Just Keep Swimming.

So after last night, I decided to have a relaxing day. I blogged in the morning, then got together with a couple kids in my french class to study. After that, I watched "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" with BF. Good movie. I gotta get King Kong back to the library... It's a bit overdue. At any rate, I've started working on a scarf for moi. Tomorrow is my official homework day. woo! Hitting the library right after class. Well, I think that's all for tonight.

I just didn't win tonight. Not one break. Zilch. Let me expain:

I work at a japanese restaurant. It's pretty upscale. We get fairly busy on saturday nights. Tonight's recap...

The first table of the night: 5 highschool girls. Not only do they take a half an hour to decide what they want, but they all (as predicted) only ordered one sushi roll each. This is like going to an applebees or fridays and only ordering a small cup of soup. So okay, not a huge check, but to top it all off, they tipped me far less than %10. It gets better.

Customers who I happen to like came in. They had a big intricate order that seemed okay when I put it in, until the kid's, along with the dad's sushi had wasabi in it (very spicy, I would never feed it to a child...) When I took it back to the sushibar to get it fixed, I realized where the communication error had occured (we just got a new POS system), but my flustered coworker instead decided to get an ultra-attitude with me and I had to bite my tounge-hard- to keep myself from saying things forbidden to be said in front of customers. Oh, it gets better.

While serving shabu shabu (a very complicated setup involving a portable stove burner, a pot of stock, plates of veggies and beef, various sauces), my hostess and close japanese friend hands me a check for a new table and explains to me that the 2 people are a bit strange and she decided to give me the table because she thought I, as an american, was better suited to deal with the weirdos. WHAT?? It wasn't even supposed to be my table, and I was already swamped.

So a little more than peeved, I went smiling to deal with the crazies. She wasn't kidding. For an upscale restaurant, these people looked WAY out of place. Not to mention, the woman had serious OCD. Not like I'm speculating and making fun of the situation. She really had obsessive compulsive disorder. The repetition, the germ-phobia, the meticulous routine. The whole nine. Now, if I was in my school state of mind, as a psych major, this would have been cool. But you can only tell a person so many times that thier sushi cannot be cooked before you want to jab your eyes out. And the man she was with seemed to not get the concept that the japanese restaurant he was sitting in did not indeed serve chicken sandwiches OR fish sandwiches. On top of it all, they tipped me $1. I had to remind myself to breathe a few times tonight.

Aside from all that, my blood sugar started acting up mid-shift... I felt weak and shaky, but didn't really have time to stop and eat anything. I really need to get those shoes, too. My feet are still killing me. And to top it all off, I made on average $60 less than everyone else in my shift. And I was there the longest. Whew!

Needless to say, I stopped by the convenience store to buy some orange juice... I had some peach absolut just calling my name. I'm enjoying my well-deserved cocktail for the evening and looking forward to my day off tomorrow...

Today was a lazy day... woke up and blogged for a bit. Went to the post office to ship the book I sold on amazon, then finished BF's Gram's scarf, which means I made my goal of taking care of 2 people on my xmas list. I'm trying to make it a stress free xmas. Last year I put off all my shopping to the last minute, and ended up spending too much money and going crazy. haha. Cant say the scarf was cheap to make. Circa $40, but it's NICE. Very plushy and warm, thick. I think she'll really like it. Finished up with my little sis's present too, between the gift card and the book I bought her, I spent around $18. I'm buying my mom a shirt or a hoodie with my university's name/logo on it. And I got her this cutesy calendar, so that'll take care of that. I already decided to get BF a gift card to World Market. We love that place, and I know he'll like it. He's just the worst to shop for. Everything he wants is super expensive, like an iPod, or a car. Not quite in the budget. We've talked about xmas already though, I think he's gonna get me a fold-up treadmill. He'll use it too, so it'll be a good purchase. As for the rest of my siblings and my stepfather, I'm lost. I'll figure it out later though. I've got a little time.

I've got to work in a couple hours. Not really in the mood, but my checkbook tells me I better be. hehe. Yesterday's spending made a considerable dent. At any rate, better get going!

So today's shopping went over well... I guess. I bought the yarn to finish the scarf for BF's Gram. That concludes her xmas present, just have to get crocheting! I also bought the yarn to make myself a scarf... though mine is going to be a bit thinner, I wont use quite as much yarn as hers cost me. I also bought the $15 build-a-bear giftcard for my little sister. So that's the 2 people I'm done with on my xmas list. Yay! One goal reached!

Picked up the sorely missed laptop. Now me and BF can both work at the same time (that'll prevent some future disagreements!). I did not find any shoes for work, unfortunately, but a fellow blogger here gave me a little advice, and I'll be looking into that matter probably next month given the unexpected purchase I made at Victoria's Secret. No, nothing fun for BF. haha. A coworker of mine told me about this bra they have... It's pretty cool, acutally. I think it's called a vertical cup something or other, but it's incredibly versatile and pretty sexy, if I do say so myself. The most money I've ever spent on an undergarmet ($48), but I'm in need of a new bra or 2, so it was money well-spent.

