It was a rather low-key weekend, with minimal spending. Good stuff. Now it's back to class for me, and back to work. I picked up another writing gig through oDesk.com, so I'll be doing some writing on a wedding blog. Different for me, but pretty exciting!

Business is going really well, actually (outside of one client who doesn't seem to ever want to pay me/respond to my emails). It's nice to see that things didn't completely drop out over the summer and I can still make a bit of money doing this. Even better? I've gotten to the point where I can be fairly picky about what I write, which is really nice.

Today I'll be on campus all day, so I'll be packing a lunch. I have yet to spend any money for food on campus. Woo! Granted, it is only the 3rd week... ah well. Come to think of it, I cant believe it's already week 3! Time flies these days...

I'm going to try and make this a low-spend week. I've got drill this weekend, so it wont be too bad. No plans for the weeknights yet, so we'll see, I guess. Still have plenty of gas in my car and went grocery shopping yesterday. Probably spent a bit too much, but I cant beat myself up for that. I'm trying to eat healthier. At least I'm not off spending my money on stupid stuff, and wont be eating out at restaurants all week.

Come to think of it, I'm going to try and keep unnecessary spending down altogether. Last month was Art in the Square, so I spent a bit of money on jewelry/hand crafted soap/produce, etc. This month I dont have a whole lot coming up. Just date night and perhaps a Crew Game. Or possibly a trip to Pittsburgh. We'll see.

I really need to get saving for this trip in December! It's not too far off... so exciting! Oh, and we have to buy our plane tickets this week. It'll be pretty official, then. Good stuff

Alright, off to the grind. Everyone have a great day!

Well, I have nothing terribly exciting to report today. No class, and I spent the majority of the day NOT working... bah.

As for spending:

Put about $20 in my tank, which put me at about 3/4 full. Not bad. I'm hoping this will last me all week, and part of next week. Trying to keep my gas under $80 for the month.

Went to the animal clinic not far away to pick up some flea meds for the baby. Got Revolution, and applied it. I'm sure that will help the problem, and avoid some future problems when I take him camping this weekend. Also stopped at Petsmart. I needed to get him a harness. Person at the animal clinic says she walks her cat and the collar does no good. I suspected as much, but my silly boyfriend doth protest everything. I also picked up a different brand of treats. He wont touch the ones we got him, but these seemed to go over really well. Apparently the kid likes fish flavor and not chicken. Also picked up a couple cans of Fancy Feast. It's more or less Charlie crack.

After baby was taken care of, I ran to Staples-- had to get a notebook for my chem class and some post-its.

I was going to go to Yoga tonight, but decided to stay home and get some work done, then hang out with the boy instead. Haven't gotten so much done, per se, but at least I saved $5, right? lol.

I did get some things done today. Not a total waste. Just not as productive as I generally like to be. Too much messing around and not a whole lot of actually working. And yet here I am procrastinating more

Alright. Time to go and get to work!

Well, I'm busy finishing up a few writing assignments this morning, then need to finish straightening up the apartment before BF's parents get here. Today is the day we get all dressed up and BF gives his presentation for his internship. Fabulous. We'll probably go out afterward for a little while. I'm hoping we dont spend too much.

Haven't really spent a whole lot this week. Picked up a few things at the grocery store-- milk, eggs, etc. The last two nights we spent in, one we practiced (well, I learned he practiced) some German language, then started putting together a puzzle we bought at the store for $2.50. Last night we watched a movie we got through Netflix.

Tomorrow we leave for vacation, and I am totally stoked. But I'm also a bit rushed to get all of these articles done. I have one more for the first assignment, so that will be done in the next hour. The next assignment is two shorter articles, which should be relatively easy to write. That frees up the remainder of my assignments for after vacation (as some of them will be written about Amish Country).

I'm happy with the low level of spending, and hopefully this three day hiatus wont send me overboard or anything. I have high expectations for my frugality, but I also want to enjoy myself and relax. It's going to be a good time.

So... I'm back to work. These articles aren't going to write themselves! ha...

So... my summer job has ended and it is in fact time to get down to business. My finances have suffered over the last few months. Haven't had any time to write, and didn't make nearly enough money. Now that I'm free to do some writing, however, I feel the tides turning. I've already picked up a few assignments, and I'm ready to start making some cash.

This is incredibly fortunate, considering I'm quite broke and have a LOT to pay for at the moment. Ordered my books today-- using Chegg.com, a book rental place. It about cut my costs in half, which is awesome. I'm sad, obviously, that I wont be able to keep any of them, but when I think of how many times I've actually opened one of my old textbooks I realize it's more important for me to save the money now. I usually dont make more than half of what I buy them for when I sell them anyway.

I also have a small vacation this week Much needed... just a few days at a small Bed and Breakfast in Amish Country. We'll be chilling in the room (read: jacuzzi), doing some horseback riding, hiking, wine tasting, and a whole lot of eating. Very happy about it. Class starts next week.

Classes are all paid for.

WOOOoooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOoo!!!!!!!!

That's right, all went off without a hitch. My balance at the university is a big fat ZERO. Actually, I got quite a bit of grant money from the government, so I should also be receiving more money in the mail. Glory day, it's a miracle.

Still no bonus money Working on it...

I'm pretty much not spending any money outside of vacation for the rest of the month. I'm incredibly broke, especially considering I'll be buying my plane ticket to Micronesia in the next few weeks. I'll have to charge some of it, and pay back when I get some of this money the military owes me. Let's hope it's soon.

All moved in to the new place. Everything is set, my projects are all for the most part finished. Pictures to come soon.

Things with BF are great, fantastic compared to the challenges we met this summer. I'm quite happy with things at the moment.

Alright, that's enough for now. I'll be updating MUCH more frequently from now on Later, kids!

Well, I haven't had much time to write... or track my finances. Thus, my spending has been a bit high, but not so much so that I'm kicking myself yet.

