes more sense to buy locally grown produce when you have the chance rather than organic produce at the market, simply because it's much fresher (duh). So, I headed out, and $13.25 bought:

Two green bell peppers
Two white bell peppers
Two purple bell peppers
Five zucchinis
Three eggplants
Six ears of corn
A bunch of greens (Indian Spinach, I think)
Several tomatoes

I stopped by the grocery store and picked up three avocados, a head of romaine lettuce, three gigantic peaches, and a package of organic eggs ($15). I also bought the Sunday paper ($1.75). I walked into Michaels to pick up their August class list and did not buy thing.

Later, I realized that the toilet had broken, so I paid $5 for a new flapper, and fixed it myself.

I'm pretty happy with the day. My August savings goals may be in jeopardy because I may take a few cake decorating courses with a friend (they are half price this month). I'd have to buy decorating tips too, so it would end up being approx $58. However, I have bought almost all of the groceries this month (almost $200) so BF can take care of that next month.

I just realized that I didn't spend much at all on eating out this month (maybe $10 max). BF and I didn't eat out together much either. That's why that grocery bill is so darn high *sigh* but better groceries than restaurants, I guess.

Off to figure out the tastiest way to prepare eggplant...

sloth-like Saturday

July 31st, 2005 at 01:55 am

I'm on my own this weekend, and I had two goals for today: 1) have a rare no-spend day 2)try to eat better than I normally do. I successfully completed number one, but not without difficulty. All day I caught myself thinking about things I wanted to buy..."oh I should go to the grocery store and pick up some avocados"..."I could really use another cute skirt"...."I could buy that cookbook, it looks wonderful"..."I wonder if that infomercial teeth-whitening product really works"... etc etc etc. I have not left the house all day (other than to get the mail) and that is the only reason I have not spent anything today. Unfortunately, goal #2 failed miserably. I filled my desire to shop with an excessive amount of chocolate. I succeeded in doing a little cleaning, a load of laundry, and a load of dishes today. Otherwise, the rest of my time has been consumed with eating chocolate, thinking about shopping, watching tv, and finishing my book. The peace and quiet and lack of planned activities is a welcome relief, though.

We shall see how tomorrow will fare....

curtains

July 29th, 2005 at 03:23 pm

What did I just say about needing to stay out of the stores? I stopped by JcPenney last night because they were having a big sale (as always) and I knew they had lots of curtains. I bought some for our bedroom. I'm still not sure if they are perfect or not; I'll have to live with them for a few days to see. They were half price, though. I also bought a skirt at half price, which I'm wearing today, and I've already received one compliment on it. Smile

In any case, I spent about $70 yesterday. I made a dessert last night for a dinner party we're going to tonight. BF is going out of town for the weekend, so assuming I stay out of the stores and keep myself busy at home, it should be a no-spend weekend. Today is payday, so I put $75 in savings and $25 to my Roth. The prescription still isn't ready and probably won't be until next week, so that goes into August's budget, along with my car repair. All I have left to spend on this month is rent.

I put 17% of my salary into savings & retirement this month. I think I've been calculating my "percent of income spent" wrong, because I'm counting things twice on my spreadsheet (once in the category, and again in the credit card part if it was charged). If I'm looking at it right now, in July I spent 81% of my income and put 17% toward savings, so that makes for a total of 98% used. Not bad. I had a lot of cash flow this month, though, with an extra paycheck and my rent deposit returned (and no rent paid in July). Next month will be tighter. Time to batten down the hatches!

