I had a nice surprise when I got home from work today. A very generous blogger here sent me a bulging envelope of coupons. It felt a little bit like Christmas opening it up and going through all the various coupons - especially the Morningstar ones!

I headed over to Albertson's and picked up 4 bags of shredded cheese, and 6 boxes of frozen dinners. I also almost picked up a 2 liter of Wild Cherry Pepsi, but it wasn't one of the "select" varieties. That was ok though, I really didn't need it (even for just $.67.)

While I was standing in line, I noticed a gentleman ahead of me. He had a huge tub of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, plus a number of other items. I just so happened to have a $.40 coupon for ICBNB plus 3 bottles in my fridge already - so I asked him if he'd like a coupon. He very happily accepted it. Too bad we weren't at Kroger where it would have doubled.

On my way home I stopped by my mom's place and left two of the bags of cheese, plus 10 Morningstar coupons plus a number of other coupons that I thought she might enjoy. She's going to have a nice little surprise when she walks in from work today.

Money spent today:
Albertsons: $6.97

Money Earned:
$10 ING Referral Bonus

KIF,
Laura

This morning when I checked my bank account, I noticed that my paycheck had been deposited. But, I also noticed that it was a little over $5 less than normal. So, I went to the online account statement and looked at my paystub. I figured out that they had started taking out the money for my Life Ins., Accident Ins., and Disability Ins.

For some reason I thought it would be taken out pre-tax, but it's being taken out after tax. So that reduces my takehome pay by about $22. I shaved $10 from my Personal Care and from my Other categories, and $2 from Medical.

Hmm. .. I don't know if this would count as a FRAK. Today I was talking with the other lady in my office who is a "Lost" fanatic. She told me that she had not been able to see it last night and was really annoyed. I still have the episode on my Tivo, so I told her I would try tonight to use the "save to vcr" function. If that works, then she'll get to see it.

She also is a huge NYPD Blue fan. She had never seen the first season though when David Carruso was on. So, I told her that I had the first season on DVD, and would be happy to lend them to her. So, tomorrow hopefully I'll have the DVD set + the Lost episode to lend to her for weekend viewing pleasure.

KIF,
Laura

Today the compnay's owner's took the office staff out for lunch. It was this really ritzy place. They had made a special menu with limited choices just for our group.

I got a Wedge Salad (WAY too spicy, barely ate 1/3 of it), then I had the vegetable stir-fry which was *very* delicious, and last, I had the chocolate cake. I got to-go boxes for both the stir-fry and the chocolate cake because it was just way too much food. I ate the leftovers for supper tonight.

When I go to a resturant I normally NEVER order dessert or appetizers - usually just water and the entree. It was really nice being treated out like this.

I had some more things said to me today that make me really think they are trying to prep me for promotion/moving in the company. I'd spoken to Sh about my concerns that I'd been away from my desk so much and that the OM was having to watch the phone. So, she worked it out with the person who is training me in her department that starting Monday, I'll come back and work with her for one hour a day in the morning. That way it won't be such a big burden on my OM or others to take care of the phone.

So, I don't know if it'll be a matter of weeks, or of months, but the potential I am picking up is that it could work out that they hire a part-time receptionist, so I can work part-time in the engineer/geologist area. Or . . if they find there's enough to really keep two people busy . . . it may be that I go back there full-time.

Honestly, I will be happy however it works out. Especially if by taking on extra responsibility, it may mean a bit of a raise.

The wedding drama between my dad/grandma/aunt and mom is worked out. Apparantally my brother had already told mom that she couldn't bring her ex-fiance before everybody got all worked up about it. I'm glad it turned out this way, but still it really irks me that they would all be so willing to shirk my brother's wedding because of something so juvenile (in my opinon.)

Last night I stopped by CVS and had my Allergy meds filled and got a $30 gift card with my new prescription. That will be a nice little boost to my budget. I'm not sure if I'm going to put it in my Grocery budget or in my Other budget.

KIF,
Laura

I had two phone calls tonight concerning my brother's upcoming wedding. One was quite pleasant, and the other left me wanting to throw my hands up in the air!

The first phone call was my dad. We were talking about a number of different items, then he asked me how my mom was doing. After I told him a few pieces of news, he asks me if I'd heard what she had asked of my brother. I hadn't. So, he tells me that she's asked to bring her ex-fiance to the wedding.

Honestly, I'm not sure what in the world is going through her head to even want to bring him ... but hey, I'm not in her head. My dad though is all antagonistic about it and saying that if Mom brings her ex-fiance, then he, Grandma and Aunt Ni won't be coming to the wedding!!!!

I tell him that I can understand where they are coming from, but as for me, *absolutely NOTHING* would keep me away from my brother's wedding!!! I really don't give a rip about their guest list - the ONE and ONLY reason I will be there is to celebrate my brother marrying his wonderful fiance!!

I just HATE that he is putting my brother in the middle of this. Mom really didn't even need to ask, because most wedding invitations of single people are for the person + a *guest*!

Oy Vey!

