I pulled a double yesterday (read: 12 hour shift. ugh). I managed to make a decent amount of money between lunch and dinner, though dinner was s-loooow. It was our friend's 21st b-day, so we went out to Dave and Buster's after I got off. I swung by Mickey D's to save myself some $ before going (the food there is so expensive! Well, everything is...). BF bought the drinks, so I bought the game card. I ended up spending $14 total. I didn't drink too much because I have to work yet another double today. Erg. By tonight I'm convinced I will have collapsed. Wish me luck! I hear this lunch shift I'm working is a busy one!

Last night at work we were expecting a rather large party of 25 people. Usually on mondays we only have 2 servers in and one of my coworkers takes the hosting position so my boss can have the day off. Because of this party, my boss came in and all 3 of us worked as servers. They called in and said they wouldn't be coming (I think it was more of a misunderstanding than a calling-off, but that's a different story). Thus, we were over-staffed.

My boss said he would go home, and we could resume our usual posts, but then my coworker that was going to host took another table! This kind of sucks for me and my other coworker (read: his girlfriend), considering we were supposed to take all the other tables (the host gets paid more than the usual $2.85 or whatever it is us servers get paid hourly). As you can imagine, my other coworker, this guy's girlfriend (a really great girl, I love her to death) was a bit upset. It seems her BF is kind of a jerk when it comes to money-making and the like and gets angry with her anytime she makes more money than him. I'd kick the guy to the curb, but thier relationship is really none of my business, though I know the interest points in the relationship and they're pretty dim (ladies, if you stay with a guy 'cause you think he's gonna get you a green card, you need to re-evaluate the situation).

At any rate, my boss wanted me to work this morning, anticipating a busy lunch shift, so I told him I'd come in if I could go home early last night. It was very slow in the restaurant, and I needed to pack and clean and whatnot. Besides, it worked out better for my coworkers because the one wouldn't be a sly cheat (my boss would stay and they would both remain servers for tne night).

It really bothers me how dishonest our one server is. He has a bad habit of taking tables he knows tip good because they are "his regular customers." Dont get me wrong, this kid has worked at the restaurant for 5 or so years, he's gonna have people requesting him. He does, however, take tables when people dont even ask, which is not cool on his part. It messes the schedule up and he does it for his own monetary gain. He's also withheld cash in our tip-out, which goes to the bus people and chefs. There are times I've thought about it (particularly when the bus boys stand around and do nothing), but I never once have. I just dont find it morally right to break the restaurant's rules and cheat other people out of money. Ugh. They would never fire this guy though, because he's been at the restaurant for so long and does his job so well.

I guess the man at the table is a bit better than the man behind the scenes.

On a happy note, however, I'm leeeeeeaving!!! Tomorrow!!! hehehe.

I got everything on my to-do list done yesterday, save getting stamps. I'll be getting a couple from my boss today, though, and mailing my bills. Oh, and I had wonderful luck at Macy's returning my gifts. The jewelry Gram bought for me ended up being much pricier than I had thought, so I exchanged it for another necklace I liked a bit better, earrings that had a little more pizzaz, and a really cute wallet that holds checkbook and all.

I looked at shoes for nearly an hour and they either had nothing in my size, or I didn't like it. My sandals are about to bite the dust, and I'm looking for something a bit more casual, but still cute. No luck whatsoever. We went to KMart to find me a duffle bag, and it seemed the shoe-fairy was shining down on me. I found 2 pairs there that were very cute and comfy. Slight heel to both, but comfy enough to where I think I can live with it. Oh, and they were buy one get one half off! woo!

Aaaaallllmost reeeaaaaady!!!! One more day of work! Wish me luck!

I doubled today, though it seems it was scarcely worth it. We had 2 servers in today for lunch, and we both made about $10. I guess money is money, however. We were slow for dinner as well. I made about $65 for the day. erg.

The up-side of this equation is that it was a no-spend day. My boss also bought my coworker and I Starbucks and yummy tiramisu from the Italian restaurant nearby. Mmm. I spent most of the day learning more japanese from my coworkers.

Which brings me to my next topic... vacation NEXT year. I know it's silly to think about, with this year's coming up on wednesday (eek!). However, a trip overseas is nothing to do last-minute, so I think a year in advance is just fine to start planning. So here it is:

Japan.

