Alrighty. So my federal tuition assistance went through and I'm fairly certain they're going to let me go on a payment plan. So my classes are not going to be dropped and I'm going through with the semester. Win!

In bad news, however, the company I work for isn't doing so well, so I'm losing hours. That means making 25% less... sigh. I'm going to have to pick up more tutoring or something. I'm not going to be able to make all of my bills... I'm sure there are some places I could cut back. Groceries. As it stands, if I actually have every tutoring appointment I'm supposed to have, I'm $118 short for February. And that's if my student loans get deferred and my payment plan covers 4 months.

Sigh... I wasn't expecting to pay that extra $1000 for my school this semester, so that's hurting me quite a bit.

So that kind of sucks, but if I can pick up some side jobs I'll be okay. And I'll have more time for schoolwork, so that's nice. But I have to pay my bills. I'm sure my roomates aren't going to freak out if I cant pay the full $200 every month, and I could cut back my entertainment budget. I'll make it work somehow...

For this month I'm still under budget. I would be very much under budget except I had a (yes, I'm serious) $150 library fine... That's what I get for procrastinating and whatnot. Lesson learned.

So I have to pull some fancy footwork, but I'll get in a position where I'll be paying my bills and making extra. I just have to cut back and figure out ways to make more. There are answers out there, I just have to find them. Perhaps more writing. And I could sell a few books, I'm sure. I'll get it taken care of.

Either way, I hope everyone has a great day!

Well, the phonecalls are still going out, but there's still no word on what's going to happen. It's all contingent on me getting all sorts of forms, and meetings, and faxing things. Lord only knows...

I've beginning to think about what to do if I cant work it out and I have to drop all my classes. I guess I would just work. Perhaps work more. Pick up another tutoring client or start cleaning my boss' house again. I would focus on paying off that credit card and getting financially stable even more so. Continue trying to get in shape, continue with my music. So all would not be terrible. But I really just want to stay in school. If I end up skipping out on this semester, I'll definitely go during the summer.

Sigh. It just sucks, because even if I do get this scholarship, I still have to pay $2000, and I dont have it. I'm not going to max out my CC's again trying to pay for classes. I'm still paying for the last time I did that. This was what I was trying to avoid by joining the army. Jeez.

But moving on from all that depressing hooplah... car still hasn't broke down on me. That's positive. lol. Tutored last night. Made $20. They want to go an extra half hour, if the mom can pull together the money. I feel terrible that I cant just tutor for free. I really do care about the success of these kids, and I know everyone is hurting financially. If my time wasn't so valuable these days, and if I wasn't hurting so much myself, I would certainly tutor for much less. I still may give her a steep discount on the additional time if she cant manage it. The kid really does need the help.

Tutoring again tonight, and I have class. Not sure if I'm going out tonight or not. I really shouldn't spend the money. Even if it is just one drink. This weekend I have drill, though, so I probably wont be going out. We'll see, I guess. All this talk of money makes me so sad. I wish we weren't all so dependent on it. It's crazy how much influence the amount of money we have vs. the amount we need has on our daily lives, and our attitudes.

At any rate, I should get back to work Hope everyone is doing well.

Alright, so we're on week 2 of the new schedule, and it's already been a long week... but it's been productive. I'm really stressed out right now, not because of these time constraints, but because my classes are still not paid for.

Again the army has messed my finances up and I'm scrambling to McGuyver the situation before they drop my classes

It's frustrating, because the only mistake I made in this whole situation was expecting to do their jobs properly... I know better now. I have to constantly check and re-check to make sure things are getting done. So I've been running around and making phone calls and wanting to pull my hair out. Called and wrote an email to my congressman today, and now I'm just crossing my fingers that they wont drop my classes, and give me more time to work it out.

I cant get a student loan. I applied for one just in case, and without a cosigner, I've got nothing. I guess already having over $40k deters them... and I dont have a cosigner. Not that I'm sad about not being able to incur more debt, but that's my last resort gone. If I had known any of this was going to be an issue, I would have started working on it months ago.

Sigh... I guess all I can do is my best and hope things work out. It's really frustrating. All I want is to go to school. I joined the army so I could get school paid for. Is it so much to ask to get what they promised me?

On a happy note, I've been great about not spending money on frivolous things. I haven't really gone out, and I'm being responsible. I wish that meant I had all this extra money to put towards my classes. But really it means I have extra cash to put toward car repairs... it seems the car is headed right back where it was before. All the problems are not fixed...

Just keep truckin, right? Sigh...

Well yesterday was my first day of class, and I'm already starting to feel the effects of my busy schedule.

The army has once again messed up my finances, so today I get to deal with a mess concerning my scholarship. Yay for that. I have 2 weeks to remedy the issue, or they drop my classes. Joy of joys. So I started work an hour early, to get off an hour early, to give myself time to run to my unit before tutoring and then class. Sigh...

Army boy sent me yet another email this morning. He's bludgeoning this talk of ours to death. I told him I was done and needed space, and yet he continues to argue and blame me for everything. Perhaps he's starting to get that it's over. I think he's panicking now. But I'm not going to be emotionally bullied into a situation I'm not comfortable with. It kills my self esteem. I'm not going to let that happen anymore.

