Taking care of business...

I'm doing a bit of organizing this weekend, and it's been very good for my bottom line. I started by doing my taxes, and between state and federal, I'll be getting a little over $500 bucks. Hopefully filing will also put me on the tax relief list and I'll get that check as well. I've heard it's going to be $600 for us single folks, but haven't been able to find anything concrete about it.

Next I went through my pantry and found a whole lot of breakfast food! I'm notorious for buying cereal but not making the time to actually eat it. I think I'll save some money by having a few breakfast-for-dinners.

I worked about 10 extra hours at the second job this week, and I think I'll work around 18 next weekend.

I'm so proud of myself!

I got my new cable bill, and my promotional rate had run out so I called and cancelled it! I gave the box and remote back today. I'm sure most of you know that the cable company often neglects to block the basic channels. So I checked to see if I still get basic from the coaxial cable. I DO! I still have most of the channels I watch including Bravo (hurray for project runway and millionaire matchmaker!)but I won't be paying a dime! There's no telling when they might shut it off, but for right now, I'm very happy with my decision! I'm saving around $100 a month (I rationalized alot of PayPerView movies because I cancelled my Netflix). I hope that between this and the no-alcohol policy, I'll be back on track with the debt reduction soon!

Weight Loss Versus Free Food

Thanks for the recent kind words! They mean a lot to me!

I'm feeling better about money, but mostly trying not to think about it too much. My current problem is that I'm about 14 pounds above my healthy BMI, and I'd like to get it down. Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't really care, but my doctor does, so I have to. She's worried that if I'm at this weight now, it might continue to creep up on me, and start to pose a health risk. One of the ways I tend to keep food costs down is by taking advantage of free food, which there is an abundance of at work. I would say that at least every other day I am presented with a slew of unhealthy options such as "continental breakfast" (pastries) or "refreshments" (cookies) or a "reception" (cheese and crackers).

Some days I refrain from the goodies, but other days I give in to temptation. Usually I remind my self that it's not my eating that needs to change necessarily, but rather my lack of exercise. So I eat, but then don't exercise it off. Arg, why do I lack any semblance of self control?

Still a little shaky.

It's been a hard week for me, moneywise. I just found about about $2,000 in unexpected expenses, and I'm worried that it will further damage my schedule to get rid of the credit card debt. I'm already about two months behind.

I signed up for a ton of extra shifts at the second job, and hope my tax refund/relief check will also help.

I've been looking for other areas to cut spending, and since I really didn't want to get rid of my cable, I've decided to cut out alcohol entirely. I've been drinking alot lately, and I think it will be better to just quit all together for right now.

I got Suze Orman's "Women and Money" free from that Oprah show, so I've been reading alot of that lately, but so far it's nothing new.

My Frugal Weekend

I had such a frugal weekend!

Friday my friend was having a concert, so I got a free ticket to that, and went to the reception after, which was also free. He even gave me a leftover bottle of wine!

Yesterday I stayed in and did some cleaning, and then I went to the store and got all the ingredients to make tasty valentines day treats for my friends.

I worked at the second job today, and then stopped by one of my old jobs to see my former boss's new baby (!) and make plans to meet for tea next week.

Tonight my friend is coming over to watch some reality television with me, and I think we'll split that bottle I acquired on Friday.

Horray for a cheap weekend!

Fell off the wagon...

When I was a little girl, my mother would always know when I was up to trouble, because I would get unusually quiet. It seems this habit has followed me into adulthood. I fell off the wagon and stopped posting!

I started seeing a new man last month and my spending just went crazy. I bought new clothes, I got my hair cut, my nails done, and various areas waxed. I even bought a new rug and stocked my fridge with tasty treats. He lives a few hours away, so my travel costs went through the roof.

He's VERY well off, and he had been paying for all our activities, so a few weekends ago, I decided that I'd pick up the tab, and I ended up spending over $200 on just two meals! I'll never do that again. Sorry feminism, but I'm in debt!

Also, I signed myself up for a long weekend out of town this month!

Despite my best efforts to sabotage myself, February is a three paycheck month! And I've been picking up shifts at the second job, where I just got a raise. I'm back on the wagon!

Happy New Year, everyone!

I feel pretty solid on the financial front. I threw $400 at Credit Card #3 before the new year, and hopefully another $1000 this month. All the other bills are up to date. I still haven't figured out how to solve the loan from my parents. I told my mom that I've been paying down my debt, and that the money was still on my list but that I was taking care of things with high interest rates right now. She seemed genuinely shocked to hear that I've paid off thousands this year.

So my plan for the new year is to get rid of the rest of the Credit Card debt, currently at $8228, and then find a way to convince my parents to take their money back.

I met someone new over the holidays, but he lives 4 hours away! I hope this doesn't mean my transportation costs are going to skyrocket.