It makes me excited just thinking about it, but I'm more than certain that we can do a fairly decent priced 2 week vacation in Japan next summer. I have quite a few connections, just working where I work. We wouldn't have to pay any money for lodging, as everyone I work with has family there, and they all assured me that thier relatives would be delighted to let me stay. One of my coworkers has even talked of going with us, which would be great. I wont get into TOO much detail now, however. Dont want to steal any thunder from my up-coming roadtrip

As for frugal acts of the day... 1. I finished off my leftover soup for breakfast. 2. I had a no-spend day. 3. I didn't buy a beer after work, tempted as I was. That saved me $4 in itself.

My boss said it wouldn't be necessary to work lunch tomorrow, so I get to sleep in. Woo! I go in at 4:00. I hope it gets busier! I'd like to make at least another $100 before I leave for vacation (if not more!).

At any rate, tsukareta desu. Atsukare sama deshita! (I'm tired, until tomorrow!)

I got a birthday card in the mail from my Grandma (complete with insurance cards... mom must have mailed it for her! She's been meaning to get those to me). And in it was a $15 check. Every little bit helps! Actually, it just about covered the parking money I gave to BF ($5) and my get-together with classmate. I spent $8 total- $2.39 for fries (Mmm), $2.50 for beer (Penn Pilsner. Mmm again), and a couple dollars for tip. By no means a no-spend day, but it was entirely worth it.

I made decent money today with the big party that came in. We're expecting the rest of the week to be busy as well. I hope we're right.

Oh! Other news: My anniversary is tomorrow (or I guess today, it is after midnight...)! 2 years BF and I have been together. Woo! And still going strong (a snag here and there, but hey, I love the kid. What can I say?). We're not really doing anything, as I have to work a double. I'll be gone all day. I guess that's cheaper anyway. I've got wednesday off, and I'm planning on making a nice dinner. We'll have to celebrate then. Perhaps I'll do something nice for him while he's at class. I could make him oatmeal cookies. He likes those quite a bit... We'll see... at any rate, everyone have a good night!

Work last night was busy and a bit of a letdown. Sometimes just being a waitress is enough. It's not even the money, but the drop in morale one gets when they work thier butt off, and still end up with the bare minimum in tips. Why does anyone ever tip 10% if they are completely satisfied with the service?? Especially if it's a table of 7 very demanding people who see to it to interrupt one another every chance they get while a poor girl is trying to write down who wants what sushi and hey that guy over there changed his mind six times! I usually dont complain about my tips, ever, but there are just times that you wonder if you did something wrong. At any rate, enough of that rant.

I expect the rest of the week to be just as crazy, if not more so.

I went to the asian grocery store and trader joe's yesterday, to pick up the last few things needed for recipes I have planned for the week. Ended up spending $45 (I'm so bad at keeping on grocery budget, but at least I'm not eating at restaurants this week). I shouldn't have to shop again before vacation, however.

I did make a frugal choice or two last night. I took snacks to work to avoid a trip to the vending machine. I also decided against going to the bar after work (something I seemed to desparately want to do), and opted for a beer at home, in front of my laptop. I made a menu list for the rest of the week, and if I stick to it, I dont think anything will go bad in my fridge before I leave for vacation on the 20th.

Today I'll be cooking stir-fry, as I have bean sprouts and snap peas that will go bad if I dont cook them soon. I figure it'll leave me leftovers at least for one meal, if not two. That's lunch, as I have work at 4:00. Here's hoping I dont lose my mind! Or my feet dont fall off...

I've been posting so frequently in the last few days! Hope you all arent getting sick of me!

So I sat down and did a breakdown of my numbers currently, something I've been meaning to do for a while. I added up all the student debt I have right now. $14,964.81. AHHHHH!!!! Looking at that number makes me queasy, especially considering that's not where it ends! I still have more schooling! My measley EF right now is at $225, which is a dangerous low. My vacation savings, after you take away the rent check I'll have to pay and expenses that will be due either while I'm away or when I get back is at $95. hahaha. I'm sure this isn't funny, but the upside is that I still think I'll be okay. I've got this next week ahead of me, and I'm more than sure I'll have the alotted $500 or so I was planning on spending for the trip.

Now, some more number crunching. My estimated income for every month is around $1390. This is assuming I average $60 every night and $20 every lunch shift. Obviously, these averages are not always on the dot. Usually, I make more than this average. I added up my expenses: rent, electric, gas, cell, perscription, transportation, internet, life insurance, and groceries. That was $617 altogether. I added an extry $83 to round it off to $700 and account for things like eating at restaurants, entertainment, and clothes.

