Merry Christmas to ME...oh, and YOU too!

After a brief visit to the mall Thursday evening, I began to become a little worried about the status of my Christmas shopping. 1) I'd mostly shopped for myself up to that point and 2) Christmas was a week away. So I woke up early Saturday and trodded to the mall. I got there at 9:15am, and the mall had only been open for 15 minutes. I was delighted to find barely anyone who was brave enough to soldier the cold and leave their warm bed. My trip ended up being well worth it, here's what I got:

• Bebe had all of their tops for $29...so I got my sister, who's a college student, two tops and a dress for $120! And those points are added to my reward card, not to mention...I saved about $110 off the retail prices! YAHOO! Deal #1 and I was on a roll from then on!


• I got my mom a beautiful sweater to match the gold slouchy boots that boyfriend and I bought her in Chicago (she's going to be soo fabulous!), a cardigan/shirt matching combo to wear to work, and two pairs of socks that fit her personality...all for 50% off in NY&Co, that was a total of $63.26. I'm too good...my confidence is building! On to the next store...


• In the Icing, I managed to spend $65.23 on jewelry for every one of the outfits I got my sister (I got six). YES...I know, it sucks. I was like "isn't everything buy one, get one?" Imagine my amazement when she told me only the earrings were...PSHHH!! Whatever lady...and when did earrings in these stores get as high as $14 a pair?!Good grief...ok, the Icing stuck it to me. But I solidered on...happy with my purchase since everything matched perfectly.


• Next, I browsed H&M and Claire's for cheaper jewelry so I could return the expensiveness to the Icing. I found a bracelet in H&M for $6.90 and another bracelet in Claire's for $8.50, both of which didn't replace anything I'd previously purchased but still matched wonderfully, so I'm still happy.


• Next, I sauntered into Steve Madden to be handed a scratch off (now, boyfriend and I got one of these in Chicago and I didn't do well) and imagine my amazement when I got 40%!!! OH HELL YES!!! 40%!!!I searched frantically for something to purchase, I called sister & mom, and neither one of them could think of anything...so I bravely decided to splurge on the grey boots I'd seen in Chicago. These boots originally were $269.95, marked down to $209.95 and I got 40% off that...bringing them to $125.97, AND...here's the KICKER, I had a store credit for $104.xx, which I applied bringing my grand total to $27.xx!!! TAKE THAT STEVE MADDEN!! HAHAHAHA!!! A GRAND HOLIDAY STEAL for me! Here's my winners...[image source]
• The next day, boyfriend and I came back...and oh boy...I'm not even going to bore you with the details...but we stuck it to Urban Outfitters. I'd been wanting this dress that I saw in the summer catalog and it was $58, and I was NOT going to pay that...heck no. I found it...in TWO colors, for $4.99 each!! And I got a cute v-neck tee for $9.99! Boyfriend got some great grey pants...and I can't remember what else...but our grand total was $56, less than the original purchase price of ONE dress...we left out smiling ear to ear!


• The lines in Brookstone were horrid...but we ended up finding a perfect gift for my dad...two of them for $50...so that's $25 a piece! YES!!!
• Then...my last YES moment came yesterday when I got an email from Arden B, saying that they had a $9.99 sale. I go online to see these suede grey & dark red mary janes for $59.99 and an additional 70% off! hmm...let's say it together, $17.99!!! This was TOO good to be true! And I have $60 worth of rewards in there to use...however when I added them to my cart, the additional 70% didn't come off. So I call customer service...and she informs me that it's an error and she'll personally take it off later. I couldn't use my rewards (sad face) but I did score a cutesy pair of mary janes that are adorable for under $20...and I already got my credit back...plus I qualified for $10 next day shipping...which means, I'll have them by Christmas (cue the cheers). Here they are... [image source]

And I think that's all...oh...the shoes are no longer an additional 70% off...interesting, right. Yeah I thought so too.

Merry Christmas Fabulous Ones!!!

Skimming

Earlier this week, while watching the Today Show I heard a story about why it may not be as safe as you think to use your credit or debit card at a restaurant. Apparently, waiters have been known to take your card for payment and after swiping it through the register, they swipe it through a small device that then captures your 16-digit account number, expiration date, and name. They later download all of this information to a hotel key (which we all know is similar to a credit card). The interesting part is...who would notice this small device next to a restaurant register? Practically no one...with all the wires and chaos, no one is likely to wonder what this is or why it's there.

They skimmed the producer's credit card and then proceeded to shop at various retailers with no problems at all. Some stores did ask for ID, but the man presented his ID and credit card (which matched, of course) instead of the hotel key card he had just swiped with the producers information on it. So in essence, a thief would get away scott-free from a shopping spree with your credit or debit card. Interesting and scary, huh? Yeah...I thought so too.

So what can you do? The gentleman who was presenting the story advised against using your debit card while out at restaurants, gas stations, etc. since they offer you less protection in situations like this and the thief could drain all your money, leaving you with tons of overdraft fees and no money to pay your bills. Instead he suggested using a credit card, one with a low limit, say...$300-$500, that way if your information is stolen, the thief can only do so much damage and you have more protection through the credit card company.

Now I don't know about you...but that sure seems like a lot of work. Keeping your money safe is becoming more and more difficult. Maybe you could pay in cash as well...and gas stations are offering discounts for cash these days...well they were at least, I'm not sure now since gas prices have fallen so drastically. What else could be done in order to help alleviate skimming?

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Two Small Victories

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Two exciting things...last week one of my girlfriends sent me a Friends & Family coupon code from Sephora (yes, I'm sorry, I should've shared it) and I realized this would be the perfect opportunity to get all those small gifts that can add up so unmercifully. So I carefully chose gifts for boyfriend's grandmother, mother, and sister. I then picked out one more gift for one of my friends. The only dilemma was that I either had to get them all shipped to one place, or risk not being able to use the coupon code more than one time. I chose to get them all shipped to me...and I thought it was marvelous, until I realized I could've just coughed up the $5.95 and had them shipped separately to each person...but the key is that perhaps I couldn't have used the coupon code more than once. I'm going to say I couldn't...knowing Sephora (they NEVER give out coupon codes, so I'm sure they'd be stingy with it). My grand savings for the order ended up being $32 off with free shipping (cue the cheers)! I repackaged the gifts and paid $9.25 to send grandma & mom to the same place and $3.75 to send sisters and buy and envelope for it. So regardless I still saved...and had I opted to buy them separately, the coupon code may have only worked on one order. Next...


