Money saving things done in the past two days: carpooled in to work with a co worker. Since I moved last weekend we now live about a mile apart. He is willing to do the driving and I will just split the parking pass. We might loose our pass as our current lot is being turned into some condo place so that will limit where we can park. About 60 cars are loosing space so we have been looking for a new place for a month. If we can still work with the agency and find someplace else to park I will save about $100 a month in parking and probably about $15 in gas (only 10 minutes to work about 6 miles). That is significant savings for me each month and over a year would amount to just under $1500. If we can’t continue someplace else then parking will still be about $40 each if we find an all day space and pay the meter each day. I would be saving the same each day.

I cut my French class last night I was so tired I was nauseous. I took a three hour nap, ate a sandwich did some home work and was back in bed about 10:30. I hate to miss class but I was to tired and to sick. Have a major project due on Monday that I need to complete this weekend and I need to do my business class homework too. I love taking classes just for fun.

Tonight is the big girls night spa thing and dinner. Should be a lot of fun!

Watched a great documentary this past weekend: Emmanuels Gift. Story of a young man from Ghana who was born with one leg deformed and he ended up riding his bike accross Ghana to bring up the fights of the diabled in Ghana. He eventually ran in a San diego Triathlon and has made a large impact in Ghana. Watch it!

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V. Dirthday at work spent 23 dollars on cake, candles, card, growing plant of flowers, all going to lunch today and then mellow me out and bucca for dinner.

Payday! Bills already scheduled, checks written for those I cannot pay online and ready to mail, checks to cash so that I have my spending, gas and grocery money for the month of march, rent check done and given to landlord/room mate.

Almost bounced a check! Well not really but it felt like it. I have not mailed anything but I thought I would have money to send back to savings at the other bank but I forgot the taxes check was in the mail and has not yet cleared. I wrote the checks for March’s saving plans and will send those off today and for the event tomorrow so I am going to wait until I get paid back from my friend and then I can deposit that check into my savings instead or against a credit card bill if I can’t do my weekly extra payments against my account.

Nothing else except I didn’t hit the grocery store last night or make lunch for today. I need to pick up something unless I eat oatmeal for lunch then I can save money. Hm…will have to think about that.

Greetings from rainy, foggy, cold, plowing hail from the streets Sacramento!

So yesterday I met with the finance guy who helps manage my IRA from rollovers of different 401k programs. I had great returns this year averaging 21% so if I can keep that ball going for the next 30 years it would be good! I just wish there was more money in those accounts to have made even more. It was nice to plan what to do with the small roll over from my part time job I had for the past year and a half. Going with an aggressive international fund for the next year or two as we both think that will be the place to invest seeing what has happened in the past several years.

Had French class last night I love that class! I also took 150 from my savings account at another bank to assist in the move stuff and it looks like I can return it untouched since tomorrow is pay day. Yippee! I love that!

I also have money left this month in the parking/gas fund of cash. Being sick for 2 weeks and not having parking during 6 days really helped me save 50 dollars. It would have been more but I spent a good deal of it dining when I was not feeling like cooking. 5 here and 5 there really added up. I would have saved easily another 50 if I had not done that and eaten what I had at home. I will fill my tank today after work to start March with a full tank and not have to make that the first expense of the month. I want to see if I can make it two weeks with out having to get gas if I begin to carpool with a friend to work. Only 6 miles but let’s see what the saving in parking and gas are after a month. I will also take what ever is left of that account from February's money and put it with my home emergency fund. I am keeping a small amount of cash at home with my change to cover any unexpected small expenses that might happen. Adding this to it will be nice and when it gets to be too much then I deposit it into my long term savings for emergencies account or dropping it immediately against a cc bill.

I have not spent any money today but I am going to see a movie tonight with a friend and we have already agreed not to have dinner out (saving money) but we will buy popcorn at the movie. I never go to the movies at night always preferring to hit the early show on the weekends or go by myself after work during the week as the prices are cheap until 5 or 6 during the week. I just plan to go to the latest one possible.
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Does anyone else notice that there are some blogs you ready every day if you have limited time? I realized there are several I look for each day and when they are not there I begin to worry a bit wondering if they are ok. Reading these entries really helps keep me focused and I thank each of you that participate!