This $700 in expenses should make up approx. 50% of what I make in a month, leaving me with an extra $700 to distribute. So why is it that I dont have $700 in my checking account at the end of every month? Well, I spend it. Erg. The goal? To live on that $700 a month. I'll dip into $50 more if necessary (our utilities aren't always on the dot either), but I think that should be more than enough.

I figure the remaining $700 can be alotted to both my EF and my debt, which though I am still in school and not REQUIRED to pay off now, scares the living something out of me, and needs to be taken care of while the interest is still piling high.

So, here are my financial goals:

1. Get my EF up to $1000 by the first of the new year. I dont think this should be difficult. Eventually I want it to reach $2100 (that's 3 months' expenses).

2. Keep track CONTINUALLY of my finances, to the penny, for the next year. I have a bad habit of trailing off every once in a while... that seems to be the periods when my spending gets a little out of hand.

3. Live on $750 a month. This of course means that my "pleasure spending" needs to be capped pretty tightly. It needs to remain in that $83 range.

4. Take all money that is not spent on my expenses (within the $750) or put into the EF and send it all to my debt.

Some shorter-term goals:

1. No eating at restaurants until I go on vacation (the 20th of this month).

2. No Starbucks for the rest of this month.

3. No buying clothes for the rest of this month.

4. Save up $500 by vacation.

I completely forgot to mention my [super] frugal picnic last night! BF and I decided to do dinner IN, rather than out. Well, we were certainly OUTside, but eating yummy things bought from Aldi about a week ago... We grilled brats and these chile lime chicken burgers from Trader Joes, and I boiled the corn with chives and it was quite good! And certainly cheaper than going to a restaurant! In light of my new camera (which was the best gift, EVER), I hope to be posting more pictures. Here are a few from our picnic last night:


A view of the pool outside my apartment building, the picnic area is right next to it.


A picnic table, and our cooler :P


Our bounty.


A dog done right.


The sun was setting on our lovely meal. So pretty!

Aside from the picnic, work was long (yet profitable). As it turns out, my schedule will be awfully hectic next week, what with the US open. I work 6 days, 3 of them doubles. :P This, while good for my wallet, will be incredibly tiresome. It'll be a long week. At any rate, I'm hoping the weather's nice tomorrow. I'm going to try and relax before work.

I need to continue working on my friend's surprise-- a scarf I'm crocheting for her! I'll have to post pictures! Yay! Night, all!

I've got my double ahead today, and I'm about to leave for work. Yesterday ended up being a no-spend day. I'm hoping today will be the same. I'm also hoping to make a decent amount of money, making up for the shortage early in the week. I finished the 6th Harry Potter book yesterday, and it almost left me in tears! I wont give away endings or anything, but for who anyone who has already read it, I want to convene and shout, "why?? whyyyyy???" Such a good man, afterall...

That's about it for today, everyone wish me luck!

Ahh... my day off. What to do? I already slept in til noon The great abundence of odd, vivid dreams tells me I [finally] caught up on all that sleep I've been missing out on since the weekend. Either that, or I'm going crazy. Those dreams certainly were. At any rate, I'm planning the course of the day.

It's sunny, and supposed to remain that way, so I might go lay out by the pool for a while and read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've started it, halfway through it, and love it. Cant wait til the 7th book comes out. I dont know what I'm going to do when the series ends, though. It'll be a shame. I'm always so sad when the books end.

Friends of ours may be coming over later, but we have enough alcohol leftover from the party to intoxicate an army, so there will be no need to buy more. We could easily barbecue using the food we have here. Come to think of it, we really should make that corn.

I was going to cook an artichoke, too. haha. I saw one in the store and realized that I haven't had one in YEARS. I honestly dont remember where I had one, either. It certainly wasn't with my parents. Either way, I intend on making one. Let's hope it comes out alright. We bought one at Trader joes, and it was quite big. I read in a cookbook that the medium-small size taste the best (after I bought them, of course), so I hope this one turns out okay. It's not huge by any means, but it is certainly on the larger side of medium. Cross your fingers!

After all that's been said, I think it's going to be another no-spend day. Yesterday was, save my bus fare. I finished off my pasta this afternoon as well, so I'm out of leftovers. Just the right time to get cooking again! I was thinking of baking cookies today as well. Mmm. Work last night ended up being better than expected. My focus is now on saving that money I've earned. I'm thinking of listing a couple things on amazon and taking a trip to the exchange. We'll see... Well, have a great day, everyone!

