Spending Excuses

Hello. My name is Holley. I am a shopper.

There are many reasons that I love shopping. It's exercise, it has a tangible end, it makes me feel accomplished, it's distracting. But one of the best aspects of shopping for me is that I'm good at it. I find gems that cost pennies.

That being said, looking at my bank account and revolving credit line makes me want to puke.

Here are the bogus excuses I use to justify unnecessary spending:

• I don't own a car, so if I was a normal person this money would get spent on that.
• I don't drink, and shopping is a better habit than drinking. Instead of spending money on booze, I spend money on cardigans. I can wear cardigans to work. 
• My living expenses are low.
• I owe it to myself to do something nice for me and have nice things.
• I don't plan on having kids, so I don't need to plan for that expense.
• I have a 401k plan and my job matches my Social Security benefits, so I don't need to save for retirement (right now). 
• It's not like I'm ever going to get to retire - at this rate no one will.
• Shopping is cheaper than therapy and at least I get something out of it.

These excuses are just excuses; I need to button down and stop frivolous spending. 

Someone hold me to that. JCP has some cute, bright sweaters - and I am weak.

Financial Planning the Broke Way

Where my next next next paycheck is going:
Tickets for Ren Fest
Save

Where my next next next next paycheck is going:
Minnesota State Fair
Rent
Bills
Save

The Fifty, Thirty, Twenty Budget

If you've been following my blog, you'd know that I suck at budgeting, dieting and not-shopping. I don't go into debt horribly. I don't spend more than I make (except that small period of unemployment). I just have a difficult time saving. I think a big issue that I have with the whole thing is that I cut way down and save for a few weeks, maybe even a month and then freak out and spend spend spend.

This time, I'm not going cold turkey. I've set up my direct deposit to split into three separate accounts. 50% of my income goes to Needs. 30% goes to Wants. 20% goes to Savings.

I'm coming to the end of my first pay period with this budget. Let's see how I did!

Needs:
Rent
Cell Phone Bill Payment
Dog Wellness Plan Payment

Wants:
3 Bottles of Pop
Chinese Food
2 Lunches at work
Sodas at a work event
Ticket to CONvergence
Sandals for Jared
Jimmy John's (twice, and it was delicious. I have no regrets.)
Biore Pore Strips
Pantone + Sephora Make Up Brush Roll :D
$50 to my Macy's Bill
Dinner at Peninsula

Savings:
Haven't touched a red cent!

We bought groceries for two weeks before this pay period. I went over on Wants. I'll need to work on that.

Additionally, I shoved some money into the San Francisco targeted savings account I started up. I figure I'll need $1500 for San Francisco in September, $2000 for Disney in January, $500 for Irish Fest in August and $200 for CONvergence in July.

I'd also like to save up 6 months bills in my emergency account. After that, the majority of my "Savings" will go to paying off my student loans.

Finances Update, Pinterest, Makeup Post

Finance Update + House Update

Week 1 of my 26 week financial fast is complete! I made a small slip and bought a replacement waist belt. I broke the one I would use often and I needed it for the majority of my dresses to fit right. Darn thick arms, broad shoulders and a normal sized waist!

I did my weekly total and should be able to put away enough for a down-payment on a house in September and for my San Francisco trip in May (or possibly June, I'm still working out the details).

As for real estate ... we saw a few houses two weeks ago that weren't up to snuff. This week another house dropped in price, but is further north than I want to live. Seeing that the last apartment we saw on the only day we looked at apartments was perfect, the house in Platteville sold just in time for us to move into said apartment, I learned of my volunteer gig just before it started, my contracting job started soon after my volunteer gig ended, my contracting job ended and my real job started... and we met Gizmo and adopted him in the same day... and everything that has happened seems to just happen in a timely manner - I'm going to bank on just the right house appearing on the market just in time. What can I say? I'm lucky.

Pinterest

I joined Pinterest this week. It took me a little while to figure out what was going on and the best use for the website. Now, it's kind of addicting. It's a great way to keep tracking of street wear blogs I like, and to keep track of home decorating ideas on Apartment Therapy.

I would suggest it.

Makeup Blog posts

I am considering making a weekly post about makeup I own and have tried often enough to form an opinion. I'd like to get an idea of my audience before embarking on this. Mostly, I wonder if I have an audience and whether you, my audience, would want to read something like that. Comment on Facebook, message me, comment here - whatever works for you.

