Just Keep Swimming.

I'm trying my hardest to remain optimistic in these times. I have about 2 weeks til finals, 6 papers to write, 5 tests to study for, an apartment to pack, and it seems not nearly enough time to do it all. I've been in a super blah mood for the last week. I'm really stressed out.

What I do know is that fretting about it doesn't get my work done, so I just have to bite the bullet. Sigh. Why on earth do I take on so much every semester??

In financial news, BF too has been stressing-- about money. He's set himself on a budget as of this weekend. I still have yet to see his numbers, but he makes far more than I do. His budget it $100/week (including food and gas). For me, that's a lot. haha. He mentioned some bonuses and things that he has coming up, but I reassured him that just because he has more money flowing in doesn't mean he should increase his budget... he has CCs to pay off, afterall. So we're going to work on spending less. Together. The restaurants are what kill us. We need to start cooking. I think once the weather gets warmer, we'll have more free entertainment (we love to hike and take walks, and I love picnics in the park), or at least cheap entertainment.

I still want to go over his numbers, but he's a bit shy. He says he's embarrased of how much debt he has. I dont think it's something to be ashamed of, per se. It seems we all fall into that trap. It's having the courage to get out of it and make sacrifices that really counts. I'd introduce him to our community here, but then how would I talk about him all the time?

Mom got a letter from the university I'll be attending over the summer. I've been accepted and all that, but they said that they've determined me an out of state resident. Ugh. So I have to petition for Ohio residency. Hopefully it'll work, or it's going to make my semester there far more expensive. Sigh yet again. Lucky for me, I'm going to be in Ohio thursday afternoon, so I'm going to head down there and try and schedule my classes, turn in my application for OH residency.

I had 2 NSDs in a row That adds $2 to my challenge money. I'm now up to $125.98.

It's climbing along nicely, though I'm hoping I can keep it up for the rest of the week. Today I'll likely spend at least $5. I have to buy dinner on campus, which means my weekly subway trip. I wish there was something I could bring that would stay good all day. Guess I could pack a peanut butter sandwich... or some oatmeal. haha. Maybe I will do that. I'd love to be really under budget on my "food on campus" category, because I'm so over budget on my entertainment expenses. I haven't spent any money on clothes yet this month, so there's still $30 hanging around there. But vacation is coming up. Who knows... I got some killer american eagle coupons in the mail. I wouldn't mind buying a new tank top 30% off. And I saw imitation AE shorts at walmart that I'm thinking of checking out. Much cheaper than the ones I would buy at the mall (I think only $10), so I'll have to try and make a stop there at some point.

It's my long day, and I'm not looking forward to being on campus all day long. I have to stop at the public library and pick up a movie I need to write a paper on: "China's Lost Girls." Should be interesting. Just trying to get all this stuff done. Sometime this week I need to pick up boxes to do my moving. I'm hoping they aren't too expensive, wherever I get them. I have to finish packing my books, my school supplies/stuff, my dishes, my bathroom stuff, and my clothes (though these are all going in trashbags). I'm sure there's some other stuff that I'm forgetting, but I really dont have much anymore. I want to donate some of the books that I dont really want anymore and cant seem to sell on amazon. I'd love to have a yard sale, but I really dont have all that much to sell.

I do want to sell my microwave. It was the ex's, he left it, but BF has one, and I really cant stand this microwave. And I could definitely use any extra money I can get. Maybe I'll keep it around *just in case*. Dont want to screw myself over like last time... ah well.

Highschool graduation day. Rows of folding chairs and people that I had hoped never to meet again. Especially the backstabber sitting next to me whose last name happens to follow mine alphabetically. What was I thinking as I mindlessly waited for them to call out to me, hand me a peice of paper, and give me a pat on the back? "I cant wait to get the h*** out of here." What should have I been thinking?

Well, here's a list:

10. "I'm a wishy-washy teenage girl and will change my mind six million times before deciding on a major." As a naive 18 yr-old, I always thought I knew exactly what I wanted. I never gave myself enough room to explore, and I lost quite a bit of time because of it. I wish I would have known to stay tentative with my area of study. But of course, I got quite a bit of scholarship money from my department.

9. "Education is not spelled d-r-u-n-k." I was lucky to have gotten all of this out of my system in my first couple semesters (well before I turned 21, but that's beside the point). I never failed anything, but I certainly didn't do as well as I should have. That had more to do with my attitude, which brings us to...

8. "Because I will change your mind, and dont know what major I will end up with, I MAY GO TO GRADUATE SCHOOL." This is an important one because I had not thought twice about my GPA, or how many activities I was involved in outside of my classes. I worked, and I went to class, and pulled off decent grades without trying. I wish I had maintained the passion and effort I put into school now throughout my entire college career.

7. "There is no class on dating the male--or female--variety. So I should quit studying it so hard!" I have to say that I let myself get a bit distracted... haha. Well, that may be an understatement, but it made my life incredibly complicated. My grades suffered for this about as much as the constant drinking did, but I think it also taught me a few things about relationships. I think had I focused on school more than boys, I would have been better off.

6. "Following boys out of state is not an easy way to get out of mom's house... if we break up. And we will." I will preface this by saying that moving to PA is easily the best thing I've ever done for myself, but not for the reasons intended. I think had I just looked for a change, and followed my own dreams somewhere I would have been better off. Instead, I became dependent of someone who was ultimately NOT to be my future husband. Independence is a wonderful thing, but I didn't really accomplish it when I followed the ex. When we broke up, I was left more or less incapable of taking care of myself. There were things I should have definitely thought through a bit more.

5. "Education is an investment. And an expensive one." I was no stranger to the idea that college was expensive. What I had brainwashed into me, though, was that loans are evil, evil entities that suck the life right out of you and should be avoided at all costs (thanks mom). Now, I agree. haha. But I've found they are a necessary evil. The smartest thing I ever did in my college career was quit my job. I've been in financial hardship ever since, but it has allowed me to do so more-- like starting/joining clubs, going to outside lectures, and in essence allowing my to pump up my resume and CV like a woman on a mission. Getting into a good grad school will be invaluable, well, it'll pay off eventually. haha. 7 years down the road when I get that other fancy peice of paper that reads PhD.

4. "I have no idea who I am, and will change more every year." I was a pretty mature girl when I graduated high school. Now when I look back, I laugh. I had no clue what I wanted. I think it took me a while to adjust to the change. My first year of college I wore oscar meyer weiner men's PJ pants (this is why I'm called Pajama Mama) and a power rangers track jacket to class every day. And I did NOT live on campus. I can look at myself now and see a major difference. Not just because I get dressed in the morning, but my attitude about life, school, the world is drastically different. I'm not that silly girl anymore. I'm someone completely different.

3. "Letting a boy get in the way of me doing what I really want is unacceptable. And because he would, he is not worth being with." I almost made this number one. As I have regretted letting my ex tell me not to study abroad for a good portion of my college years. I listened. And I still have yet to leave the country. Because I was too afraid he would be right-- that we would break up. But I didn't realize then that if he is telling me not to do something that I really want to do because he's afraid we'll break up, we probably should. Because he was too selfish to love me.