The only items picked up at Giant Eagle were the peppermint mocha creamer, udon, and an avocado (my little treat!). And the book I bought 40% off at Borders ended up being about the same it would be on amazon, but it goes toward my borders rewards either way. Twas quite a dent overall to my checking account, but I'll be fine for bills due at the beginning next month after earnings made this week. Not to mention, the spending was all on my debit card, which goes toward my national city points. I use the points I earn to get B&N gift cards... I can use them at my college bookstore for next semester.

That's it for news in the financial category, except the other day I put another $50 toward my loan, which puts me under my principal. That's pretty cool in my opinion. More of that is to be done... That puts my total of the $20 challenge for me at $190. Yay! Hopefully I'll have enough money left over at the end of the month to add to the cause! We'll hope, anyway. Thanks for reading, guys!

Okay, so today is my shopping day. I'm on a mission to get a couple people off my xmas list, among other things. What I need to get today:

Yarn to finish BF's Gram's scarf (xmas)
$10 build-a-bear giftcard (xmas)
New work shoes
Pick up my laptop(apple has had it for 3 weeks!)
The Audacity of Hope (40% off coupon at Borders!)
Coconut Mocha coffee creamer

I think that about covers it. Let's hope I break a good deal on the shoes! They are sorely needed...

So yesterday I made a ridiculous amount of money at work. It was nice for the financial aspect, but a bit stressful, and I didn't get a chance to study for my bio exam. I did end up skipping my first class to study, though, and I think I did a good job. So let's cross our fingers... as for that money, $50 of it went to my savings account, the rest went to my checking, but then I put another $50 on my loan. That puts my principle under what it was originally, so there's a step forward! I also sold one of the books I listed on amazon, so there's $2 I wouldn't have had. I picked up some coin rolls at the bank, so I'm gonna start attacking my coin jar soon. I cant believe october is almost over! Tomorrow is a shopping day. I really need to buy new work shoes, and the yarn I need to finish BF's gram's scarf for Xmas. Then a build-a-bear gift certificate for my sister, and a book I got a 40% off coupon for at Borders (I was going to buy it either way, so it was a pleasant surprise when they sent me a coupon via email). At any rate, that's all I have for today! Just trying to save up for next semester and pay some of my loan off now... And yay for doing well on my exam! In case anyone wanted to know, I got a 98% on my psych exam on monday! Woo!

I got up to go to class this morning and it was pouring. I put on my new boots, busted out the new umbrella, and was still soaked when I got to class. I have to walk circa 25 minutes, and it was raining so hard! My feet were soaked for 4 hours... a little pruny... Gotta put my boots in the dryer! sheesh. And I was so cold and tired in between classes that I bought another coffee and a breakfast sandwich. I needed something warm! At any rate, that was about $4 spent on what I thought was going to be a no-spend day. Tomorrow... tomorrow I will triumph!

Alright, so I asked the question last night, "where did all my money go??", and today I actually counted it up, item by item.

Money Earned thus far this month: $680.49
Money spent this month:
Groceries: (budgeted) $40 - (spent) 47.81 => -$7.81
Food on campus: $65 - 22.52 => $42.48
School expenses: $10 - 8.22 => $1.78
Loan interest: $65 - 50 => $15
Perscription: $25 - 25 => $0
Eating out: $0 - 99.44 => -$99.44
Entertainment: $0 - 0 => $0
Misc: $50 - 33.03 => $16.97
Transport: $54 - 59.06 => -$5.06
Clothes: $0 - 32.96 => -$32.96
Xmas Gifts: $0 - 8.51 => -$8.51
Salsa classes: $30 - 0 => $30

Budget: $47.55 over
Earned - spent:$293.94

Soooo... I'm a little over budget at this point, but the good news is that I really didn't budget ENOUGH... so it's not so much a matter of me spending too much, it's a matter of forgetting that I need to factor things like Xmas money and transport outside of my zone, and clothes (especially since the colder months are upon us). I need to refrain, however, from eating out for the rest of the month. Going out of town that weekend really killed it, but in actuality, I budgeted in only $50 for eating out, entertainment, clothes, and misc items... not a whole lot there. At all.

