House downpayment progress... and the new year

On one of the side bars I've kept track of where my house downpayment fund is at the begining of every month. I've updated it today with some interest from IGOBANKING, and i'm still waiting for a few bucks to come from EMIGRANT DIRECT and ING DIRECT, so it should rise a few dollars to start for next year, but I just wanted to take some time to remind others all it takes is a few bucks to start and some motivation.

I started on 06/12/07 with a small $4.03... and i even remember laughing at the amount... but now i have over $500 saved in about 6 months! and i haven't really noticed the money outta my paycheck. =)

• 06/12/07 $4.03
• 07/03/07 $27.76
• 08/04/07 $48.85
• 09/05/07 $184.94
• 10/05/07 $229.27
• 11/02/07 $385.22
• 12/01/07 $464.92
• 12/30/07 $532.71

As for some financial direction, January and February are devoted to trying to pay off my debt ASAP and then to finish off my Real emergency fund (which is finally over 4,000 dollars!)

by March I should have both accounts fully funded. =) From here were going to be stocking away the big bucks to go towards finding my new place [i'll need furniture money, deposit, first months rent, etc.] So it's a race against the clock because i'd rather not just "rent a room" but actually be able to get with the program and go.

I'm hoping my Tax refund will help keep me on target so i can move during June into my permadent place instead of having to find a room for just 1-2 months while i finish stocking away the cash.

I'm ultimately hopeing I won't have to live by myself (since the one apt complex i can afford won't allow a furry companion)... and I'm really hopeing that the roommates I have lined up will pan out. It's always hard when nothing is concrete... to be honest, if we don't get the one place were looking into, it might not happen due to finances on their part. So lets all cross our fingers as we wait for the relator to get back from vacation to talk about renting the house that's for sale... and praying that the owner will let us do it for $2,000

Update on the December situation

Well, the damage was only 47.28.

Dee's electric bill contribution brings it to 35.28... and if Bee pays the electric bill then were down to 25.28 or something like that... but she cut me a rent check but no electric... looks like i'll have to text her or something about it laster on today...

But before i rush to save any of that extra cash, i need 260 bucks for my cars pretty 30,000 mile check up... so whatever is left after i buy some grocery is getting dogg-earred for my car... which means most of my 18 hours of overtime will go to servicing my car.... sad....

december in a word was crazy

that's all i can say... last minuet presents, extra resturant visits... I have no idea what went where, how much... crazy ...

but i know i have cash somewhere to pay it all off... (why is this?) I finally got paid from my last house sitting gig. ($120)

So i'll have some cash to buy some much needed groceries to get me through DEC, cash to offfset the depleated gas funds... and to correct some over spirited xmas shopping.

Only problem is I have no idea which account is going to come up short and by how much... I lost track of what counted for what, lol... good thing i pad those accounts. =) So i went ahead a paid whatever was on my CC, i'm waiting for pending stuff to clear so i can pay that too, I'll figure it out... it just might take a few moments... days.... =)

I got me a boyfriend! (hehehehe)

I'm not single anymore! (hehehehe).

Last night I cooked the now boyfriend a nice meal of porkchops, green beans, baked potato, salad, bread.... yummy! I might not fail as a cook one of these days.... and most of it was organic (only the pork and the break were not... everything else was... including the butter and olive oil i cooked it in with) and he didn't notice that it was organic until i mentioned it... lol... but he was thrilled to have such a nice dinenr. He took me to a really nice fancy x-mas concert at this huge theater and we had amazing seats in a balcony (which he got free from his work, way cool!) and I'm still enjoying my roses and my koala bear. =)

I'm just a happy little holiday gurl.

anywho, something financially related to make this post more legit... While we were waiting to be seated, we got to talking about stuff. He works freelance for a lighting company so come Febuary he owes the government a pretty penny in taxes (of which he is now starting to save for...) [lol]

But we were talking about trying to go to BLAST or PHANTOM before they leave the performing arts center, and we got to talking about credit cards... and i shocked him. I know he's planning on paying off all his CC's in Febuary when he's finished with the taxes and stuff to the government, but then he's planning on charging a lot more to them (he collects coins and likes to buy things)..... and he told me he could always charge the tickets.... Here's were I shocked him.

I told him i'd rather him not buy them or me anything if he has to charge it. I then politely told him that I didn't believe in credit cards, especially after my father and his debt ruined my mom when they divorced... and i reminded him that he has to pay it back too with interest... he knew he had to pay it back and all that, but the fact that i wasn't just a girl who wanted to be lavished with presents at all costs made him appreciate me more. [i think he picked a winner, lol]

I even told him it would impress me more if he kept his cards at $0.00 every month....

To which he told me he'd pay cash for the tickets if we go...

