May Goals

I'm going to really stretch myself this month. We'll see if I will be able to meet my goals!

1. Add $800 to my emergency fund. I plan on adding my entire rebate check and an additional $200 from my primary pay check. This will bring my emergency fund over $1700, which would be about 6% of my $12,000 goal
2. Add $300 to my down payment account. I'm not working as much at my second job and I haven't done any PPP opps in April; so this is going to be really difficult. This would bring my account to about 10.5% of my $30,000 goal.
3. Run at least 5 times a week. I just want to keep running in the morning before work. I will admit that some morning runs are easier than others. On Monday and Tuesday, I ran about 5 miles. This morning I ran 2 miles because I wasn't feeling great.
4. Schedule at least one road race. I didn't set-up my summer racing schedule, and I think it's because I don't want to enter a lot of races this summer. I would like to schedule at least one 10k for this summer (maybe a half-marathon or 2nd triathlon).
5. Start strength training--at least 2 times a week. I want to strength train 3 times a week, but I will start off with at least twice in case something comes up.

April Goals Recap

Before I posted my May goals, I wanted to post my progress on my April goals. Unfortunately, I only met half of my goals.

• Weight under 130, NOPE! I actually put on 3 pounds! I currently weigh 137 pounds (I weighed myself this morning). I have started riding my bike to work and running in the morning. Now, I just need to get my eating under control!
• $200 in Emergency Fund. I actually added $450 to my emergency fund. The extra $250 is from my commercial.
• $200 in my down payment account. I added $586.19 to my down payment account. The majority of the money was from my second job.
• Organize my summer race schedule. Not so much. I have one triathlon scheduled. I need to start thinking about road races.

April Net Worth Update

My net worth increased 9.88% this month ($2,374 increase). The biggest increases were in my savings (labeled as stocks in networthiq--increase of $1221) and my retirement accounts (increase of $1645).

My P2P lending accounts (labeled as other) decreased by $1 because I transferred all of my cash from LendingClub to my checking account. All of my loans at Prosper are doing well. I recently bid on another loan, so I hope to have additional luck with Prosper.

Savings Update

I just updated my savings sidebars. I usually focus on my down payment account, but I need to start saving as diligently in my other accounts. My down payment account has reached $2,845.46.

Emergency Fund
I've added $450 to my emergency fund. The total amount in my emergency fund is now at $912.76. I'm currently at 3.9% of my $12,000 goal. Since I only budgeted $200 for my emergency fund this month, the additional $250 came from my acting gig. I also plan on adding my rebate check to my emergency fund in the next month, which should mean $800 into this account in May ($200 budgeted from my pay check).

Car Maintenance Fund
I added $95 to my car maintenance fund. The total of my car maintenance fund is $166.60, which is 1.7% of my $10,000 goal.

Travel Account
I added $100 to my travel fund account, which brings the total to $200. I will spend about $150 during May for a trip to my alma mater. It is my 5 year class reunion. I feel old.

Working Hard at my Second Job...

I've been putting more hours in at my second job, and I have really noticed the difference in my down payment account. My account currently has $2,845.46 including the recent addition of my pay check from my second job for $139.79. During April, my down payment account has grown by $586.19. $418.46 is from my second job; $4.19 is from interest; and $163.54 is from PPP, Fatwallet, and PineCone.

I plan on working a few shifts at my second job every month in order to keep adding money to my down payment account. My account is currently at 9.48% of my $30,000 goal.

April Spending Report

I'm ashamed to even post this information online. I can't believe how reckless I was. I fell into my old habits of eating out. I also paid $54 for insufficient funds fees, which I included in the $698.55 I paid for insurance this month.

Rent $670
Utilities $13.94 under budget by $1.06
Internet $20.95 under budget by $12.04
Laundry $0 under budget by $10. I really need to do laundry!
Car Payment $225
Insurance $698.55 Over budget by $622.32! I included the $54 in insufficient funds fees. I also paid the remainder of my car insurance. I will only have to pay my rental insurance bill until November.
Gas $36.84 under budget by $88.16. I didn't visit my boyfriend at all during this month.
Health Care $85
Parking $0 I'm happy to report that I have been biking to work every day!
Gym $30
Food $315.44 Over budget by $115.44! I spent $137.88 on eating out and $177.56 on groceries. I think that Whole Foods is too expensive for me, so I'm going to start going to a traditional grocery store.
Fun $106.12 Over budget by $6.12. If you include my Lush splurge, I'm over budget by $58.45. However, I feel like I earned my little treat with the extra income I earned. I will still deposit $220 from this check in my emergency fund.
Clothing $135.97 Over budget by $85.67! I budgeted to purchase jeans, but not the dress. I contemplated returning the dress, but I decided a nice day dress is a much needed addition to my wardrobe. Did I mention I look fabulous in this dress?