2. "Love isn't always enough." This kind of goes along with number 3. Because boys were such an integral part of my life throughout college, I would have saved myself many hours of grief (that could have been used productively... say... for studying) had I known this little bit of information. It took me a few messy breakups to realize that you cant make things work just because you love someone. There are some people that are just incompatible. There are some that are just too selfish or stubborn. Also, love is not a feeling, it is an action-- that needs to be performed by BOTH parties.

1. "I will not be a child anymore one of these days." This is the one that I'm struggling with most right now. I'm not a kid anymore. I think many people even at my stage in education might still be, but I'm not. And it's strange. As a teenager, I had fantastical ideas of what it's like to be an "adult." I thought I already was one (far ahead of my years). But I'm starting to go through that transition, to really think things through, and I have enormous responsibility. I've had this blog since Feb 2006-- right before I first moved to PA. You all have seen my journey. You've been there. And I'm starting to be a grown-up now. It's scary. And it's wonderful, and beautiful. And I never would have expected it. I think I could have made much better decisions in my life, especially financial ones. Some of the mistakes I made in my teenage years are coming back to haunt me in my adult years. Lucky for me, I'm able to handle them. I guess that means I'm doing a good job as a grown-up, right?

For those of you who have asked, I wanted to write a separate blog to explain what a hookah is. It's a device, originated in India, that is used for smoking. A sort of pipe. I would say it is akin to a "bong," only because the smoke is filtered through water, and pulled through a hose.

As to what is put in the hookah, traditionally and in my case, shisha is used. Shisha is a mixture of tobacco, flavoring, and usually molasses. It is absolutely not illegal in this country. You can buy it at many tobacco shops, or at a hookah bar (usually where I pick mine up). There are hookah bars all over the states (3 I know of just in my area), that legally run, and people can get together and smoke incredibly yummy flavors. I've had everything from mango, passionfruit, sweet melon (probably my favorite), cappucino, pumpkin pie, apricot, coconut, etc etc etc.

Because it's pulled through water, it's not quite as harsh as a cigarette. It also tastes FAR better. I'm not a smoker, nor will I ever be, but I do love a good hookah every now and again. It's relaxing, it's fun to get people together and smoke and talk, or drink.

Now, there is still nicotine in the tobacco that you would be smoking. I'm not advocating the use of hookahs or saying that anyone else should be doing it, I'm just merely explaining what it is. And also clarifying that I do NOT put illegal substances in my hookah, nor would I be stupid enough to talk about a drug habit on the internet. I only use tobacco. Anything illegal that I could put in my hookah would make it taste bad, and that just kind of defeats the purpose for me. I know that there are people out there that have done so, but I do not.

If anyone has any other questions, you can consult the almighty of almighties-- wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hookah

Well, today I'm staying in. So it should be a minimal spending day. I'm trying to decide if I should do laundry today, tomorrow, or just put it off til wednesday or thursday when I'm in Ohio at my mom's. We'll see. I'll probably put it off and wear some stuff I haven't in a while. haha. It'll save me about $5.

Yesterday was a bit spendy. BF and I went to the liquor store, as I had no wine and really wanted some. I ended up buying 2 bottles (I couldn't decide between them and I like having wine on hand anyway) and a bottle of generic Bailey's. Because I love it in coffee. It'll take me a while to use the whole bottle. That trip ended up costing me about $40. Which is a big ouch. I really should have just stuck to one bottle, but hey, this saves me a trip to the liquor store for a looong time.

Aside from that, we went to the grocery store. I needed to pick up just a few things for my lunches this week. Though I forgot that I'm only going to be packing a lunch 3 times this week (I'll be in ohio from wednesday evening til sunday). Because of that, I didn't really buy anything to make "dinner" food. I'll just scrape together what I have at home. Not to mention, BF bought some stuff, and as usual left most of it at my place when he went back. So I've got some snack food as well.

My tax return cleared, and I finally decided what to do with it. I put $300 toward my CC. Then I put $100 of it in my emigrant account for my china trip, along with the $3 in NSD money I've accumulated thus far this week. Hopefully today will be another. I think it really depends on the laundry situation, and how desperate I get for clean clothes. lol.

This brings my challenge money up to $123.98. Woo! And still rising!

Other than that, today is a clean and homework day. We had a couple people over last night and we drank some wine, smoked the hookah, and talked. It was a good time, though my friend seemed to be a little bit snippier than usual. bah. Oh well.

I've been really stressed for the last week, with all the things I have to do. BF leaving didn't help. It seems that when he's around, it's so much easier for me to forget about all my work, and I'm so much happier. But he and I both know that I have things to get done, so he went back to Ohio about an hour ago. I miss him already.

At any rate, I should get going. I have an apartment to clean and a great deal of homework to get done. I did manage to finish one paper yesterday, and make a denet amount of headway on another, but there's still quite a bit left to do.

Everyone have a wonderful saturday!

So it's nearing the end of the semester, and because of it, I'm going NUTS. I have about 8 papers to write before the end of the semester. Which is in less than 3 weeks. Scary. Lucky for me, I'm almost finished with one of them. Granted, I also have to study for my exams. Gaaa!

BF is going to be out of town most of next week, but I'm going to be in Ohio from wednesday to saturday because my dad is going to be in town from Colorado, and he wants to hang out. Thus, I'll be skipping class on thursday. But next sunday I'm doing the walk for MS in the morning, and then the psych club has stuff going on in the evening. BF will be at drill. Then the week following that weekend, BF will be in TX for training for work. Then I move.

So I need to get my hands on some boxes. I really need to finish packing. My moving day is in a little over 2 weeks. Bah.

Speaking of moving, mom is NOT doing good. At all. I cant wait to move back. I really cant.

Now as for my tax return... It's getting deposited, and shows as pending in my online banking. $596.10. Not a bad chunk of change, though less than last year. I'm still waiting on the state, but I think I messed it up so bad that there may be some issues. This is the problem with not knowing what you're doing.... Either way. I've thought about it, because I want to use as much of it as I can to pay off my CC. But I dont think I want to put the entire thing on that, because I still haven't found a job in Ohio, and I dont want not be able to pay my bills there. So I think I'm going to put about $300 on my CC. And about $100 into my savings, and let the rest sit in my bank account. Or maybe put the rest in my savings so I dont have a bigger number lingering in my bank account. I tend to spend much more freely knowing that I have "enough to hold me over" in my checking. I can withdraw from my savings account whenever need be.

The good news is that I actually (sort of) get to enjoy my tax return this year. Last year I used half to pay for my wisdom teeth to get taken out. The other half went to the ex's iPod. Ugh. He got me a promise ring, and I bought him an iPod. I think he got the better end of the deal. Especially since I wont wear my ring. It's super pretty, but a promise ring from the ex is not something I want to wear anymore. And I have no idea what to do with it. Anyone want a pretty ring? I'll offer it up for $200, maybe even $150. haha. I'd love to sell it. Dont know where though. Ebay maybe? I dont have paypal. Meh. We'll see.

At any rate, everyone have a fabulous weekend! I'm going to try and get some work done!

