Apartment & Job Update

We found an apartment!! We really like the main living space. There is a lot of room. One bedroom has a bigger closet and one a bigger room, so there was no problem deciding who gets which room. I am very excited to have this decided. One less thing to worry about. Now I just have to move all of my stuff. I can't wait to start saving some money.

I applied for a new position at the company I work for. I am very nervous about this, but we'll see what happens. I am not sure when I will hear anything.

I bought groceries today since things will be closed on Sunday. I came in $10 under budget. I also got gas and a car wash. I came in $2 under budget for those things. I have also been trying to get a lot of studying in. I have so much to get through. I don't want to get behind. I would have liked to go home to visit my family this weekend, but I decided against it. I have plans with a friend tomorrow night instead. It's finally nice out here, so I am hoping for a good weekend.

This Weekend

What a weekend it has been! I spent more than I intended, but it was well worth it. I had a great time with my family. It was nice to see them again. I got sick towards the end of the week, so I slept in for awhile on Saturday before my family got here. Even with the extra sleep, I still wasn't feeling that great. I am a little better today, but I think it might be a hard start to the week. I don't like being sick. The sore throat and coughing get old quick. I have no appetite, so I haven't had to spend much on groceries!!

My parents bought me some shoes and groceries this weekend. I am very appreciative of the purchases. I was able to stock up on a few things from Trader Joe's, so I won't have to worry about going there for the next few weeks. And I love the shoes I got. They are very cute tennis shoes.

I bought myself a track jacket which was on sale. Even though I need new clothes due to very few of mine fitting, I have a lot of tanks and tees that fit. I thought a track jacket would be nice for something to throw over them when it's a little cool out.

I have a lot going on this week. I will be spending some money, but that's okay. I am trying to find a balance between doing some activities which I enjoy and saving. It's hard. I think it will take some time.

I also need to figure out if I want to take a class to study for the next part of my exam and what to do with my apartment lease by Tuesday. I am very torn on what to do.

I want to take the class because it would force me to complete things by a certain time. The discussions would also be nice. It is expensive though. I would get reimbursed afterwards by work. I worry about the economy though and what if I were to get laid off before the class is over. My savings interest rates have dropped so low that it doesn't seem like it would really matter if I took the money out for the class. (I am very disappointed by my rates currently.)

As far as my living situation goes, I am very torn on this as well. I would like to save money on rent, but that means having roommates. I have been living alone for about 2.5 years. It's been nice, but at times it would also be nice to have someone around. I live very close to work currently and end up having to drive further to work each day. I am not used to driving in rush hour traffic, so this kind of scares me. It would be nice to not have to drive so far to spend time with my friends though. We have been looking at what's out there. I am not sure if there would be two or three of us. That's part of the problem currently. Three people is hard to get all of the things we want (being a garage spot for each of us). Two people is much easier, but I wouldn't save as much as with three.

Any suggestions are welcome!!

My Life Currently

I am completely exhausted right now. I have been working 12 hour days and then coming home and working a few more hours before going to bed. I have also been working at least one day each weekend. I can't wait for this time of the year to be over with. I want to get back to my normal life. I have been managing to work out at least 4 days a week still. I am making this a priority no matter what I have going on. I think work should quiet down a little bit after this week.

My family is coming to visit me this weekend. I have plans on Friday night with a friend. I think it should be a good weekend overall. I am hoping to do some shopping. I want to find some deals for items which are on my list of clothes I want to buy. I am slowly working at buying the items on my list as I find them on sale and that fit. I struggle to find clothes that fit me right.

I have started running at the gym. I am hoping to sign up for a 5k in a few months if all goes well. This will be a huge accomplishment for me. I really enjoy working out. I feel great lately. The cost is well worth it to me.

Due to working so much, I haven't spent much money lately. I have spent a little more on groceries than I probably should be but that's okay. I haven't spent it on other items, so that's a plus. I am still under budget.

I really want to start highlighting my hair again, but I am worried about the cost. I know I probably shouldn't, but I love my hair when it's highlighted. It has so much more body and it's thicker.