As you can see from the overwhelming amount of red in this post, I went over budget....a lot! I have to admit that I am proud of myself for staying under budget by $88.16 in my gas category, but it is only because I didn't visit my boyfriend this month (he came to see me 3 times).

May Budget

I'm still working out the details of my May budget. I thought I would post my proposed budget....any comments would be appreciated!

Rent $670
Utilities $15
Internet $0
I cancelled my internet because it was getting too expensive ($60/month). I'm currently looking into other options.
Laundry $10

Car Payment $225
Insurance $10 (rental) My car insurance is paid up through November.
Gas $125
UGH! I hate the increasing gas prices!

Health Care $85
Gym $30
Food $200
Fun $100
Gifts $50
Clothing $50
Beauty $0

Travel $100
Retirement $711
Car Maintenance $100
Emergency Fund $245

Fantastic Weekend!

I had a great weekend! I went to Lush and had a little spending spree. I spent $52! I bought Godiva (pictured at the right) and Karma Komba solid shampoo bars. I received a shampoo bar tin for free, but the shampoo bars don't fit into the tin!

I also purchased a facial mask--catastrophe cosmetic. The bf and I had a spa night on Saturday night and did facials :) I really liked the mask, but it only lasts for about 3 weeks and has to be refrigerated.

I purchased Karma and Sexy Peel soaps. I love both scents!

I also received a few free samples. I really like the ultra bland cleanser. We used it before our masks for the facial massage portion of the facials. I also received a sample of Ambrosia shaving product. I used it to shave my under arms, and it's a nice product. However, I really don't like the scent.

The bf and I also managed to get in a few games of tennis and jogged a few new trails. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the rock gym.

Last PPP Payment...

...at least for a while....

I haven't been offered any worthwhile opportunities through PPP, so I don't have any more pending PPP payments. I just received $18 and deposited the money in my down payment account. I hope to start receiving a few more offers (and get paid).

Visit from the Boyfriend!

I'm really excited because my boyfriend is coming to visit this weekend. He had plans, but a friend bailed. I guess I'm the back-up plan!

We don't have anything specific planned; but I want to play tennis, go rock climbing, and jog a new set of trails. I love to play tennis, but I don't really have any friends in town that play. I also want to go rock climbing because we haven't gone together in a while. Running a new set of trails could be done by myself, but I get nervous. Maybe a rabid squirrel will attack.

For the most part, we will stay in and enjoy the company of the other. :)

Unexpected Windfall

In March, I was an extra in a commercial at work. I was told that I would get paid for participating, but I didn't receive any other details. Since it was a commercial for the company that I work for, I thought the payment would come in my paycheck. After a month of waiting I lost hope that I would receive a paycheck.

Yesterday, I received a check for $271 in the mail! The check was from the company that shot and produced the commercial.

I had originally planned to deposit the entire amount into my emergency fund. Since the check is a lot larger than I had expected, I plan on depositing the majority of the amount into my emergency fund. I also will allow myself a small splurge. I'm contemplating purchasing a solid shampoo bar from Lush (and maybe even a conditioner and facial mask).

My latest beauty obsession is free!?!?!

After a fantastic shopping trip to the Lush store, I decided to check out the Lush website. In the Fanzine, there is a detailed article about how to give yourself a Lush facial massage (check out page 5). I've been using this technique to put on my moisturizer before bed. I printed out the page and taped it to my bathroom mirror.

Giving myself a Lush facial massage feels fantastic and it helps me relax before bed. I've also noticed that my skin isn't as pink in the morning. I, former product whore Saving Diva, am obsessed with a "technique" instead of a product. It has become a key part of my bedtime ritual.