Well, yesterday was not a NSD, but considering my day I was happy with that. I got out of class around 2:00, and had a really strong urge to try and make ethiopian food. I may have mentioned before that last week BF and I went to an ethiopian restaurant, and really liked the food. So I hopped online, found a few recipes. The bread that they eat uses a specific flour (teff flour), and the only place I could find that had it was whole foods. So I hopped a bus to that area, and started shopping.

Now. I love Whole Foods. They have an amazing selection of organics, naturals, you name it. However, it's very pricey. I had relatively few items to buy to make all this. I ended up buying 2 small bags of teff flour (I wasn't sure exactly how much I was going to need because I needed to find a new recipe). Which were $6 each. The good news is that I have plenty left over which means I wont have to buy it again for a quite a while. I also needed to pcik up some paprika and turmeric, a head of cabbage, and a few sweet potatoes. Once again, everything was a little pricey.

Beyond what was on my list, I needed to buy some more honey. I looked at thier selection, and stuck to the basic stuff. The regular non-organic was $3.69 or something, and 12oz. The organic 24oz. was $5.99, so that's what I went with. I wont have to buy honey for a while either. haha. The only other goodie I got was some tea. They carry yogi tea there, and it was just over $3-- mayan cocoa spice tea. It's sooooo good. Totally worth it. All in all I ended up spending about $40 at Whole Foods.

I also made a trip to Rite Aid earlier in the day because I needed to get some anti-itch lotion for my elbows (I have very dry itchy elbows, and I've been getting these little bumps). My mom reccomended I use this aveeno lotion, and I bought the rite aid brand stuff with the same active ingredient. I also needed to get some face wash-- as the summer months are coming up, and my face tends to go from dry to oily with the coming of warm weather. And I haven't owned facewash for months.

When I got home, I started cutting up onions, as BF was on his way home. I had him stop and pick up club soda-- the only ingredient that I hadn't picked up. Then I spent some time cooking. I made Doro Wat (a thick stew with chicken and onions mostly), and a cabbage and sweet potato alicha (not so stew-like, sauteed cabbage and potatoes with yummy spices). BF helped, and we had a good time. Especially when it came to the Injera (the bread). You make it in a pan, and it's thinner than a pancake, but thicker than a crepe. We had to do a lot of trial and error to get the consistency right, but we ended up making a lot more than we needed, so we still ended up eating the good ones

After finished, we sat down and ate our food-- which proved to be delicious! Our injera was certainly not authentic (I dont think they had club soda in traditional ethiopian culture. haha), and I cant say the chicken dish was entirely either (the page I got it from used cayenne pepper instead of the authentic ethiopian pepper). But it was rather inexpensive. One might think that $40 is a pretty expensive meal, but really once you have all the spices, the only ingredients you may have to buy that are not always on hand are the cabbage and potatoes (and chicken)-- because I usually have onions on hand. I already had chicken-- though I used tenders instead of the whole chicken the recipe called for. I'm sure it would have been better, but eating chicken off the bone with a peice of bread proved to be difficult when I tried it the first time.

I stuck to peices that could be picked up easily, as you dont use silverware to eat ethiopian food, but you tear off peices of this spongy pancake-like bread to pinch your food and eat it. It's so much fun, something I'd like to have people come over and eat

May have not been gourmet ethiopian cuisine, or even completely authentic, but I thought we did pretty good for our first time! After eating, we cleaned up the kitchen, then laid down to watch some scrubs. It was a fantastic evening, I must say. Much needed

As for today, should be a no-spend day. I have class all day, and a presentation, and then a lecture. It's going to be a long one. Well, everyone have a good day! The week's almost over!

So I had another NSD yesterday, so that's $2 for the week added to my challenge money (bringing it up to $22.98) I'm going to wait til it accumulates a bit to actually deposit it inot my account, but I'm keeping track nonetheless. Today should be another, or at least I'm hoping. I've got class, and then I'll be going home to do homework. I was thinking of possibly stopping at the grocery store on my way home, as I'm running out of foodstuffs, but I think I can hold off for now. I just have to actually cook.

Last night I made BF and I stirfry, and then we did work, then a friend came over to hang out (she's been going through a rough time lately). But I think tonight is going to be alone time for BF and I. We have gotten hardly any time to just hang out and chill-- despite that he got to PA much earlier than expected. I guess we did take a walk in the beautiful weather downtown when he first got here, because I had a meeting to go to for a bit. We went in the toystore, it was huge! Great fun just being silly and walking around. Fabulous time. And free!

At any rate, I have to get my day started. Everyone have a good one!

Alrighty. Yesterday ended up being a no-spend day because I skipped my afternoon class. Thus I ate dinner at home. I just needed the break, and it seemed silly to go and sit downtown all day for one class in the afternoon (my other I didn't have to go to because my prof is letting me take the test today). I did go to my nightclass, because I had a test, and I dont think I did as well as I usually do-- because it was a harder test, I didn't study nearly enough, and I couldn't concentrate. Ah well. I've never gotten anything below an A on one of his tests. I'm thinking maybe this one will be a B.

So that's 2 NSDs in April, maybe a 3rd today. I've got my 2 classes, the test I have to make up that I missed yesterday, and a psych club meeting. BF is supposed to be in PA today, so he may be swinging by downtown to pick up my keys before heading back to my apt. We'll be cooking dinner in tonight. We spent waaaayyy too much money eating out at restaurants last week. Though we did have a fabulous time.

I decided to pick up the $20 challenge once again. I'm going to deposit all my challenge money into my emigrant account, and use what I accumulate for a planned suprise trip with BF to China once he gets back form Iraq (week long). He really wants to go over and see it, and I've still yet to leave the country. sigh. I priced tickets. It seems we can get packages that start at $1700 a person, but I'd rather budget higher, so I'm saying $5000. Why not? haha. Jan 2010 is a long span of time to save... though I'm not entirely expecting to save the whole $5000. I figure if I shoot higher, though, I might strive to save more. So system stands thus: If I'm under budget, that money goes to the credit card. Any extra money coming in will be split down the middle-- half to the card, half to the challenge. I think once I have an income, though, I'm going to increase what I pay on my card monthly anyway, and factor that into my budget. If I have a NSD, a dollar goes into the challenge. If I work out, a dollar goes into the challenge. Wish me luck!

This week is going by quickly, but it seems like I'm not getting nearly enough done. My concentration was totally off yesterday-- been thinking about my brother a lot, but I realize there's not much I can do until I'm back there, and he's out of the hospital. Guess we'll wait it out. Ironically, we started going over schizophrenia in my abnormal psych class last night. Maybe learning more about it will help me know how to handle it best. We'll see, I guess.

That's all I've really got! I need to study for this test and pack my lunch so I can get to the bus on time and be prepared! Everyone have a great tuesday!

It's hard for me to look at my calendar. A whole week in April has gone by, and yet I feel like I've done NOTHING. Yesterday wasn't nearly as productive as I thought it would be, but I got some serious cabin fever. I feel like I've been working on overdrive for some time now. Okay, I have, and it's my fault for biting off more than I can chew, but at the same time, I'm still doing okay.