The second phone call I got tonight was from my brother's fiance. She was using my brother's phone, so she got a real kick out of it when I answered "So, how's my favorite brother in the whole world?" then when I realized it was her, I said, "So, how's my favorite soon to be sister-in-law?" We talked for about 20 minutes or so.

Essentially she was calling to tell me she had picked out the bridesmaid outfit. It's at David's Bridal, and is a top/skirt combo in candy red. I also will need to find a pair of gold sandals to go with it (where?????)

I forgot to mention that they set a date! October 29! I think that Candy Red will probably be a good late Fall color for a wedding (and red usually is a very good color on me -whew!)

This morning I had my doctor's appointment. I was talking to my doctor about my weight, and asked her how much I had weighed the last time I saw her (March, 05). I was very surprised to learn that it was only 9 pounds less than my current weight. I thought I had weighed less than that at that time.

I also found out something I didn't know before. When you turn 30, they give you an EKG as part of your physical. That was interesting (and quick!)

She gave me a prescription for generic Allegra, since my insurance doesn't cover Clairnex. She also strongly advised me against the generic version of Synthroid, due to the intricate dosaging required that generic drugs are not required to adhere to.

I was going to stop by CVS and fill my allergy med (getting a $30 gift card for a new perscription) but by the time I got out of the doctor's office, it was getting pretty late.

I learned some more new things at work today. The lady I went with to the map library last week told me that she thinks she could easily use an assistant full-time with the work she's asked to do + some new duties she's going to be having soon. Hmmm. . ..

Well, I better be off and catch some zzzz'sss.

May spending so far:
Co-Pay: $20
Pur Filter: $38.78 (need a different adapter for my faucet to get it to work -bummer.)

KIF,
Laura

I've been thinking lately that I would really like to go to a nail salon and get a manicure/pedicure done. Even though I have all the materials neccessary to do both at home, I had just kept putting it off and putting it off. I rationlized to myself that it would "only" be $25, and I have that much in my Personal Care fund. But, I also know that I'm probably going to have to get a haircut soon (thanks to the shorter hairstyle) and I really need to add a few more pieces to my work clothes . . . so really, that $25 has a lot of other places it could go.

This afternoon I got out my dishpan, emptied it, filled it with warm water, and proceded to give myself a pedicure and a manicure, while at the same time reading a book I'd gotten from the library. My feet are now presentable enough to be in sandals, or just to be bare in front of other people.

I was going through my mypoints.com Bonus Mail and found an offer I couldn't resist trying. It gives me 100 points (at absolutely NO cost!). What it is is something that will call in to your cell phone voicemail, home phone voicemail, work voicemail, etc., etc., and then gather all your messages into one place. You might be asking why people would want this? Well, have you ever received a voicemail that you would love to be able to listen to over and over again, but hate the pain of having to remember to save it every 14 days? If that voicemail is retrieved by this program, you can save it indefinitely(sp?).

You have a choice of either listening to your messages from within your account, or having the voicemails emailed to you as an MP3 attachment.

I tried it this afternoon, and found it to be quite interesting. The program is called "GotVoice." I'm not sure how they are doing it for free, although it may be similar to the efax program where they started out free, then once they built up business, started charging.

I don't remember right now where I read this idea, but today for lunch instead of baking a whole Totino's pizza, I broke it in half while it was still frozen. Then it was able to fit perfectly into my toaster oven.

KIF,
Laura

After work today I stopped by the apartment office and paid my rent for May, then picked up my mail and headed over to the library. I had about 12 books on hold that needed to be picked up.

The library isn't that far from Kroger's, so I decided to go ahead and do my shopping today since the milk I had was sour. I knew I had $15 left in my grocery budget, so I used my handy dandy calculator to keep track of my spending.

I bought peanut butter, a bag of broccoli and carrot shreds (to add to my spinach I bought last week for a "salad" I'll actually eat), 3 Totiono's frozen pizzas, milk, 2 cans of veggie baked beans, a box of lasagna (sp?), Morningstar Stripples and 2 treats. I didn't have coupons for any of the items unfortunately, and my total was $15.48.

Now I have finished off my grocery budget for April. When I got home, I took a look at my mail and saw the circular for Albertson's. To my dismay I saw that they have Green Giant boxed frozen veggies 10 for $10, and they have all of the Kellog's Cereals on a 10 for $15 sale. I love the GG veggies because they are so easy, and $1/box is about as good as it gets (unless I had a coupon - which there is one available, but no way I could get it before the end of the sale!) and one of my all-time favorite cereals is Kellog's Frosted Mini-Wheats.

So, I'm torn. Do I go to Albertson's on Sunday and spend $20 - 25 on cereal and GG vegies ...... or do I strictly tell myself that Sunday is still April, and my grocery budget is finished for April?? Or .... do I say that I'll just take the money from my May grocery budget, since the food wouldn't be eaten til at least May 1 anyway??

