Well, Associated Content bought another one of my articles, so I added another $3.99 to my challenge money. My goal for today is to write 3 articles. I've got 1 down... getting the motivation to write is hard! But I'm going to continue kicking myself until I get it done. That'll make my goal of 5 for the week.

I cleaned D's house yesterday, so that got me $40 and lunch He also gave me a job offer with his company... assuming that the girl he offered it to otherwise declines. He would have offered me the job to begin with, but he said without a car it would be difficult for me to get back and forth. So if this girl declines, he's going to give me the job and help me get a vehicle (more or less give me a small loan). So we'll see how that goes. Cross your fingers for me!

I've decided that regardless, I'll be buying a car here in the next couple weeks. It's come to that point where I really need one, and it's starting to get cold... I've been scouring craigslist, so we'll see what that turns up. If I could finance something in the $4-5k range that would be fine, too. It wouldn't take long to pay off.

Either way, time to be productive! Have a great day everyone!

Well, I certainly spent more than I had intended last night... about $40 when everything was said and done. That was a few for me, a few for mom, and one for my newly dumped friend. Plus a sandwich. The rest of my week is going to be very low-key as a result. Either way, had an excellent night hanging out with my friend before he leaves and doing some karaoke

On the positive financial front, however, I've written 2 articles for associated content and applied at examiner.com. So hopefully things will prove successful on that front. I've also gotten 2 replies to my ad listed for tutoring services on craigslist. So that's also a win.

Today is my grandma's birthday. We're doing dinner and cake at mom's house. I was going to buy her a card, but I really dont feel like spending the money now. Instead, I think I'm going to make her one I just got a painting set a few weeks ago that I should attempt to use anyway. I think it'll be nice.

So I have a fun painting project to do as well

I have $5.67 in my paypal account from my last associated content payment. There were some accumulated per view payments in there (pennies, really, but every little bit counts right?). I'm putting that money toward my pseudo-$20 challenge. It's going into my vacation savings, anyway. I'm in the process of linking my new bank account with my online savings account. It'll all go there eventually.

So I've got $25.67 toward that vacation. I dont have much time to get all that money in order. So I need to start working on it. All my writing money is going to go toward that vacation for sure. I'm definitely going to keep track of how much money I'm banking on this writing. If I can make over $35 this month, I'll be happy. That's my goal there, then, I suppose

So many goals... so very little time. Guess I just have to kick it into overdrive!

Either way, time to go start my day (finally. haha). Hope everyone has a good one!

Today's Grocery Shopping Trip:

Flat Leaf Spinach $1.49
Avocado $0.79
Whole Wheat Bread $1.49
Bananas $0.88
Light Poppyseed Dressing $0.99
Baby Carrots $0.80
Peanut Butter $1.39
Frozen Berries $2.79
Tub Plain, Nonfat Yogurt $1.59
Soymilk $1.39
Can Butter Beans $0.59
Can Chunk Pineapple $0.79
Tub lowfat Cottage Cheese $2.29

TOTAL: $17.27

There were a couple extras thrown in here. I love avocados, and haven't found them less than $2 each for months, so I decided to treat myself I still have plenty of poppyseed dressing, but like other favorites I've found at ALDI, they dont always continue carrying them, and these were marked "while supplies last," so I figured I'd pay the $0.99 and have an extra. I made a kidneybean hummus the other day, and it was pretty good, so I decided to get another can of beans- white ones- so perhaps I can make a cheaper version of the chickpea favorite BF and I enjoy (he's not a fan of kidney beans). Bread I only buy every other week, same with the berries. And the peanut butter should last me a little while.

In other financial news, I worked a looong day yesterday. My restaurant did a 3-hour event, so I got paid $50 for working that. Also, when we returned from the event, the restaurant was slammed, and I took a table, so I made another $11 or so in tips, and worked a couple extra hours.

I stopped at the bank on my short-lived break yesterday and my request for the other CC was denied. Not suprised, and not really all that bummed about that. I'd rather find a cheaper alternative. Someone put a comment on my last post about lending club, and I signed up, so we'll see if anyone funds me. That would be great. The interest rate would be much, much lower.

I transferred more $ to my savings account, so now I'm up to $1510

BF and I had a really nice talk last night on the phone. He'll be home friday, so I'm pretty excited. We talked about a bunch of things, but applicable here is the topic of debt. See, I still dont know how much debt BF has. I know he has a considerable amount, mostly CC debt. He made some unwise spendy choices in the last few years, and has been a little embarrased about telling me how much. But he says he wants to sit down and go over it with me. Which I'm incredibly happy about.

Talk about getting married was brought up again, but he's still not decided. We both want to get married, the timing issue is what is up in the air. It's beneficial to us on many levels if we get hitched before he leaves for Iraq (in December)-- financially, emotionally, better for him if I can take care of his stuff when he's away, etc. But at the same time, we dont want to rush into things.

Personally, I'm all for it I guess the girl in me gets excited at the thought of it. But at the same time, I know myself pretty well, and I know it wouldn't be a mistake. There are, of course, things that could happen. But at the same time, things could happen regardless of whether or not he goes overseas.

However, I'm not rushing him into a decision. He can take as much time as he needs to think it over (well, as long as it's before he leaves! haha). But we'll see. There may be a wedding in November, there may not. Either way I'm happy being with him

Well, time to get my day started. I'm going to work out at some point, and I have work at 7:00pm. Gotta make some money!!

Everyone have a great day!

So this weekend was a busy one. Friday I got off work and hit the craft store, then spent some time making a couple new items. Then met mom out, then saw a show, then went home and went right to sleep.

Yesterday I went to this parade in Cleveland, and that was a lot of fun. I ended up spending the night there because an old friend of mine was in town and we went to a party. Needless to say, it was too late and I was a bit too intoxicated to drive. It was a blast, and I was so happy to see him (it was the first time in over 3 years), but 2 nights of staying up late have caught up with me.

So today I'm feeling pretty tired. I'm trying to be productive despite all that. I made another pair of earrings and put my 3 new items up on etsy. Here are some pics:



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=12551200



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_...



http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_...