I just needed to take some "me time." I haven't pampered myself in soooo long. Hell, I haven't even put on makeup in over 2 weeks. So I decided that I would take a shower (not so much pampering, but felt nice anyway!), even shave my legs (now, that's not as frequent an activity. lol), paint my toenails, and straighten my hair. The toenails alone felt like pampering. I feel so purdy now

Afterwards, I was going to watch an episode of Scrubs, but I ended up watching all of Disc 1, Season 2 of Scrubs. lol. I just love that show. So funny, so heartwarming. And the best part? It makes me think of BF and I's first "date"-- well, it was more like an eat chinese food and watch scrubs kind of date, but it was amazing nonetheless What can I say? We were just comfortable as can be from the beginning, and it seemed to have sparked something beautiful

As for spending, yesterday was a no-spend (though it shouldn't have been... I need to do some laundry. lol). Today I'll be buying my dinner, though I'm going to keep it under $5 this time- only getting the mini sub and packing the rest of my dinner, or getting the kids meal at subway. I need to get back to eating healthy. I've been slacking hardcore.

In bad news, I talked to my mom last night, and my brother (who is paranoid schizophrenic) is back in the hospital again. It seems he was canvassing our neighborhood with flyers telling us we were all going to die (no, I'm not joking). Luckily my mom called the right people, but he's back at square one. She thinks he hasn't been swallowing his pills when she gives them to him (he doesn't think he has anything wrong with him, and the pills make him sick). She's not very forceful about it, though I cant blame her, the more you push him, the more he fights back. He's not violent, just not really in this world, so to speak. But we're not sure what's going to happen when he gets out of the hospital. Mom doesn't want him living at home if he's not going to take his meds (and I dont blame her) but I really cant stand the thought of him being institutionalized permanently. He'll never really be a part of society again, and he can be okay if he takes the meds (as much as I hate him having to take them). I'm glad I'll be back in Ohio next month to try and help with the situation. Guess we'll see how things go...

Well, time to get my day (and week) started! Everyone enjoy!

Sunday means homework homework homework... Too bad it's so nice out... I'd love to be out doing something else. Ooooh well...

This week has been a pricey one. BF and I are both exhausted after our days of school and/or work. Consequently, we've been dining out more than usual (after declaring that we were going to cap down on it. lol). Now, BF paid for all but today's lunch-- I insisted. We went to an Ethiopian restaurant because I needed to for a project I'm doing for my regional studies of Africa class. We really liked it, but it was a $40 bill after tip. I also went out to dinner with my friend on tuesday, and bought my other friend a big peice of chocolate cake to go while I was there (3 of her teeth were accidentally knocked out earlier this week and she more than deserved it). So I've already exceeded my entertainment budget for the month :/ Lucky for me, I'm going to be so busy that I dont really have time to go out. And BF and I decided (again) to start cooking at home.

In other news, I got my gas bill, and it was about $20 more than I had expected it to be. Not sure why, I thought I shut my heater off a while ago, but oh well. I guess we'll see when the last bill comes in. I still need to call the gas company anyway. I haven't had my heat on for about 2 weeks now. I wonder if the cold beginnings of march just meant it was that much more. Meh. Who knows.

In good news, I've hardly spent any money on groceries in the last 2 weeks. I only got a few items this week, and BF paid for them. He's been paying for a lot lately, and I'm not really sure how to feel about it. True, he makes much more money than I do (his argument), but that's not difficult given I dont have a job. lol. At any rate, I'm saving a tremendous amount on groceries (not that I'm buying a whole lot anyway). Still trying to use up what I have in the house.

At any rate, BF went back to Ohio a bit ago, so the rest of the weekend should be no-spend, mostly because I wont be leaving my apt. haha. That, and I have a lot of homework to get done. I've got 2 tests and a presentation to do this week, so it's going to be a busy one!

That being said, I should get started on all that work! Everyone have a good evening!

School is over for the week, I just have a bagillion things to do. I got home after class last night and started doing some packing. I went through my closet and weeded out the clothes I'm going to try and consign, and those that I'm just going to donate to goodwill. I also packed up my winter clothes in a trashbag (and labeled it properly).

I got the 2 rubbermaid underbed storage bins out of my storage space, and used one of them to pack some books. I fit quite a number of them into one of them, but I have soooo many books. I found a few that I listed on amazon. One of them actually sold last night, so I'll be shipping it off today. That's an extra $6.00 for me One of the others was a statistics package that I got... and they unlisted it because I wrote down that it included a solutions manual. Apparently that kind of thing isn't allowed to be sold, but it's a STUDENT solutions manual.
Thus I have to re-list it... Still, I'm pretty happy that I sold one of them! I'm still going through and deciding if there's anything else I want to list.

The other bin I'm going to use to put all of my paper stuff... I'm in the process of cleaning and organizing the desk in my kitchen. It's a looong process. Not only am I a horrible packrat, but I let all of those "important papers" and anything I dont want to throw away accumulate. Needless to say, I've got a lot going to the recycling bin.

A few things that I found when I was looking through were things like old valentines cards from ex boyfriends. lol. THATS how bad it is... but I think it's time to let those things go. I'm a super-sentimental and nostalgic person, but I think what I have in the now is good enough for once, I can throw all of the little peices of my past out. I dont need them anymore

BF should be getting off work fairly early today. We're going to hit the post office, and I'm going to buy some boxes. Not a ton, but at least a few, because I want to have some stuff for him to take back to Ohio this weekend. I'm trying to get as much packed as early as I can. I figured I could start with my books, because there are so many, but I dont really need all of them right now. haha.

I have a few bills to pay today, and I think I'm going to pay $100 off my CC.

I got an annual statement on my variable life insurance policy yesterday. The first thing I've ever recieved from them that was remotely readable. haha. Apparently on top of my $50,000 I would get if I died (I guess I dont really get the money. haha), my policy is worth $270.14 right now (it's like a mutual fund type thing). I've had the policy for a few years now. It's nice to see I have something resembling an investment (even if it's just my life insurance policy).

Either way, I should get going. I've got TONS to do! Everyone have a good friday!

So I've finally hit April, and that means I hardly have time to breathe. I've done okay this week so far, spending wise. Only because BF paid when we went out yesterday (he's so sweet). He got off work earlier than he has in months, so we ended up going to dinner, bringing our laptops and work. He had reports to write up, and I had things to study. It was so nice to sit and eat dinner and do work, and enjoy time with one another (taking a break from our work every now and again to talk).

After the restaurant, BF decided he wanted to go to the hookah bar, so we did, and had a couple beers and smoked some yummy honeyberry shisha, and did yet more work (and took more breaks and talked).

We got home about 10:00pm, and headed straight for bed (rather relaxed).

But I didn't spend a penny. I always feel bad when this happens. I mean, why should he pay for everything? I guess in the end it's both of us spending money (given that we plan on getting married some day... perhaps even soon).

So I guess it's time to drop the bomb here. BF and I, though we've only been together a few months, are talking about possibly getting married before he leaves for Iraq in January. Gasp! We're still talking about it, and we wont make any decisions for many months now, but the way things are going is just amazing, and there are a few practical reasons for it as well.

