I DID IT!!!!

I did it!!! Every one of my August goals has been met, even the 'on paper, optimistic' ones. I was able to work today and yesterday, and I pulled in $102 yesterday and $96 today. Not bad for eleven hours of work. That $200 put me over the top with my financial goals so I am feeling very proud of myself. I also received my sister's rent check, the $500 will hit my account on Tuesday. I also transferred my SF Move fund into my investments account , it is a good feeling to see that account rise above the three digits. So I was able to pay off my rent, $140, which I will turn in on Tuesday, my phone bill $30, my Christmas fund $75, my vacation fund $125 and my fun fund for next week $45 (I allow myself $5 a day and $10 for something fun). So if I'm right with my calculations, I should have around $65 left over for either next months expenses or something fun for this month.

I'm really excited about tomorrow and Monday, as I have both off of school and work, but I'm not losing any hours because I have Monday off any due to a night class. So I have two days to work on some homework I've been mildly putting off, and to relax (and clean my apartment, it's getting a bit scary). I also need to work on an article for a business paper. I wrote an article for the same paper months ago, but my paychecks keep getting lost in the mail. It's not urgent, but I feel bad about it. But as soon as I get it, I need to get a new camera as I broke my last camera (oops).
Well I'm going to turn in, I need to be up kind of early (11am) to get to our student union, to see a movie. I wanted to see the Indiana Jones movie, and you can't beat the price (especially as a friend of mine works there so I may be able to get in free, yay!).
Happy labor day!

Cheers

The beginning of chaos...plus, sex for food?

Wow, I've forgotten how demanding school is. Usually the first week is easy going, just 'getting-to-know-you' exercises and going over the syllabus. But this week, jeepers, the teachers just jumped right in, I had homework on the first night and I have two papers due on Tuesday. Add that to a near full work schedule (30 hours a week) and I've been very busy.
I haven't worked any full shifts at work, and in some ways I am glad. I've worked about 5pm till about 11pm every night except from Sunday. I've done pretty well for the limited amount of hours worked, I'm averaging about $65-$70 a night. I also have two paychecks coming this week, I received one from my serving job, a respectful $160 and I'll get a smaller one from old job that I have no idea on, anywhere from $50-$100.
Looking over my finances, I should just about break even on my finances. So far I need:
Rent: $140
Vacation Fund: $125
Christmas: $75
Phone: $40

Grand total: $380



*I'd also like to earn an extra $45 for my non-essential expenses next week. I allow myslef about $5 a day for food and an extra $10 for some fun. For example, on Sunday I am going to the student movie theater to see the Indiana Jones movie which is $3 a ticket and I'll get popcorn and a soda, for a grand total of $5. Compare that to $20 in a real theater.

I have $130 in my purse to go to the bank tomorrow, and I'll most likely make $100 between tomorrow and Saturday. I'll also have my unknown amount of paycheck, and if I have to I'll break into my restaurant check, but I'd prefer to use that for next month.

So I should come out a little ahead, yay!

I also received another financial aid check (Thank you UofA!) which will go into my emergency fund. I should also be able to put another couple of hundred into that account because of another scholarship, but I won't count on that one until it's in my hand.

On the other hand, my kind Grandpa sold me his printer, which as a student I need desperately, so I need to give him $45 for my half, and a ream of paper. I told him I'd pay him back in September.
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On the school side, I am really excited about my classes this year. All of them are teaching me stuff that I can actually use, and they are all incidentally connecting with each other, which is definitely gratifying. For example, one of my assignments for my Business Writing course is to make a professional portfolio, then in my News Technology course, we have to build a website and put a resume on it.

I'm also going to try and get an internship at the local business newspaper, which would definitely make me more valuable to a San Francisco paper as I'd have news experience. I have two issues that may keep me from working there however, the editor and I don't have the best relationship as there was problems with my paychecks getting lost in the mail, three times. I also do not have a car, which would make it very difficult to get to the newspaper's office.

But I will tailor a resume and a portfolio and try to get a paid internship.
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Off the topic, I was reading an article in Cosmopolitan (so shallow, I know) about women and men and how they view money in a relationship. I haven't had too many relationships, but I do know that I have no problem paying for my own stuff. In fact, I think it is ridiculous not to. I don't see why, nowadays, men should pay for women (unless of course it is a special occasion, like my birthday) I have a job, and while I am not wealthy, I should pay for my own stuff. If the guy pays, I feel like I owe him, and I am not willing to give sex for a nice dinner.

What do you guys think?

I don't hate my job, yay me!