So I've for the most part gotten to the point that I'm okay with my friend and her aforementioned actions... I dont think I'm going to say anything. I've never been one to have the balls to fess up to being angry with good friends.

I do want to mention, however, that this is not the first time in recent history that she has brushed me off. And that is more why I was upset than anything. I've been blown off and for the most part ingnored for quite some time. It was a frustrating situation even before the wedding ordeal, it just really hit home, if you know what I mean.

Aside from that, it was a no-spend day. I played my game for a while, then went outside and read. Worked and made barely any money. It was a relaxing night, however, and my coworkers all seeemed to be in great moods, so I have no reason to complain. I'm hoping to get to the grocery store tomorrow. I made out a list today. I also need to stop by the post office and pick up 2-cent stamps (I forgot who confirmed my suspicions that postage rates increased, but thanks!) to mail off my bills. Other than that, I think more reading is in my future. And more work. hehe. Hopefully I'll make more than $22 tomorrow!

At any rate, everyone have a great day/night!

I had 2 no-spend days in a row, only to be broken by getting breakfast this morning wtih friends. Ended up spending $15, but it wasn't too bad considering I spent no money last night on booze. BF brought a bottle of wine from home with us to the party, and the hosts provided otherwise. We had a great time, and it's the most we've been social in a while. We ended up staying the night because everyone got a little too drunk to drive. Some just a little too drunk period. I was pleasantly so and dont feel too bad today, especially after such a yummy breakfast. I do, however, have to work in a couple hours. Hopefully it'll be a little busier than last night (I didn't make all that much money at all). I'll top my night off with perhaps more videogames!

I signed checks and whatnot today, but need to mail off my bills tomorrow. Did the postage rate change yet?? I forgot... I still have a bunch of stamps... perhaps I'll stop by the post office tomorrow while I'm downtown and buy some 1 cent-ers. I need to stop by the bank tomorrow as well. I think I might stop by the grocery store as well. Aldi's, here I come. Woo! Gotta make a list... either way, everyone have a wonderful day!

Well. Yesterday was my first no-spend day in a while. woo! I worked a double, which may seem to my benefit, but the evil empire of Starbucks tempts me both in the morning and on my break. I overcame the dark forces and drank iced green tea from work (better for me anyway). I made great money ($161) for the day, though my feet (and my legs, and my back...) hurt VERY badly when I left. Tonight I dont work such long hours (13, to be exact for yesterday...), so I'm hoping my feet wont be torn to shreds so brutally.

BF bought me my game!! woo! The birthday present has come early! Civilization IV. I'm cancelling my WoW subscription, as this game is quite involved. I did the tutorial last night, so I'm pumped to actually start a game today. That'll keep me busy until later when I go to work. I'm thinking today is going to be a no-spend day as well.

Got the electric bill the other day, and it is not what I expected, rather bad, actually I told BF we need to start turning our computers off at night, and not using the A/C as much. Actually, I wanted to just turn the thermostat off, but he refuses because he likes the airflow that it gives. He's unrelenting. I hate it. So I'm taking extra effort to make sure I unplug things like chargers that generate electricity even when they are off, and make sure that all of the lights are turned off before we go to bed. He has a habit of leaving all the lights on all the time. Drives me up a wall... how wasteful it is! urgh. Either way, I'm gonna get going. Talk to y'all later!

...end up buying 5. I guess that's how clothing stores go. I needed a new tie for work. Bad. I went to Burlington Coat Factory, because that's where I like to find cheap ties (that are also very cute!), and I left with not only a tie, but a new bathing suit (I needed a longer top), a pair of shorts (I only own one pair), and a new teeshirt (something a little more spring-like). I forbid myself from spending any more money on clothes this month, I dont care if my birthday IS coming up. Usually I'm not one to go hog-wild on clothes (I usually break the bank in restaurants), but this nice weather has me buying all sorts of stuff, especially with vacation coming up next month (Eek!). I regret no purchase made today, but I'm putting a cap on the clothes spending for the month.

As for work, it was rather slow. I walked out with about $50, which really isn't bad considering we didn't have a whole lot of customers. I'm off for the next two days, and I'm still deciding what to do. Because I'm on summer vacation, I have no papers to write, no textbooks to read. I'm positively excited. I think I'll sit outside, read a book, and sip on wine all day. Then make dinner for BF and I. I'm going to make spaghetti with mushrooms, zuchinni, chicken, and broccoli. Perhaps I'll do a butter and parmesan topping as opposed to a tomato sauce, make it a little more summer-y.