My main concern is that if something happens to him overseas I wont have any control whatsoever. Not to say I'll have a great amount of control regardless, but the military looks at the girlfriend of an injured soldier, and she's a girlfriend. I cant even get into a hospital to see him. I'm not "family." The military looks at a wife, and that's a whole different ball game. I've heard from others in the past that they were so happy they got married beforehand because it made taking care of the paperwork and the injury so much easier.

On top of that, there is a financial benefit. They'll not only pay him a little bit more if he's married, but they'll send me money on top of it (which I'll likely throw in a bank account because I'll be working). When it comes to that, it's a real benefit.

The other thing, that we've both talked about, is that getting through that year that he'll be away will be easier if we're married. It's a whole different level of commitment. Now, I think the end result would be the same regardless of whether we're hitched, I just think the wait will be easier knowing that I have nothing to worry about. Things would just feel so much certain if we were married.

Now, we've talked through the "what if's" and decided we'll have a very small ceremony if we do decide to get married, and it will likely be on Christmas-- so we can get both families together, and it'll be inexpensive, but intimate.

Needless to say, we're both pretty giddy at the idea of getting hitched, and we both think that if things are still going as well for us as they are now here toward the fall that there's a good idea we will get married, scary as that sounds! haha.

Well, let the "you're crazy's" flow! I've gotta get going

I have love/hate relationship with mondays. On one hand, I love the concept of having a fresh start, a new week. At the same time, however, mondays are my long days. I'm on campus 11:00am-9:00pm. Sigh. Today has been relatively okay, however.

I packed my lunch this morning, and hopped the bus to go downtown. I had to stop at the bank to get cash because I'm not able to use my debit card to buy my bus pass. I sat down yesterday and calculated out the least expensive way to handle my transportation this month, and it seems that buying a bus pass was the cheapest route. So I bought one this morning.

Other than that, I have to buy dinner tonight, which will come out of my "food on campus" budget-- something I decided to reintroduce because I'm on campus so late on mondays. I figured it was better than taking that $5 or so a week out of my entertainment budget (part of the reason I went over budget in that category for march). I know it's technically still March, but I wanted to start fresh this week entirely, so here were are, pseudo-April

I thought I was going to boycott using my CC for the moment, but unfortunately I have to pay a registration fee for a conference I'm presenting at in August-- it's super important, and is going to look fabulous on my resume, but it's still $250 out of pocket, just for registration. Boo. That'll be going on my CC, but other than that, the boycott continues.

I'm sending a job application in soon for a home-care position for mentally handicapped children. I'm pretty excited about it, and think it will be invaluable experience for me as a future psychologist (possibly child psychologist). So cross your fingers, everyone!

At any rate, I have tons to do, and never enough time, so everyone have a great day!

So March is coming to a close, and that hellish month April is upon me. It's going to be a BUSY month. Now, busy usually means less spending for me, but we'll see how things play out. I'll be in the apt less often on the weekends because I need to be downtown a lot, and BF isn't going to be around as much on the weekends (both a blessing and a curse). He's got silly military stuff to attend to a couple weekends, and I have mucho tests and homework to get done. I'll be happy if I make it out of the month alive.

I finally filed my taxes, and I'll be getting about $600 back from the fed. Assuming I filed my PA taxes properly (questionable), I should be getting about $300 back. And then there's my stimulus check coming at some point-- most of which will be put into my credit card payments. I'm going to keep at least some of the fed return just in case I dont find a job in Ohio right after moving.

March totals went well. There were categories in which I was over (entertainment spending this weekend got a little bad, though it could have been much, much worse). Overall, however, I was $12.35 UNDER budget-- which I am happy to report, I put toward my CC payment. Woo! Every little bit helps!

I may have a couple big expenses coming up this month though. I'm setting aside $300 for vacation, though it should be less than that (we'll see). And I might have to take this test to get out of a class at my university, though it seems I may be able to get credit from my highschool spanish classes (cross your fingers!).

This weekend was alright spending-wise. BF paid for a LOT (including the few items that made up my groceries for the week!). I of course really appreciate all the help he gives, especially considering he's got some hefty debt himself. We never did get around to going over his finances, but he'll be back to PA on tuesday for work, so perhaps we'll have time this week. I did take a trip to the mall to use my $50 American Eagle gift card. I got the bathing suit I've been looking at, and also a cute shirt. I spent a little over the $50 (about $20 when everything's said and done), but I'm not fretting. I need some more summer/spring clothes.

I wrote out (a much more detailed) budget for April. I think some of my expectations for last month were a bit silly. Maybe not, considering I was under budget, but I was a little more specific this time around. My goals for the month are the same as last month, though I'm not seeing as many no-spend days.

I need to contact verizon, my gas co. and electric co. to let them know I'm moving at the end of the month. Hopefully that'll go smoothly. I should stop at my mom's house and make all those calls though. I dont want to use up all my minutes on my cell plan. We'll see.

Other than that, I'm just babbling and tired, and I really wanted to clean my apt tonight, but I got so wrapped up in taxes and budgeting that I seem to have run out of time. It's already getting late and I have class in the morning. ugh. I feel like I didn't get a break all weekend. I did homework constantly, even while visiting in Ohio. Sigh.

And I'm going to have to start packing soon! I move in less than a month! Gaa! Someone help me, I'm going to drown in all of these things to do!

I'm really gonna need that vacation at the end of the month

It seems like the end of the semester is closing on me, it's coming up so fast! And yet it's so welcomed and feared in my book. I have so much to do! Papers to write, a presentation to plan, tests to take. Sigh. I got an A on both the tests I got back this week. We'll see how the paper I wrote was.

I managed to work out yesterday... for a measly 20 minutes. But still worked out. I had a terrible day, a sort of issue with one of my professor/friends. I was upset just about all day, but I think things will work out. We're going to get together on friday to talk about it some more.

BF is in PA this week for work, so I'm lucky to have someone to cuddle with every night That is undoubtedly making my week happier!

Today should be a no-spend day. It's my early day, so I'll be catching the bus after class at 2:40 and coming home to do homework, clean my apt, and make dinner with BF. Then more homework. I'm trying to finish up a couple papers this week.

Tomorrow night I'm going to have a few friends over. That should be fun, and relatively cheap. We'll be smoking the hookah, but I've got plenty of shisha here and there's nothing really that we have to go out and buy. Friends will bring thier own alcohol.

That's about it! I'm hoping it's a low-key and very productive day. Wish me luck!

Hello all!

BF made it home safely, and we had a very nice reunion at the airport when I picked him up

We ate lunch at home saturday (I made chicken salads), we did go out to dinner with his family saturday night, but he paid (sweetheart), so when we went out with friends to the bar I bought him a couple beers. I still only ended up spending about $20 at the bar (with tip).

Easter was fun. We went and did easter lunch with BF's family, and then swung by my grandma's for some (more) dessert and spent some time with the family.

Mom offered to drive me back to PA, so I bought her some gas, and paid the tolls on the way, so I spent about $30 there. Which is still $10 less than I would have spent on a greyhound ticket to get back. And BF didn't have to drive all the way back in the morning. Much appreciated

Yesterday was my long day at school, so I took my ritual once-a-week trip to subway and bought my kid's meal. I'm back to healthy eating after a rather unhealthy easter (way too much candy). Tonight I get back on my exercise routine as well.

