$4.84 Blockbuster
$32.49 groceries
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Year End Summary--2007
Ok, so I've been promising and promising posts about my spending last year (as described by my Chase card and Bank of America). Here it is, in a nutshell:
TOTAL INCOME: $44,120.37
$10,747.24 in taxes (Fed, state, social security, medicare, S125, CASDI)
$2,762 in 401K contributions
Total takehhome income from full/part-time job: $30,611.13
OTHER INCOME: $600. This came from interest in my savings accounts and capital gains. Other income includes gift cards from hotel points, credit card points, and ebates or fatwallet.
RETIREMENT: $4,112
$2,762 in 401K; I contributed $1,350 to my Roth IRA in 2007. $4,112 in retirement contributions--Retirement represents 13.4% of my after-tax net; about 9.3% of my before-tax income.
SAVINGS: $9,572 (plus $5000 my mom lent, but that didn't come out of my paycheck). This represents 22% of my gross paycheck, and 31% of my net.
So, roughly 45% of my after tax income, 31.3% of gross was saved. Yay! This means I lived off of roughly 20K in 2007:
RENT: $8,500
UTILITIES: $1,000
CREDIT CARD CHARGES: $13,582.58
TRAVEL: $1530 ($600 was reimbursed by my Grandpa's funeral fund)
EATING OUT: $700
AUTO/GAS: $1900
STUFF (groceries, etc.): ~$6000
SERVICES (cell phone, utilities, cable, etc): ~$2,700
MISC (medical, charity, car registration): ~$750
Approximately $3K was reimbursed to my by my employer, either for gas, hotel, food, or tuition and textbook expenses last semester.
I'd love to break my expenses down even further (groceries and gas, in particular), but I don't have time to weed through my cc report just now.
How does that compare to your spending?
TOTAL INCOME: $44,120.37
$10,747.24 in taxes (Fed, state, social security, medicare, S125, CASDI)
$2,762 in 401K contributions
Total takehhome income from full/part-time job: $30,611.13
OTHER INCOME: $600. This came from interest in my savings accounts and capital gains. Other income includes gift cards from hotel points, credit card points, and ebates or fatwallet.
RETIREMENT: $4,112
$2,762 in 401K; I contributed $1,350 to my Roth IRA in 2007. $4,112 in retirement contributions--Retirement represents 13.4% of my after-tax net; about 9.3% of my before-tax income.
SAVINGS: $9,572 (plus $5000 my mom lent, but that didn't come out of my paycheck). This represents 22% of my gross paycheck, and 31% of my net.
So, roughly 45% of my after tax income, 31.3% of gross was saved. Yay! This means I lived off of roughly 20K in 2007:
RENT: $8,500
UTILITIES: $1,000
CREDIT CARD CHARGES: $13,582.58
TRAVEL: $1530 ($600 was reimbursed by my Grandpa's funeral fund)
EATING OUT: $700
AUTO/GAS: $1900
STUFF (groceries, etc.): ~$6000
SERVICES (cell phone, utilities, cable, etc): ~$2,700
MISC (medical, charity, car registration): ~$750
Approximately $3K was reimbursed to my by my employer, either for gas, hotel, food, or tuition and textbook expenses last semester.
I'd love to break my expenses down even further (groceries and gas, in particular), but I don't have time to weed through my cc report just now.
How does that compare to your spending?
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Spendin'
$136 for a trolley pass at school
$4.95 to finish a tv show--rental from Blockbuster
Also I plan on buying a bag of salad at the grocery store, and maybe get a haircut (soon!).
update: $6.70 at the grocery store
I'm tired today...
$4.95 to finish a tv show--rental from Blockbuster
Also I plan on buying a bag of salad at the grocery store, and maybe get a haircut (soon!).
update: $6.70 at the grocery store
I'm tired today...
Monday, January 28, 2008
Socialness Abounds.
Last night was awesome. We ate some great chili and met some cool people. My old roommate's new house is so cute! Her current roommate is an artist, and I took some notes to copy when I'm decorating my own house. My old roommate is a DJ for a great radio station in my city and may get me tickets to a show I want to see soon. Hookups are the best.
We played Trivial Pursuit...pop culture edition. I SUCK at this game, but it was girls vs guys, and my DJ roommate is awesome at it, so I didn't really have to answer anything. Whew. Then we played Apples vs. apples--pretty fun, too.
all in all, it was ANOTHER great, cheap night. My boyfriend actually paid for the wine and chips we bought, so I just provided the gas.
During the course of the evening, we were invited to my OTHER old roommate's house for today--so my boyfriend could play dungeons and dragons with my old roommate's new husband. he's not your typical geek--more like a super fun, super social geek. I went to hang out with my old roommate and catch up properly, since last night was filled with games and wine.
Boyfriend, again, bought beer and wine to drink over there. They ordered pizza and I had a slice, but forgot to offer to help pay (boyfriend did, so hopefully he covered my share). oops. But, anyway, she and I sat down to start talking at 4 and didn't stop or have a lull until 9-ish, when we watched project runway, our old tradition when we lived together. We both miss living together, and with girls. It's kind of sad things have to change!
Anyway, it was another great, cheap, social afternoon/evening, and I was happy to catch up with her and her new husband. They are so cute together! They have a new puppy, and I adore pups, so it was a fun time with her, too.
So--that was my weekend. It was fun, it was fabulous, and it was frugal. Can't beat that.
We played Trivial Pursuit...pop culture edition. I SUCK at this game, but it was girls vs guys, and my DJ roommate is awesome at it, so I didn't really have to answer anything. Whew. Then we played Apples vs. apples--pretty fun, too.
all in all, it was ANOTHER great, cheap night. My boyfriend actually paid for the wine and chips we bought, so I just provided the gas.
During the course of the evening, we were invited to my OTHER old roommate's house for today--so my boyfriend could play dungeons and dragons with my old roommate's new husband. he's not your typical geek--more like a super fun, super social geek. I went to hang out with my old roommate and catch up properly, since last night was filled with games and wine.
Boyfriend, again, bought beer and wine to drink over there. They ordered pizza and I had a slice, but forgot to offer to help pay (boyfriend did, so hopefully he covered my share). oops. But, anyway, she and I sat down to start talking at 4 and didn't stop or have a lull until 9-ish, when we watched project runway, our old tradition when we lived together. We both miss living together, and with girls. It's kind of sad things have to change!
Anyway, it was another great, cheap, social afternoon/evening, and I was happy to catch up with her and her new husband. They are so cute together! They have a new puppy, and I adore pups, so it was a fun time with her, too.
So--that was my weekend. It was fun, it was fabulous, and it was frugal. Can't beat that.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Spending
yesterday boyfriend and I had a quiet night in. I paid for blockbuster rentals, he paid for snacks. I heart Amanda Bynes, and her Sydney White movie is really cute.
My share was $25.55.
There's better, cheaper ways to rent movies--netflix, online blockbuster, etc. But there are months and months on end where we don't rent any movies, so it doesn't make sense to sign up for a monthly charge. I'm sure it adds up about the same, anyway.
