May Review and June Budget

Bills (rent, cable, cell, loan repayments, etc) Budget: $1,605

Total: $1,650

Difference: -$45 

Grocery Budget: $200

Total: $134.00 

Difference: +$66

Eating out/Entertainment: $300

Total: $182.16

Difference: +$117.84

Shopping Budget: $100

Total:$115

Difference: -$15

Gifts Budget: $150

Total: $222.34

Difference: -$72.34 (forgot about my great Aunt's birthday, and my mom went WAY overboard on presents, and wanted me to put in half. Not cool.)

Medical Budget: $25

Total: $25

Difference: 0

Travel: $100

Actually Spent: $100

Difference: 0

JUNE BUDGET

• Rent:$857

• Transportation:$299

• Comcast (Internet+Cable): $238

• Phone: $100

• Loans: $165

• Credit Report: $17

• Netflix:$5

• Groceries: $200 

• Eating out/Entertainment: $150

• **Medical: $55

• **Travel: $50

• ** Shopping: $50

• ** Gifts: $100

• ** Misc: $50

All of the "**" are new categories. Well, new for me. For some reason I didn't include them in my previous budgets (see, I AM learning something by tracking and trying to budget, regardless of my success rate!). 

Some other changes:
Cut Entertainment/Eating Out in Half.

Cut Shopping in half. 

Cut travel in half. 

Cut Gifts by $50. 

I've decided to try to cut spending this month. We already have a lot of activities this month, between friends and Groupons to use. I went shopping pretty hard in May, and the only thing I really wanted this month was a VS bathing suit (ya know, for some extra "Ummpphh") but it's really not necessary. I want to throw all extra money into paying off student loans, or one in particular, so I need to cut back.

Love-ly Video

I just found this video and I absolutely love it! Ridiculously over the top and creatively overt displays of affection always get me. Seriously started tearing up - this guy did good! Enjoy!!

Isaac's Live Lip-Dub Proposal:

It's OK!

It's that time again! I'm linking up with Brunch with Amber for

"It's OK" that...

- Sometimes, I don't manage my time very well.

- I have been really hungry all the time lately. I eat lunch, and 2 hours later I need a snack. And two hours after that I want another one. It's madness, I tell you!

- I cannot, for the life of me, fold fitted sheets. 

Source: Uploaded by user via Maria on Pinterest

- I'm also not very good at making the bed. C likes "hospital corners," I don't even know what that means. 

- I may have gone over my "Gift-buying" budget. 

- C gets mad at me for over-gifting. I can't help it, I love buying gifts for people, especially when I see things I know they'll love! 

Source: someecards.com via Dani on Pinterest

- I can't wait to cut my hair this weekend. It's taking too long to do my hair, and I'm lazy, especially in the summer months.

- This week has seemed super slow. I've been thinking it's Thursday since Tuesday. But...

Source: Uploaded by user via glamviva on Pinterest

What are you saying "It's OK" to this week??

Pinspiration: Fashion

Have you ever been on Pinterest and wished you had everything  in your closet? Have you ever noticed that you may have some of the pieces, and that you can reconstruct them to make your very own outfits? Sometimes, I look to Pinterest to find new fashion inspiration for my clothes (especially for work)... here are two of my personal faves:

Source: simplyme091909.blogspot.com via Dani on Pinterest

navy blouse: Thomas Pink (gifted)

cardi: NoMoreRack

black pants: Express

belt: stolen from a dress

Source: polyvore.com via Dani on Pinterest

purple wrap dress: Ann Taylor (thrifted)

black tank: Forever 21

cardi: NoMoreRack (there was a cardigan sale haha)

necklace: Forever 21

I've tried a few others, with lesser degrees of success. I love finding new ways to wear my clothes, or discovering color combos that I didn't think of. Where do you find fashion inspiration?


Linking up with The Pleated Poppy, Rolled Up Pretty, A Little Bit of Laquer, The Vintage Apple, and Transatlantic Blonde.