You know...I actually don't mind my job (at least at the moment). I just got off a ten hour shift and although I'm glad to be off and my feet hurt, I didn't get that awful 'I just need to get out of here' feeling. The people I work with are really cool for the most part and the customers are mostly regulars so they are friendly and aren't assholes.

I worked two shifts today, one from 11-3pm and made $35. Not terribly impressive but decent. Then I biked to Bank of America to finally deposit my financial aid check and got some cash ($200) for this weekend, then I ran to Wells Fargo to have a meeting with my broker (I feel so grown-up saying that!). Basically I needed to link my bank account to my brokerage so I could transfer funds whenever I want instead of calling him to do it for me. Then I got another savings account so I can better organize for my SF vacation on in a few months.

Then I got to go back to work from 6:30-11pm and was primarily just a serving help, bussing table and cleaning glasses as well as taking a couple tables. I believe that I should be paid maybe $8 an hour and I made $36 in tips.



So I made around $70 in tips and probably another $30 in salary, so it wasn't a bad day, especially as my goal tip amount was $50. So I can put an additional $65 in my bank account tomorrow, meaning I surpassed my goal for this week of $300, I'm very proud.
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What is currently covered:

Investments: $1000
Electric: $76

What still needs to be covered:

Rent: $140
Credit card: $110
Vacation: $100
Presents: $50-$100
Phone: $40

I'm not sure what my account balance is right now, because I have money that is pending but I should need around $465. I'll count on making about $200 next week and I'm betting on a paycheck of $50, add that $65 that I made today and all I need is $150 and I'll be home free.

I'm sure it'll happen and I am excited to be reaching my absolute goals for this month.

Cheers!

Beer and Prostitutes...

As a server, I love it when customers spend lots of money on drinks and food, but it is just amazing to me how much money people can just drink away. I will add as a disclaimer that I am 20, so I cannot legally drink, and I don't like how alcohol tastes anyways so I just abstain. Even so, it seems ridiculous for one person to drink four or five beers at $5 a pop. Twenty to twenty five bucks just for liquid, jeepers, that is the cost of a big steak or seafood meal.

Sorry for the randomness, my last table was a group of six and between them, they ordered about $100 worth of beer. I received a good 20% tip and they were a good group so I am happy that I had them, but it just seems weird to me.

Anywhoo...I had a decent day at work, it was long because people just came in small spurts so I had a lot of downtime. Downtime that was filled by folding boxes (joy...) and talking to my boss. My conversation begged the question, "what is the difference between a date and a prostitute?" We were talking about a nice restaurant and my boss said that it was the best place to take a date, because he'd always get laid that night.

Now I am no prude but it seems rather hasty to hop in bed with a guy (albeit a hot one) on your first date. Whenever I go n dates, I try and go dutch because it means I don't owe the other person anything, whether you want to admit it or not.

Have any of you had a one night stand? Does a good dinner balance out to sex?

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I made about $76, of which $75 is going into the bank tomorrow, meaning I'll be able to put $250 into my account, not including whatever I earn tomorrow, but as I am only serving for about three hours, I doubt I'll make more that $30. I'll then get about 2 1/2 hours to run to 2 banks, one is my Bank of America account, which is my emergency fund and get money to pay for my mall and dinner trips, then I need to run to Wells Fargo to to hopefully talk to my investment guy and put my moolah into my accounts. Then I have the joy of returning to work to be a busser and dishwasher, I'll get a minor tip out, most likely around $14 and an hourly wage.

I'm not sure whether I'll be able to make my monthly goal, I think I'll be at the brink. As of now, I need about $500 to make ends meet, and an additional $150 to meet my maximum goals for the month ($100 for my vacation and $50 for Christmas presents). I have $250 already and I have two paychecks coming in right near the end of the month but I'm not certain whether I should put them to August or September. I'm assuming my last paycheck from my former job will be really small, probably between $50-$100. My paycheck for my current job will be slightly better but still under $150. Most likely I'll use my former job paycheck for this month and save the pizza one for next month.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my accounts will balance, I feel that if I can make this month work, the going will be much easier in the months to come.

Cheers!

My poor toes...

You know, for an eleven hour shift, my day at work went by very quickly. I was able to pull in $123 plus some quarters for my piggy bank. I put the $3 in my wallet for spending money, the other $120 will go in the bank, probably on Friday. I am covering a coworkers shift tomorrow (well today actually) so I'll probably make another $50. Then I work two shifts on Friday, I get to be the part time help during the lunch rush, which doesn't pull in a whole lot, probably $30ish and then I come back and become 'super-busser TM) in which I get paid a salary, plus a small tip out by the other servers. It's all very exciting. I should be able to put around $250 in the bank on Friday in between my shifts, and my paycheck should look pretty dandy in about a week and a half, though that does go to Septembers income, shame.