Today we did our white elephant at the office party and I didn't want to spend money (ughh). So instead I chose a toolkit type thing in a silver tin (from my parent's house) and a $5 Starbucks giftcard (also a gift that someone had given my mother). So out of the $10 we were supposed to spend, I spent nothing! HAHAHA! Take that!! AND my gift got stolen 3 times (the maximum) and someone tried to steal it a fourth time. Another small victory...

Shop the Sale

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I've taken to building my groceries for the week and my meals around what's on sale for the week. I first saw this on Oprah from a famed coupon clipper who also used coupons for these sale items and even went to stores that doubled coupons. Now I know this isn't practical for a lot of people, including me, since I don't receive the paper, nor do I plan on it...although she did mention that you could buy the Sunday paper for the coupons.

I started looking up what was on sale before I made my grocery list (yes, I make a list...it helps prevent impulse purchases). You can even have the weekly circulars emailed straight to your inbox! Ahhh, technology. I decide between Harris Teeter & Giant based on what I want to make that week or what grocery items I already have in mind. Then I make my list and head off to the store.

The first week, I spent about $35 on groceries and those lasted for a week and a half. The next time it was $16.92 for one week (and yes, I cooked a meal and made lunch 4/5 days with them). My most recent was for about $45 and I bought food for my investment group potluck, weekly lunch, and enough to make two meals.

So my advice is easy...simply Shop the Sale. It's as simple as that. Buy what's on sale, and only what's on sale. It's only one week and next week something different will be on sale. Now there are items that won't be on sale that you'll need...and you should get them, but try to be more mindful of actually building around what's on sale and watch the savings grow.

A Personal Hiatus

Today during a very interesting gchat with boyfriend or Mr. Man as I sometimes refer to him, I realized that often I've set goals for myself and haven't followed through with them. Boyfriend is very good at setting goals and checking back on his goals...so...he suggested that I take a personal hiatus once a month to set goals, short and long term, follow up on goals from the previous month, and do major things related to personal finance. Now you see why I love him so much, he's a genius. I set goals during August, and much to my chagrin, I didn't follow up on them. So perhaps this would be a great monthly exercise for me and it would help me to stay on the grind continually.

On a monthly basis, I will now have a personal hiatus (with boyfriend, but separately). This way I can set, follow up, and maintain my goals. As well as, know his goals and we can both help one another as far as accountability is concerned. I'm so excited! I wonder when we'll start? Perhaps January...isn't that the time EVERYONE starts new goals and projects? (That was a rhetorical question.)

Maybe I can label them Personal Hiatus...doesn't that sound intriguing?! Like hmm, how classy, what's she up to?! Yep, the Personal Hiatus it is...a star is born. And more importantly, a great habit.

Oh, Christmas Tree?

I LOVE the holidays…I mean absolutely love them. People are in such great moods, there’s delicious food, and most importantly quality time with family & friends. However…as many of you know, I had a slight shopping problem. I can usually harness it, but when placed in the middle of insane holiday sales with a bank account full of Christmas funds…it becomes an all out war. A war between my now money-conscious self and my old shopaholic self. When I buy something for someone else, I typically purchase something for myself as well. I know, it’s terrible…but I just cannot seem to help it. They’re incredible deals. The hardest part is for my sister, because we shop at the same stores, so when there’s a great deal…I’m all over it. I called my mom last night and the conversation went like this:




Me: mom, I bought way too much for myself while Christmas shopping

Mom: WHY?! Didn’t you do the same thing last year?

Me: Yes…I know, and yes I did. It’s just so hard because of the great deals and all of the items are work wearable.

Mom: What did you buy?

Me: Slacks, shoes, sweaters…whenever I buy three things for [sister], I buy two for myself…so, I was thinking about just asking for money

Mom: That’s fine, get what you want…if you want to bring it home so I can wrap it, that’s fine, if not, just know that you won’t have as much to open because you’ve already bought yourself a lot.



So I definitely breathed a silent sigh of relief after this…I mean, from this point forward, I just have to buckle down and finish shopping for boyfriend, mom, and start shopping for dad. I just hope when I add up what I spent, I’m not sorry…for Christ’s sake!!! I have to get it together. I kept telling myself that I’d do it differently this year and put my Christmas funds on a prepaid debit card (which is a fabulous idea, if you haven’t started shopping yet). But December and the sales just snuck up on me without any warning at all! Ughhh…I have GOT to do better….I HAVE GOT TO DO BETTER…I WILL DO BETTER, I WILL. Next year…and for the rest of the Christmas season, I will NOT purchase anything for myself while shopping for others. There! I said it, I wrote typed it…so now I’m accountable. I’m going to finish the rest of my Christmas shopping with the funds I have left and not purchase anything else for myself…after all, that’s not what the season is about even if I did save all year so I could shop…lol. Updates coming…

The Budgeting Battle Continues...

For some strange reason in this day of wonderful technology & fancy Excel spreadsheets...I'd rather write down my budget on a scraggly sheet of notebook paper. I'm not sure why, I think it just makes it feel less official to me. I have to do spreadsheets all day at work, and those are official, so when it comes to my money I think a spreadsheet seems to be so final and in concrete to me that I shy away from it. Am I making excuses? I don't know...as long as I find something that works for me and stick to it, right?