Other than all that stress, things are okay, I suppose. I have an exciting weekend ahead of me. Yoga (for free this week), putting in an hour volunteering, lunch with a friend I haven't seen in a while, going to see Chicago with the roomies, then a trip to Pittsburgh to see a lecture and catch up with old friends.

It seems that even my weekends when I'm supposed to be relaxing are busy! Next weekend I have drill, so it's going to be a loooong couple of weeks. No real breaks The good news is we dont really do a whole lot at drill, so maybe I'll get some homework done! Anyhoo, I should probably get back to my hectic schedule. I hope everyone has a great day!

Well, found the leak on the car. It was the radiator, and it was bad. Lucky for me, though, my mechanic is a good friend. He got me a new radiator for $90, and didn't charge me a dime for labor. It was a quick fix, and in return I agreed to go to dinner with him. heh.

So last night was nice, got mexican, then went back to his friends' and jammed. We all play music, so it was a good time. Got home and went to sleep.

I have to get my bank card situated. The ATM wouldn't let me withdraw any cash... ugh. Applied for my parking pass at school. It should be here in the next few weeks. Hopefully sooner. I have a whole mess to figure out at the university tomorrow. Happy day... Getting the army to pay for things and not mess it up is an impossibility.

Other than that, tomorrow starts the first week of hell... that is, by incredibly busy schedule. I work 7-3 mon thru friday, tutor 3 nights a week (thursdays I have 2 clients, however), and classes in the evening. It's going to be rough... This sunday I'm going to see Chicago with my roomates. That should be fun. I think next monday I'm driving to Pittsburgh for a lecture. My classes are cancelled due to a holiday, and I haven't been in so long!

So busy busy busy. I'm going to try and made this a relaxing day. It's the last one I'll have before this mess begins.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Well, the car is in working condition. Hurrah! Got the coolant I need to keep it filled, at least until I get that leak fixed. Got new spark plugs, just have to put them in. Oh, and a scraper. I forgot how awful Ohio winters are :/

The only thing my car is missing now... as of this morning... is a wiper blade. Where in the world did it go, you ask? I have no clue. It was certainly there yesterday... ah well. They weren't terribly quality blades to begin with.

So I got paid today. Paid off a ridiculous library fee that never should have been. My fault for procrastinating... I also found out that my independent study is now on my schedule. I gave a call to the VA office at the university to see what's going on with my army scholarship. No answer. I'm pretty sure the university is closed due to weather.

TGIF! I'm thoroughly enjoying my new schedule at work... Instead of 9-5 I'm working 7-3. LOVE IT. I get so much more time in the evening. I dont mind waking up early at all. Actually, I get too much sleep generally. So I have the time to tutor. My schedule is going to be incredibly full come next week, but I think it'll be good for me to be busy.

Plans for the weekend? Tonight I'm hanging out with a friend. I dropped my vegetarianism, and I'm really looking forward to some wings and beer We were going to go to one of our favorite restaurants, as we're big beer snobs. But we've decided to grab the wings to go and grab a 6-pack of something good. It's going to cut the cost in half, at least. You think... you pay about $8 for a decent 6-pack. In a restaurant, you spend about $5 for 1 good beer. We're saving $3.67/beer (that's $11 for each of us) AND we dont have to leave a tip Economical fun, that's what I say!

Went to a *free* kickboxing class last night that really whooped me. I would continue to take the class, but it's $35/month, and I'll only be able to make it to a few classes a month. So I'm going to pass on that. I'm going to try and find a decent class at the University's REC center to take. That fits with my schedule, hectic as it is. Or just run at home on the treadmill for free

Okies, off to have a fantastic single weekend! No boys for this girl. No dates. Just a lot of great friends and good times. I hope everyone enjoys theirs as well

So I've managed not to spend any money all week so far The roomies were nice enough to buy me dinner the other night, and the ex bought my coffee last night when we got together. It was the first time I saw him since the breakup (yes, I've had quite a few of them in the last month...)

Actually, the situation is as follows: BF goes to iraq, and we struggle for months prior to his departure, during his tour, and we break up back in July. I come home from basic, we try to work it out, but every time he cant make a commitment. I decide to move on, and within weeks find this really great guy. Despite the fact I told myself I would be single for a while, I allow myself to rush into things with this guy.

So fast forward a couple months, and Army boy is coming home. Turbulence starts in my now-relationship because the "what if's" surface, and I drive myself crazy. I end up splitting with the guy I'm seeing and start talking to Army boy. The first few days he's back things are right back to normal, and he talks like things are going to be just normal. We decide not to throw a formal title on anything, but be ourselves together.

Over the next couple weeks things cool off between us substantially, as he's started to hold back from me. The more he pushes me away, the more I harden up and stop caring. Survival mode, I call it. I dont want to get hurt again. Finally, I decide that if he's not going to put everything into it, and expect me to stick around without him putting any commitment to it, I'm out. I think I deserve to love someone who actually wants to give and not just take.

I decided that I'm not going to allow myself to be a guarded, hardened individual. I'm a very passionate, loving person, and I'm not going to compromise that to wait for him. He wasn't particularly happy to hear about that. But we've decided to just be friends.

