Let's Learn to Live Frugal

Or is it learn to live frugally? Either way...

Let's all take a moment.

What on are we spending all of our money?

(What are we spending all of our money on - sounds a little better but its ending a sentance with a preposition....right?)

Each payday I log online to see how much I got paid, or didn't get paid - whatever. I also look back over the past 2 weeks to see where I do most of the spending.

I believe Subway gets about half of my paycheck! I eat there about 4 times a week just for lunch during work. Thats not counting the times I pick it up for Daniel and I for dinner.

I also have a habit of making small purchases, such as magazines, a new shade of eyeshadow, a can of Peace Tea here and there. Now while those don't seem that bad at the time, looking back each week I can see that its where a LOT of my money goes.

So, starting this pay - I am going to try to start taking my lunch so I'm not tempted to eat from the MANY food places surrounding my work.  I am going to automatically put away a certain amount into my savings so that I'm not tempted to spend it right away. And I'm also going to be giving myself and Daniel an allowance. Not a "do your chores and you get money" kind of an allowance. Just take some money out of my checking account, give him half. And thats what we live on for the week. That way we can physically SEE whent he money is being spend and going down. Instead of just swiping my card and calling it a day.

I imagine its going to be rough at first, but will eventually pay off in the long run.  I have a goal that I'd like to save atleast $1,000 to keep just as an emergency fund.

Let's go!

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Act Like a Lady (A Random Post)

I somehow found myself searching the internet the other night for how to act like a lady.  It's amazing and bothersome at the same time the stuff that you find.  According to a few most of the websites that I found, I am pretty far from acting like a lady. A few of the "rules" of being a lady are:

A Lady never curses

(Really?!)

A Lady never rushes or is in a hurry.

(I spend about 85% of my day in a hurry) 

A Lady makes effort to present herself properly in appearance. She employs good grooming and good taste.

(Right now, I'm in a t-shirt and my work khakis and I'm sure my hair is a mess)

A Lady has good posture. She is poised. She stands up straight, yet her shoulders are relaxed.

(I'm slouched on the couch)

A Lady has her face washed and lights out at 10 pm

(This Lady is lucky to even wash her face, let alone be in bed at 10)

There are so many websites (and books!) dedicated to making women into Ladies.  Some of them I actually agree with.  So, I'm thinking of trying to become more lady like.  More Audrey Hepburn.  Classy and ladylike.

Let's see how well this goes..

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Really?!

I haven't blogged since January? Seems so long ago. I thought for sure I had updated at least once or twice by then. Guess not.

Well.

Life just just life at the moment. I've been working on school work, and working. And that is probably about it. Doesn't seem like much to some people, but when you're working during the day and spending the evenings either doing homework or studying - then it kinda takes up all your time. After that, I usually just pass out, or just exist on the couch. One more month, then summer break. Thank God. I need some sunshine in my life.

I haven't really worked too hard at losing weight. Again, when my day is pretty much filled - I just wanna pass out when its all said and done. I've been making small choices that are working out. Water instead of pop (sometimes). Almost cut out fast food completely. Sugar is my downfall though. I won't switch to those fake sugars though, those are just as bad.

I haven't even had time for reading. Thats what bothers me the most. I have at least 6 advance readers on my shelf and I've only read about 4 chapters out of one. Every time I sit down to read, I feel guilty that I should be working on homework. So I close the book and crack open a text book :( Doesn't make for a happy Tiffani.

I started going back to Zumba! Yay. I don't know what it is about dancing around thats so fun, but I love it. And I sure feel it the next day. The class I'm going to now, is right here in town. And it's a new class, so everyone is kinda just learning as well. So its not like I'm going into a class of pros who have been doing this for a while and know all the moves. When I was going to the YMCA, everyone there was so skinny and knew all the moves. I get so angry at those stick thin people doing it, I feel like their already skinny so theres no reason for them to be there. And E V E R Y O N E knows the moves already. And I'm just fumbling around like a moron haha. But I'll get it. As soon as this rain ever quits, I'll be outside walking and running. Pounds melting off.

Anyways.

Watch out Life.

It's on.

Here I Sit Pt 2. OR College Sucks

Well...