The boy . . . we haven't had time to do anything this past week. We are both very busy with work and other things right now. I am hoping after this weekend we can spend a little more time together and see what happens. I really enjoy spending time with him, so I hope it works out. You just never know though.

I will post after this weekend once I know how much I spent. I hope to stay within my budget!

My Weekend . . . And Upcoming Weeks

This is the busiest time of the year for me. I am heading to work for awhile today. I hope for only a few hours to get some things done so I am caught up for Monday. I have plans later with a friend for a movie and shopping. (Neither of us have boyfriends to go out with for Valentine's Day.) I also hope to go to Trader Joe's and pick up around my apartment this weekend. I want to be ready for the next few weeks.

Next weekend is the first of a few required work weekends for my group. It will be very busy. I can't wait for it to be a month from now so that things quiet down a bit. Work provides lunch for us on the weekends, so that's nice. It will be hard to fit much else in, so the more I get done this weekend, the better off I will be. I just need to make sure I keep up my workouts. They really help how I feel, especially during stressful times.

I spent a lot more than I planned on groceries this week. There were some great sales on things I use regularly though, so I stocked up. I also need to stock up at Trader Joe's this weekend since I won't have time to go in the next few weeks.

I am hoping to find some tops on sale today when I am at the mall. I also have coupons to use. I am planning to go to Barnes and Noble as well to pick up a book I really want. I have a $50 gift card and a coupon for there, so I don't feel so bad about buying a book.

Have a great Valentine's Day weekend!

Week 3 Spending

I know I am a day late!! It's been a busy weekend. The company I work for changed their holiday schedule, so I now I have MLK Jr Day off. I took advantage of the long weekend and have been trying to get a ton done.

January 17th (Saturday)
- Groceries: $10.24
- Apt/PHP Items: $8.74
- Movie (Bride Wars): $5.00

January 18th (Sunday)
- Groceries: $34.50
- Gift: $2.60- Gas: $18.56

Total Weekly Spending: $79.64

This weekend was higher than I wanted. It seems to be a trend. That's not good. I don't normally go to movies, but I decided to spend time with a friend since I had a long weekend. I enjoyed the movie. There were some good previews as well. I will probably wait until they come out on DVD. I stocked up on a few things from Super Walmart. It's a bit of a drive, so I should be good on groceries from there until at least the end of February. I finally got gas this weekend. It's been three weeks!! My mileage was awful though because of the cold. It finally warmed up here. I am very excited for that. It's entertaining that people get so excited when it's above zero.

Other things going on in life that are finance related . . . I need to get started studying hard core again. I have had a month off from studying, so I figure it's about time. The sooner I take the next part of my exam, the sooner I get reimbursed from work. I have been working out a lot lately. I am glad I am using my gym membership. I was worried I would join and then quit going after a week. I have been successful so far. My family is heading to Vegas Memorial Day weekend for a wedding. I am trying to decide if I will go or not. I feel like I should since it's my cousin getting married, and we have a small family. I am not sure if it's in my budget or not though. I am waiting to find out who's all going for sure before I decide. If I can keep the room costs down that would help. The flights are around $320 for a direct flight. That seems like a lot to me. It's an expensive weekend to head out there in my mind.

Grocery Shopping & Nail Update

I went to a specialty store after work today to pick up a few gluten free/dairy free items which I can only get there. They were out of one of the things I wanted . . . AGAIN! Last time I went they were out as well. I even asked the stock people both times if they had any in the back. None. I am not very impressed right now. I can only get these items at this store, so I guess I am out of luck for now.

One of my goals for 2009 was to quit biting my nails. Well, it's been just over two weeks, and so far, so good. I have white showing on each nail which is a huge thing for me!! They need to be filed down a little this weekend. If I keep them pretty short the nails are actually very strong. I hate the sound of a nail clipper, so I only file my nails. I don't know what it is about that sound, but I just can't stand it!

Another Busy Week

This week has been very busy. We have a lot of changes going on at work. I am also still catching up from time off over the holidays. I am trying to get back into working out regularly. I also need to get some things done around my apartment. All of this has lead to 3 no spend days so far this week though! Yay!

