Unexpected Travel Expenses

My mom called to tell me my great-aunt passed away this morning. She had had some form of Alzheimer's/ Dementia for the last several years so it wasn't that surprising, but I would still like to attend the funeral. She never married or had children, so growing up she was like a second grandma to me. So, I decided that it is well worth it to spend the $180.79 on a plane ticket to OH tomorrow and will drive down to WV with my mom for the funeral on Weds.

Buying a plane ticket last minute like this made me realize just how difficult it is when you have to buy something right now and can't really wait for a cheaper rate. I compared several different travel websites including Expedia, Priceline, and Orbitz as well as individual airline websites. I got the best deal on Orbitz and was happy to see that they offer a Price Insurance guarantee which means if someone books the same flight at a cheaper price, they will send a refund check. I also paid using my Discover card, so I should get some cashback since I purchased my tickets through "ShopDiscover."

Happy Holidays!!

So I know Christmas shouldn't be all about the gifts, but I did make it out with some nice stuff.
Here is the lineup of what I received:

1. $25 Borders
2. $20 Starbucks
3. $25 Khols
4. $50 cash
5. $20 cash
6. $35 check

Because I ended up receiving the gift cards before Christmas, I have to admit I used some for other gifts. I used part of the Border's gift card to buy some half off Christmas cards and the entire Khols gift card (+ $4)to buy my boyfriend some new shirts for Christmas. I intend on putting the cash and check into my savings account tomorrow and see how long the rest of the Border's and Starbucks can last me.

I am looking forward to the New Year and realize that I should probably start thinking about my 2010 resolutions so I should be giving an update of that soon.

Savings update

$1740 saved, $260 more to go in just under a month. I am trying to convince my boyfriend to use the majority of it for a car down payment, but we'll see.

I did it: $1700 + $300=$2000!! The only thing is I'm actually hoping to put aside $300 more so that I don't have to close the account with $300 as that is necessary to keep it open without a fee.

Future Fund: Almost There!

So I decided to put the majority of my "extra" December check to this so now my total savings is:
$1897.70!! Once I get my paycheck from my part time job on Friday I will have succeeded in saving $2000 before my goal.

Student Loan Update: Future Fund Halfway Mark

As of today I am at $859 for my future fund!! I am ahead of schedule!! Total student loans owed is $18,208.36.

Future Fund Update

So I decided to take into account both of my already existing savings accounts which means it should not take me quite as long to save $2,000.

Amount of "Future Fund" saved as of Oct. 30th is $722!

New money goals

So, I am making an adjustment for how much I am going to pay my citi loans each month. Instead of $800 I am only going to do $500. This way I can take that extra $300 and put it towards savings. The reason for this is so I can save $2,000 for my "future fund" by mid January.

Here is the breakdown of how I plan to do it:

mid Oct. Starting Balance: $100

Oct. 31st: 25+100=125

Nov. 4th paycheck: 300+125=425
Nov. 30th: 25+ 425=450

Dec. 2nd paycheck: 300+450=750

Dec. 30th (extra) paycheck: 800+750=1550
Dec. 31st: 25+1550=1575

Jan. 13th paycheck: 300+1575=1875

*Need to save an extra $125 in addition to everything above.

1875+125=$2000

Current Rewards Programs

Swagbucks: 124 - Need 6 more for a $10 SB gift card or 11 more for 3 $5 Amazon e-gift cards.

E-Rewards: $32.30 - Can redeem $15 for $15 in Borders Bucks beginning Jan. or $25 for 6 free rentals or 2 previously viewed DVDS beginning Nov.

Harris Poll Online: 980 points - Can redeem 800 points for $5 Blockbuster gift card or $5 Amazon e-gift card or need 370 more points for a $10 i-gift card for Barnes and Noble, Old Navy, Overstock.com, or Dick's

ePoll: 3550 points - Can redeem 3500 points for a $5 Target, SB, Dunkin' Donuts, Amazon e-gift card or save 3200 for a $10 gift card.

MyPoints: 557 points - Need 843 points more for a $10 BBW or Border's gift card.

Student Loan Update

Current student loans owed as of today is $18,819.52. However, I think I am going to have to rethink my budget because I think I am being too strict with my finances. I will post a new budget here pretty soon.