Fabulous February of Frugality?

Last weekend, Jared and I went and saw three houses in our price range. Nothing quite hit a home run, but it got me thinking.

I need to start saving up my half of the downpayment.

Viva the February Financial Fast. The rules are simple: no purchasing non-consumable goods; we can only eat out once a week; every cent out of my bank account must be tracked on paper.

Length of time: six months. End date: 8/2/2012. (My birthday, and hopefully the day we find a house we can't pass up.)

Goal: $5,000.

Things to Come

Now that I have landed an awesome job, I have the luxury of upping my goals.

Start a career Establish myself in my new career
Move to a bigger apartment Buy a house
Go to Disney in late fall October
Visit Aunt Leigh in San Francisco in late spring/early summer May
Spend 5 days at the cabin in summer
Go to the State Fair
Go to the Aquatennial
Buy a nice, foldout couch
Buy a queen sized bed
Start paying off Student Loans
Show Amanda around town

Now, to make the bigger of those goals achievable and on a time frame (the trips are already on a time frame).

Establish myself in my new career

I got the job! I got the job!

Now, I need to have fantastic statistics and excellent quality reviews. I also want people to A) know who I am and B) want me around. I'd also like to get in on as many projects as possible. I want to be trained on anything I can get my hands on. And, I want everything to be done with a smile!

If I can do all of this, I might have a fighting chance at a future promotion. ;) Or maybe that's just ambition talking.

Buy a house

Right now, mortgages are cheaper than rent. We could double the square feet we live in, avoid noisy neighbors and the crazy ghost clanking noise I keep hearing at 3 am... and have a yard for Gizmo to run in!

I want a place on the bus line for work, at least 900 sq feet, and in a great neighborhood. The house also needs at least a hook up for a washer and dryer (bonus points for actually having the appliances). Jared and I both work full-time, so we don't want a fixer upper. All that for under $100,000, and we will have found the perfect place!

We'd most likely renew our rent here and save money for a down-payment. Hopefully, I can get a mortgage pre-approval set up within the next three months. It wouldn't make sense to move twice just to change locations. After we find a place, we can start working toward the new couch and bed.

Start paying off Student Loans

After I've established an emergency fund (most likely in March), I'm going to start throwing money into the house fund and at my student loans. I'm going to go at it with the snowball method... and aggressively. What I mean is that I'm going to hand over big chunks of my income toward one loan at a time. I'm thinking I'll be (student loan) debt free in two years.

So, as plans go (it's more of a guideline) that is going to be my 2012!

No Shop November

Over the last few weeks, I have taken part in far too much retail therapy. I think I'm just stressed out and use shopping as recreation. Although I love it... I just don't have the room in my house and far too much room in my wallet.

So my plan is simple: I'm not going shopping in November.

Unfortunately for you (and me)... this means a hiatus for This Week in Thrift. I would be able to highlight purchases I've made in the past. But, I'd like to have some different posting ideas. I'm not willing to talk about work on my blog, because I've never been 100% clear on what I can and cannot post about. To stay in the clear, I just don't post about work. If ya'll have want an update... call me (preferably on the weekend). If anyone has blog post requests, please share them! I need content ASAP.

Big Girl Accomplishments: Back to Earth

I've decided that my benchmarks are good, but my prizes are too lofty to serve a purpose.

The idea of goals, for me, is to distract myself from my compulsion to shop. If I was more tech-savvy, I'd block online stores. What I have done (and this is silly) is I bought myself a wonderful, beautiful, quality purse that I would love to use and think about everyday. I set this purse on top of our DVD stand. I've decided I am not allowed to use my purse until I'm out of debt (small bank loan, store cards, credit cards). I'm about half way there so far. I want to pay off all my store cards and credit card before touching the loan. That way, I'm eliminating high APRs.

I can't really worry about money though. As long as I pull in some sort of income, I'll be fine. With my rent and expenses as low as they are, I can easily survive on unemployment insurance while searching for a new job. However, I find myself more frugal and more financially insecure when I'm making money and on the edge of debt. When I'm close to maxing out my credit... I feel like I can go crazy, like 23 is a great age to go into an absurd amount of debt. When I have a job, and feel the struggle of paying bills using workable income... I stress out.