I am not planning to spend much this weekend. I might go into work for awhile to get some things done while it's quiet there. It's supposed to get very cold here next week, so I need to go to the grocery store this weekend. I don't like running errands when it's extremely cold out.

I am traveling for work on January 22-23. I have never been on a work trip out of town before. It will be interesting! There are two other people from my department going. I am looking forward to meeting people in person that I talk to on the phone a lot. It will be good networking.

I decided that I am not going to a mall at all in January. I have a lot of things on my to do list, work is very busy, I am trying to save money, and I don't need anything right now. So, the best choice is to just resist temptation. Next month may be a different story though. I need to get into working out a lot more though before I can buy any clothes. Another motivation for working out more!

Christmas Vacation Update

I am still on vacation from work, but I am back at my apartment now. I returned from my parent's house yesterday. I was planning to stay another day or two, but once I heard the forecast I decided to head back early. I am sure glad I did! They got over 7 inches of snow last I heard. There is also snow where I live resulting in more accidents, so I am glad to be safely home and not having to go anywhere.

On the money front . . . I didn't spend much money while at my parent's. I did go to the mall, but I did not find anything! That saved me from spending money unnecessarily. My parents are very generous when I am home. They paid for my oil change, bought me a few things from Target, and drove me around while I was there. My car sat in the garage most of the time. It was great. They have so much snow there, so I really didn't want to drive on their roads.

I love that gas prices have gone down. It only cost $15 to fill up my tank after my 4 hour drive to my parent's house last Monday. It cost a little more when I got back here yesterday because I also needed a car wash due to all of the salt on my car. (Another reason I am not a fan of living in the upper Midwest.) I also needed lots of groceries after being gone for a week. I was able to limit my spending on groceries to $34. That was good. I stocked up on a few things, so I should be able to spend less next week. My only expenses for the past week have been gas and groceries. The total was around $75 which was within my budget! Yay!
I got some great presents from my family for Christmas. They were all items that I wanted but didn't want to buy myself. Those are the best things to get. I got an angel food cake pan, a purple shirt from The Limited, a sweatshirt with my college logo on it, and a banana tree. My family loved everything I got them as well.

I am still working on getting my 2009 goals figured out. I hope to post them soon. As of right now, I am planning to be boring and stay home tomorrow night. I have a cold, so I don't feel like going out. I am planning to see how I feel tomorrow and decide. Some friends of mine are having people over, so if I do anything, I will go to their place. At least it will be a cheap night if I do something.

I hope everyone has a great New Year's Eve and stays safe!

Pre-Holiday Expenses

I went to the store today to pick up a little fruit to get me through the weekend. I only spent about $2. I don't plan to spend any other money this weekend besides filling up my car with gas. This should be minimal as I only need a few gallons. I want to have a full tank when I leave for my parent's either Monday or Tuesday.

I am going to bake some cookies and bars this weekend. I purchased all the supplies for those over the past few weeks, so no more money needs to be spent there. I also have all of my Christmas presents (except for one I can't get yet) and the supplies to wrap them. That's also on my to do list this weekend. I will be picking up my brother's present when I get back home.

My other weekend plans include: making the top of a quilt (for my parent's-not their Christmas present), cleaning, doing laundry, packing, and lots of working! It's going to be a busy weekend. I hope I can get through it all. I am planning to go into work tomorrow and then work from home on Sunday. We are supposed to get more snow sometime Saturday and into Sunday. Sunday will be a good day to stay home and finish up frosting cookies and packing.

Overall, I shouldn't spend more than $30 before Christmas. This is assuming I don't go shopping once I get home. I am thinking about going, but I know I shouldn't spend the money. I can't wait to get home and eat lots of food!

Weekend Spending

I went to run errands today which means more money spent. I had to go to two grocery stores, but I bought only what was on my list at least place. I am all set for my holiday baking now. I made a roast today which means no cooking for the next few days. I should only have to go to the store once before I head back to my parent's house for the holidays. That trip should be under $10, maybe even under $5.