In the mail I also got my HSBC ATM card. The first one they sent me never arrived, so I called to make sure that this one was a valid card. I found out that it was. Before the person let me go, he asked if I would be interested in opening up a free checking account which could be linked to my savings account. I asked him a number of questions, such as was it really free - what the min. balance was, etc. He satisfied me that there was no catch. So, I decided to go ahead and open a checking account with them. This will give me a couple advantadges. 1: Instead of an ATM card, I will have a Mastercard Debit card. 2: Since I will have a checking account with them, I can sign up for Bill Pay, which then qualifies me for "Easy View". Easy View is a service where you are able to have a one page accounting of all your financial accounts, plus a whole lot more.

My plan is to keep my money in the Savings until I need it. Then, when I need it, all I have to do is call them, and they will transfer my money in *real time* to my checking account. This way the money can grow until the last possible moment I need to use it. (This money is my Car Repair money, etc., so doesn't need to be accessed very often.)

I would like to really commend HSBC on their wonderful Customer Service. Yes, the process of opening an account is very long-winded, but in the end, I think it is all worthwhile.

Keeping It Frugal,
Laura

Well, I finally have my HSBC online savings account set up. It was a little bit of a hassle, but I think it will be worth it. I was looking through their site and noticed they have a feature where you can have all your online financial information, email accounts, etc. on one page - for no charge. That was the one feature I really missed from when I used Mevelopes a few years ago.

ETA: I double checked at HSBC for the "Easy View" feature and realized you have to be signed up for Bill Pay. Bill Pay requires you having a checking account with HSBC. Oh well.

After talking to my Rental Insurance agent, I found out that I'm not being charged a convenience fee for paying in monthly installments. So I decided to go ahead and keep it as monthly installments. I also decided that the money I was going to put towards paying my 6-month car insurance premium (saving me $12) would be more useful in my car maintenance account since my 90K service is very shortly due.

Looking at my spending for the month of April I found that I spent WAY too much on fast foods or junky foods. I've been taking the money for that out of my FUN budget. So, for May I am cutting my FUN budget by $10 AND only allowing myself up to $10 from my Grocery budget for Fast Food, etc. I also decided that my Grocery budget was really too high for one person, that it gave me too much room to buy things that are "easy" rather than healthy or moneywise. So, I cut $15 from my Grocery budget and added it into my Emergency Fund.

I also took a look at my Wedding/Vacation Fund and decided that I really was siphoning way too much money there. The amount I have in there now is enough to cover the plane ticket, so I just need to save enough to cover my share of a rental car, a hotel room and my dress (hopefully my brother's fiance will choose something I can wear again!) So, instead of $74/mo, I am putting in $50, and the other $24 is going into my EF and in my phone bill (Taxes/Fees were a lot more than I anticipated - 60% of my bill!)

I also decided where I am going to keep my various money categories. My EF (emergency fund) and my RF (Retirement Fund - just till I figure out a fund to put it in) are going to be parked in ING. My CRF (Car Repair Fund); MF (Medical Fund); GF (Gift Fund); and OF (Other Fund) all will be kept in HSBC. My LTF (Long-Term Fund) will be kept in Emigrant. All my other money will be in my two brick and mortar bank accounts (no interest).

**Did I use enough acronymns??

I talked to my OM today, and she told me that I wouldn't have to use a 1/2 sick day to go to a doctor's appointment. Yay! I also called the doctor's office and set an appointment for next Tuesday. I need to get to the Dentist too, but one thing at a time.

I have to tell you about this great deal I got on Friday at Kroger's!! I had done some shopping at Albertson's which is across the street from Kroger's, but decided to just stop in and see if there were any good deals. I am so glad I did! As I was heading to checkout, I noticed a grocery cart with "REDUCED." Inside of it were about 40 packs of hoisery and some other items. I searched through it, and found 7 pairs of hoisery in the style and color I like. Normally these are anywhere from $3.50 - $5.00 EACH -- I got all 7 of them for less than $9.00!!! Woo hoo!!

Ok, I better close off. 30 minutes till I'm off work.

KIF,
Laura

When I was hired back in February, it was my understanding that there was a 90-day waiting period before I would be covered under the health inusrance plan.

Well, when I checked my mail on Friday, I had a letter from my company's insurance place. It told me that my coverage had begun on April 16 -- 60 days!!! Woo Hoo!

I went online to find out if the doctor I had used before (when I was covered under my teacher's insurance) was in my plan. She is!!

So, what I would *like* to do is call her office up on Monday and find out the first available morning appointment. My only qualm is that when I was signing up for the insurance plan, it said something about them looking back three months into your medical history for pre-existing conditions (three months prior to qualification date). I haven't been to a doctor since March (2005)... but, if I go to the doctor I used before, she would have three years of medical records for me. Would they be able to use those previous years records to indicate a pre-existing condition, thus giving them an excuse to not pay for lab tests and medications?

I also need to clarify with my Office Manager whether or not I'd have to take a half-sick day if I was back in the office by 10 a.m. (missing only the first hour and a half of the workday).

Hmmm..... Well, I'm just so happy to be covered now - a whole month earlier than I was expecting!

KIF,
Laura

In the past three days I have made two very foolish money moves, I am ashamed to admidt.

The first move was letting my craving for a Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza override my knowledge that I had a perfectly respectable Red Barron pizza in my freezer (cost less than $2 on sale + coupon).