At any rate, spending for the day was on a book from amazon (and here I'm talking about not spending money, sheesh!), but it was only $5.28... not too bad, and it's the one actual splurge I made outside of going to restaurants. The only want thus far this month. I'm not gonna be too hard on myself. But no more grocery shopping!!! Well, except for milk and bread and whatnot... I really need to eat up what's in my freezer, cupboards, etc. We have so much food! It's just hard for me to not grocery shop... it's my favorite activity! hehe. I am happy to say, though, that last night I cooked dinner using only things we had already, and the only purchase I made for dessert was a box of baking soda for a dollar. So go me! Tonight will be the same. And I made my run to the bank, and realized that I left the remaining $4.01 in my pants pockets, so it didn't get deposited. I instead put it in my change jar for the end of the month savings. Figured my Sobe Bottle needed some paper products... hehe. Well, now to studying!

So like other bloggers here, I've noticed that october is roughly half overwith. So I took a look at my spending and my budget and noticed a few things. First matter... where in the heck did all my money go?? I'm sure we've all said this before, but I still stand pretty baffled. I guess I did go way over the entertainment and misc category, but I went out of town last weekend, and that pretty much zapped all of that. Not to mention, I dropped one of my classes since changing majors, and I'm eating at home now more than I had anticipated, so I've spent more on groceries. I'm still under budget on food bought on campus. But aside from that, I still grabbed my highlighter, ready for a rampage of "what useless silly things did I buy THIS month?"... but when I looked through the list, I honestly found nothing. Nothing that screamed "pointless purchase," so I put down my highlighter. All of my outlandish spending was in the restaurant category when I was out of town, that's it. I am SO PROUD of myself! haha. I've spent very wisely... I guess next month I just need to allow myself a little more in the ways of groceries and cut back on food on campus, and give myself a little more in the misc category... or better yet, spell it out... clothes, dining out, etc. I guess this trial run was a nice eye-opener. I may be over budget this month, but it wont be for silly reasons!

And aside from all this, I baked cookies today, that, once again, prove that my skills in cooking are something short of normal. I have this tendency to pick recipes that are just a little... off. So BF deemed these cookies the "muffin cookies"... they were a little less cookie a little more spongy cake-like, but they were delicious! And me and BF cant get ourselves out of them. haha. I think I'm going to take some to work tomorrow. I've got a huge over-abundance of cookies. And the only thing I had to buy was baking soda! A whole $0.99 for the batch of cookies yay! At any rate, gotta get to sleep. Have my psych exam in the morning!

... and a little spending there. But nothing too frivolous. Me and BF went to lunch today at Aladdin's, our favorite restaurant. I ended up spending $13 on that. Then we stopped at Burlington Coat Factory because I absolutely NEED new work shoes. My feet stand at a slant on level ground because I've worn them down so badly. I have no direct access to a wal-mart, so on to Burlington I went. The bad news is I couldn't find any work shoes, but the good news is that I found boots- an item that I've been looking for for a couple months now. I've held off buying until I found the perfect ones, and so I succeeded today. Yay! They were exactly what I was looking for, and they were only $20! I live in a cold, river valley city, and without a car, walking in the winter is going to be a bit chilly! I also looked at sweaters (because I dont have very many) for the season as well and found a cute one for $10. Not too shabby. So yes, did a little spending, but like I said, nothing dreadful or silly. I'm really happy I found those boots! Well, better get studying now. Later!

That's right, I said it, a 12 hour workday. No fun... I've had a lot going on, and there's been a lot of transaction-ing this weekend. Yesterday was my study day, and I'm happy to say I got much done. I commend myself on the great amount of time management I've done. Budget-wise I've let go a bit... it's my happy week and I did a little impulse grocery shopping- which ended up in a bar of chocolate and about 5 cans of soup, for some reason. hehe. Today was a bit different, though the sweets cravings raged on and I gave into a delicious starbucks applestreudel cake. I also took a visit to the bargain bookstore in the mall I work in. I found a couple things I can give away at Christmas time. A cutesy calendar about "bad dogs" that I think my mom will like, and a book I know my sister will like. They both totalled to $8 so it was no huge splurge. And I made really good money today. $45 at lunch, which was surprising because we were so slow... we had a highroller at the sushibar. And $100 at dinner. It was overall a steady night too. The only downside is that I have this awful cold. Which means salsa is out tomorrow night. But my coworkers instead are coming over to the apartment and cooking dinner, then we're going to relax and watch a movie. I like that. Relaxing day... just have some more homework to do before relaxation time. 2 big tests this week. Gotta love midterms! Well, better get going. Later guys!

So finally... my day off. Long awaited. It was a long week. But I've got some good news. I only spent a whopping $7 for food on campus this week. My coffee strategy has done me good. And kept me awake during class! Unfortunately, there were some misc items I had to buy... an umbrella, coughdrops [me and BF both are pretty miserable right now], and I think that's it. But I also make a good amount of money on wednesday- which makes up to the day I missed and the overall slowness of the last week. I do have to take a trip to the store today. But it's definitely an essential item.