I also got gas today. I debated about filling up, but I want to make sure that I have a full tank since I have to drive to my test on Wednesday and it's going to be cold here this week. I paid $1.669 a gallon. I was well under budget on my gas.

No spending now until later next week at the earliest I am hoping. I hope to workout again tomorrow (I went this morning), but the weather will determine if I dare go out or not. We might get the edge of a winter storm tonight/tomorrow. Tomorrow through Tuesday will be lots of studying. I have my test on Wednesday morning. I am very nervous. I really need to pass. Work will reimburse if I do, so there is also a lot of money on the line. I am taking Tuesday afternoon off to get some extra study time in.

I will be very busy once this test is over. Then I need to start getting ready for Christmas. I can't wait to start baking. My mom and I split the cookie making duties. I usually make sugar cookies. I have a lot of them to take this year. I also want to start thinking more about my goals for 2009. I have some ideas, but I need to write them down and see how realistic they are.

No Spend Weekend

I spent no money this weekend!! I stayed in all day Saturday and Sunday, so that would be why. I had a lot to get done and it was cold here so I didn't mind. I have a very busy week between work and getting ready for Thanksgiving. I spent no money today either. I am hoping to do the same tomorrow. Wednesday I have to pick up a few things for Thanksgiving, but hopefully I won't sped any more than $10. On Friday I really need to limit myself. There isn't anything I really need though, so I should be okay.

My Friday

I am so glad it's Friday even though I have to do some stuff for work this weekend. The nice part is that I have full access from home, so I will be able to work from the comfort of my couch.

Today after work I went to the mall to look at a few things. I checked out cell phones. I have narrowed my decision slightly. I am going to wait until next week to do anything in hopes of them having some after Thanksgiving sales. I ended up buying a sweater. I had planned to look next weekend, but I found one I really liked today and it was 25% off. No shopping for me next weekend now!

Then it was off to the grocery store to get everything for Thanksgiving since I am having my family here this year for the first time ever. I think I did pretty good. I spent $45.02. I had planned for $45. This includes my food for today through Wednesday as well. Then next weekend will be lots of leftovers for me!

Yesterday . . . my toaster oven broke. I emailed the company since it's not even a year old, but no luck so far. I use it every morining for breakfast, so now I have had to change my morning routine. So, my no spending next weekend may go out the window if this doesn't get fixed and there is a really good sale on one.

Cell phone side note . . . I do not have a landline, so this is my only phone. I have been researching and price watching in order to get the best deal on a high quality cell phone. For me, this is a very important decision since I will have this phone for at least two years. I hope to limit my spending on this phone, but I also want somethings that is high quality.

This weekend . . . I hope to not spend any additional money. More studying this weekend! I also need to start cleaning and getting ready for my family next week. And of course work!

Busy Week

This has been a very busy week for me at work. Next week will be as well. This means no time to spend money though, so that's great. I am planning to go grocery shopping this weekend for Thanksgiving. I am really hoping to keep my spending under $45. I normally spend about $25 each week on groceries, so this is an increase of $20. I have a list which I priced out with the best ad this week, so I should be able to do it.

I might go look at cell phones this weekend if I get the itch to shop. I will not be buying a new phone this weekend though. I want to wait until after Thanksgiving to see if they have any good deals then. I would like to get an idea of which phones I like prior to Thanksgiving weekend.

I can't wait for the holidays so that I have a long weekend since mine will be cut short this weekend due to having to work. I also need to fit in lots of studying this weekend. It will be a busy one!

My Week

I am so glad it's Friday! It's cold and windy here today. I ran a few errands after work so that I can stay home all weekend. I went to Trader Joe's and Walmart. I spent about $40 total, so that's not too bad. I shouldn't have any other shopping trips until one week from Sunday when I go buy everything for Thanksgiving. That will be a spendier trip. I do have $10 in gift certificates to use at my regular grocery store, so I am planning to go there.

I still have not gotten gas, so sometime next week I will have to do that. I hope to not spend any money other than on groceries until Thanksgiving. Well, groceries and my normal bills.