The second move I didn't discover until I went into my purse to get out the $20 to pay for the pizaa. On Sunday I had stopped at Walgreens and got a couple items, along with taking out a $20 for cash. Apparantally I forgot to take that $20 out of the Walgreen's bag before throwing it away!!!! The trash bag with that WG bag in it has already been taken to the dumpster (before I discovered this horrible news.)

So, now I need to figure out where I should deduct this $20 from in my budget. Should I take it from my "other" money - which wouldn't be too much of a hardship for me? Or, should I deduct it from my "Fun" money (though I'm not sure I have that much balance)? Hmmm... this was definitely an expensive lesson on checking my store bags BEFORE throwing away!

KIF,
Laura

My brother called me tonight and we talked for awhile. He told me that he had accepted a new job at a resturant where he has a very good chance to get into the marketing aspect (which is what he has a degree in). He also told me that he had been informed by his fiance's family that in the Mexican culture, it was expected that the groom pay for the whole wedding.

At first, this looked like it was going to cause some problems ... because, well ... in American/cuacasioan culture, the bride's family pays for the wedding, plus the fact that her family was insisting on the wedding being in Flordia.

My brother, being the charmer he is, as well as an experienced negotiator, talked this over with Jazmin (his fiance') and they decided that between the two of them they could come up with a certain amount to cover airfare, honeymoon, wedding expenses -- Jazmin's family agreed to cover the cost of the reception (which apparantally is a big production in her family tradition) and her mom is going to make her dress. So, an issue which could have caused a lot of contention not only between my brother and his fiance, but also between my brother and his fiance's family, worked itself out due to the magical concept of ---- Communciation and Negotiation!

Oh yes, I must mention that he also told me that both he and Jazmin have agreed that the whole wedding, etc WILL be paid for in cash! Oooohhh!! I am so proud of him!

I'm just so happy for him. His life just seems to be falling into place so well.

In other news, I'm doing good at keeping up with my budget so far. I did spend money this weekend, but it was all budgeted. I am SO looking forward to Saturday night and the "Phantom of the Opera"!!

KIF,
Laura

Well, we are almost finished with the first week of April, and I have done very well with not spending money unnecsessarialy(sp?). Even though Dad finished off the OJ on Sunday that would have been enough to last me through this week, (ARGH!) I resisted the temptation to go to the store to just get some more OJ (cuz I KNEW I would use that as an excuse to pick up something else I've been craving, but REALLY don't need!). I'm trying to wait till Sunday to go to the store for groceries.

I got my cell phone bill for last month - it was $58.84!!! Mainly because of 5 1411 calls I made (3 of them when I was trying to find the place where I was susposed to meet my co-workers!). Normally my cell bill is under $50, and hopefully it will be even less now that I've combined it with my landline bill.

Saturday afternoon I will be spending some of my fun money on an afternoon/evening with some of my Pathway friends. I'm really looking forward to seeing a couple of them whom I haven't seen since October - Matt and Beth especially.

Almost forgot to update on my happy, happy news! Monday afternoon (April 3) my little brother (ok, maybe not so little at 6'2 and 25 years) became engaged! I was the first one (in our family) that he called. Jazmin (his fiance) asked me to be a bridesmaid, and I happily accepted. It sounds like the wedding won't be till sometime in September or October, so that gives me a little more time to save, although being a bridesmaid will also probably add some expenses, so I guess it all evens out.

Have a great weekend everybody!

KIF,
Laura

Alright guys, I'm gonna be brutally honest here. For the past two months I have not been keeping to any kind of a budget or even really tracking how much I've been spending. I could give a million reasons ...er.. excuses, but the plain ol' fact is that I've fallen down on the budgeting job.

So now I think I have paid any and all lingering expenses related to moving (ya know, all those "final" bills - ugh!) so I *think* April will be a more normalized month.

So tonight I spent several hours going to all the various financial websites with my money info, a trusty calculator, a piece of paper, and my copy of You Need A Budget. Over the past few months I have made various attempts at setting my budget straight, but it just wasn't happening. So, tonight I started with a completely blank budget, and started it from March 31.

I decided that I was going to leave $1k in the Emergency fund, pay off my CC (~$800), and put the balance (minus March's pay) in my Freedom Account. From my Freedom Account I'm going to pay my 6-month's car insurance, the balance of my renter's insurance, and have money designated for car repair, clothing, entertainment, etc.

Well, I was feeling pretty good about how I had all the numbers working out for me .... then I realized something. In all of my categories there was one VERY important thing I had not set aside ANY money for --- My brother's wedding!! Well, he hasn't quite asked her yet - will be on Sunday or Monday - but it's a pretty foregone conclusion that she's going to say yes. So, that means that probably in August or September I'll be making a trip to Flordia to see my little Buster Brown get married and finally have a sister! This of course is going to cost money - whether I drive down there or fly. So, I went back to my budget and added a Wedding category, and cut money from one of the other categories to start funding for it.

So hopefully this month I will actually keep myself on my budget and keep track of my money.