Goals for August:
$150 to emergency fund
$50 to family fund
$100 to Roth IRA
$100 to Christmas gift fund
$100 to smaller college loan (twice the payment due)
get my car fixed (the main part, anyway)

painful car repair estimate

July 25th, 2005 at 02:34 pm

My car is going to cost about $700 to fix...and that's only to replace the things that I can actually hear going wrong (i.e. catalytic converter rumbling and a belt squealing). I suspect I need my brakes looked at and my tie rods replaced. I can barely afford to replace the catalytic converter, so the other things are just going to have to wait. My car is probably not worth much more than $700. It's tempting to buy a newer car (and everyone is saying DO IT), but the cost of these car repairs is nothing compared to what a monthly car payment would be. If I spend $1000 a year on repairs, that's still only $83 a month. I'm not going to find a car payment for that, and even if I could, it would likely be a piece of crap car that would need additional repairs anyway. *sigh* I wish I made a lot of money so I could buy a brand new car and not have to worry about this for a while. At least the repair estimate was only $20.

After hearing that painful estimate, I went to the grocery store and blew $100. I know, silly. It's funny how I feel that repairing my car is not worth it but sugar free pudding is. Stick Out Tongue We are stocked for a while now, especially in fruit.

I paid off my other credit card in full ($380). I sold a book on half.com and was paid for it today ($4).

I applied for a few jobs last week...we'll see if I hear from anyone. I need to make more money if I am ever going to get out of this state, buy a new car, buy a house, etc etc etc.

Saturday and Sunday were no spend days. I don't think I've ever said that. How refreshing!

Ikea goodies

July 20th, 2005 at 04:23 pm

Last night I went to Ikea and bought several things for our apartment, totaling about $64. I got

Text is this and Link is http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=10926&langId=-1&parentCats=13716*13721
this mirror, which I had been dying to have for the dining room, and
Text is this and Link is http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=21984&langId=-1&parentCats=10109*10246*10419
this print for our bedroom. We already have
Text is this and Link is http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=12&productId=22148&langId=-1&parentCats=10109*10246*10421
this one in the bedroom (are you sensing a beach theme?) so it will look nice. We are ticking off the days until we can get away and move to the west coast, but until then, we are making our bedroom into our own ocean oasis. I had to go to the doctor yesterday (UGH) so I felt I deserved a treat, and I got a $1 frozen non-fat yogurt cone at Ikea. They are surprisingly delicious! We stopped by the MOA, got a baby gift for this weekend, and BF bought some new clothes. We ended up ordering pizza for dinner (he paid). Not doing so well on the diet circuit, but the apartment is getting better and thus my spirits are lifting a little.

This morning I've been researching jobs. I'm trying to decide how I should reinvent myself. I desperately want to be a copyeditor but no publishing firm in this city will hire me (I have little experience) and I don't want to move to the east coast. I was looking into becoming a paralegal, but it sounds like they do most of the work, while the lawyers get the credit and the big bucks. I think next I'll look into desktop publishing.

Monday Schmunday

July 18th, 2005 at 11:14 pm

It's always Monday.

I didn't bring my car in this weekend. I did a little shopping on Saturday (just some necessities and a couple of small gifts). Ate lunch at Taco Bell but ate dinner in. Wasn't feeling too well in the evening, so I mostly read my book. On Sunday I ran to the Farmers Market and bought the most beautiful petunia plant. It's about three times the size of a normal hanging plant. I can't wait to hang it up on the deck! It's been in the 90s for almost two weeks though, and close to 100 all weekend, so I haven't hung it up yet. Today we've gotten a bit of relief, finally, with 77 degrees. The weather here is nuts, and that's one of my primary reasons for wanting to get the hell out of dodge. My sort-of-not-really-in-laws bought us lunch on Sunday, and I made dinner for all of us.

I got my rental deposit back from my previous landlord today - YEAH! I'm so happy it came. I'm going to pay off my other credit card with it, and this month's bigger college loan payment. Not the most exciting to most people, but I know savingadvicers will appreciate how good it feels to pay off a credit card. Wink Of course, it will be a temporary happiness if my car repair is exorbitant.

Hoping to get back into my frugal ways this week...

Also, I'm wondering how Laura (FrugalTexan75) is doing. Haven't seen her around lately....hope things are ok!


<< Newer EntriesOlder Entries >>