Student Loan Update/New Budget

It's been a lot of student loan updates, but I've been feeling some frugal burnout and it's the only thing that keeps me motivated. Total owed as of today: $19,572.74.

I also have a new and strict budget that is going to allow me to live on less than half my income. This is because I am determined to pay off all my loans in 15-18 months. : )

Paycheck 1: 800 - 500 citi loan payment - 300 to savings

Paycheck 2: 800-450 rent,-350 for everything else (76.73 DL, 86 CTA pass, 35 savings, about 150 for everything else: food, pets, cash, etc.)

My part-time job paychecks and any money from paychecks over 800 will be going to savings.

Student Loan Update

Finally met the under $20,000!!!! I am at $19,963.68. Not a whole lot under, but it will get there.

Student Loan Update

As of today I owe $20,020. Almost to the under $20,000 goal if it wasn't for interest!!

Student Loan Update

I decided that since I was so close to paying off my Perkins loan, I would go ahead and deplete pretty much all my savings. So my balance on my Perkins is now $0 and I feel even more motivated to pay off my other two! Total owed as of today: $20,478.54!

Going forward my monthly student payments will be:
Direct Loans (1.8% interest): 76.73 (automatically debited)
Citi Student Loans (6.8%): 500 + any extra (in grace period until around Jan.)

My goal now is to pay as much of the Citi loans as I can before my grace period ends since it is such a high interest rate.

Student Loan Update

Only $22,090.52 left total & $1622.12 left on Perkins!!

Student Loan Update

As of today I owe $22,990.52.

Simplifying My Finances

Okay so I have had a revelation about handling my finances. Keeping track of everything is driving me nuts! Seriously. I like keeping track of my weekly grocery spending, but the rest is not worth me getting all stressed out. I feel like I have so much to keep track of and it was easier when I would just keep tabs on my credit cards (which I tend to use like debit cards and always pay the full balance) and how much money I actually have. I don't know why I felt the need to start writing everything down when I was doing fine before paying down all my debt. At any rate, here's to simplicity!

Student Loan Debt Update

Total as of today is $23,442.03. I can't wait to be under $20,000 which is my next goal.

Goals

1. Pay off all of Perkins Loan by mid Oct. X (mid Aug.!!!!)
2. Get all loans under $20,000.

Frugal entertainment

So, I have already committed myself to reading more books in an effort to spend less on entertainment. This has required me to be a frequent visitor at my local library branch. Since I like new release movies too, I have taken advantage of Blockbuster coupons & gift cards I've earned online (since I don't have Netflix). Here are my goals for movies/television and books I would like to watch/ read in the near future.

Books
All Philippa Gregory
Remaining Jodi Picoult
Television
House Season 5
Grey's Anatomy Season 5
Movies
The Other Boleyn Girl X
The Secret Life of Bees
Doubt
Slumdog Millionaire
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button X
Lars and the Real Girl X

Grocery Budget for rest of July

Grocery Budget: $100
Total Spent: 78.82
Total Saved: 40.85
Balance: 21.18

Week 1: Tues. July 14th - Mon. July 20th: Spent 17.04
Dominick's: 11.83 (debit) (saved 45% or 9.30)
Harvestime: 5.21 (debit)

Week 2: Tues. July 20th - Mon. July 27th: 20.38
Jewel *: 20.38 (saved 7.54)

Week 3: Tues. July 28th-Mon. Aug. 3rd: 10.42
Wags (debit): 7.16
7/11: 1.63 (cash)
Wags: 1.63 (cash)

Week 4: Tues. Aug 4th - Mon Aug 10th: 30.98
Jewel *: 23.76 (saved 100% or 23.76 + earn 10 Klg rebate)
Wags * 7.22 (saved .25)

Week 5:

Pay Cards

I tried changing my direct deposit, but b/c it wasn't within 5 business days my part-time job issued me a pay card (pre-paid visa debit card.) This could be okay except for the fact that I don't want to spend the money, I just want to save it. Hopefully I will be able to cancel it by the next pay period without paying any fees. There are so many fees associated with this card that I feel it is unfair. I will definitely be contacting HR on Monday. I keep telling myself that it could be worse and that I am very lucky to be employed at the moment.

$10,000 mark

So, in the last ten months I have officially paid off over $10,000 worth of my student loan debt. $10,360.80 to be exact! I now owe only $23,517.34 so I'm making progress.

