eeck! 2 months later...

EEK! I just realized that my last post was exactly 2 months ago...to the day!

WOW! that's pretty horrible. Well, I might as well start by updating what's been going on.

I've managed to pay off one of my smaller "store" credit cards and have been working at my other one. I'm learning how to create a budget and stick to it. I'm also getting more creative in my gift giving, cooking, and personal entertainment.

I used to be able to do all of the things I wanted to do with my friends and now that I can't, it's hard at times. I have up drinking (for awhile) because it's pretty expensive to go out and usually, when my friends and I go out, we start with dinner, hit a few different places for drinks and then maybe do breakfast or brunch the next morning. You don't realize how quickly you can drop 50-60 bucks in a weekend! okay..so let's say that you do that 2 weekends in a row. That's crazy because it's like spending 100 bucks of your pay check right away.

I was not used to the idea of having a grocery and gas budget and actually having to stick to it. If I needed something, I got it. simple as that. However, the first time I went grocery shopping on my $20.00 budget, I failed. I'd ended up planning that I was going to buy 20 bucks worth of groceries to live off of for a week. Well, I got to the register and I'd spent $29.50. I'd even bought what was on sale, generic...whatever I could to help cut costs..or so I thought. I came home and was feeling pretty down on myself and was pretty upset. I called my big sister and she helped me realize where I'd gone wrong and gave me tips for doing it right the next time. What she and I didn't realize was that my groceries I'd bought for $29.50 actually lasted me TWO weeks and not one. SO never underestimate yourself. Here I was completely beating myself up for spending way more than I wanted to when in turn, I wasn't going to have to buy groceries for the next week so I ended up saving!

To clue you in on what's going down ..I work 2 jobs. one during the week (the full time one that pays the bills) and one on the weekends (the part time job which is my grocery, gas, and spending money...if I have any left because part of it goes to "emergency"). I work roughly 60 hours a week and make decent wages at both of them. My full time job pays my insurance for me and allows me to work AS MUCH OVER TIME AS I WANT in the summer!!!! I make some die hard bank in the summer time...and this time around, I'm going to use it to my advantage.

The other little thing, mom and dad decided to cut the cord...so at 23, I'm officially on my own. I even got a Valentine from them the other day and guess what...no check for 20 dollars to go buy myself something nice for V-Day ... :( A little part of me died. However, I did get the title to a '99 Monte Carlo LS with 113,000 miles and some fairly new tires! SWEET. ...yup...so sweet that I am currently shopping for car insurance. My current insurance is up on April 1...so I literally have 1 month to get some insurance...any suggestions?

That's it for now..I promise to write more often and not be an every 2 month thing :-S