Pennies on the Sidewalk

Sold some more on ebay. It went for about $26 plus shipping. The bummer part is that I had to pay $7 in ebay fees from last month, plus $6 for an item I bought on ebay. So it gives me about $14 to add to the challenge. But I have to wait to get it in my account so I can transfer it to the $20 Challenge account.

Anyways, also sold a trio of books on half.com today, so that will be a nice addition as well, when I actually get the money.

Tried to sign into my account on the website for my health insurance to see what was up with some claims I submitted, but it is acting all funny. Oh well, guess I'll have to just keep checking the mail for my checks!

Magazine: $4
Dinner out: $32

Not bad, but still too much. I just found out I get paid ONCE a MONTH, at the END of the month, so we really have to be careful and be on our budget as much as possible. I also found out since I am considered a freelancer, I don't get taxes taken out. Which means not only do I have to save for this years taxes, but I will need to save for next years taxes. Grumble, grumble...

Today was my 1st day at the new job and it was great! I felt right at home. Eveything was really casual and relaxed (I love wearing jeans to work and listening to my iPod while I work!) and everyone was really nice. A nice bonus too, is I actually knew what I was doing. Guess I did pick some stuff up at my last job!

The commute was OK. I get home about 7:30 so it is about a 13 hour day for me. I just keep telling myself it is only 4 months, and then, if by any chance I can get a permanent job there, we can afford to move closer to the city so the commute will be better. But for now, it's only a short time, the money is excellent, the experience is great, and I can read ofr na hour on the way home every night.

I am really going to try to stick to my budget, as I found out today I get paid once a month! Eeek! Time to be responsible! That being said, here are my expenses for the past 3 days.

Jan 1: No Spend Day
Jan 2: $18.07 CVS (meds ($10), deoderant, twizzlers)
$3.00 post office
Jan 3: $1.25 bagel
$3.00 coffee
$7.75 ride to Boston
$4.00 subway tickets
$250 monthly T Pass Jan
(much cheaper than $19.50 each day!)

The bagel and coffee were on my way to/from work today. Tomorrow I am going to bring something from home for breakfast, and try to resist the hot cup of latte that made my hour train ride relaxing on the way home!

So I posted some Red Sox fabric on ebay. When I wrote down the measurements and posted it, I wrote down it was 60x90 inches. So the fabric sells, I send it out, and then I get an email from the buyer saying it was only 60x45 inches. She asks if I have the rest of it, and if so can I send it to her. If not, she wants a full refund and will return what I sent her. I tell her it was only one piece, but I measured it and it was 60x90. I tell her if she wants a refund, send it back. If I measured wrong, I will give her a full refund, if not, she will only get a refund minus fees, shipping, etc. Then she asks if she can keep what I sent her but "since it is only half the size I said it was" can I giver her a paretial refund. I tell her no, sorry.

SO, I got the fabric back today. It was ironed and refolded (I know b/c it was folded evenly and when I sent it to her it hadn't been ironed and was folded crooked). I measured it. It was 60x47 inches. The thing is, I swear I measured it right. And I think when I measured it, I had to fold it in half and measure then double the measurment b/c it was too big to do it the other way.

I am thinking she may have cut some off, and is trying to scam me.

Am I being paranoid? The thing is I really don't know. Should I give her the full refund? If I knew for sure she cut it, I'd give her a partial refund, but I can't be 100% sure. I'm just not sure what to do. I want to refund the money if I was wrong, but I don't want to get scammed...

Advice?

Picked up some new tops for work the other day. It's pretty casual where I will be working, but I needed some new tops that weren't stained somehow. I ended up buying everything at the Lane Bryant Outlet Store. I got a great deal. Saved $145 and spend $123. I LOVE it when I spend more than I save!

Seems like a lot, but for $123 I got: 5 cami's, a pair of pj bottoms, a black turtleneck, a black and white sweater, a pink top, and 2 pink sweaters. Very happy with this!

I hate that feeling of knowing money is on it's way to yuo, but not knowing when you will get it. I love the feeling of knowing money is on it's way to you, however.