I sent that email to the nurse, so hopefully she'll send it along

I also published a new poem on associated content, so hopefully it'll get some page views. If any of you guys enjoy poetry, you should check mine out (I like to think it's pretty good). You can also listen to one of my songs there:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/105776/tara_dawn.html

And I sold a book on amazon. Yay! There's $5 more that I can add to my tuition payments.

Well, I think I'll stop barraging everyone with my plugs now

Hope everyone has a great night!

Well, I yet again made good money at work today... $50.96. I stopped at the bank and made a deposit on my way home. Then transferred $110 more to my challenge money. So that brings me to $1145. Not bad for less than 3 months...

I need to get some homework done and go to BF's twin's. It's thier birthday today, and they're having a cookout. Then I have to duck out early to go to class :/ Bah.

At any rate, I should get on that homework. I hope everyone has a great day!

I tried posting yesterday, but the site went all whacky. At any rate... Yesterday was a busy day. I spent the morning running around. BF is at some 3 week training thing for the military. I had to drop him off at about 6:30am. Quite a bit early. I ended up going to my mom's to give her the anklet I made for her. It matches the necklace I made for myself, both were made using shells I got from the beach vacation we took at the beginning of May. Picture:



I stopped at the consignment shop that I have clothes at, and I've made $32.50 so far. Not bad. She wrote me a check, so I'll deposit that and put it toward my challenge money. I made earrings to match the bracelet I made the other day. I'm feeling pretty good about them:


Went to PA last night for a friend's party. It was nice to see all my friends from there. It's strange to me that I've already been away for a month. I missed them terribly. I did buy one bottle of cheap champagne ($8) and subway yesterday (another $8 roughly), paid tolls and put $15 in the tank on the way home, which I'm hoping will get me to Cleveland and back next weekend. Overall, it wasn't a terribly expensive trip.

I got home at about 1:00pm, just in time to help my mom pack and move some of her stuff. In exchange for my help, however, she bought my groceries I was at a $12.50 budget, but I probably spent just over that (when you know you're not paying, you tend to get a couple extras), but I'm going to mark it down as $12.50 saved on the grocery budget. What did I buy?

Shredded Taco Cheese (I want to make quesedillas)
Canned tomato
Granola Cereal
Yogurt
Bananas
Popcorn
Soymilk
Olives (staple of my diet)
Bread
Canned Pineapple
Poppyseed Salad Dressing

The salad dressing, soymilk, and pineapple were not planned purchases, but didn't up the bill too high.

In addition to paying for my groceries, mom treated me to Panera for dinner. So double yay for mom. All I had to do was help pack and load her stuff in 100-degree weather. Bleh.

At any rate, now is time for shower, homework, and sleep. Perhaps just shower and sleep. I'm exhausted! Hope everyone has a great night!

Well, yesterday I went grocery shopping and was *just* over budget. My budget for the week was $12.50 (which is pretty tight to begin with). I ended up spending $13.55. Not bad. So what did I buy?

Tub of yogurt $1.59
Frozen Berries $2.79
Fresh Mushrooms $1.19
Bag of Flatleaf Spinach $1.49
Cucumber $0.69
Pack of Hotdogs $0.59
Can of Olives $0.99
Flour Tortillas $0.99
Hot dog Buns $0.75
Granola Cereal $1.59
Cheesy Alfredo Mac & Cheese $0.79
Plastic Bag (I forgot mine at home) $0.10

I feel like I got a lot for a little bit of money, and none of it was anything I didn't need. This, my friends, is why I love ALDI so much. So what will I be eating this week?

Pasta Salad
Kraut Dogs
Veggie Wraps
Turkey Meatball sandwiches
Salad
Veggie Mac (I like to put veggies in my mac & cheese)
Spaghetti

I'll have leftovers for a couple of these days, so I may save the veggie mac for next week. I had a couple of kraut dogs yesterday, I'll probably have the leftovers today for lunch or dinner. I have to make the pasta salad, but we have so much pasta it's ridiculous. lol.

Added $50 to my savings account, which brings my total up to $1035. Which means I'm doing fabulous. I responded to another ad on craigslist for a woman looking for a babysitter saturday morning. Let's hope this one works out. I'd love to make a few extra bucks.

Still need to make it to the craft store. Today I'm supposed to go and meet these guys that want me to sing in their band. I think it'll be cool. I listened to examples of their music, they seem my style. Of course, I'm really versatile, so that's not difficult. haha. The one guy plays decent acoustic music, the other one does heavier stuff, so I'm interested to see how the mix sounds.

Either way, I should get going. Have to get ready for work!

Well, yesterday was a NSD. So that's $3 more to add to my challenge money (because I resisted buying food at work). That brings me to $152.36.

Last night mom had BF and me meet her out at the bar. She wanted to buy me a drink and hang out a bit. She had me stop at the house on the way home. I had more mail and she left me a surprise there! I've been talking about doing some gardening-- in containers, but gardening nonetheless. So while she was out shopping she found a little pail and these reusable plant markers that she left with some lipgloss on the table next to my mail. My mommy is so great

I made really decent money yesterday at work. $44.62-- not bad for a wednesday lunch shift. I did stay a little later than usual, though. The other girl wanted to go home. I wanted to make money. So it worked out. lol.

I stopped at the bank after work and made a deposit, then paid my cell bill online :/ It was a little more than I was expecting. I have to watch my minutes this month. Lucky for me, next month I'll be cancelling my service with sprint (my contract is up June 25) and getting a phone on my mom's verizon plan. Mom and BF are both verizon, so I'd be talking to the 2 people I talk to the most for free. I might just share my sister's plan for the moment because she doesn't really use hers. She just has a phone for emergencies and so my parents can get a hold of her, but they're on verizon too, so it doesn't use the minutes up. It would only run me $20/month with text messaging.

Today I have the day off, and it looks really nice outside. I need to go down to the university and change one of my classes, then pick up a summer loan app. My FAFSA was processed as of this morning, so they'll be getting thier info here soon.