I got my abnormal psychology test back last night... A! Woo! Guess I can pick the crazies now

I'm trying to make today a no-spend day. Shouldn't be too difficult. BF is supposed to be coming to PA tonight and spending the rest of the week here for work, so I'll have another to cook for this week! But I've got my meals all planned out. Well, gotta get going! Everyone have a good day!

Well, tomorrow BF comes home from his training hooplah! I haven't seen him in 2 weeks. Though the last few days have gone by at what seems to be light speed, I cant say the rest of the wait was that pleasant. So I'm so very excited

As for today, grocery shopping and laundry. Groceries are going to be more than usual, as I have to get a few things that I only buy every few weeks (almonds, string cheese, etc) and BF is going to be in PA tuesday, wednesday, thursday, and friday nights, so I'm going to be cooking for us at least a few times. We talked about being broke, thus we're going to attempt to not dine out as much as possible. Besides, I tend to eat waaaay more in calories when I go to restaurants.

I'm only going to do one load of laundry today (I broke down and did 2 last week), so it should only be $2.50.

Last night I went out with my professor and a few other students working on research for a presentation we're doing at the APA division 32 conference in August. I'm so very excited. It's a big deal, and will look great on my resume. Not to mention, I've never been to Boston! We're trying to get the university to pay our travel and hotel costs. Cross your fingers for us!

Other than that, I'm slowly but surely going to have to go through my things and start packing. Only a month and a week til moving time! And my beach vacation!!!

It seems like I have just so much to look forward to

Hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!

This is the first NSD I've had in a few days. It feels great It seemed like the day drug on, but here it is 10pm and I'm not sure where all the time went! Had class, came home, did my dishes, not sure what else until my friend came over and we worked out for an hour and a half or so. And now I'm settling down to start a paper. Woo-wee!

It was a very dreary day, and I cant wait for the weather to improve. I'm looking forward to BF coming home saturday afternoon. He's indeed grabbing the earlier flight, and I'm going to pick him up at about noon. Very exciting! It's been 2 weeks... hehe.

I've been eating semi-well, though I know I've slacked a bit. They were giving out free pizza at my university... that didn't help. haha.

Spending has been tight still, though there were a couple things I bought I could have surely done without (Diet Arizona Green tea... cheap, but gave me a headache!). I only bought food once this week... monday, because I have class until 9pm. I grabbed a subway kids meal. Mmm. Still under $5, not bad.

The only other news I have is that I'm down to 132 pounds Keeping up with these workouts has given me so much more energy... but I find that it makes it harder to wake up in the morning. Still trying to keep it up though!

Everyone have a great night!

Well. It seems like it's going to be another NSD. I've got an event at the university tonight, but it is after dinner time, so I'll eat before I go. I'm going to drive BF's car (gulp). I've been doing well for the last couple days driving it, but this'll be the first time I take it on the highway. No matter, it's usually the getting-going that gets me, not the actual driving part. hehe. Silly manuals... I just need to get decent at it so I can drive to the airport to pick BF up on saturday. I'm so excited to see him! Less than a week now!

I'm going to work out here in a bit. I need to keep up on that. Especially since I baked chocolate chip cookies last night to cure my lonely. They were free, but not healthy in the slightest Baking cookies makes me think of home, though, and it definitely helped!

I planned out my meals, but want to come up again with goals for this week:

1. Keep track of all spending (did good last week!).
2. 3 No-Spend Days again.
3. Stick to my meal plan (as to eat as much of the food I already have).
4. Keep to the Budget (I was under this week, exciting!).
5. Avoid dining out with BF. We're really bad about this, and it eats up our money so easily! I think this'll be easy considering we're both very strapped for cash and we'll be eating Easter dinner with our families on Sunday!

I want to write out a list of free/cheap things that BF and I could do together. Or even do with friends There are so many things, afterall!

At any rate, everyone have a great day!

I just finished up my grocery shopping. I stuck to the list I brought with me (with the exception of a .49 can of beets I thought would spice up my salads). I actually spent less than I had anticipated. I had expected to spend something to the tune of $16, and spent $14.40. Incredibly cheap, eh? Well, I'm surely cutting corners and trying to use up the food I have stocked up at home. So really I'm only buying things to pack in my lunch, and a few odd produce items. I was a bit disappointed they didn't have my hummus this time around, but I can put light mayo on my sandwiches, it'll be fine. And the best part? I'm $5.60 under my budget for groceries this month. It's just me, so I shouldn't be spending very much on groceries anyway.

In other spending, it's laundry day, so that'll be $2.50 for one load. I like to prioritize and save my towels for when I get to go back to my mom's. I have plenty to hold me over. lol. And I'll be there this weekend, so I'll get free laundry services

Other than that, the plans for the day are to finish up some homework, and work out... though I'm taking it light today. My calves are still a bit sore from yesterday. I spent a whole hour on the treadmill! I did put my bathing suit on for the first time since this summer. It was a bit motivating, though not too bad! lol.

Better get working! Have a great saturday, guys!

It's been a fairly productive day... I planned out my meals for next week, as I'm going grocery shopping either tomorrow or sunday morning. Also was on the treadmill for an hour and I'm down to 133 lbs, which is exciting news!

Yesterday was my test, and it was better than I had expected it to be. I stopped by the bookstore yesterday and bought something that I could use for one of my papers, and something that I just wanted anyway. That was $13.86. I also took a trip to taco bell last night with friends... yes, unhealthy AND an extra expense. But as that's really the only entertainment (hanging out with my friends last night) expense I've had all week, I didn't feel bad. And I definitely worked it off today. lol.

Today is a no-spend day. Which makes 4 for the week. Tomorrow I'll likely be doing my grocery shopping and laundry, so I'll spend a little. Hopefully only around $20. I made up my grocery list today. So my weekly goals have thus far been achieved

I kept track of my spending, kept to the budget (actually, thus far I'm under), for the most part kept to my meal plan (with the exception of that taco bell last night), and I had 4, not 3 no-spend days this week. Overall I'm pretty proud of myself!

I'm going to celebrate by spending the next day doing homework. lol. Perhaps I'll watch a movie tonight or something as well...

Have a great day, guys!

It is a beautiful day The temperature is getting up there (41 degrees!) and the sun is shining. I cant express how drastically this improves my mood.

I've already reached my weekly goal of 3 no-spend days! And I'm 1/4 of the way to my monthly goal. I've been keeping track of the spending still (though that may have more to do with the fact I haven't been doing much of it! haha). And I'm sticking to my meal plan. Tonight is whole wheat spaghetti with turkey meatballs.

I'm going to work out again later as well. I need to get in shape! I've set a goal to lose 11 pounds. I've gotten down 1 in the last few days, just improving my eating habits a little (haven't been going to restaurants... that helps substantially). Let's hope I can reach at least some of my goal in the next couple months!

In other news, I must have gotten on the same bus today because my ride downtown was again free! Another $1.60 saved. And at my university they had "Stress free day" and were giving out free cereal and energy bars, as well as some other little things. I found that exciting

Well, time to study and work out. I've got a big test tomorrow! Wish me luck!