This job is MUCH more demanding on my time than anticipated. That being said, my freelancing has gone to about nothing. I managed to write a few articles last week, and I'm hoping to do about the same amount. If I hit $50 for the month, I'll be pretty satisfied with that. Hopefully, however, it'll be a bit more. I can certainly use the money to save up more for this vacation in December...

So I got the keys to the new place on Friday, and the BF and I started moving a few things in this past weekend. This is incredibly exciting, and I'm very much looking forward to making the space mine. I have fantastic plans for redoing my couch, painting the table I have, and doing other fun decorating. The biggest expense will be the slipcover for the couch. I already bought the fabric I plan to use for the pillows. Very fun indeed

We do need to purchase a washer and dryer, as the place has hookups, but no facilities. BF really wanted this apt, so the stipulation was that he had to figure the laundry situation. We're asking around, and scouring craigslist, so hopefully something decent will come up.

Still no car. However, talked to higher-ups at drill this weekend, and they are sending yet another email to whomever about getting my bonus paid. They said if I dont see the money in two weeks to call them and we'll sort it out further. Did get notification that both my Guard scholarship and GI bill are good to go, and my GI reflects the kicker-- which means the Army will be paying me $530/month while I'm in school. Yay Now all I have to do is see about the backpay GI for last semester... they said I would get it, but I've seen nothing as of yet.

I dont have much financial news other than all that. Dont make much at work, especially considering the 17 hour days, but I dont work here for the money, obviously. Being a camp director is an INCREDIBLY stressful job, but highly rewarding-- particularly when working with these kids. Special needs covers such a range, and it's a beautiful thing to see these children having the opportunity to feel like a typical, regular kid having fun in a supportive setting. Absolutely fantastic.

I am, however, very much looking forward to the end of this job. I need my time back! I'm planning on taking a mini 3-day vacation the week before school starts. Very much in need.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer, and I'll try and update again soon!

So it was my first week at the new job, and it's been a bit stressful for a variety of reasons. First off, I have almost no free time whatsoever... therefore my freelancing is hurting much more than anticipated. I'm usually too tired to do any real writing and same goes for waking up in the morning.

This weekend I don't even get one night off. It happens that my funky drill day falls on tonight... so even though it should only be a few hours, it horribly cuts into my only night away from the camp.

BF isn't taking it as well as I had hoped. He's trying to be supportive, but it's all a bit unexpected, and he not only misses me, but many of his friends have moved away recently. He's going through a lot.

Aside from the stressful side of things, the position is great. It's a LOT of work. I've been here since tuesday, and every night we work until almost 10pm or so. There is a lot to do and plan, but this whole lack of free time thing sucks. Not gonna lie...

BF and I talked a while last night for ways to combat the negativity that is resulting from this whole situation and I think we came to a nice compromise, and certainly a positive step in the right direction.

As for my finances, they're a bit shot right now. I guess that payment the Army gave me was for the whole time away, so I didn't have that $600 I was counting on at the end of the month. That hurt. I mean, I'm fine, but I really wanted a few hundred to add to my savings, and pay off some of my CC.

Still haven't gotten my bonus, though hopefully it will come soon. The paperwork supposedly went in, though I wasn't the one to send it, so I dont know that 100%. I've had to dip into my savings a couple times to cover my birthday weekend and basics.

I also didn't add BF to my list of phone numbers that dont get charged when we talk. He's not Verizon, and I got hit with a HUGE phone bill. We're talking like $400 extra... because I guess we talked a lot in Arizona. He got hit with one as well, but nothing that bad. Sigh... more out of savings for a stupid mistake.

The good news about me not having any free time, however, is that I'm not spending any money. This is certainly a relief. I really need to save up money if I'm going to move out this summer and buy a car in the fall (oh, and take that vacation!). For the first time I'm a bit concerned about being able to afford it all, but that's probably just because I haven't gotten my bonus and I wont start getting paid for a while.

I dont have much more to say, or much more time to say it anyhow! Hope you're all having a great week, and Happy Friday!

Well, I finished up my three days of lifeguard certification training. That being said, I'm sore as all hell. My budget has more or less been sufficiently blown over the last couple weeks, but will certainly tone down here come the weekend and next week, when work starts. At that point I really wont have any time to spend money. Problem solved.

I guess it hasn't been THAT bad, but I haven't had a steady stream of income, so that has kind of sucked. I also have a sneaking suspicion that the last paycheck I got from the military covers the entire time I was gone, which is case really sucks. But thankfully I have a store of savings to fall back on... sigh.

It's kind of a down day for me. I'm achy and sore, had a physical done at the university for work and stepped on the scale to find that I've gained about 10 lbs in the last couple weeks. I'm sure some of it is muscle mass from all of this physical activity I've been doing the last three days, and some is probably extra water weight (yay for being a woman), but still... very alarming to see.

I have to go pick up my prescription here in a bit, and mom and I are grabbing lunch. I'd love to be like, "Mom, it's my birthday, so you should pay" (not that I would say that), but I feel guilty asking or expecting her to pay for anything. She is still unemployed, after all.

This weekend should be rather inexpensive. BF and I have groceries to buy for the camping trip, but that's about it (other than gas). I'm sure alcohol will pump that expense up a bit, but I'm still not expecting it to be *too* bad. We'll be leaving pretty early tomorrow to head out. I'm really excited.

That's about it for me. Just trying to stay on top of all my work and relax a bit today. I'm going to try and keep my head up, not stress myself out too much. Hope you all are having a wonderful day!

So I had my interview yesterday, and they hired me at the end of it. Filled out a bunch of paperwork, and I have my lifeguard training next week. Training for the job starts on June 1.

I'm rather excited. I think it's going to be a great experience. The money could be better, but I also get free board and food for two and a half months. And no freedom to go out and spend money. So I think in the end it will be really great for me financially as well.

The best part of the job, however, is the invaluable experiences I'm going to have working with special needs children. I know it's going to be difficult and stressful at times, but I know I'll be able to handle I know it's going to be an incredibly rewarding summer.