I've noticed a few other people doing this, but I too started a change jar. What I've got in there will be put into my savings account at the end of the month. I honestly dont know how much is in there at the moment, but at least a couple bucks!

I've got 2 tests this week, a paper to write, and a french vocab quiz. Much to do! So today will be spent cleaning up the apartment a bit, and then off to the library. Me and BF have realized that when we study in the same room, we dont get quite as much done. Not to mention, I've got a book waiting for me at the library. yay! I love free entertainment!

I re-calculated my budget to add in a couple things that I entirely forgot about... my monthy perscription, for instance, loan interest, and school expenses. So just a general summary:
Total budget: $815.75
Estimated income: $1180
Estimated savings: $364.25

So the new estimated savings is what I'm aiming to put in my savings account at the end of the month, but really I'm hoping to put in more! That trip back home really put me under in the entertainment/misc category, though. I dont regret it, however, I had a great time and I only get to go back home every once in a while. I just cant really go out for the rest of the month. haha. With all the school work I have, it shouldn't be a problem. heh. I'm up to 1 no-spend day. I'm waiting patiently for the second, it's just hard with all these little things here and there. And I need to get more yarn to finish BF's Gram's xmas present. I've decided I'm just going to buy my lil sis a $10 gift card from build-a-bear and something small. Perhaps something on sale as well. hehe. So that's the update on my goals! I'll keep truckin!

And last but not least, I will start the $20 challenge AGAIN. [I always start up, then dont follow through...] but I'm gonna do it a little differently than usual. I'm going to take what I saved at the end of the month + any money I put towards my student loan [outside of the $65 I'm going to put towards the interest every month] and set my goal at $2700 by the beginning of may. So for right now...
Challenge money: $20

Time to get workin!

Alrighty... much to do, much to do. I was bad yesterday. I didn't go into work. Part of this was the fault of the public transit system here. Turns out one of the trolleys was derailed yesterday during the day... A mighty long wait, and by the end of it I was tired and had homework to do. My coworker didn't seem to mind at all... at any rate. I'm going to drop my mass comm class today. The current events quizzes are bringing my grade down, and since I'm switching majors the class wont count for anything in the long run anyhow. Time wasted on my part. That'll give me more time to focus on my psych and bio classes. Anyhoo... brought my new insulated coffee mug with my homemade coffee to class with me this morning, packed my lunch, and I'm set for the day! I just have to get over to the library at some point to look for a book I want to read and I'll be set. I was moving pretty quick this morning... quite a suprise. I didn't get too much sleep last night. I was too busy with mitochondria and chloroplasts... hehe. I've got a bio test on thursday that I'm trying to ace again. Everyone wish me luck!

Alright, so after a long, expensive weekend, I believe I have hit the limit as to how much food an individual can eat in one weekend. I tried to stay within my limit of $50 on eating out and entertainment, but we ate out with friends, family, then more friends. It ended up being a bit pricey. I do have hopes, however, that in the end my total amount spent will be under-budget.

I was inspired this weekend at my friend's house. It was a hungover morning and we were sitting around talking and drinking coffee, and why oh why dont I buy coffee and make it at home?-I thought. My friend had all these fancy flavored creamers and it was delicious! Not to mention, I totally forgot about the french press BF bought me for valentines day this year. I was going to go out and buy a big coffee maker, but really I only drink one cup a day, but I spend $1.39 on each cup. I bought a small can of maxwell house for $3.09 and some coconut creamer for $2.09, so I'm $5.18 down, but that's still less than what I spend on my 4 cups in a week's span. And I definitely think at one cup a day it will last me more than a week. Yay! I'm enjoying today's cup as we speak... I think the only thing I may buy is an insulated coffee cup that I can take with me to class. I'm sure, though, that it will cost less than a coffee maker. I'm proud of myself for that! Though I'm spending a little extra right now on these things, it will be much cheaper in the long run.

As for other expenses today, we're going to pick up the laptop at the mac store... my baby will be back! But that's a nice $331 tab there... I had the amount set in september's budget though, so I've got enough to cover it. That, and I have to pick up more yarn for BF's gram's scarf. I ran out. Which reminds me... I came home with a few things this weekend. Family freebies, I guess you could say. Gram sent me and BF home with homemade choc chip cookies from the family picnic, plus BF's favorite cheddar scoopers she gets at west point market. I also picked up a new toothbrush at my parent's. I was planning on buying one soon, but I saw 2 still in the package in the drawer and snagged one. Our dentists office gives them out like candy... and my mom also gave me a cake pan, because outside of a cookie sheet, me and BF have no baking dishes. [we have pots and pans, but nothing to bake with! It's a shame...] So I think I made out pretty well on the trip.

At any rate, I'd better get going. I have homework and laundry to get done before going with BF to do some shopping. Later!