I'm off topic. Here are my new prizes that are in a lower price range. Plus, some of these things I need to replace/need for my house. What I would like to do... (and this is something I'm not sure is a good idea) is to buy my prizes ahead of time (not all at once) and set them in the living room like I have my purse. It's easier to say no to temptation with a goal within reach.

Accomplishment: Pay Off Debt

I finally will get to use my new purse! AND I'll buy a vacuum!

Accomplishment: Build Up $1000 Emergency Fund

New Keen shoes AND a new wireless mouse!

Accomplishment: Build Up $2500 Emergency Fund

iPod Nano

Accomplishment: Find a Full-time Permanent Job

Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS AND (if I need them) computer glasses

Accomplishment: Build Up $1000 Savings Account

ECO Citizen Watch

And to all you self-proclaimed responsible adults out there - I understand that the goal itself should be enough, but I'm a Womangirl and need pretties to make myself work.

Big Girl Accomplishments

Today, Jared and I talked about motivation. In my mind, motivation comes in three materialistic, money-grubbin' forms. Provide incentive by promising new, great things for the two of us: house, car, shorter commute. Provide incentive by promising new, awesome things for himself: iPod touch, speaker system, smartphone. And finally, the less fun one, deny himself something he enjoys until reaching specific benchmarks: no videogames until he's applied for so many jobs.

Last week, I also found myself wanting. I wanted not only small, simple things, but big, expensive things! Get Rich Slowly has taught me that I can have everything I want, just not all at once. So, I bring to you a list of Big Girl Accomplishments and their matching Big Girl Prizes. (All monetary benchmarks must include the price of the prize. Example: Accomplishment: Build Up $1000 Emergency Fund, Prize: Something That Costs $200. The entire amount saved should be over $1200.)

Accomplishment: Pay Off Debt

This is a pretty simple goal that is a huge deal. I want to pay off all credit card debt, store card debt and the loan I have with UWCU. I am not including my student loans in this goal, because I don't plan on paying them until I have to. 

Prize: Travelon Hanging Toiletry Kit

Accomplishment: Build Up $1000 Emergency Fund

It's important to build up an emergency fund, just in case I end up unemployed for a few months... again. 

Prize: Wacom Bamboo Pen Tablet

Accomplishment: Build Up $2500 Emergency Fund
Prize: iPod Nano

I'll get the newest one... whenever I have that much money saved.

Accomplishment: Find a Full-time Permanent Job

If I have accomplished the above goals and find a full-time permanent job... I'm going to spend a huge chunk of change on an amazing camera. 

Prize: Fuji Film FinePix X100

Accomplishment: Stay With the Same Company for One Year
Prize: Disney Vacation

Accomplishment: Build Up $1000 Savings Account
Prize: A New Couch!

Accomplishment: Build Up $2500 Savings Account AND Jared has a stable job
Prize: A New Home!

High Cost of Being Poor

It's Sunday; tomorrow is Labor Day; I start work on Tuesday. Normally, this would all be good news. But, today I received an email from Mint.com letting me know I had been charged a $10.00 service fee from UW Credit Union. It also informed me that I had received the same service fee three times prior.

I looked into the fee, which was aptly labeled < 7 Qualifying Services. I was charged $10.00 for August, July and June. Why? Because I hadn't used my debit card in this time.

Why haven't I been charging to my debit card? I have been unemployed and living on credit for the last two months. All my transactions went through my credit card, which I paid off with a small loan. I haven't been using my credit card for fear of overdrawing my checking account (which causes a $5.00 fee).

I plan on calling into my bank once I am off of work. Unfortunately, my bank is open half an hour past my end of day. I am not totally sure that I will have the time to settle this dispute.

This is a short retelling, because I'm very frustrated right now. I feel like I am being punished for being unemployed. This month, I will make sure to buy a stick of gum with my debit card. In the meantime, I'm going to start researching banks in Minneapolis.

Frugal Practices

One of my favorite financial blogs, Free By 50, published an article a few years back titled "What's My Frugal Limit?" I have decided to take his list and apply it to my life.

Here is my version of his list of things I do, might do and wouldn't want to do.

