Another Month Down..

Its tough being young and living month to month, but I am proud to say we have just finished paying off this months bills! On time no less.
I know it may seem silly but I am really proud that I have been living on my own now for five months and have only had one late payment! (rent)
My ultimate goal for life - To live each year debt free. Now obviously, when you get a car you make payments, and in some peoples eyes thats debt, however, I don't see it that way. Its just another bill and as long as I make each payment on time I am doing nothing wrong! Same with buying a house.
This goal may be ridicuously unrealistic, but who is going to tell me that I can't do it?
I figure by being this financially aware at my age, I am already one step ahead in the game!

I was paid today too. Bartender pay checks are always depressingly small, as we rely on our tips for income, but I didn't need to use any of that for my bills today which was a serious plus!
I am going to add a dollar to each of my savings and put aside money for my phone bill, due on the twelfe. The rest I will use to start stocking up for May!

My Challenge For March!

No-Spend Feb. has inspired me to create new challenges for myself throughout the year. This is my March Challenge, "Stock Up For May"

In this challenge, saving in March will be a little more difficult, but here is the deal:
I am going to cut coupons and find all those "five for ten dollars" kind of deals. Each week I will try and stock up on individual items (Toilet Paper, Spaghetti, Shampoo, Pet Food, Sandwhich meat etc.) that way in march the only things I should have to pay for are my fixed monthly bills and obviously the fresh foods. March will be tight, but in May I should be able to focus on saving! And after all, that is the ultimate goal. :]

Does anyone else have any challenges set?
Let me know what you think about mine.
:]

My Birthday :]

I have to admit, over this past week I have been terrible about keeping my No spend Updated. I will get to that tonight or tomorrow morning (Promise!)

Today is my 19th birthday!
I have a job interview in two hours!
The festivities began on saturday and I am sad this will be the end until next year.
I'm real in to Birthdays, not just my own, but everyones! I feel like everyone, no matter if they are turning 9, 19, or 79 should feel just as excited! Its your day! The one day a year you get to feel like the most important person in the world. I am not shy at all about letting people know, I strut around town in my princess tiarra, and for one day a year, I feel like the coolest kid in town!

Amuse me,
What is YOUR favorite birthday memory?

Refusing to be affected!

Yesterday was quite the day!
I have already told you about my Valentines day fiasco, well here is the icing on the cake.
On Valentines Day we took a trip to see Auston's Family, I told you they gave us a fifty dollar gas card that I was EXTREAMLY greateful for, because that will really help us save more this month, and get all our bills paid on time! Well, after getting home, and being in such a hurry to get dinner on the table and the movies started I left my purse in his car, and didn't even realize it.
My manager came by yesterday to give me  key so I could get into work, and I decided that it was time to get ready for work, I was running all over the house trying to find my brand new hair brush, when I realized I didn't have my purse!
My hair brush is now the least of my worried.
No purse meant no keys.
No keys meant no car.
and no locking the apartment!
Now, I have already told you that my neighbors hate us, so not locking the apartment was not high on my list, but what was I supposed to do, I couldnt not go to work?
We had an order coming in and I had to be there to meet the guy.
I bravely left my apartment, walked to mcdonalds to return our redbox movies from the night before (I was NOT paying for an additional night), then proceeded to walk to work (which is only about a half mile away), on my way to work my flip flop broke, causing my to get a blister!
FINALLY I made it to work, called my apartment management and had them lock my doors for me.
Despite this, and despite everything from the night before, I refused to have a bad day, I just kept pushing through. I was so thankful that I worked so close to home, and I even had a decent night at work.
I also got a reply from a job I applied to and I have an interview Monday!
Wish me luck!

Valentines Day.

Yesterday Was great. Despite, my neighbors and the dog trying to ruin it!
Before I go further you have to understand that I live in an apartment complex with Auston, and our neighbors, for reasons unknown to me, (except that I turned on of them down over and over again), hate us!

My arrangement, BEFORE the dog ate it!

So with that being said, I will continue. Yesterday one of my purchases from Dollar General was a two dollar rose. Just a single rose, but I had a plan. I got home, and on our door we have a clip (for notices and such) Auston was due home any minute so I clipped the rose to the door.  I kept checking on it, to make sure it was there and ot one point I heard voices, well I checked and it was there! Two minutes later, its GONE!

The nerve of some one to try to ruin my Valentines day. Well, after ranting and raving for a few minutes I looked over at the table where I had neatle arranged two champagne glasses, Austons Gift, and his cake, and who should have there big old face dug right into the cake but our dog!

Oh that was just great!

Auston came home, and he made me feel so much better, I felt like everything was ruined!
We stopped by his parents house and they gave us a fifty dollar gas card, which will really help!
Then we came home, had breakfast for dinner, ate what was left of the cake, watched Letters to Juliet and Easy A and went to bed.
It was great!

The Rose, BEFORE it was stolen!

Valentines day plans :]

I am so excited for this Valentines day.
Auston and I are spending it at home, We are going to have breakfast for dinner! With blueberry pancakes, bacon, and eggs!
I am also making his favorite, red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting!
I managed to snag two champagne glasses from work, and we are going to have sparkling apple juice with dinner! Its going to be so much fun, much better than waiting in line for an hour at a returaunt, that will be inevitably packed with other couples.
He knows about breakfast for dinner, but I didn't tell him about the cake, or the apple juice, or my present :]

I am making him a memory box, and inside it will be written stories about all of our favorite memories together. I have decided it's safe to put that on here because he never reads my blog anyways!

What are the rest of you planning?

Friday, No Spending.

I can do this early today since I KNOW I won't be spending anything today.
Today is my stay at home and clean till my fingers bleed day!
I got all my supplies in last nights shopping trip so the only thing left for me to get is ambition!
I feel the dog smell is ambition enough.

On a bighter note, I did manage to take another five dollars yesterday and split it amongst my savings!
Its not much, but money is tight this month, hopefully after not spending all month I will have much more to add on March 1st.

I feel I am lucky to be money concious so early on, I am to young to have aquired any kind of debt.
My biggest goal in life is to go through buying only things that I can afford! I have been reading about many of your struggles overcoming substantial amounts of debt and I am so proud that all of you are managing to do it, but you are also inspiring others to be more aware of their spending habits so that they hopefully won't end up in the same situation!

You can keep up to date with my No Spending here.
and my 2011 savings goals here.

Work. Work. Work.
Finally, I have a second to sit down and breath. I got called in last night and ended up working the night shift till 3 am and then getting up at ten and going back in for my regular day shift.
Work or no work though, I still had to go grocery shopping tonight.
It feels good to relax.

Find out how my no spending is going!

ADVICE?

So, here i am... opening my electric bill, excited because i am POSITIVE it is going to be way down... wait for it..... nope, its the same. literally. $121. For a two bedroom apartment, thats a lot!
I am confused because I boycotted my heater this month, choosing to wrap up in sweaters and blankets instead. So why is it still so high?
Any advice?
what do you guys do to lower yours?

Whats behind Cabinet number one?

I have been really pushing off this next grocery trip. Trying to use leftovers, before they go bad (as usual). Well tonight is going to be a mac and cheese night (I have eight boxes in my pantry!) with ham thats leftover from last week. Now its not the most popular decision, but hey, this mac and cheese has to get used sometime... I usually save it for when my sisters come over.
Tommorow is dinner at Auston's moms... Thursday is looking like a grocery day.
but hey, that will be my first grocery trip this month!!