Thursday I believe BF and I will be buying roller-blades. This is a purchase I've thought about quite a bit. I think I'll ask my parents to reimburse me for them for my birthday, but we'll see. Regardless, I want a nice pair. I love to skate and haven't on a regular basis for years, but it's excellent exercise, something I can do about anywhere, and after the cost of the skates, it's free! I'm not talking those crazy stunt skating gigs, just in the park when it's nice type of deal, and there are surprisingly a couple paths downtown for bikers and skaters, so it's something I could do leisurely downtown as well. I'm imagining picnics at one of the nice parks by our apartment, then skating on warm afternoons. Mmm.

Aside from all that, just more reading and such. And working out. I've been doing a great job keeping up with this exercise routine. Hopefully we'll start seeing some great results! Eating better helps as well! heh. At any rate, I'll update again soon (perhaps when I stop in for another glass of Pinot Gregio tomorrow afternoon amidst Prozac Nation). Later everyone!

So it was a monday night and I thought work would be slow. It was for the first couple hours, but then got a really nice rush, and I ended up making $97 tonight. woo! I'm working on getting my finances and savings plan down once again. With the travelling I'll be doing a little later in the summer, I have much to save for. Especially considering I may be quitting my job in the fall.

What, you say? Why, you say?

Well. Quite frankly, I'm tired of serving disrespectful jerks thier food, but beyond that, I'm trying to get into this program here in the city. It's run by Americorps, and it basically is a program that hires people to go to schools and runs afterschool programs helping innercity children in the classroom, with homework, or doing activities. In the summer they run a day camp and things of the same nature. They pay enough to cover my bills, but not much more than that. It would be 20 hours a week, not too much. They also give an education award after the program is finished, so it seems like a great setup to me. Besides, I would be doing something meaningful rather than menial. I've been too busy for the last few years to really give back to the community, so I'm excited for an opportunity that I could embrace. My mom thinks I should keep the gig with the restaurant regardless, even if I only work one night a week. I might do that, but I'll be carrying an 18 credit semester next fall, and I really wont have too much time. Eh. I'll figure it out.

Speaking of this program, I have to get my application in soon. Perhaps I'll finish it tomorrow. I had to get my second reference's contact information. I also need to get a move on my FAFSA. I know I was supposed to get it in a bit ago, but my parents are never quite on the ball with these things (I dont think they've filed thier taxes on time in years).

I also need to buy a new tie for work tomorrow. The one I've been wearing is pretty gross as of late. That's the trouble with wearing a tie at work. Food gets all over them. Luckily, Burlington Coat Factory sells cute ties that are pretty cheap. At any rate, I better get going. Sleep might be a good idea.

So last night was the first night I stayed at home alone since the mugging incident. And I'm still alive! haha. I was having serious panic attacks last month... rather unhealthy. I think the fact that we're in a new community helps, and that deadbolt too. That helped. Granted, I did have to put my headphones in and fall asleep to music (I have a habit of listening and getting freaked out by EVERY little noise that goes on in my apartment when I'm alone). And though I was still on edge, I managed to fall asleep fairly well considering. Go me!

Yesterday was nice, staying at home with nothing in particular to do (except that pile of reading for papers that I didn't even care to acknowledge). I enjoyed myself... worked out, painted my nails (and toenails!), watched a movie, worked a little more on the scarf I'm crocheting for my friend who is coming home from studying in Italy next month! I cant wait to see her (and not only because she's bringing me something back)!

Today I work. Actually, I'm currently at work. I had to take the bus becuase BF is out of town. It was actually a rather pleasant experience. I'll have to keep it in mind. But I clock in at 10:30, so I better get going. I double. Let's hope I bring home the bacon! (sorry piggy!)

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

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!

...an expression that I like to hear!

Yesterday I worked my double, and despite the fact it was FRIDAY, the restaurant was dead. I got to leave early. A girl BF met in one of his classes works at this restaurant that we really like downtown. It's more than a little pricey, but BF got gift certificates from my boss for designing a flyer for Kiku (the restaurant I work at). We called up his friend and it turns out that she had just got cut as well, so she decided to stay and have a couple of drinks with me, BF, and her boyfriend as well.