Tonight my boyfriend and I are hanging out with my old roommates from my beach house. We're having game night! We used to do this when we lived together, then my one roommate got married (boo...just kidding, he's awesome...but I hated losing her for a roommate) and we disbanded. this is the first time we've been able to hang out since we all moved out. We're bringing some wine (yet again from the stock we have on hand--we're not lushes, really!), tortilla chips, and some dip that I made from a mix boyfriend and I got for Christmas. My roommate is making chili...yum!
My share was $25.55.
There's better, cheaper ways to rent movies--netflix, online blockbuster, etc. But there are months and months on end where we don't rent any movies, so it doesn't make sense to sign up for a monthly charge. I'm sure it adds up about the same, anyway.
Tonight my boyfriend and I are hanging out with my old roommates from my beach house. We're having game night! We used to do this when we lived together, then my one roommate got married (boo...just kidding, he's awesome...but I hated losing her for a roommate) and we disbanded. this is the first time we've been able to hang out since we all moved out. We're bringing some wine (yet again from the stock we have on hand--we're not lushes, really!), tortilla chips, and some dip that I made from a mix boyfriend and I got for Christmas. My roommate is making chili...yum!
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Free Fun with Friends
Last night we brought over a bottle of wine to a friends' house and played with his wii all night. Wait, that sounds dirty. We played VIDEO GAMES all night. The wine was a present from a neighbor for Christmas, so we only spent gas to get over there and back...not bad!
Savings Goals and Tax Rebate
My 6-month EF is back up to full, with my recent savings transfers. Woo hoo! And even though my Roth IRA is down below what it was in December, I'm counting my contributions to my Roth, not how much I'm earning. My eventual goal is to max out my 2008 Roth a $5K.
A hundred dollars a month will put me at $1200 for the year. My tax refund will be $280 from the fed, $171 from the state, plus I expect to get $600 in that stimulating tax rebate package.
since none of that windfall is for certain, I will plan to put at least half of it to my Roth, and the other half will most likely go to savings to take care of my month off to spend with my family this summer, and my plane ticket to New Zealand after that.
I need to start making plans for this summer. I'm part-time til May 17, then full time til July 1 (my tentative end date). I plan on selling my car, couch, bed, and other belongings on craiglist. That money will go toward my plane ticket home to VA, food, gas, and other incidentals while at home for a month, and then a plane ticket to NZ around August first! That is most likely going to be funded in part by my EF, since I can't make more money and concentrate on my classes at the same time.
A hundred dollars a month will put me at $1200 for the year. My tax refund will be $280 from the fed, $171 from the state, plus I expect to get $600 in that stimulating tax rebate package.
since none of that windfall is for certain, I will plan to put at least half of it to my Roth, and the other half will most likely go to savings to take care of my month off to spend with my family this summer, and my plane ticket to New Zealand after that.
I need to start making plans for this summer. I'm part-time til May 17, then full time til July 1 (my tentative end date). I plan on selling my car, couch, bed, and other belongings on craiglist. That money will go toward my plane ticket home to VA, food, gas, and other incidentals while at home for a month, and then a plane ticket to NZ around August first! That is most likely going to be funded in part by my EF, since I can't make more money and concentrate on my classes at the same time.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
In the Year 2000...Seven
Oh boy. My first full year of being debt free was...a doozy. in October 2006, I paid off the last of my debt.
At the end of 2006, my grandmother had just died, I had a boyfriend, a Roth IRA, and a net worth of $6712 (retirement and savings together). I was also contributing 12% of my salary to my 401K. I then asked to go part-time and take classes Fall-Spring 07-08. I calculated that I would need to save up $9000 to replace the income I'd need while in school. I then set off to save that amount, and also borrowed $5K from my mom to use as an emergency fund. By August, I had the $9K saved, and my retirement fund was around $7K.
From Sept-Nov. 07, I was in survival mode. I had gone part-time, and was loving it and my classes. Even though I had less income, I still was able to save $1000 more between my part-time money and interest earned on my savings account from Sept - Nov 07. I continued to contribute to my Roth IRA, as well, and it was up to $1400.
Christmas came and went, and so did the value of my investments.
At the end of the year I couldn't bear to look at my 401K account. My 401K made 6.54% in 2007, and now is worth $5960. ...and my Roth IRA is now worth $1405. Barely more than it was worth in Nov. 2007, and I've been contributing $100 each month! My savings accounts, as covered in the previous post, are at about steady, around $14,750 right now, and I plan to keep contributing even though the interest rate is sure to go down. I end the year disheartened but resolved to keep going. I'm still far from having debt, and I'm still much further than I was at the end of last year to my goals.
A future post will examine my spending habits.
At the end of 2006, my grandmother had just died, I had a boyfriend, a Roth IRA, and a net worth of $6712 (retirement and savings together). I was also contributing 12% of my salary to my 401K. I then asked to go part-time and take classes Fall-Spring 07-08. I calculated that I would need to save up $9000 to replace the income I'd need while in school. I then set off to save that amount, and also borrowed $5K from my mom to use as an emergency fund. By August, I had the $9K saved, and my retirement fund was around $7K.
From Sept-Nov. 07, I was in survival mode. I had gone part-time, and was loving it and my classes. Even though I had less income, I still was able to save $1000 more between my part-time money and interest earned on my savings account from Sept - Nov 07. I continued to contribute to my Roth IRA, as well, and it was up to $1400.
Christmas came and went, and so did the value of my investments.
At the end of the year I couldn't bear to look at my 401K account. My 401K made 6.54% in 2007, and now is worth $5960. ...and my Roth IRA is now worth $1405. Barely more than it was worth in Nov. 2007, and I've been contributing $100 each month! My savings accounts, as covered in the previous post, are at about steady, around $14,750 right now, and I plan to keep contributing even though the interest rate is sure to go down. I end the year disheartened but resolved to keep going. I'm still far from having debt, and I'm still much further than I was at the end of last year to my goals.
A future post will examine my spending habits.
Changes to Savings
Probably since I transferred $1000 from savings last month to cover Christmas and my mom and sister's visit, I have an excess in my checking account--over $3000. I DO NOT NEED this amount in my checking account! I have over $300 in cash in my wallet, thanks to my mom paying me for gas and some other incidentals while they were here, to thank me for staying at my place instead of a hotel.
Therefore, I just transferred that $1000 (PLUS $15) right back over to my HSBC account. Also, I realized that I'm just not saving some months. This is NOT COOL. so, I automated $100 a month to be transferred to savings from checking. This should keep me on the ball from now on. Geez!
Therefore, I just transferred that $1000 (PLUS $15) right back over to my HSBC account. Also, I realized that I'm just not saving some months. This is NOT COOL. so, I automated $100 a month to be transferred to savings from checking. This should keep me on the ball from now on. Geez!
2007 Taxes
Wow! I am a total nerd about my taxes, so I did them last night after getting my W-2at work yesterday. Both the fed and the state owes me money!! I'm ecstatic. The past three years, since having a job, I've owed the feds a couple hundos and the state has owed me less than $100. This time (probably b/c I'm part-time), THEY owe ME $280 and $171, respectively.
that just about pays for my mom and sis's hot air balloon ride...
...yes, I'll get to that post, as well as:
Dec 07 update
2007 Year End update
...a million other posts.
that just about pays for my mom and sis's hot air balloon ride...
...yes, I'll get to that post, as well as:
Dec 07 update
2007 Year End update
...a million other posts.