I'm getting lunch with a friend I haven't really sat down and caught up with for a while. So I'm kind of excited about that. I also want to clean the apt up a little more. BF put pork in the crock pot, so it's looking like dinner at home

Not sure what is going on tonight. BF is staying in because he has a bunch of work to get done. There's a party I may go to, or I could just go down and dance at the bar down the street. There's also karaoke with my friends, if they're going. So I have options I generally dont drink much when I'm doing karaoke (cause I like to sing better, I drink water), so that may be the best of options. Especially if I'm driving there. We shall see, I suppose.

Hope everyone has a great day!

So I emailed my mom all the info I needed from her to file my FAFSA. By the time I got home from work, she had sent me everything I needed. So I got that checked off the list.

Work was decent. I made $27.71 and did NOT get a sandwich while I was there, which means I get to put $3 toward my challenge money today. Woo! That puts me at $149.36.

I rode my bike to mom's and got that check, as well as wrapped up the book I had sold on amazon. Then I rode to the post office. I rode back to the bank, but it was closed. I'll have to stop by tomorrow and make my deposit.

It's funny riding my bike around. I keep getting all these scrapes and scratches (mostly from trying to carry it up stairs), I feel like a kid again It's absolutely gorgeous out today, it was the perfect temperature to be riding around for a couple hours-- and it feels good, though my bum and knees and hands hurt. lol.

BF is on his way home. We're going to make dinner. Not sure what yet, but we'll be making something. We put out a pork loin to defrost for tomorrow. Think we're going to throw it in the crock pot.

Just have to stop at the university here in the next couple days and re-register for that class and fill in that summer loan app. Lucky for me the due date is June 2. That'll give me a little time for my FAFSA to process. I do need to price those books, though, and re-register for that class in the next couple days.

Either way, hope everyone has a great night!

Well, this week seems to be going very well thus far, though I haven't really gotten a whole lot done. We need to change that today. I've got a few things I need to do at the university-- namely registering for a class, because apparently the computer doesn't register that I meet the prereq. Ah well.

I have to [finally] file my FAFSA, which means I have to get mom's info too. I also have to put in a summer loan application.

It's my little brother's 20th birthday today, have to give him a call.

I also need to mail that book that I sold on amazon, after looking through it and copying a few recipes

Mom called yesterday and said what was left of my safety deposit came in the mail ($40ish). They use part of it to clean the carpet, and it was only $100 to begin with, so it's not that much, but the carpet really needed cleaned.

I should probably run by the bank at some point too

I've got work from 10:30am-2:30ish. I'll have to do all this after work, but it really works out because it's supposed to be beautiful today, and I'd love to ride my bike around for a good part of the day.

Last night was fun. BF and I went over to his twin brother's to make ribs and hang out. Got to visit with the baby (BF's neice, she's 6 months. ADORABLE). Ended up staying a little late, but I was so tired from the food and the couple beers that I had that I ended up falling asleep on the couch about 10pm. Good time though, and great food. I paid for the beer we brought over, only because BF paid for all the groceries he bought the other day. Tonight we'll probably make dinner here at home.

Speaking of being "home," things are starting to shape up here at the apartment. There still needs to be a considerable amount of unpacking, and some moving of stuff to my mom's, but aside from that, there's a lot more room in the apt.

Hoping today will be a NSD. Just have to resist those sandwiches at work! It's so hard having so little willpower. That's it. If I have a NSD today, I'm going to put $3, not $1 into my challenge money (that's how much I would spend on a sandwich at work anyway).

Anyhoo. I should get this day started. Everyone have a good one!

Well. I've come up with my May goals:

*Keep track of all money spent.
*Stay under budget.
*Dont touch my savings (challenge money).
*Dont use credit card.
*Put at least $75 into challenge money.
*Pay at least $150 on my CC.
*Have 3 No-Spend days per week.
*Have 12 no-spend days in May.
*Look for new ways to bring in extra income.

Also, I set out a challenge for myself-- no buying books, movies, or CD's. For 3 months. So this is month #1.

I've been thinking about the extra cashflow... I started thinking about my cookbooks. I have a few really nice ones. The problem is that I never use them. And generally, if I find a recipe I really like, I just write it down in a notebook I keep specifically for this purpose. Now, there are a couple that I wouldn't part with because they are not just cookbooks (like the joy of cooking). But for all intents and purposes, I can check cookbooks out at the library. I can also take them into the cafe at barnes and noble and copy recipes out of them while I sip on tea (which I've done in the past). So I'm going to look into selling a few of the really nice ones I have (Paula Deen, Williams-Sonoma ones, Jamie Oliver, etc).

I plan to list my microwave on craigslist. We dont need 2. Mom is taking one of my tables and 2 chairs, and I think she's going to give me a little money for them. That will also clear up some space in our apt.

Also, I had mentioned the idea of doing more crocheting and crafting and possibly opening up an etsy shop. I picked up a few books from the library today on crafting to sell, being a "weekend entrepreneur," so we'll see if I get any other ideas.

Because I put half of extra income into my CC and half into my challenge money, I would need to make $150 in extra income to meet my goal. Or $126 if I meet my goal for No-spend days. I think this is do-able. So we'll see. Oh, and today was a NSD, so I'm on my way!

Either way, it's my bedtime! I have a busy day tomorrow. Going to do some cleaning and unpacking, and then I start my first day at the new job in the evening! Wish me luck!

So... I talked with BF about a bunch of things that I see going wrong with the relationship, and we're going to change/work on a few things... like becoming better friends. We dont talk as much as I'd like to.

But nonetheless, I feel much better about things. We're still planning on moving--together-- in April. But our plans for marraige are going to be pushed back a bit. I want to start, and perhaps even finish grad school before then. But we'll see what happens.

Oh, and luckyrobin, my friend is gay I dont think he's too interested in stealing me away. hehe.

As for today, I'm going to campus early to work on some stuff for class. There's a poetry reading/workshop at 1:00, which I'm really excited about. I love poetry and it'll be nice to go do something on campus that isn't going to class. I just wish I had someone to go with.