So here I am, single for real, and for the first time in almost 5 years... it feels strange. I'm moving on from Army boy. He really is the love of my life, but that's 3 times we've run into the same problem. I need some time to work on me and reevaluate what it is I want in a relationship.

So the kid I left in this whole process and I got together last night, and it went really well. We talked for a while about what happened, and thankfully there are no hard feelings. He understands I had to do what I did. I had absolutely no closure while Army boy was in Iraq. So again, I have another friend. I miss this guy a lot. We spent a lot of time together, and we had a lot of fun. I'm happy to have him back in my life.

There was zero talk of us getting back together. I was happy about that. I could certainly see us trying things out again in the future, but for now that's not what I need. I need some time for me. So we'll see how things go.

Army boy is being decidedly immature about everything, but I'm sure he'll cool off in a week or so. Just goes to show... I dont want to be with a 12 year old in a 27 year old's body! lol.

So here I am, starting off 2010 with a fresh new start. I've decided I'm done with breakups for a while. lol. Too many of those in the last month... So cheers to those of us standing up for ourselves (my mom recently did the same), and doing what's best for us

Hope everyone has a great day!

So the car is for the most part fixed. The power steering pump has been replaced and coolant has been put into it (though it needs more, and we also need to find out where it's leaking). So there's that... Thankfully the pseudo-BF helped me out and saved me quite a bit of cash. Eventually going to have to replace the spark plugs and fix that leak, wherever it is... ugh.

Didn't spend any money yesterday, so that makes one no-spend day for the week Today I'm thinking I'm going to go get temp plates for my car again, so I can drive it legally. Then take the steps to get it to pass E-check-- starting with those spark plugs.

Going to a free kickboxing class tonight. I was going to go yesterday, but my friend made plans forgetting... heh. Oooh well. No plans for this week, so it was fine. I have 2 other nights filled, hanging out with my buddy the one. The other I'm having coffee with the ex... that's going to be rough.

My love life, per usual, is a hot mess. The current sort-of BF is doing the same thing he's been doing for a year now... failing to make a commitment. As well as holding back from our relationship. I dont see the point in loving someone half-a**edly. It's all or nothing. I deserve that. So if he decides he cant put everything into it, I think it's single time for this girl.

He says he wants me to be "single," yet I know he still expects me to be there when he's ready. I dont find that fair. We're either together or we're not. I cant be single and still clinging on to us.

Sorry for the rant, but I had to get it out there Alrighty. Off to work. I hope everyone has a great day!

So my new years was fantastic. Spent the night with my roomies and friends at our house. We had a party-- no driving for this girl. I then spent the next 3 days reflecting and relaxing. Spent a lot of time with the roomies, playing videogams mostly. And then last night went to mom's for dinner, and a couple friends showed up and we drank wine and played a boardgame. Overall, pretty successful.

Started working on my car yesterday with the pseudo BF. Almost have the power steering pump in. Now all we need to do is finish putting it in, grab some spark plugs and fluids, and I *should* have a running car. I just have to go get new temp tags for it and get it E-check friendly. BF sayst he coolant is dry... I probably should have caught on to that. That would explain the sputtering sound. I'm pretty sure my oil was boiling... So there's obviously a leak somewhere in the cooling system. I'll have to find that at some point.

I just need it fixed to the point I can drive it to my tutoring appointments and to school. School starts next week. I'm excited and dreading it all at once. I have to make sure I'm all taken care of financially. I dont trust the army to do anything right the first time. heh.

Either way, it's time to get to work. So much to do! And I have to file my taxes here soon! Jeez...

In other great news, going to a kickboxing class tonight... for free Yay for great exercise for the best price ever.

Everyone have a great day

Well, it's January 2 and I have yet to spend a dime this year lol. I guess part of that is due to the fact that the BF has been paying for a lot. I helped out in the beginning, grabbed a couple meals... but he wants to go out almost every night, and I just cant afford that right now. Have to get my footing before I can go hog-wild with the spending... especially considering I have a lot of goals to accomplish.

In good news for 2010, I'm getting a raise... and I'm getting paid salary So my hours will be much more flexible, and I wont be working nearly as much. I'll more or less have a set quota I need to accomplish every day, and when the work's done, I'm done. Hence more time for studying

Today is going to be another relaxing day. I got a paid day off yesterday (woot). I'm going to take the time to do some reading, work out (I've been eating way too much junk for the last couple days), set out my goals for january and this coming week, and start getting to work on them! I may even write an article... every little bit helps, and I have nothing of great importance to accomplish today.

I hope everyone is having a great start to their new year. I certainly am

So here it is, the list of my 2010 goals. They're not all related to finances (most of them are not), but here they are nonetheless:

*Pay off Credit Card
*Eat healthy
*Work out at least 3 times a week
*Write at least 1 poem/story per month
*Continue volunteering with Hospice-2 hours per month min.
*Push through the mentoring program for my independent study
*Get a tattoo
*Write at least 3 new songs
*Visit a foreign country (Kenya in August)
*Play out at my own show
*Complete 3 sewing projects
*Re-do the couch
*Get back into the CIQR program
*Score really well on the GRE
*Find/visit at least 2 grad schools
*Get down to 135 pounds
*See a play or the symphony
*Find an internship for the fall, or a job closer to my career choice
*Go to Boston for the CCFC conference in April
*Move into my own place
*Start riding my bike frequently when the weather gets nicer
*Improve my Credit score
*Start reading the news

That's it for now, but I'm sure I'll add more. Just have to keep holding myself accountable

In financial news, I finally opened up a local bank branch, and paid my CC bill yesterday. I haven't used it in over a month. I'm going to keep going with that trend. I'm trying to pay it off quicker than the end of 2010... lol.