I recommend that all of my product loving readers try this facial massage. Do you like it? Do you have something better? Let me know what you think!

No Gossip Girl Online!

The CW will not be posting episodes of Gossip Girl online! I'm extremely upset! Since I don't have any television viewing options, I guess I will have to let my love of Gossip Girl die. I would be willing to pay $1.99/episode at iTunes just to watch the show. However, it doesn't appear that iTunes has the new episode either!

Update: I found Gossip Girl Episode 14--Blair Bitch Project on a blog.

Am I becoming an early bird?

I wanted to make my first shower with my Lush soap amazing, so I woke up early and went for a run yesterday morning. I wanted to feel like I deserved the soap. A surprising thing happened yesterday morning, I actually enjoyed my run. Motivated by the fun I had yesterday morning, I woke up and ran this morning. I'm not sure how long this morning workout thing will last, but I'm still going to keep my after work gym visits.

Why I like to get up early

• I have time to pack my lunch (and it's more than a piece of fruit and yogurt). Normally, I would have purchased something from the same restaurant as my coworkers. Instead, I went for the walk, but looked forward to my turkey, cheese, and salami sandwich sitting on my desk.


• Breakfast is more enjoyable. I have to eat by 8:30 a.m. or I turn into a monster (seriously). With the new schedule, I'm able to fit in a run and shower before my inner demon comes out. I also have time before work to make something--omelet, eggs, toast--other than cereal.


• My bike ride to work feels easier. Since I've already put in a run, my bike ride to work goes a lot faster. I'm not sure if I'm riding faster or if it feels less strenuous.


• I go to bed earlier. This could be a negative for some people, but I don't do anything productive after 10 p.m. I'm substituting my late night television viewing for the early morning run.

Funeral Plants...

I don't have a green thumb, but I love plants. Since I'm not sure how long I will be able to keep a single plant alive, I try to keep my plant spending to a minimum. Therefore, the majority of my plants are gifts, hand-me-down plants (when people move), or inexpensive (IKEA or Lowe's) plants.

I have been planing on buying another large plant (about 3' tall). I was putting off the purchase because plants are really expensive! At my grandmother's funeral, we only received one floral arrangement. However, we received over fifteen house plants. My parents gave me two large peace lilies to take home. The plants are beautiful, really green, and super lush. However, I'm worried about my lack of plant know-how. The soil is supposed to be kept super moist. What does that mean? How much do I need to water the plants? Do I need to get fertilizer for them? What kind of fertilizer do I need?

I also received a potted azalea from one of my coworkers. It has pink and white flowers. I'm not concerned about caring for this plant because I have so many people at work that I can consult. The secretaries in my office are fantastic with plants, and I've received quite a bit of feedback about the azalea (it's pretty hardy).

I love my new plants. However, I feel a little guilty about the gifts. I received gifts because my grandmother died. I find this practice disturbing. My friends think it's great that I have plants that remind me of my grandmother. However, the plants remind me of her funeral service, not her.

Instead of spending money on plants, I was able to spend money on sushi, sunscreen, and soap. The plants will provide better air quality in my apartment. Also, I can stop debating about what type of plants to purchase. Now, I just need to purchase a few new pots for my older plants because the plants are way too big for their current homes.

Sunday Shopping Spree

I had a blast shopping on Sunday! However, I did spend the rest of my fun money and quite a bit of my food money. I purchased a powder sunscreen from Sephora for $30. I've also fallen in love with Lush! I purchased the Sexy Peel soap (about $10).

After the mall, we went to a Japanese food store for sushi and a few grocery items. The sushi was amazing, but the miso soup was the real stand out. I ate a ton, picked up a few groceries items, and a treat (Pocky).

Yesterday, I spent about $60 total. While I didn't plan this trip, it's nice that I have money left in my budget. I feel a lot better about having a $200 food budget. It allows me to splurge and have a few meals out with friends (and to treat myself at the grocery store).

Low Key Sunday

After a crazy day (more work than I'd like to admit), I went out with a friend for an early dinner. A beer (local microbrew--citrusy wheat beer, in case any one cares), burger, fries, and a good friend made all of my stress melt away. However, I did bail on my friends on Saturday night because I was just too tired (and I had a full DVD of Beautiful People episodes courtesy of Blockbuster Online).