Me and BF got food while our new friends just drank. We all had a few cocktails. I'm sure the bill was a bit hefty. But as it turns out, Julie's boyfriend is a supervisor/manager at the hotel next door, and he was able to "put it on the house." I felt a bit strange letting these people I just met pay for my food and booze, but he insisted, and it was the hotel that was paying for it anyhow. So I got a meal and wonderful conversation for free I have to say we lucked out... especially since we still have our gift certificates.

Today I was supposed to make more biscotti, but I still need some more supplies, and consequently, I need BF to drive me to the store. It's really cold out, and the store further away has better prices. So I may be grocery shopping today and baking tomorrow.

I did, however, manage to update my finances. I had forgotten a few things, and I'm still wondering where about $30 has gone, but at any rate, we're up to date. My challenge money has almost hit $100, and that's pretty exciting. It's only been a month! I cant believe the month is almost over as well... it seems it flew by. I've got enough put aside to pay the bills and whatnot, though. After tonight, monday, and tuesday, I feel I'll be entirely prepared for February.

I got a freebie in the mail. Celestial Seasonings tea and zinger... I'll have to see how that goes. I love tea... haven't been drinking nearly enough of it. At work I try to drink a lot of green tea because it's free and it's good for me. But I've also been trying not to run to the vending machine. Yesterday I decided instead of buying sweets that I would just make a pot of coffee, and make myself a "froo frroo coffee drink": sweetener, coffee, cream, chocolate syrup, with a little whipped cream on top. Luckily we have all these things at the restaurant. It made my stomach hurt from the sugar, but at least it kept me from buying/eating anything else! hehe.

BF is still asleep... yes, at 3:13 pm. He's gotten on this funky sleeping schedule again. Makes things difficult to schedule. At any rate, I better get going. I think I'm going to wake him up...

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

So I've been pondering this idea for a couple weeks now... There's this new coffee shop that just opened up near my apartment. It's a really small, quaint place. I went to check it out yesterday and I inquired the owner about who does thier baking, mentioning that I do some myself. The guy gave me a free cup of coffee and said he'd try some of my baked goods. So last night, I made some Chocolate-dipped almond biscotti and one of my chocolate chip coffee cakes and brought it to the coffee shop this morning on my way to class. He gave me another free cup of coffee this morning and told me to come back later and he'd tell me how he liked it. So on my way back from class I stopped in and it turns out that he really liked the biscotti! He told me to make another batch, and told me to cut him a deal on it and he'd sell it in the shop!

I'm totally excited. For a couple reasons... I've always wanted to bake, whether I owned my own bakery or made baked goods for a restaurant etc. And even though I wont be able to make a huge profit on this biscotti, it's something! I dont mind putting in the extra time if it's baking. I love to bake!

It costs about $6 a batch for supplies. I figured if I charged him $15 per batch I'd make $9... not bad for 2 hours of work and made from scratch. If he sold them for $1.50 each, or even $1.25 each he'd still make a profit of $15-$10 per batch. He said he didn't get around to trying the cake yet. That would probably be a bit more profitable because you can cut it into more peices. At any rate, the idea of making a little extra cash while doing something I enjoy is enough for me!

I'm just proud of myself for asking. They say you never know until you ask, and I went for it! And I got 3 free cups of coffee and a cinnamon roll in the process! Doesn't quite make up for the supplies necessary to make the first batches I gave to him, but regardless I think it was worth it to make the connection.

In other news, I used my coupons and did some grocery shopping.

Campbells healthy select soup... on sale .90 off, coupon doubled makes an additional $1 off 2
Total price: 2 for $1.50 or 0.75 a can
Total saved: $2.80

Coupon for 1 free Pria Energy Bar
Total price: $0
Total saved: $1.35

Prego Sauce $2 each. Coupon doubled makes an additional $1 off 2. And I'll be mailing in to get one of them free. After rebate...
Total price: 2 for $1.50 or 0.75 a jar
Total saved: $3.00

Cottage cheese doubles 1.12 each. Coupon doubled makes 1.00 off 2.
Total price: 2 for 1.24 or 0.62 each
Total saved: $1.00

Glade air freshening spray on sale for 0.88. Coupon buy one get one free.
Total price: 2 for 0.88 or 0.44 each
Total saved: $1.00

Pure Protein bars on sale 1.00 each. Coupon buy one get one free.
Total price: 2 for $1 or 0.50 each
Total saved: $1.50

