I mentioned that I would be doing spending reports the other day. My spending reports will only include miscellaneous expenses, not fixed expenses such as rent/transportation/etc.
Usually to track expenses, I just add it to a note in my phone called "Spending." As easy as this is, I still only remembered to do this a few times in February. Though I know it's old news, I'm going to put it here, along with my current spending. (Also, I just want it off of my phone so I can start fresh!) Unfortunately I already know where I have leaks, but maybe seeing it this will remind me to slow down a bit and reconsider before spending! So here goes:
FEBRUARY:
$40 - diner
$56 - cleaners
$87 - gifts
$20 - cloves
$34 - Girls Night Out #1
$45 - Girls Night Out #2
$60 - Superbowl (food and drinks)
$200 - Girls Weekend Getaway
---------------------------------------
$542
Good grief. I hadn't even done a budget in February. Now I can see why I seriously need it. BUT! A new month is upon us! Time to get it together!
MARCH 1 - 10
$20 - Night Out #1
$27 - Night Out #2
$10 - cloves
$7 - cab ride to the train station [I wasn't feeling well and it was raining/snowing]
$1 - books
UPDATE: I started writing this post on 3/6, at which point I realized I had already spend more than half of my bi-weekly allowance! Getting through until the 14th is going to be hard!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Happiness Report #23
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| Her response to a photographer telling her to watch her step next time. She's so badass- love her! |
- reassessing my goals
- oversized sweatshirts and fleece lined leggings
- book sales!
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| All these for $6! |
- getting tickets to see Fela!
- trying new recipes
- the quietness that accompanies a snowfall
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| view from the back porch at work |
- movie night with girlfriends
- Starbucks chai lattes
- the boss bringing in bagels on a crappy day
- this photo:
What's making you smile this week?
Friday, March 8, 2013
Book Club Friday: Little Bee
Hurray! It's Friday! We're laying low this weekend, which is just perfect because this week has been too long and I'm ready to just relax! Anyway, let's get this party started!
This week I'm sharing...
From GoodReads:
"Two women collide lives on a Nigeria beach. One must make a terrible choice. Two years later, they meet again and the story starts ..."
My Thoughts:
My first thought was "Seriously? They won't tell me what the book is about?? That's so vague!"
I got this book from a friend who recently read it. She wouldn't tell me what is was about either, so of course I was really intrigued.
Well, I found out why they didn't tell me.
This story was so sad, but not exactly depressing. It amazes me how Little Bee kept going, even with all that she had seen and experienced. I gave this book 5 stars... yes, it was that good. But I won't give any more details! You'll just have to read it!
What are you currently reading?
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Don't Worry, I Saw This On Pinterest
Sometimes Pinterest gets the best of me, and I want to do the things I see. Usually C somehow gets involved.
So this is how some of these things go...
C: Hey, why is the Pam out?
me: I'm giving myself a manicure.
C: That's great, but why is the Pam on the counter?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...
C: Umm... why is there a candle in our freezer?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...
.JPG) |
| Mine, loaded with seashells |
C: Yeah, why?
me: I need to punch holes in these greeting cards.
C: What?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...
.JPG) |
| Started mine with a birthday card- love it! |
me: We have beef right?
C: Yeah, why?
me: I want to make beef stroganoff.
C: You want to make what?
me: Beef stroganoff.
C: Have you ever even had that before?
me: No. But I saw it on Pinterest. It looked yummy.
C: *grumble grumble, as he heads to find the right kind of beef (we had ground beef. apparently that's not the right kind of this recipe. oops)*
.JPG) |
| Look out for the recipe next week! |
C: Why?
me: Oh, don't worry about it- I saw this on Pinterest...
.JPG) |
| Check out Baby C! Such a lil cutie! |
C: ?
me: See this cardigan here? It's too small. So I was thinking... should I donate it, or cut off the arms and make some legwarmers?
C: I'm not getting involved in this!
me: No, this is a serious question!
C: On one hand, I think you should, and on the other, I think not.
me: What's your reasoning?
