Hand Crushing Peppers.

So I have been shadowing at my new job for two days now.
It been pretty good thus far.
And thats pretty much all I can say.
Because I work with disabled clients, talking about my day at work is pretty much a Huge No-No.

I am so excited for my paycheck though!

Mom and I have been getting the yard ready to garden, and I am so excited. I have already started a bunch of seeds inside.
My main goal is to grow enough herbs to maybe sell a few on the side. (one can hope)
Yesterday I crushed up some dried hot peppers. We had tons leftover from last year. I filled an alfredo jar full!
I have a mortar and pistol I hardly ever get to use so I was excited. It would be safe to say that was a fairly large mistake. The pepper dust filled the air and I was tearing up and coughing, and I thought I might die. It was fun though. And now we have home grown crushed hot peppers.
So excited.

Closing out March.

I haven't posted much lately. Mainly because I haven't been working, so I haven't had anything financial to talk about.
I had orientation for my new job on Friday though, so hopefully the financial chats will be rolling in soon!

Since its the first of April I thought I would do a recap on my goals for March.
Here they are -

I must warn you though, it isn't pretty.

March

-Do some exercise 3 times a week.
My original goal for the year was to walk 3 miles a week. But finding the time to walk was difficult. So I'm changing it to exercise. Any kind. 3 times a week.
Uh. Well here's the deal. I haven't been tracking this. But I can tell you that I have been very active, taking walks and raking, and so I cant say whether I passed or failed.
-Attempt to put $200 in my emergency Fund.
I haven't put anything in here yet, but if I'm going to get to $2,000 by January, I need to start being more aggresive with it.
Done. wonderful. $200 smackaroo's sitting in the bank.
Its a wonderful thing.
-Show Auston the awesomeness that is New Hampshire.
I grew up here. He is moving from Florida for the first time in his life. I just want him to understand the beauty and coolness of where we are going to.
We have driven around, and sight seen. and over all he is very happy. So I consider this a success.
-Donate $90 to a charity of my choosing.
A little more than last month, but I can't skip out on a month, or else meeting my goal for the year will be near impossible.
Hmm, well. It took longer to get into my position than I had anticipated, So I wasn't able to put this money in.
Also because I was let go of my last job earlier than anticipated lat year I wasn't able to Donate the $80 like I wanted. So I am really far behind in this. We will see how it goes.
-Sew 3 baby bibs.
I want to start sweing and selling different items to help pay for our adoption fee's in the upcoming years. Hopefully I will be gitting a machine shortly.
Not even one.
-Write another Chapter in my book.
I have been neglecting my story :( And it is off to such a great start. So this month I want to sit down, and really focus on it.
Fail. Fail Fail.

There you have it.
My not so success for the month.
After some careful thought though, I think I just had to much planned for such a stressful point this year. We just moved to a new state.

This month has simple goals:

April

1.) Cash. Pay for things in cash, so I will have change to stick in my sealed pot.

2.) Pay for May & Junes Rent in advance.

3.) Start running. I really want to and I am just to chicken to try.

Old school, but still awesome

So the other day mom and I were talking about the new bills we were going to have to pay once her boyfried moves out and the house becomes ours. There were so many things that I just couldn't keep my head straight and I was trying to tally it up and come up with a rough estimate of what our monthly bill total will be and I just couldn't. Mainly because we still aren't sure about a few things. Like whether or not we would have cable or Netflix, or whos name would go under certain bills.

I was getting a bit anxious. I've been waiting tables or bartending for over two years now and the thought of living on a paycheck instead of tips is a bit strange. So I was thinking and thinking about how to keep the bills straight, so I wouldn't overspend and be caught off guard.

This is what I came up with -

I went to the store and bought a big sheet of bright colored poster paper. On the top of it I wrote Month, followed by Bill #1, #2-10, EF contribution, Car Savings and finally the total of it all for each month. Then I made lines for each column, wrote the months going along the left hand side and proceeded to fill it in.

I am really happy with it because now I have a way to keep the bills straight, and I made sure to include enough columns so if a random bill we don't typically have like gifts, or a trip to the vet comes up we can factor that in for the month as well.

I'm going to post it up in my kitchen, where I can be sure to see it everyday.

I know this idea isn't new by any means, but for me it seemed to be the easiest way to keep up with it all.