After that ends, I have nothing to do until class at 6:00. Which means working on more homework/readings.

It seems as though I may have to pack lunch AND dinner today... But perhaps not. Maybe I'll stop and get Wendy's or something. I've had a good week, and I've only used 20 cents of my Food on Campus budget, which is $20. A junior bacon cheeseburger and a baked potato... or maybe chili. It's so cold! At any rate, $2.23 for a meal aint bad at all.

I need to figure out what I'm going to get/make for BF for Valentine's day. He has just about everything he wants. That makes it pretty hard. I'm not big on buying things for people for the sake of buying them. I try to put a lot of thought into my gifts. So that will be one of the day's ponderings. What to get the boy who doesn't really care for chocolate or candy, and wants nothing? Sigh. This could be hard...

CHALLENGE TOTALS:
February total: $12.72
Year total: $142.29

I went to Giant Eagle this morning to pick up my prescription. I also grabbed just the few things that were on my list for the week. I used a couple coupons and saved a couple of bucks.

Total spent: $7.10
Total saved in coupons and sales: $2.14

All savings go to my challenge money. I've got to go to campus today unexpectedly for a psych club something or other, so I'll be downtown. In my down time, I think I'm gonna head to HR Block to get my overly complicated taxes taken care of. At least ask about their rates. I packed a dinner to eat before work. So it should, for the rest of the day, be a no-spend day. I may work on a paper while I'm on campus as well.

Last night at work ended up being much busier than I had anticipated, and I was the only server for some reason. So I made decent money. Woo! I like those days... Let's hope tonight will be a good tip night as well. Everyone have a great day!

CHALLENGE TOTALS:
February: $9.89
Year Total: $139.46

So I've been on campus since 9:40. It's getting closer to the time to go to work, and I'm about to go and eat my dinner... soup, an apple, and a ferrero rocher chocolate... All brought from home. Mmmm.

I had 3 classes today, 2 in which we were watching movies. My professor brought in popcorn for us all. The only money I've spent was 5 cents to buy a cup of hot water at the cafe. I brought my own tea. I also saved the cup and grabbed a few packs of equal to take with me, along with a couple of plastic spoons. I've been taking my spoons from home to campus with me, and it's kind of silly.

So it's not technically a no-spend day, but the remaining 95 cents I have from breaking a $1 bill will be put toward the challenge... yay! Still, 5 cents isn't too bad. I've had much worse days. haha. At any rate, I better get going. I'm stopping in the cafe to warm up my soup in the microwave, and then it's off to work for me. Though I'm really not looking forward to walking in this weather! The upside is it's much warmer here on campus than it is in my apartment. Cant complain too much! Later, everyone!

Alright... here it is!

$ Earned at work: $1019.70 [not so great at all...]

Expenses:
Groceries: $172.79 [$100 budgeted] $72.79
Dining Out: $98.00 [$45 budgeted] $53.00
Food on Campus: $7.92 [$15 budgeted] $7.08
Clothes: $9.40 [$15 budgeted] $5.60
Entertainment: $55 [$55 budgeted] $0
Gifts: $3.00 [$10 budgeted] $7.00

So about $106.11 over budget...

On the upside...
$20 Challenge total for January: $129.57
$ paid on student loan: $175
Total No-Spend days: 10 [my goal was 7]

Considering the fact that $140 was stolen along with $150 in gift cards I was going to use to buy my books, I can honestly say I did well. I made very little money this month compared to normal, which sucks. But I was able to pay my bills AND buy the World of Warcraft expansion, so I really have no room to complain. And I can only see positively into February. Life is getting back to normal.

I got my final W-2 in the mail today, so I will be taking a trip to HR Block to get my taxes taken care of. I'm not sure what thier rates are, but I'm sure it's going to save me a lot of confusion, as well as money, in the long run.

At any rate, I'll be getting off here now. I have to get ready to go to court. Everyone wish me luck!

So I must make this quick...

I took my biscotti to the coffee shop today. 70 peices this time. He gave me $35. I'm taking half of it to the challenge. I also got my first check ever from a survey company. $4 for one survey aint bad...

Today thus far has been a no-spend day. I went to the bank to deposit my challenge money as well as some money I've made over the last couple days. I got the bank fees taken care of on my account. Things are finally getting back to normal... after I got home, I transferred my challenge money to my emigrant account... so that should go through tomorrow. I also paid $175 toward my student loan/interest.

So I'm back down to having no expendable money until tonight after work. Let's hope it's busy! I'm going to lunch/dinner with a friend tomorrow. That should be fun. I'm going to attempt to make it low-cost. We're both pretty tight on the budget as it is, so I'm sure it wont be a problem At any rate, everyone have a great night!

Challenge Total: $127.78

Yesterday was a no-spend day, which not only means that I'm adding $1 to my challenge money, but that I've reached 7 no-spend days for the month.

I've hit my goal!!!

I think that's pretty exciting! Today is a planned no-spend day as well. I'm off school, and work at 6:00. I'll be eating in and doing homework in the mean time. I'm sure I have plenty I could make for dinner. I'm incredibly proud of myself as I look over my budget and the money I've spent this month. Most of it was on groceries... but that was more or less because of this biscotti endeavour I've started. I haven't spent any money on clothes or food on campus. Granted, I've only had 3 days of class, but still! I went out to eat the other night, and that was unplanned, but other than that, I've stayed on budget with my dining out. And we only ate out 3 times this month as well. Not too shabby.

I'm going to come up short on my "pay myself" bill, but only because I had to buy all those books that gift cards would have otherwise paid for... if they hadn't been stolen. Overall I've done really well this month. I'm starting out 2007 right!

Challenge total $92.51
+ No-spend day $1.00
+ Change from work $0.30
New Challenge total $93.81

My challenge money is growing!!! I've almost got enough for that plane ticket to Orlando that I'll need to be buying here in the next couple of months. I've got a lot in the way of vacations planned this year (which is great because I haven't gone on vacation in years). I'm visiting my friend who lives in Orlando... I met him the last time I went on vacation many a year ago and we've been great friends since. And me and BF are taking a trip across the country. So there will be much expenses in the way of gas and such.