December Moving out progress

well, i'm done with basically everything, and even with all the massive spending, it looks like i found a little more to send to my debt and move up the pay off schedule.





December 2007:

• Debt $1,536.42
• EF $4,011.15

Debt: [$634.14] & Emergency Fund: [$217.32]

January 2008:

• Debt $902.28
• EF $4,228.47

February 2008:

• Debt $268.14
• EF $4,445.79

March 2008:

• Debt $0.00 [Extra $366.00 to EF]
• EF $5000 + $29.11 Moving out
• Moving out: $29.11

Moving Out Savings: [479+ 217.32+155.14= 851.46 a month]

• April 2008: $880.57
• May 2008: $1,732.03
• June 2008: $2,583.49

Roommates...

I was talking with one of my roommates the other day [Bee, the one who moved in that i didn't know and we get a long just fine and great] because we had a running in again with the apartment complex owners (who don't know Bee is living there, but they are uber suspicious)

... either way, we got to talking... She was wondering why my Greek Goddess friend hadn't come by yet. When i told her i thought it was unreasonable to make her leave at 4:30am every day I had work, instead of when they had work she agreed with me... apparently the only one with issues is Dee...

yeah, and on top of that, She's not happy living there either, and Dee's been bugging her like no other so she's actually thinking of leaving the apt before the lease is up because she isn't on the lease.

and this would change a lot of things because I don't think Dee can afford our old arrangement anymore ($650)... or to keep the master ($800).

if she can't do it, i think I'll have my red headed friend move in to my room and the double and I can split the master until the lease is up.

I'm going to talk to them about it the next time I see them, and if they are game then i'll tell Bee that if she does decide to go back to San Diego, that Danielle has an out and can go move home or back to the dorms cause I'll figure out a way to cover the rent.

I'm also going to inform Dee that I won't be resigning the lease... but i'm waiting for a better mood (she's sick again... I have no clue how Bee stands splitting a room with her).

drama clears up as lines are established

My "Greek Goddess Friend" isn't allowed in the apartment unless I'm there and since i have to go to work at 4:59 am, they in turn expect her to leave at 4:59 am with me... and that is frankly outrageous if you ask me. I asked if she could stay until they left for work and they said no.... ... so she hasn't crashed at all the whole time [but will tonight because I don't work tomorrow]... my roommates piss me off sometimes...

In other news.... the drama has subsided in my group.

The Double confessed to the Red Head that she liked him. He told her he wanted to be friends for now... (and he doesn't like me... phew) so who knows what time will do to that.

the mutual friend (who will be referred to as Rubik from here on out) likes me... and we are seeing one another still, but not officially dating because he needs to ask Hotel Boy (my best friend) for permission... but The other girl knows and has for some part accepted this. well......Kind of.... she keeps saying different things, but I'll play nice for now and give her the benefit of the doubt.... but I'm suspicious.

Moving out progress

Well, i've found 2 roommates for sure, so i'm planning on getting a place with them once my lease is up (no more expenseive place of my own, woot). I also sent an extra few dollars to my debt so the progress schedule looks like this:




December 2007:

• Debt $1,592.31
• EF $4,011.15

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Debt: [$634.14] & Emergency Fund: [$217.32]

January 2008:

• Debt $958.17
• EF $4,228.47

February 2008:

• Debt $324.03
• EF $4,445.79

March 2008:

• Debt $0.00 [Extra $310.11 to EF]
• EF $4,973.22

April 2008:

• EF $5,000
• + 824.68 moving out

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Moving Out Savings: [479+ 217.32+155.14= 851.46 a month]

• April 2008: $824.68
• May 2008: $1,676.14
• June 2008: $2,527.60

Congrats to the Graduate

I'm done with college.

I graduated Pi Beta Sigma and Summa Cume Laude.

WAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Change of Plans-- New House Guest-- and a never ending love triangle

Well, there are few changes in my apt... and not holiday decorations, lol.

My friend "Greek Goddess friend" called me the other day to inform me that she needs a place to live for a month because her irresponsible roommates failed to pay the rent... she's getting evicted wed and can't stay with her folks cause her sisters back at home.... so she's coming to stay with me and my roommates...

yup, were gonna cram 4 ppl into a 2 bedroom apt till mid/end of January.

I'll be spending tuesday helping her move her crap from Riverside down to my Apt. Were gonna store her furniture in the garage... i'll park in the back of the residential housing track for a month and were just going to put a small bed in my room for her to sleep on. She'll be contributing to the rent (no clue how much Dee and Bee want for the inconvience and she'll kick some my way too curtisy of her folks and the fact that she doesn't want us to think she's free loading) so were gonna be crampt for a few weeks, but we'll make it work. I refuse to leave my friends homeless.