Spending
$6.45 Groceries
$3 round trip trolley ticket; can't buy semester trolley pass til monday.
Had to get cough meds for night; can't kick this cough! I woke up myself and my boyfriend this morning at 6 am hacking. My mom is apparently laid up in bed trying to get well.
Had my first class today. I like it, and the prof, already. The same kids that were in my class last semester are in it...so it's very comfy, social-wise.
$3 round trip trolley ticket; can't buy semester trolley pass til monday.
Had to get cough meds for night; can't kick this cough! I woke up myself and my boyfriend this morning at 6 am hacking. My mom is apparently laid up in bed trying to get well.
Had my first class today. I like it, and the prof, already. The same kids that were in my class last semester are in it...so it's very comfy, social-wise.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Financial News
Recent financial news is rocking the pf world:
$800 Rebate
Fed Rate Cut AGAIN
I, for one, am a) not changing my saving/investing strategy, and b) going to try not to look at my retirement funds. That eight hundred smackeroos will go straight to my savings and Roth.
Stay the course! Stay the course.
$800 Rebate
Fed Rate Cut AGAIN
I, for one, am a) not changing my saving/investing strategy, and b) going to try not to look at my retirement funds. That eight hundred smackeroos will go straight to my savings and Roth.
Stay the course! Stay the course.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Back to the Grind
I spent today relaxing and getting over my cough-cold...I can't wait to go back to work tomorrow!
...Just kidding.
But at least work is a little fuzzy on the details of when my classes are, and my part-time schedule starts again tomorrow. So, they really don't expect me in until noon, even though my classes are on M-W.
I bought my books for my classes today--the total was around $330. I get 5.5% cashback from fatwallet for buying through them and alibris, plus I get 1% cashback from my cc, so I gain about $20. My employer is paying for my books and tuition/fees, so I pay with my cc and get the cashback, too!
I spent nothing today on goods, but I did pay my sewer-water bill. My portion of it was $17.92. Right on budget...
I still haven't figured out the damage from my family visit. However, my bills are all current and I still have $3K in my checking account. ??
I received an invitation from American Express to upgrade my business credit card account with them. Now, I just sent them a letter cancelling my card, but I get 25,000 points if I upgrade and they waive the fee, so I'm doing it. I'll make a purchase, cash in the points, and cancel it later. Woo-hoo!
...Just kidding.
But at least work is a little fuzzy on the details of when my classes are, and my part-time schedule starts again tomorrow. So, they really don't expect me in until noon, even though my classes are on M-W.
I bought my books for my classes today--the total was around $330. I get 5.5% cashback from fatwallet for buying through them and alibris, plus I get 1% cashback from my cc, so I gain about $20. My employer is paying for my books and tuition/fees, so I pay with my cc and get the cashback, too!
I spent nothing today on goods, but I did pay my sewer-water bill. My portion of it was $17.92. Right on budget...
I still haven't figured out the damage from my family visit. However, my bills are all current and I still have $3K in my checking account. ??
I received an invitation from American Express to upgrade my business credit card account with them. Now, I just sent them a letter cancelling my card, but I get 25,000 points if I upgrade and they waive the fee, so I'm doing it. I'll make a purchase, cash in the points, and cancel it later. Woo-hoo!
Monday, January 21, 2008
And...they're gone.
It was a whirlwind 10 days with my mom and sis out here. They just left by aeroplane over the sea...here's a quick list of our activities:
Day 1: they arrive at 7 pm. We went to the beach at night and bought groceries for the week. (~$90) My boyfriend picked up thai food for dinner.
day 2: ran around the Zoo. (tix: free; packed lunch: free; air gondola ride: $9 total). Ate my sister's famous pizza for dinner.
Day 3: Ran around historic old town. Took a tour of an old haunted building ($18 total). Ate dinner out (~$50? for three people, found a coupon for 15% off dinners). My sis and I went dancing at my favorite bar that night (cover: $10; drinks: $10).
Day 4: Went to a park affiliated with the Zoo. (tix: free). We ate my mom's lasagne for dinner (still have a piece in the freezer!).
Day 5: Hot air balloon surprise day! Had jamba juice wheatgrass shots ($7-8). Hot air balloon ride (Around $500 with tip). Ate at Angus steakhouse for dinner (mom paid).
Day 6: My review at work day and a trip to a park with lots of museums. Leftovers for dinner. (Museums: the ones we patronized were free for the day.).
Day 7: Whale watching cruise ($55 total). Ate at the Melting pot for dinner. Yum, fondue! (bill was around $250 but boyfriend paid).
Day 8: My sister's birthday surprise! a dolphin training class and in-pool interaction at Sea World. (tix: $135; surprise: $160--these two expenses were shared with my mom; professional pics of her adventure: $35). WORTH EVERY PENNY. ate ham and mac'n'cheese at home.
Day 9: Spent day at beach with my mom, sis, my aunt, and cousin (aunt and cousin came down for the day, as they also live in Cali). We went shopping near the beach but didn't buy anything. We watched the sunset into the Pacific while eating a very yummy dinner on a restaurant patio. (day: free; aunt paid for dinner). We spent around $100 for new clothes for the orphans that evening.
Day 10: went to Mexico! spent morning playing with orphans that were 6 and under. very, very cute kids. I once donated some money to a coworker for them--it was great to put faces to my donations. My coworkers and my family and I then drove to Ensenada, a beautiful! town on the coast of Baja Mexico. Having never driven past Rosarita in Mexico, and only really spent time in Tijuana, I was surprised at how gorgeous Mexico really is. We ate lunch on a patio overlooking the most beautiful view of cliffs plunging in to the Pacific Ocean. At the cliff base and dotted through out the bay, waves streamed over rocky outcrops. The lunch was delicious to boot, we were serenaded by a singer that blew our socks off, and we had the patio all to ourselves. We treated my coworker to lunch. ($40 for 5 people, tip included). We then walked through the markets to La Bufadora, a huge blowhole that shoots water up to 80 feet in the air. I've seen plenty of blowholes before, but this one was truly spectacular. My coworker and I geeked out over the fault nearby and examined the rocks, and we ended the day by visiting a dulceria for candy. It was a long drive back, but luckily there were only 2 cars ahead of us at the Tecate border crossing. (on the way there, there was a military inspection point. Guns mounted on hummers, and automatic weapons everywhere! Scary!). We also went through another US border check point not too long after crossing the border, and saw the wall they are building between us and Mexico. We arrived home and just collapsed. My sis made meatloaf and potatoes for dinner. We gave my coworker $60 to pay for gas for the day.
***We also visited the grocery store almost every night to pick up something or another. Each visit was about $20. We all were battling colds and a severe cough throughout the trip, so we were actually 'taking it easy' and had to make trips to get soup, O.J., Emergen-C, and assorted medicines.***
As their hotel and car 'rental' were free, as they stayed with me and I drove everywhere, and we bought groceries for most of our food, I think it was a vacation very heavy on experiences and light on misc. expenses. Two of the dinners were free, paid for by others, our tix to the Zoo and Park were free thanks to my old roommate, museum admission was free, and we found coupons for the whale watch and one of the dinners. We saved alot by eating breakfast at home, and packing most of our lunches. But as you can see above, even though we saved alot of money with shortcuts, we also did ALOT.