So exciting

I also went to my unit yesterday to clear some things up and get some paperwork in. Needed to get my scholarship application started again, as well as getting my transition school paperwork in so they can get me my bonus. That will be a happy day indeed.

Bonus is kind of important if I want to get a car in August. I really should get one in September at the latest. I dont plan on working in the fall, but I do plan on volunteering and writing. It's going to require a vehicle. And it's just so much more convenient.

My Paypal account is still frozen-- going to call them today. I also need a physical for this job, so I'm going to see if I can get it done at my university. I'm not taking summer classes, so they may not let me. But I'm certainly going to find out before I make any assumptions!

I do need to purchase a few things for this job-- namely, a couple one-piece swimsuits and a pair of good close-toed sandals. I'm sure it'll run me a bit of money, but the sandals I need regardless. A couple of swimsuits shouldn't run me more than about $60.

At any rate, that's all the news. Mom is doing alright. She's had a couple phone interviews, sent her resume out to more places. It seems like she's getting a response. Not a huge one, and perhaps not for her dream job, but she needs income, and fast. She knows that. She's got bills to pay.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week. Mine hasn't been nearly as productive as I would like, but I'm trying to spend as much time with BF as possible... come June we'll only get a couple nights a week. Ah well. Later guys!

Well, it was a busy weekend, catching up and spending time with the BF. Very relaxing, but now it's back to the grind.

I didn't get quite as much work today as I had hoped I would, but I definitely got a lot accomplished administratively. Called the Dean's office this morning and *finally* put a fire under someone's butt to get my intercollege transfer through. As of today I am officially a Sociology major, and consequently, I was able to fix my GI Bill paperwork. I'll be backpaid for last semester. Woo!

I got the necessary paperwork to get my scholarship application in (again). This time I'll make sure it goes through, and triple check far before the fall semester begins.

Went to the Soc department and got into the full class I need to graduate. Then I finished scheduling my classes. It's going to be a full semester for sure, but with my GI bill in place and freelancing going so well, I shouldn't have to worry about getting a job. At most, an internship in the spring.

So all that is under wraps. I just have to head to the armory tomorrow to get some paperwork to them to be processed. After, of course, my job interview

I'm really hoping I get this job. It will in fact eat away my entire summer, but I think it will be a wonderful experience nonetheless. It is a live-on-site position, as a director at a camp for children with special needs. I think it will be incredibly rewarding, and a great position.

Other than that, the only financial news I have is that I paid $75 on my CC today, and went grocery shopping. Paypal froze up on me because they for some reason suspected that a third party infiltrated my account. I have to get that all worked out tomorrow.

That's about it! Very busy week, but it's alright. I'm happy to be home and around the people I love. It's off to bed, though. I have a big day tomorrow!

... is the name of my today-published article at Buildipedia.com... You can read it here:

Fabulous Article

I'm particularly proud of this one, because it's on a different site than I usually publish with, and it involves five interviews that I conducted with interior designers... very legit! It's almost like I'm a real writer! lol.

Wrote another blog for the site as well:

Personality vs. Professionalism: A fine line

So all in all, a great publishing day for me. It was a rather productive day, actually. I'm quite pleased with how it has gone. Tomorrow will hopefully be the same, and everything will fall into place. Friday my butt is on a plane to travel back home. Training is over. I get to see my amazing BF and family so soon! I love it.

Still no word on that job, though I'm not sure if they're waiting for all of my references to send their portions. We'll see, I suppose. If I don't get the job, I wont be heartbroken. I know it's a great opportunity, but I wont be sad to have my summer back. I'll find something, I know I will.

I get paid Friday, which means I'll be moving money around, replenishing my savings account, and paying off some of that pesky CC! Very exciting

I love getting closer to my goals. It's the 12th, and I'm a bit sad I haven't even come close to hitting my freelancing goal for the month, but I still have half the month left and payment that hasn't processed yet. There is time yet to reach those goals!

I just picked up another gig, not only contributing, but consulting and marketing for a new startup website that focuses on healthy living/eating/fitness, etc. It seems rather promising, and I'm looking forward to getting deeper into it. It's projects like these that make me wonder if I should get a full time job anyway... I would hate to see my freelancing career suffer after all this hard work!

But we'll take the opportunities that are best for us, no?

Other than that, nothing exceptional to report. Just getting ready to return home and getting as much work done as possible before that does indeed happen.

So I will leave you all there. Hope you have a wonderful night and a productive remainder of the week!

Well, I in fact lied because I didn't get a chance to update yesterday. No worries, however, you will all be caught up

Spent the morning and a bit of the afternoon finishing up an assingment, which is good because we need to do a payment. I told myself I would not go to the pool until it was finished, and finish it I did. That being said, I certianly went to the pool.

I went and finished the book I was working on, then bought a beer and hung out with a couple of the guys from my class. Mom ended up calling me after a bit, and I talked to her for quite a while. No luck yet, and she was feeling pretty down.

It seemed she sounded a bit better by the time we got off the phone. The deposit I made for Mother's Day went through, and though she claimed it was "too much," she sounded incredibly appreciative. I feel I did good by that decision. I'm just happy that I've taken control of my finances and am in a position where I'm able to help her like that.

I'm sad I cant be there to hang out with her today. I called a bit ago, but she's out grocery shopping with my grandma. BF is stopping over there tomorrow to give her the card I made, and to take her out for a bit. He's such a sweetheart. My sister is at her grandma's today, my older brother is in jail, my younger brother is stationed in GA (and was supposed to be up, but it fell through), and I'm over here in AZ. I know she's bummed about it... I really wish I could be there.

I finally got to see my LES for my army payment coming up... good news and bad news. The good news is that it is more than expected. The bad news is that it is much, much less than it could have been. When I got back from my initial training, the army was paying me active duty pay for a couple months, and consequently I racked up a debt. Because I'm still paying that debt they took a HUGE chunk out of my check. I could have made over $2k in these last 2 weeks, but instead I'm getting $625. Ouch. Ouch indeed.