Giving myself a break

So, this whole month I've been trying so hard to stay under $100 a month on food and what I forgot was that when I originally came up with that number, it was for my half of the food. Even though I feel kind of dumb, I have to say that I am relieved. $200 total for my boyfriend and I and our 2 dogs is definitely doable. This doesn't mean that we have to spend that much. It should allow me to stock up though whenever I see a good deal and hopefully create a stockpile like I see on so many other pf & coupon blogs. : )

More Freebies

In addition to my grocery/ drugstore spending freebies, today I got a free BBW hand sanitizer (w/ purchase - bought something for $4, but used a gift card so no oop) & free iced chai latte from Seattle's Best at Borders!

Student Loan Update

I am at $24,002.93 total student loan debt - almost $10,000 lower than this past September when I owed $33,878.14! I might actually be able to pay everything off within 2 years after all. I am excited now and to make things better July is a 3 paycheck month so I can use one whole paycheck towards my debt. Yea!

misc. spending

Okay so I have been good during the whole semi-annual sale during my part-time job, but today I gave in and bought some things ranging from 50 to 75% off and was able to use a $10 off 30 coupon since I wasn't using my employee discount. I ended up spending $28.05 which isn't horrible. I know this doesn't show me being frugal, but it does show I am human and I give into temptation every now and then. : )

Total misc. spending for the month:
BBW: 28.05-credit
Coffee Beanery: 1.40-cash
Coffee Beanery: 1.40-cash
vending machine at work: .75-cash
vending machine at work: .75-cash
vending machine at work: 1.25-cash
vending machine at work: 1.25-cash
vending machine at work: .75
= $35.60

+ air fare for OH trip: $119.20 ($49 each way + taxes!)

Total: $154.80

Student Loan Update

So instead of trying to rapidly pay back my citi student loan, I've decided to concentrate on my Perkins since it has the lowest balance. I figure if I put $500 a month towards my Perkins then it will only take me about 8 months to pay it off. There is also the added benefit of keeping motivated so hopefully I can pay it off even sooner.

Total owed on all student loans as of June 24th is $24,498.94. I'm making progress!

Grocery/ Household Spending

Because I primarily use my Chase credit card for my grocery spending (5 pts per $ on gas, groceries, & drug store purchases) and it is set up on a mid month pay cycle, I figure out how much I have been spending on groceries the 15th to the 15th. My goal is to stay between $100 and $200 per month for me, my boyfriend, and our two dogs. This past month I came under budget!

Spending for May 15th - June 15th:

Walgreens: 9.65
Jewel-Osco: 27.62
Dominicks: 23.33
Dominicks: 15.21
Walgreens: 5.51
$ Tree: 6.65

Total: 87.97 / 2 = 43.99 a person

So far this month (June 15th - July 15th):

Dominicks: 19.06 (saved 57%! or $24.38)*
Dominicks: 5.46 (cash) (saved 17% or $1.00)
Dominicks: 6.83 (saved 64%!! or $11.70)*
Dominicks: 2.55 (o. debit)
Subtotal: 33.90

$ Tree: 5.11
$ Tree: 3.05
$ Tree: 2.05 (cash)
$ Tree: 2.02 ( o. debit)
$ Tree: 1.02 (cash)
Subtotal: 13.25

Walgreens: 4.48 (cash)
Walgreens: 2.32 (cash) (saved $1.74!) received 3 RR
Walgreens: 3.10 (cash) (saved $.99) received 3 RR
Walgreens: 3.92 (cash) (used RR on this purchase)
Walgreens: 5.10 (saved $5.50!)*
Walgreens: 1.63 (o. debit, saved $.30)
Subtotal: 20.55

Target: 23.35 (saved $1.36)
Target: 3.51 (cash) (saved $2.00)
Subtotal: 2.86

Harvest Time: 2.55 (cash)

7 11: 2.75 (cash)


Total Saved: $48.97 (+ received $6 RR ) (Freebies for the month: 1 ketchup, 1 can of Purina dog food, 2 toothpastes, & 2 almost free liners from Target - paid only 2 cents a piece!)

Total Spending as of July 13th: $99.86/2 = 49.93 a person

Balance available through July 15th = $0.14

New Budget & Moving

So, my budget has to change to account for a couple of things: My paychecks are back to $800 (Probably something involving taxes), I have to start paying the regular payment for my Direct loans in August, and we're moving which could be for the better or worse financially depending on cost of rent, utilities, etc.