For right now I just have to focus on fixing my car and getting things in order for school, work. My schedule is going to be incredibly challenging. I may have to cut back some hours at work to fit in my tutoring. I cant loose that gig, it just pays too well.

On the health front, I have worked out twice this week And I've been eating relatively well. No soda, though I've had a few beers. I need to cut back on those if I'm going to make any progress on my weight... heh.

Either way, time to get going. Hope everyone is having a fabulous week!

So I'm very much looking forward to the start of the new year. I'm putting together goals today. I've been losing focus lately, with everything that's been going on in my life. Now that things are starting to work themselves out and calm down, it's time to get back on track!

I'm finishing up the January budget right now, and prepping for the goal-setting. Something about new beginnings gets me incredibly motivated. The week just started, a new month is about to start, and we're at the edge of 2010. So very exciting!

So stay posted for the almighty lists It'll be pretty intense... lol.

Today has been quite productive. Working, from home thankfully given all the snow we just got. Doing my laundry today, getting my finances in order. I bought my textbooks on amazon today. Pretty decent prices. I got everything it says I'm supposed to need for about $100.

After work I'm going to jump on the treadmill for a bit, and later going to yoga with the boy I started eating healthy again starting today. I've gained a lot of the weight I lost in basic training, and I told myself I wouldn't let that happen... Not that I'm terribly overweight, but I haven't worked out in over 3 months... I was working out 5 mornings a week when I was in training. There really is no excuse for it. So here we go again...

That's it for now, then. Happy beginning of the week, everyone!

Well. That "funk" that I was in has come to a close, thankfully. It was a rough time, and I came to a lot of conclusions. See, the reason I was upset to begin with is because my ex is coming back from Iraq, and I missed him uncontrollably. We broke up a while ago, but it was under odd circumstances and I never really got over him. I thought I did... but this last 2 weeks have proven otherwise.

I ended things with the current BF, as I found it to be unfair to him, regardless of whether my ex and I get back together. That was a rough night. It's really been a hard last 2 weeks...

The good news, however, is that my ex and I are talking and things are looking good. I guess all those people who told me, "If it's meant to be it'll happen," were right. I've never met anyone who has made me happier. So that's excellent

Work is going well, going full time now. Getting prepared for the semester coming up next month and finished most of my xmas shopping a couple days ago. I haven't decided if I'm going to get my other 2 friends gifts or not... I have to assess the financial situation first...

Time is running out as well :/ Either way.

So the ex/future BF is coming home tomorrow. TOMORROW. I haven't seen the kid in 10 months... He came home on leave, but I was at basic training, so I didn't get to see him It's going to be quite the reunion, I know it. I cant wait. I've been trying to make the day go by as fast as possible. It feels like xmas. I guess it kind of is

That's really all I've got for now. Sorry for my recent absence. I was dealing with all that boy nonsense... sigh. Boys. lol.

Unfortunately yesterday was another rough one. But I'm determined to not let this one get me down. I'm pretty sure my new medication is messing with me. Hormones will do that to you. But I'm not going to sit around mopey all week long. Thank goodness I have things like LOLcats and sweet boyfriends for times like these.

Yesterday was a no-spend day. I went to get my car e-checked, and they broke it even further... my car is not doing so hot right now. My mechanic buddy is going on vacation here tomorrow as well... so it's gonna be a minute before I get the thing fixed. Pooey.

The good news is that the manual to my car is on its way, so I'll be more aptly equipped to start fixing it on my own. I'm a helicopter mechanic with the army. I'm pretty sure I can handle a car. No problemo.

So that's that. Time to get to work here in a few minutes, and BF's last exam is this evening, so we're going out tonight and he is getting pretty wasted. I'll be the DD and nursing him in the morning... it's also been a long week for him. It's a shame we're both in rough spots at the same time. I feel like a jerk for not being as understanding as I should be, and he's just so busy it's hard for him to be around for me while I'm in this state. Bah.

Ah well, off to work. Hope everyone has a great day! I'm going to try and maintain some positivity!

So I had a pretty down day yesterday. It seems nothing was going right. Overall just felt I was in a funk, and then everything started happening. Apparently I need an E-Check done before I can get plates for my car... so that was a useless trip to the DMV. Then I for some reason didn't have the right pin at the ATM... then I needed to take the car for E-Checking, and the heat wouldn't heat up... it was just one thing after another. I gave up.

My amazingly sweet BF did bring me flowers That was incredibly nice of him, just because I was having a bad day. And he took me out for Mexican. What a great boy!

I did find the pin for my card... I forgot I've only used the ATM once since I've had it... got money out and ran it to my mechanic friend, who is ordering the parts to my car. woot.

I'm hoping today is less stressful than yesterday. I have to figure out this whole car situation, and I have to tutor tonight, though I dont know how I'm getting there. Thinking I may have them come here. Or just cancel it altogether, though I would much rather not. I need the money now more than ever.