KIF,

Laura

This past weekend I spent a good number of hours packing my place. I think I made pretty good progress. Dad is responsible for packing the kitchen/pantry by this weekend, then I'll be finishing up the rest. Sunday is the big move day. I can hardly wait! I'm a little bit worried about the amount of helpers I'm going to have - it may just be my dad, me, and the friend who recc'd me for this job. Oh well, it will at least get done.

Saturday night dad and I went out to eat at Denny's - we had a Boca Burger and an order of pancakes - which we split in half cuz' we both were in the mood for "breakfast" but also for the BB. Then we saw "Date Movie." That was a very corny, gross in some parts, yet very funny movie.

Sunday night I got to my mom's place and had it to myself for a little while. Once mom got there I asked her if she'd like for me to help her on her budget. She agreed. When I put the acutal numbers on the spreadsheet, she was a little depressed (I would be too if my rent and car payment equalled nearly 65%!!! of my take home pay!!) When I found out how much she was paying for her phone services, I asked her if she'd be willing to cut back any. She was more than willing. So I told her exactly what she needed to say to the phone company to get what she wanted - she called the phone company on Monday and cut over $100/mo from her bill! She also had a checking account she was paying fees for - I suggested (strongly) that she think about getting rid of that account -- which she also did! I also suggested that she put a certain amount every month in a "No Touch Fund" -- she set that up to be automatically done!! For her, the more simple the plan the better - so I divided the money left after the non-negotiable bills between groceries, giving, Blow (hair, clothes, nails, extra coke, etc), and the No Touch Fund. She wasn't too excited about the amount of "blow" money, but I pointed out to her that there wasn't really too much left after bills TO divide between the other categories. She seemed to accept that. Only time will tell how much this will help her. --- Oh, another thing. She's going on a cruise next week that a friend of her's paid for and is taking along a certian amount of money for spending. I suggested to her that she make a game out of seeing how little of that money she spends. Then when she gets back, put half of what's left in her blow fund, and the other half in her "one month ahead" fund. She was getting pretty sleepy by then, but I think she was ammenable to the idea.

I am just so proud of her for taking care of the phone and the bank! That right there will help her tremendously! Today she's supposed to call a couple places to give her new address and get W-2's from, as well as health-savings account claim forms. She told me that if I'll file her taxes, she'll come to my new place and help get things organized (we'd both do it for each other anyway - but, oh well.)

My new job is going well. I've been on my own now for two days. Get to have a LOT of time for surfing on the net - not an entirely bad thing, but I do hope I get some other things to do so I feel more useful.

KIF,
Laura

Tonight I had to go to the going away party for the person I am replacing. I really didn't mind, because I have really started to like her. It was at a bar, which is a place I don't frequent very often. Going in I was surprised to be asked for my i.d. - just not something I think about needing to have out when going into a place where there is a party. I had a Coke. When I was ready to go (after about an hour) I got the waitress's attention and asked her for my bill - she told me that soda is free! I only had $1 in my purse, so I left her it for a tip - she'd really kept my glass full.

When I got to my mom's place, mom was like "Let's go to Dillard's! They're having a 40% off of reduced price sale!" So, off we went to Dillard's. By the time I found enough clothes that I could try on that were close to my size, it was 20 minutes to closing. I was frantically trying things on, and didn't get to everything. I ended up buying 3 items - a black top, a beautiful white blouse, and a cute brown jacket. There was one pair of pants that might have fit me, but I was running out of time. The lady at the cash register very kindly stayed open to take our purchases.

After we had purchased our stuff, we went to the door we had gone in. The doors were shut down tight. There formed a group of about 20 people - all of them just standing there waiting for ??? I noticed a Dillard's employee closing his cash register nearby, so I went over and told him that there was a group of people needing to get out, what could he do? He made a phone call to let someone know, and about 5 minutes later a very grumpy lady came down and opened the door for us. I wonder how long everyone would have stood there if I hadn't gone over and asked for help??

Tomorrow I get my first paycheck from my new job. I can hardly wait to see if it is for 3 days or for 8 days!

Money spent since Wednesday:
Quizno's (supper) $7.98
Snack at work: $2.77
Tip at party: $1
Dillard's: $37.89

KIF,
Laura

Got a call during my lunch break today - I was approved for my apartment! Yahoo! One of the ladies who works here also lives in that same complex and says it is really nice - she's lived there for 12 years and hasn't had any problems.

So, March 3 I'll sign the lease and pay the balance of the $199, then actually move in on March 5.

I can hardly wait!!

Tonight I'm going to my coupon club meeting. I haven't been to one since May and have really missed the ladies, not to mention the free coupons!

Well, better go - got work that needs doing.

KIF,
Laura

We had quite the wintery weekend here in the DFW area. Thankfully today is a little bit warmer than it was yesterday.

I went to my apartment this weekend to pack up more clothes for work, etc., and to start packing other stuff. Dad hadn't gotten any boxes, so Saturday night we spent a couple hours scrounging up boxes from various grocery stores.

This afternoon I looked at my first apartment complex on my list - and decided to go ahead and fill out an application. I explained to the person my situation re:rental history/dad and she told me that she thinks the manager would be willing to work with me on it.