Right now I'm waiting for a few checks
$10 from a survey
$25 from the government (ha!)
$293.29 medical reimbursements

and a few paypal/ebay payments. And I have one woman who won the auction and has not paid me, nor is she replying to me email. Booger. At any rate, I am hoping to have enough in my regular account to be able to put these all to savings. I just don't know how long it will take to get my first paycheck at the new job or when these checks will arrive in the mail.

I am so not patient...

Today me and the BF were out doing some errands and we found some cash on the ground. Fist we found a penny at the post office, but then on the way back to the car, we found $2 on the sidewalk. No one was around, so we picked it up. That plus $1 that I won on a scratch ticket I got in my stocking at X-mas starts the 2008 Challenge. I am also adding in the interest the EF account earned last month and a mini amount cuz my OCD likes even numbers.

Old EF Total: $90.29
Found: $2.01
Scratch Ticket: $1.00
December interest: $.31
OCD deposit: $1.39
---------------------------
New EF Total: $95.00

And then, in my other $20 account, the interest I earned in December plus an odd OCD amount are getting added in.

$20/UF Old Balance: $73.32
December interest: $.19
OCD deposit: $1.49
----------------------------
$20/UF New Balance: $75.00

(Overall 2008 Challenge amount: $6.39)

I just picked up a freelance job to write 6-8 question quizes. They can be on absolutley anything. I'm getting $50 fo writing 64 of them ($.75 each). Not a whole lot, but it will be fun, and I'll have plenty of time on my new commute to work on them!

Last night me and my BF went to dinner with my friend L. Then we hung at her house, played some board games. We came home early because it is a 45 minute freeway drive and we didn't want to be on the road with the drunks. Went to bed just after midnight. Not too exciting. I never liked NYEve anyways.

Today was a No Spender. Just hung around today and watched TV. It was raining all day, so I didn't mind. Starting to get nervous about the new job. Looking forward to it, though.

January No Spenders: 1

I have a rough estimate of how much my take-home pay will be based on what percentage was taken out of each paycheck from my last job. I am expecting there to be a larger percentage taken out because I now make more, but I am not sure exactly how much. As a result, this new budget is an estimate of the low end, and I will tweak it when I get my first paycheck. Hopefull my take home pay will be more than anticipated and I'll have more left over for savings/debt.

Monthly Budget
Rent $625
Health Ins. $341.50
Meds $70*
Car Ins. $82.08
Cable $53.27
Cell Phone $50
Home Phone/Internet $55
Electricity/Gas for home $200
Cas for Car: $150
Groceries $300
Commuter Rail Pass $250
WW $39.95
LBCC $100
ATTCC $300

Extra $83.15

*(This will be going up by at least $100 starting in late January for a new medication I will need to take. However, once I know how much it will be, I will be applying for financial assistance for it.)

I went back and totalled up how much and from where I managed to save in 2007 from my $20 Challenge. I'm very happy with this!

Yard Sale: $178
Cans/Bottle returns: $5
Tarot Readings: $290
Rebates: $58.75
Scratch Tickets: $1
Paid to myself for eating at home: $15
Paid to myself for NSD: $24
Store Savings: $58.67
Freelance work: $809.38
Ebay: $225.10
Half.com: $240.28
CITB: $163.50
Interest: $14.71
Extra cash thrown in: $379.55

TOTAL: $2,837.09

I figured it was close enough to 2008 to post my next years financial goals. I was able to complete a couple of my 2007 ones (paid off my car, pay off my credit service debt, save $1,000 for Vegas) and I'm hoping with this new better paying job 2008 will be even better.

2008 Financial Goals
1. Pay off ATTCC (about $3,300)
2. Pay off LBCC ($1,177.07)
3. Pay Mums back $800
4. Save $1,000 in EF (currently at $90.29)
5. Save $1,000 for taxes by April 1st (currently at $73.32)

Toally forot to pay myself for my No Spenders in December. I've had 9 (so far) so it's $9 into the $20 Challenge.


$20/UF Old Balance: $64.32
December No Spenders: $9.00
----------------------------
$20/UF New Balance: $73.32

I had a job interview yesterday and was offered the job on the spot! The official offer came in this morning with salary and benefits. I accepted and I can't wait to start! My first day will be next Thursday, the 3rd.