Average monthly income: $1600 (800*2)

Monthly Expenses (Until we move)
1/2 rent: 462.50
1/2 utilities: 100 (summer)
gym: 21
monthly transit pass: 86 (paid w/ credit card)
groceries: 100 (paid w/ credit card)
cell phone: 55 (paid w/ credit card)
Total: 824.50

Debt Repayment:
Citi Loan: 500
Perkins: 63.64
Direct Loans: 80.16
Total: 643.80

Savings:
ING: 10
Chase: 25
Total: 35

Debt 643.80 + Fixed Expenses (824.50) + Automatic Savings (35) = 1503.30

Income (1600) - Everything = 96.70 (Extra money!)

Obviously this budget doesn't account for yearly expenses like for the pets, contacts, traveling, etc. However, I was very concerned about the extra loan payment so the fact that this looks doable is exciting to me. My boyfriend is aware that things are going to be extra tight though so this means no movies, eating out, etc. unless we save for it first.

Student Loan Update

My Direct Loans payment finally posted and I am now down to $26,709.75 in total student loan debt. I keep telling myself to stay motivated, but sometimes it still feels like forever. I must admit though whenever I see it going down, even if it is just a little bit, I get excited!

Puppy

So, my boyfriend surprised me with a puppy last night. Keep in mind that we already have a 4 year old husky/lab mix in a crowded apartment. (Luckily we have a back yard though.) I wasn't too happy at first because a. puppies take work, b. german shephard puppies turn into huge dogs, and c. it is going to be more expensive. Still, it is impossible to resist a 1 1/2 month old pup! We'll see how things go.

Quick Update

So, I started an ING account! Not a whole lot in it so far, but I hope to change that in the next few months. I am also trying to pay down my student loans as much as possible since I will have to start making regular payments of $156 on my Direct Loans in August. Just put $200 towards this today, but probably won't post until Mon. Still trying to pay down my citi loans too, but after Aug. I get 6 months grace period, so regular payments for that one shouldn't start until Feb.

Aside from that, I am trying to find a balance between living frugally and having fun. The one area where I tend not to be frugal is traveling. I went to a wedding a couple of weekends ago which ended up costing close to $700 in total (for both bf and me). I would still really like to plan a mini trip with my boyfriend this summer. Possibly Lake Geneva, WI. We went there for the day last year and it was fun, but I'm having trouble finding reasonably priced lodging so it may have to be a day trip again this year. However, since we still do not have a car, I am not sure that is even going to happen. I am also planning to go home to OH the week after the 4th of July because I have family coming in from CA and SC. It would be a short trip - probably a Mon. morning to Thurs. morning, as long as Southwest Airlines keeps up its summer deal of one way tickets for $57 each. Lots to look forward to this summer!

Debt Update

Now that all my loan payments have posted for the month, I now owe only $26,899.80 total! On a side note, I have decided to quit the drugstore game for a while. I used up all my ECBs at CVS yesterday just b/c it is such a hassle to get there w/o a car. Since I live within walking distance to a few Walgreens, I still may try to get some of their deals, but no CVS for now.

Monthly Credit Card Budget

Now that I have my monthly budget laid out, here is what I plan on spending on my credit cards:

Chase:
Gym: 21 (21 pts)
Cell phone: 55 (55 pts)
Groceries: 150 (*5=750 pts)
(Total: 826 pts)

Citi:
Transit Pass: 86 (86 pts)

Discover: $0

Total: $312

(All of this is included in my budget, but this way I'll still be able to earn at least a little bit of credit card rewards. Note: The points that I have are just an estimate.)
: )

Projected Budget

This is what I am thinking my budget will now be:

Average monthly income: $1636.54 (818.27*2)

Monthly Expenses:
1/2 rent: 462.50
1/2 utilities: 115 (summer)
my portion of Comcast: 20
gym: 21
monthly transit pass: 86
groceries: 150
cell phone: 55
misc. expenses: 80 (about $20 per week, usually cash withdrawals)
Total: 989.50

Debt Repayment:
Citi Loan: 500
Perkins: 63.64
Direct Loans: 25
Total: 588.64

Expenses + Debt = 1578.14

Leftover: 58.40
($25 of this will automatically go from my checking to my savings every month.)