Last month I committed to make a budget and stick to it for the rest of the year and see if i have extra money...so far...that'd be a so-so. I have managed to save more money, so that's a definite victory. The hardest part is the food situation for Mr. Man & I. It's easier when you're budgeting for one...and with your own money. How in the world am I supposed to budget in Mr. Man as well? I don't know when I'll pay for us to eat or do things...and another thing, we tend to eat out a lot more when we're together. Where as, I can just find something at home and be satisfied...how do I help Mr. Man see that we've got to be more careful now because his money will ultimately be my money and vice versa. We have to start building great habits now, especially since we're all entitled to fall off the money management bandwagon from time to time, good habits are a must.

Okay, back to the matter at hand...the budget for November and dare I say December. The good news is that I've managed to save up $1300 to do Christmas shopping with. Mom says that it's plenty to buy gifts and then have some leftover for regular savings or my credit card. And I'm praying I can somehow muster the strength and courage to not buy myself a gift every time I buy someone else one. That's probably my biggest challenge for the holiday season. I don't spend much on anything else, besides my ungodly high rent, but that's another story all together.

I am following my budget challenge to myself, I am still committed and I can will do this. Enough said.

YAY to Unplugging!!!

I am happy to report that my roommate & I committed to unplugging everything that doesn't require electricity while away from our home and my electricity bill went from, drumroll please....$64.22 to $34.89!!!

I do realize that some of this may be due to the fact that the heat is now on, but it's been on since we received our last electricity bill. I'd also like to compare this electricity bill to the one from October of last year. However, I'm not sure Dominion's eBilling is that savvy. I'm sorry Dominion...I stand corrected (blushing). Our electricity at this time last year was $46.22, so it did go down...and we didnt' even unplug for an entire month.

Anyway, savings is savings...and I'll happily take my $29.33, divided by 2, thus $14.67 all the way to the bank! YES! I'll let you know how it goes next month.

Friday Saving Tidbits

I was watching Oprah about a week or so ago, and guests were sharing ways that they saved money. One guest in particular had a very easy tip that's easy to implement. Unplug. When she left her house, she started unplugged devices, and in the first month of doing so her energy bill went from $268, to $91!!!! That's a lot of money for a fairly easy task! Just unplug it! Oh, and when the guest really started unplugged everything, her bill went all the way down to...brace yourself...$60!!! Also, interestingly enough, as I exited the Metro this week, I noticed an energy campaign on the billboards. One of the billboards has a woman saying, "I'll unplug more stuff." So...there you have it, unplug it to save. Yes, it's annoying at first, but I'd love to have that extra money every month and be green at the same time!

And one more tip for all of the shoppers (like me) out there. I found this great website called Sale Habit that features only sale items from various internet sites. The best part is that everythings on sale, so it's pratically guilt free! There are thousands of items on the website, so I recommend searching for what you want. If you know exactly what you're looking for, this site is an excellent resource to see where you can find it! Not really "Money Saving" I suppose, but if you already planning on spending the money, why not get it on sale?! (wink, wink). Happy Shopping.

Is the Library Really a Thing of the Past?

While watching Sex And The City: The Movie this weekend, I realized that Mr. Big teased Carrie for having a library book to which she replied that she liked the way they smelled. And my mind quickly recalled the old library book that was in my room on my dresser. I'm not sure how that thing smelled, but from the looks of it, I wasn't going to find out either.

I've been going to the library since I was very young. And while I abandoned it during college due to schoolwork, I returned after graduation. For a while, I did buy books, but what happens if you don't really like it or don't plan on rereading it? Then you've wasted your money most likely. I mean you could post them on Amazon or sell them for half price on Ebay or one of those book stores, but most likely, you'll do absolutely nothing with it. It'll sit and collect dust. Which is why I am a strong advocate for the public library! Yes...some of the books are dirty looking like someone ate Cheetos while reading, but majority are clean, and it's FREE! F-R-E-E! Yep! Courtesy of hmm.....taxes I'd propose. And you can have this service too for just a mere flash of your license and filling out an application. They even have audio books and you can go online and reserve books without driving out to the library, they'll email or call you when they're ready to be picked up! Fantastic library!!! And best of all....you save that $15-20 you'd pay for a book at Borders or Barnes and Noble. Just a thought...

Budget Challenge Update

So I managed to live off of $60 worth of groceries for two weeks! I have no clue how I did it, but I did it. I've also started to eat healthier because I try to buy foods that will fill me up and aren't pre-processed and full of junk.

I did my budget for this paycheck...yes, I have to roll paycheck to paycheck with my budget, even a month is too difficult to plan for myself at this stage. After saving and shuffling money to various categories...on paper, I have $150 leftover. Good old Dave would say "Find a home for that $150, don't leave it out there in space." So I'm going to put it on my credit card. Slowly but surely...that thang is going down...die cc, DIE! I also rounded each expense up slightly so I probably will have more left over than I currently think but we have to start with baby steps.

All that to say, the challenge is still on! And like everyone else in this heartbreaking economy, I'm trying to pay down my debt as quickly as possible. I also managed to snag a few key fall items to update my wardrobe! Yes, I can do this budget thing...I really can.

Ways to Raise Your Credit Score

Recently, I received a letter that one of my cards was to be closed due to inactivity. I merely brushed this aside and figured, "I'll call them and request that it stay open and it'll be fine." Much to my dismay, when I called, the most likely minimum wage worker informed me that no matter what I did, the account could not be kept open due to the agency trying to close all dormant accounts. I was ticked, needless to say. Mostly because it was $8,000 worth of credit, and I felt that it would lower my credit score because it increases my debt/available credit ratio. I'm not so sure if it's calculated per card, or for all available credit. I'm thinking the latter, which is why I was so ticked off! GRRRR, it makes me angry to think about it!

Anyway, I ran across this tidbit on CNN Money and thought I'd list it here as well in order to keep that from happening to anyone else or me again for that matter. I'm also going to review my credit report and make sure I charge at least one small thing on my cards in order to keep them active.

• 35% Your payment history Pay your bills on time. Automating payments online can help.
• 30% How much you owe Keep balances on credit cards and other revolving accounts below
• 50% of your credit limit (lower is better).
• 15% Length of your credit history Rather than let old cards go dormant, charge a latte a month (then pay it off). No activity lowers your score.
• 10% Your new credit Don't open unnecessary new accounts. And if you're rate shopping for a mortgage or an auto loan, do it within two weeks; multiple requests could ding your score.
• 10% Your mix of loans You can't do much to change this (except get a credit card if you don't have one).