So I've got good news and bad news... we'll start with the bad. Ugh. Last night was awful. Customers stayed 45 minutes after we closed and tipped me under 10%!! Japanese people dont have to tip in Japan, therefore they know not how to tip in the US. Slightly frustrated... stayed up until 2:30 last night because I didn't get home until after 11 and I had things to do. 3 quizzes today. grr. Now the good news...
I'm going to visit my family and friends in my hometown this weekend, which is great because I haven't seen anyone in a month and a half. Also, yesterday I had my first no-spend day of the month, only 3 more to go to reach my goal! I got out of class at 9:20, and instead of buying coffee on campus, I went into work an hour early, put on a pot of coffee, and studied an hour before I had to clock in. Saved me $1.39. The other good news is that I made $40 more than I estimated yesterday, which I guess makes up for being under for the last couple days. But I've been saving money on campus all week, so I'm proud of myself. Immensely! Today should be alright, though I'm going to lunch with a friend... weekly ritual. Either way, must get going!

I was just thinking about eBay and christmas... perhaps buying gift cards and the like [my lil sis has a soft spot for build-a-bear]. I know a few of you sell gift cards on eBay, or places similar, and I would think it to be pretty practical, but I wanted to make sure. Also, for anyone that knits or crochets... buying yarn on eBay?? Never have, so I dont know. Any advice would be great. By the way, I never posted my goals for October....

October Goals:
1. To come up under budget.
2. To come up over income.
3. To have 4 no-spend days.
4. To take care of 2 people on my Xmas list.

Thanks for reading!

I think by the time I went to work last night, I felt a bit better. And once I was on my feet and moving around, a little closer to normal. I'm still a bit tired and sniffly, but for the most part- I'm upright. :P Work last night, however, was not so happy. One of my coworkers assumes way too much when he's "running the show" and cut our shared 20-person party's tip 4 ways instead of 3 [there were only 3 of us waitresses serving the table!] No one else seemed to mind, though, because the other 2 servers were his girlfriend and her best friend. Stupid. So I came home last night with $48... not the best of nights. Hopefully tonight will be better. Soooo.... as for today, I had to pick up some milk, $1.41. And I packed my lunch and some things to eat with my dinner, so I'm trying to keep it under $5 for dinner tonight. I accidentally slept through the first fourth of my class [you tend to need sleep more and sleep heavier when you're sick], so I didn't go. I'm gonna spend the time studying for the test I have later today. Not to mention, that means no coffee today. $1.35 saved! Hopefully it will be the start to a good day... I need one!

I have a cold. Woke up this morning a little sniffly [I have been for days] but what's worse is that I fainted during my class this morning! I'm still not quite sure why, but it's a dreadful experience, and I had to leave the class 15 minutes early to go buy water. And I'm a little peeved not only by the fact that I've felt rather weak since, but also that I had to pay $1.25 for water! :/ I get it out of my sink for free... I guess health is kind of urgent I also bought my bus pass today, though I didn't have it for the trip down the mountain and since it's the 2nd the guy made me pay my trip to the University. Another $2... so $3.25 I wouldn't have originally spent. Blah. I did manage to get home, however, and stop at the bank on the way home to deposit my remaining $85 in cash into savings. [The only upside to this story!] And I drank a good amount of water, ate some food, and took a nap. Trying to feel better before I go to work at 5. It's gonna be a busy night, but I really need the money [and it's almost certain to be good tonight], so I cant call off. I'll just have to suck it up and try and stay on my feet. ha! My loving BF has been texting me every hour to make sure I'm okay, and mom said she would book me a friday doctors appointment if I didn't feel better before friday [I'm going to visit my hometown this weekend! Yay!] So I at least feel incredibly loved. Indeed. I'm gonna try and turn this blah day around yet!

Day's total Spending:
Ride down incline: $2
Dasani [grumble]: $1.25
Bus Pass [on discout cause I bought it at the university]: $54
Total: $57.25

Savings:
Previous balance: $1240
Today's deposit: $85
New balance:$1325

So I baked this apple pie today because we had so many excess apples... I got a recipe online and all seemed well. Smelled delicious! When I took it out it looked GREAT [see picture]. Tell me that doesn't look delicious! Well, I cut a peice and it was for lack of better wording, apple soup. Much like many of my other attempts at cooking, it just didn't seem quite right. But I'll tell ya, apple pie vanilla icecream soup is pretty darn good. hehe. Any suggestions for what I did wrong?? Thanks guys!

My October Budget:
Rent, Elec, Cell: $450 (listed together because they're all split with BF)
Groceries: $40
Transport (bus pass): $54
Food on Campus: $65
Insurance: $26.75 (that's 1/3 of the total quarterly payment)
Salsa classes: $30
Entertainment&Misc: $50

Total: $715.75

Estimated Income:
17 nights @ average of $60 => $1020
4 lunches @ average of $10 => $40
2 paychecks @ average of $45 => $90
Total $1150

Income-expenses: $434.25 on to savings!!