The board isn't beautiful. I'll probably make a new one and lamanate it and make it SUPER awesome later on, but for now this works.

What about you? How do you keep the bills straight?

A little of this and that.

I swear to you you'd think I was applying for the CIA.
All the paperwork that goes with the job I'm hoping for. And the real kicker is, I havent even technically been accepted yet!
NUTS!
Its a bunch of faxing things, and e-mails, and basically making sure I'm not a creep.
I am so excited to start work but in the mean time my money pot is dwindling FAST. Its got me a bit on edge.

On the upside though, I managed to put $200 into savings this month! Woo-hoo. Now the challenge : to keep it there!
I also was still able to add money to my car Fund, which brings it up to $90. :)

On the downside, I was let go from my last job sooner than I had hoped so I wasn't able to give my charity money last month. I know it sounds bad, but we really needed it to get by. Hopefully this month we will be able to do something.

Sorry this is so spuratic.

I was really hoping to go for a run today, I was so excited. But alas, life got in the way and I had to fill out some paperwork and go fax it, and then I had to make dinner, and now it is cold, and dark and I have resided to blogging instead.

I need to start getting more organized with my posts again.

I swear I am all over the place!

WE'RE HERE WE'RE HERE WE'RE HERE!

So after three days of driving we ended up here at about noon on Tuesday. I have so much more money left over  than I had anticipated. It's awesome!

The drive was alright, dad convinced me to take 95 all the way up so we could avoid hitting snow in the mountains and we hit so many ridiculous tolls! I picked on him, because my route would have avoided them all. I swear I didn't realize ho high they had gotten!
We only hit snow once driving through Virginia, and it came out of no where so there was no salt on the roads and our smooth sailing slowed down for a bit.
We made it out though, and now we're here!

I have talked to me new boss, and hopefully will begin work within the next week.

Other than that it has really just been a whole lot of family time. My entire family (mom dad and brothers) haven't been together in years so it was interesting. I'm wiped out from the whole thing.

Hopefully within the next few days things will start to mellow out and get into the norm. I still feel like I'm on one big vacation.

I am going to crash now.

Hello Lent.

Lent is traditionally observed and taken in part by Catholics.
I grew up in a big old Catholic family. I, however, am not. My mom never was either, its only my dads side. I'm like the one cracked egg in a carton full of perfect ones. Whenever religion is brought up at family dinner I just kind of bow my head and concentrate real hard on my food.

This Sunday all the kids are talking about what they've given up for lent - Their Nintendo DS's, etc. one of the smartass little ones said he has decided to "give up giving something up" I coulda smacked him.

My cousin asked me what I decided to give up in which I replied "Uh, Not Catholic. Remember" He then decides to announce it to the world. Annoying. They all know, but no one likes to be reminded of it. Not that most of them attend Mass ever anyways.

I got to thinking these past few days though, maybe I will give something up. Why not? I like a challenge. So I have decided to give up Coke for Lent. I have been trying really hard to cut back on this anyways. So there you have it, I am giving up Coke for Lent, wish me luck.

Are You Giving Anything Up?

Yearly Goals Checkin #2.

1. Walk 2.75 miles a week.

This has just not happened yet! I find it incredibly difficult to find the time to do, and when I find time it either rainy, or cold. So I have decided to change the perameters on this one. This challenge was all about fitness and health, so instead of walking I am changing it to exercise. From now on I will Exercise 3 times a week. Hopefully this challenge works a little better.

 

2. Save $1,000 to donate to a charity of my choice.

So far we have $80 saved up which will go to the charity of my choosing sometime this week. I am so proud of the fact that we managed this.

 

3. Put $2,000 into an emergency fund!

Total : $0. BUT next month I plan on putting $200 in. It just seemed silly to save for anything other than our move right now. Silly and impracticle.

 

4. $5.00 a week into a new car fund.

Check! This month we actually put $10 a week in to bump it up a little. So far I am very happy with this challenge and the way that its going. I wish I had started it sooner.

 

5. Start an IRA.

Not quite. But I start my new job in March, so hopefully after that I will be able to open up a retirement account.  

 

6. Finish writing my book.

I didn't open it once this month. Shame. On. Me.

 

7. Volunteer once a month in my community.

Okay here's what happened - we planned on volunteering at this one place. Then the woman got sick. Then Auston got sick. Then we were two months away from our move and it all seemed impossible to find time. So this month we failed. But we'll go twice next month to make it up!