The last few days have been real downers. I'm not sure if it's just being burnt out at school or BF being away with so very little contact, but it's been rough regardless.

Today started the same way, though I had a little break last night (I made popcorn and watched "The Big Lebowski"-- which I got from the library, for free, as a side note!). I was tired, grumpy, etc. I decided before my psych club meeting to get some chunky monkey to cheer me up-- you gotta love $5 pints of icecream :/ I felt it necessary to get *something* special. And thankfully, it worked! lol. I dont think it was only that (by the way, I only ate about 1/4 the pint... I donated the rest to a friend!). I also talked to my mama, and it happened to be both daylight AND sunny when I caught the bus for home. That most certainly brightened my day

So not a no-spend day, but a low-spend day nonetheless. Tonight a friend is coming over to work out with me. I figured that with less than 2 months before my beach vacation getting in shape isn't going to hurt... then we're going to spend the rest of the night studying... something I need to do. I have a big test on thursday. Seems like it's going to be a good night!

I've been sticking to my meal plan as well. So that freezer is slowly but surely getting a dent! And at this rate, the grocery bill is going to be relatively low for the next couple weeks. woo!

The only other financial news I have is that the ticket eating machine on the bus today was broken, so I got my ride home for free I guess port authority came through for me once afterall! Night guys!

Well, I've got no-spend day #2 My march goal is coming along, even though I didn't actually start counting til the 8th. I happened to get dinner for free (a friend of mine put me on as a guest on her meal plan at the school cafeteria. woo!), so I didn't spend a penny.

I avoided buying a caffeinated beverage, even though I left my travel mug at home (but brought my tea. ugh). Probably better that way.

Turned in my paper, took a test tonight. Hope I did well. I have one more on thursday, so it's going to be a looong week. I'm just beat. I'm feeling awfully burnt out and missing BF quite a bit. Sure, it's been only 4 days since I've seen him, but when you're used to multiple text messages and at least a couple phone calls through the day, going a whole day with nothing is kind of rough. I haven't heard from him yet... he should be getting out of his silly military class any time now. He's off at some training thing til easter. I'ts gonna be a long couple weeks...

Guess I should get used to it. He's leaving for Oaklahoma for training in January, then off to Iraq in March. No BF for a year... It's going to be a rough year.

I'm looking forward to seeing him though. Easter should be fun! We're both going back to Ohio to spend time with both families. I absolutely love his family. They're so down to earth, so much like my family (though we're awfully crazy. haha). Lucky for us, his parents live a whopping 3 blocks or so from mine, so travelling between wont be an issue!

I've decided I need to color easter eggs at some point. That'll be a fun activity for me and my friend (cheap too!) yay for holidays involving large amounts of chocolate!

Well, not really lazy, as I have a paper to write and a test to study for. But a sunday inside nonetheless. In my pajamas

I made out my list of dinners for the week yesterday, so I'm going to try to stick to it the best I can. I move in less than 2 months now. I have to start using up the food I have as much as possible so I dont have to transport it. Not only that, but BF doesn't really have a whole lot of room in his apt for anything more. It's going to be a squeeze... I'm likely going to have to put my stuff in storage for a few months until we move into a bigger place.

I decided to write down my goals, as I haven't re-evaluated them for a while. Looking at the ones I've had posted, I think they're too long term, which is why I stray so easily. So I put down some goals for this week, and then a few that are a little longer-term:

This week:
-Keep track of my spending. Every penny. For the whole week.
-Stick to the budget (that kind of goes for the month too).
-Stick to my meal plan.
-Dine out at most once this week.
-Have at least 3 no-spend days (not including bus fare).

Longer Term:
-Use up as much food I already have as possible before the move.
-Do more cheap/free things w/ BF-- especially dining out less.
-Find a job/internship to start in May.
-Sort out debt, and come up with a plan come May to start tackling it.

I'll be out of school for a year, so my grace period will be over next Feb if I graduate in August. I have a bit of CC debt accumulated because of the frozenness of my checking account in January (I couldn't touch it because I was waiting for my school loan check and had to pay my bills). Not to mention, I had to buy new furniture (Ex-BF took all his when he moved out).

I need to file my taxes- my entire return is going to the CC. It's kind of sad, but it was the plan from the minute I put a $500 IKEA charge on it. haha. Still, $500 to furnish an apartment aint bad. I want to eliminate the bulk of my CC debt by the end of the summer. I've got about $2700 on it now. After the CC is paid off, it's on to the student loans. I'm not even sure what those numbers look like now, but pretty soon here I'm going to have to look.

In the meantime I'll be looking at grad schools, etc. So much excitement! And living in Ohio with BF/friends/Mom (who is now in the middle of the divorce proccess).

In good news, I used my national city points to get a $50 American Eagle giftcard. I thought about using it for something practical, but I know me... not only are spring and summer coming up, but a beach vacation and my birthday in May as well. I'm going to want to buy clothes. Better than putting them on my CC! haha.

And it's going to be a no-spend day I was going to buy a book on amazon, but I decided instead to get it from the library. Yay for free!

Well, off to do homework. Everyone have a great day!

Hmm. It seems every time I get on here there's some new dramatic change in process. Well, not too much this time.

That roommate never did move in, so I'll still be living alone til my lease is up. Lucky for me, though, its up May 1! So I've only got 2 more months in this apt.

I'll be moving back to Ohio that week. Living with BF for the time being. His lease is up in August, then I'll move into my own apt likely and he'll live with me until he's deployed in january. Then it's a year of BF in Iraq.

I'll either be graduating this summer or in the fall. I have to talk to my university about transfer credits, but if I can get all the classes I want transferred over, I'll be living in Ohio for the next year. Which is what I want to do. I cant go to grad school until next fall (not this coming), so I'll get a job or an internship, make some money. And apply to grad schools.

I have a couple of those in mind too, but I'm not done researching. I'm taking my GRE this may, so I'm studying for that on top of the work I'm already doing. It's going to be a loong next few months.

I'm also trying to get a head start on organizing/packing my things for the move. I dont want to put it off to the last minute, especially considering I'm supposed to be moving during finals week!

Regardless of all this, life is exciting. Unbearably busy, but exciting. Spending has been a little too loose, but that's something I'm used at this point (unfortunately) and need to really start cracking down on. I always forget how expensive being in a relationship is. lol. BF and I had a good talk this week about finances though, and we both agree we need to start spending less. It was actually the first time we talked about our bills/finances/etc. I mean, we've talked about money, but we didn't really know how eachother stood-- debt wise, etc. It's a good conversation to have, though, if we're going to be living together before long.

It seems like things are happening awfully fast. I'm so incredibly happy though. Actually, depsite the fact that I'm absolutely swamped with school work and graduation stuff, I'm the happiest I've ever been. Except BF could be here... I usually spend the weekends with him because he works and I have class during the week and we live 2 hours apart. He's got this military training thing until easter though. Bummer. At least I have a little more time to get work done!

Oh, and today is a no-spend day! yay!

I dont get it. Still no reimbursement check. And now the student government screws things up and the bus subsidies are no longer quite as substantial... I'm going to have to pay $60 instead of $45 each month for a bus pass... ugh. What else can go wrong?

