Visitors

Last weekend I had visitors (a good friend from high school and my best friend).  We started Friday night off with dinner at a Thai restaurant, which I picked up the tab for ($70).  We went out for drinks afterwards which they covered.  Saturday morning we all went to Panera Bread for breakfast (~$20, picked up by me) followed by some shopping at the Outlets ($41), a beer tour (free) and booze sampler (~$10 covered by friend, drank by all of us), then a trek to another mall where I bought lunch for us in the food court (~$12), and also bought some Bare Escentuals powder ($26) at Sephora, and redeemed a fragrance certificate I had bought online (amazing grace).  I also bought some miscellaneous supplies (pens and other knick knacks to mail to my friends, ~$20) but my boyfriend accidentally threw them out before I even made my packages.  Oh well, I guess I’ll start over.  Saturday night we went to a party, and ate and drank for free, which was nice.  Sunday morning we ate breakfast at Atlanta Bread Co, paid for by one friend, and then shopping (I bought a book, $7)and the other friend paid for lunch at a Mexican restaurant ($40).  Then we went to a movie (I paid about $21 for the 3 of us) and we were still full from lunch, so didn’t really have dinner.  They left on Monday morning.  Total damage for the weekend was a little more than $200.  Not too bad, but I am entertaining one of those friends again this weekend, and these things add up, especially since I will be driving back and forth a ton showing her the sights.  *Sigh*.. Having friends around is fine and good, but it hard trying to entertain and keeping the budget low.  We could have eaten more at the house, but opted not to.  Oh well.  Christmas update coming soon.

Decisions

Yesterday, my boyfriend called me at work and asked me if I was interested in going to Brazil in February for Carnival.  We would be going with his friend and staying at his friend’s girlfriend’s house that lives in Brazil.  Apparently the exchange rate for the US dollar there is great right now, and we would only need to pay for the flight and food, and the housing would be basically free, other than a gift we would get for the family and some cash we may leave for them.  I want to go so badly!  I would only miss one class, and I can probably get the time off for it (the time off schedule hasn’t been made yet). 

Lucky boyfriend went to Brazil last year with work, so he’s a little more familiar with it than I am, but I want to go so badly!  The main part that sucks is that it only gives me a few paychecks to scrape up about a grand, and it also means it will put me behind in being debt free for the year.  However, I am expecting a bonus in February, so that should help me get ahead a little bit.  Unfortunately, I can’t put it toward my trip, bc I will probably receive it while I’m on vacation.  I have made the decision that if everything works out, I will go, but it means I will have to set aside $400 from this paycheck, $700 from the next paycheck (Jan.8^th) , and another $400 from Jan.22^nd paycheck.  This should give me ample money for a ticket and activities while I’m down there, but it does mean lean times for me until the trip.  I wish I had more notice and more time to save, but I guess if I had beefed up my travel fund earlier, I wouldn’t be having these problems.          

Lazy

Not only have I been super lazy the past few weeks, I’ve also been pretty busy.  No excuse not to post, but I’ll have to sum up what I have been up to:

·         I received a letter from a collection agency about my previous apartment’s deposit.  They said I owed $260, which is fine and all, since the apartment wasn’t super clean when I left, but I never received an initial bill, so I am pretty mad that they sent me to collection without trying to bill me first.  I paid it right away, but I hope it doesn’t negatively affect my credit too much. 

·         I decided it’s time for me to take responsibility for more of my finances, so my little ’01 Civic (currently owned by my dad) is being transferred to me.  So, he will do the title transfer in Texas, and once that is done, I guess I have to jump through some hoops and get that car registered in Pennsylvania, and I will also have to start paying car insurance (which I think costs about $600 for 6 months).  I guess I picked a good time to start doing this, just as my $100/month phone contract is about to end.  As of next week, I will be switching my boyfriend and myself to prepaid, which I think will save me at least $600 next year.  We will be using his work phone for any long phone calls, but both felt it was necessary to maintain our numbers and not have a contract. 

·         Now that I will have to get my car registered in PA, I will also need to make the necessary fixes so I pass the PA inspection.  This includes replacing my slightly (two tiny dots!!) cracked windshield for about $250, and also doing some brake work to my rear brakes (about $300).  Then paying for the inspection, and an oil change.