Christmas is sneaking up on us quick! Admittedly, I am so not in the spirit. I've hardly thought about it. Yesterday I did for about a minute, because it was snowing. That's about it. It's kind of depressing, but what can ya do? It's been harder every year for me to feel Christmas-y. Perhaps it's an adult thing? I really just feel headache, and present buying. And I'm not really doing any of that, either.

Got the best friend something, have to find something for my mom. Small, but something she can open. And BF is getting hockey tickets. He's buying me a nose piercing, so I'm getting that done next week. Right after drill, so it has time to heal prior to me changing it to the clear spacer for drill next month. I'm not supposed to wear them with my uniform... but I dont want it to close up.

And I will be getting my hair done on my budget next week as well. It's a regular christmas makeover. lol. I haven't had the hair cut or colored since 4th of July weekend, so I dont mind forking over the cash. I really only get it done a couple times a year.

Either way, I'm going to attempt to get the car E-checked, and have a somewhat stressless day. Let's hope I succeed!

Everyone have a good one!

So it finally happened... my car broke. Well, it broke to the point where it's essential I fix it before I drive it more, anyway. Terrible timing, really. I was supposed to trade cars with mom to make a trip to Pittsburgh, and it happened the day before. Needless to say, it was an angry night. I mean, I knew I was going to have to put some money into it. You cant buy a $1200 car without something breaking. It just doesn't happen. lol.

I was freaking out because I didn't really have any money for repairs, but something amazing happened. I looked at my bank account and became alarmed because the army paid me an unexpected $570. They have a habit of overpaying me it seems... A quick look at my mypay showed that it was actually money I was supposed to be paid. Just in time!!!

My mechanic buddy came over yesterday and took a look at it, and it's the power steering pump. I think there may be other problems as well, but this is where we're going to start.

I go buy the plates today. lol. My temp tags expire tomorrow.

I had a very inexpensive weekend. BF and I haven't really gone out. He's busy with projects and finals and I'm getting over this cold, and feeling rather refreshed that we spent a couple weeks out of the bars.

The roomies and I had a boardgame night saturday which was very successful, and yesterday was certainly a lazy sunday. I read and drank tea most of the day. School starts next month, and I will have zero time for pleasure reading. I'm trying to get in all I can for the time being.

So yes, just need to fix the car and figure out how I'm going to swing tutoring this week. I'm sure I'll be able to work some magic. Drill this weekend. Woot. It's going to be a long week...

Hope everyone has a good one! Later.

Well, things are busy as usual. Still working, though it's nice to start working at home this week... I'm quite enjoying it. Whereas a lot of people think there are a lot of distractions, I find very little. It's nice Best part? I get to hang out in my PJ's aaaalll day. There is a reason they call me PJmama

Paid my one student loan bill yesterday. My CC bill is a couple days late now, but I'm going tomorrow morning not only to make a payment, but to open a new checking acct. My bank situation is, and has been, a mess for the last few months. It's time I finally fixed it. It'll be nice to have a local bank branch again. It'll be much easier, anyway.

I haven't really done any writing in the last 3 weeks. I haven't really had the time, and I've been sick for the last week or so. Thus I've been relaxing, and thankfully, too. I'm starting to feel better now.

I've been doing a lot of reading. It's incredibly stress-free, and I've managed to buy about 15-20 books in the past couple months, all for under 50 cents each. Yay for booksales and the thrift store! As winter weather finally sets in, I'll be well stocked with cheap entertainment.

I'm a bit stressed about xmas coming up. Thankfully I dont have too many people to buy for. I bought my best friend something already, and mom and I decided not to exchange gifts... both of us are hurting financially this year. I'm getting BF hockey tickets, and we're making a weekend out of going to PA and seeing the game, at some point in January. I still have to purchase the tickets. It'll be about $100 for both.

I'm a bit worried that this coming semester is going to be chocked full and frantic. I'm only taking 12 credit hours, but I'll also be working full time. I know I'll pull through it and everything will be okay, but I anticipate it being very stressful. I'm not going to have very much time for anything at all.

I've started my list of 2010 goals, and it's coming along. I'll post them, along with my list of what got accomplished (and didn't) in 2009.

Either way, it's back to work for me. I hope everyone is having a great day!

I'm having a serious struggle with time. It feels that now I've started working I dont really have time to do all the things I need to do... bah. It's got me worried about how the semester is going to go... But I guess I'm just going to have to work something out. I've definitely worked 25 hours a week and went to school full time simultaneously. I may just have to knock down my class load to 12 credits and go closer to full time with work for a semester.

I really just need to get financially situated, and by the summer time I want to be living in my own apt. BF and I are already talking about moving in with eachother. That will cut costs in half and definitely lighten the blow.

The new car hasn't blown up yet, though it's already giving me some minor problems. It looks like there's a leak somewhere. It's also stalled out on me a few times, and the oil light comes on when I'm idling after I've driven it on the highway... sigh... I'm still trying to finagle a way to pay my student loan payments this month. I dont have the extra cash to make car repairs... :/

I haven't done any writing in almost 2 weeks, mostly because I just dont have the time. Between work and tutoring 3 nights a week, then cleaning my boss' house for cash on the weekends... it's a bit overwhelming.