Spending Report: May 15-21

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May 15: No Spend Day

May 16: No Spend Day

May 17: No Spend Day

May 18: No Spend Day

May 19: $7 Qdoba, $8 Stewart's, $10 cloves

May 20: $14 Groupon for Dinner for 2 in Midtown, $40 groceries, $6.60 Post Office, $10.68 Burlington Coat Factory (gifts), $6.26 CVS (gifts), $6.42 Home Depot (gifts), $10 cards, $50 donation

May 21: $30.85 2 Birthday presents, $4.50 beer

Grand Total: $197. 31

So, I may have forgotten about 3 people's birthdays this month! It lead to some extra spending, but hopefully not too much. Hence a bunch of little purchases here and there- I was putting together a gardening gift basket for my friend/old coworker. And then mailed it to her. But she got it today and was so surprised and really loved it! I love buying presents for people, especially when I think of/find something I know they'll love. But look- 4 "No Spend" Days! Sweet!

Monday TidBits: Newsworthy

It's raining. It has been raining every weekday. It has been making me a bit depressed. Like waking up on Mondays weren't hard enough! I really don't think I could survive in a place like London where rain is the norm. The good news is that the weekends have been mainly rain-free. I hope we are lucky again this weekend! Anyway, here are some of my random thoughts.


TV:


The Mindy Project



I cannot wait til this comes out. Seriously. It's like her book, only better. Plus, she's super cute, and realistic. She's a nut really. Which is why I love her!


I also cannot wait for this to come back:



Did you see what I just saw? Yes, STABLER. From SVU. He is going to be a vampire. Can NOT wait!!!Also, the return of Alcide. Yessss.


Ellen:



So I was looking for the True Blood trailer posted up there, and I came across this. I love Ellen- I think she's hysterical. Siri isn't bad either! I'm kind of glad I don't have the 4s because I would probably spend way too much time having conversations with "her"!


Also, there was an update on the Rutgers kid- his sentencing was today. If you don't know the story, you can read it here.  This came out today: "A New Jersey judge sentenced a former Rutgers student to 30 days in jail for using a webcam to spy on his roommate kissing another man." 

The kid who was filmed (without his knowledge or consent) was not out of the closet yet. 3 days after he was "caught" making out with another man, he committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge. So basically, this Dharun guy caused his roommate's death. He was offered a deal in December in order to avoid jail time-- he did not accept the deal. He displays absolutely no remorse and does not take responsibility for his actions. He was up for a maximum of 10 years jail time. He received 30 days probationary jail time, 300 community service hours, and a $10,000 fine. 

I think that that is hardly a slap on the wrist. If this were a situation in which a girl was filmed having sex with a guy, would the judge have been as lenient? I think that if there were more laws against  cyber bullying and gay rights, he would have gotten a harsher sentence, and one he well would have deserved. My opinion is that he got off easy as this is still a "gray" area in the law system. 


Not to mention the fact that the bully, Dharun, is not a U.S. citizen. Deportation back to India was also an option. Though I think that may be taking it a little too far, I do think that a 10-year sentence would have been more fitting for the hate crime. 


I was going to post another article about a stupid NJ law- getting a ticket for texting while walking, but I'm too worked up about this case.


Thoughts? On this case or some random thoughts you're having this Monday? Would love for you to share!

May Goal Check In

I made some goals for May. Here's a little look to see how I'm doing, and remind myself to work on them!


1. Save money by:

• Set up a new budget : Did that here
• begin tracking my spending again : Did that here
• proceed with Action Plan : working on this.

2. Put all “found money” towards emergency or travel fund: Found $40! Saved it.


3. Record all spending in weekly reports: Here and Here

4. Read more- at least one book this month: Just finished Life of Pi. Review Here

5. Cook 4 new recipes: 0 for 4

6. and continue meal planning: planned half a week, this week. 

7. Spend more time with my girlfriends (and make 1 more): Spent time with C at group parties; 2 girl dates planned over the next 2 weeks

8. Look more "put together" on a daily basis: Doing well on this one!

9. Do one thing off 101 in 1001 list: Working on it!

10. Spend 8 hours a week working on new company: Not 8 hours, but definitely spent more time on it

11. Plan vacation: Haven't been able to plan a weekend with my mom yet, let alone a vacation. 

12. Do my hair more often than not: Less ponytails- hurray!

-----------------------------------------

I didn't realize I had so many goals for this month, but I think I'm doing pretty well! Have you made any goals, either monthly or since the New Year? How are you doing? 