My plans for the weekend are to stay home and study. I really need to get a lot done this weekend. I also want to get some things done around my apartment so that I don't have to do so much next weekend because I also may need to work some next weekend due to the short holiday week after that. Why do holidays always end up during the busiest times at work?

Have a great weekend!!

I Have Heat!!!

I love when simple things in life make you happy. A very nice man from the heating company came late yesterday and fixed my furnace. Apparently my apartment complex has a wasp problem (news to me) and they get into the HVAC unit through a vent. They get into the motor and it breaks. It is very nice to be warm again. It came just in time too because we have had rain/snow all day today. It's not a very nice day here.

I ended up going nowhere and spending no money this weekend. It was great. The last time I spent any money was on Friday. Even then I only spent $1.79 on groceries due to having coupons. I am hoping to spend very little this week. I will need gas and a few more groceries, but that should be it.

Happy Veteran's Day!

Weekend Goal

My goals for this weekend . . .

1.) Only spend money on gas and groceries. There should be nothing else I need this weekend.
2.) Study lots!!!!

There is currently snow on the ground outside. I am not sure if I am ready for winter, but it's here whether I like it or not. I might have to turn my heat on this weekend since it's going to get cold and stay there.

Grocery Store

I went to pick a few groceries today because the store closest to my house had a number of things on sale that I needed or will need in the next week or two. The place was a zoo!! It was crazy. And to top it off, they were out of some of the items on my list!! I am never going back on a Monday after work again. People know a good sale when they see one I guess.

Updates

I updated my sidebars. All of my funds have increased expect for the house down payment fund. I was planning to start contributing to this, but my plans changed. I decided to work aggressively to pay off my car. I am hoping to have it paid off two years from now. After that I will focus on saving for a house.

I have money saved for a trip, but I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon. At least I have the money if I decide to!

I picked up a few groceries today and got gas. It was under $25 for three quarters of a tank!! How exciting. I am not planning to go anywhere tomorrow because it's going to be cold and windy here with a change of flurries. That means no more spending this weekend for me. I will have to get a few more groceries sometime this week because I only bought produce today. I still have $13 in my food budget for this week, so that's fine. I hope they have some good deals in the ads tomorrow.

Glad It's Friday

What a week this was!! I am exhausted after a very busy week at work. I have to decide this weekend if I am going to take another part of my certification exam prior to the end of the year. I want to, but I haven't been studying as much as I need to. I am hoping to see how the studying goes this weekend and go from there. Any thoughts on how to get myself to study even after a long day at work?

I am hoping to not spend very much this weekend. I need some groceries. I hope to keep my non-grocery spending to less than $20. I also should get gas this weekend. I heard some places here are down to $2.29. How great is that! A year or two ago I would have been complaining about that price. Now I am glad we're that low ago. I am curious to see how long it will continue to drop.

The weather is getting colder here. I am still waiting to turn my heat on. I am not sure how much longer I will be able to wait. I think I can for sure make it until Sunday. I hope I can go even longer than that.

Random Thoughts

It's been awhile since I have posted again. I always mean to, but sometimes the days are over before you know it. The weather has cooled off here. I am really trying to not turn my heat on. I regret that decision some mornings when I don't want to get out of bed. Last year I was able to hold off until almost Thanksgiving. I don't think I will be so lucky this year. My apartment maintenance people are coming to do energy audits on each apartment next week. They will be cleaning the refrigerator coils and HVAC filters. I think I am going to leave a note asking if we could get programmable thermostats installed. It's worth a shot to see what they will say.

I asked this week about my equity adjustment at work. My boss said it is still planned. I am curious to see how much it will be. It should be in place sometime in November. These things always take a long time to go through at my workplace. This will be nice because it will offset the cost of my health insurance premiums which start in my January checks.

I have been doing pretty good at not spending extra money. I am going to do some meal planning this weekend and make a grocery list based on that. I want to start grocery shopping less often, so meal planning would really help me out in that area.

I checked my 401k balance the other day. It was painful. I am just going to forget about it for awhile. Or try to!!