8. Read atleast one book a month.

Done! I read The Help. which was awesome, and I suggest everyone reads it.

9. Use coupons for every BIG grocery trip.

I have been using them more! We went out to eat and saved $10 with a coupon! I'm just having the hardest time finding them!

 

10. Reduce eating out to no more than twice a week!

Lets not talk about this. Safe to say this month - that didn't happen.

 

11. Call my family atleast once a week.

I have been doing really well with this one.

 

12. Make and give away atleast 3 blankets.

I am halfway done with my crocheted one! And I just recieved a sewing machine from my Aunt, so I  should start sewing some soon!

My Dearest February, Thou art always the Worst.

Financially Speaking that is.

I don't know what it is about this month, I start off strong, still reeling from bringing in the New Year with a bang. Then two or three weeks go by, valentines day, my Birthday and all of a sudden I've lost track of my spending and my budget for the month is shot to hell.

Maybe you've noticed my lack of spending? Well thats the reason.

Today Marks the first day of our last week as Floridians. These next few days are going to be hecktic and I don't know if I will have time to post. So I figure this is as good a time as any to review my monthly goals.

-Double up on my Car fund : Put $10.00 each week instead of $5.00This thought donned on me the other day, I figure, why not? So instead of putting $20.00 aside, I'll be putting $40.00 aside this will bring my total to $80.00! Woo - High Roller. Its getting there - a little at a time.
We were laggin here in the middle (all of that mindless spending) but assuming all goes well this week we nailed this one! :] And I am that much closer to a new Car!
-Put $80.00 in my Charity Fund
I guess this is my magic number this month! So far I haven't put anything in my charity fund and that's a little upsetting. Now $50 seemed like to little, while $100 seemed like A LOT so I'm sticking to $80 this month.
Almost there! Once I work on tuesday I will be there and we will be writing our check. I am so happy we managed this!
-Comlete 1/2 of my first blanket.
I am slacking! I swear to you I will never crochet another blanket again. it takes WAY TO LONG!
Probably my best accomplishment! I was on a roll! then I slowed down, but I am deffinately about halfway there. I can not wait to see this puppy finished.

Whats next you ask?
March Goals:

-Do some exercise 3 times a week.
My original goal for the year was to walk 3 miles a week. But finding the time to walk was difficult. So I'm changing it to exercise. Any kind. 3 times a week.

-Attempt to put $200 in my emergency Fund.
I haven't put anything in here yet, but if I'm going to get to $2,000 by January, I need to start being more aggresive with it.

-Show Auston the awesomeness that is New Hampshire.
I grew up here. He is moving from Florida for the first time in his life. I just want him to understand the beauty and coolness of where we are going to.

-Donate $90 to a charity of my choosing.
A little more than last month, but I can't skip out on a month, or else meeting my goal for the year will be near impossible.

-Sew 3 baby bibs.
I want to start sweing and selling different items to help pay for our adoption fee's in the upcoming years. Hopefully I will be gitting a machine shortly.

-Write another Chapter in my book.
I have been neglecting my story :( And it is off to such a great start. So this month I want to sit down, and really focus on it.

There you have it!
Agressive, but imprtant to me! <3

Little car and I visited the Jiffy Lube :]

So my little 1994 Honda Civic is once again responsible for transporting Loveyy and I from one home to the next.
Almost two years ago I was packing her up and driving her 1,500 miles down here. I never thought she'd have to make the trip twice.
With the big move just 11 days away we decided to bring her to the car doctor for a check-up.
They filled up all of her fluids, and changes the oil. They also convinced me to flush the radiator. I haven't done this since I got her and I have put a good 100,000 miles on her since momma gave her to me after graduation in 2010.
All of this should have cost me around $130, which was steep but if it needed to be done, then it needed to be done.  However, with coupons, and discounts it only came to $70! I'd say I got a good deal! Proud? I am. We also bought some fuel injector and filler her up so hopefully her gas mileage will improve a little.
I LOVE when we take her in and get her tuned up, she always drives so much better afterwards.

Just 11 more days!!
I can not wait.

Yes, I am still here.

Sorry! I've been pretty scarce these past few days! I was working, and now Auston is out of town, so I've been having some time to myslef lately.
I thought about working tonight, then decided I really needed a Me day.

I promise to be back tonight with something financially relevant!!