I guess the good news is that my debt will be paid faster this way. I'll start getting the full amount for drill weekends rather than $50. lol. And if they take the rest out of my bonus, it will only be $1k I'm losing out on. As long as I have $5k to pay for a car, I'll consider it a success.

So that kind of sucks, but I'm trying to remain positive about it. Again, it's still more than I thought I wsa getting.

Today is definitely going to be a work day. I have to finish up quite a few assignments. I want to get them done quickly, as well as get a lot done during the week coming up. Next weekend I'm forbidding myself from doing any work. I'm just going to let go and spend time with BF. We're both so excited. Haven't seen eachother in a month! This is the last week, though, and we're starting to get really impatient. lol.

My little sister's b-day party is saturday, and we're doing dinner and cake at my mom's, followed by laser tag. I know the laser tag is expensive, but mom had money put aside for a trip that she never went on, and my sister is turning 16, so she feels she should get to do what she wants. You only turn 16 once.

I obviously wont let my mom pay for my or BF's tickets, and I offered to purchase the DQ icecream cake as my contribution and gift to my sister. I'll probably still grab her a card and throw $10 or something in it, but that's one less expense mom has to worry about. We're doing dinner at her place, probably pizza.

So BF and I will be hanging out with my mom and sister saturday night, then going to visit his family Sunday. It should be a good weekend.

Well, I suppose I should get to work! Hope you all have a great Sunday, and Happy Mother's Day!

Well, today I spent some money for the first time in a couple weeks (outside of giving money to mom). I went to see Iron Man 2, which was pretty good and well worth the matinee ticket-- surprisingly still $7... I did, however, resist the temptation of the popcorn and drinks. After the movie, we hit In-N-Out Burger. I had to before leaving the west coast, though it honestly wasn't as good as I remembered it being. Perhaps it's just the hype. That set me back $5.13. Not so bad.

The rest of the weekend will require zero cash. I'll make out alright.

Today I didn't get nearly as much work done as I had hoped, but it was productive nonetheless. Mailed in my travel voucher to get refunded for my plane ticket and taxi ride here. I also called the travel agency to double check that they recieved the orders I emailed them. They did in fact, so everything should be good to go for my flight next friday.

The rest of the day was more or less spent trying to get my application in for this job. I had to print the application in the office, fill it out, fax it in the office. I also had to email my three references to ask them if they could fill out the reference form and send it in. So it took a while. Nonetheless, the guy emailed me to say they did in fact get my application. So things are moving along.

I also got an email back from the professor that is overseeing my independent study. I worked for about 4 days straight on this research proposal, and I wasn't sure if it was terrible or pretty good. As it would seem, it was the latter, and he said he was impressed. Apparently I went above and beyond the average student paper and there are only a few tweaks I'll have to make. We'll discuss it when I get back, but he said I got an A in the class. My semester is officially over

I'm rather tired, so I don't think I'm going to attempt any work tonight. I did write my byline and send it... my big article releases on Buildipedia.com on wednesday. Pretty exciting for me! They want me to do more steady architectural writing here soon, so I'm rather pumped. I love learning new things and applying them to writing-- especially for such a great site.

I have a lot to do tomorrow, so I anticipate an early start complete with delicious coffee and drive to get a bunch of stuff done. I also would like to hit the pool at some point in the day. Have to work on that tan while I'm still out here!

Hope everyone had a great week, and I'll be updating again tomorrow I'm sure!

Well. I sent an email off requesting more information about a job I saw posted on Craigslist. It's really a dream job (at least for me)... a "Waterfront Director" for a local camp for special needs children. This I know will be an incredibly rewarding job for me, and it is a much better application of my education in sociology and psychology than a waitressing gig would ever be.

It pays better than my current job, and I was told today I will likely be laid off after tomorrow anyway. This was entirely expected, and thankfully I have built myself a situation where being out of work for almost a month isn't going to kill me or leave me hopeless. I will thank whomever for giving me the kick in the butt I needed to get saving and pump up that freelancing career. It has saved me.

The job pays alright. Not fabulous, but I'm obviously not in it for the money. The tough spot lies that this position is a live-in position-- something I apparently missed when I initially looked at the ad. Despite learning this, I still got more information about the job, and told the guy I would call him tomorrow with a decision. He said he appreciated me taking the time to think about it... someone had already flaked out on it.

I talked it over with BF for a while... obviously the key issue of this job is that I'll spend far less time with him than I anticipated this summer. We were supposed to move in together come July. Obviously plans would have to be changed and I would only get to see him three nights a week, only stay over two of those nights.

Certainly not an easy decision, but after reflecting on the pros and cons for a few hours, I've decided to go through with it. It seems silly to pass up an opportunity for a meaningful summer job just so I can have a bit more free time. The financial benefits are great as well.

Even though the job only pays $250/week, there's a weekly $35/week bonus that gets paid in one lump at the end. Not only that, but I dont pay for lodging, and I dont need transportation. I've been worried about how I will get to any new job I pick up because even though my enlistment bonus *should* come within the next few months, I dont count on the Army to do anything right anymore. Ever.

So I will save on gas, insurance, groceries, rent, utilities (for the months we'll push back moving), and entertainment purely because I wont have the time or freedom to go out and spend money. I'll still do some freelance writing in the evenings, though I understand I probably wont do quite as much. I've figured this all into my budget.

That being said, if I go through with it and take the job, I will in fact have my CC paid off in July. This is INCREDIBLY exciting for me, as I wont have a payment to make every month, and I can start working on my next savings goal-- $3000 for vacation in December. As it is, I've worked out my projected budgets and income from now to December, and I'm about $1k short for the trip.

On one hand, I have not included any of my present savings in that budget (a bit over $1000), nor have I included my enlistment bonus. This bonus is supposed to be $10k. Granted, after taxes I'll be happy if it ends up $6k. Regardless, only about $5k of it will go toward a car if this is the case, and the remaining cash will go toward this vacation. If it's more than $6k, that money will start going toward those pesky student loans and saving for next year's vacation. It will be so much easier with that CC payment out of the way!