SO I successfully moved over the weekend. I am not liking my new place so much but hope it is only for a few months, until august hopefully. I hop by then to have a new job and maybe qualify for a home mortgage.

This new place, the person who owns it has cats and seems to be not very good at cleaning the liter box, or else she is so use to the smells that it does not phase her.

I hate the smell. I am keeping my door closed and the cats out and am leaving the window open about an inch for fresh air in my room. That helps quite a bit.

This new room is going to cost me about 200 more per month. I think I could have found something cheaper in the long run but I just wanted out of my situation. He made it impossible to take the time that he said to take to find a new place, was grumpy and depressed.

I had to pull some money out of savings to cover the move. Originally I had arranged to use a mover then the day before they cancelled on me! I managed to find enough family and “hired” two young men to come and move the two heavy pieces for me. Ridiculous but at least they got the two heavy pieces upstairs when I didn’t think it was going to be possible.

I took money out of savings but I think I am going to be able to put most of t back since I got paid from a friend who owed me money for the trip to LA last week. That is nice to be able to return to savings.

I went and say two condos in the area I would like to live. 525000 and 464000! Outrageous! The first one was nicely laid out and I really like it a lot, but other than the size it is not really worth that much money. And the dues per month were almost 400! The second one was two bed/bath one story and was not worth what he was asking.

I am going to start looking at foreclosures and see if I can find anything reasonable. Saw a couple on line that were possibilities but I want to live in an area that I feel safe living in by myself and most are not even close to that.

I’ll keep looking.

So i am back at work but have no real motiviation. i am moving this weekend into a place that will end up costing me about 200 more a month but i will be car pooling with someone from when work when i can so should help to save some parking money there.

i am still incredibly tired but am aiming to do better at saving money. am getting a refund from both state and fed this year which is nice and is going directly into the bank. i might have to buy a new phone as my current one is not acting well and it is kind of old.

nothing else really to report.

well so much for a good month. i caught a cold and it turned into pneumonia so i missed 2 weeks of work. almost all my sick time gone.

and them my room mate hits me with the i think it is time for me to live alone you need to move stuff this past week.

at least it prodded me to start looking at property and houses. houses too expensive but maybe an older condo will work. found one that has been completly remodeled started doing paperwork only to be told that since my job is a contract one the % is really high for the loan almost 9 %forget it. i'll wait until i find another full time non contract position and just keep saving. but i really want the house. at least it has received no offers and it has been on the market for 3 months. market has really slowed in the sacramento area in the past 6 months.

OK so this month has been difficult on the finances and i forgot to include my two day trip to San Francisco at the end of this week into my budget so i am going to have to charge my room for thursday night, at least i can pay it off at the beginning of february.

I am going to go to the oral assessments (interview) for the foreign service. Each year they give the exam, each year i take it each year i pass and each year i sit on this hire list waiting to be called. Whn they called three years ago i had not yet presented my thesis for grad school so they were relunctant to have me go as they could not guarantee my ability to attend the following year. So here i go again for the 6th time. I would love to work with them and hope that i am able to actually get a job with them some day. At least all this has been good practice and i never have nerves a anymore when i go and do this.

i need to spend a little money today for the party we are hosting on the 28th. A friend of mine and I are hosting a southern living at home party and we have a budget of 100 for about 30 people. We have a lot of food and stuff for the party and came in much under budget. We are doing it to support a friend who is trying to get a side business off the ground. And the company gives a great program, if we earn 500 for the party, we each earn it instead of the usual program of splitting the proceeds. I already know what I am getting depending upon the amount we earn and they are fir gifts for people over the next year.