Bonus Request a free copy from each of the three major credit-reporting agencies at annualcreditreport.com. Then tell them about any mistakes you find that are not in your favor. --George Mannes

The Budget Challenge

Per my previous post...oh, about 10 minutes ago. I'm really going to commit to doing a budget for 3 months, since Mr. Ramsey says that's how long it usually takes people to get the hang of it. After which point, I'll review my money and see if I was able to keep a better hold of it. This should be interesting, especially since I get paid 3 times in October, which means if I do this right, I could come out way ahead. I am going to commit to keeping track of what I spend and writing down what I plan to spend and following through with this. So in the words of the older gentleman on the Cosby show, "CHALLLLLLLLLLUUUUUUUUUUNNNGGEEEEE!!"

Tune in next payday (October 17th) for updates.

Budget Smudge-It

MAN! Budgeting is super difficult! I know this is the part where I'm supposed to say that I've got it all figured out and it's a whiz, err...but I can't say that friends. It's tough! And I feel as though I seriously have been trying to keep an eye on what I spend.

A good friend who also listens to Dave Ramsey told me to try the envelope system in order to track my spending in categories such as gas, groceries, and the blow category. This also proves to be a difficult task, as I hate carrying cash. I'm always afraid someone is going to knock me upside the head and take everything I've got. I think I get that from my mother, once my alma mater played in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and my mom had a brand new purse (that she discovered didn't have a money compartment, her words, not mine) so she proceeds to walk down Bourbon Street with her purse clutched so tightly under her arm that she ended up pinching a nerve in her shoulder/neck area and had to go to the doctor for medicine once we got home! So...needless to say, I earned my angst over cash honestly.

Anyway...back to the matter at hand, budgeting. It's so difficult...I know I'm whining, but it's my blog, so I can do that. I can play my "Princess Power" as boyfriend calls it. The one thing I have managed to notice is that when I automatically put money away for saving, it's done. And I don't go back and remove it. Period. So, my retirement (prior to this economic meltdown) is well on it's way to prosperity. As well as my high yield savings account. Those babies are in tact! And I suppose, that's truly what matters the most. All of my bills are paid, and on time. I just have to get this credit card outta here (for, hmm...the 3rd time in my life). So I suppose I'm in a great place, just not totally where I'd like to be. But I guess that's what goals are for.

The bottom line is even if I don't have money to shop every month or spend money on trivial things, I always save for retirement and just in general. Because as Mr. Bach says, it's automatic, and that makes it easy. Now if I could only lock myself into this budget thing...I know I can get the hang of it. Maybe I'll set a goal that by the end of the year (approx. 3 months), I'll be budgeting on a monthly basis and meaning it. Yes, that sounds reasonable...enter the "Budget Challenge." See next post...

Some Ways I Save

Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm not the best saver there is, but I do tend to have a few money saving habits that are ingrained in my being. So with all of this economic fallout going on around us, I figured I'd post something positive...to cheer myself up mainly, but that's beside the point.

• I participate in a commuter benefits program that takes money out of my check pre-tax for my metro trips. If you ride the metro everyday to work, which I do, this saves you about $300-400 per year. And that's just for my fare.
• I automatically have my company deposit money into a separate high interest savings account every check. I don't see it, I don't touch it...simple as that.
• Instead of buying coffee at work everyday, I have a thermos that I fill up at home before I leave, and I drink it once I get to work. That saves me about $500 a year.
• I contribute to my TSP (my equivalent of a 401K) with pre-tax dollars, so that lowers my net income, hence less taxes.
• I try to make a list (at least mentally) of what I plan to eat for the entire week before going to the grocery store, thus eliminating or lowering impulse purchases.
• I stretch my eyebrows between waxings by touching them up with a razor and using eyebrow gel so I don't have to get them done as frequently. I look a little rough, but not too bad. And if I have something to do, I get them done. Otherwise, I stretch time between appointments.
• I paint my own toenails, unless I have something important...I can paint them just fine. No thanks to paying Mr. Salon $10-$12 to paint them. I can bend down and do it just fine myself!
• I shop for shoes on Amazon (they seriously rock) and they have free shipping! Plus a lot of time they run specials and you can get 20% off on top of the sale price. I'm not kidding, Amazon seriously rocks.
• I only buy things when I have a coupon or offer...and then it's something that I've been watching for a while. It takes some self discipline, but it's usually worth it. I don't always do this, because if I love it, I get it most of the time. But how often do you geniunely love something? That's what I thought.
• I decide what's important to me and only spend money on it...whatever it is. Meaning going out to eat may not be as important to me as having a nice pair of flat knee boots, so I'll slash my dining out budget in order to accomplish. Eating out is one of those things I can live without, I'd rather have clothes that I can wear again and again. And as my dear mother says "Why should I go out and pay money for food that's going to be flushed down the toilet the next day? No thank you! I'd rather spend my money on things that will last." So I guess I've inherited that mentality.

That's all I've got for now...but when I think of more, I'll add them.

What are some ways you save money?

Retail Meltdown

Okay I'm having a major retail meltdown! I want all the items on my polyvores! (Isn't that site awesome?!) Well except the skinny jeans because I have my own. And I probably wouldn't wear the plaid blazer with the brown boots, just didn't have any place else to add them. I'm picturing how great these boots will look with skinny jeans! Mainly because of the buckle detail placement. I'm imagining the skinny jeans hitting the boots just right....AND BAM! Sheer perfection (giggling)!

And as for the other set...that's for work. Which makes it entirely feasible to purchase. But all of these items total, oh...around $500. I do have a 20% off coupon though! But...I know, I KNOW, I can't. Even though relatively speaking this is what I choose to spend majority of my play money on, I have to practice some restraint. Did I mention those Nine West shoes are a mere $59.99 on Piperlime? Good grief!!!