I will be an editor at a publishing company in Boston. I'm so excited. Right now it is a 4 month contract, but I am hoping that when that is done I will immediately get hired on for another contract or get hired on permanently. The commute is going to suck (2 hours, EACH WAY!) but the compensation more than makes up for it. I am getting over $14,000 more a year that I was making at my last job!

I have made a rough budget, guestimating how much will be taken out each paycheck for taxes. I'll just tweak the budget as it gets rolling and when I need to, but we are sticking to this one. FINALLY, we will be financially independent! Yay!

I am horrible at math. If I want to know what percentage of my paycheck gets taken out each pay period for taxes, or what percentage I put into savings, how do I figure that out???

Thanks!

In Boston at 4pm! Heading in on the train at about 1pm. Wish me luck!

This past year (2007) I did some freelance work that never had taxes taken out of it. I know I will have to file it all when I do my taxes this year. What I don't know is how much I am going to have to pay. When I was making my 2008 $$ Goals, I realized I want to have some money set aside for when I have to pay taxes in April. I don't want to worry about suddenly coming up with it or having to take it from my EF.

That being said, my personal $20 Challenge will be saving for taxes. I have 4 months and I want to come up with at least $1,000. I will be putting on hold extra CC payment via the $20 Challenge until I have saved up enough.

As a reminder, my $20 Challenge money comes from my half.com and ebay sales, any tarot readings I do, spare change, survey checks, refunds, and a few other small places. It tends to add up rather quickly, so I'm hoping to hit my $1,000 goal quickly and get back to paying down the debt.

Current Challenge Balance: $64.32

Christmas was great. Got some great gift cards: Olive Garden, Barnes and Noble, and even one to Shaws along with a new cook book! Everyone seemed happy and like they had a great day. Hope everyone here did as well.

In other news, my aunt passed away on Christmas Eve. She was in her early 70's but very sick with cancer. She'd been in and out of the hospital for a while, and hit a point where the chemo was actually doing her more harm than good. I wasn't very close to her, but am kinda close to her son, my cousin. I feel so bad for him and his family.

And finally, a random thought, that X-mas Eve and X-mas Day were both No Spenders for me.

December No Spenders: 9

Last week I put some extra fabric on ebay. It was just 100% cotton, a year or two. One was Shrek, two were Spiderman, and a bigger piece (64"x90") was Red Sox. The Shrek didn't sell, Spidey went for $3, BUT, the Red Sox fabric went for $61.88!!! I couldn't believe it! I only wish I had more of it! At any rate, that $ will go into my $20/UF as soon as it makes it to my account.

Had another half.com DD into my savings today.

Pssst...Merry Christmas!

$20/UF Old Balance: $51.69
Half.com DD: $12.63
----------------------------
$20/UF New Balance: $64.32

Sat down to pay all my Jan bills tonight (except phone, cable and LBCC; they come at the middle of the month). After I was done, I had $317.24 in my account, so I added $25 plus the $17.24 (a total of $42.24) as an extra payment onto my ATTCC.

Yay me.

New ATTCC Balance: $3,335.07
Extra Payment 12/23: $42.24
-----------------------------------
New ATTCC Balance: $3,292.83

Paid off: $207.17

For some reason, I've been having good luck with ebay sales lately. I think it is because of the holidays, and also becasue I have finally got to the point where I am ok with parting with some of my "more collectible" items. At any rate, I just made a deposit to my $20/UF Fund from 2 ebay sales, and I have another one ending in 2 days that will be at least $20.

$20/UF Old Balance: $20.22
Ebay sales: $31.47
----------------------------
$20/UF New Balance: $51.69

I got a job interview!! YAY! It's next Thursday afternoon. In Boston. As a freelance, full-time proofreader! For a real publishing compnay! YAY!

Can you tell I'm excited?! I figure this has to be fate, because I originally applied for the job in the beginning of December, and about 2 days later recieved an e-mail saying the job was filled, but if they got anything else, they would let me know. I figured it was the usual brush-off. But then the person I had sent my resume to e-mailed me today to ask me to come in next week to "chat." And he asked "if all goes well" could I start full-time the first week of January! Why yes, I can!

Plus...it's next door to a gigamungous Barnes and Noble! Fate I tell you!

I'm so excited.....