·         Another thing car-related that isn’t necessary but would look nice is replacing my dinged up bumper.  That will be another $300, but I am trying to prioritize for now, so that is closer to the bottom of the list.

·         I am dying to get LASIK!  I think I really need it, and I have problems driving at night.  I know the price has gone down significantly, and starts at around $500 per eye depending on how bad your eyesight is.  This is a total want but it will also improve my driving skills.

·         Debt --- creating a plan of action!  I decided I will pay the cc off first.  It is around $2500 right now, not to mention the $1600 I still owe my mom.  I must eliminate this.

·         Dental work—though my teeth haven’t been bothering me, I know I have plenty of cavities to get filled, and I also need to get a root canal and a crown on one tooth.  It will probably cost me $1,000 -$1500 even with insurance. 

·         Rent—I will be paying my boyfriend $2,400 for rent next year.  When the other roommate moves out, I think I may start contributing a slightly higher amount. 

·         Christmas shopping is almost officially over.  I added a little bit to my boyfriend’s gift, bc I want him to have stuff to open from me on Christmas. 

·         My best friend and another good friend will be visiting me a couple times throughout the next few weeks.  I know this is going to end up being a pretty expensive time for me, and I will be gladly picking up the tab for much of what is done.  She is in law school and does not work, and did pay for the ticket to fly up, so I have no problem paying for our New York and Philly excursions.  For the weekend they’ll both be at my house, I made up an itinerary that shouldn’t be too costly, but I have my ccard for backup (bad, I know!).

·         School is almost over, and I only have one paper to finish up! Next semester should be a piece of cake, (I hope).  I will only be in class one night a week.  I am seriously contemplating an additional part time job. 

 

So, that is the basic overview of what has happened since my last blog post.  Sadly, my emergency fund is nonexistent, and I really need to work on saving more and spending less.  I just bought a cute North Face fleece and new bras this weekend, and will probably be shopping more when my friends come to town.  (Sad but true).  At least I have a good grasp on what to expect as far as next year’s expenses.               

 

A Long Wait

It has been quite a while since I have written anything—my fault for slacking off as of late.  Here is the progress I have made so far:

Credit Card Balance : $2500

Mom Debt Balance : $1600 

 

I decided to focus on finishing up paying my credit card balance for now to avoid the interest ($47 last month!).  I will begin to pay more aggressively over the upcoming months.  If I pay about $1000 per month, I can be rid of this debt by March, but April would be more realistic.  My Christmas shopping is mainly done, with the exception of a few items I would like to get for my boyfriend (some warm-weather gear, a frying pan—basic stuff), and I would like to get something for my best friend as well (although she insisted that I don’t get her anything).  In December, right after Christmas, my best friend will be visiting me, and we will be going to NYC for some shopping and touristy stuff… so, I think I will either pay for activities while we’re there and/or get her something while we’re out shopping.    

Random Thoughts

Last night my backpack finally came in the mail!  I did order it about 20 days ago from www.o2gearshop.com.  I was annoyed at having to wait so long, but the North Face backpack did retail for $79.99 and I got it for $49.99, with a free aluminum Nalgene bottle and free shipping.  So, if you don't mind waiting a bit to save money in order to save about 38% on your stuff, I highly recommend it.  Next time I order from them, I will upgrade my shipping.  A few things will be happening this week:

1) My boyfriend will be going out of town for work the next couple days, returning on Saturday. 

2) I have a new class starting tomorrow (Business Ethics) for my MBA Program.

3) I'm still waiting on the grade for my Strategy/Economics class.  I am superstitious, so I don't like to sell the book until I am 100% sure I'm in the clear for that class.  I think I have been doing well so far, but I haven't kept track of my grades.  I'm hoping for at least an A-, but a B+ will work. 

4) I need to make some choc. chip cookies for a potluck dinner on Friday.

5) I need to have the house clean before my friend comes over on Saturday.

6) I need to spend some time outlining my goals and how to achieve them more thoroughly.  This includes, outlining what dietary changes I will be making, creating an exercise schedule, and doing an audit of classes I've taken so far and what I have yet to take. 