I bought my niece a gymnast sweatshirt yesterday at the gym. They currently live in Europe and there she is a competitive gymnast at the age of 11 but they are possibly moving to the states in the summer and yesterday she went to a local comp gym to see how they work out and such. She was moved into three groups and finally they put her into the high school age team because of her skills. It was hard at first because the equipment is very different. Here they train one certain competitive mats but there they do not. The height and speed she was getting last night was a little scary and she will have to learn not to hit the floor so hard. At first she was going everywhere until she managed to control it. The coaches said she has very strong legs, probably because there the floors are not spring like here. Anyway it was fun to see how far she has come since she began two years ago.

I need to find something for me nephew now since I spent money on his sister, probably a game for his game boy.

Work is going well big project to finish by tomorrow but I think it will be finished today. Work is going toward the re writing of my duty statement so that helps too.

So I am one step closer to a promotion and a raise!! Actually the promotion is set but I need to rewrite my own duty statement and have them figure out the raise. I am hoping to jump to a 3 from a 1 but would be happy with a 2. (position level) and I am still looking for an appropriate job I can apply to work at this place as an employee instead of a contractor. I can't qualify for a house if they see that I am a contractor and the job could end each year in august. ugh!

A raise to get out of debt faster would be nice since I know I can love on this current money any extra will go to pay off debt and raise my emergency fund a little at a time would be great too.

Hit a good sale yesterday at casual corner. They are going out of business and everything is 60 -90% off. I picked up 4 shirts for working out for only 16. normally $60! I need something to inspire me to continue going to the gym right now because I am just not feeling it and it is frustrating. So I thought a couple new shirts might make the difference in helping me get there. Also bought a beautiful purple shawl I had been eyeing for a couple months for just 10 usually 50! Just something to put away maybe as a gift or maybe for me! Who knows! It is something I have always wanted, some beautiful shawls to wear and this one is beautiful. I am also looking for a beautiful black wool wrap but maybe someday I can find a pattern to crochet it. Anyone have one?

Had dinner with my family at applebees for $16 too.

Today did minimal grocery shopping for lunches for the rest of the week. $13 saved 9!

So…need to calculate the totals spend to date this weekend!

edit: tonight is the gymnastics thing for brittany before they go back home on saturday!

Hope everyone is well, thanks for reading!

Had a wonderful dinner with sisters and families Friday night for their birthday and Elmer bought. Nice to see everyone. Had a good dinner out Saturday with friends and a good evening $25 plus horrible, horrible coffee 2.85. Rearranged furniture on Saturday to make my room work better. Not sure if I like it my bed is against the outside walls this way and I am colder at night. Grocery shopping $27 on Sunday after lunch at pf change. Edward bought. Got the stomach flu Sunday night and was out Monday. Trying to catch up!

while sick read the 4 and 5 of the harry potter series in two and a half days.

So ready to have this week over! It is hard to go back to work when you only work 1 day in 10.

Yesterday was a small spend day, 7 for parking, 16.40 for groceries, 1.75 snacks in the afternoon.

I have already read 6 books toward my goal this year. (Vacation at the beginning of the year.) I have to rethink that one. Went to the library to get a library card in my new town, Sacramento, and found that while we have something like 24 libraries there is no real section on frugal living, saving or books on personal finance that you don’t have to be a math doctorate to read! Frustrating! At least you can check out and return to any library in the system and it seems like they have a pretty good new book section. I am going to hit the book stores this weekend and find some books and authors I might want to read then search for them in the card catalog. I am going to try and not buy any books this year. That is where a lot of my spending goes and I really don’t have the room for them or the money to be spent. I might track the dollar cost of each book I check out of the library along with the title in my book tracker to see how much I would have saved. That might keep me in line. And if I do feel the urge to spend on a book it will only be from a used book store.

I am still trying to figure out what to do about going back to school. I already have one masters in international and intercultural management and for work purposes I am thinking about going back for a masters in Public Health, that would be paid for, if I can get hired on instead of being a contractor with my current job before schools starts in August. But I am not really sure I want a MPH. I am interested in the MBA program at UC Davis but I am not really sure about spending that amount of money again in school loans. It would cost around 40 grand or so. Since I work for a public health agency they will not pay for an MBA.