The good news is that this is the last week I go into the office. I start working from home next week I'm going to save money on gas, and free up some time with driving. Not only that, but I dont ever have to leave my pj's

I think that's about it in news. Just trying to get through these first few weeks at work, get through the kinks, get into my routine. It'll be smooth sailing from there.

Hope everyone enjoys thier day!

Well, it's tuesday. Yesterday was relatively low-expense. I worked, then went to yoga. Honestly, it's the best $5 I've ever spent every time I go. Thank goodness for student pricing

In good news, the fair trade place I went to the other day was having a drawing, and I got pulled out of the hat. How's that for good karma? I get a $10 gift certificate! Woot.

Worked today, and tutored for an hour, so that's an extra $30. I hit the grocery store on my way home and spent $22.22. That's the first time I've bought groceries this month. I dont starve by any means, but I hate eating food at home that I didn't even pitch in on. So I picked up a few things we needed for the hosue, and some food for me to make dinners, breakfasts, and the like.

I'm doing some work from home tonight, so a couple more hours will be added. I may have to put off some of it til the morning, though. I'm getting really tired. Stayed up a bit too late last night. It's catching up with me.

Tomorrow I'm not sure what's going on other than working and tutoring. May or may not be hangning out with BF. It's strange that we're both so busy now. My schedule is almost as bad as his now. lol. Come the next semester it'll be even worse... sigh.

I already miss seeing him. haha. Hopefully things will ease up closer to the holidays.

Either way, I should get some work done! Hope everyone has a good night.

Well, the week has come to a close. I didn't quite make my goals for the week, but I'm not going to be too hard on myself. I had a lot going on, and I'm still transitioning into this new schedule. I unfortunately cant do everything, and it was a drill weekend. That really limited my time to do anything this weekend.

That being said, it wasn't terribly expensive either. I did buy the roomie an xmas present at the fair trade store. I managed to resist temptation and bought nothing for myself... quite a feat. I did, however, get dinner out. $7, but delicious. And spent $7 at the coffee shop... only because I got a small bag of these delicious tiramisu covered almonds... mmm.

Stayed for the poetry reading at the coffee shop, and managed to make a new friend. A girl that was at the last poetry reading. I'll be seeing her again at this thursday's poetry reading. I have to prepare for that, now that I think about it. I need to write more poetry. One more thing to throw on the laundry list of things I have to do.

Tomorrow is going to be a very busy day. Work 10:30-4:30, then clean my boss' house from 4:30-6, then yoga from 6-7:30. Finishing up the night hanging out with the BF. Hopefully getting some good sleep. I'm going to need it. Busy busy week.

I would put up my week's goals, but I dont have them yet. Perhaps in the morning. For now, it's time for sleep.

Night everyone!

So my first week of work came to a close. Everything went entirely well, and I'm looking forward to another productive week. There is some good news on the financial front:

I apparently misheard my tutoring client when we agreed on $15/hour. Apparently she said $15/half hour. So I'm actually making $30 more every week than I thought I was... Nice So in total, I'm making $80/week in tutoring alone. 3 hours of work for that much! You cant beat that.

I wrote a review of a local business that sells fair trade goods and postHaed the link on thier facebook. The woman that runs the business is fabulous, and she was incredibly happy with the article. In turn, she posted it for all to read, and said that she owed me and would return the favor somehow soon. I'm going to be in there tomorrow evening for thier 2 year anniversary celebration, so that could mean good things for me I really do love her business and the products she carries. They're pretty fabulous, and really well priced.

Had a doctor's appt today, and perscription I'm going to have every month. Luckily, the perscription is only $18 every month. 2 months of pills and the visit today cost me $74. Big ouch. Had to throw it on my CC, which was a bummer But I'll get that paid off in no time if work is going as well as it has been. I went from relatively no income to making quite a bit. It's a bit overwhelming, but also fabulous

When it works out, I'll be making $9/hr (I'm getting a raise as of next week. Go figure, right?). If we're talking a 15% tax rate (I'm going to have to save to pay taxes next year), I'll be making more like $7.65/hr. If I work 30 hours every week, that's about $230/week.

$230 Weekly salary
$80 Tutoring
$30 House Cleaning
$7 for Writing
$347 Total per week

$347x4=$1388 per month.

There's even talk of having another raise if business goes well, so I could be up to $10/hr in no time. Things are looking good over here.

If I stay with my roomates for another few months, I'll have the money for my car and laptop taken care of, and then my CC paid off in no time. Then I'll fly the nest and look for my own apt. Good stuff, for sure

So other than my medical stuff, the only spending I did today was on gas. I went through $10 in gas so quickly! Granted, my appt today was a bit far. And I've driven quite a bit in the last week. I'll have to keep track of that so I'm not spending quite so much on gas. I forgot what a big expense that could be... Ah well.

I'm playing army this weekend, and BF is going to be out of town, so it should be a super cheap few days. Very low key. As it is, I need to get going to get ready for tomorrow. Gotta love being a weekend warrior! lol. Hope everyone has a good evening!