This morning, I woke up early, but not feeling extremely motivated to do anything. I have read two magazines cover to cover (Allure and Self) and cleaned my apartment (everything except my bedroom). I may leave the comfy cocoon of my apartment to go shopping with a friend (I could use a new eye cream and a mascara).

On the PF front, I did spent $15 on dinner last night...but I made up for it by working at my second job. I still have a little bit of fun money left in my April budget, so I will probably treat myself this afternoon.

Trouble at Work

I have received a few emergency messages from work. It appears that some of our equipment is failing, so I keep getting phone notifications. I've secured everything, so we won't lose any information. However, it's really annoying to keep getting these notifications!

I'm at my primary job for the second time today (8:30-9:30a.m. and 11:30-12:30). I also have to put a few hours (okay like 5) in at my second job. Luckily the two jobs are relatively close, so I can bike between the two buildings in about 15 minutes.

Right now, I'm really feeling the crunch after paying my entire insurance bill (about $550). It's going to be a struggle to meet all of my savings goals for this month.

I'm exhausted and it's not even noon! So much for a relaxing weekend!

More Cash!!!

I just bumped my down payment account up to $2,687.67! I added an additional $13.50. $5 is from PineCone (I did a survey yesterday) and $8.50 is from PPP.

I am currently at 9% of my $30,000 goal...inching toward the 10% marker!

In other news, my internet bill jumped from $35/month to $60! I will call Comcast to try to get a better deal. If they don't bump it back down, then I will switch to AT&T (about $30/month).

Thanks for the referrals!

I just wanted to thank my top traffic choices for the month of April. I really appreciate it!

1. Well-Heeled, With a Mission--With a trip to Hawaii planned, I am VERY jealous!
2. My Open Wallet--I love Madame X's take on life in NYC. She frequently has posts from other NYC dwellers.
3. Thoughts From a SF Renter--She just turned 26. I totally know how that feels! I'll be 27 in a few months. :(
4. Beachgirl's Budget Blog--I'm now searching for the TV show "Wasted" on TLC. I can also blame her for my obession with Big Spender!
5. I've Paid For This Twice Already...She makes every dollar count by paying down her debt dollar by dollar. I like to think that I have snowflaked my down payment account.
6. Frugal Babe--She has some great money-saving tips.
7. Fabulously Broke in the City--Right now, she is cleaning out her closet and selling it on a blog. Check it out before every thing is gone!

I added another $12 (from PPP) to my down payment account bringing the total to $2,674.17. I'm still at 8.9% of my $30,000 goal.

It was easy, so I did it.

I've been tagged by Louise at My Journey to Eliminate Debt for the 6 word memoir meme.

Here are the rules:

Write your own six word memoir (that best represents your life)
Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration
Link to the person who tagged you in your post

Stupid Tax!

In order to avoid $6 per month in fees, I have my car insurance and rental insurance automatically deducted from a savings account set-up through my credit union. Since I can't electronically transfer cash to this account, I deposit the cash every month to cover the expenses.

With my grandmother's heart attack and death, I haven't been on top of my bill paying. I have most things automated, so it doesn't matter if I forget to pay bills for months. This is the one deposit that I have to make, and I forgot. I was hit with a $28 overdraft fee for my stupidity. In order to make the payment on time, I had to pay the remaining balance of my insurance (~$540) instead of making monthly payments (which is pretty much like getting an interest free loan).

I'm extremely frustrated with myself! Now, I have enough money in my credit union account to cover my rental insurance for the rest of the year ($8.82/month).

WHOA!

While I was gone, I added $255.92 to my down payment account. The majority ($202.92) is a pay check from my second job. The remaining amount is from PPP ($48) and PineCone ($5). During the month of April, I have added $397.90 to my down payment account! The majority of this money has come from working at my second job ($278.67).

I also earned $4.17 in interest! Last July, I was pumped about $1.56. Even with the decreasing interest rates, my interest payments have increased by 150%.

I also received a $10 check from MySurvey, which I plan on adding to my emergency fund. I only need another 300 points through MySurvey to get another $10 check! :)

Funeral

Today is my grandmother's funeral. I'm nervous because this is our official good bye. Luckily, I don't have to give a eulogy or do anything. My dad and uncle took care of everything. I have to admit that I don't even know the time line of events. I just know what time we're leaving the house....I will be driven to every event by my parents, so I don't even have to think about it.