7) Computer cleanup/consolidation.  I need to organize all the shows I have stored on my portable hard drive so I can keep that with my new lil computer when I travel.  I'm keeping my old laptop for programs that take up more space (Photo software and drawing software that I'll use with my Wacom Tablet).

 

Hopefully, I'll have time to get everything done.  My goal is to not overspend this weekend (if I can help it), as one of my spendier friends will be coming over and we will be shopping at a massive mall (King of Prussia Mall).  Also, I just discovered that a new Gap Outlet opened up within a 5 minute drive of my house!  I'll post updates of what is actually spent this week/weekend!

Lunch

Lunch today ended up costing $24 for me and a friend (my treat, since it was her birthday).  I did get some valuable info about doing art shows with a friend of hers, and when and where I could go see the next few shows.  She also brought up that she does catering for these shows, and that in the future she may be interested in branching out and start catering for other events.  The wheels in my head are turning-- I love to cook and bake, and think catering would be hella fun.  Maybe we can join forces (?).  I think I'm done with Xmas shopping, except for my best friend's present, but since she is visiting during the holidays, maybe I will pay for her to do some sightseeing stuff and take her to a nice restaurant instead.  So far, I am expecting to get a $40 amazon gift card from work for attendance, and $25 from my ING Electric Orange.  I will put that towards my Xmas shopping, or maybe a Nintendo DSi. 

Overspending

On a whim, I decided to take a couple of my friends out for happy hour yesterday.  It ended up only costing $30 for 3 apps and 4 drinks, including tip.  After that, I went to the grocery store and bought all sorts of skincare junk and scrubs that I needed to stock up on for $23.  Overall, I didn't spend a ton, but the weekend will be expensive, so I really shouldn't have spent it.  Today I'm taking a friend to lunch.  We are going to an Indian buffet, so it shouldn't cost more than $25 for both of us with drinks.  I am also buying some raffle tickets for a charity this weekend ($20 worth).  I hope I can make it to Payday!

Weekend Spending

I actually managed to make it through a Saturday spending $0. The bf and I helped his Grandma move, and in return were fed lunch and dinner.. Yum! I had gotten her a housewarming present from her favorite gift store (a local shop called The Garden Path), which was a glass bowl on a silver stand with three sparrows on it.  It was originally $70, but I got it for $35 on sale, and she loved it.  I put both my name and the bf's name on the card, so he ended up looking like a rockstar.   Sunday, however, I spent quite a bit more.  Bf and I went to Sears, and I found a great deal on a massive tool storage chest that bf wanted for Xmas.  It was on sale for $199, and came with an add-on that costs $89 for free.  It ended up being $211 with tax, and I left $5 in his roommate's truck that we borrowed to haul it over.  I would rather have waited until next payday to buy it, because my friend is coming from out of town this weekend, but the sale would be over by then and he wouldn't get the free piece.  Since he told me what he was getting me and gave me my present early, I let him have  his early too.  I will probably get him a few little things here and there (socks, candy, etc.) that I'll wrap for him to open at his parents' house, but the main present portion is complete!  He spent the rest of the day on Sunday rearranging the garage and setting up his tool area.  Now, I have the bulk of my Xmas shopping done, (I bought his aunt and uncle's presents last week.. woohoO!) and I have about $300 to last me until the 30th (10 days).  This should be fine, since I have no real bills to pay, but in between now and payday I am taking a friend out to lunch (belated birthday), contributing to a birthday potluck with some food and probably a gift, and having an out-of-town guest (which usually means lots of shopping, going out to eat, and drinking).  I was going to make another payment toward my mom debt, but that will have to wait until later. My ccard bill is down to $2865, and my mom debt stands at $1600.  Here is what I have allotted for next pay :
Total : $950

Rent  - $200

Ccard -$350

---------------

Leaves: $400 to spend on food, cell phone bill, and other miscellany that comes up over the next few weeks.  I also need to look into contributing more to my emergency and vacation funds.  I should also be saving more in general, bc my best friend is flying up to PA from New Orleans at some point during the holidays, and we plan on going all over the Northeast-- NYC, DC, and possibly parts of Maryland.  Also, my best friend from Middle School found me on Facebook!  She lives in Canada, so we'll be making plans to meet up soon as well.  I also found out I have Veteran's Day off!  Once my cell phone plan ends and I switch to prepaid in December, I won't have to worry about paying that every month.  I was also thinking about getting a seasonal job to stash extra money over the next few months. 