It's nice to take a look at my budget and know that one way or another I'll make my goals. Even if I dont get my bonus in time (which I better), my CC isn't maxed to high hell and I could charge a portion if I needed to. I'm going on that vacation no matter what. Micronesia and Australia, here I come

The prospects of 2011 are really exciting. Again, I wont have my CC payment to make, which frees up $2400 for the year. I'll start grad school in 2011, and that's also very exciting! 2012 is the year BF and I will get hitched (assuming things are still going well), but I dont anticipate having to save too much for the actual ceremony. We're planning on having a really low-key wedding and a big party. Nothing fancy. I'm not down for spending thousands of dollars on one silly day when I could use that money to travel the world

Hopefully by the time we get married I'll have a decent amount of my debt paid off. I need to figure out how to get my military student loan repayment going, and start agressively attacking them when that vacation is saved up for. I have to prioritize these things, and I've made it important to take one vacation outside of the country every year with my darling BF.

Anyhoo... If I'm going to reach these goals, I better get working! Hope you all are having a great week! Later!

I suppose on one hand, having an uneventful day is something of a blessing for me right now... I did have some good points:

For starters, it's wednesday. Which means BF and I's weekly coffee date. Since I've been in AZ we've had to conduct these via Skype... but I bought Dunkin Donuts coffee to make in my room particularly for the occassion, and he goes out and buys his DD coffee as well prior to booting up the chat. So we retain much of the tradition He's incredibly stressed out between papers and finals. I so wish I was there to help... at very least to help him out in the little ways I would (making him meals for convenience, hugging him to make him feel better, things of the like). But I'm doing what I can given the distance.

The other highlight of the day was getting a call about a job I applied for. I unfortunatly was not able to talk to the guy more than a few minutes, but he says he'll be giving me a call tomorrow. The job looks perfect. It's a position as a director/supervisor for a summer camp for children and adults with special needs. I think it'll be a great experience, and the pay is pretty decent. Better than I'm making now at my part-time job! It only runs through the summer, but I like those prospects... it opens up possibility for the fall, with school and such. And I think it will be a great thing to make connections with the Rotary Club.

So that is very exciting news

I'll fill you all in on how the conversation goes tomorrow. No other financial news except that I got paid for a couple articles, and my paper is finished-- which means I can start getting to the work that earns me money. The rest of the week is going to be very busy as I try to catch up for these last few days. Ah well. That being said, it's time to get to work!

Hope you all have a great night!

Well, as look back at April, I feel really good about myself:

[x] Stay under budget
[ ] Don’t spend any money on clothes
[ ] Don’t use CC at all
[x] Generate $100 in Freelancing Income
[x] $50 max spending w/ BF per week
[x] Keep track of finances all month
[ ] Make Moving Goal ($400 more in Savings)

It looks like I didn't make 3 of my goals here, but when it comes down to it, I did. Well, I did spend a tiny bit of money on clothes when I got here to Arizona... mostly because I didn't pack enough. But it was under $20.

I did in fact use my CC a few times... but only because I had transfers going on I wasn't sure were through and so I didn't want to risk and overdraw. The difference is that I promptly paid that off when the transfers were complete. Also, I charged my plane ticket here to AZ because my unit screwed things up, but I'm getting reimbursed.

My moving goal is another tricky one. I currently have $1150.00 in my savings account-- $50 away from my goal. But you have to keep in mind that I transferred $500 out to my checking to cover any travel costs or expenses while I'm here, and that will be paid back once I get my first army paycheck out here. So I really went above my goal in reality.

To look at April professionally, quite a few things happened. I lost hours at my job, but I've picked up the cash doing more freelancing work-- which is going great! I nailed a few more permanent gigs, that are progressing nicely, and I've developed my own professional brand a bit more by getting out my website and printing some business cards. Here were my totals for freelancing in April:

Freelancing Revenue: $424
Freelancing Expenses: $18.98
April's Profit: $405.02!!!

This is well beyond my $100 goal

It's nice to see that my hard work is paying off... I just picked up another gig this past week. It's just getting better and better.

Now for May Goals:

[ ] Stay under budget
[ ] Don't spend $ on clothes
[ ] Don't use CC at all
[ ] Generate $500 in freelancing income
[ ] $50 max spending w/ BF per week
[ ] Keep track of finances all month long
[ ] Make savings goal (only $50 more)
[ ] Pay $800 on CC

Every one of those goals is do-able, and I'm excited to see if I can meet the challenge (and go above and beyond!)... I know I can if I work hard enough.

This summer is going to be really exciting for me. I'm very much looking forward to moving out of my roomate's house and into my own apt come July 1. So for the next couple months, I'll be working hard to pay off my CC, and looking for new places to live I'm $50 away from my savings goal-- that $1200 is for security deposit, first month's rent, starting a container garden (mostly herbs and a few veggies), redoing my couch (couch cover and fabric to sew new pillow covers), paint and gloss finish for my table (another project), and possibly a new desk. Any extra will be put aside for emergencies or added to the start of my next savings goal: vacation. I'll start attacking that one after I pay off the CC.

And hopefully (crossing my fingers), I'll get paid my enlistment bonus, so I can buy a car. I haven't decided if I'm going to buy one now, or wait til closer to the fall. I'd really like to take advantage of the nice weather to ride my bike as transportation, and save money on insurance and gas for a couple months. I work from home, and gotten along just fine for a while. We'll see what happens, I guess!

I'll stop now, as this has gotten entirely too long, and I have much work to get done this weekend! I hope everyone enjoys thier saturday and welcomes May as happily as I do Peace.

No, not the lottery, but I hit the $1000 mark in my savings account... needless to say, this is really exciting for me. I dont think I've EVER had that much in savings at any given time. Only $200 more to get to my goal for moving expenses.