Note, my income is estimated. I'm a waitress, and there will be some nights I make $120 and some that I make $40... it all depends. So if I make more, great! It all goes into savings. Not to mention, I think I'm going to work a couple extra nights hosting. My boss usually pays me with gift certificates that I can use all over... including to get my hair done, and by december it's gonna really need it. He always gives me my tips in cash, though, so it ends up balancing out nicely. And my rent,etc is an estimate as well, considering our cell bill and electric change from month to month.

I may be able to pare down how much I spend on food on campus as well. I'm gonna start buying the plain coffee instead of the starbucks thingies I like so much. And perhaps encourage my friend to go to subway instead of the cafeteria one day... get cheap deli sandwiches and pack the sides! (that was BF's idea... I think he's a genius sometimes)

I just really need to get my butt into gear. I've got a lot of saving ahead of me before next semester. I may still have to take out a very small loan, but I'd prefer not to. Books are going to be expensive enough. grr. Well, I'm off! Salsa class tonight! yay!

So I managed to not spend but $0.30 today (that was on copies of an article for a class... doesn't count! hehe.) I ate both lunch AND dinner at home, no snacks in between, even though I had to go downtown to the university library, and doughnuts were calling my name... I had a salad with tuna on it... trying to eat up that lettuce before it goes bad. And for dinner I made green curry... using one of those last two potatoes I have, and some carrots. I have a bad habit of buying produce and letting it go bad, so I'm making a concious effort. At any rate, same rule should apply tomorrow. Though tomorrow is salsa night. I'm alotting myself the $5 to take the lessons. It should be fun though. I'm excited. I just hope I feel well enough to go. I feel as if i'm coming down with a cold nothing soup and OJ wont fix, though. That's all for today, kids!

Okay, so yesterday I took inventory of everything in my kitchen (i've seen others do this and I thought it would be helpful!) Here's what I came up with:

A huge bag of frozen chicken tenders
A huge bag of frozen stir-fry veggies
Lean Pockets (roughly 12)
1/2 box perogies
Army supply of V8 juice
Big box of bisquick
1/2 can wheat germ
1/2 bottle Plum wine
small tub sour cream
Lots of cream cheese
Hummus
1/2 jar pasta sauce
Feta Cheese crumbles
6 eggs
2 bags salad mix
army supply of string cheese
carrots
shredded cheddar cheese
a few packages udon
tons of popcorn
HUGE can of mixed nuts
bag of lemon-pepper noodles
1/4 bag sticky rice
1/2 box spaghetti
2 potatoes
nori
rice vinegar
3 huge tubs peanut butter
flour
sugar
brown sugar
cornstartch
baking powder
2 cans tuna
1 can tomato soup (I ate the other for dinner last night!)
1 can beets
1 can coconut milk
1 can potatoes
1 can bamboo shoots
5 cans mandarin oranges
1/2 bag craisins
army supply of nutrigrain bars
Raisin bran out the wazoo
1/4 box bulgur wheat cereral
hot cocoa
a variety of spices
about 2 tbsp of olive oil left in the bottle...
Apples out the wazoo
Beef jerky out the wazoo
Applesauce out the wazoo
Ramen
Easy mac
3 tubs strawberry jam
A ton of blue moon.

NOW I know why BF gets a little irritated when I tell him there's nothing in the apartment to eat. hehe. I did, however, buy a few choice items yesterday (with my $30 limit) to round off some of the perishables...

Yogurt (my powerfood)
2 avocados (my addiction)
Bagels (to go with the mass amount of cream cheese)
Vanilla Icecream (to complement the baked apples I made yesterday)
Coconut milk (I need 2 cans to make curry)
Jasmine Rice (also for curry)
Edamame (my fave snack)
Curry paste (I think mine went bad)

Just as a little tip, me and BF eat a lot of asian food (if you couldn't tell), and a great tip is buying food from asian grocery stores. We have a few near where we're from, and everything is much cheaper. And more authentic!

My goal this week is to only eat out (monday thru thursday... I'm going out of town this weekend, it'll be unavoidable) 2 times. And I'm gonna try and keep one of those under $5. Eating on campus is just so expensive... and one day a week I get lunch with my friend at the school cafeteria... $7 for cafeteria food! But usually it's pretty good and it's buffet, so I get a lot!

At any rate, work tonight! It's a weekend night, so hopefully I'll make some money... hehe. Later guys!