I have a confession...I added ALL of these items to my shopping cart and then closed the page! It actually DID help me feel better. Almost like "yes the items are on the way ma'am." Even though they're not...I still thoroughly enjoyed "adding/buying" them. I do need a nice black blazer...but when am I going on an interview again soon? Mehhh, not likely. So for $118, I suppose it'll stay there. But beware! I do plan on watching ALL of these items with intense scrutiny and snapping them up upon notice of sale pricing.

I knew blogging would make me feel better...and it has. I'm still thinking about those Nine West shoes...so darling! Restraint, restraint, restraint...

Rich is Relative

Every person has their own personal hierarchy, a ranking system that they use to determine what's most important to them. Being rich may not necessarily be having a lot of money in the bank, for some it could be driving a Mercedes, or having a closet full of Jimmy Choos. Rich is totally relative.

You could go through life trying desperately to eliminate debt (and by all means you should) but in the meantime, stop and smell the roses. Take time to enjoy these moments because no amount of money can buy them back. They're priceless.

I took some time and thought about what my personal hierarchy entails...in no particular order (I'll attempt that later) here they are:

• I want to wear nice clothes to work and on the weekends, after all this is correlated to how often promotions occur
• I want to live in an area that's a mix of city and suburban life
• I want a moderately nice vehicle (dependable & classy)
• I want to retire at a normal age (55-60) and have the flexibility to do what I want
• I want to travel 2-3 times per year while working, more upon retirement
• I want to go to graduate school, not sure for what just yet and only if it increases my earning potential or is something I'm passionate about
• I want to own my own home one day in the next 5 years
• I want kids one day

And in order to get there...

• I'm willing to live with a roommate in order to save money
• I'm willing to stay in the house on a Saturday night reading a book instead of partying
• I'm willing to give up satellite radio in my car unless I start driving to work everyday
• I'm willing to be on a staff of employees, family life is more important to me
• I'm willing to cook versus eating out. Occasionally eating out is nice
• I'm willing to start my own business if it's something I'm passionate about
• I'm willing to have just one pet now (Dior) he's expensive enough
• I'm willing to have a moderately sized wedding that's fancy-ish or a destination wedding

With all of that said...to me, I am rich right now. I buy the clothes that I want and I pay somewhat good money for them, not always, but often. I drive a car that's nice & reliable. My apartment makes me feel safe and it has a garage. I put 10% of my salary into my retirement, I belong to an investment group, and I save on a regular basis. So in my eyes, I am rich. I have what I want out of life at this very moment in time. My hierarchy will of course change as the years come & go, but for now...I'm A-OK with where I am, and I'm also very proud.

I encourage you to decide what things are most important to you in life and strive to accomplish those things, whatever they may be realizing that at times these goals may shift & change.

One more note before I end this thing...boyfriend often gives me a hard time about how much I pay for my clothes as have some of my other guy friends. Keep in mind, that according to my personal hierarchy, that's something that's important to me, for which I'm willing to sacrifice. With that said, I nicely pointed out that I don't go out to the club every weekend, to tailgate during football season, to a fast food spot everyday, or to purchase Xbox minutes online. Those are all things that may be in someone else's hierarchy, but they're not in mine. So with that said, there really is no difference between myself and anyone else (any cool kid that is, not some frugal fart). I buy what I like...if I see something that I want and it's unreasonably priced, I'll wait until I have a coupon or it's on sale. But I'm gonna get it! I also tend to wear most of my clothes to work as well as out on the weekends. They double, so that means I get more wear out of them. I don't buy a bunch of jeans (which I can't wear to work, not even on Fridays), I buy shoes and shirts and skirts that can be worn to work, church or play.

One more thought...for those of us that have personal appearance matters somewhere in our personal hierarchies. When I pay more for something, I treat it better. I'm not endorsing or suggesting that we all go expensive possession crazy but I am saying that it's okay to buy nice things for yourself, especially if you're going to use them often. Sometimes expensive purchases can be justified on a cost per use basis. Here's an example that I borrowed from You're So Money but can also see illustrated in my personal experience. Boyfriend has about 5-6 pairs of sunglasses, all of which he paid no more than $20 for...I have one pair of designer shades (and I'm not buying anymore). However, when he breaks a pair or loses a pair, he's like no biggie...they were only $15, but then he goes out and buys another pair of $15. And this happens over & over. Now, let's examine my side...I've had my one pair of Diors for 3 years now, and they still look brand new. Plus I KNOW they have true UV protection. Therefore, I don't feel bad about wearing them while he's piddling away between $10-20 on random shades, my pair is still kicking and fabulously fly I might add. You only have one set of eyes and it's important to truly protect them (who wants crow's feet around their eyes?!). Lots of people have said that they'd break their sunglasses and this is most likely true for some of us. It all depends on your hierarchy. But this example can be applied to whatever it is, that IS important to you.

So...
Be rich
Be fabulous
Be young

After all...it's all relative, right?

Monthly Goals

Despite having long term & short term goals, I also think it's a great idea to have monthly goals. Things that you can focus on over a period of 4-5 weeks. With that said...I'm going to make myself one goal for August, since today is the hmmm...21st!

August Goal

• Track my expenses (Mint makes this easier!)
• Do a more accurate budget for September based on these expenses

I'm MINTY

So I've recently decided to mint myself...I signed up for Mint a website that tracks all of your finances and categorizes them and also analyzes your spending patterns. It compares them to other people in the U.S. as well as in your area too. Kind of neat, huh?

The only thing that worried me at first was the security. However, after watching the demo video I decided that since they don't know my name, SSN or anything personal, it'll be fine. They only know what I do with my money...and I also got the opinion of a friend who specializes in internet security who informed me that it's just as safe as anything else out there.

So with that said...I quickly set up my account (less than 5 minutes). The only issues that presented problems were trying to find my credit union account, and linking the correct sites with my logins. (i.e. some institutions have more than one link, so you have to figure out which one is correct in order to login). I also discovered that if security questions pop up when trying to login, you have to answer those security questions, you can't leave them blank. Meaning I had to set security questions for two of my accounts, as well as answer all of the questions for each account, not just one.