The apartment is 1 BR, 770 sq ft, has a small kitchen pantry, a dining area with hardwood floors, the bedroom has a wall closet AND a walk-in closet, it's on the second floor (ugh!) but has an enclosed patio (for my cat to get his "outside" time). I will have to go back to doing laundry once a week at either a laundrymat or at the apartments facility. For an extra $35/month electricity, water, trash is included!
It is less than two blocks from where I'm working - a sidewalk goes along the whole two block area -- so, I could walk to work if I wanted to. I think I'll be able to fit everything in there - if not, I'll figure out what I can get rid of!!

So, I should know by Wednesday whether or not I am approved or not. My move out date from my current place is March 5 - my move in date would be March 3. First months rent + deposit is $199!!

I can see this place saving me alot of money - gas, wear and tear on my car, (car insurance is going to go up alot though - though pretty much anywhere in this area it would), electricity, water bill, etc.

I just can't tell you how anxious I am about getting into a place that is completely my OWN again!!!

Money spent this weekend:
Movie tickets (2) (Walk the Line) 13.55
Gas: (2.02/gallon) 12.20 (half tank)
Clothing: (skirt/sweater Old Navy sale) 23.80

KIF,
Laura

Remember the interview with the Oil company that Tammy's husband Nick reccomended me for? I had that interview this morning, and it went great. They told me that they would call me either this afternoon or by noon tomorrow to let me know one way or the other.

Well ... they called me this afternoon, about 30 minutes ago ... and .... I GOT THE JOB!!! I start TOMORROW morning at 9am to start training to take over the current receptionists position. I'll be salaried, but the hourly rate is about $2 more an hour than what I was making as a Supervisor AND I get benefits (paid for!!!)

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it!!

God is so good! So are friends!

*This* is the best Valentine's present possible!

Laura

Yesterday I spent a couple hours on Career Builder going through a ton of job advertisements. I sent my resume and a cover letter to about 5 places which looked like possibilities.

I actually got a response from one of them! I will have an interview with them on Wednesday morning at 10. So, so far that is 3 interviews lined up for this week. Not to mention all the other resumes I have out there that could possibly turn into an interview.

I'm feeling much more optimistic.

I did something yesterday evening that was probably pretty foolish - probably a waste of money. But, I did it, and I guess all I can do is see if it actually pans out or not. Basically one of the advertisements on CareerBuilder was for this site that gives you a website advertising the free install of a product, and then you submit your website once a week to over 100 search engines. If anyone signs up for the free install of the product, you get $50. It cost $29, and there is supposedly a 60-day moneyback guarantee. Only time will tell I guess.

Spending Sunday:
$29 - website/search engine submission

Spending Monday:
$10 - maybe ... chip in for flowers for a Pathways classmate who's relationship ended recently

KIF,
Laura

Well today I ended up getting a free lunch! My friend Tammy's family, my mom, two Pathway friends, and me all ate at a Thai restraunt. It was getting towards the end of the meal and I saw the waiter heading towards us with the bill. I tried to get his attention, but he ignored me and gave it to Nick (Tammy's husband)y paid the entire bill! What a sneaky little turkey!! I really was dissapointed because I had wanted to treat them for once - they'd treated me so many times before.

I guess I could use the money I set aside for the meal for a low-end mp3 player.

It was so great to spend time with Tammy's family - the kids were a little shy at first, but then they remembered how much fun "Lorla" can be.

Mom and I got a bit annoyed w/each other today. Def. don"t think she/I would get along very well long term in the same living space.

The concert last night was AWESOME!! I;m thinking of downloading 4 or 5 songs from Casting Crowns I heard last night. Of course, downloaded songs don't do me very much good w/a dead mp3 player.

Spending:
Saturday:
Supper - $8.00
Groceries - $7.49 (Newspaper, bread, junk)
Gas - $17.40 (2.06/ga - not an empty tank)

I got up to my mom's yesterday afternoon. Not too long after I arrived, I got a call from my friend Tammy's husband. He told me that a receptionist position had JUST opened up at his company and he had reccomended me for it! He told me to get my resume in as fast as possible.

I had it faxed over to the company w/a cover letter by the next hour!

This morning I was about to get in the shower (after sleeping in) when I got a phone call. It was from the VP of the company - the person I had faxed my resume to. We set an interview up for Tuesday morning at 10 a.m.!!!! Yahoo!!

This afternoon I am going over to my mom's office building to pass my resume around to a few contacts that she has made over there. Maybe something will come from one of them too.

In other news - I checked my bank account a little bit ago, and my tax refund has come in!! Yahoo! I'm going to put most of it away for possible moving expenses or just plain ol' living expenses. But .. I plan on using ~$50 - 60 tomorrow taking out my mom, a Pathway's friend, and Tammy's family to lunch. I feel that that will be a good use for the money.