It was a great vacation, but now I'm sad and lonely, to the point of bawling. I miss my family! I DO NOT enjoy visiting my hometown, as there is NOTHING to do, but I think i'd be a very happy person if I could live in a bustling city and have them close by. How do I balance both? This is my life's work.
Day 1: they arrive at 7 pm. We went to the beach at night and bought groceries for the week. (~$90) My boyfriend picked up thai food for dinner.
day 2: ran around the Zoo. (tix: free; packed lunch: free; air gondola ride: $9 total). Ate my sister's famous pizza for dinner.
Day 3: Ran around historic old town. Took a tour of an old haunted building ($18 total). Ate dinner out (~$50? for three people, found a coupon for 15% off dinners). My sis and I went dancing at my favorite bar that night (cover: $10; drinks: $10).
Day 4: Went to a park affiliated with the Zoo. (tix: free). We ate my mom's lasagne for dinner (still have a piece in the freezer!).
Day 5: Hot air balloon surprise day! Had jamba juice wheatgrass shots ($7-8). Hot air balloon ride (Around $500 with tip). Ate at Angus steakhouse for dinner (mom paid).
Day 6: My review at work day and a trip to a park with lots of museums. Leftovers for dinner. (Museums: the ones we patronized were free for the day.).
Day 7: Whale watching cruise ($55 total). Ate at the Melting pot for dinner. Yum, fondue! (bill was around $250 but boyfriend paid).
Day 8: My sister's birthday surprise! a dolphin training class and in-pool interaction at Sea World. (tix: $135; surprise: $160--these two expenses were shared with my mom; professional pics of her adventure: $35). WORTH EVERY PENNY. ate ham and mac'n'cheese at home.
Day 9: Spent day at beach with my mom, sis, my aunt, and cousin (aunt and cousin came down for the day, as they also live in Cali). We went shopping near the beach but didn't buy anything. We watched the sunset into the Pacific while eating a very yummy dinner on a restaurant patio. (day: free; aunt paid for dinner). We spent around $100 for new clothes for the orphans that evening.
Day 10: went to Mexico! spent morning playing with orphans that were 6 and under. very, very cute kids. I once donated some money to a coworker for them--it was great to put faces to my donations. My coworkers and my family and I then drove to Ensenada, a beautiful! town on the coast of Baja Mexico. Having never driven past Rosarita in Mexico, and only really spent time in Tijuana, I was surprised at how gorgeous Mexico really is. We ate lunch on a patio overlooking the most beautiful view of cliffs plunging in to the Pacific Ocean. At the cliff base and dotted through out the bay, waves streamed over rocky outcrops. The lunch was delicious to boot, we were serenaded by a singer that blew our socks off, and we had the patio all to ourselves. We treated my coworker to lunch. ($40 for 5 people, tip included). We then walked through the markets to La Bufadora, a huge blowhole that shoots water up to 80 feet in the air. I've seen plenty of blowholes before, but this one was truly spectacular. My coworker and I geeked out over the fault nearby and examined the rocks, and we ended the day by visiting a dulceria for candy. It was a long drive back, but luckily there were only 2 cars ahead of us at the Tecate border crossing. (on the way there, there was a military inspection point. Guns mounted on hummers, and automatic weapons everywhere! Scary!). We also went through another US border check point not too long after crossing the border, and saw the wall they are building between us and Mexico. We arrived home and just collapsed. My sis made meatloaf and potatoes for dinner. We gave my coworker $60 to pay for gas for the day.
***We also visited the grocery store almost every night to pick up something or another. Each visit was about $20. We all were battling colds and a severe cough throughout the trip, so we were actually 'taking it easy' and had to make trips to get soup, O.J., Emergen-C, and assorted medicines.***
As their hotel and car 'rental' were free, as they stayed with me and I drove everywhere, and we bought groceries for most of our food, I think it was a vacation very heavy on experiences and light on misc. expenses. Two of the dinners were free, paid for by others, our tix to the Zoo and Park were free thanks to my old roommate, museum admission was free, and we found coupons for the whale watch and one of the dinners. We saved alot by eating breakfast at home, and packing most of our lunches. But as you can see above, even though we saved alot of money with shortcuts, we also did ALOT.
It was a great vacation, but now I'm sad and lonely, to the point of bawling. I miss my family! I DO NOT enjoy visiting my hometown, as there is NOTHING to do, but I think i'd be a very happy person if I could live in a bustling city and have them close by. How do I balance both? This is my life's work.
Friday, January 18, 2008
A bulleted list of thoughts...
1) It is wonderful to have my family here.
2) the hot air balloon surprise was a great treat to my mom and sister. The operator wasn't very ...talkative, so it wasn't as interactive as I'd hoped, but I think that's an anomaly. We met the guys taking us up in a shopping center parking lot, and my mom and sis found out that they were taking a hot air balloon ride when one of the guys came up to us in the car for us to sign release forms. yay! how fun! before that, I was teasing them that it was bungee jumping or skydiving--so this was much tamer and a relief for my anxious and not very adventurous mom and sister). They then drove us to the launch site, which was chosen because of the wind conditions--apparently there are 8 some such sites around the area that they use. i think the most fun part was watching them blow up the balloon--it's HUGE! and they had two gas-powered fans to help them blow it up...boy was it an ordeal to grapple with the wind and figure out which way it was blowing up, and then turn on the gas heaters to lift the balloon off the ground. we had to climb in the basket once the balloon was already in the air and tethered to their van. As the gas heaters were heating up the air to get ready for liftoff, the balloon swayed back and forth on its tether...with us in the basket! we dented their van pretty badly on one swing. Then, all of a sudden, liftoff! More later on the ride...and the unexpected and unplanned landing.
3) The melting pot was an awesome time and also a great treat (esp. since boyfriend treated us!). Mom and sister loved it--and they brought out a candle for them to blow out. Yummmm, fondue! the cheese and the chocolate are the best part, in my opinion.
4) My sister's dolphin interaction experience at Sea World was just fabulous. My mom and I split the $160 cost for her birthday surprise, and it was worth every penny to see the smile on her face. I highly recommend it.
5) My aunt and cousin are flying down from Fresno/Santa Barbara to meet us tomorrow! (They are a frugal lesson to themselves, as my cousin works part time in school for an airline, and they get free standby tickets to anywhere they want, anytime!)
6) I'm a bit worried about going to Mexico on Saturday, given this news. Hmmmm...
7) It's been a great trip so far! If only I had more money to spoil them even more...
8) I had my review at work on Tuesday. Not only did they not ask about the boyfriend leaving for New Zealand, I got a 50c/hr raise (to be reviewed again and probably bumped up to the next level--with raise) once I go back to full time in May), and I got an 'excellent' on my work review. Something great to show future employers!
Regularly scheduled programming will return next Monday. Til then...Just enjoy the day!