The way the site displays and categorizes your spending is phenomenal. It was great to be able to click and in seconds have a pie chart that breaks my spending down, even offering the option to adjust the time frame. Also being able to compare my spending with others in my area was also another feature that's great. Especially with me being in DC, things are more expensive than they'd be for someone in say...Dallas.

You can even send support an email if you're having issues and they'll attempt to work through them with you. Not bad, not bad at all. I invite you to check it out...get minted.

Fabulous Thoughts

Last night at my investment group meeting, we discussed the importance of having one's financial life together & staying in the mindset. Meaning it's important to continuously seek new information on retirement, investments, savings, etc. no matter how weary you may get. Persistance is the key...if being disciplined enough to be rich were easy, everyone would be rich, right? Exactly! And that's why everyone isn't rich. Everyone doesn't want to take the time to write out goals and stick to them, budget and stick to it, invest regularly, or stay in the mindset of growing rich.

So from now on...my mindset is "Think and Grow Rich." Just like the book, which I'm currently reading. It's all about changing the way you think about things in your life and how if you consistently have money on your mind, you're bound to see and create opportunities that may pass others by.

Then I get on CNN and find the above referenced article about saving at a young age which inspired me even more. So I definitely feel like I'm on the right track, it's just about staying focused in order to continue my quest towards financial fabulousity.

Here are some thoughts that I read in my book, which I intend to write on index cards to stay focused:

• Wishing will not bring riches. But desiring riches with a state of mind that becomes an obsession, then planning definite ways and means to acquire riches, and backing those plans with persistance with does not recognize failure, will bring riches.
• ...there is one quality which one must possess to win, and that is definiteness of purpose, the knowledge of what one wants, and a burning desire to possess it.
• No one is ready for a thing, until he believes he can acquire it.

And finally, I'll end with Six Ways to Turn Desire into Gold from Think and Grow Rich:

1. First, fix it in your mind the exact amount of money you desire. It is not sufficient merely to say "I want plenty of money." Be definite as to the amount.
2. Second, determine exactly what you intend to give in return for the money you desire. (There is no such reality as "something for nothing.")
3. Third, establish a definite date when you intend to possess the money you desire.
4. Fourth, create a definite plan for carrying out your desire, and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action.
5. Fifth, write out a clear, concise statement of the amount of money you intend to acquire, name the time limit for its acquisition, state what you intend to give in return for the money, and describe clearly the plan through which you intend to accumulate it.
6. Sixth, read your written statement aloud, twice daily, once just before retiring at night, and once after arising in the morning. As you read -- see and feel and believe yourself already in possession of the money.

Budget Update

So, my $25 budget for groceries was slightly overblown by about $5...and that's only because I bought dinner for myself & boyfriend one night. So...with that said, I'm very pleased with my $30 worth of food for one week.

Entertainment: $50 discount tickets to Six Flags & helped with parking

Food: $27 groceries to make brunch for boyfriend & I on Sunday...I guess that probably means I didn't really accomplish the $25 budget for groceries, huh? lol...I just thought about this....

I'm also suddenly addicted to McDonald's Egg & Cheese bagels, at least they're only $1.64 with tax...can I make breakfast for myself that cheap?

I've also committed to getting coffee from the free coffee bar in my apartment complex before leaving for work, this saves me at least $1/day, more if I buy a medium coffee.

Chuggin on....

Budget Buster

Grrr, see just when I decide to commit and fully make and commit to a budget...extra line items fall from the sky!

I got a blasted bill from the dentist for $63.60! Which is interesting considering I haven't been since earlier this year and I have overlapping insurances. Ahh well, such is life. I paid it and I'll adjust accordingly.

I also received a personal property tax bill in the mail. Double Grrrr. That blasted thing was close to $300! Talking about I received $600 worth of relief. WHATEVER! The only relief will be when my car isn't worth as much and I don't have to write them checks for large sums of money. Foolishness, commonwealth of VA foolishness.

The $25 Grocery Quest

Okay...so earlier this week I said I was going to attempt to spend only $25 in a week on groceries. Well...today is Thursday and I haven't been to the grocery store yet! I started eating all of these packs of instant oatmeal for breakfast that I had at work. Lunch, yeah...I did pizza for two days, the second day it was a little hard but I'm penny pinchin!Then dinner has been random food from home as well.

Although last night I did spend $15.91 for boyfriend & I to have dinner from Harris Teeter. I had sushi & red velvet cake (it was HUMP day so deserving of a treat) and he had boneless buffalo wings & mac 'n cheese. So...that dropped me down to $9.09 until Monday.

I think I can
I think I can
I think I can
tooot toooot...

Death by Budget

This budget is going to be the death of me...I'm telling you. This thing is tough, not to mention the fact that I'm trying to eat on a minimalist grocery budget. I suppose the first step to actually conquering the skill of budgeting is to track your expenses, so I'm being conscious of every penny I've spent since Friday.

Let's see:

• $30 ATM withdrawal (went to a tip for the bartender at boyfriend's birthday & pizza Sunday)
• $30 Gas for boyfriend's car when I drove it to Towson
• $3.17 McDonalds breakfast and medium coffee
• $33.15 Washington Gas bill (of which my roommate owes me $3 or so...should I get it back?)

Not too shabby...But that's also about $100 in a weekend...YIKES! Money sure does disappear quickly. Barf!

Still no update on the grocery budget, I stayed with boyfriend and he bought dinner. YAY! I also saved $3.35 in Metro fare because he came and got me from work. YAY again for fabulous boyfriend, he's the best ever. So that leaves groceries for Wed-Mon on $25, yeah, I think I can swing that. Especially since I still have some random tidbits of food left at my apartment, that I have yet to eat. I guess this is what Dave Ramsey means by a "beans and hotdog" diet. I think that's what he uses...I know he says beans.