Spending Log:
Thursday - 2/9
Walgreen's - $20.29 - Hair stuff (one item I'll get a rebate on, making it free.)
$25 - paid for a prescription for mom

Friday - no spending planned
Planned spending:
Saturday - ~$50 - 60 - lunch
~$10 -- Supper

I don't know if my body realized "Hey girl, you don't have to go into work in the am, so you can be sick now" or what, but I've been feeling progressively worse the past three days. Just pure exhaustion, stuffed up, nauseua, congestion, coughing, etc. Ugh!

Saturday afternoon I called my former co-worker to let her know I would be in her area next week. I ended up actually talking to her husband for a good hour. He told me that he had at least two job possibilities that he would check into for me. I would dearly love to up in that area again - be near Tammy, my coupon club, and a church where I feel welcomed.

Later that afternoon I drove up to Fort Worth to see a few of my Pathway friends. One of our classmates from CA had flown in for the weekend. It was really good getting together with them - we had six of our class members alltogether + families. We spent a couple hours talking, then went out to eat at a Mexican resturant.

One result that came from our chatting was that the lady who lived in the house we met at told me that there was someone she knows personally who has a garage apartment for an extremely reasonable amount - and that he would probably rent it to me on her word alone. She also gave me the name of a friend of hers who does resume work/career coaching as a ministry.

So, I'm going to be checking into those things today. Then tomorrow I get my haircut, and on Wednesday I'm going to go to Dallas and spend a few days with my mom - as well as put my resume out there. Then of course Friday night I go to the Casting Crowns/Nichole Nordemon concert, and the next day will see Tammy and family, then have another Pathwayian get together.

I got my water bill on Saturday. It was down another couple dollars. I *really* wish I knew how it keeps going down while the electric keeps going up. I haven't noticed us using any less water, and sure haven't been using more electricity!

Spending Log: (Feb 2 - 6)
Cabo's (Mexican): $7.28
Groceries: $4.36

Keeping It Frugal,
Laura

Long story short. I was laid off from my temp job at the trucking company. Found this out as I was heading home from downloading information at the bus station - got a call from Jan.

A didn't even have the decency to tell me to my face. So much for my debating on whether or not I should put my name out there for something else before May.

Apparantally one of their departments is running pretty slow and so they're going to use someone from there to cover what I was doing.

Guess I'm going to have to figure out about unemployment benefits tomorrow. I am glad that I made enough these past two weeks to barely cover March's rent. Am also glad that I didn't look at apartments yesterday.

Am trying to tell myself that maybe this is a good thing. Maybe it happened to leave me open and available for something better. Really am trying to believe that.

I am just so discouraged. Really thought I had until at least May to have to worry about finding another job/assignment.

Ugh!

Edited to add: I just looked up the requirements for unemployment in TX. Since I've been working for an employment agency, I am technically not unemployed for three business days - so I can't file until at least Wednesday.

Woo Hoo! I received my W-2 from the employment agency on Wednesday, and today I received my W-2 from my teaching job. I went through irs.gov , then "free file" then through "Turbo Tax."

I'm not getting back quite as much as I had thought I would, but it still will be a nice shot in the arm.

I found a website where you can enter in your payrate and find out how much in taxes will be taken out depending on how many exemptions you use, etc. I did a lot of calculating, and I think I could take up to 3 exemptions (based on what it looks like I'll be earning for the next five months) and still have some money coming back to me.

I'm going to have to see about changing my W-4 soon so I can have more money in my weekly paychecks.

I talked to my supervisor at the trucking company on Friday afternoon about what I could expect as far as work hours in the coming weeks. She told me that I could count on at least 30 hrs a week, but more than likely closer to 40 hours a week due to a project the billing department is doing. That was very good news to me!

I also asked her if I could take off an afternoon next week to go apartment hunting, and she said "no problem!" I'm going to be taking off Wednesday afternoon.

A few weeks ago I mentioned to my dad that I was wanting to do something to my hair, maybe get a new cut/style. Well, he mentioned it to my grandma and to my mom, and between the three of them, I have enough money to get it cut/styled and highlighted, plus a nice little tip!! I made an appointment today for Feb 7 after work. The lady told me that my hair would be a good canidate for "Locks of Love" if I am willing to cut off 10 inches. I'm thinking about it - I still would have nearly shoulder blade length hair even with cutting off 10 inches.

Spending Log:

Walmart - $14.79 -- $2.13/gallon
Walgreens - groceries $1.39

One-year ago today I decided to bite the bullet and see what this online savings journal thing was all about. I remember I wrote a HUGE entry, and then got timed out and lost it all. That taught me to not write such lengthy entries.

One-year ago today I was employed as a teacher and was getting ready to announce to my colleagues that I was leaving teaching at the end of the year.

One-year ago today I had a healthy savings account in ING and a zero balance on my credit card.

One-year ago today I had really good health insurance.

Today I am making my 220th entry in my savings journal.

Today I am struggling to find a long-term job and have accepted another short term assignment which starts Thusday and will last till May. But, it will probably not be enough to cover rent and bills, so I may have to do some drastic measures (taking money from 401b.)

Today I have one-months expenses in my savings account in ING and almost a month's expenses on my credit card.

Today I don't have any insurance. But, I do think I may have found a doctor I can go to for a reasonable fee.