It's funny, too, because the place I think I want to move into only has a $99 security deposit. Considering split rent, that could mean I only really spend about $400 in the first month. Extra money is great That will give me a bit of a buffer for a few months.

In other good news, I just finished designing and released my VERY OWN WEBSITE! Check it out if you like and let me know what you think:

www.TaraSturm.com

The last bit of good news is that this site I'm mildly involved in may hire me on as a contributor, and I love the site. It'll be a great location for future work. I love seeing progress!

Between the business cards, the website, and new gigs popping up left and right, I feel like I've done pretty good this month in building up my freelancing career. Let's keep it coming... hehe.

Other than that, no big news. Just going to classes and working. Trying to make that money! I'm excited for May... not only do I anticipate some great financial strides, but it's my Birthday at the end of the month. Big 24, I'll be camping. I cant wait.

I'll end it here, and hope you all have a wonderful day

So I've been in AZ for a week now, and the situation is MUCH better than expected. Though I had a big issue getting my plane tickets paid for, because a certain person at my unit doesn't seem to want to do her job-- or at least do it correctly. But nonetheless, I am here, waiting for that travel voucher so I can get my plane ticket reimbursed. It was heartbreaking to put it on my CC, but I had to get here, and now I'm glad I did.

I do not have to pay for meals, and there are vans we can check out during evenings and on the weekends (dont even have to pay for gas). All is well, and I'm having a wonderful time, actually.

I've been trying not to spend so much money. A few trips to Walmart to pick up some essentials-- coffee for my little coffee pot in the room. I could just get coffee at the DFAC, but I hear it's awful, and I need my Dunkin Donuts and flavored creamer... it's my little bit of home I want to hang on to

My schedule is great. We've been getting 2 hour breaks for lunch, and get off work at 2pm most days. Eeeeasy. PT only 3 mornings a week, and plenty of time to work work work and write write write! Oh, and get school work done!

Over the weekend I went hiking up in the mountains, and I plan to go back with the group this weekend. It was a 15 mile hike total, but it didn't feel so, and there are these waterfalls with natural pools, and it's in this canyon and just GORGEOUS. I took tons of pictures, but my camera cord is somewhere lost at home, so I wont be able to download them for a few weeks.

There's a pool, which I will be checking out this week. There's also a game room in our dorm building that has a pool tabe, a phoosball table, ping pong. My neighbor and me were down there this weekend playing and drinking a couple beers (we're allowed to have it, and keep it in our rooms. That mini fridge has been incredibly helpful).

So overall, it's been a great experience. It hasn't gotten too hot yet, and I know it will. But for now it's perfect. Honestly, I couldn't ask for a better situation.

In other news, I dont think I'm going to have a job when I get home. The company is losing accounts and the sales people aren't picking up the slack... my boss told me yesterday we may all get laid off. This isn't a total surprise or heartbreak to me, because I was planning on finding another job this summer, but I'm sad that the company is doing so poorly. Ah well. Business is business. I dont have a plan B to fall back on, but perhaps that will get my butt in gear to actually find the new job. Freelancing still persists.

I'll end this now, as it's getting rather lengthy, but I hope you are all doing well! Everyone have a great day!

So I wrote this big long post yesterday, and it got deleted. So I gave up. I'm starting fresh today :/

So things are pretty hectic over here. I'm leaving for AZ on sunday, and I'm not even close to ready. I don't even have an address for where I'm going after I get off the plane... bah.

So really the frustration is just working with those in charge at my unit. It's so surprising just how unorganized people in the Army can be... but I keep reminding myself I just need to get there. Once I'm there I'll figure things out. I'll assess the situation and see what's best for the whole deal.

Apparently I'm NOT getting a rental car, because it's not on my orders. Actually, I was informed that nothing will be reimbursed if it's not on my orders, but I will be getting per diem? But I have no idea how much per day. It's all so confusing and I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to have a hard time dealing with all these people.

Really, the only issue is that supposedly the dining facilities are closed on the weekends... which means I'm screwed if I want to eat because I'm going to have to take a taxi into town (read: $75-100 ride) just to eat. Alternatives are being explored now. If I can, I'm going to just purchase a bicycle. I'm just not sure where I'm going to keep it. So I'll see how plausible it is the first week, then just ship it back home.

So on top of my hideous list of things I need to do to prepare for my trip, I also have to take a final on wednesday, and I have a huge bulk of writing to do. The great news is that with an increased volume of writing, I've increased my income. The bad news is that I've got so much more to do. I'm enjoying the additional income, though. Especially considering the cut hours at work :/

Speaking of my writing, I've got up to $243 this month so far in income. More coming! It's really nice to see the progress. I worked so hard last month building a foundation for all this, and it's starting to pay off Here are a few of the articles I published yesterday:

The Best Summer Beers with Fruit Flavor
Why Earrings are my Must-Have Fashion Accessory
Ranch Dressing: Misunderstood Condiment or Potential for Gou...

Well, that's it for now! Just trying to get ready and make money! (and not lose my mind in the process) I hope everyone is doing well, and I'll be back shortly

Well. It is finally the weekend, and it brought with it beautiful weather. I'd like to say I've been outside all day enjoying it, but unfortunately this is not so. I did, however, manage to have a nice picnic lunch with BF at the park for a bit-- so I certainly got to take in at least a small portion of the beautiful day.

I've been spending the last few hours writing, trying to generate that income! So much to do, so little time, and my roomie's cousin from England is in town, and I know I'm going to be pressured to go out (again) tonight, much to my dismay. I just have too much to do and would much rather not spend any more money. I've went out the last couple nights, and I'm pooped, to say the least.

Hit the grocery store today, which went okay. I've already come close to my budget for the month and it's only the 3rd! lol. Last week's groceries were on this month's budget, and it was a little over the top. I guess the only up-side to this is that I don't really spend a whole lot out at restaurants these days. And I wont be purchasing groceries for the last couple weeks...