Here we go again.

This was going to be my last and FINAL year for college. I had this one last semester and then I could apply for graduation and get my diploma. I worked so hard this semester. Maybe the hardest I've worked on any semester. I spend most of my days doing homework, and even forfeighted my Friday nights to complete all homework and quizzes I had for my online Gerontology class. So at the end of the semester I applied for graduation.

I should have known from the getgo that doing an online class was a bad idea. I tried it once before with Biology, and it didn't work out so well. Considering the amount of work the prof wanted us to turn in. It definitely should NOT have been an online class. But, Gerontology was only a 1 credit class, and all you did was answer the questions the prof emailed each week. And you had until the following Friday to complete it and turn it in.

I did that every week. I had all of my assignments turned in and on time. I only missed 2, one was when I went out of town for my brothers wedding, and the other was when I had strep throat. I felt pretty good at the end of the semester knowing that I passed and would FINALLY get my associates degree.

Oh no.

The prof posted the final grades and I had an F. I immediately e-mailed her asking what I had received an F in her class. She informed me that I didn't turn in all of my work. I singed back into our website for the class, and aside from the 2 assignemnts that I missed, everything else was turned in. She replied saying that she never received the midterm OR the final and those were a good chunk of my grade. 

I signed back into the website. No link or e-mail for a midterm or a final.

I e-mailed her back stating that. She told me to get back to her after the new year and she'd have the IT guys look into it and go over options. And so I did. We met in her office after the New Year. To make a very very long story short. She basically told me that its too late for the IT guys to look into it, and even if they did - the class is already closed so it wouldn't matter anyways. My only option was to retake the class.

I wasted an HOUR of my time for her to basically tell me that I was shit outta luck.

And to top it off, even though my advisor told me that Gerontology wasn't a requirement for Human Services, turns out it WAS. Because I received a call telling me that my graduation request can't be processed until I pass the class. Go me.

Well.

Knowing already that my Human Services degree isn't going to get me far. I decided that I needed a back up plan as well. So after talking to Dan about it - I enrolled in another local college and will be majoring in Medical Assisting. It's not quite a nurse since we can't do meds, but its higher then a nurse aid - more responsibiltity. It's something that would give me job no matter where I'm at.

So, once again, I will basically be starting college over again. Maybe by the time I'm 30, I'll have some sort of degree. I don't know why I beat myself up over this. I feel like society has put a lot of pressure on people to have a college degree and a career by a certain age. I've decided to say fuck society. I'll get it done, but I'll get it done at my own pace.

Here I Sit

I hate that I am 26 years old and I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

I feel like I'm stuck.

I have been working on my Associates degree since 2002. That's a long time. I did have to drop out a few times because it was either work and have money to survive, or go to school and work less and have no money to live on. Life got in the way a lot. It still does. I may go to school one semester, but not be able to afford it the next. It shouldn't be something I have to choose between but that's just how it is anymore.

In high school we took tests, and based on your answers - it kind of gave you an idea of what would be your best field to go into. Mine was Human Services. So, without any questions or thought put into it, thats what I enrolled in. I lost of the classes were interesting, and I dont mind Human Services, but I know there isn't any money in it. And I'm not even sure thats where I want to be for the rest of my life.

Add on top of that, there are some issues I'm having with my school. It's like they WANT me to be there forever. And I'm sure they probably do, it keeps the money coming in. But I would like to move on with my life. I don't want to be a professional student.

So here I sit. A 26 year old, stuck in life.

A depressing thought to begin the New Year with.

It's ok though, I plan on making BIG changes this year.

So, stick around :)

Blog Hop!

Hello to everyone (anyone?) stopping in from the Pink Dandy Chatter blog hop!

So Fresh

That's how I'm going to feel in 5 months.

Fresh.

A fresh new me :)

Beginning January 1st, as most people do, I will get back into working out again. I feel like 5 months is a good enough time frame to lose my 10-15 pounds I've been haning on to. Plus, thats the beginning of pool season. So it only makes sense, right?

Right.

Back to eating less, and working out more. Time to get back to the gym, dust off my P90X cd's & get to sweatin.

Yup.