Amount in checking at the end of the month: 33.40 (Yup, this sounds about right unfortunately.)

Okay, so this sounds totally doable even if I don't have very much extra leftover at the end of the month.

Increased Emergency Fund...for now....

So, I finally received my check from the other person's insurance company! $1316.22 to be exact. I have added it to my emergency fund for now, but will probably take it out eventually for a new car. Coincidentally, yesterday was also street cleaning where I was parked and to my surprise, my car would not start. So, now I have a nice $50 city parking ticket. At this point I am thinking of donating my car to Easter Seals, because I don't want the hassle of selling it for parts. Plus, if I donate it, that would be a tax deduction. I don't look at the car situation as a bad thing since I only spent $2100 on the car in the first place and got to drive it for a year, it's only an $800 loss and now I am actually saving money since I don't have to pay for gas or car insurance anymore. That's a $80-$100 savings in gas every month and around $800-$900 a year in insurance. I should be posting my readjusted budget soon.

Drug Store Game Part 3

So, I went to Wags again tonight. Sometimes I really feel like I am addicted, but I actually did need both things that I bought.

Dean Milk 1/2 gallon 1.69 (Really needed.)
Mitch. deodorant (for boyfriend) 2.99 - .75 mc
- 3.00RR
= 1.28 oop

Earned $2RR


Total Spent for month: 13.24

April Drugstore Game Part 2

Okay so today I had a good Walgreens trip. The cashier was actually nice and was amazed at so how little I had to spend. My point of going today was b/c my RR expires tomorrow.

I bought Edge shave gel (for boyfriend): 2.99, receive 2.99 RR (basically free)
Wags brand crystal light to go: 1.00
- 3.50 RR

total oop w/ tax: .82


Total spent for month so far: 11.96

April Drugstore Game Part 1

Wags: Charmin Basic 4.00 - .25 mc (This was much needed.)
Colgate: 3.50 - .75 mc, received 3.50 RR

Total oop: 6.98

Obviously I could have purchased the toothpaste first and went back later for the TP, but since I do not have a car right now that would have been a pain so I decided against it.

CVS:

Nutr. face scrub 5.00 - 1 mc, received 5 ecb w/ 15 purchase
Nutr. face scrub 5.00 - 1 mc
Nutr. face scrub 5.00
softsoap scrub 4.99 - 1 mc, received 4.49 ecb

19.99 - 4 off 20 email - 3 mc - 9.50 ecb
Total oop: 4.16 (received 9.49 ecb)

My CVS trip was much better. I was happy with the Garnier deal b/c I am almost out of facewash and had to use that email coupon b/c it expired after the day it was used.

Total Spent for April so far: 11.14

Debt Reduction

I now owe $27,175.07 on all loans combined. I am making progress, even if it is rather slow.

Update

I haven't posted in awhile because so much has happened. In the past week, I have: 1.lost my phone, 2. had someone hit my car, and 3. my boyfriend moved in. Thankfully someone found my phone and it was returned to me. I have yet to find out if the person who hit me's insurance will cover my repairs, but I did file a claim. As far as moving in, it has been great, but my wonderful boyfriend is a pack rat! My budget is slowly being readjusted now that I am living in a two-person income living arrangement, so that will be coming soon.

March Drug Store Game Part 3

I decided to go to CVS again because of the great deals they had on face products, hand soap, and I had a coupon I really wanted to use that expires the 31st. Here is how my trip went:

1 Ponds Wipes 30 ct: 3.99 - .50 mc
1 Ponds Cold Cream: 6.99 - 1.25 mc receive 5ecb w/ spend $10
1 Softsoap refill: 3.99 - 1 mc
1 Softsoap pump: 7.99 - 2 mc receive 4 ecb w/ purchase of 2
Kot liners 16 ct: 1.49 - 1.00 mc
Gummy bears: .88

Pretax total before coupons/ ecbs: 25.33
- 5 off $25 crt
- 6.75 mc
- 5 ecb
= 8.58 before tax
+ 1.38 tax

total oop: 9.96

earned: 9ecb
5 off $25 crt





Total CVS Spending for March: 42.06

Debt Tickers Update!

My citi bank loan payment posted and I now only owe $27,700.41 with all my loans combined! I feel like I am making headway again and it feels great!