The weird thing is that she called me outta the blue since i haven't really seen or talked to her in a few months... but the last time we talked i knew she was getting into a little trouble and school was definetly on the back burner.... so hopefully this change will help straighten her out a bit... No idea why everyone thinks i'm the responsible one, but it seems ever since the full time job and the pending graduation news has gotten out.... i'm being looked at as a mature adult...

As for looking mature...
2 weeks ago we [the red head, the double, and myself] were buying some red wine and ingrediants to get for this nice meal we were cooking, and The red head didn't get carded (he was 21 and has facial hair lol)... but we were joking about how i'll forever be carded until i'm 90.... and he was like, well when i first met you, you looked around 19-20 or so... but then after talking to you... i'd have guessed you were 25 or something...... lol

No wonder i tend to get along better with those 24 and up.... lol.... even as a freshman in college the guys with girlfriends wanted to hangout with me because i was down to earth and "over the drama." lol and even then i was 18.

in other news
as for the possible new roommates (when my lease is up), everything is in the air. We were 5 people... and now were probably more like 3 because the other people probably can't afford it since we lost the place we were looking at.
It was going to be :

1. the double
2. the other girl
3. the red head
4. a girl ive met once and maybe later her friend
5. Me

but now its looking more like three of us... but theres some love triangle stuff going on. So that all needs to be figured out first... cause if people hook up they won't be moving in together...

• The double likes the red head, and the red head either likes me or the double (were not sure) and I like a different mutual friend of ours.... but the other girl has apparently liked that same mutual friend for a few years and while at one point he was interested, he isn't anymore... and that same mutual friend and I are in the process of "seeing were things go" and the other girl had no clue until last nigh that I like him and he's just waiting it out before he makes it official... and the red head has no clue about the mutual friend and I.

man... trying to keep things all covert is colorful and tricky.

Holiday shopping

I'm holding all my extra cash for some holiday shopping so i'm not sure how much my networth will rise this month. We will just have to see...

and the place me and my friends were thinking of moving into isn't going to work because the people already leased the building?

countdown continues

Sorry for the sporatic posting... but there are only

~*~*~*~*~*~10 Days Until I Graduate College! ~*~*~*~*~*~

and I have to be done with all the school work by Friday at noon. I'm down to two classes. One finishes Thursday and I only have to make an appearance next thursday, and the other is done by friday and i just ahve to drive up on Saturday to get a letter with the grade written on it.

If i pull a 4.0 I graduate with a 3.9 GPA and i'll get the highest honor... if i miss it with just one B i get the middle one since it will be a 3.88.... so were hoping for a good run. I'll find out soon.

On a personal note, I think I'm kind of seeing someone. =) I decided a couple of weeks ago to give up on my X since he treats me so horribly as a friend and I wouldn't want to be more involved with someone who can't be bothered to simply ask how my week was.
and then this nice surprise happens... we've kind of talked about "us" and were definently taking it slow because he doesn't want to hurt one of his close friends (she likes him... he's not interested but doesn't want to loose her friendship) ... so were just spending time together, flirting like mad when no ones around... and last night before meeting up with everyone, he came by the place i'm house sitting to watch a movie and it was nice to sit there and have him put his arm around me. felt the fun "little butterflies." I love it when he holds my hand... i'm such a girl.

So life's on an upswing... and I think I found out what to do when my lease is up in June. I've been hanging out with a few people lately and I think I just found some new roommates and a possible place to call home.
=)

One of the my friends' neighbors can't sell their home and they are thinking of renting it for cheep, so were going to see if they will let us rent it and take care of it. If things work out, I could be paying less then $500 a month!

New Years Resolution Progress

So far I'm still weeding out my non organic food, but i'm proud to say that I have not purchased anything that hasn't been organic (with the exception of eating out with friends.)

Financial Goals: To maintain and/or fully fund the following accounts:

1. $5,000 Real Emergency Fund
2. $1,200 Mini Emergency Fund [maintain]
3. $3,400 Moving Expenses
4. $1,300 House Downpayment
5. $5,200 Roth IRA [contribute $3,200]

I would like to see my Networth increase, but i've yet to really set a dollar amount to it. While the idea of fully funding a Roth would be nice, I want to spend 2008 focused on Housing. I'll be saving enough money to get my own apt if need be, and I really want to feel like I can get a place in the next couple of years or so.

I thought about trying to ear mark some money for my MPA, but in reality, I really want to be able to say I have 10,000 towards a house or something crazy like that. lol.

Graduation is just around the corner. I bought my Cap and Gown and began talking to proffessors about finishing my classes... I'm counting the days, still need to mail the invitations... and i'm house sitting in Ladera... so hopefully that extra cash can go to the cap and gown, invites, and maybe that pretty diploma holder I want....