I am interested in doing financial management and counseling on the side but I worry about doing it without more of a degree. I love working with people to set up budgets to work with and walk them through saving money, setting up retirement programs, and talking to them about ways they can save for their future but am not sure I want to do it full time. Working with a couple of friends right now is fun, but I don’t think I want to do it full time or it might loose it’s allure for me.

Anyway I would love the advice of anyone who will pass it along to me!

was a realtively quiet day at work, just a core meeting and then a bobmshell about our open house. let's leave that one alone.

spending today equals lunch out with my friend melissa at chinese 7.49 and parking for 7.00 so 14.49 added to monthly total of 53.84.

going to sis house to have dinenr with all the family as my otehr sis is visiting til next saturday. speghetti and i hope to bring some home for lunch tomorrow if i can. If not i am going to hit the store on my way home and make some sauce. i have little of anything left in the freezer that i can take for lunch.


went to the gym last night for the first time in a long time and while i know i have been losing what little energy and strenght i had it was enough to shock me. I will go again tonight maybe. I took a two mile woalk at lunch to the restuaurant and back so that should account for something and my bad foot injured in the peace corps is really bothering me a lot lately. might have to go back to the doc for that one, but is has been 4 years since i came home with the injury so i guess i'll see.

while i have been reading and participating a bit i just have not had the time or energy to post.

But here are my goals for 2006. They might seem like a lot but most of these i already do i am just increasing some things a little to see some changes.

Read 15+ non fiction books
Read 50+ fiction books
Look for new recipes
Cook and freeze more
Obtain permanent job in current situation/employer
Stay within my budget and track all expenses for the year
Emergency fund to 10000
Gas/parking less than $250 EACH MONTH
Entertainment less than $250 EACH MONTH
Personal spending/groceries less than $250 EACH MONTH
DCP equal 1.5%
401k to 5%
Pay 50 % renters insurance in February
Pay 50% renters insurance March
Pay off car insurance in February (less than $200)
Save $500 per month into emergency fund (minimum, should be closer to $750)
Save for trip to Nashville to visit Jerry
Save for trip to the Netherlands to visit sister and her family
Gym 4 to 5 times a week and track eating by day
Use library twice a month and end purchase of books on impulse

spending so far in 2006:
$7 Tower cafe on 1/1
$6.5 movie 1/2 Narnia, excellent movie
$3.85 1/2 jamba juice not sure if i liked this *treat* would maybe have one more but awfully sweet
$15 gas
$7 parking
39.35 total from 2 categories entertainment and transportation

Pizza $60 for my entire family (11 adults 4 kids at my house), actually came out of Decembers budget because we were supposed to do it in December and i had pulled the money already.


So let's track the goals and see how they go for 2006! There will be more as there always are but this is the beginning.

while i have been reading and participating a bit i just have not had the time or energy to post.

But here are my goals for 2006. They might seem like a lot but most of these i already do i am just increasing some things a little to see some changes.

Read 15+ non fiction books
Read 50+ fiction books
Look for new recipes
Cook and freeze more
Obtain permanent job in current situation/employer
Stay within my budget and track all expenses for the year
Emergency fund to 10000
Gas/parking less than $250
Entertainment less than $250
Personal spending/groceries less than $250
DCP equal 1.5
401k to 5%
Pay 50 % renters insurance in February
Pay 50% renters insurance March
Pay off car insurance in February ($200)
Save $500 per month into emergency fund (minimum, should be closer to $750)
Save for trip to Nashville
Save for trip to the Netherlands
Gym 4 to 5 times a week and track eating by day
Use library twice a month and end purchase of books on impulse

spending so far in 2006:
$7 Tower cafe on 1/1
$6.5 movie 1/2 Narnia, excellent movie
$3.85 1/2 jamba juice not sure if i liked this *treat* would maybe have one more but awfully sweet
$15 gas
$7 parking
39.35 total from 2 categories entertainment and transportation

Pizza $60 for my entire family (11 adults 4 kids at my house), actually came out of Decembers budget because we were supposed to do it in December and i had pulled the money already.