Columbus Day - Update

Today I have the day off! Also, it is the last week for my two super-hard classes, so starting next week I should have some more posts up. So far this is what has happened in the past week:

1) My Electric Orange Account is up and running. I got my mom set up as a payee to send electronic checks to. Since she doesn't have email to accept the payments with, I had the emails sent to me, and I go in and approve the payments. So far, my mom debt is now down to $1,600. I am aiming for that to be down to at least $1,000 before the year is over. So far, Electric Orange has been awesome. I asked the BF if he wanted to get his rent paid that way, but he prefers cash. It's easier and cheaper than PayPal (and it's free!). The only downside is it takes a few days to get the money into your ING account from your local bank, and then another couple days for the transfer to go through.

2) My boyfriend gave me the Mini PC! It's for Christmas, but he said I can use it in the meantime, and then he's going to wrap it up around Xmas when we go to his parents so I can open it there and pretend to be surprised. : ) It's the Acer Inspire One with a 6 cell battery. It's so cute and light! And the battery lasts like, 5 and a half hours!! Much better than my old Dell Inspiron 6000, which tops out at about 2 hours and also weighs a ton.

3) Finished buying the bulk of my Xmas presents and wrapping them!! I still have to get stuff for my boyfriend and his mom, and those two are going to be expensive and hard to shop for. Also, a few key friends are getting presents too. But, I'm glad the majority of my shopping is done for now.

4) On Thursday, I get paid!! For this paycheck, I have no rent or bills due, so I'm going to put extra payments toward my mom debt and credit card debt.

5) My friend Christine will be coming to visit near the end of the month before my next paycheck, so I need to keep some money on hand for that. She is a super-spender. She makes my bad spending habits look good. She's coming on a Saturday morning, so I'm going to take her to the King of Prussia Mall for a bit, then out for lunch, then back to the house for a bit to change, then out for dinner and drinks, and then back in to play video games for the rest of the night.

Ok, time to finish my take home exam, then head to school!

Good News!

It seems that October is a good month for me financially. I went home and received $200 from my Dad. When I came back, I also got a check for $320 from a guy that hit my bumper in August, and I received a refund for half of my textbook that got lost in the mail (~$28). Yay!! This is also the first month I have no bills left to pay from my old apartment! Also, I ended up finding the North Face backpack I wanted online for a much cheaper price! At o2gearshop.com, I ordered the backpack I wanted for $49.99, which includes free shipping, and I get a free water bottle with it. Every other website I looked on had the backpack for ~$78! The main reason I got this specific model (Borealis) is because my laptop is older and kind of bulky, and this was one of the few cool ones that would fit it. After coming home and telling my boyfriend about the backpack, he told me he was buying me a new mini PC for Christmas so I won't have to lug my big laptop everywhere!! I'm v. excited!! I don't know what I can get him that's really going to top that. Now I guess that large PC pocket in the backpack is not as necessary, but I am still happy to get a new one. I've decided not to buy any new clothing (except winter gear) until I lose 30lbs, so I can focus on buying other things. : ) I've also started Christmas shopping for this year, and have a nice pile of stuff saved, and some of it is wrapped already. YaY! Also, I finally got my Electric Orange Account with ING, so I can start making automatic payments to my mom to pay her back. I hate sending her checks, because she never cashes them in a timely manner, so this should fix that problem. I have a few weeks left for my two difficult half-semester classes, and I'll be starting another easier one towards the end of October. Tomorrow I get to sign up for my Spring semester classes, and I'm going to try not to overextend myself. This semester has been super hard!

Wow! I have a reader!

Who knew someone actually read my tiny blog? And it's someone whose blog I have been keeping up with (ChickyFinance)!  This is more motivation for me too keep writing!  V. excited!