2) the hot air balloon surprise was a great treat to my mom and sister. The operator wasn't very ...talkative, so it wasn't as interactive as I'd hoped, but I think that's an anomaly. We met the guys taking us up in a shopping center parking lot, and my mom and sis found out that they were taking a hot air balloon ride when one of the guys came up to us in the car for us to sign release forms. yay! how fun! before that, I was teasing them that it was bungee jumping or skydiving--so this was much tamer and a relief for my anxious and not very adventurous mom and sister). They then drove us to the launch site, which was chosen because of the wind conditions--apparently there are 8 some such sites around the area that they use. i think the most fun part was watching them blow up the balloon--it's HUGE! and they had two gas-powered fans to help them blow it up...boy was it an ordeal to grapple with the wind and figure out which way it was blowing up, and then turn on the gas heaters to lift the balloon off the ground. we had to climb in the basket once the balloon was already in the air and tethered to their van. As the gas heaters were heating up the air to get ready for liftoff, the balloon swayed back and forth on its tether...with us in the basket! we dented their van pretty badly on one swing. Then, all of a sudden, liftoff! More later on the ride...and the unexpected and unplanned landing.
3) The melting pot was an awesome time and also a great treat (esp. since boyfriend treated us!). Mom and sister loved it--and they brought out a candle for them to blow out. Yummmm, fondue! the cheese and the chocolate are the best part, in my opinion.
4) My sister's dolphin interaction experience at Sea World was just fabulous. My mom and I split the $160 cost for her birthday surprise, and it was worth every penny to see the smile on her face. I highly recommend it.
5) My aunt and cousin are flying down from Fresno/Santa Barbara to meet us tomorrow! (They are a frugal lesson to themselves, as my cousin works part time in school for an airline, and they get free standby tickets to anywhere they want, anytime!)
6) I'm a bit worried about going to Mexico on Saturday, given this news. Hmmmm...
7) It's been a great trip so far! If only I had more money to spoil them even more...
8) I had my review at work on Tuesday. Not only did they not ask about the boyfriend leaving for New Zealand, I got a 50c/hr raise (to be reviewed again and probably bumped up to the next level--with raise) once I go back to full time in May), and I got an 'excellent' on my work review. Something great to show future employers!
Regularly scheduled programming will return next Monday. Til then...Just enjoy the day!
Monday, January 14, 2008
How to save money on vacation
Instead of blowing money on a fancy new car, I tend to keep my money to spend on EXPERIENCES--with friends, with family, on vacations or time DOING things. I even use this method WHILE on vacation, by asking myself, "How can I squeeze a few more experiences in for the same buck?"
1) I only travel places where my family and friends live, so I can stay with them. This allows me to save money AND spend more time with loved ones than I would spend if I were staying in a hotel. I usually take my friend/family member out to dinner as a thank you. Still, this saves hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
2) I schedule visits on the way to or from flights home to the East Coast (or elsewhere; I just used the East Coast cause I fly there twice a year). A multi-city itinerary is often cheaper than separate flights.
3) Going somewhere? Buy groceries for the duration of your vacation, including snacks. Pack your lunches, pack snacks, and bring water everywhere that allows you to.
4) look for coupons. For example, my mom, sis, and I are using a two for one coupon for a whale watching cruise. Last night, we were hungry for authentic Mexican food and wanted to treat ourselves to a night without cooking, and happened upon a pamphlet for 15% off of dinner at the Mexican restaurant we happened to be walking by! Our total for dinner (with drinks) for 3 people was $42 with tip.
5) Take advantage of local discounts. In Hawaii, dropping the word "kamaa'ina" (comma-eye-na) gets you all sorts of money savers. My old roommate gets free tickets to the two main tourist attractions in my city, and we easily saved over two hundred dollars because of this. I get free tix to the baseball games in my city...
6) And of course, use a rewards credit card to get at least 1% cashback.
Combining all of these makes for some cheap days. They are staying with me, we bought all our food at the beginning of the week, and Friday we went out all day at a tourist attraction. That's usually $34 each, just for tickets, but we got those for free from my old roommate. We packed our lunches, drinks, water, etc., and our only expense for the day was a ticket to a aerial ride above the park ($9 total expenditure) for the three of us for the day!).
Sweet!
1) I only travel places where my family and friends live, so I can stay with them. This allows me to save money AND spend more time with loved ones than I would spend if I were staying in a hotel. I usually take my friend/family member out to dinner as a thank you. Still, this saves hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
2) I schedule visits on the way to or from flights home to the East Coast (or elsewhere; I just used the East Coast cause I fly there twice a year). A multi-city itinerary is often cheaper than separate flights.
3) Going somewhere? Buy groceries for the duration of your vacation, including snacks. Pack your lunches, pack snacks, and bring water everywhere that allows you to.
4) look for coupons. For example, my mom, sis, and I are using a two for one coupon for a whale watching cruise. Last night, we were hungry for authentic Mexican food and wanted to treat ourselves to a night without cooking, and happened upon a pamphlet for 15% off of dinner at the Mexican restaurant we happened to be walking by! Our total for dinner (with drinks) for 3 people was $42 with tip.
5) Take advantage of local discounts. In Hawaii, dropping the word "kamaa'ina" (comma-eye-na) gets you all sorts of money savers. My old roommate gets free tickets to the two main tourist attractions in my city, and we easily saved over two hundred dollars because of this. I get free tix to the baseball games in my city...
6) And of course, use a rewards credit card to get at least 1% cashback.
Combining all of these makes for some cheap days. They are staying with me, we bought all our food at the beginning of the week, and Friday we went out all day at a tourist attraction. That's usually $34 each, just for tickets, but we got those for free from my old roommate. We packed our lunches, drinks, water, etc., and our only expense for the day was a ticket to a aerial ride above the park ($9 total expenditure) for the three of us for the day!).
Sweet!
A quick checkin
Budget is blown. I don't want to act petty and watch every penny while my family is here. I've been waiting for this week for over two years now. I've splurged and bought dinners, parking, groceries, nightclub covers, drinks...and I love that this isn't going to put me into debt or make me much worse off than I was before!
Unfortunately, my sis is sick and I'm still getting over my cold, so we're taking it easier than I had planned. That's ok. I love being with them and having them here!
Money means nothing compared to them, but saving up to treat them special means everything.
Unfortunately, my sis is sick and I'm still getting over my cold, so we're taking it easier than I had planned. That's ok. I love being with them and having them here!
Money means nothing compared to them, but saving up to treat them special means everything.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Preparing for the Visit Tomorrow!
So, in preparation for my mom and sis's visit to my city tomorrow, (!), I went around getting last minute things:
a folding table and chairs (walmart): $39.78 (a total bargain! I've searched high and low for a cheap table/4 chairs!) Budget Category: MISC
fresh flowers/cleaning supplies $19.70 GROCERIES
gas $32.17 AUTO/GAS
and i bought a present for my dad: $18 from lowe's. it turns out the 'stupid novelty item' that I describe in my post on 12/23/07 was a hit. EVERYONE now wants one. My dad, in particular, is obsessed with it (he used to be a plumber, so...it kinda fits).
Posting will be sporadic over the next ten days, as I will be on a shopping spree with my beloved family!
a folding table and chairs (walmart): $39.78 (a total bargain! I've searched high and low for a cheap table/4 chairs!) Budget Category: MISC
fresh flowers/cleaning supplies $19.70 GROCERIES
gas $32.17 AUTO/GAS
and i bought a present for my dad: $18 from lowe's. it turns out the 'stupid novelty item' that I describe in my post on 12/23/07 was a hit. EVERYONE now wants one. My dad, in particular, is obsessed with it (he used to be a plumber, so...it kinda fits).