Yesterday was another No Spender. Well, I had to put gas in my car, but that is a necessity, so I don't really count it. Yay me for another one! Being unemployed and having NO income really helps curb that spending urge! LOL

December No Spenders: 7

I got a call today (and a similar one last week from a national organization) from a local fundraising group. This is a cousin to a group I have donated to in the past. So, the guy calls and is all nice and friendly. He does his spiel. And I say, which is the truth: "I'm sorry but I can't help you right now. I lost my job last month and have not found a new one yet." What does the guy say? "Oh. Bye" and hangs up.

I couldn't believe it! And the guy last week was just as rude. Whatever happened to "Thank you anyways"? It was almost like they didn't believe me from the tone in their voice. It just makes me so mad that when I can't donate, they make me feel guilty. Ummm, hello?? JOBLESS over here! If you want to give me a job or find me a job, then I'll donate. But I already feel crappy enough about being unemployed; I don't need any extra help feeling like a worthless loser!

It just makes me never want to donate again. It's like some organizations see you as a bank and when the bank is closed for business, they throw a tantrum. Besides the fact, even if I WAS working, stop calling me! I donate when I can to who I want. Annoying me over the phone is just gonna make me take my money elsewhere!!

Grumble grumble.....

Yes, again. We are just SO ready to move away from psycho neighbors. We looked at a couple of places yesterday. One was kinda dumpy. The other one was nice, but I think too small. We'd have to cut out at least half of the furniture we have, and maybe more. Kinda sucks, cuz it was cheap and cute. Oh well, we'll keep looking. Called two more places today, we will see what happens with those.

On a sad(ish) note, the condo we wanted to buy this summer is still for sale. And we still can't afford it. I'm wondering if I will not be happy finding any new apartment because it will not be the condo. That's something for the Decemeber contest. I wish when I was in my late teens/early 20's wracking up CC debt on stupid shit instead of saving my money, it would lead to bad credit and not being able to afford a place of our own. *sigh* How stupid I was then...

Not much going on. Spent the day mostly looking online for some freelance work (there's very little right now). Listed a few things on ebay. I'm in a "Let's get rid of everything" mood, as well as a "Let's sell stuff because we need money" mood.

We also looked at 2 apartments today. Both are cheaper than where we are now, plus I'm sure quieter since we won't have the psycho neightbor next door. But I think I am spoiled by all the fancy features is this place. The others were OK; one was really cute, but there is no way we could fit everything we have there. We'd have to get rid of 1/2 our furniture, and I don't want to. I think we may keep looking...

Other than that, nothing much new. A book I ordered came in, but I am waiting til after X-mas to pick it up since I am getting a GC to the bookstore from Mums and Dad (they do one every year!). Today was a No Spender.

December No Spenders: 6

I have been MIA the last week or so because I am trying to process some info in my head. I've been having medical problems the past two years or so, and I was FINALLY just diagnosed with an illness. Still coming to terms with it, but at least it's not a tumor.

Spending bit lately, but both yesterday adn Sunday were No Spenders for me. Yay! Today I need to hit the grocery store and the post office, and other than that I am going to try to d no unecessary spending.

December No Spenders: 5

I am so angry right now! I opened my CC statement and it said I had $114 in purchases! NO! I had $39.95 for my monthy WW fee. The rest was all interest! $75 in fricken interest! AND my interest is down almost 10% from what it used to be! No wonder I can never get ahead on this! I mean, I always knew it was ridiculousy high interest, but I guess it never sunk in b/c I was always using my card. But now that I use it for WW ONLY, it is really hitting me! Time to cancel that from my CC! No more purchases with the CC AT ALL!!!

This means that before I had a total of $139 paid off it, now it is down to $64!! And that is after paying $235 on it last month! God, that is disgusting the way they rip you off! Unless I can get a 0% interest or can afford to pay it off ASAP, no more CCs for me. I'm done with them!


Old ATTCC Balance: $3,360.12
Interest: $74.95
Monthly WW fee: $39.95
-----------------------------------
New ATTCC Balance: $3,435.07
$20/UF Payment 12/14: $100.00
-----------------------------------
New ATTCC Balance: $3,335.07

Paid off: $164.93

I love having a full roll of quarters. Added to the $20/UF account.

$20/UF Old Balance: $10.22
Quarter Roll: $10
----------------------------
$20/UF Balance: $20.22