The tenative plan is to stop in Missouri and stay with a friend of his. Then, his friend will be coming with us to the Grand Canyon. Then we'll be driving to stay with my friend who moved to Arizona just after I moved to Pittsburgh, then we'll be driving to San Diego to visit our friend that just moved there for work. There has been talk of stopping in Denver because I've never been there and I'd love to see it. My brother lives out there, but we cant stay with him because I'm not on speaking terms with my father (we haven't been for years). It's tempting though, a free place to stay and all...

I'm taking 2 weeks off of work during the summer for the road trip. Florida will only be for a few days during the week, so it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm totally psyched, though. The furthest west I've ever been was Indiana, and that was only for 2 hours! I'm looking forward to seeing what the other side of the country has to offer! Just a lot of money to save up. I've decided that part of my tax return (assuming I'll be getting money back) is going to be put into my challenge money, and consequently will be used for my vacation(s). I cant wait until summer! Eeek!

So I spent some time baking up my first couple batches of biscotti for the coffee shop today. I got paid $20 for 40 peices. That's about twice the cost of making them, so I'm content with it. They'll be selling them for $1 each, so I'm profiting the same as the coffee shop. Fair deal. I'm much more excited about the fact that something I MADE is being SOLD. hehe. That $10 profit went to my challenge money.

Work was incredibly busy today. I have to say, I haven't seen a saturday that busy in a looong time. I guess spring and fall are the busy times at my restaurant. So winter has been a bit slow. At any rate, I walked out with $155 after tipping out 20%. That's awesome. And I had plenty of change to contribute to my challenge.

In other frugal news, I got a freebie in the mail today. Samples of dove shampoo and conditioner. A friend also sent me a Paul Mitchell set that he picked up at a hair show he was working a while back (he does lighting and camera work at these big hair conventions). So I dont have to buy more conditioner afterall! Or my favorite hair product... and it takes me close to a year to get through a bottle anyways. Also, last night when I was at Eat n Park I snagged a few little thingies of that sugar free welch's blackberry jam. It was so good I decided to snag a few. Muahahaha. Also, my coworker decided to move to Este Lauder makeup and skincare, so the Ulta gift certificate that she got for Christmas she decided to give to me. Along with 2 tubes of Victoria Secret lip gloss. I'd have to say I made out pretty well.

So things are working out well on the financial front, despite all of the setbacks due to the mugging and whatnot. Though I still have to go to the bank and have them take care of those overdraft fees. Oh, and the coffee shop owner told me that he heard that my mugger was caught. Let's hope! If so, I'll be getting a call here soon to appear in court.

Still waiting for 2 of my W-2 forms from Ohio from early 2006. Hopefully they'll come soon. I need to go to HR Block and get my taxes done. I got my form from the restaurant, and as a previous post said on here, I totally had that "I made THAT much this year?? Where did it all go???" reaction. Of course, then I take a look through all of my reciepts, and it makes sense. Food. haha. And clothes.

At any rate, I'd better get going here. I should get to bed. I've noticed my challenge money is growing substantially. I've gathered quite a bit of change... and with that book I sold on amazon and the profit I made from the biscotti, I'm not doing too bad.

Challenge total $78.63
+ Change from work $1.53
+ Biscotti profit $10.00
New Challenge total $90.16

Thanks again for everyone who left all of those nice comments on my last entry about selling baked goods to the coffee shop I didn't get aroud to making the biscotti yesterday... a bit busy and a bit distracted because BF took the day off. But I didn't leave the house really. I DID, however, have to buy a book that I didn't realize I needed. An extra $43... oh well.

The good news is that I put that school expense on my ATM CARD, which yes, is back in action. Well, it's a new card, but my bank account is finally *almost* in order. They just need to refund me $66 in overdraft charges. But hey, I'm in the black and able to use my money that was sitting in there previous to the robbery and what I deposited after the robbery.

I'll be making that biscotti tomorrow. I've got most of the day off before I have to go in to work the dinner shift. Today, however, is my double Good money, but loooooooong hours. At any rate, I'm gonna try and make it a no-spend day. I've got some homework to do over my lunchbreak. That should keep me occupied.

Oh, and I forgot to mention my classes! They're going to be great, I can tell. A lot of work, but very interesting. A lot of research and paper writing. That's really my favorite Geez, I'm a nerd. haha. At any rate, I need to get ready to go to work. You all have a wonderful day, and I'll keep y'all updated on the baking adventures!

Challenge total $51.26
+ book sold on amazon $13.62
+ change $0.38
New Challenge total $65.26

Work tonight went alright. Our sale wasn't as quite as big as we had hoped for our big party, but I did walk away with $96 in tips for the night... MUCH better than a usual monday night (last week I made $25). No complaints here whatsoever! I ended up declining my coworker's offer to go out to dinner after work. Because a) I didn't want to spend the money and b) I wanted to get to bed early tonight... as you can see, that's working out really well. hahaha.

At any rate, that makes today a no-spend day. I'm really feeling proud of myself at this point. Even after we decided to not go get dinner, I declined going to buy icecream as well... something I've been craving madly for the last couple of days.

Tomorrow is shopping day. I pick up my copy of the Burning Crusade (yay!) and do a bit of grocery shopping as well. I'm also stopping at the bank to try and clear up my bank account (again)... though I'm liking this whole cash system. I seem to spend less when it's not in my bank account and I dont have it on me because it's in envelopes at home

I'm hoping these coupons treat me well... I'll report the savings after they've been saved, though. I work tomorrow as well, though I'm not expecting anything great in the way of tips. We can hope, but it's all you can eat night... which generally means poor tippers.

I didn't end up going to the gym today... I just wasn't feeling up to it. Probably the crappy weather we've been having. It's pretty warm, but gloomy and rainy. Me and BF are going to go tomorrow, though. Ah, tomorrow... my last day before school starts. I'll have to make it count! hehe. At any rate, you all have a great night!