What I currently DO:

Share a car with my boyfriend
Live in a small apartment
Shop around for bargains
Use coupons
Do simple home improvement projects
Buy and wear used clothing
Buy used books or go to the library
Brown bag my lunch
Shop garage sales
Use compact florescent lights
Eat expired foods
Go without health, car, home or life insurance
Give up Cable TV
Use a lower speed Internet service
Give up landlines

What I DO NOT DO but will DO to save $:

Rely heavily on public transportation once I live in the city
Buy used cars instead of new
Stop eating out
Stop going out to movies (which we rarely go to anyways)

What I DO NOT DO because I think they are impractical:

Wash Ziploc bags to reuse

Basically, my life after we move is going to be very low cost. We'll be splitting the rent of a one bedroom apartment in a great neighborhood for $600.00 a month and that includes all utilities except electricity which is estimated at $25.00 a month. We don't have a car payment and rarely use our car. Jared wants to expect a monthly gas allowance of $200.00 a month. Right now we spend about $200 a month on food. We do eat out weekly which I estimate at $100.00 a month. We'll be signing up for economy Internet through Comcast for $29.99 a month. Our combined cell phone bill is about $80.00 a month. We do have a Netflix account which costs $7.99 a month. Given that estimate (which as Jared says is "high balling") we'll be spending $1242.98 a month combined. With our current savings, we're good for over six months. Which is all we needed.

Now, I have gone over this before. I know I talk about finances a little too readily, but I'm proud of being capable enough to create a budget and follow it.

Which brings me to a topic I haven't discussed with anyone other than Jared in passing and Ciera on occasion. I'm 22 years old and very ready to plan for retirement. The most ideal retirement would be to retire now for fifteen years and then work until I die or lose my mind (even then, I could do repetitive tasks). Well, my idea for retirement is to maintain a small, understated, frugal lifestyle.

Let's imagine that Jared and I have a combined income of $80,000.00 a year. Given previous estimates, we could be living quite well on $14,915.76 a year. For fun's sake I'm going to just round it up to $20,000.00 a year. Let's assume we lose 20% of our income to taxes. We would gross $64,000.00 a year and after our expenses would be able to save $44,000.00 a year. Jared would like to pay his parents back for his college education and I have $13,000.00 in student loans. After the first two years of saving, we will have paid all of that off and will be in the clear. If we could live small for a few years and avoid the big new house and flashy car of our American financial obligation... we could retire pretty damn early. It's a lot of speculation and a far off future. But, what I'm getting at is that by living small and avoiding financial obligations... life looks pretty easy.

Maybe I can talk Jared into retiring to Mexico... I have years to work in this idea.

Holley's Shopping Rules

I love shopping, but I am poor. I have developed the ability to shop for hours on end, carefully choosing my purchases. If you have ever had to endure a shopping trip with me, you know that both your feet and your patience can be worn out by the end of the day. I own two closets of clothes; I like what I own and wear everything I own. I believe that MSRP is a suggested mark up, not a suggested price.

These are my rules for shopping:
Avoid Big Sales

A big sale can mean big price cuts with ample product. It can also mean hundreds of tired, frustrated people, staff included. Big sales with big crowds can make shopping an awful experience. Also, it puts your decision making skills in jeopardy, because of flash marketing. When someone says "limited time" offer to me, I inevitably hear "scam." I would suggest shopping the night before the sale. You might still get the markdowns advertised if they've been priced out early. Otherwise, shopping after the sale will vastly limit your available merchandise, but usually the discounts remain or become even greater.

A true sale shopper knows to peep into the store every once in a while and check for markdowns. This has been called "predatory shopping." I consider it a retail version of chicken. This is my most loved version of shopping. It's like the thrill of the hunt with delayed gratification.

Note: If you have to attend a huge sale, wear sensible, easily removable shoes and clothes. Every year, I attend Madison, WI Maxwell Street Days. I have gone with my aunt before. She wears a long, flowy skirt and a neutral colored tank top, so she can try on clothing without a dressing room. That woman is a master. Also, treat the sales people with respect. I have witnessed a sales clerk recoil after she turned down a coupon. She seemed to be expecting me to take a swing at her. Don't make someone's job more difficult, because you feel crowded and frustrated. She didn't make the coupon rules. Which reminds me, always have them at least scan in your coupon. Don't let them just guess it doesn't work.

It's Not On Sale Unless It's At Least 50% Off

Clothing and accessory markup is ridiculous. The prices you see on the tags can have up to a 300 percent markup. Here is a link to a short article on the subject. I don't really consider something on sale unless it is at least 50% off. For example: Buy One Get One 50% Off is not a sale. Do the simple math; that's 25% off, and marketing is forcing your hand into a second unnecessary, over-priced purchase.