Posting will be sporadic over the next ten days, as I will be on a shopping spree with my beloved family!
Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Muddling through...
The one good thing about being sick is that you don't have time or energy to shop. I've had chicken noodle soup for dinner and lunch for the past two days. thanks to Merlot Chic, who suggested the Vitamin C. I, in fact, have been downing V.C. in the form of juice, 1,000 mg V.C. powder packets of Emergenc-E, and fruit. I got a great night of sleep last night with the help of an off-brand of Nyquil, and took my vitamin again today...that's about all I can throw at it!
No spending for today, although I did reserve three spots in the hot air balloon ride next monday! $463
I hope it's worth it!
No spending for today, although I did reserve three spots in the hot air balloon ride next monday! $463
I hope it's worth it!
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
I'm Sick
No NO NOOO! My mom and sis are coming into town on Thursday and I've caught a nasty cold. I try not to go into work when I'm contagious, but I just couldn't afford not to go in today. I have a big project due soon, I missed last Friday due to travel, and I'm taking a week off while my family is in town, so I need the money. Ugh. I tried to keep my hacking and door handle touching to a minimum, but i'm not sure I can keep that up tomorrow...this thing has snowballed into a ugly illness.
I've done everything I can do...I'm going to sleep at 10:30 tonight (VERY early for me), I drank tea all day, ate chicken noodle soup for lunch, have been guzzling water, had my vitamin, and downed an Emergenc-E powder packet dissolved in water.
no spending, as I was too tired to go anywhere after work.
My cell phone bill came in, though--$45.76. It's about 50 cents lower than it usually is...I must have gotten some sort of discount. (?)
As soon as Chase sends me my year-end summary, I'll post my 2007 spending trends. I heart that credit card.
I've done everything I can do...I'm going to sleep at 10:30 tonight (VERY early for me), I drank tea all day, ate chicken noodle soup for lunch, have been guzzling water, had my vitamin, and downed an Emergenc-E powder packet dissolved in water.
no spending, as I was too tired to go anywhere after work.
My cell phone bill came in, though--$45.76. It's about 50 cents lower than it usually is...I must have gotten some sort of discount. (?)
As soon as Chase sends me my year-end summary, I'll post my 2007 spending trends. I heart that credit card.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Financial Advice Giver
Ok, I've never said I'm good at this pf stuff. I'm certainly interested in it, and have studied enough to rattle off the "Rule of 72" and the average return of the stock market since 1926 with no trouble (as I did in the car with my boyfriend over the weekend...how nerdy am I? :) ).
I also have to confess...I told my boyfriend about my blog a couple of months ago. He teases me endlessly about it now, and also is a huge computer guru and could probably figure out a way to find it--so I guess now I just have to trust him to not do that. I told him it was important to me to keep this private, so hopefully he'll respect that.
I also have to give the backstory that my boyfriend's mom died in late summer, and everything is still getting sorted out. He received some cash from her insurance policy (I'm guessing around $100K?), and I'm honestly not sure what he's done with that, other than buy some computer equipment that he's always wanted, some random DVD/book purchases, and pay off his car and other debts (sans student loans). I'm not even sure any of it is left, or what kind of account it's in. I watch Suze Orman and Big Spender (he loves that one!), and he often watches along with me. So one day, he says he wants to call into Suze Orman and ask her what he should do with his student loans--pay them off or keep the money?
I snapped into Suze mode immediately--"What interest rate is your student loan at? Is it locked in? Do you get rate cuts for auto debiting/so many months of on-time payments?, can you still deduct your interest payments on your taxes?, etc. He basically decided that the rate that the SL was at was lower than the return on the money, so he was going to keep it. It felt great to be able to help him figure it out.
So, obviously, for those kind of repetitive, drilled in the head questions, I've watched enough TV and read enough about personal finance to ask the right questions and arrive at the answers that a professional would.
I'm happy to do that kind of problem solving for him, but now he seems to want me to help out a little more. His mom's 401K assets/equity in her house was liquidated and sits in something that sounds like a savings account for my boyfriend to invest/pull out at will. He met with the financial manager that currently manages the money last week--and the guy recommended certain stocks, etc.
On the surface, it's sounds like my dream problem--you get $X00,000 amount of money--what would you do?? But, underneath, I'm a bit wary of this situation--it's someone else's money, and I have a very close relationship with this person to boot. We're not married, not engaged, so I want to make sure to take the trust he's putting in me very, very seriously.
I think the MOST I would feel comfortable doing is to look over the investments that the financial manager recommends and see if they are kosher. huge fees? large expense ratios? how 'bout them load funds? Basically--figure out if he's ripping him off. Other than that, I wouldn't feel comfortable picking funds for the boyfriend's nest egg, you know?
Also, there are two factors that make me think he and I have different ideas about money: 1) He eschews stocks due to their volatility, but in the next breath talks about investing in individual stocks, and 2) he doesn't have a 401K at work, saying it was useless due to the no matching by the company. He did surprise me by talking about the money report on NPR recently...I think hanging out with me and actually having large sums of money around has made him more interested in this topic!
I'm also not sure how that whole deal works--boyfriend says the money has been taken out of his mom's 401K and is sitting in a cash account, with no tax penalties because it was part of her estate and is less than a million dollars?? Does that sound right to anyone else? I do not fully understand how that could be--the money HAS to be taxed at some point, right? Uncle Sam is smarter than to let that kind of thing happen.
His goal is to turn the money into a million dollars in ten years. Good luck with that...
so, once I figure that stuff out, I'll get started on MY dream plan. I'll try to figure out what I would do in that same situation. Not to show boyfriend--all for me (and you).
Oh--I also talked to him about opportunity costs. :) how cute?
I also have to confess...I told my boyfriend about my blog a couple of months ago. He teases me endlessly about it now, and also is a huge computer guru and could probably figure out a way to find it--so I guess now I just have to trust him to not do that. I told him it was important to me to keep this private, so hopefully he'll respect that.
I also have to give the backstory that my boyfriend's mom died in late summer, and everything is still getting sorted out. He received some cash from her insurance policy (I'm guessing around $100K?), and I'm honestly not sure what he's done with that, other than buy some computer equipment that he's always wanted, some random DVD/book purchases, and pay off his car and other debts (sans student loans). I'm not even sure any of it is left, or what kind of account it's in. I watch Suze Orman and Big Spender (he loves that one!), and he often watches along with me. So one day, he says he wants to call into Suze Orman and ask her what he should do with his student loans--pay them off or keep the money?
I snapped into Suze mode immediately--"What interest rate is your student loan at? Is it locked in? Do you get rate cuts for auto debiting/so many months of on-time payments?, can you still deduct your interest payments on your taxes?, etc. He basically decided that the rate that the SL was at was lower than the return on the money, so he was going to keep it. It felt great to be able to help him figure it out.
So, obviously, for those kind of repetitive, drilled in the head questions, I've watched enough TV and read enough about personal finance to ask the right questions and arrive at the answers that a professional would.