Cheers!

Goals for the rest of August:

My goals for the last week and a half or so of August are as such;



Investments: $1000


I want to be able to put around $1000 in my Wells Fargo investment account. I like this account because it accrues around 5% interest but there is almost none of the risk that would be in the stock market. Five percent is not a whole lot but if I am able to put away the $24,000 in two years that I am shooting for, I would earn almost $2000 in interest. I'm really excited that putting this much away is within reach because it is one of the 'best case scenarios' and I know that this month was going to be the hardest because I had just started at my new job and unable to get many hours at it due to my last job.



Pay off debt: ~$100

I am trying rather hard to make sure I don't get in over my head with my credit card so I have only been using it to buy groceries which I budget as being around $100 a month. I am a little over budget this month because for some reason I got charged overdraft. Sucks. But I am going to try and wipe the slate clean before September.

Bills: ~around $260


Electric: I have already paid my electric bill for this month, but it hasn't hit my account yet. It was still really high but as it is Tucson in the summer, I pretty much cannot live without the A/C. I did manage to lower the bill a bit from last month, around $20, by keeping the heat up an extra 5 degrees.

Rent: I am lucky enough to have a roommate (really my younger sister, but she gets social security and I get $500 a month for her expenses that I put towards rent). I pay $140 for my share. This is due between September 1st and 3rd.

Phone: It is more annoying than you'd think having a landline and it costs somewhere around $40 but it is a good back up. Last year, two days before a major article was due for one of my classes, my cell phone broke and I ended up not being able to interview people. I would rather pay the$40 just in case.

Vacation: $100

The last and least important of my financial goals is to put one hundred away for my vacation to San Francisco for my 21st birthday in December. The reason that this is the most unnecessary is because I already saved $500 plus my economic stimulus check of $300. I already paid for my hotel and flight so everything left is pretty much fluid. I plan of shopping a lot as I am going the day after Christmas (all those sales...) and I want to eat whatever I want without feeling guilty about overspending. But I am pretty decent on my trip fund. Anything left over from the vacay will go back into my emergency fund.

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Financial Aid Check

So I have my financial aid check from my school in my hot little hand. A check for $2044 just waiting to be spent is not a good idea so I need to get it away from me as fast as possible. I already have it budgeted as well;

Health insurance: I am giving my grandpa $750 for six months of health insurance. He doesn't know it yet and I am excited because I don't think he expects me to actually contribute anything.
Emergency Fund: I'll put $1000 in my emergency fund to start rebuilding it. It is there in case of a medical issue or if I lose my job.

Dinner: For all their support in the last five months I have decided to treat my grandparents (and myself of course) to a dinner at our favorite restaurant, Pinnacle Peak. It is one of the best steakhouses in Arizona (huge, outdoor grilled chunks of meat...yum. I am assuming it will come up to around $80. That will be around $21 each person, plus about $5 tax, and a generous tip, (being a server, it is just bad karma not to tip other servers well).

Shopping Spree: I know it is a little irresponsible but I figure 1/20ith of my financial aid could go for fun stuff at the mall. I don't know when I'll be able to get back there once the semester starts, so I'll probably to a couple laps this Sunday. I'm planning on spending around $120, including lunch for that day. I'm going to try and get a pair of jeans or two (I live in them, during the school year), some more shampoo and conditioner, I'm going to check out and possibly split the cost of a wet to dry hair straightener, and tinted chapstick. I also need to force my sister to get several pairs of Victoria's Secret undies. She keeps stealing my underwear, even after she bought twenty pairs of wal mart brand. Needs to stop.

Of medical issues and decent tips

Well the good news is that the radiologist called and told me that I am not dying of pneumonia but he then told me that he found a small amount of scoliosis in my spine, which runs in my family. I'm not to worried as it is small enough that no doctor has been able to feel it but now my back hurts (probably from lying in bed for the last half-week) and it is making me a bit paranoid.

But today was my first day back to work and I immediately needed to use an inhaler, a new experience for me, but I could not stop coughing. But for such a short shift, about 5 hours, I made out rather well, $57 and change which is about $11 an hour not including my salary. I am going to put $55 in the bank and keep $2 in my wallet.

Tomorrow is not going to be fun though, I have to work from 10:30 a.m till probably 9 pm. I will most likely make around $100 but I'll not feel dandy when I get off. After tomorrow, the week is all downhill, as I am only working 4-5 hour shifts at a time.

I'll write tomorrow as I soak my poor feet.