On the personal finance side of things, I rode with one of my siblings to my parents' house, which saved about $21 in gas (my apartment is on the way). I also brought home two loads of laundry (saved $5 in quarters). Then, there is also the cost of food--we went out to eat last night and I think we will again today.

Happy Monday!

Not much is going on my world today. My boyfriend left last night :( I'm not going to work today because I have a few family engagements this afternoon. I have to admit that I'm a little bored.

I plan on cleaning my apartment because I didn't complete my chore list last week. I also need to pack for the trip to my parents' house. Since the majority of the service is done graveside (and it snowed yesterday), I'm unsure of what to wear! I will probably wear gray wool pants with a black sweater. Is that inappropriate? Am I supposed to wear all black?

Time off....

My company gives employees 3 bereavement days for the death of a family member. Therefore, I'm taking off Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to attend the funeral and help deal with a few things at home. I really appreciate the awesome benefits package that my company offers. It will definitely make leaving very difficult. However, I'm not sure what my future plans are...

Lost Wallet

This morning I received a phone call from a local architecture firm because one of the employees had found my wallet. UHOH! I hadn't even realized that I had lost my wallet. I rode my bike over to the firm and picked up my wallet that was left with the receptionist. Lucky for me, there was nothing missing (even the cash was still there). I frequently misplace my keys, wallet and cell phone. I know that I need to be more careful, and I think this was the wake-up call that I needed.

Building up my down payment fund...

I added $20.37 to my down payment account. $0.12 is from Fatwallet Cash Back from the gift I gave my boyfriend a few months ago. PPP added an additional $15.25. I also earned $5 through Pinecone.

The grand total in my down payment account is $2,407.06, which is 8.0% of my $30,000 goal.

NKOTB fix for today

I've been wasting time watching NKOTB videoes....

Driving vs. Biking to work

The weather has improved, so I've started to ride my bike to work again. Now, I live extremely close to work, so I don't feel like I'm saving very much by riding my bike to work.

The biggest saving is going to be parking fees, which come to $60/month.

Gas
Round-trip is about 3 miles
22 work days in April
15 miles per gallon (for city)
about $3.50/gallon
I would have spent about $15.40 on gas.

I save about $75.40/month by riding my bike to work.

Am I the only one?

This post is not related to personal finance at all!

I'm REALLY excited about the New Kids on the Block reunion. Am I the only one?



Which member of NKOTB was your favorite? My poor dad had to take my friend and I to a concert when I was in elementary school. I had all of the dolls and several t-shirts. I wish I would have kept the items because they're doing pretty well on eBay!

No Drive & No Spend

Motivated by Canadian Saver, I'm going to start keeping track of no drive and no spend days. Since I ride my bike to work, it will be easier for me to have no drive days. However, the no spend days have always eluded me. Yesterday, I didn't spend any money or even look at my car. I attribute this miracle to working all day--had to work at my second job last night.

Lending Club

Yesterday, I wrote a post about P2P lending and recommended both Prosper and Lending Club. I received an e-mail from Lending Club about a registration process(?). I'm unsure of what it means, but I found this on their website.

Lending Club has started a process to register, with the appropriate securities authorities, promissory notes that may be offered and sold to lenders through our site in the future. Until we complete the registration process, we will not accept new lender registrations or allow new commitments from existing lenders. We will continue to service all previously funded loans during this period, and lenders will be able to access their accounts, monitor their portfolios, and withdraw available funds without changes.
The borrowing side of our site will remain generally unaffected by this registration process; borrowers can continue to apply for loans and new loans posted after April 7, 2008, will be funded and held only by Lending Club.
Until the registration process is completed, the company will undergo a quiet period and will not be able to respond to press and other inquiries about Lending Club or the registration process during that time.

What does this mean? Does anyone else know what's going on?

UPDATE: I transferred all unloaned cash from Lending Club to my bank account. I'm continuing to use Prosper. Prosper has recently partnered with WebBank. I think that Prosper is taking steps to promote lending, so I'm going to stick with P2P lending on Prosper.