Free Paper Towels at CVS!!

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get some free paper towels at CVS. They sent me an email for either a reusable bag or recycled paper towel roll. I just so happened to be out of paper towels so this worked out well.

Household Changes = Spending

My roommate moved out yesterday and because originally we figured she would move out the 31st, my boyfriend is not moving in until next weekend. As excited as I am, I keep reminding myself that this is good because it gives me time to clean everything and figure out what we need to get. Namely, we need a full size bed. This of course means money which I don't have yet since I just wrote checks to a. my roommate and b. citi student loans (which has not posted yet). I only have enough left rent left for my half which is okay b/c my boyfriend gets paid the last day of the month and rent is due the first. This still makes me nervous even though I know my landlord usually does not deposit our checks until a couple of days later. Also, as far as the bed, I am sure my boyfriend can help too, yet I still am feeling stressed. He also eats more than I do, so I am going to have to adjust our food budget. Nevertheless, I cannot wait until he moves in!

BBC Top 100 List

Not really PF related, but since one of my goals is to read as many books from the library as possible, I thought I would post this. Despite my AP English days in High School, I have only read 10. Hopefully this will give me a boost to read more classics.


1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher

51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Why does it seem I am falling behind?

So, it is starting to seem like I am falling behind as far as my debt repayment. That's not really the case, but I feel that way since I have to pay for my boyfriend's security deposit and then he will pay me back his next payday at the end of the month. My roommate is moving out this weekend so I have to write her a check for a month and a half's rent (693.75), plus have enough left over to pay my portion of April's rent (462.50). It's not so bad because I get to deduct what she still owes me for utilities(241.77), but it means postponing my student loan payments. I guess I really shouldn't complain because it is only 451.98. I just don't like it that my debt is not decreasing right now.

Drug Store Game Part 2

Just wanted to do an update of how my drug store gaming is going this month. Here are my most recent trips:

CVS Trip 1:

Dove Soap 6 pack: $7.00 - $1.00 MC
Dove Shampoo: 4.00 - $1 MC
Dove Conditioner: 4.00 - $1.50 MC
Irish Spring Body Wash $4.99

(total MC coupons: - $3.50)
- $4 off $20 - email
- 10 ECB

total oop = $3.10

(Note: for some reason the ECBs did not print out and the manager had to do so manually, but was very nice about it.)

Walgreens Trip 1:
Bic Soleil 4 ct razor refill clearance 4.19 - 2.00 easy saver
Bic Soleil 4 ct razor refill clearance 4.19 - 2.00 easy saver
- $2.OO RR

Total oop = $3.24

CVS Trip 2:

Xtra Laundry Detergent: 1.99
Milk: 2.59
Bread: 1.29
- 5 ECB

Total oop = $.91

Total Spending for March: $32.10

Reflection: I realize that I may not be rolling over my ECBs and RRs as hardcore drug store gamers do, but I am trying to buy things I need and will actually use.

Current ECBs: $5 (+ received a CRT for $5 off a $25)
RR: $0

Emergency Fund Decision

I have read many articles on whether or not to have an emergency fund and I finally decided to start one. It is basically just my savings only I now have a goal. While paying off my student loan debt is still my priority, I think I will feel safer knowing I have some extra money staved away in case I get any unexpected expenses. My plan is to have $25 direct deposited from my checking to my savings every month plus whatever extra money I have at the end of the month once I have paid my debt. Of course, this may change once my boyfriend and I move in together (only 2 more weeks!)

Drug Store Game

So, I haven't really gotten into the whole drug store game in the past and still have mixed feelings about it, but this month I think I fell into its trap. I can see how some people get totally addicted to it and it does save money. I am just worried that I will become a hoarder if I do it every month. However, with my boyfriend moving in April 1st, I now have two people to buy for.