So let's track the goals and see how they go for 2006! There will be more as there always are but this is the beginning.

Wow it was a busy weekend

Friday night our monthly wine and whine for work. I invited a bunch of friends for drinks and dinner out at a local restaurant (Centro). We had a good time but drinks and dinner were more expensive than I thought and I ended up ordering dessert (flan which I love but never actually order). Spending was $35 for 5 hours of fun.

Saturday I did laundry and cleaned the house then went to get my hair cut. I just needed a trim and was not willing to pay my regular person $55 for a trim so I went to a super cuts nearby. I was really nervous about it but I had a wonderful girl and I would go back and see her again. She trimmed it just the way I wanted it and it was only $13!

Had a movie afternoon with a friend and we both got a soda and split a popcorn as we both missed lunch. Movie was $9.5 for the popcorn she treated. Prime was a cute movie

Dinner out that night was not planned for me. I was going to stay at home and read my new book and do laundry. It has been a long week for me and I was tired and had to work my second job on Sunday really early but my housemate and friends convinced me to go. So I went to Zocalo and had a great dinner but spent $25.

Sunday I worked 4 hours then they sent me home. My arm is still sore and weak from the accident in October and it is hard to lift anything with my right hand, or do much work on my computer. I am thinking about quitting as I need a break and they would hire me back at the busy time of year next spring. The money is not much more a month right now since I work only 1 day a week and after almost 2 years of 7 days a week I am exhausted and want a break! Bu it can make my decision later this week. They understand.

Sunday afternoon some friends and I went to lunch but since I had already eaten I joined them in three bites of the appetizer and lots of water. $2. Then we went and saw jar head and we bought a drink and a popcorn, spent $17. So only 1 week in and one third of my spending money for the month is gone. At least when I have vacation during thanksgiving week it should be cheap, I have to finish packing up my house and won’t really be doing much else.

Did grocery shopping too on Sunday and spent $44. Instead of spices this trip I bought a cookie sheet (mine are in the old house) and I will be buying one spice a trip to the store until I am caught up. I saved almost $40 on the trip thought because Safeway was having a b1g1 sale on some things I use like jam and jelly and such. So into the cupboard they went. Always nice to have a little something extra tucked away. Now if I could just find PB that way! Still have 250 toward grocery this month. It seems like a lot but I am trying to slowly gather things I will need instead of spending a huge chunk when I moved into my new home in August.

It was an expensive but fun weekend. It just means that this month I need to make sure to walk to work and not drive so as to not pay for parking. I have only driven one day this month but that was because I had an off site meeting and needed the car. It I walk to work I save $7 a day and put that in my “secret” stash to be used toward something else later.

Enough for now!

I love it when you have to do a surprise training and can pull something out of a hat and make it work. Even better when it is in conjunction with two different state agencies and you wow the socks off them. I got approached by one of my supervisor’s sups to ask if I want to apply for a promotion (read big raise!) because he would like to see me at another position. Long story short I am so excited and would love a new position. Having only been at this position for 6 or so months, it makes me feel validated as an employee!

November spending thus far:
11/1 lunch 673 (meeting with new training guinea pigs, promised to take them off site)
11/2 lunch 7.77
11/2 Dinner 8.94 usually I take my lunch but this past couple of days I have been to tired to make it the night before and that is not good. Total spending from my "fun money" equals just over 23.00.

Planned spending for the weekend:
1. Lunch out tomorrow (standard on Fridays)
2. After work get together for drinks and dinner (no alcohol and usually buy an appetizer for dinner or make sure to take home half my meal)
3. Hair cut on Saturday. Just a cheapy at some local quick cut place. Cut and dye happens closer to Christmas unless I go on a vacation trip before that.
No other "fun money" expenses are planned.