It's a good idea to keep an eye out for when sales happen. Right now, Winter Coats are on sale. Here is a list from Lifehacker for the best times to find anything in 2011. On a closer to home note, I know that Younkers sale prices are stepped percentages off: 65%, 70%, 75%, 85%. After that they are price marked. I also keep an eye out around stores I frequent for an additional 50% off sale prices.

Predict Your Future Needs

My friend Ciera and I were wandering the mall yesterday. (And yes, I got so exhausted from the trek, I wanted to sleep in the car back home.) I lost my mind for a second and stopped right in the middle of asking her if she needed a winter coat to remember she was moving to North Carolina in May and will possibly never need a winter coat again.

Knowing what you'll need twelve months down the line is important when you're sale shopping. Usually, the best deals can be found right after the season is over. Buy swimsuits in September and winter coats in March. Then, hope and pray you stay the same size.

If It's Not Marked Down, It Isn't On Sale

This is a rule that isn't always a true. Sometimes I do find nice sales where entire racks of seasonal clothing have been price marked at say $49.99 for a winter coat that's MSRP is $240.00.

But, most of the time - especially at places like Kohl's - entire racks of items are "marked down" from absurd prices to almost acceptable prices. This once again is marketing; don't let yourself be fooled. Do the simple math and compare the numbers. If something seems steep, it probably is. (This is also why I don't like Kohl's.)

Try On Everything

When I comb the racks, I generally ignore sizes. I feel like a lot of what is available, that is marked down, that doesn't suck has been sized incorrectly. A lot of people shop by saying, "I am a size 6 and only a size 6." In that case, their stubbornness can be your gain.

Pick out everything you like the looks of and try it on. Don't be too obsessed with what doesn't fit you. Be more aware of what actually does. Standardized sizing in the clothing industry is a joke.

Always Search for Defects

The other likely reason that something is on sale that is acceptable looking is that the item in question has a defect. Search for poor sewing, weirdo darts, pulled threads and stains.

When I actually do go thrift shopping, I'm always looking at coats. I learned the hard way to always check the arm pits. The last thing you need is strange, floppy fabric annoying your under arms.

Buy What You Want

This is crucial, and possibly the most important advice I can give shoppers. Buy items you would buy at their MSRP. Do not convince yourself that you want something just because it is on sale. If it has weird darts, is incorrectly sized and is dyed the most heinous color imaginable... but it's 99% off, don't buy it unless it's cheaper than wash rags and your kitchen needs a good scrub. Knowing something was cheaply priced is not enough to make anyone want to wear something she hates. Plus, consider the space in one's closet valuable real estate. Don't lease space to something that doesn't work.

You Can't Choose What You Love

I do want to add that if you love something, and you can afford it, I say go for it. I still think about a soft leather, red pair of ballet slippers I hovered over for three months when I was a senior in high school.

You Can't Love Everything

At the same time, when you're sale shopping and have good enough body image, everything looks cute or at least is tolerable. Understand what you already have and recognize whether or not you would be filling a hole in your closet. Avoid duplicates if you can.

Wear Nude Undergarments

This one may seem a little silly, but it's important. A day of shopping can be ruined by a blue bra.

Scrooge McMe

Smell that crisp, Christmas air. What you say? It's March 1st? I doubt that considering my inner Scrooge is now out... and in a vengeful Super Mutant form. Huzzah.

I went a little nuts with my tax refund and spent what I consider ... far too much. The good news is that since moving is priority uno, I still have over $5000.00 to move on. Congrats to me. But, that is no excuse for the amount of excess I have taken part in in the last nine days.

My solution? Old school: Don't spend money.

I did get some good deals... and a large, very large, sum of it all went to tax preparation fees and renewing my Badgercare. And, not that I needed any to begin with... I won't need to purchase shoes, clothes or a winter coat for a few years unless I drop or gain a significant amount of weight.

So discoveries from this nine day bender:

Billiards: Actually an interesting sport to watch.
Velvet: Back in style with fast fashion and grannies rockin' cue sticks.
Nike: Best place for shoes ever. (I bought some sweet hot pink high tops that even my Gram likes.)
Calvin Klein Winter Wear: Drastically reduced in price at a store near you.