This week is restaurant week in DC, so I already know I'll be spending at least $30 for dinner because I have reservations with friends. That's not too bad...but no more! Unless I go with boyfriend, in which case, he'll pay (hehe). So that's another $30 that I'm already committing to spend. So I've spent about $130 up to this point and a week and a half to go!!

This thing is busted already :-/

Boyfriend's Birthday!!!

Was ABSOLUTELY fabulous! I don't think the night could have gone any better. My outfit was fabulous as well I must say, thanks to my fashion team (wink, wink). Although I had to drive 50 miles to get the shoes, they were definitely worth it and accomplished the look I was going for. I loved it, he loved it, the girls loved it...that's all that matters. It was a great night and I didn't have to spend an outlandish amount of money on my outfit, although I did look like a million bucks (hehe). My outfit came in under $200 and considering that the dresses I was looking at before were, err...$178 without tax or shoes, I feel proud. Maybe I should post my outfit...I mean, I was proud kids, real proud. LOL. Okay...that's enough about that. My outfit was under budget, so that's the point.

Now back to the grind, or death as I like to call it, the budget! What's a reasonable amount to spend on food per week. For single people eating out is almost the same, if you eat fast food & carryout. I'm not very good at planning meals for myself. My pantry is full of food that I buy because I call myself planning & then don't eat. So I need to learn how to plan for the week & stick to it. Boyfriend suggested only buying one week at a time that way I don't get too bored, but even that's hard for me. So I'll be going to the grocery store today, hoping I can get this right. What's a reasonable amount to budget for groceries & eating out anyway? Considering that I eat a large breakfast, usually enjoy coffee or tea because I'm either drowsy or freezing at work, a large lunch, and then a snackish dinner. I'm not a big evening eater, I did train myself on that when I first started working. And it's worked, except if I can't eat within 2 hours of waking up, I'm NOT a happy camper! Other than that, it's a good habit I suppose that way I do all of my heavy eating while I'm the busiest at work. Although I've read that it doesn't matter, but I would think it does...I mean if I eat a bunch and walk all over DC then that's better than eating a bunch and sitting on my tail bone. So there! All you critics. Back to grocery budget...I'm going to try to do this thing with $50...yeah $50! For TWO WEEKS! CHALLENGGGGGE! For those kids out there who grew up watching Cosby like I did.

Okay, so I'm going to go the grocery store today and take $25 cash. That's it. Cash, once it's gone, it's gone. That way I'll be forced to think twice about whatever I pick up. $25 for Tues-Mon groceries. Eggs will definitely be on my list because they're cheap, and fill you up, and they have protein and a lot of other things as well, haha. Hmm, what else...Maybe some sushi (my guilty pleasure). I'm steering clear of red velvet cake, although I absolutely love it. Wait, I can't do sushi...not on a $25 budget. Good grief! I'm taking this offline, I'll let you know how it goes.

Still Returning & Buying :-(

Okay, I have a confession...I found some items at H&M that I bought. There's a grey blazer ($34), I can wear it for work & play and a silver bracelet ($3.90) which I wore to boyfriend's birthday and some silver hoops ($5.90)...I'm seriously thinking I should make a list of things I want/need and ONLY buy those items if I find them while I'm out. I did however find a pair of Citizen jeans that are ankle length, I've been dying for a nice pair...for...you ready....50% off the retail price, so that made them $79 or so. Now I am SERIOUSLY not going near the mall any time soon. I've realized that whenever I go, I find something I just HAVE TO HAVE or A STEAL. So until I can learn some self control, or until I get a majority of these financial goals accomplished, I'm going to attempt to avoid the mall at all costs.

I did return 2 of the dresses that were "no-go" for boyfriend. And I have 3 pairs of shoes, a pair of earrings, and ahhh yes Mr. Seersucker left to return. I can do this...I can do this...I can do this!

Updated Goals

Short Term Goals (2008)

• Make a budget
• Track my expenses with the budget
• Stick to the budget
• Seriously commit to paying off my credit card (this will be the fourth time I've paid that sucker off)
• Pay more on my car to speed up the payoff
  

Long Term Goals (2009/early 2010)

• Pay off my credit card
• Pay off my car
• Save for a house (this is after the first two have been accomplished)
• Start a Roth IRA (after my credit card is paid off since I already have a 401K that gets a large % of my income)

First go at the grind

Okay...I did it!!! YAYYY!!! I did my budget through the end of the year. The hardest part will be actually tracking what I spend and sticking with what I've outlined for myself.

So that's one goal that I can cross off of the list, now I just have to track and commit to the budget (or death as I sometimes like to call it.)

So here's another random tidbit...I also realized that I snagged another STEAL while in the mall the other night. A seersucker suit...for a mere $87! The pants are a classic fit with a cuff and the suit jacket is also adorable, well made and has a split in the back of it. Ahhh, fashion finds make me feel soo good. But....after doing some soul searching, perhaps I have to take her back. I was in the mall looking for a dress for boyfriend's birthday party, not a seersucker suit, and even though it was a steal, it's still an impulse buy. Grrrr, this may be the end of my seersucker suit. I had already pictured her (the suit) with a nice crisp white shirt and some bright peep toes. Then separately of course they'd be adorable as well...only I hadn't gotten that far in my planning.

THEN last night...went shopping with my SPBFF and I believe I found the PERFECT dress for boyfriend's birthday. She (the dress) was $135 and hot pink....ssssss! I also found the perfect clutch to go with it and with the dress purchase, it was $10.50!!! Happiness. Then we were off to shoe hunt. I'm going for this kinda Hollyweird look that's very trendy so some people will love and others will hate, but that's cool with me. Anyway...so now that I have my dress (it needs hemming, which I'm going to attempt to do to save $$...YES!!!) I can return the hmmm 3 others. One of them I have to keep since it was on clearance, but it's my favorite and I bought it knowing that it was a keeper regardless. So the other three and the shoes that were to accompany them are headed back to the store. YAYYYY!!! I think adding up my returns will make me happy...I don't have exact amounts but I'm going to guesstimate:

• BCBG Black Patent Peep Toes (these gals were KILLER) $95
• Blue Satin Dress from Dillard's (yes...Dillard's!) $79
• Bebe Two Tone Shirt (it was a dress for me...I'm short, not hoochie) $79
• Bebe Purple Dress $129
• Carlos Santana Leopard Peep Toes $89
• Aldo Black Patent Leather Pumps (they were a STEAL, but I've gotta give em up) $40
• TOTAL (drum roll please...): $511!!!!!!!!!!