Who knows.

Other than that, I've been doing really well not doing any uneccesary spending. Well, except yesterday I got dinner with friends. I only spent $9, but that was still money I shouldn't have spent. I guess you have to live a little though. I didn't put it on the credit card either. I get to send off my internet bill tomorrow because I picked up my paycheck and it just covers it. Thankfully I get my last paycheck here on friday, so I may have cash to buy groceries too. Yippie! haha.

I have been good with tracking how much I'm spending as well. The weekend got a bit shaky. I guess there was some uneccesary spending there too. I spent $20 at the hookah bar. I of course have my own hookah at home... but it was fun nonetheless to go out with my friend. We dont do it nearly enough. BF paid for just about everything else this past weekend, which of course made me feel awful. But I really cant afford anything right now, and he knows that.

This weekend hopefully will be a bit less expensive. Thursday night BF and I are going out with a group of friends to a tiny comedy club downtown that I didn't know existed and apparently only costs $3 to get in. That's pretty sweet. Friday night there are people coming over to my apt to smoke the hookah and eat and drink. That should be pretty low-cost. We have to buy some shisha, but aside from that, we're set. It's the remainder of the weekend that will be tricky. We tend to go out to eat way too much when BF is in town. I'm going to have to cap down on that.

Good news, though. I think I've found a roommate. I may have already mentioned it, but it looks like it's going to be a for sure thing.

Oh, and I think I'm moving to Ohio for the summer! This is going to be substantially cheaper than living here in PA. I'll probably stay with BF for the few months. And possibly go to school as well, I worked some numbers today and it seems that I can save a couple thousand dollars in educational costs by going a semester in Ohio, if my university will let me. I have some people to talk to tomorrow.

Oh, and BF got the job he applied for!

Oh, and I got a 100% on an exam I took last week!

So I guess there's some happy stuff hidden in here too

So I finally sat down today and worked out my budget for the next few months. It's going to be incredibly tight, but I think I can pull off stretching my loan money until I get a new job. Why? Because I quit today. Something about soliciting people for money over the phone just doesn't jive with me. And dreading work on your 5th day just doesn't seem right. Call me crazy...

So that's good news. The bad news is that I'm still waiting on that check, though it should be here soon. Hopefully REALLY soon. I have my internet bill to pay...

I sold a game yesterday and rolled some change. I also get my paycheck (one of two) tomorrow. I need to get that into my account, because I need to buy a bus pass and groceries! I've been shopping at Giant Eagle for the last couple weeks because I haven't been able to touch my checking account and Aldi doesn't accept credit cards. I'll have enough cash to shop at Aldi this week, which will help quite a bit.

I've got my grocery list all planned out and my dinners planned for the week. Should be a light grocery bill.

Me and a couple friends are having a girl's night tomorrow, which I'm pretty excited about It's been a while, and I'm stoked. I just need to watch the spending a bit. BF is coming down on Saturday to stay for a couple nights too. It gets a bit pricey when he's in town... we tend to dine out a lot. I'm gonna have to let him know that we'll be cooking at home for the most part, well, unless he wants to cover dinner

I'm looking forward to not wanting to rip the hair out of my head. I've been so exhausted for the last couple weeks. I really dont have 12 hours a week to put into something not my studies. And my studies have suffered. Because I haven't had as much time, because I get stressed and can do less work, because when I'm tired I get cranky and my relationship suffers, which stresses me out more. lol. It's just not worth it. I'll find a job sometime later in the semester. As long as I have one by may I'll be fine. And by May 1 I'll be living in an area with much more to offer in the way of job options. I'll find something at least for the summer.

For now I'm just happy things are back to normal and I can continue focusing on school

Well then... It's been a while. I think September was my last entry, and I can definitely say a lot has changed. So... here goes.

In October I quit my job at the restaurant. I decided that investing more time in school was worth the lack of paycheck, and I began living on student loans. I still think it was the best decision I could have made. The rest of my semester went wonderfully, and there are exciting things going on in the educational world of Tara.

I never did get a car. The BF continued pressuring, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was a terrible idea. After quitting my job, there was no way to do it anyhow, so I still remain without car.

The biggest news yet: BF and I broke up. Thanksgivingtime. It was long in coming, and the best thing I could have done. Cant say it wasn't messy, but we're finally at a point where we can talk and be civil, so I'm a bit happier about it all.

He moved out that week, so I've been living alone since. I've been having a terrible time finding a roomie because I live so far outside of the city. The problem is, however, that I cant pay my bills without getting a job because not even my student loans will cover the cost *sigh*. Lease is up May 1. Counting down the days...

I spent the entirety of my winter break at home with family and old friends. I mooched off my parents, which was cool, and also kindled sparks with a very old friend, who is now the new BF as of Christmas[dont waste any time, do I??]. Things are going very well at the moment, though I'm busier than ever. Not only do I have mounds of schoolwork to do, but now I try and get it all done during the week, because new BF lives in Ohio.

I move to PA to be with boyfriend, break up with boyfriend, then get new boyfriend in OH. Sweet irony.

People ask me if I'm going to move back to Ohio. Likely not, because I love my education here way too much (despite the fact that I could get one far cheaper in Ohio). The fact of the matter is that I'm in a terrific program that is everything I could ever want. And I've only got til the fall and I'm finished. If only I could decide what I want to do after I graduate... haha.

So I mentioned the roomie problem. Yeah, well that's still going on. I got a few interested parties, all of whom were male and strangers. Needless to say I'm still rather apprehensive, and no one has offered to move in. Thus, as of last week, I started at a new job.

I'm a phone-canvasser for a political non-profit/advocacy group trying to push through environmental legistlature. It's $11/hr, with potential bonus after 3 months, and I like it so far. Not my preference above all, but it's good money and it's a good cause. I get to work anywhere from 3-5 nights a week, and it works with my schedule.

The only downside is I dont get home til 10:30 every night. Last week was fairly tiring, but you'll have that. Gotta pay the bills! I'm hoping things work out with the job, and I dont completely lose my sanity. I really didn't have 12 hours a week to sacrifice, but it could be worse, I'm sure. And I dont really have a choice in the matter.

Still super involved at school, and I'm having a fantastic semester thus far.

The only trouble I'm running into now is financial (obviously). I'm still waiting on my loan check and W-2. I need to get my tax refund soon because I need to pay off some of my credit card (which I've been living on due to the delay on my loan check... ugh). Not to mention, I had to practically re-furnish my apt, so a trip to IKEA got me a futon, a coffee table and seating cushions, a small dining room table and 2 chairs, a lamp, and about $500 more debt. That tax refund is going toward all that. Yay fun.

I am happy to report, however, that I'm still on my parent's insurance and have managed to get new glasses for relatively cheap, and went to the dentist for the first time in 2 years now, for free, and had no cavities! woo!

So yeah, as soon as this loan check comes in I'll be listing some goals and refiguring my spreadsheets. I just need to know what I'm working with in order to budget. So wish me luck. I'm a busy, busy girl! haha.

Hope all is well with everyone, and I look forward to getting back into the groove of things!