Oh and Britt and I ate out a few times near Milwaukee, so here is the low down on Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Chili's and Culver's as I experienced them.

I have never eaten at a Five Guys Burgers and Fries before. My first experience was excellent. The hamburgers automatically come with two patties so you have to ask for just one. The meat is 100% beef and cooked well-done, but remains juicy and is well-seasoned. I ordered a cheeseburger with the works. Five Guys outlines what toppings are included when you say everything, so it's a lot more up front than a lot of other burger joints. Britt and I both got fries. That was a mistake. They take a 21 oz cup, fill it with fries then top off your bag with more fries. Let's skip to the end of story: we had a brown bag of fries left over. I'm not much for five star ratings; I'll just say I liked it and I will eat there again.

The last time I ate at a Chili's I was living in Florida, 4'11" and 16 years old. Here is the update/rude awakening of today's Chili's. They nixed the pentagram decor that served as my main entertainment, and they took my favorite entre/appetizer off the menu. I ordered it off menu anyways. Chicken and cheese quesadillas with guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo for the win. (I want to add here that Red Robin's quesadillas win out overall when you compare the two.) The positive add-on: two pint glass margaritas for $2.99 after 9 PM. I would suggest not having to be at a billiards match by 9:30 PM for our next visit.

Culver's is a regular staple in Wisconsin, but I wasn't feeling another cheeseburger. I got a kid's meal with chicken tenders. While eating these (totally sober) I declared that they were the best possible combination if we crossbred a chicken and a fish.

There we have it: Shopping, restaurants and billiards. It makes for a good week to live through... and a great way to drain the life out of my checking account.

Britt making her opponent cry.

Budgeting for MN

Lately, I've been spending an inordinate amount of my free time researching apartments and budgeting for when we move to Minneapolis. A psychological explanation is that I'm compensating for the fact that when we move I lose my healthcare and and foodshare through the state. Which scares the living daylights out of me. On the bright side, if I go bankrupt from medical bills after a horrible accident... I don't have much to lose. Also, with the path Scott Walker is taking Wisconsin down... I'd be losing all that anyways.

I'm off topic.

I figure that I will have $5,000.00 to be unemployed with as of May. (Thank you, being poor enough to get all tax money back.) Now, Jared makes more money than me and works more hours... so even without tax money he'll have equal to or more than my savings. I'm budgeting for the following expenses:

Economy Internet (Provider Comcast): $39.95
Rent including utilities: $550.00
Cell Phone Plan: $45.00
Food: $200.00
Down payment equal to the price of rent: $550.00

Jared and I will split the cost of everything with the exception of my cell phone plan.

Here is the equation I've come up with to figure out how many months we can remain unemployed while sustaining a $1,000.00 emergency fund.

$5,000.00 - $1,000.00/2 = [($550.00 + $39.95 + $200.00)/2]x + $45.00x + $550

Solving for x and rounding down to the nearest month... we can survive eight months while being unemployed in Minneapolis.

It took us two months to find jobs in a worker saturated, tiny town. If we get jobs right away, I'm buying a couch.

I told Jared that when he gets a job with health insurance, we're getting court house married, and I'm living off his insurance forever. The only problem he had with this idea is the forever part. "Why can't you get a job with insurance then I can live off your job forever?" he asks me. If the answer wasn't obvious enough: Because I said so. Also, getting a chemistry job with good insurance is far more likely than whatever I stumble into having good insurance. But, who knows.

So far my plan is to hang out here, make some money, find an apartment in late March/early April. Move out by April 15th. We'll start packing after we find an apartment. We'll job hunt in May. I have a San Francisco trip in May too.

Actually, I have a trip with Britt this week to look forward to. It will be a last hurrah before strangers start asking to touch her stomach in public.

And, if we get jobs soon... I want to go to Disney World. I've never been there before. I think it's right up my alley.

Oh yea, and because we won't be in the middle of no where... maybe my Florida friends will want to visit the Upper Midwest.

All I Can Say Is, "Yay"

Diet Update:
I'm on day three of my diet and in an effort to shame myself into sticking with it I'm going to record my slips here.

On Thursday, I had to go home from work because I was having stomach pains. I thought I was going to get what I gingerly call "stomach sick." But! I didn't break my diet... I did however take a pain killer. Which I do not like to do. I'm not a big believer in the safety of over-the-counter drugs.