I'm happy to do that kind of problem solving for him, but now he seems to want me to help out a little more. His mom's 401K assets/equity in her house was liquidated and sits in something that sounds like a savings account for my boyfriend to invest/pull out at will. He met with the financial manager that currently manages the money last week--and the guy recommended certain stocks, etc.
On the surface, it's sounds like my dream problem--you get $X00,000 amount of money--what would you do?? But, underneath, I'm a bit wary of this situation--it's someone else's money, and I have a very close relationship with this person to boot. We're not married, not engaged, so I want to make sure to take the trust he's putting in me very, very seriously.
I think the MOST I would feel comfortable doing is to look over the investments that the financial manager recommends and see if they are kosher. huge fees? large expense ratios? how 'bout them load funds? Basically--figure out if he's ripping him off. Other than that, I wouldn't feel comfortable picking funds for the boyfriend's nest egg, you know?
Also, there are two factors that make me think he and I have different ideas about money: 1) He eschews stocks due to their volatility, but in the next breath talks about investing in individual stocks, and 2) he doesn't have a 401K at work, saying it was useless due to the no matching by the company. He did surprise me by talking about the money report on NPR recently...I think hanging out with me and actually having large sums of money around has made him more interested in this topic!
I'm also not sure how that whole deal works--boyfriend says the money has been taken out of his mom's 401K and is sitting in a cash account, with no tax penalties because it was part of her estate and is less than a million dollars?? Does that sound right to anyone else? I do not fully understand how that could be--the money HAS to be taxed at some point, right? Uncle Sam is smarter than to let that kind of thing happen.
His goal is to turn the money into a million dollars in ten years. Good luck with that...
so, once I figure that stuff out, I'll get started on MY dream plan. I'll try to figure out what I would do in that same situation. Not to show boyfriend--all for me (and you).
Oh--I also talked to him about opportunity costs. :) how cute?
And...I'm back
My travel for the next few months is over (hopefully). On Friday morning, I flew out to the midwest for my boyfriend's sister's wedding yesterday. It was very small, and very casual, and very nice, actually. I saw my boyfriend's family for the second time (the first was his mom's funeral), so I'm getting used to them and vice versa. My family is VERY different from his (smaller, more spread out/less interaction, and non-drinkers), so it's alot to get used to.
As a plus, one of my best friends from grad school lives in the next suburb over from where his relatives live, so when the plane landed, I texted her to see if she was still around from the holidays. Awesomely, she was! My boyfriend had a family function this afternoon, so he ended up dropping me off at her house to hang out and be brought to the airport.
My usual airport ride buddies are dwindling down quickly in my city, so I ended up parking in an adjacent lot to the airport. It's much cheaper than a shuttle (and takes less time), cheaper than the airport parking ($25/day?!), at $10/day. I found a coupon online for $8, so I should've gotten out of there at $24 (plus tip for the shuttle driver), but I don't have a printer at home, so with tip and everything, I ended up paying $36 total for parking.
I've been feeling pretty sick the past two days (whew, that family is a partying one--didn't go to bed earlier than 3 the whole weekend!), so I stopped by blockbuster and picked up a movie. The grocery store is next door, so I also stocked up on chicken noodle soup, juice, tissues, and cold medicine--$24.11.
As a plus, one of my best friends from grad school lives in the next suburb over from where his relatives live, so when the plane landed, I texted her to see if she was still around from the holidays. Awesomely, she was! My boyfriend had a family function this afternoon, so he ended up dropping me off at her house to hang out and be brought to the airport.
My usual airport ride buddies are dwindling down quickly in my city, so I ended up parking in an adjacent lot to the airport. It's much cheaper than a shuttle (and takes less time), cheaper than the airport parking ($25/day?!), at $10/day. I found a coupon online for $8, so I should've gotten out of there at $24 (plus tip for the shuttle driver), but I don't have a printer at home, so with tip and everything, I ended up paying $36 total for parking.
I've been feeling pretty sick the past two days (whew, that family is a partying one--didn't go to bed earlier than 3 the whole weekend!), so I stopped by blockbuster and picked up a movie. The grocery store is next door, so I also stocked up on chicken noodle soup, juice, tissues, and cold medicine--$24.11.
Friday, January 04, 2008
this is getting depressing.
Checking: $2,850
Retirement:
401(K): $6,650
Roth IRA: $1,466.75
Total Retirement Fun (12/22/06): $3,485.99
Total Retirement Fun (2/07): $4,479
Total Retirement Fun (3/07): $5,820
Total Retirement Fun (6/07): $6,965
Total Retirement Fun (7/07): $7,153.37
Total Retirement Fun: (8/07): $7,113.74
Total Retirement Fun (10/07): $8,320.32
Total Retirement Fun (11/07): $8,199.36
Total Retirement Fun (11/07): $8,116.75 (second straight down month, despite steady contributions)
Total Emergency Savings (09/06): $2,035
Total Emergency Savings (10/06): $2,583
Total Emergency Savings (11/06): $2,977
Total Emergency Savings (12/06): $3,225.97
Total Emergency Savings (2/07): $4,260.16
Total Emergency Savings (3/07): $6,750
Total Emergency Savings (6/07): $7,815
Total Emergency Savings (7/07): $13,151.28
Total Emergency Savings (8/07): $14,756.25
Total Emergency Savings (10/07): $15,485.60
Total Emergency Savings (11/07): $15,758.52
Total Emergency Savings (1/08): $14,813.57
Total Net Worth (Emergency Savings + Retirement Fun) (11/07): $23,957.88
Total Net Worth (Emergency Savings + Retirement Fun) (1/08): $22,929.75
Retirement:
401(K): $6,650
Roth IRA: $1,466.75
Total Retirement Fun (12/22/06): $3,485.99
Total Retirement Fun (2/07): $4,479
Total Retirement Fun (3/07): $5,820
Total Retirement Fun (6/07): $6,965
Total Retirement Fun (7/07): $7,153.37
Total Retirement Fun: (8/07): $7,113.74
Total Retirement Fun (10/07): $8,320.32
Total Retirement Fun (11/07): $8,199.36
Total Retirement Fun (11/07): $8,116.75 (second straight down month, despite steady contributions)
Total Emergency Savings (09/06): $2,035
Total Emergency Savings (10/06): $2,583
Total Emergency Savings (11/06): $2,977
Total Emergency Savings (12/06): $3,225.97
Total Emergency Savings (2/07): $4,260.16
Total Emergency Savings (3/07): $6,750
Total Emergency Savings (6/07): $7,815
Total Emergency Savings (7/07): $13,151.28
Total Emergency Savings (8/07): $14,756.25
Total Emergency Savings (10/07): $15,485.60
Total Emergency Savings (11/07): $15,758.52
Total Emergency Savings (1/08): $14,813.57
Total Net Worth (Emergency Savings + Retirement Fun) (11/07): $23,957.88
Total Net Worth (Emergency Savings + Retirement Fun) (1/08): $22,929.75
random thoughts on my January budget
The next month (January) is another big spending month. I need to make my mom and sis's trip out here amazing--and I plan on doing that with a hot air balloon ride, among other excitements. that's $450 for the three of us during the sunset ride. I'm also taking them out to a fancy dinner for their early birthday celebrations.