Update

I am still trudging along.  My raise went into effect this paycheck, and now I am making $30 more every two weeks.  Not great, but better than nothing.  Also, my expenses should be officially going down.  I just paid the last electric bill from my old apartment, and should also be getting a refund for a few bucks from my last cable bill.  On Monday, BF's phone contract is up.  I had a plan, then added him to my plan to make it a family plan, but my contract is not up until the end of December.  I am going to switch the BF to prepaid on Monday and buy him a $100 credit.  He doesn't talk on the phone much so that should last him for a few months (1000 minutes).  Also, he has a work cell phone he can use if needed.  His main concern, since we don't maintain a house phone/land line, was that he needed to keep his cell phone number since it's on so many documents, and he doesn't want to update everything with a dif. number.  In December, I too will make the switch from contract to prepaid.  My cell phone currently costs me $1200/yr with myself and my boyfriend.  If I can save half of that, I'll be happy.  I will try to use it to screen calls and then call people back from my BF's work phone.  I'm going to do a little research to see if switching my plan or switching carriers would be a better idea before I move his account on Monday.

Annoyed

I had an issue with a textbook I bought online-- the package arrived---
with delivery confirmation, but the back of the package was cut open,
and no textbook was inside. And, since the postal clerk did not mark
the mail, Without Contents, I'm having a hard time proving to the seller
(I bought the book on half.com) that I did not receive it. So far, I've
had to file a claim with the post office and I've sent a few emails to
the seller as well. I know it is not her fault, but she was paid on the
condition of me receiving the book. Since I never received it, I feel I
am owed a refund. Not only am I out the $53 I paid for the book, but
now I will have to pay another $100 to go buy a new book at the school
bookstore. This totally sucks! Hopefully they still have it in stock.
I don't want to fail this class and have it ruin my GPA! Also, this
class cost about 2grand. I think I will charge the textbook; I know
this is going to increase my balance, but I feel this is essential. I
could pay by cash but I'd rather not. I will make up for this next
paycheck.

Need or Want?

With class starting, I really would like a computer backpack for my laptop. I have a sleeve to put it in, but I think the backpack would get a lot more use, and is more portable, and fits textbooks in it as well. Since I have an older (bigger) laptop, one of the few decent backpacks I've found is the North Face Borealis II. I think this would be a good laptop because when I travel, I can use it as well. It looks pretty sturdy. The bf has a North Face, and took his all over Europe and is still using it years later. I think I would want it in black. I found this on eBags and it costs ~$80. I think I'll buy it when I get my next paycheck... I know I'm supposed to curb spending, but I have researched backpacks, and I'm certain this is the model I want.

State of Things- Weekend Spending

I knew this weekend was going to be a little pricey. I had a dinner party on Friday, and four of my friends came over. I spent $32 bucks on wine, which ran out quickly, with the guests rushing out to buy more before the liquor store closed. I spent $73 on groceries. The party turned out to be a success, with everyone getting well-fed and tipsy. For about ~$20 a head, we had a chocolate fountain with fruits, marshmallows, pretzels, and pound cake, veggies, chips & dip, to start. Then I made a salad with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and mushrooms. For the main course, I made fettuccine alfredo with a choice of chicken or shrimp, and garlic bread. For dessert I made a cheesecake (from scratch) with strawberry topping. There was enough food leftover for everyone to take home an extra meal with them, so I sent everyone home with a container or two of food. On Saturday, it was raining like crazy, but there were essentials I needed to stock up on at Costco. I bought garbage bags, Clorox Clean-up, toilet paper, laundry detergent, Oust, and new boxers for the bf. The bill ended up being about ~$70, but that should last a year, since it was a year ago we joined and bought all that stuff. Since the bf is out of the country until next weekend, I'm also paying the water bill ($35) this month. After Costco, I went to Target and picked up more boxers for the bf, some super-cute Nick & Nora sock monkey pj pants, and a little metal shelf thing (etagere) to go ontop of the toilet. I was going to get it set up before bf gets back, but it needs to be screwed into the wall, and we want to paint the bathroom, so I want to go over the colors before painting. Anyhow, it's getting put aside pending a discussion. The total spent at Target was ~$67. Today I spent about $ 5 on Subway. My total weekend spending was: ~$282. That's kind of a lot. There are 11 days left until my next paycheck, and I have : ~$100 in the bank, $60 cash, and $158 being deposited to my bank account this week from half.com from textbook sales. That leaves me with about $300 bucks to last me until the next paycheck. I am going out tomorrow night for Indian food with my girlfriends, but I have a restaurant.com gift certificate for $25 off $35, so dinner shouldn't be too expensive, and that would buy enough food for me and a friend. Also, I am expecting a nice package from a Tastefully Simple party. I had never heard of it until I moved to PA, but I went to a party last weekend where the host makes all this food using Tastefully Simple mixes, and almost everything was amazingly delicious and easy to make. Since the bf is coming back next Saturday morning, I'm hoping my package comes this week so I can have some of those treats made for him!