On Friday, at about the same time as Monday I got those pesky stomach pains again, so I ate a Tootsie Pop. That did the trick so I will be including them in my work lunch for now on just in case. I don't like missing work for any reason, even if I am sick.

Today (Saturday), I ate a hot dog on wheat bread and two slices of grape fruit. I skipped the mini rice cakes and the orange. (Why only a few slivers of grape fruit and no orange? Because I managed to cut my thumb on my peeling hand.) I'm not feeling bad about the hot dog because I walked 1.2 miles to HR Block today.

According to the scale at work, I've lost 4 lbs this week. My stomach feels tighter. I'm pretty happy with this so far.

In other news:
I'm getting back an amazing tax return from 2010 and filing an ammendment for 2009. This means I'll have over ... wait for it... $5000.00 to move with in my bank account alone by April.

If everything goes to plan Jared and I will be living in Minneapolis April 1st; I will be 20 pounds lighter (3 lbs a week for 7 weeks); we'll get jobs and then a puppy!

Living the dream.

Recreational Shopping

Today I went shopping at the Kennedy Mall in Dubuque, IA with a $100.00 budget. I wanted a waist belt that was not black and a pair of gold hoop earrings. I did go over budget by $4.29. Here is what I bought including ticketed price and price at purchase.

10K Earrings

10k Yellow Gold Hoop Earrings

Ticketed: $120.00
Price at Purchase: $25.20

Bronze Colored Waist Belt

Ticketed: $32.00
Price at Purchase: $3.82

Fossil Heirloom Crossbody

Fossil Heirloom Crossbody in Black

Ticketed: $128.00
Price at Purchase: $24.48

Floral Laptop Case

Ticketed: $34.00
Price at Purchase: $6.37

Floral Laptop Case

Kirra Floral Navy Tank Top

Ticketed: $22.50

Price at Purchase: $7.49

Kirra Sheer Navy Button Up

Ticketed: $29.50
Price at Purchase: $9.99

Kirra Ivory Top

Ticketed: $22.50
Price at Purchase: $4.99

Kirra Sheer Button Up (Black)

Kirra Ivory Top II

Ticketed: $22.50
Price at Purchase: $4.99

Kirra Gray Lace Top

Ticketed: $22.50
Price at Purchase: $4.99

Pig Calender

Ticketed: $12.99
Price at Purchase: $4.99

Calendar

Raccoon Puppet

Ticketed: $13.99
Price at Purchase: $6.98

Total:

Ticketed: $460.48
Price at Purchase: $104.29

And, that is how Holley shops.

Income Based Repayment

I recently read a blog entry from a person who could possibly be reading my blog right now. This post is for you.

If you are low on funds and recently graduated, you should look into federal loan programs. One is the IBR program. This is a program that can lower your loan repayments to nothing. It acts as deferment if you currently are broke and lowers payments to where you can afford them if you aren't broke.
website: http://www.ibrinfo.org/
how to take action now: call your loan provider and tell them you want to apply for the Income Based Repayment program.

If you are low on funds and not sharing food with someone high on funds, apply for Foodshare. It's the Wisconsin food stamp program. It isn't embarrassing to use; if you qualify, then you need it.
website: https://access.wisconsin.gov/
how to take action now: click "Apply for benefits" and find your last month's pay stubs.
*side note: if you are in school and reading this, you will need to be a part of a work-study program and be working 20 hours a week.

If you are not in Wisconsin (Hello, Erin and Amy.) and want to see what benefits you qualify for, use https://www.benefitscheckup.org/ to see where you stand.

Also, using block quote html tags reads a lot better than centering a paragraph. And, you can't be mad at me for reading your blog, after all you obviously read mine and get post ideas from me. If you didn't, then you couldn't respond to this anyways, and I'm just being paranoid.

Shopping Style and Flash Sales

I've recently decided it would be best if I did not buy clothing for a year. I have far more clothing than I need but for now am done narrowing down my closet. By not buying clothing I will be able to focus on what I already have and (to use a hackneyed phrase) shop my closet.

Through a little self examination, I've come to the conclusion that I tend to shop as a way to treasure hunt. I don't channel my inner pirate and map my way across the department store, but instead I spend hours of my time filtering every sale rack, every aisle of a thrift store... turning over every knickknack and examining every clothing item. I search for items that strike my fancy in a particular, long-lasting way but also meet my standard in price vs. retail value.