7 random things about me

I've been tagged by Canadian Saver at Saving4Later to list 7 random/weird facts about me.

Here is my list:

1. I love chocolate
2. I've recently started putting an emergency kit together. I've looked at a lot of different articles, but I'm still trying to figure out what I need.
3. I love coupons. I even have a pink coupon organizer.
4. Before I buy anything online, I click through either eBates or Fatwallet.
5. My favorite vegetable is asparagus.
6. My favorite color is blue (pink is next).
7. I have worn Asics running shoes since high school. I refuse to wear anything else.
   

The Rules:

• Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog. Some random, some weird.
• Tag up to 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
• Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

I didn't tag any one. If you want to do this meme, consider yourself tagged!

Updated Net Worth

I updated my net worth to include my P2P lending accounts. I listed the account balance in the other category.

P2P lending

I haven't spoke about my P2P lending recently, and I also haven't included the account value in my net worth. I think I'm going to start including the total account value (cash balance, value of loans, & payment in transit) in my monthly net worth calculations.

Prosper
My prosper account has a total account value of $126.13 ($31.46 in cash, $93.01 in loans, and $1.67 in transit payments). I'm earning an average interest rate of 10.13%. Prosper even breaks it down to how much interest you make per day. I make $0.03 a day!

I really like Prosper's lay out and web page. I currently don't have any extra money to invest in P2P loans. However, in the future, I plan on loaning more money through Prosper. If you're thinking of signing up for Prosper, please consider one of my buttons. You will receive a $25 sign-up bonus, and I will also receive a $25 bonus.

Lending Club

I opened up my Lending Club account for the $25 sign-up bonus. I like the minimum bid is $25 ($50 for Prosper), so I'm able to invest a smaller amount of money. Right now, my total account value is $50.31. I have $23.77 in loans and $26.54 in cash. Right now, my average interest rate is 8.07%. I will bid on another loan (some one with A or AA rating) today since the $26.54 in cash reserves doesn't earn any interest.

small addition...

Although the PPP opportunities offered to me right now are horrible, I'm still receiving payments from my sponsored posts from last month. I received another $15 from PPP. I deposited the money into my down payment account. My down payment account has a grand total of $2,386.69 (7.96% of my $30,000 goal).

Shopping....

I went shopping on Saturday to get a new pair of jeans. Due to my small weight loss (6 pounds) I needed to purchase a new pair of jeans. I wear jeans almost every day to work, so I want to have a pair that fits well.

I spent $48 on the jeans, and I fell in love with this dress. I know it's a little boring, and I hate brown. However, the dress fits well, is extremely flattering, and would look adorable with my brown flats. Unfortunately, I spent $80 on the dress (it was on clearance). The total damage for my weekend shopping trip was $135! Since I only budgeted $50 for clothing this month, I'm extremely disappointed with myself.

I'm thinking about returning the dress. However, it's the perfect day dress for baby/bridal showers, which I frequently have to attend (am I the only person not getting married and having babies?). Also, the dress fits extremely well, and is forgiving of my less than perfect areas (the areas that fluctuate when I gain weight). I will be able to wear the dress if I lose 10 pounds or gain 10 pounds.

Passing of Grandmother

My grandmother passed away last night while my dad was visiting. She went peacefully....I'm okay with this. She would have hated to be put into an assisted living facility and that's where the doctors recommended she go after she was discharged from the hospital. With all of her health problems, I think this is best, but there is a selfish little kid inside me stomping my feet.

My grandmother did not want a funeral, so my dad and uncle are going to obey her wishes. I think they're planning on a family gathering, but nothing formal or big. We're still in the process of planning.

I just wanted to thank my readers for all of your kind words and sympahties in the comment sections of my blog!

Boyfriend Visit!

My boyfriend is visiting this weekend and I'm super excited! We're going to go climbing, visit my grandmother (she's still in the hospital), and just have fun!

I'm still working on getting the frugal wooing together....but I did put on perfume, eye shadow, and mascara. Also, I baked cookies! I made chocolate chunk macadamia nut cookies. It was the first time I've tried the recipe, and I have to admit that they're not that good. I know my boyfriend will pretend he likes them...he's adorable like that!