My mom is the sole provider for my dad and sis. She has lost her mom, dad, and my dad's mom, who was her best friend, in the past year or so. My dad is in severe pain from several ailments, probably related to the chemicals he was exposed to in the Vietnam War, and my sister is a mess due to her bipolar disorder. In the past decade, the wonderful life she built has been turned upside down and torn into shambles. Without her, my family would be lost. I honestly don't know how she deals with all of it. I can't be at home without breaking down, so while I feel guilty for not being at home, I'd be someone ELSE she would have to take care of if I lived nearby. Ick. She diligently saves up for a vacation about once every four years. The last big vacation she took was to my grad school state to visit me.
So, she deserves every penny I can spend on her. I don't mind working a little extra to do this for her.
I was able to make last month in the black by taking my 1/3 paycheck and allot it to December. that makes me even for the month, including the misc. money and and lets me use the $1000 I took out of savings to apply it to making the vacation awesome. So, I just have to make enough to support my living expenses.
Category: Budgeted Amount
RENT: 750
Car/Rental Insurance: 0
Food: 206
Clothes: 0
Travel: 0
Gifts: 0
Car/Gas: 150 (to accomodate extra driving during their vacation)
Cable: 60.27
Roth: 100
Electricity/Gas: 20
Eating Out: 25
Charity: 25
Cell phone: 46.22
Medical: 47
Misc: 200
Sewer/Water: 20
Saving: 0 (sad face)
special: Mom/sis Visit: 700 (hot air balloon ride/dinner out/incidentals)
Total: $2349.49
After the $1,000 is accounted for, I need to make about $1,350 for the month. Very doable.
My mom is the sole provider for my dad and sis. She has lost her mom, dad, and my dad's mom, who was her best friend, in the past year or so. My dad is in severe pain from several ailments, probably related to the chemicals he was exposed to in the Vietnam War, and my sister is a mess due to her bipolar disorder. In the past decade, the wonderful life she built has been turned upside down and torn into shambles. Without her, my family would be lost. I honestly don't know how she deals with all of it. I can't be at home without breaking down, so while I feel guilty for not being at home, I'd be someone ELSE she would have to take care of if I lived nearby. Ick. She diligently saves up for a vacation about once every four years. The last big vacation she took was to my grad school state to visit me.
So, she deserves every penny I can spend on her. I don't mind working a little extra to do this for her.
I was able to make last month in the black by taking my 1/3 paycheck and allot it to December. that makes me even for the month, including the misc. money and and lets me use the $1000 I took out of savings to apply it to making the vacation awesome. So, I just have to make enough to support my living expenses.
Category: Budgeted Amount
RENT: 750
Car/Rental Insurance: 0
Food: 206
Clothes: 0
Travel: 0
Gifts: 0
Car/Gas: 150 (to accomodate extra driving during their vacation)
Cable: 60.27
Roth: 100
Electricity/Gas: 20
Eating Out: 25
Charity: 25
Cell phone: 46.22
Medical: 47
Misc: 200
Sewer/Water: 20
Saving: 0 (sad face)
special: Mom/sis Visit: 700 (hot air balloon ride/dinner out/incidentals)
Total: $2349.49
After the $1,000 is accounted for, I need to make about $1,350 for the month. Very doable.
How's you do?
I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm all over the place today. I woke up at 4 to take my boyfriend to the airport for his flight out to the freezing wasteland that is the northern midwest right now. I was starving so I went to McD's for a BEC biscuit (yum yum). $3.11 a rare treat.
I haven't been able to get back in the groove since my vacation. I came home New Year's Eve around 6 pm, waited around the baggage claim for an hour, only for my luggage to...not show up. Wierd, since the luggage of the girl who was flying with me got HERS. We came from the same airport and everything.
The flying together with this girl was NOT planned. On my way out to my home town, a guy from one of my classes was on my flight. funny coincidence, but whatever, he lives out East. on my way BACK to SoCal, I board the plane, and there's a girl in my seat. she indicates that she and her husband just got engaged and they want to sit together, so I need to take her seat, and I agree. I look over to where the seat is...and my new seatmate is a girl from my class! How BIZARRE is that?? I just can't get over it. there were 20 people in my class, and I get the same flights as two of them??
So anyway, it's 7 pm, i'm in line to complain about my missing luggage, and I'm supposed to be boarding a boat at 9:30 pm for the new year's eve cruise. My jewelry, makeup, AND, most importantly, SHOES I was to wear for the evening are in my missing bag. Alas, they'll show up tomorrow morning. Ugh. So my boyfriend and I race home and in record time shower and change. I don 10-year old shoes (it DOES come in handy to save things!!), which promptly break on the dance floor (it DOESN'T actually come in handy to save things for 10 years!!). I makeshift a new shoe out of hairbands, and I'm as good as new. It was a wonderful evening.
the next day I had to go into work to make up for the day I'm missing tomorrow to fly out for boyfriend's sister's wedding saturday. and this week has just been crazy. I'm still jetlagged and tired from my crazy new year's eve flight out, and I haven't even unpacked from that trip and I'm flying out tomorrow morning again! I get back on sunday, have to work and prepare Mon-Thurs., then my mom and sis come to visit me. A day after they leave, I start school! Whew. I'm beat and I still have another few weeks of craziness.
I haven't been able to get back in the groove since my vacation. I came home New Year's Eve around 6 pm, waited around the baggage claim for an hour, only for my luggage to...not show up. Wierd, since the luggage of the girl who was flying with me got HERS. We came from the same airport and everything.
The flying together with this girl was NOT planned. On my way out to my home town, a guy from one of my classes was on my flight. funny coincidence, but whatever, he lives out East. on my way BACK to SoCal, I board the plane, and there's a girl in my seat. she indicates that she and her husband just got engaged and they want to sit together, so I need to take her seat, and I agree. I look over to where the seat is...and my new seatmate is a girl from my class! How BIZARRE is that?? I just can't get over it. there were 20 people in my class, and I get the same flights as two of them??
So anyway, it's 7 pm, i'm in line to complain about my missing luggage, and I'm supposed to be boarding a boat at 9:30 pm for the new year's eve cruise. My jewelry, makeup, AND, most importantly, SHOES I was to wear for the evening are in my missing bag. Alas, they'll show up tomorrow morning. Ugh. So my boyfriend and I race home and in record time shower and change. I don 10-year old shoes (it DOES come in handy to save things!!), which promptly break on the dance floor (it DOESN'T actually come in handy to save things for 10 years!!). I makeshift a new shoe out of hairbands, and I'm as good as new. It was a wonderful evening.
the next day I had to go into work to make up for the day I'm missing tomorrow to fly out for boyfriend's sister's wedding saturday. and this week has just been crazy. I'm still jetlagged and tired from my crazy new year's eve flight out, and I haven't even unpacked from that trip and I'm flying out tomorrow morning again! I get back on sunday, have to work and prepare Mon-Thurs., then my mom and sis come to visit me. A day after they leave, I start school! Whew. I'm beat and I still have another few weeks of craziness.
Thursday, January 03, 2008
HNY!
Whew, back to work. I'm out of the blogging habit, forgive my omissions.
$52.75 Groceries today
$2.08 on snacks at airport 12/31/07.
Happy New Year!
$52.75 Groceries today
$2.08 on snacks at airport 12/31/07.
Happy New Year!
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