Goal Eight: Get A Better Job

This is probably going to be the most difficult goal. Although my expenses are low, my debt needs to be eliminated before I leave the comfort of my job (though it doesn't pay enough). I don't want to have a gap in employment either, because I'm really scared of being without health insurance. Also, I have used up the majority of my vacation days and don't have time to take off for interviews. I think the best thing to do is to wait until I have my master's degree, and look for a better job then, but then I am losing out on all that potential income I could be earning. Also, if I stay at my current job, I am looking at a possibly decent bonus in February, and in June I will have been at my job 3 years, and will be eligible for 3 weeks of vacation. Even though my job is terribly boring with no room for upward mobility and does not pay well, I would need a significant raise to justify switching jobs, because in addition to vacation days, we can take our sick days as vacation days, we get personal days, we get our birthday off and we also get all bank holidays off. Since my family lives out of state, this time off is very useful.

Goal Seven: Make an Etsy Site

I am pretty crafty and good at drawing and photography. I know I can create some really neat pieces of art, and I even have all the supplies here to do it! I have a Canon Rebel XT, given to me by my best friend, which I still need to master, and tons of paper, canvases, paints, pencils, and pens. Since I haven't done much lately but go to work and school, I haven't felt inspired. Well, my boyfriend inspires me, and he's v. hot and a good art subject, but I'd like to keep that for myself. Before I make my etsy site, I would love to learn html and other stuff like that.

Goal Six: Finish Reading Books I Own

This goal will be a hard one to accomplish. In addition to finishing the books, I will be trying very hard not to buy new ones, and I would like to sell or donate the books once I'm done with them. They are contributing to clutter, and I rarely read books twice. Also, I discovered the university library has a great selection of best sellers, even some that I've bought! I wish I had gone there sooner. On my to-read list at the moment :

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea - Chelsea Handler
BONK! (Checked out from the library!) - Mary Roach
The 4-Hour Work Week - Tim Ferriss(In my quest to improve my financial situation)

I am a fairly quick reader, but with work, and school, and everything else going on, it is increasingly difficult to finish and absorb a book like I used to. I also subscribe to and read (every month) :
Cosmopolitan
Marie Claire
Glamour
Budget Travel
Nylon
Men's Health (my boyfriend's)
Details (free subscription)
Martha Stewart Living (free subscription)

I can't help it. I feel the compelling need to consume information. Though this time could be better used studying and improving my academic situation.

Goal Five: Find Additional Sources of Income

I've been contemplating joining elance.com and bidding for jobs, but am scared to take the first step. In order to have access to the most jobs, you need to pay a monthly fee. So, although I could potentially make money, this could also end up being an additional expense if I'm not careful. I've also considered waitressing a few nights a week, but I have waitressed before and was not very good at it. Also, with my school schedule and difficult courseload, I don't want to overwhelm myself and end up with bad grades. I've looked on craigslist, but nothing seems to work with my schedule. I did a gig through there once, and ended up pocketing about $300 for a few days work selling promotional items for a musical, but it was labor intensive and took alot out of me. I did get to watch the musical and got some free promo items out of it, but those jobs are hard to come by.