Challenge Total $39.12
+ Change from work $1.48
+ No-spend day $1.00
New Challenge Total $41.60

So I went into super-frugal mode today. I decided to take home a couple of my ties from work and wash them myself. They get really gross from the restaurant, and I usually just replace them because getting them drycleaned isn't really worth it in my opinion. I've probably spent $50 on ties in the last 7 months. Granted, I buy them at Burlingon, usually for about $7 each. But I wanted to experiment to see if I could clean them at home. So I took 2 of the ones that weren't shiny looking (I figured these would be the easiest), and soaked them in a solution of water, baking soda, and vinegar. They're hanging to dry right now. Let's cross our fingers! I'm not expecting them to be perfect, but not quite as spotted would be nice...

I also picked up a copy of the Sunday Paper and spent a while clipping coupons and recording them onto a spreadsheet. Then I looked through sales ads and I'll be making a trip to the store tomorrow after I run to the bank to clear up the mess that is my account. I was going to go today, but I'll be out tomorrow anyways. So today will be counted as a no-spend day because the savings made from the coupons should exceed the cost of the newspaper ($1.50).

Me and BF are eating in tonight... teriyaki steak and rice, brussel sprouts for me. Mmm. I ate leftovers for breakfast and lunch. I also planned out my menu (loosely) for the week.

It feels good to be making all this progress! I'm just hoping once the semester starts that I'll be able to keep it up. At any rate, I hope you all have a great day!

Challenge Total $37.62
+ change $0.50
+ no-spend day $1.00
New Challenge Total $39.12

Another no-spend day. Cha-ching! And I added $5 instead of $1 today for a few reasons...

1. BF suggested going to one of our favorite restaurants and I declined (not an easy task).
2. I had decided to make that Steak Au Poivre that I meant to make before instead.
3. After assessing the pantry, all I would have needed was butter and brandy, but I decided to make a recipe using things I already had in stock.
4. I ended up eating for free at work instead of coming home to cook for me and BF. I'll be making that teriyaki steak for dinner tomorrow on my day off

I've continued using my semi-envelope system. And I've continued staying at home during the day. My grocery budget has hit the $30 mark... but I'm going to try and not buy too much for the rest of the month. And I started planning my meals for the week. I've definitely got some leftovers to get rid of over the next couple of days.

We ran out of dish liquid... I'm looking for a recipe to make my own. We only really use it for pans anyway. We put all regular dishes in the dish washer. I know you can use baking soda to clean many things, so I'll be looking into that.

Tomorrow, like I said, is my day off. I plan to lounge. Not much different than what I've been doing for the last few days Which would explain why I haven't really spent any money... hehe. I might get a head start on some of my reading for class... or continue a crocheting project. Who knows. I'm definitely cooking dinner, though, that's for sure!

I'm feeling really good about cracking down on myself. I read a few articles online and decided that I dont really go to enough measures, and it's ridiculous that I'm so in debt when I make 20k a year. Granted, I do live on my own and pay bills, but seriously. How can I be almost $15k in debt already? I need to start spending less on silly stuff and pay off my loans already. The longer they sit, the more interest they'll accumulate. I dont want to be totally screwed when I start my grad work.

I'm a smart enough girl to make this work. I'm not anticipating being completely free of debt when I graduate, but I'd like to be much less in debt and save a bunch on interest

Time to start REALLY acting like an adult! Later, y'all!

Challenge Total $31.71
+ no-spend bonus! $5.00
+ change from work $0.91
New Challenge Total $37.62

So I decided to start using an semi-envelope system. Semi meaning that I'm not going to put every penny/dollar I earn into an envelope... But most of it! That way I dont have much cash on hand and I can just deposit my money when I need to write a check or such. I figured it would keep me from spending the money I have on hand. It'll also be better for my insurance, which I pay quarterly. I end up not saving anything in the off months (though I plan to) and have to come up with the whole of the bill every 3 months. If I stash it in an envelope it wont get spent. Let's see how it goes...

In other news, I started a spreadsheet of how much I pay per item on all the reciepts I've kept since May. It's interesting to see what stores have the cheaper prices. I only really shop at 2, so it's kind of entertaining. I also hopped on the ball and went to store locators for Aldi and Save a lot in my area. Not sure why I didn't do this sooner.

Today did in fact end up being a no-spend day. My coworker bought me dinner after I got off my shift. I made decent money as well. Tomorrow will be yet another night, though saturdays are generally bad for me in the earning department. I'm the last server in... bleh.

I'm hoping tomorrow will be another no-spend day. I'm rackin 'em in this week! It does wonders for my challenge, that's for sure. I'm hoping to do some cooking. I got the ingredients to make my zuchinni soup. That may be on the agenda... and I want to plan my meals out for the week tomorrow. And make a list of the purchases I've been planning for a while. Perhaps sort them into want/need categories and develop a plan for eventually obtaining them?

BF had talked about going to a party after I get off work, and though it could be fun I'm not sure if I want to foot the bill for the liquor store. I'm thinking I may just go home to a relaxing evening in my PJ's.

Me and BF preordered our copies of the World of Warcraft expansion the other day... that means I have to shell out $40 to him here soon. There goes the entertainment expense I also have to journey to the bank yet again to try and get things sorted out, because until I do I cant play my beloved game anyway... my account is heavily overdrawn so they suspended my online account. Erg. I also cant transfer any money to my emigrant or pay the interest on my loans until then as well. So annoying.

At any rate, I better get some sleep or I wont wake up until 4 in the evening. Sheesh. I cant believe how late it is. No wonder I have a headache... I need to eat.

Goodnight/morning, everyone!

Challenge total $29.25
+ Change-work $1.46
+ no-spend day $1.00
New Challenge Total $31.71

Yesterday was a no-spend day. That's $1 added to the challenge money. I also did the frugal thing and invited my friend over to the apartment as opposed to going out. We watched Family Guy, ate munchies we had at the apartment. My friend brought the captain and coke. We supplied the smirnoff and rootbeer. I still managed not to have too bad a hangover this morning.