Cheers!

An Incubator for the Plague

Last time I posted, I complained of being a bit off the weather. It turns out that I have been lucky enough to have contracted aggravated bronchitis. So after four days of coughing and wheezing, I woke up on Friday with a fever of 102 and no voice. A bad mix for a waitress. I felt horrible but I had to call in to my job. honestly, I am the kind of person that nearly *never* calls in sick, in fact I almost never get sick. So after the painful task was done I passed out for six hours and woke just in time to laboriously pedal my bike to the other end of campus, get my paycheck and stumble in to the campus medical services, where I was promptly told that because of the summer session had closed a half hour early. But apparently I looked (and sounded) bad enough that they rushed me to the waiting room where three nurses took my vitals and told me that I had bronchitis and it was pissed off at me for overworking myself so it may turn to pneumonia.

Just what a student wants to hear...

So I did as they told me, I lay in bed for four days and reread the Harry Potter series (honestly, they are the best sick books ever!) I popped pills and did nothing to exert myself. Good times...

But after a check-up today where I was given an inhaler for my troubled breathing and given the condescending 'rest and relax till you feel better' platitudes, I have been given the thumbs up to go back to work, which I do tomorrow.

I did however get my textbooks, taco's from Chipotle (one of my favorite foods that I hoped would stimulate my appetite) and put my money from last week in the bank.

I was able to put around $560, which was $205 in tips from last week and two smaller paychecks from my two jobs. As of now I can probably put $800 in my investment account, which is ahead of schedule by about one hundred dollars, as I want to save $1000 for this month. This is hampered a bit by my electric bill which was a hefty $79 and a couple overdraft fees that I have no idea how I earned. But the god news is that I am getting what's left of my financial aid check which should be around $2000. I'll probably give around $900 to my grandpa for he pays my health insurance . I'll most likely take one hundred of what is left and have a small shopping spree and put the rest in my emergency fund.

My emergency fund took quite a hit earlier this year when I lost my last serving job and had to live on it as well as an article I sold to a paper. I'm glad that I can start to put money back into that account.

There was my weekend and I hope ya'll had a better one!

Cheers...

Oye...

Oye is really the best way to describe my day... Other than being uneventful I woke up sick. When you are healthy it is way to easy to forget how much it sucks to be sick. I woke up with my throat on fire and my head throbbing. Luckily I didn't have to work until 5pm so I had plenty of time to sulk around and make hot tea and toast and read. If I was 12 years old I probably would have enjoyed it because I could have stayed home and have my grandma take care of me but now that I'm all grown up I actually have to get up and face the world.

Thankfully for my body but bad for my wallet, it was dead. I worked from 5pm till 8pm and had three tables, one of which was my younger sister. But those three tables were fruitful. My sis thoughtfully gave me two buck, the other table gave me four (woohoo...) but the last table gave me something like $23, on a $50 order. I'm pretty sure that someone made a mistake, because there was cash on the table as well as credit but I am not complaining! Plus I got my paycheck, which for servers are never all that exciting, but I was not upset by the extra $80.

After I got off I had to run up to CVS to get tissues and my sister got me a california roll at the sushi place next door.

I'm just worried about tomorrow because my boss asked me to work late tomorrow, meaning I'll be there from 10:30am-around 9pm-ish. I just hope that I feel perkier (any idea if that is spelled right?) than I do today.

Cheers!

First Blog Post Ever!

Someday in the near-far future I may look back at this post and laugh at myself, I hope so. I have just finished my second to last day at the best college summer job ever! I'm serious, this job is pure relaxation. All I do during my shift is push a button that opens the door to a dorm while eating, playing on the computer and watching DVD's. I wouldn't want to do it as a career or anything, but as a summer job, it rules.

But tomorrow my real job begins, sigh. I get to go back to serving tables and cleaning glasses and talking to people. Believe me, I'm not really lazy. In fact I love to have things to do, but my desk job has made me soft. I worked a couple days last week and I came home richer but with very sore feet.

Luckily, thus far I actually like my boss. He's young (I think, I'm guessing his age to be around 26ish) and funny and seems to give half a crap about his employees which compared to my last serving job, is a huge plus.

I really never knew that serving beer could be so lucrative. I started out at Denny's were a server would make around $50 for working 6 hours and that be a great day. Then I moved on to a better restaurant that had much higher prices and make around $45 in 4 hours. But in the last week I have worked around 6 hours and made around $75 a night, and that is during the slow times. The other servers told me that I could expect to earn $100-$150 every night!

I try and post on Wednesday after work to tell y'all how it went.

Cheers!