Here is what I have gotten so far for the month of March(Abbreviations are what I have found to be common knowledge among other drug store gamers):

CVS:
Trip 1: $.13 (tax only) Always Infinity - free coupon, earned 2 ECB

Trip 2: 3 f $10 Fructis Shampoo, conditioner, curl gel, - $1, -$1, earned 5 ECB
Crest Pro-health, 2.99, earned 2 ECB
Sure deodorants, 2.99x2, -$.75, -$1, earned 2 ECB
Always Infinity, 5.99, -$1, earned 2 ECB
- $5 off a $25 crt, - $4.74 mc, used 2ECB, total spent oop: $14.57

Trip 3: 3 f $10 GM cereal, - $1, earned 5 ECB
2 f $10 Garnier hair dye, - $2, earned 5 ECB
Kot. liners, 3.99 - $1.50 crt, earned 2 ECB
Palm. dish soap, 1.49, earned 1 ECB
- $5 OFF A $25 crt, - $3 mc, - $1.50 crt, used 11ECB, spent oop: $5.29

Trip 4: milk, $2.49, bread $1.29, used 3 ECB, spent oop: $.90
(These were essentials.)

Walgreens:

Trip 1: Colgate max, $3.49, earned $3.50 RR, spent oop $3.49+tax

Trip 2: Right guard deodorant, 2.99, earned $2 RR
Ajax .79 (w/ circular coupon)
- $3.50 RR, spent $.67

Total spent so far: $24.85, ECB balance: 10, RR: 2

I know this could be better, but I am still learning.

Monthly Spending

Last month, I went through the trouble of keeping track of everything - budget, spending, debt repayment, etc. I started out doing the same this time, but the whole thing has started to stress me out to the point that I feel it is not worth it. While I am still setting a budget, I have decided that going forward I am just going to keep track of my spending based on my checkbook. I will know if I am on track based on how much I have left in my checking account and how much debt I have been able to pay for the month. I think that this will be the most effective way for me to stay on track while simplifying things at the same time. Also, I am proud to say that I am finally under the 30K line! I only owe about 28K now. Yea!

Sign of the Times

I have a strange work schedule with Tuesday and Wednesday off, so yesterday my boyfriend decided to take me to our favorite pizza restaurant. I realize this is not frugal, but every now and then I like to splurge since I enjoy the ambiance so much. (And, I wasn't paying for this time.) When we first arrived, we were the only customers there, which wouldn't have been so bad except it stayed like that the entire time! I realize that less and less people are going out to eat and it was a weekday, but I still felt like it was a sign of all this economic downturn.

Debt Repayment Decision: Part 2

I finally got my tax return! After thinking long and hard, I finally decided to just go ahead and put my extra money towards my citi student loans. These loans have the highest interest rate so it just seems to make the most sense financially. I'm going to wait until the payment actually clears to motivate my debt reduction tickers in the sidebar. I've also come up with a new goal for myself and that is to get this particular loan to under $10,000, which would make it just over halfway payed off. I figure as long as I can stay on track with the payments I have set for myself, there is no reason why I should not be free of student loans in 2.5 years - maybe sooner if I can figure out some new ways to gather extra income. In that time I will only be 26 which would be perfect because I would love to be a homeowner then too. Okay, so maybe that is not totally realistic, but I can dream can't I?

Happy Birthday to Me!

So today was my birthday and although I went out to dinner and baked myself a birthday cake I was fortunate enough to not have to pay for any of it. Gotta love great friends and a great boyfriend. The night ended well and my boyfriend and I are seriously discussing moving in together so I am happy about that. It could potentially lower what I am currently paying in rent which would mean more money for debt repayment which would be an added perk!

Favorite Free or Cheap Activities

I am trying to be creative in not spending very much money while also taking advantage of ways to spend my time that are free or cheap. I realize that many of my ideas have been thought of before, so I am not taking any credit, but here are my favorites so far:

Library - I cannot get over how much you can take advantage here if you are lucky enough to live in an area that has a great library. Books, movies, music, Internet access that are all free for use - what more could you want?

Museum "free days" - Many times local museums offer free or reduced priced admission during certain times of the week or year. I enjoy taking advantage of the contemporary art museum in my city's free day every few months or so.

"Free" Shopping - I like collecting retail gift cards that I earn through different survey - type websites and then shop. If you really want to make the most of this, combine coupons with the cards to make the deal even better. I recently signed up for Kohl's email list which gave me a $5 off any purchase coupon which I used with a gift card I had received from my mom.

Movies are definitely a luxury, so I try not to go very often. I recently joined a "5 Buck" club though which allows me to see movies that have been out for a few weeks for only $5, which is way better than the $9.50 to $10 of a normal ticket to most theaters in my city.