My apartment, however, is a sticky alcohol-induced mess. So I'll be doing some cleaning. BF is at class until 4 or so. I'm trying to get the apartment clean by then. I want to have a romantic dinner tonight. A trip to the grocery store may be in order... I want to make some more of that zuchinni soup as well... Yes, that's my appreciated veggie for the day I love all veggies, but zuchinni has always been a personal favorite. All winter veggies too... squash and such.

Oh, I found some change on the bedroom floor. 46 cents. It's most likely BF's, but my policy is that if it's oon the floor and it's change, it's fair game. Thank you to the cleaning fairy Either way, I'm feeling alright today. Looking forward to this dinner tonight. I think I'll make Steak Au Poivre. Mmm.

Challenge total $26.13
No spend day $1
Cleaning Fairy toll $0.46
New Challenge Total $27.59

Alright, so with all the hubbub, I never got the chance to start my $20 challenge for the year. I dont have my goal set yet, but I did count up all the change I've accumulated since the 1st and it's all in the piggy. I set aside 20 bucks in an envelope, so now it's time to roll. To date, I've contributed $5.13. I think I'm gonna hop on the bandwagon and add $1 because it was a no-spend day. That brings my total total to $6.13.

Initial $20
Change $5.13
No spend $1
Year Total $26.13

I not only finished up some organizing... ended up with yet another bag of trash. I turned all the lights off in the living room and opened up the blinds. I also packed my dinner to bring to work rather than getting snacks out of the vending machine after going to the gym. Woo! Being frugual can be quite fun.

I found a quarter when cleaning up, which was part of the change I added to the challenge. I thought about the saying, "a penny saved is a penny earned." I like it, and I've decided it's an ideal to live by. That's why I started putting all change from my day's earnings/purchases into my piggy for the challenge.

I'm so happy that things are getting back to normal. My bank account should be back to normal by thursday. Thank goodness. I hate carrying all this cash on me.

My second loan for the year was approved. That's a relief, I guess. But every time I think about how in debt I'm becoming, it's awfully scary. Perhaps I should go back to aggressively paying on it? I'll be up to $110 in interest per month alone come next week. It's pretty bad. Thank goodness I'll be picking up a second job over the summer. All extra income will go toward the debt. Or to save up for the following semester. Once my bank account gets back to normal I have to make a payment. Grr. This whole $600 overdraft BS is starting to get on my nerves.

Work has been slow this week, I'm hoping it will pick up a bit this weekend. I've got the next 2 days off. More time to hit the gym and finish preparing for the semester. More eating at home and less eating out. Perhaps I can get away with 2 more no-spend days for the week? I hope so.

Ah well, I better stop rambling. It's time for me and BF to watch a movie I borrowed from the library. Yay for free entertainment!

Alright. So it's the midpoint of my financial month (which always starts the 28th, as far as I'm concerned). I sat down and tracked my progress in spending/savings. I have to say, I'm doing pretty good! Last month at my midpoint I was $47.55 OVER the budget. This month, I'm $141.51 UNDER the budget, so happy dance! The only area where I'm over budget is groceries... big surprise. hehe. The good news is I'm only over by 2 cents. woohoo! Let's just hope I can keep myself from buying groceries for the rest of the month. heh. We really have plenty of food. And that shopping trip to the market district was a bit pricey, but always is But the good news is that we only ate out once this month, twice if you count the money I spent at the coffee shop with my french buddies. Dining out is my one big flaw, but I did really good this month. Yay for me! Aside from that, I've put $175 toward my loan this month, and put $146.75 into savings. That totals $321.75 towards my $20 challenge thus far, which is more money than I've spent! Of course, I haven't paid rent or anything so it's a little skewed... At any rate, being a hermit is paying off! hehe.

So last night me and BF actually went out. My neighbor is a comic, and he took us to the club he plays. We got in for free-saving each of us $30. I did end up spending $16 on food and drinks, but I took it out of my entertainment allowance. Next time I'm just going to buy drinks. $6 for 2 cokes isn't cheap, but when you get into the club for free, I think it's worth it.

Today I went to class, and then scheduled for next semester. A big fiasco, but I'm happy to say that I have NO 8am classes. Yay! Not sure how my boss is going to like the schedule, but he's good at working around it. Which reminds me, I've decided to stay in Ohio for black friday. I need a little more time with my friends and family this month. Now is homework time, and then work at 5:30. Let's hope I make some money! I didn't do too well on saturday. I want tonight to turn it around!

I did have to stop at the store on the way home to buy some needed *feminine supplies*, but aside from that I'm not spending any money today. I'm still in the process of getting my emigrant account set up, but I did finally take care of setting up my online banking as well yesterday. That'll be convenient from now on. Either way, this is getting long... I better go!

p.s. That comedian last night had all sorts of jokes about shopping at costco and sam's club. It was pretty funny! I thought of you all...

So after reading the posts on my last blog, I've decided to keep some money in my national city account, and transfer the rest to an Emigrant Direct account. 5.05% sounds so nice! After thinking about how much to deposit, I've decided to not put too much in now. Tuition payment is coming up, and I need that money to be VERY readily available. After tuition is taken out, I'm going to leave the minimum in my savings, $300. Then I'm going to put $200 in the ED account. Combined, they will be my emergency funds. $500 covers my bills and leaves some room for groceries: a month's worth of expenses. I was going to leave that $500 in my National City, but I figured that if I could make higher interest on 40% of the total, why not?

Sometimes I wish I could just forget about those silly student loans. Many kids do while they're in college. I know I could be living life quite comfortably that way, but when I think about all the money I'd rack up in the meantime, and the weight it puts on me just having that 4, soon to be 5-figure dollar amount sitting there for me to pay back, I know I cant. It would be too irresponsible anyway, and that's not my style

In the meantime... I applied for an ED account, my initial deposit $25. That goes towards my $20 challenge.
ED initial deposit: $25
November total: $256.75
Running total: $467.26

This means that I reached my goal of putting $250 towards the challenge! Woo! I'm reaching all of my goals way ahead of time this month. It feels great! I really feel in control of things. Last month I only put $210.51, so things are looking up! And for all of you who dont know, my $20 consists of all money put into savings or towards loans. It includes my piggy bank, which I deposit into my savings every month. Not sure if that's how the challenge is supposed to work, but I have totals for little bits of money I save here and there as well.