Becoming self-aware of my reason for shopping has made not shopping a little easier. Right now, I've decided that if I need something, I need something. Which means I should buy this item and only this item.
Example: My winter coat is a black, wool pea coat made by Calvin Klein. Last year, it fit like a glove... but now the top button stays open. I went to the mall this Saturday with a friend from work and tried on five similar coat from the same designer and have decided that my waist is too small for a 10 and my chest is too large for an 8 for this season's Calvin Klein coat line. However, I still need a winter coat that zip/buttons to the top. This is the frozen tundra of the Midwest that I live in. I chose to purchase a Columbia medium weight coat in a Medium. Which fits perfectly, I want to add.

Then, I got the hell out of there.

I'm making a point in all future purchases to only use store cards when a discount is provided for store card users. I paid for this purchase on my everyday credit card which has an interest rate much lower than a store card's.

Which brings me to section two of this blog entry. I am closing all store cards that I do not use. I am keeping my Younker's card (for use that in Wisconsin), my Macy's card (for all future Minnesota, Mall of America shopping), and my Old Navy Card (for all basic clothing purchases). This might seem like a lot of store cards to keep but I've closed four accounts this weekend and am calling Maurice's in the morning. It shouldn't hurt my credit too horribly, because all of these accounts have been inactive for over six months.

Finally, I recently read an article published by Jezebel on Flash Sales. This article has reinforced my belief that "limited time" offers are scams. Without fail, I recoil at any sales pitch that is offered "for the next 48 hours" or "until close today." Mostly, because I watch a lot of TV and have seen make-believe con artists fool their marks into rushed decision making. Outside of treasure hunting... I don't fall prey to flash sales or BOGO offers or even coupons. If you're offered $10 off a $50 purchase... that's 20%. That is not a sale. If it isn't 50% off... it isn't a sale. If you didn't even want it... you aren't saving money.

My dad always would correct someone who would deliver a sales pitch claiming to "save" you money if you buy an item for $40 that is normally $50. "You aren't saving money; you just aren't spending as much money." If you want to save money you just take $10 and stick it in a savings account. Now, you have saved $10... and come to think of it you could just not buy anything and put away $50.

Always Planning

I have been thinking about finances way too often this week.

I've been reading blogs on finance and frugal living. This is what I've learned so far from these blogs: I make next to nothing; I'm 5 or so years younger than any exemplary young person in debt; my debt (i.e., school loans) is not that bad; I've been practicing these frugal living ideas that are exalted by these websites for years as a way of providing for myself while poor; There isn't too much fat to cut from my budget. Because my budget is already low-fat... I've decided to go fat free.

Here is my working plan for financial savings:
I will not buy clothing -- at all -- for at least six months. If I can manage that, I'll make it another six months etc. (I am going to make an exception when I visit Aunt Leigh in San Francisco.)
I will not purchase home items until we have moved and have jobs.
I will cut down on eating out to once a week or less.

That's my budget's fat.

Oh, and I froze my credit.

I also want to plastic and weather strip our windows and the back room. This way we can keep the heat at 67 or 65 without paying $130 a month.

When my hours start cutting down I'm going to clean out the upstairs closets. I don't want to be one of those people that wear 20-30% of their closet. But, that's for another post.

February 2012

Today, I made a point of telling one of my supervisors that I will be available to work throughout the next year into next peak season.
I did this for two reasons:
1. Jared will most likely need a full year's experience to get a job in a Chemistry position in the future.
2. I want to make myself available for any future promotion.

This revelation depresses me. Actually no... it doesn't make me depressed; it just makes me sad. I'm sad that we won't be moving someplace new and exciting. I'm sad that my life has grown stagnate. I'm sad that my earning potential will remain where it is now or possibly decrease. I'm sad that I'll continue seeing Jared only on weekends. I'm also afraid. I'm afraid that a temporary home and a temporary job will become a permanent situation.

But, I am reminded of what I will be gaining. I have a job. I have a home. I have an income. I have health care. I have a possible future.

Part of me feels like, at 22, I should be grabbing the bull by the horns or spitting into the wind --- doing something, anything reckless.

Right now, I need to save money. I need a foundation to stand on.

Let's see how long I can hold on to this plan.

Plan:
Stop spending.
Keep earning.
Maximize saving.