Well, my tutoring session went well yesterday. I'm actually tutoring this girl 2 times a week, at $15/hr. So that, plus tonight's session will make an extra $50/week

So that's going well. In other income news, AC accepted 2 more of my articles, so that's another $7.02 to add to my challenge money. I published 2 articles on Examiner, and I get pay per views. I'm at $0.30, but that's not too bad given they've been up for less than 48 hours. I've got more posting to do up on social networking sites and whatnot. I'll get those up

Also working the rest of this week. It's amazing how things just kind of exploded for me. In the course of 3 days I've got a job and a car... and all these side projects!!

Goals are coming along well, but I have a lot to do today. Better get back to work!

Well, I woke up early to get some work done, so hopefully I'll be productive this morning. Yesterday was a very busy day, and I forsee today being the same.

In financial news, I forsee today being a no-spender. Well, unless I have to get gas. I'm not quite to empty yet, and likely wont be travelling far. We shall see. Other than that, however, my goal is to not spend any money.

Actually, here is a list of my goals for the day:

*Start web content for work, possibly finish.
*Finish article I started last night.
*Lengthen my article for AC and resubmit.
*Run at least 15 min.
*Read a bit more of the book I started yesterday on constructing curriculum.

I have a tutoring job on wednesday for a little boy who has been diagnosed with ADD. Not to insult the parents, but I dont really believe in ADD. They just went through a divorce and I'm sure he's having some issues adjusting (his mom believes this as well). Either way, he's obviously going to need a little extra attention and care when it comes to tutoring, and I'm trying to do my best. When I posted my ad I mentioned I have background study in child psychology (I do), and even though I'm NOT a psychologist or therapist, I feel I can use my education to maximize the effectiveness of any tutoring that I do.

I did pick up another tutoring job, but not with a 3rd grader. lol. Highschool algebra isn't going to be nearly as difficult to tutor, thankfully. But hey, that's 2 gigs in a week So I'll be tutoring algebra this evening, and 3rd grade math and reading tomorrow. I'll have a little extra income for the week. Woo!

Alrighty, well, it's time to get running! Literally... lol. I need to be more active. Especially considering I sit in front of a computer all day at work now. Need to stay active!

Everyone have a great day!

Well, for the first time ever in my life, I am a *car owner*. Woo! Very exciting time over here. I just drove it home and I couldn't be any happier! With insurance and the money that I put toward the car, I officially have $65 left in my bank account. haha. Not pretty...

The good news is, however, that today is my first day of work. So I'll be making money the remainder of the week to pay off what I owe my boss on the car, and to make up what I need for my bills for the remainder of the month. I'm not going to be spending a whole lot on anything else until December. I really cant.

One more monthly goal to knock off the list

That's about it in news Here's my new baby:

well, I put down the money to hold my car til tomorrow, and I head to the bank in the morning. By 10:00 tomorrow morning, I will have my set of wheels Very exciting. This will be the first time in almost 4 years that I have a car to drive, and the first time ever that I have a car in my name. I'm very happy with my decision, and I think it's a sound financial decision as well. I'm throwing the insurance on it tonight, so I'll be out and about come tomorrow

That's one more goal I've reached this month as of tomorrow. I evaluated my goals for last week, and I've managed to hit every single one:

*Write and submit 5 articles.
*Keep track of all my finances.
*Have 2 no-spend days.
*Pick up tutoring gig.

I'm very content with that. Hopefully I'll do as well with my goals for this coming week:

*Write and submit 6 articles.
*Keep track of all money spent/made.
*Buy a car (obviously going to happen).
*3 no-spend days.

Ideally, I should have more than 3 no-spend days, as I really shouldn't be spending ANY money for a while after I buy this car. As it is, I'm going to be struggling to pay all my bills. I have faith that I'll meet them, I just have to make some sacrifices through the rest of the month. BF and I are both working on spending less money, so having someone in it with me is great I think we'll both have a positive influence on eachother.

I start work this week, so that's pretty exciting. I'm not really going to make any money over the course of the week, as my boss fronted me $400, but I'm still excited. I feel like things are finally falling into place and I'm getting back on my feet. It's taken a few months, but I'm getting there. It's a nice feeling.

Tonight BF is taking me out to dinner at a restaurant that just opened up and my roomies say is excellent. It's a kind of celebratory thing, and will be our last hurrah before cutting out the spending really for the rest of the month. It's absolutely GORGEOUS outside, and I'm definitely going to put on a cute dress for the occasion

So wish me luck for the rest of the week! It's going to be a very busy one...

Well, my car search has come to an end. I found my new wheels today I'll be finishing up the transaction over the course of the next couple days. Have to round up some cash-- difficult with the banks closed, it may have to wait til monday morning. However, I'm very satisfied with the car. I was really only looking for something that would hold me over for the next year or so. I honestly think this will run at least for another 3. It's a 91 Corolla, with almost no problems to speak of. Mechanically, we're looking at a possible radiator leak. But it's a cheap fix that my mechanic friend is going to assist me with.

With tax and title, we're looking at $1350. Not bad. And no car payment! Insurance isn't going to run me much, and I'll have a dependable set of wheels

In other financial news, I had another no-spend day (though tomorrow will be a major purchase). For the next few weeks I'm going to be working like crazy. Between the new job, and all these articles I'm going to be writing. I guess it works out that it's the end of BF's semester, and he'll be incredibly busy. Not only that, but after buying this car I'm going to be beyond broke. So I wont be going out much!