Hit up the craft store the other day so I can start a scrapbook for me and BF Cheesy, yes I know, but fun and something we can use to strengthen our relationship. I also bought the materials to make some super sweet mother's day cards. I'm going to be writing an article on how to make a "chocolate-brown" wedding invitation. I figured I could construct the card, but instead purpose them for an occasion I'll actually celebrate... lol.

Other than that, no big news. Just too much to do and not enough time. Thankfully BF is out of town until tomorrow evening, so I'll have some more time to get things done! lol.

At any rate, you all have a wonderful night and I'll be around later!

As I love fresh starts, I am opening my arms to April and extending it a warm welcome

It's been a highly productive week, only to continue so. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous all through the weekend, and I'm rather elated about this.

In other news, I got an offer yesterday to do some freelance blog writing for a local advertising agency. I'm super stoked, and all set to start writing. Best part? It's all about food in my area! I was sitting on campus yesterday, totally amazed. I've always wanted to be a food writer, and even though my work has not appeared in any major magazines, local or otherwise, I am in some ways living out that dream. It's really satisfying to think about.

I have written a few articles recently. Here are a couple I published today:

How To Set an Allowance for your Child
Best restaurants in Akron, Ohio for a Graduation Dinner
Daily Haiku: We've Come so Far

I've picked up a couple other freelance gigs in the last week, and it seems I'm going to be a very busy girl. But hey, what else is new?

I love the feeling of being busy and doing what I love. Busy I can deal with.

That being said, I posted my April goals in the sidebar, and I look forward to achieving them. Happy April, everyone, and have a wonderful day!

Here it is! The weekend is upon us! Very exciting, as I have quite a bit planned. Tonight going swimming at the rec with the BF. We're staying the night at his place, and driving to Columbus tomorrow afternoon to go see the Crew game (woo!). Hopefully the weather will be nicer there than it is here... snow?? Bleh...

I published a couple more on AC:

Daily Haiku Poem: Ohio Spring
Games that Strengthen Mental Acuity

Got another lead for a freelance job... so that's again good news I'm calling him today.

Other than that, no real news. Just a packed schedule! I did put more $ into my savings account yesterday-- more revenue from writing. I'm now up to $74 in articles this month, and $796.77 in my savings! I feel I'm making excellent progress

Mom got into quite a predicament changing jobs, and now has none... so that sucks, and I'm sure will be a big stress on her. I'm hoping things will pan out and I'm keeping an eye out for her. Said she has an interview tuesday, so I'm crossing my fingers.

Not sure what I'm going to do as far as the budget goes this week... it's one of those funky months where the last week half falls in the next month. So I'm not sure if I'm going to just stick it out through the 31st, or if I'm just going to start April's budget this week. I have about $2 left in the grocery budget, so there's no way I would stick to it this way.

At any rate, I hope everyone has a wonderful day and weekend

Well, thinks are coming along just nicely. It's been a terribly busy week, but very productive nonetheless. Thanks to some great networking I've done, I've found a couple other places to submit my work (better paying too) and all sorts of great stuff

Articles Published today:

Top 5 Family Movies that Send Good Messages to Our Kids
Daily Haiku Poem: Colorblind

As soon as I get paid for my last 2 articles, I'm going to transfer that money from my paypal into my savings account. I love progress

I'm very much looking forward to this weekend... taking a trip to Columbus to see the opening Crew game. I'm really hoping that the weather isn't too crappy. I want to get some nice photos and not sit in rain. bleh.

Hit the rec yesterday with a friend, and worked out: 10 min on the elliptical machine (which usually doesn't kick my butt so hard), and ran a mile on the track outside. I definitely need to get in shape... lol

Regardless, time to get back to work! Hope you all have a great day.

Well, all sorts of news abounds in the Freelance writing world! I managed to network with another freelancer in my area, and she gave me some insight to other places to publish and find work. I found one gig that pays significantly more, and is more of a one time thing It seems this can be even more lucrative than it already is!

So next month I'll dabble even more into this whole freelance writing gig. I did publish a couple articles on AC today:

Daily Haiku Poem: Ping Pong
Top 10 Songs by Radiohead

Things are coming along nicely! Other than working, writing, and all that jazz, I'm hitting up the Rec with a friend of mine after work today, which will be a good time and get me some exercise in for the day

Packed lunch for BF and myself today, so I wont be spending any money on that. Yay for cheap!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day and enjoying the sunshine if they have it (we do-- so exciting)! Later guys!

So yesterday I managed to hit a yoga class AND swim laps at the pool after work-- which was much harder than expected. Who knew swimming laps would be so much harder than floating around the lazy river?

Consequently, I'm feeling pretty sore today! It's a good feeling... makes me feel like I actually did something. lol.

Today has been pretty ho-hum. Woke up entirely too early to get my day started. Wrote an article and submitted. By the time I finished, it was about time to work! So that's what I've been doing!

Only published a couple articles as of yesterday:

Daily Haiku Poem: Love in Spring
How to find a tree service you can trust

Hopefully I'll publish a couple more in the next few days

I did get an offer to submit a much higher value article... about Cleveland. I wish I had a bit more experience with the city (I'm in Akron), but I'm certainly willing to take a trip up there to do some research! The article is $50... which is much higher than my usual $2-4. lol. We'll see if I have time...

It's such a nice feeling... every time I publish an article I get a bit closer to my goals. I do so love achieving those goals!

Alrighty, back to work. Hope everyone has a great day!

Well, it is yet again another beautiful day... and it's FRIDAY-- which happens to be the topic of today's daily haiku:

Friday Haiku

Today is also payday, so I did a little money managing... namely to put another $100 in my savings account. That makes $756.43 total, and only $443.60 to go to make my goal of $1200! This is going to be used to pay first month's rent/safety deposit when I move out either June or July. I cant believe I'm so close already! I absolutely love reaching goals.

This weekend is drill, so I will likely not be spending too much money... though it's my roomie's b-day today, so I'll be going out to dinner with friends tonight. Sushi... Mmmm...