Total saved: $10.65

Yay!!! More to add to the challenge... totals to be posted later

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

I woke up at 10:30, and lounged and played video games until around 2:00... so I'd claim that to be pretty lazy. On the flip side, I will be going to the gym with BF here in about an hour. I was going to hit the grocery store today because it's right by the bank. But then I realized it's MLK day, so the bank's not even open. So I'll go tomorrow. I was going to hit Giant Eagle anyway when I run to best buy to pick up the WoW Expansion pack I preordered. $40, but I definitely play it enough to make up for it... and it's a highly anticipated purchase

BF designed a flyer for the restaurant I work for, and in return they gave him $100 DOLLARS in gift certificates for his work.. they were on a deadline and he got it done quickly and it looked great. But at the same time, it seemed a bit much. At any rate, $50 of it is to Kiku, the restaurant I work at, and the other $50 is a trade certificate, which can be used at a bunch of places. So BF said he was going to take me to one of our favorite restaurants! Yay!

I work tonight, and it should be fairly busy. We have a big party coming in. Usually mondays are pretty slow, but this will be a pleasant change. Besides, the big party is for a close friend of the restaurant. He's a great tipper

My coworker suggested going to this indian restaurant after we get off work. I've got $15 left in my dining budget, so I may have to take her up on that offer Besides, school starts in a couple of days. After that, we wont have much time to hang out. Especially considering I'll be playing that expansion game... hehe. I'm such a dork.

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

Instead of walking around here in the mall where my restaurant is located, I'm in my boss' office on SA! No money going to be spent this way. haha. It's just my saving grace that the boss lets me use his computer for personal things The lunch hour just ended and everyone has eaten. That means it's my break time. I'm shooting for a no-spend day. I brought snacks with me so I wouldn't hit the vending machine. The chefs made something good for lunch, so I was in the clear

Last night ended up being nice, though I didn't end up making dinner. As it turns out, cognac isn't very cheap... I'm just going to use brandy next time. But me and BF did end up going to Red Lobster. We shared an entree and I got water instead of pop. I dont regret it seeing as how it's my last hurrah before the semester starts. Once school starts, the only night off I'll have is Sunday. I've got a lot of planning to do as far as meals go...

So after Red Lobster, we went to KMart to get a toy that BF needed for a project for class. Go figure, I dont get to buy cool things like that for school... I did end up getting a glass baking dish for $6. I was going to use it to make Rice Pudding, and then taco dip for a get together I'm planning. I'm pretty excited.

Mortal Kombat II on the super nintendo, munchies, and beer. It's like a dream come true. All we have to do is replace one of our controllers. Luckily, they're not too expensive at the Exchange. I couldn't imagine a super nintendo controller being very expensive anyway...

At any rate, I have to go to the bank again on monday because my account is still all messed up and overdrawn. Stupid people stealing and using my ATM card. Ugh.

Either way, I hope you all have a great day! Wish me luck for the dinner shift!

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!

...but the good news is that it was a no-spend day! Just a long double at work. And a bunch of bad mishaps. A friend is jealous because I'm friends with her boyfriend. Both of these people happen to work with me. Let's just say it was an akward-type day when she came in. We usually do things together... her, me, BF. But if my boss (her boyfriend of sorts) takes me out to lunch, then I get disowned. What??? She didn't really talk to me, which was fine because I was already stewing over a bad phone call I got earlier... words of wisdom: stay away from the low-budget movie-making crowd... there are some real low lives and things can get pretty ugly.

Aside from all that, I've got my last 2 finals tomorrow. Everyone wish me luck! I really cant study right now... too much on my mind, and I feel like I'm gonna cry. I only have 2 FRIENDS in Pittsburgh, and for some reason they're arguing over ME. I dont get females and jealousy at all.

I'm just lucky my boss let me take a shot of Captain right after I clocked out... it relaxed me a bit :/

All I have left is finals now... not to say that's not enough. I sold one of my books back today because I know I wont even use it to study. I have plenty of other material. I'm still musing at how inexpensive books are going to be next semester. It's pretty crazy. I'm used to paying over $300, and it's closer to the tune of $100 this semester. woo!

So I started a new blog. And I used adsense, so we'll see if I generate any revenue. I'm not expecting to have some huge boom, but I figure I'm on the computer enough and write well enough (when I can be snide and use plenty of profanity) to generate at least a few dedicated readers, and that's enough for me. I've always wanted to be a writer, and though it's not a novel (that'll come later on), it's a start.