I need to grocery shop this weekend if there are some good sales and I am getting bored with what I have been eating to I need to experiment some and find some other recipes to fix to keep me from not bringing my lunch which costs me money in the long run.

My ex had begun to start emailing again. I still love this man even though it has been a messy thing, off and on for two years. He wants me to move to Phoenix but I am just not ready to give up on this job I love so much and the possible promotion. I saw, let’s do weekend monthly visits while you get your act together. Not sure if he wants me for me or because he is lonely and is not finding others to "date". Adds frustration and my eating seems to get out of control when this happens. I have gained a lot of weight in the past year over this.

On a positive note, I have managed to walk into work and home three times this week and plan for it tomorrow too. Saves me money and time. Don't have to go to the gym if it is a long enough distance to count.

Till next time!

but here goes.

November goals:
250 for gas for the month or less
300 for entertainment
300 groceries. Although I used over this in October, I have a very stocked freezer which will allow me to have less over all spending. I am slowly buying spices, herbs etc to fill the kitchen. Just things as we need them, nothing over the top and slowly.

All the other expenses are fixed expenses and fixed savings vehicles. Let's see if I can stay in these three categories for the month.

There is some left over for emergency spending if something was to come up but that is all in my extra account and if none of it is used for the month then it goes into extra emergency savings. I call it my pay check cushion.

One thing i like is that i am actively taking classes at alocal community college just for fun, keep me busy and costs almost nothing for 3 night a week fun and subjects i am interested in. Great time and everything looks good for november.

So i wonder where i caught this cold that i seem to have? and my neck is so stiff from stress at work i could just cry. But yesterday was a no spend day for me! Yippee! Today was a birthday lunch that i knew about and had planned for in my budget.

My budget is all set for October and pay day is tomorrow from both my jobs, gotta love Fridays and pay days. I am so anxious for everything to come through tomorrow so that i can schedule the payments i want to pay tomorrow and start clean in October.

I have only two activities planned for the month, and the money is set aside for both as well as any other spending money i may need, groceries, gas etc. I think i am set for the month.

Edit: and i am planning for 10 no spend days this month!

Hello! My name is Kristina and I have a lot of debt and wish to get rid of everything (excluding my student loans which is to much) by January 2008. Earlier would be great, but this is my last step. This journal is made to track my progress toward riding myself of this albatross.

I have no credit cards that I use. One I carry but that is strictly for emergencies (and shoe sales, as much as I want them to count, do not qualify!)

I have a very detailed budget that I found hard to stick to, so over the past three months I have been tracking my spending and trying to re organize it and make it more specific, it is now about 2.5 pages long but accounts for everything I spend.

I take money out each month, my allowance if you will, that I allow myself to use to do the things I want to do. I have a grocery allowance, a gas allowance (luckily I am starting to walk to work to save on the gas, it is just ridiculous in California!) I am making a grocery list when I go to the store and only buy what is on the list and I look for specials, coupons and rebates where ever possible.

I hope that this journal will keep me honest about my situation but sharing with someone who is not a friend or family. What is so funny is that I have been reading and studying this, (am thinking about getting a degree in finance to compliment my others) and have even been able to help others make decisions about finances, work on budgets and get their lives in order but I can’t seem to pay off things fast enough. I am 100% cash as of a month ago and putting any extra to ward paying off two cards with in the next 5 months then I will have only 2 cards, one large and one small to pay off. Then I only have student loans but that won’t affect my ability to save for a down payment on a house and get on with my life.

I have a few questions that I am hoping you can answer as I have spent the past couple of weeks reading the journals and boards:

1. Where can one purchase the discount gift cards that people have been talking about?
2. What are the envelopes people are talking about?
3. Where can one find on line coupons without having to sign up for something or give my email?

Financial Goals include:
Paying cash for everything.
Getting daily spending to be no more than 12.00 per day.
Using more coupons and specials.
Buying generic or store brand more often and putting the difference into my savings account.
To keep saving toward retirement at 15% 401k and 3% IRA.
To rebuild my emergency fund back to 10,000.