Alright, so I got my loan check in the mail and I opened up a savings account. I currently have $1100 in that account, and I'll be depositing $140 today. I also decided to start my Xmas savings fund, because that's coming up and I think it's better to start early. I've got more than a few people to get things for... though I'm happy to say I took up crocheting and I'm currently making my BF's grandmother a scarf right now... the yarn I'm using is fairly expensive though, so it ends up being just as much as buying a pricey gift... but home-made! I'm thinking about using this recently aquired craft to make a few more gifts as well. At any rate, I'm putting all savings into my savings account, but I'm "separating" them on paper to distinguish what I can spend on what... so here goes:
School savings: $1220
Xmas savings: $20

I have to go to the grocery store today... but I'm going to limit myself to $30 because recently I've been eating at least one meal on campus twice a week. Not to mention, BF's gram took him on a Sam's Club run the other week, so we have plenty of the staples. For free! So I'll budget $30, but whatever I dont spend, I'll throw into the school savings category. What fun this budgeting is!

Not to mention, It's the 4th week of school and I am LOVING it... well, when I'm not stressed out because my work load and school load together are a bit much. I dropped a couple of my other activities to take a little breath. At any rate, I'm considering double-majoring. Yes, that means additional schooling, but it's in my heart. Therefore I have additional financial planning ahead of me. But I figured it out, and if I take heavier-than-usual courseloads, and only 3 classes during the summer, I'll get out within the next 3.5 years. haha. Not too bad... my scholarships will still be in effect by then. Not to mention, BF has been talking about getting married a lot lately. We've discussed it many a time, and though there is no ring yet, we're looking to get married the summer after he graduates. I'm expecting the proposal very soon, however, because he's discussed it all with his grandparents- and even better news is that we have thier blessings!! I'm very happy about that.

At any rate, this is getting very lengthy, I'll cut it now. Thanks for reading, guys!

So I managed to live through my first week of school. Cant say that it was incredibly easy, but I do give myself a pat on the back for time management skills. I could have had a more productive weekend for sure, but needless to say, I enjoyed my holiday weekend. But it's back to the books for me... and to the restaurant. I've got work tonight. Last week was incredibly trying... didn't make very much money at all. It was very frustrating to say the least. Not to mention, my coworkers weren't helping the situation. A lot of nasty comments were made to me. Ordinarily that wouldn't bother me too much, but it was on a very frustrating day. All of my lunch breaks were spent doing homework and such. Saturday night, I went out with my bf and a couple coworkers [obviously not the ones making the rude comments] and had a wonderful time. The band has been practicing very frequently. We have our show coming up next weekend, which is going to be wonderful. I'm incredibly excited. We've been working on some new material. Once we get a few more songs written, we're gonna record a CD. If anyone wants to listen to some of my solo stuff, however, you guys are free to go to my site. It's only my myspace page for the moment until we get the actual site up and running, but if anyone wants to tell me what they think, please do!

www.taradawnmusic.com

Thanks so much!

So... my first class went incredibly well. I loooove my professor. He's hysterical, and it is going to be an incredibly easy A. Psych 150 with Bob. The other good news is that I got the wrong book for the class. While that seems bad, it turns out that the book I need is only $30, and tomorrow I will be returning in full the one I bought for $87. It seems as if the bookstore listed one too many for the section, and I wasn't the only one who got caught in that one. Luckily, I keep my reciepts. For everything, actually. So tomorrow I'll be receiving that $87. So I have a little more in extra funds than I had anticipated. Woo! That means Tara gets a new bookbag [finally!] mine is falling apart... I saw some that weren't too bad in price... Tomorrow I have 3 classes instead of 1. I'm enjoying being back in school thus far. I've already done my homework for the class [though I would hardly refer to reading 6 pages homework]. I'm trying my best to practice good time management this semester. I'm a horrible procrastinator usually, but with all I've got going on right now, it seems thatI should keep ontop of it all so as not to drown in it! Well, work tonight. Later guys!

I find all the talk of allowances very ironic, because I just created one for myself yesterday- After a nice talk with my mother... one of those coversations that ends in the "Yes Mother," the kind that I particularly cringe at. Here's my situation: My parents are paying nothing- yes, not a cent- of my college expenses whatsoever. I have never held that against them. Until I realized that they went out and bought and expesive RV, a year-round campsite, and a golf cart. My father goes to Vegas every year, and my mother had a trip to the beach back in the spring. Where do I come in?? What's more, my mother wouldn't even cosign a loan for me until recently. Luckily, my credit score was good enough to obtain a loan without her signature.

I just recently moved out of thier house, so I am now financially independent of them. With the exception of my health insurance, that is. But I pay my own rent, electric, cell phone, transportation, books, and tuition.

So yesterday I was having a conversation with my mom about how relieved I was that my loans had gone through and I will in fact be able to go to class this semester. Big relief. Then I was explaining to her how I had to switch my loan from a year loan to a semester, and I'm going to throw the difference in a savings account and add to it throughout the semester to hopefully come to the total by the time it needs to be paid.