Book Club Friday: Life of Pi

This week I'm sharing:

Synopsis: 

Pi Patel is an unusual boy. The son of a zookeeper, he has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior, a fervent love of stories, and practices not only his native Hinduism, but also Christianity and Islam. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes.

The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a 450-pound Bengal tiger. Soon the tiger has dispatched all but Pi, whose fear, knowledge, and cunning allow him to coexist with Richard Parker for 227 days lost at sea. When they finally reach the coast of Mexico, Richard Parker flees to the jungle, never to be seen again. The Japanese authorities who interrogate Pi refuse to believe his story and press him to tell them "the truth." After hours of coercion, Pi tells a second story, a story much less fantastical, much more conventional-but is it more true?

Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction. It's a story, as one character puts it, to make you believe in God.

-via

My Thoughts:

I didn't love this book. Actually, it was a struggle to get through. The book is roughtly 300 pages- there wasn't even a boat until 100 pages in. Then he wasn't "saved" until around page 290. Seriously. That bugged me.

The beginning was pretty good- it was set up very well, as I got to know the characters. There was a bit of religious talk that I wasn't that into, but I got past it. And then everyone I got to know died. It was Pi and a tiger, and the whole being stuck in a lifeboat for so long got old. Everything was so repetitive. Sun rise, sun set, big waves, feel sick/weak/dehydrated/hungry/depressed/etc. There was no dialogue (except for fits of crazy from Pi, "talking" to the tiger). I didn't think it was particularly witty or funny except in the very beginning, and the very end. Also, I know that this was his story being lost at sea, but I wanted to know how he was able to get from Mexico to Canada, get in school, get married, and how this experience affected the rest of his life. That isn't mentioned anywhere. 

I did have one quote I really liked though: 

"Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer.What is your problem with hard to believe? ...Be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater."

This was one of those books that was sitting in my TBR pile for quite awhile, so I finally picked it up. Maybe I just read this at the wrong time. I just wasn't into it. Have you read this? If so, what did you think?

Spending Report: May 8-14

via

May 8: $6 cloves

May 9: $100 donation (getting reimbursed half)

May 10: $22 Living Social- one voucher for ice cream and one for dinner (getting reimbursed half), $40 Student Loan payment, $12 post office, $11 beer, $8 Mickey D's

May 11: $40 - Time Out NY Reggae Cruise Night tickets (being reimbursed half), $145 cell phone, $35 Phillies ticket [Also bought a Groupon for a haircut, but used Groupon Bucks from a previous return!]

May 12: $28 groceries, $35 CVS ($25 prescription- $10 other) +$15 BBW return

May 13: No Spend Day


May 14: $30 Mother's Day gift, $70 hotel from FL (March)

Grand Total: $486 (after reimbursements)

Hmm. Too many little purchases and Groupon/Living Social deals. Though I really do love the deals- we almost always use them (or get reimbursed if we don't). I guess I'll feel better about these purchases once I do use them. But also some bills in there, so not all Entertainment monies.  Will have to do better this week. Maybe there is something to those "No Spend Days"?

Weekend Highlights: Phillies + Movies

FRIDAY:

Went to work. Was dressed like my boss:

pink and gray- matched down to the belt. Sorry it's a lil blurry

Left work early to go to the Phillies- Braves game- they won!
Drank lots o' beers
Ate a whole cheese-steak from Tony Luke's

via

close up of my new Phillies shirt- from Spring Training

still chilly

SATURDAY: 

Went shopping for Mother's Day- took entirely too long
Got a shirt for Mom that I want to keep for myself
Saw the Avengers- really liked it! Also, I didn't realize that there have been so many different Hulks. Loved Mark Ruffalo in the role!

C with his 3 straws, "because one doesn't deliver enough Icee flavor"

SUNDAY:

Slept til 11:30 [yay!]
Cleaned the apt + did laundry
Watched Dear John, Game of Thrones, and some other crap tv while feeling pretty bummed that my mom wanted to spend the day by herself. She wants to make plans for this coming weekend though, so we'll see.

Source: Uploaded by user via Vicky on Pinterest

Have you guys seen this cover? Crazy. Also reminds me of Game of Thrones.