As for other news, it's going to be a no-spend day today (I'm up to 7 this month, I think there's a miracle happening). I believe I'll be making those pumpkin cookies and relaxing until I have to go to work. The thermostat is set on 66 and I'm in comfy clothes. I said yesterday while hugging BF: "this is how I'm going to save money this winter." and he says, "how? by hugging me?" and I said yeah, and he replied, "I'm gonna start charging you for stealing my heat." hahahaha. He is too funny. Silly boy :P

Alright, so nothing too eventful happened today. I didn't end up making cookies afterall, but I DID make pancakes after BF woke up (or rather, I woke him up. hehe). Yum! The remainder of the day was spent playing silly videogames with BF. No spending outside of the $25 I put toward my loan. I dont count that towards my spend/no spend days. And either way, I've already exceeded my goal for the month! I just figured that my mom paid for my prescription, which saved me $25. I think she'd want me to use that money towards school. So to the loan it went... it feels really good to pay off this loan. I feel myself continually getting lighter. hehe. A part of me wishes that it was going into the ol savings account, but when I think of the 14.25% interest charged on my loan every day, it outweighs that tiny .5% on my savings. I'm gonna wait until my loan matches the amount in my savings, and then start adding to it, though I add a bit here and there to my savings either way. The next couple of weeks should bump me up either way. Especially if I cant get my boss to let me take black friday off. I really want to stay in Ohio for 2 days, but a part of me knows that he's right, it is a busy day. I'd make a lot of money, I'm just not sure if that money is worth the time lost with both my friends and my grandfather, who is to pass away here shortly. grr. Work can be so frustrating sometimes!

$20 challenge:
Thanks mom!: +$25
November total: $231.75
Running total (since last month): $442.26

Almost to my $250 goal for the month. Woo!

Breakfast: oatmeal, apple, soymilk
Lunch: pancakes
Snack: peanuts, popcorn (the 94% fat free stuff)
Dinner: tomato soup w/ cheese, crackers, and black beans, soymilk

I'm in dire need of chocolate. HELP!

Alrighty. I had quite an eventful financial day... found another penny in the stairwell at the university. woo! And even better, when I went to the bank, I noticed (again) the cute national city piggy banks that they had sitting on the counter and asked the girl what they were all about and what one had to do to get one (I've been eyeing them for a couple weeks. So adorable!). Turns out they're a promo item, and even though I didn't just open an account or sign up for a CC, she gave me one! Yay! So now I have a REAL piggy to feed all of my change to... a la Lux! hehe.

I did break down and go grocery shopping. I'm almost to my limit of $ spent for the month in groceries, but I figure it should last me to the 28th. I hope... I also kicked my butt into gear, and I'm going to start eating healthy again. I kinda fell off the bandwagon a bit, but the gals here are inspiring me. So let's hope it goes over well. I'll add a little something to my blogs about it, but no adding to the challenge (I add mine a bit differently than everyone here... it wouldn't work). Speaking of which, I put $47.75 into my savings today, which bumps my $20 challenge up to $417.26. Woo!

At any rate, I'm looking at a no-spend day tomorrow. I'm thinking a relaxing day of playing silly videogames with BF. Sure it'll be a late night tonight, too, considering I get to sleep in tomorrow! yay... I love days off...

8am class, that is. I'm so looking forward to the end of the semester. Not because I dont like class, but because it frustrates me so falling asleep in every class! I feel like I'm cheating myself out of my education, and yet I just CANT keep my eyes open! So I've decided that next semester, though I wont be able to work as much as a result, that there will be NO 8am classes. It's not worth it.

I woke up late this morning. Flew out the door without drinking any coffee or eating any breakfast. I had to leave in the middle of class to buy some coffee, then come back (and I wont even get into the retarded vending machines...) My prof was incredibly understanding, he merely commented on how awful it is that students absolutely HAVE to work, and how it stinks that I work nights and come to class so early. Agreed.

Because I overslept, I was forced to purchase my breakfast on campus. Between coffee during class, a bagel and creamcheese, and a bottle of orange juice (sorely needed because I have low blood sugar), I ended up spending $5 on campus. grr. I wasn't planning on buying any food today, oh well.

Bio was the same story... fell asleep numerous times. Struggled to keep my eyes open. Thankfully, this prof is understanding as well. The poor woman. I'm incredibly fond of her, and she's always so flustered and overwhelmed. After class, we talked about internships and whatnot.

Now, on the way home I was talking to BF via cell. He mentioned that he was coming to my restaurant to eat tonight. Big bucks! It's all you can eat night, so I guess it's kind of worth it, but still, it's almost $30 per person. Made me want to go and get food (I always feel left out and want to buy food out when he does things like that, like I feel I deserve it...), but I restrained myself because I had delicious leftovers from last night's cooking... or so I thought! Turns out BF ate them... I was a little peeved. Granted, I offered the food to him last night, but since he turned them down to continue sleeping I guess I thought he wasn't going to bother. He's an anti-leftovers kinda guy. So I ended up very annoyed when I got home. He ate my couscous AND he gets delicious sushi tonight! And what did I get?? Nothing :'(

But despite all that frustration and general unhappiness, I'm not giving up on my budget morale yet. My most recent payment posted on my loan today. My principle is down to $5415.79, almost $100 less than the original, and I put another $50 payment on it today. I'll make another bank run on friday, and add some more to the savings.
So my totals for the $20 challenge:
For this month: $159 in november
Total: $369.51

I'm gonna try and make tomorrow and thursday no-spend days. Try. I do usually have lunch with my friend in the cafeteria, but perhaps I'll convince her to come up to my apartment for lunch? We'll see. As far as the grocery challenge is going, I may have to give in here soon. I never did buy my eggs, though. Those were my only allowance. I'm gonna try and hold out as long as I can though. Talk to you guys later!