Goal Four: Lose Weight

In alot of pf blogs, I've noticed that the discussion has come up that weight and health often seem to be linked to financial state. I definitely agree with that. As I have gained debt, I have also gained weight. There is alot of stress associated with owing money, especially to family members, and I think this has led to stress-eating and weight gain. I am glad that my mom does not need the money back right away, but for personal reasons, I would like to pay it back as soon as possible. My boyfriend and I both gained weight since we started dating, but he has spent his summer getting back into shape and is looking fantastic, while I spent my summer in class and not doing much else. I am only 5ft tall and have ballooned to 150lbs! I am curvy, but that is a very unhealthy weight. In high school, I weighed 95-100lbs.! My ideal weight for my height would be 110lbs. I love to eat, and am also quite a good cook. There is a community gym available to me, as well as a gym available at school. Additionally, there is a gym I could join that has personal trainer service, but I don't know if I should spend the money to join just for that when there are 2 other venues available to me. It is so hard to get motivated! I even bought a bike at the begining of summer, but only rode it a few times. My goal is going to be to formulate a food and exercise plan, stick to it, and actually make it to 110lbs. (or close) by my birthday in February.

Goal 3: Travel Fund

Actually, I have already started my travel fund through ING Direct, but there's only about $50 in there. I would like to have enough money to take a trip abroad once my boyfriend finishes grad school next summer. He does travel a decent amount for his job (he's in Brazil right now), but we would like to go to Australia or South Africa on our own schedule. The goal for this fund is $3000 by next summer. In the meantime, we will take different weekend trips to tide us over. Living in Central PA, we are within driving distance of NYC, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh. Taking little trips is probably counter-productive to my financial goals, but I think it will help maintain my sanity. I also travel a few times a year to see my family in Houston (where I moved from), but my dad takes care of that. I would like to start buying my own plane tickets for those trips as well.

Goal 2: Create an Emergency Fund

I realized much of my initial credit card debt would not have been incurred had I planned properly and had an emergency fund in place. I have recently opened up an account on ING Direct to save for travel, and think I will start my emergency fund through them as well. Since the money is not easily accessible, it will be out of sight and out of mind. I think an initial goal of $1000 dollars for my emergency fund will be a good starting point. It is enough to fly me home on short notice, to pay the car insurance deductible, to make a mortgage payment on my bf's townhouse, to get an apartment if needed, and to pay the medical insurance deductible in case anything major happens to me. Ideally, I would like to have more saved, but would prefer to get my debt paid off first.

Goal 1: Get Out of Debt

I make approximately 33k per year at a job I don't really care for. But I am trying to finish grad school, and they work with my schedule, and there is a lot of time off. Even though I know I can find a better paying job that I'm not completely bored at, I haven't made the time to look for other opportunities. I am very lucky, because my parents are paying for grad school. Thanks to them I have a car that's paid for, as well as car insurance (though that may be changing soon). Also, I recently moved in with my boyfriend, and no longer have a large rent expense. With my parents and boyfriend helping me out in the major areas, there really is no reason for me to be broke, but somehow I can't seem to get out of the red and into the black. Here is a breakdown of my financial state:

I make : ~$930/paycheck every two weeks= $1860 a month after taxes

My regular expenses:
Rent: $200 - paid to my boyfriend
Cell phone: $100/month for my bf and myself (I will be changing the plan in Sept. and Dec. to lower costs).
Netflix: ~$10/month

I owe:
My Mom: $1900 @ 0% interest. She lent me $2,600, but I still owe this much. She is going on vacation at the end of November, so I'd like to have at least half of this paid to her by then.
My Credit Card: ~$3000 @ 19% interest. I can't even remember what I bought! Alot of it is from expenses I had when I moved here two years ago!

Upcoming Expenses:
Dad's Birthday Gift
Dental Work
Christmas Presents
Car Maintenance

I realize with such a high interest rate, it would be wise to pay off the credit card first. But since my mom did lend me the money more than a year ago, I think it is important to get at least $900 of that paid before she goes on vacation in November, and have the balance paid off by the end of January. I need to automatically set aside $300 a paycheck to send to her. I also need to look into additional sources of income or into getting a better paying job.

Background Info - My First Post!

I've been reading a ton of pf blogs the past few months during work, and decided it was time to take the plunge and write my own. My urge to spend has often gotten me into unnecessary trouble; things that could have been avoided with a little planning and know-how. Through this blog I am going to examine what my goals are and how I plan on reaching them.