The comparison kind of looks depressing doesn't? But (people who don't believe in God may want to not read further) I believe strongly that God has been providing for my needs all along this past year. I was so fearful of how I was going to have money for my February budget, and what happens? The survey project gets dragged out and I'm able to get (including this week) close to 80 hours worth of work. I flubbed up my interview royally, and then am told by Jan that she has something else for me that I don't have to interview for - although it is short term. You know what? I'm not worried. God keeps coming through for me, and I know he will continue to do so.

I'd really love some ideas on how to get by on less than 1k a month (especially when rent is at least 535 of it, plus another 100+ for gas to get to work)

Keeping It Frugal in Texas,
Laura

Hmm ...
Financial
#1 Goal - Find a permenant, full-time job.

#2 Goal - Rebuild my contingency fund.

#3 Goal - Rebuild my Long-Term Savings (replacement fund)

#4 Goal - Credit Card: A - Pay $30 above finance charge. B - Pay any new charges within that same month.

#5 Goal - Find out what I can do with my various retirment accounts - see if I can consolidate them.

#6 Goal - Use half of tax refund to pay down Credit Card.

#7 Goal - Research possibility of a Computing for Senior's type business (My grandma suggested this. I could go to retirement homes and offer to do various tasks on the computer for seniors who either aren't able to do them themselves (due to vision, etc) or just don't want to bother learning how to do it.)

Personal:
#1 - Keep on track with exercising a mininum of 4 x a week.
#2 - Eat more healthfully using Weight Watcher's Flex plan.
#3 - Find some kind of volunteer work.
#4 - Contact at least one friend each week either by email or phone.
#5 - Get out of the house at least once every weekend.

Keeping It Frugal in Texas,
Laura

Well I spent the majority of today researching how to set up my new Tivo without the benefit of a landline. I spent several hours searching the internet for information (as well as checking out kashi's bf's instructions). In the afternoon, dad and I went to Staples and asked the sales rep in the computer area if he knew much about Tivo - he said he didn't, but that so and so did. He went and got so and so. I told s&s what I was needing, and also showed him my list of what I thought I needed to get from my research. He was fairly knowledgable, although not so much about setting up Tivo withou a landline, but tried to be very helpful. He found both the usb adapter and the router I wanted but hadn't seen when I was looking on my own. After checking out of Staples with the $30 usb adapter and the $50 wireless router
along with the $9 coaxial splitter, we headed over to Walmart. AT Walmart I purchased an extra coaxial cable.

Total spent was ~$110 - but there is a $15 rebate on the wireless router.

When we got home we started working on getting everything put together. First of course I had to install the wireless router (which my dad was really excited about because he now can use his laptop on the net at my house). Then some experimentation with how to install the usb adapter. I ended up plugging it into my comptuer in order to install the drivers, then plugging it into the back of my Tivo. Next, after a phone call to Ryan, we figured out that the TV had to be on "Aux" in order to get the Tivo display.

THEN, I went to the website to activate my account and gift subscription. Unfortunately, my gift code did not seem to want to work after numerous tries by both me, and eventually by the customer service agent I managed to get ahold of. He told me to call the sales line and they could give me a new gift code. So I did. 25 minutes later someone finally picks up. I explain my situation to him. He tells me that HE can't do anything about it, but I would need to talk to customer service about it. But, customer service was EXTREMELY busy - so he took my name and number and said they'd call me either tonight or in the morning. Haven't heard from them yet, so I'm still in limbo not knowing whether or not this is going to work!

Luckily most of my purchases today were covered by the birthday money my grandma sent me.

Something else I did today was to work on my day off! Wesley, the person coming from the survey company, called me this morning and told me that he had left his access card and badge in a bag at home because he had changed bags. He was at the airport within half an hour of taking off so couldn't go home to get it. So, over the next couple hours a whole slew of phone calls took place. It all ended in that Linda (the lady I sort of report to at the bus garage) let dispatch know that Wesley would be calling tomorrow morning and would need to be let in - and I think she's leaving him an extra access card too. I hope it all works out as planned, but I'm not going to stress over it if it doesn't.

I had something really cool happen this evening. First of all I got a phone call from one of my best friends, Tammy. While I was on the phone with her I heard a knocking that sounded like it was *maybe* my door. I decided to go investigate, even though I couldn't think of anyone who would be stopping by. It was my neighbor's! They had a tin of Christmas cookies for my dad and I! I thought that was so sweet. I'll have to have dad make up another one of his bread machine loafs, and maybe I'll make them a tin of banana bread.

Okay, well its getting on the late side here so I probably should go check for some sheep to count.

Keeping it Frugal in Texas,
Laura

PS - My second Ing invite got used today! Woo Hoo!!

Hi! I just couldn't help but post early today. A friend of mine sent me a link to this blog on the msn.com site and I've been reading it here (at work -going slow.) I just thought it looked like something ya'll might be interested in.

It's called "Women In Red" blog: http://spaces.msn.com/members/MSNMoneyWomenInRed/

I hope ya'll check it out - I think you'll find it quite interesting!

Keeping It Frugal in Texas,
Laura