At any rate, I'm working tomorrow... an extra night this week. I can definitely use the $. I think I may go do some xmas shopping on saturday if I'm feeling up to it. I know BF wants to go see the new 007 movie. I'd like to see it too!

As for spending today, I did buy one of my books for next semester after selling an old one back. I also went and got lunch at Bucca di Beppo. Mmm. Apple gorganzola salad... so good. A bit pricey, but it was well deserved. I've had a rough week and me and BF have both been super-cranky lately. A few arguments have gotten pretty out of hand due to a great lack of sleep on both of our parts. I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow.

Well then, I'll end this with a bit of self-promotion... check out my links listed if you could and read my intro post to "The Modern Day Woman's Guide to the Existential Diet." Leave some comments to let me know what you think! I love input! Goodnight guys!

Ugh. So I haven't written too much in the last few weeks. A lot of that has to do with the considerable shortage of time I've had between work, school, and working out. Not too mention, things have been much more negative in the financial area. So me and BF have been considering getting a car. It's not a necessity. We could live life without one, and both of us have looked at eachother and said, "what are we DOING??" But still I believe we are getting a car. Splitting the cost will make it a bit more financially "easy," and BF is also graduating in about a year and a half.

That said, we are NOT getting a BMW. I know I had mentioned leasing one in a previous post, but that is not happening. We talked about it, we test drove one, we talked about it a bunch more, but it's not happening. But we are getting a new, or newer car. And we're financing. I think leasing is pretty stupid, personally, so that is A-OK by me. We're getting a mazda 3. This is perfectly cool by me, though I'd be happy with a crappy old honda. We've been looking at older models and doing the research, but we did put a deposit down for one to be held. We get to be the first to testdrive, and if we decide not to buy the car, well then we get our deposit back in full.

We're doing a LOT of research. Insurance is a big mess, but thankfully both my mom and BF's gramps work (or worked) in the field, so we're getting a lot of our questions answered. The problem is, the whole process is rather frustrating and stressful. But we're so optomistic and really looking forward to having a car. Merry Christmas to us!

Speaking of Christmas, I'm not quite done shopping, and dont plan to be for a while... between this car coming up and my expensive healthy groceries, I'm quite short on funds. The good news is that I've been exercising a substantial amount more, and my eating habits have most definitely improved.

Finals week is next week. Ahh! Where did the semester go?? It's incredibly relieving. I'm ready for some time off to work a little more. I'm actually working an extra day this week, and though I'm going to miss my friend's b-day party, which she will not be very happy about it, it was quite unexpected. The good news is that I will save money on both liquor and booze. Not to mention, I'll have some extra funds.

Well, I better get going here. I really do have things that I should be doing. Later!

Alright, so I didn't end up going to the gym... or doing a whole lot of anything for that matter. Eh. It's cool. I probably wont go to the gym until monday. Ah well. No use beating myself up for it. I'm just so tired! I guess all that working out wasn't the greatest to "ease" my way into the habit again

On the financial front, it was a no-spend day. Yay! And I managed to do very well at work, which is always a good thing. It was definitely a busy night to say the least.

I'm very anxiously awaiting tomorrow night. I cant wait to see my friend! And my family! Yay! My buddy is driving out to where I am to eat dinner in my restaurant, and I'll be getting some food there as well before we leave. That will be a few dollars no doubt, but with my 25% discount not too bad... Perhaps a drink with him before we leave, but back home we go. The weekend shouldn't be too expensive. Considering everyone is cooking for me... my grandparents, BF's grandparents, my bestest friend is cooking on friday night. The only thing she asked me to bring is a bottle of wine, and honestly, my mama may be willing to donate one anyway The diet will be blown on good red wine this weekend, I believe. Actually, I think alcohol will be the prime budget buster this weekend. heh. Thus is the story of trips back home...

At any rate, I need to eat a snack and do some packing. I leave straight from work tomorrow. So if I dont get to check in tomorrow, you all have a wonderful weekend! (chances are I'll find a way to make a post though hehe.)

So I'm happy to say that for the first time in a week, I made decent money at work. Scratch that, I made GREAT money at work. $111 in one night(5 hours) is fine by me, I'll say. Woo hoo! It feels good after the crappy tips that people have left me all last week. Reminds me that the server's job can be very rewarding at times.... or perhaps I'm just lucky