Down Payment Fund growing slowly

My down payment fund is steadily increasing. I added a little more money from a PPP to bring the account to $2,372.68 (7.9% of my $30k goal).

Frugal Wooing

I've been with my current boyfriend for about a year and a half, and we were friends for about 4 years before we started dating. I have grown extremely comfortable in the relationship, and I've just stopped trying. When he comes to visit, I frequently spend the weekend in sweats.

I'm trying to compile a few simple, inexpensive ways to woo my boyfriend :)

• Curl my hair. Just adding a little body to my hair with hot rollers is really appreciated by my boyfriend. I think it's because I used to frequently curl my hair when we first started dating.
• Lip gloss.
• Perfume. I rarely wear perfume, but I might have to start making it a weekend staple.
• Get Dressed! I know this seems silly, but I frequently hang out in my pjs (and I don't wear anything seductive) on the weekend.

Any one have any other tips? I'm open...

April Goals

My goals for April are going to be pretty consistent with my year end goals. I'm feeling motivated with my financial goals because I made decent progress in March. After losing 6 pounds quickly, my weight has remained stagnant. I'm trying to jump start my weight loss by forcing myself to bike to work (it's still too cold for it to be fun).

• Weight, under 130 pounds! I just found out my college boyfriend was married...and I will probably see him in June at our college reunion.
• $200 in Emergency Fund--I still need to build up my emergency fund after the huge car repair bill in January.
• $200 in Down Payment Account--I think this goal should be obtainable because I'm working at my part time job quite a bit during April. Also, I have a few PPP posts that will pay out in April.
• Organize my summer race schedule. I want to run a few road races and at least one triathlon this summer.

If I had a baby...

I received an e-mail about a UPromise promotion, so I thought I would pass it on.

UPromise.com is running a $10 Promotion which will put $10 in new member's Upromise accounts when they join and activate.

529 accounts are a great way to start saving for your child's education. On Her Every Cent Counts, she considered opening a 529 for her unborn (not even conceived) child. While I'm not saying you should do that (actually I think you shouldn't), I thought I would pass this information on for people that are considering opening a 529. UPromise is like using credit card points to save for your kid's education. Plus, it's free....

Cha-Ching!

I just added another $15 to my down payment account. The grand total in my down payment account is $2286.17, which is 7.6% of my $30k goal. I made $5 through PineCone and the other $10 from PPP.

I also updated my savings side bar to note the interest that I acquired. I'm pretty psyched about the $0.09 that my travel fund made.

UPDATE: I just received my pay check from my part time job. I added $75.75 to my down payment account, which brings the total to $2,361.92 (7.9% of my $30k goal).

March Spending

I went back through and looked at my March spending. Unfortunately, my food spending was out of control. In April, I increased my budget, but I'm still going to have to cut down on eating out.



Rent $670

Utilities $14.25 ($0.75 under budget)

Internet $32.95 ($2.05 under budget)

Laundry $0 ($10 under budget, this is not a good thing because I only did 2 loads of laundry at my parents' house)

Health care $85

Gym $30

Car Payment $250

Insurance $100 (Auto & Renter's)



Gas $149.97 (over budget by $24.97) I've turned in my parking pass, so I will start riding my bike to work. I hope this will keep my gas purchases under $125 during April.

Parking $60 Not paying for this any more! :) Plus, I will get back my $20 deposit, which I will add to my emergency fund.

Food $288.87 (over budget by $138.87) I spent $195.03 on groceries and $93.84 on eating out. I've given myself more breathing room in my food budget for April ($200 from $150), but I really need to avoid buying so many snack foods at the grocery store.

Misc/Fun $111.26 (over budget by $11.26) I spent over half of the money ($65.87) on two bikinis from Target (super cute & $30 each). In order to make up for this category, I redeemed $20 in cash back from my credit card to cut down this bill, so really I was under by $8.74 ;)

Beauty $16 (over by $1) The price of women's hair cuts increased at the school.

Emergency Fund $225.52 I contributed an additional $25.52.

Car Maintenance Fund $70

Travel Fund $100

Gifts $40.68 (over budget by $0.68) I also purchased my grandmother's birthday present, which I hadn't accounted for because her birthday is in April.

Retirement ~$710

In all of the categories, I was over budget by $143.98 (including +$20 from my cash back credit card).