I guess it's a good thing I made out like a bandit at this book sale at the library the other day. I know, I probably shouldn't be spending money on books. I have so many. But I left the library with about 10 books and only spent $4.50. You really cant beat that.

The goal for tonight is to write another article and submit. I have 2 processing currently. I'm still getting set up at examiner.com, but I'm pretty excited about that. Tomorrow I have quite a few articles to write, as well as some web content for work. My boss is paying me $10/page. I also have to prepare for this tutoring session I have on wednesday. And plan to stop at the nursing home one afternoon this week. Even though I'll be busy, I still have to fit my volunteering in. And I have drill next weekend. So much to do!

Either way, it's exciting times around here, and I'm pretty pumped Successes all around. I hope everyone else is feeling as productive! Have a great evening, guys!

So in good news... I got the job! I'll be working part-time hours this coming week, then moving to full time. Very exciting! I'm definitely going to be a busy girl.

Now that I've got the job, this weekend I'm getting a car. I know, I know. I've already gotten the "you cant buy a car in one weekend!" speech. And I know it's haphazard, but it's what I've got to do. I dont really have a choice in the matter. Transportation has become a must. It's now or never, kids! So I'm going to go out over the next 2 days and see what I can get. I'd ideally like to finance an older toyota or honda. Spend between $3-5k. But that's wholly dependent on whether or not I can get financing. My credit score isn't terrible... close to 700, but my debt-income ratio isn't all that great. So we'll see what I can get.

If worse comes to worse and I cant get financing, my employer is going to help me out and front me some money to buy something cheaper... closer to $1200. So we'll see what I can come up with over the next 2 days!

In other news, my application for examiner was accepted, so I'll be writing for them as well as associated content. Exciting I'm almost positive they pay better than AC, and they're much more selective, so we'll see how it pans out!

Yesterday was also a no-spend day. I wrote 2 articles. I only have one more to make 5 for the week. Excellent!

So it's time to be off! Wish me luck!

So yesterday was a *No-Spend Day* Woot! I did in fact paint grandma a b-day card, and had dinner at mom's. In other successes, I lined up a tutoring job for next week. $20/hr. Only an hour a week, but still. That's an extra $80/month! Hopefully I'll pick up more of those.

Today I clean. I have a weekly gig doing that. It pulls me in about $50/week, which is nice to have. So for being unemployed, I'm still making a bit of cash. Listening to my music and cleaning isn't a terrible time, either!

So I'm off to start my day. I hope everyone has a great one.

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

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

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

So I have a fun painting project to do as well

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

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

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

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

Well, it's already november. Again, I haven't been keeping up with my blog here, and consequently my wallet has been suffering. I need to be more conscious of my spending or I'm never going to meet the goals I've put out for myself.

I'm still in the process of looking for a job. I had 2 interviews about a week and a half ago, and no word yet. The one place said, however, they weren't doing any hiring for another 2 weeks. I'll have to give them a call here soon.

The army has managed to really mess up my pay. I'm still being paid active duty pay... good I guess because I'm getting a lot of money. Bad because they are in fact going to take it back... through my pay for the next year or so. I guess I can treat it like a loan. They also managed to mess up my job training scheduling so poorly that my enlistment bonus is up in the air...

So very frustrating.

So, I have no car still. And no job. These are kind of top on my priority list at the moment. The good news is that I'm getting unemployment, and I'm enrolled in classes for the spring. A shining glimmer of hope indeed

Also, my student loan payments once again get deferred as of January, so I wont be shelling out over $500/month on those... I'll focus more on paying down the CC then.

With my finances being so screwed up it's relly difficult to budget and predict what my income is going to be for this month. I guess all I can really do is attempt to spend as little as possible. The good news? There's a new boy And staying in to cuddle and watch movies costs nothing at all!

I'm going to start tracking my spending again. It seems to be the only way I curb my spending. With xmas coming up, I'm going to need the extra cash for sure. Not only that, but it looks like I'm going to have to fund my own trip out of the country this summer if I cant get that bonus money. I'm not going to depend on it. I cant, or I know I'm just going to let myself down in the end.

Xmas is going to be a rough one. I'm definitely planning on buying the new BF hockey tickets. Because he loooves the Penguins. And so do I. Therefore it's really like a present for both of us! Mom's present isn't going to cost me a dime. But she's going to love it I'm making the BFF a scarf. There'll be a few more $ on that, but nothing crazy. We'll see what happens for everyone else.

This week is a busy one. Going to do karaoke tonight with a friend who is in town. I'll probably have a couple drinks. I'm limiting myself to about $10. Tomorrow night is my grandma's b-day celebration. FREE Wednesday night is a going away celebration at an open mic. I'll have a couple drinks there as well. Thursday night is going out night. Sigh. More drinks. The good news I suppose is that I've been DD the last few times we've went out, so I drink substantially less. Much cheaper. haha.

No plans for the weekend, but I see it being rather low-key. I like that. The halloween hubbub has passed, and it's kind of a relief, though it was a great one

So enough of this blabbing. Time to go do something productive! Hope you all have a wonderful day.