Web sites like craigslist or Yahoo's freecycle that list free items. This is great if you need something like a home appliance and do not want to spend any money.

Also, thrift stores! How could I forget that one. I love going thrift-shopping and just looking around without even buying something. Who knows what you might find.

I am sure that there are many others out there so feel free to share yours!

Debt Repayment Decision

I recently got around to submitting my tax return last week and I have begun thinking about where that extra money should go. The most obvious choice would be my citi loans because they have the highest interest. However, in order to keep me motivated I was thinking about putting the money into my savings account and eventually paying my Perkins loan in full. Now why would I do this?

Pros:
- The satisfaction of having one of my student loans paid in full.
- One less payment a month.
- Motivation to pay off my other loans.

Cons:
- Paying more interest to citi.
- It will take a longer amount of time to pay off my citi loans in full.

Oh, decisions. I suppose I have until the money is direct desposited into my account before I have to decide. Any thoughts about this would be helpful. Thanks.

Mid month Jan. - mid month Feb. Actual Spending

Last post I put my ideal budget, but lets see how well that went.

rent 462.50
electric 100 (Still have to get reimbursed 1/2 by roommate.)
Heat 228.54 (Still have to get reimbursed for 1/2 by roommate.)
This may seem high, but we have had the thermostat set to 60 all month.

Cash Withdrawal from Savings 20

Chase Cash Plus Rewards (My goal is to use this primarily for gas, groceries, and drug store purchases since I get 5 points on the dollar.)
262.86
Everything I spent on this card falls under gas, groceries, and drugstore except for:
Gym 21
Comcast 63.19
Car Wash 8 (I debated on this, but my car was super dirty from the weather.)

Citi MTVu
(I am trying not to use this one at all, but it does get 5 points on the dollar back for purchases like restaurants, fast food, book/media stores, and movies.)
restaurant 23

Discover
(This is my newest cashback card that I said I would only use for the quarterly 5% cashback, but I am suppose to get $10 if I spend $100 in the 1st month)
restaurant 27.42
Sprint 127.55
(The Sprint bill should not be this high, but I took over this account from my boyfriend and he still owed some.)

Total Credit Card Spending: 440.83

Total Spending: 1251.87
-164.27 (1/2 utilities)- 20(still have cash in my wallet)
=1067.60

Total Debt paid: 787.80
Perkins 63.64
Direct Loans 24.16
Citi 700

Total Income: 1827.10
Paycheck 1: 882.84
Paycheck 2: 836.12
Part-time job Paycheck 1: 57.63
Part-time job Paycheck 2: 50.51

Income - Spending & Debt
-28.30 (Not really, since I have a couple of hundred stashed away in savings.)

I have realized that I am going to have to cut back in my spending even more this month in order to get my budget under $1,000. I also put more money towards student loans this month because my paychecks were a bit higher than usual due to holiday pay.

My Debt

I have now added debt calculation tickers in an attempt to motivate myself to be free of debt. Keep in mind that I only take home about $1600 a month plus whatever my part-time job gives me which is usually only about $80 - $100 extra. This means that my budget has to stay under $1000 which has been difficult, but doable. I must say that I am looking forward to my tax return which of course will go directly to paying down the loans.

Here is the general breakdown of what I pay each month:

Debt -

Perkins: 63.64
Direct Loans: 156.05
Citibank: 500 (or a bit more if I have any extra money)

Non-Debt -

rent: 462.50
utilities: 150 (winter months)
food: 100
Internet: 63 (I know this is a splurge, but it is high-speed.)
cell phone: 50 - 60
gas: 50
misc: 50

(This does not include any emergency expenses or biyearly expenses such as my car insurance.)

Traveling

I just got back from a nice little trip back to OH for 5 days and of course I spent more money than I had planned. The trip generally takes me about 61/2 hours each way and I spent about $80 in gas total. I was lucky to have my mom treat me to some things - like the movies! Somehow I still ended up paying $23 treating my sister to lunch at a fun Mexican restaurant and $27 celebrating my best friend's birthday at an upscale Italian restaurant. However, I feel all the money spent was well worth it since it allowed me to spend some quality time with friends and family.

1st Blog Entry

So, one of my new year's resolutions was to gain a better grip on my finances. I have spent enough time reading other people's PF blogs and decided it was time to start one of my own. Any thoughts/ comments are welcomed. We'll see how this goes.