OH MY GOSH!! How did that add up so fast, seriously. Man...I'm glad I committed to taking this stuff back. Thank you very much Mr. Merchant, but I'd rather have my money for hmm, saving! Oh and just for kicks, let's throw Mr. Seersucker back in there too, that's $598! Yep...I think I just convinced myself that he's going back too. See ya, sucker. If you go on sale further, perhaps I'll come back and consider you at a later date. Then I can store you in my closet for next summer. You were awfully cute...but I'm gonna say no.

TSP Contributions

Okay, I'm slightly annoying because I can't find ANYWHERE on our company website how much they contribute to our TSP. Isn't that annoying? And I can't look on the TSP website because that's for all government agencies, and I'm assuming they have different policies about their contributions. Not to mention, that it's just not really advanced. Oh government...how I love thee.

Anyway, so back in October '07 I got promoted and at the time I was contributing 10% of my gross pay tax free to my TSP. Well, I believe my company matches 3% dollar for dollar and then $0.50 on the dollar after that up to 5%. I'm going back over my TSP statements and I just can't tell...at the time I was contributing 10%, they added 4% and the automatic 1% so 5%. Then when I changed it back to 5%, they still matched 4% plus the automatic 1%, although I thought it was fifty cents on the dollar, so it should've been 4%...unless they take the most they can give you and give it to you....I'm confused and I'm sure I'm confusing you.

So...I had this bright idea to scale my TSP contributions back down to 5% and pay the additional money on my car in order to speed up the payoff. BOY, was I wrong!!! I have NOT paid anything extra on my car since I did that. In fact, I think I just jumped off the DR train all together, but never fear...I'm BACK!! So, my question is do I move my contribution back up to 10% or leave it at 5% and commit to paying the additional money on my car? Of course, upon paying off my car I'd move the contribution back up, perhaps even higher...who knows. But at this point...what's your advice? 5% and extra to the car loan or 10%? Either way I get the same measly 5% from my employer, but it's free, so I'm taking!

Setting Goals

So the first step I suppose would be to set some goals for myself. Or is it to make a budget? I hate that word...BUDGET! YUCK!!! It sounds soo creepy, like it's going to come tie you down forever and you'll never be fabulous again. So constricting and limiting...that means no picking up steals, deals, must haves, or anything else for that matter...besides food, rent, saving, gas...blah, blah, blah. Oh yeah, the goals...

Okay, seriously...short term and long term goals are probably appropriate that way I don't get bummed out or tired trying to accomplish them.

Short Term Goals (2008)

• Make a budget
• Track my expenses with the budget
• Stick to the budget
• Seriously commit to paying off my credit card (this will be the fourth time I've paid that sucker off)
• Pay more on my car to speed up the payoff

Long Term Goals (2009/early 2010)

• Pay off my credit card
• Pay off my car
• Save for a house (this is after the first two have been accomplished)
• Start a Roth IRA (after my credit card is paid off since I already have a 401K that gets a large % of my income)

Okay, I think those are realistic...and I feel like I can accomplish and commit to them. I'd also like to increase my contribution to my Thrift Savings Plan (that's the government version of a 401K) but that may not be reasonable since ultimately I plan to have both a TSP (tax-free contributions) and a Roth IRA (after tax contributions) that way I can have money that's already taxed hence no more taxes upon withdrawal and money that's allowed to grow without my current income being taxed. How financially savvy am I sounding today?!!! Haha...Okay, off to create my budget.

And so the grind begins...

Where to start...How about with the fact that it's my boyfriend's birthday this weekend and I've spent...hmmm about $700 on potential outfits. Not to mention the pair of BCBG peep toes that I just HAD to have, they were on sale for $46.20 down from $110...A STEAL! Or the two shirts from Bebe, 65% off of one that was $20.99 or the one on special for $29. Then there's the Bebe trench coat, again 65% off down to $35 from $129!! These were purchases I just couldn't pass up!!!!

Then there is the aforementioned topic of my boyfriend's birthday, for which I was "shopping" in the first place. For that occasion, I picked up four dresses, I'm taking at least two of them back! Let's see one was 65% off, and just too cute to pass up, at $42 a SERIOUS steal! And then the other three...not on sale, but tax free! They were $79, $79, and $129. Then I had to have the proper shoes (black patent leather with a SKY HIGH heel to be exact) so I purchased one pair in Aldo, clearance for $40 and another pair of BCBG that are PERFECT and oh so sexy for....errrr....$95. I know, I know...ridiculous, but they're perfect for my dress (if I wear that one) and I'll get TONS of wear out of them. It's not like they're melon pink or something. These are everyday black shoes.

Then there is also the thought that I have to get boyfriend a birthday gift, so that just ADDS to the never ending costs of this occasion. So...I started thinking, perhaps I should get back on my "Dave Ramsey" kick, believe it or not at one point I was SERIOUSLY committed to DR's principles. And what better way to become more financially responsible than to write a blog about it?! Everyone writes them, and I could certainly benefit from having to write my progress/thoughts even if no one reads them. I can tie emotions to impulse purchases, or not, and seriously have a grip on how much I'm spending on frivolous things (I'm sure more than I'd EVER be willing to admit).

So...here we are! Now, let me say this...I make excellent money, like seriously, one credit card balance, a car loan, and rent that's sky high. All of which are up to date and taken care of, but I still spend money where I shouldn't be...I'd MUCH rather be saving for a house or my wedding (which did I mention...I'm not even engaged, but they're still expensive) or just putting money aside to capitalize on the wonders of compounding interest! So hopefully this blog will help me do just that. Ready? Here we go... or is it Here we go!