Regardless, I cant believe spring break is almost over I feel like I got a lot accomplished as far as writing goes, but not nearly enough school work done... ah well. That just means I have to work harder over the next month.

Here are some articles I published yesterday. Hope you enjoy

Gender Roles in Disney's New Alice in Wonderland
Is Music Mastering Important?

I've been funneling the revenue I recieve from my articles right into that savings account, so reading is for a good cause lol. I dont really make much on page views, as I dont get nearly enough to make anything substantial. But I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read anything I post. You guys are great!

Hope everyone has a great day!

Well, it's another gorgeous day here in Ohio, and I'm getting a whole lot done! A bunch of writing... published a few more articles yesterday-- and I'm one article away from hitting $40 for the month! That's double what I budgeted for. Very exciting! Here are a few of the articles posted yesterday:

Building Relationships by Managing Money as a Couple
Tips and Advice for Paying off Student Loans while still in ...
The International Baccalaureate Program: Is it worth it?

And today's daily haiku is about ZOMBIES lol.

Zombie Haiku

Today it's lookin like BF and I are going to be going for a hike. We've been taking the soccer ball to the park for the last 2 days, as it's been incredibly warm. Gotta love those *free* activities!

Hope everyone is having as good a week as I am!

So I'm plugging away at my goals. Wrote my 12th article this month yesterday I'm trying to surpass it by quite a bit. Published a few new articles within the last couple days:

Teen Love: Giving Healthy Relationship Advice to your Childr...
Best Bikini Swimsuits for 2010
New Super Mario Bros. Wii: In the Bubble and Out of the Time...

And my daily haiku for tuesday

Haiku: Inspiration

Other than that, I'm just enjoying a rather inexpensive spring break. I spent a lot of time last night writing-- working towards those goals of mine. I'm trying to funnel all of the income I get from writing into my savings account... which put me up another $16 yesterday. I'm hoping make a bit more before the close of the month.

That's about it! I'm going grocery shopping either tonight or tomorrow (likely tomorrow). Tonight there's a free yoga class I'm going to drag BF to. That should be a lot of fun

Either way, I hope you all have a great day and I'll post again soon!

So a few goals have been met...

Got my tax refund today and immediately paid my tuition, so that's one debt gone! From now on, it's saving up for moving and paying off the CC. It's going to be a strong campaign, so let's hope it goes well

In other goal-reaching news, I put added $20 to my budget for article-writing revenue this month, and I surpassed it yesterday. I'm not even halfway through the month, so that's great I've published a couple in the last few days. Here are some links if you wanna check them out:

Easy and Delicious Camping Recipes
The Best Beer is Microbrewed: America's Top Eleven Breweries

I haven't quite hit my goal for 12 articles, per se, but I'm getting there. I believe I'm at 9 currently. So just a few more I'm working on my networking and exposure as well-- as the more views I get, the more I make also.

Today I'm going to lunch with my boss, which will be nice. I haven't seen him in months. Then after work I've got a busy, yet enjoyable night ahead of me. Going to the rec center on campus first with BF, we're going to utilize the free swimming pool. Then we're going to make dinner together, and finally go see Alice I love date nights, and it shouldn't be too expensive given we're cooking at home. Love it!

What a fabulous day for achieving goals! Hope everyone is being equally as productive!

So it's been a VERY productive week! I picked up my final w-2 yesterday, so I am finally able to file my taxes! Woo! I'll definitely do that within the next few days. Associated content accepted the article I submitted last week. Only $2.15, but every little bit helps, right? Submitted another yesterday, so I have 2 more to write this week to meet my goal.

In other news, I called Geico and canceled my insurance. I'm getting a refund that I was definitely not expecting, but is very pleasantly surprising So I'll get about $70 back. Also got another call about my car yesterday. I've called about 10 places that buy junk cars and the highest offer I've got so far is $300... but I know I can do better. I think I may post an ad on craigslist and see if I can get anything higher that way.

Other than that, just making a bunch of phonecalls to get my army stuff in order and coordinating with my professors to make sure that I'll get credit for my classes this semester though I'll be gone the last 3 weeks.

I'm going to work remotely while I'm in training, so I'll be banking quite a bit of money. Very exciting. As you can see, I posted up my long(er) term goals on my sidebar, and I have quite a bit to pay for... If I continue paying $200-300/month on my CC, it'll be paid off by the end of the year. That's good! The tuition is a bit more immediate, however, and needs taken care of ASAP. All my tax money will undoubtedly go there. But it looks like my return isn't going to be much more than $1000. Filing this week, so we'll find out for sure!

Alrighty, well, back to work. Everyone have a great day!

p.s. looks like it's gonna be another no-spend day

So nothing terribly exciting to discuss today. Didn't really spend anything yesterday. Scraped together a bunch of change to take the bus to class. Then went to see Colin Powell speak at my university, which was a really good time.

Made dinner at home with BF, and it turned out great.

Called about 10 places yesterday that buy junk cars. It's looking like $300 is going to be the most I'll get out of it. I really dont want to deal with the hassle of getting it fixed (whatever that would run me) and selling it. But perhaps I'll give my mechanic buddy a call and ask his opinion on the situation. I've put more than $300 in repairs over the last 4 months...

As for other financial news, there really isn't any. I'm hoping to make it to the bank this afternoon. I have checks I need to deposit. Should be a no-spend day. Very busy day, though. I have all this homework I have to catch up on because I had drill, and consequently no time to do homework, this past weekend.

Talked to my boss about my training dates getting switched, and I've decided to at least attempt to work 5-10 hours a week on top of my training and whatever extra schoolwork I'll have. I figure if I'm there, staying in a hotel, I'm not really going to go out. I'd rather save the money. I'm going to be busy as it is. Weekends I can spend doing massive amounts of school work and that'll leave me some time during the week to work as well. I work online, remotely, so I can do it from my hotel on the other side of the country as well. lol. Financially, this training is going to be great for me.

So that's it. Time for me to get back to work. Hope everyone is having a great day.