Source: Uploaded by user via Linda on Pinterest

Haha, truth!

It's OK Friday!

Yeahhh, sorry I'm a little late on this one, but hey It's OK!! Right?!



It's OK That...
I'm a day late to the party! DEFINITELY OK that's it's Friday though!I haven't blogged in awhile- work is crazy and I don't like posts without pics, and it takes me awhile to upload them.I didn't finish "Life of Pi" in time to participate in Book Club FridayI'm not loving the book, and will be happy when it's doneC had a man-date with my guy friend last night! They went to a Sixers game...I was a lil jealous- haven't been to a basketball game in years, and C promised he would take me this year!I had a really girly night last night- complete with beer (preferred to wine), James Van Der Beek (Apt23 is my new show), junk food, a pedi, and hair straightening!I'm leaving work a little early today to go to a Phillies game!

Source: someecards.com via Ike on Pinterest

Happy Friday loves! 

Spending Report: May 1-7

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As I stated here, one of my goals is to have weekly spending reports, to more easily track my spending. Here is where we I am at:

May 1: $82 Poshmark (clothes), $4 Path, $15 living social flowers, $223 transportation, $857 rent, $2.25 burr

May 2: $16.41 cloves

May 3: No Spend Day!

May 4: $2.25 burr, $10 Taco Bell

May 5: $16.75 burr (Happy Cinco De Mayo!)

May 6: $36 groceries (lots of meat... not bad)

May 7: $5.16 Netflix, $19.53 Hallmark (cards), $17.12 Bath & Body Works (getting returned this weekend), $22.91 Old Navy (shoe sale. It was actually $42, but C gave me an extra $20 when I told him I shouldn't buy one of the 3 pairs because it was out of my budget. So he bought them for me!)

Grand Total: $1328.56

Overall, I don't think I did too bad. Yes, I may have spent my entire clothing allowance in one week, but it was all stuff I really wanted. For a long time (like, at least 6 months!). And some stuff for Mother's Day. I ain't mad at myself!

Sunday Night Chit Chat

Ok, I think everyone knows the drill, but if not, here's the lowdown:

1. Start your post with a photo or a quote (begged, borrowed, or stolen)
2. Copy & paste my "chit-chat" at the bottom of the post and create your own blog post from it.
3. Come back and paste your info into Carla's "linky party"HERE so she can come visit you & read what you've been up to! 

Oh Yeah,... steak and potatoes yeah!

~Sunday Dinner~

Reading? Life of Pi by Yann Martel. 100 pages in, not loving it. 

Watching? Just watched Game of Thrones...SOO good this week!

Listening to? TV and laundry dryer

Cooking/Baking? please see above!

Happy you accomplished this week? I was actually thinking of this link up when I decided to accomplish these things! 

• finally called Groupon about my expired Groupon. The merchant refused to honor my groupon because they said they were booked, and then it expired. But I got a credit
• finally emailed Ebates about a check they sent that I just found... a year late! They are re-issuing!
• finally called Living Social about what "promotion value" vs. "paid value" actually meant
• finally mailed my grandpa his Easter Spring present

Looking forward to next week? New goals, hopefully buying some sandals (last "allowed" shopping purchase that is not a gift for the month- eek!), a PHILLIES game, and my friend's birthday party, in which I can convince her to play True American! (I love New Girl!)

Thankful for today? That my family is healthy. 

I Got 99 Problems...

Just Kidding! 

I saw this on Jenn's Blog and thought it would be fun to post my version.  You're suppose to  bold the ones you've done, but I'm a visual person, and wanted to do them in a different color :)

1. Started your own blog (duh!)
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland 
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightening storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community (not yet, but I'm going to soon!)
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing 
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (I can't find one near me! Argh!)
55. Been in a movie 
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been a passenger on a motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Kissed a stranger at midnight on New Year’s Eve
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox (I had it so mild that I could get it again...eep!)
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club 
93. Got a tattoo
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

44! Wow! Almost half! And some of the above are on my 101 List, so hopefully I will accomplish them soon! (And some of them I never want to have happen ever!) 

And of course a Friday Funny to leave you with...

Enjoy the weekend!