And SHE has the audacity to say: "Well then I dont want to hear about you buying clothes anymore. If I'm helping you I dont want you to blow all your money on stupid things." First of all, the only help she gave me was the signature that I didn't even end up using. Second of all, it is my money and I will distribute it how I see fit, and thirdly, give me a break.

That is why I decided to give myself an allowance. I dont think it's fair for me to completely eliminate all misc expenditures- including clothes- however, most of the allowance dollars will be put towards savings. Obviously my tuition takes more than just a little priority, but I dont think that justifies not having ANY spending money. A girl's gotta live and indulge a LITTLE, especially since the colder months are coming up and I could REALLY use a new pair of shoes. (I for the most part live in Birkenstocks. I need cold weather black shoes...).

I find it amazing how my mother- who gives me little to no financial backing whatsoever- can tell me how to manage my finances. Especially considering how poorly she manages her own! grr. Thanks guys for letting me blow some steam :/

I've got 2 more days until school starts, and I'm getting more and more antsy. I just really wish I had my bio book! The good news is that I got my paycheck yesterday, and I'm not in the red anymore! I actually made $50. My boss messed up the first month or so that I worked with payroll, so I owed my restaurant money. The good news is that it comes out of my paychecks rather than my tips, so I'm still making a nice chunk of change. Having money on my paycheck just means that I made crap for tips that week. haha. Taxes... Either way. So I have that unanticipated $50, not to mention I volunteered to work (on my DAY OFF) as a hostess, so I'll get my tips from that today. And I've got a double to work today. Tomorrow me, 2 of my coworkers, the bf, and my boss decided we wanted to go grocery shopping together. I'm desparate. I am almost out of everything I eat. haha. And once school starts, I'm gonna pack lunches. No use in spending way too much money eating out becuase I'm on campus. I used to do that at my old university. Then after grocery shopping, my coworker wanted to have a picnic. It sounds like fun for sure. Hope the weather holds up. And then tomm night we have band practice, but it cant run TOO late cause I've got class at 8am on monday morning. woo!

I already paid my rent, electric, and cell bills for Sept. So everything is great with that. No worries. I do, however, have to buy a bus pass for sept- discounted through the university. woo! And I also have to renew my membership to the YMCA... which thankfully, is also highly discounted through my university. So that's another $35 for the semester. I haven't gone in a week or so and I'm wondering if I should just forget about it and use the REC center at the university, but me and a coworker have been going together, and I cant get her into the REC. Either way...

I wish the bank was open up here. I need to deposit my paycheck! My bank is super-stupid about that. All banks should be open on saturdays! :/

Let's have a breath of fresh air guys.... *sigh* all of my student loans have gone through -finally- and the semester is all set. I have only one more book to buy. Well, possibly two considering I got the wrong edition of one of my books online but aside from that, everything is right as rain. And class starts in 4 days!!! I'm so excited. I cant wait to get back into the groove of things. I had to change my original $5500 loan for the year to a semester loan to cover the full amount. They tell me that I'm going to get a check for the difference in tuition cost- about $1400- and I'm going to throw it into a savings account and add to it throughout the semester for the spring. I figure I'll have the full amount by then... or at least we can hope. Good news! My band had a show last week. We made $10 between the 3 of us. So there's an extra $3.33 at my disposal. haha. Doesn't exactly cover the cost of my Bio book, but it's a start. haha. At any rate, I played my first show in my new town and that's something to be excited about. More to come! Hopefully with a bigger dollar amount... that would be nice anyway. Either way, I better get going. Later guys!

Alright, so maybe I wont be relaxing TOO long. Our guests left yesterday, but there's a new batch coming tonight. boo. They wont be gone until Tuesday. Grr. But the upside is that I have from now until I go to work to do nothing but relax. Woo! It's nice. And practice too... I've got that show next friday. Totally psyched. Perhaps I'll buy another book today for school. I'm getting them slowly but surely. And no more eating out this week! Well, that's a lie, but I'm making my boy pay for it from now on. I've got too much food in the house to be eating out. bleh. At any rate, I better get going. Later!

Sheesh. Still so busy! Our friends are still in town and more come on saturday. But I have good news! I'm off today! whoo! And I'm getting my hair done on monday, which is wonderful. It's way past due. And I also have a show next friday, which will be my first gig ever in Pittsburgh. Quite exciting, though I know I'm not ready... at any rate, lunch today, practice tonight. Tomorrow I will be relaxing in front of my TV all morning and afternoon until I decide to get up to go to work. I've informed my manager of this, and he seems quite sympathetic. ha. The eating healthy thing is going incredibly well. I've excercised twice this week. Not too bad. Going to the gym today. So that is good. Didn't make a whole lot yesterday at work... it was just one of those days. At any rate, better get going! Later!