C: I want to see how horrible this turns out, but on the other hand, why waste a perfectly good cardigan someone else could use?
me: Because I need legwarmers...
C: Did you see this on Pinterest?
He knows me well....
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Goals Update: February
In the beginning of the year, I wrote down some things I hoped to accomplish this year. (For full recap, see here.) Now that we are through the first month, I wanted to do a check-in and see how I'm doing!
Get A New Job/ Career- sent in two apps and found a few more I still have to apply for.
Read 20 Books- two more down!
Print Pictures and Make a Scrapbook- urm. Yeah, no progress on this one yet.
Save Save Save!
I plan to do this by:
- saving 10% of each paycheck: I was saving, but I wound up spending it for my train pass this month, since my TransitCheks from work don't cover the full costs.
- participating in the 52 Week Money Challenge: check!
- doing a Money Minute everyday: I didn't do this everyday, but at least 2x a week, and wound up saving myself some major agita. My bank doesn't tell me when I'm overdrawn, and just charges me everytime I take out money/spend after I'm overdrawn... another reason why I need a new bank!
DeClutter/ Simplify- went through my closet and got two bags ready to go to Goodwill. Also gave away our old record player to a friend- I'm happy it's going to a good home!
Pay Off (at least) One Student Loan
I plan to do this by:
- revisiting my budget: I did not do this. Nor have I done it yet for March- gotta get on it!
- tracking expenses: kind of did this, but I forgot sometimes. Doing well for this month though!
- going on a 3 month Spending Freeze (eek!): I spent $5 on a belt... but other than that, I didn't buy anything clothes/personal wise.
- Side Hustles; hopefully $100/month: made $20, but then spent $5 :/
I plan to do this by:
- revisiting my budget: I did not do this. Nor have I done it yet for March- gotta get on it!
- tracking expenses: kind of did this, but I forgot sometimes. Doing well for this month though!
- going on a 3 month Spending Freeze (eek!): I spent $5 on a belt... but other than that, I didn't buy anything clothes/personal wise.
- Side Hustles; hopefully $100/month: made $20, but then spent $5 :/
Work on Company- no excuses, I just sucked at this one. Again.
Learn to Say No- yeah... I can't think of any outings I said no to. But I didn't buy even one Groupon/deal this whole month, so that's some progress right?!
Line-A-Day- I missed about a week. I just didn't want to do it, I guess because I was a little bummed out. Doing better this month.
I didn't do very well in February. I might add weekly spending reports here to keep myself accountable, so I apologize in advance for those boring posts! I'm also considering taking on a second job on weekends which I am not thrilled about, but it would be easy money. I need to focus more on my finances in general if I want to pay off a loan, go on vacation, and basically stop living paycheck to paycheck. It is a new month (and the last month of the Spending Freeze- YAY!), so hopefully I will do better!
how are you doing with your goals?
Sunday, March 3, 2013
The Happiness Report #22
- seeing old friends
- Philly cheeseteaks from Pat's (NOT Geno's)
- absolutely every detail from this reception
- absolutely every detail from this reception
- this video
- getting our State Park Pass in the mail
- Gchat
- this video too:
- having a great Monday
- buying a brand new journal
- sweet thank you emails from close friends
Friday, March 1, 2013
Book Club Friday: Dead Sleep
This Week I'm Sharing...
From GoodReads:
"They are called "The Sleeping Women." A series of unsettling paintings in which the nude female subjects appear to be not asleep, but dead. Photojournalist Jordan Glass has another reason to find the paintings disturbing...The face on one of the nudes is her own-or perhaps the face of her twin sister, who disappeared and is still missing. At the urging of the FBI, Jordan becomes both hunter and hunted in a search for the anonymous artist-an obsessed killer who seems to know more about Jordan and her family than she is prepared to face..."
My Thoughts:
Someone left this among a pile of unwanted books at work, so I picked it up. It wasn't until I went to mark it on GoodReads that I noticed that this was #3 of a series (argh!), but I decided to read it anyway. I've never heard of the author, but love a good murder mystery! Totally didn't see the twist coming! The only reason this didn't get 5 stars is because there were some unanswered questions.
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