Monday, March 31, 2008

house DP Fund grows a little bit more.

I logged on to IGOBANKING this morning.... rates dropped to 3.28%

but I did get to transfer over $20.00 in interest to my house DP fund!!! The grand total (before ING and Emigrant give me their interest) $1,205.61!!!!! WOOT WOOT WOOT

Sunday, March 30, 2008

I don't think i've blogged about helping my mom

in exchange for rent free living--I volunteered to do the remodeling of my mom's house with my friends free assistance and the amazing ness of my handy boyfriend. My mom wants the repairs done but can't afford to pay professionals and it will be good practice for when i'm a home owner myself.

So far: I've painted my old room (she stripped the wall paper) with my boyfriend and The double. Last week we had to clean out the room (my sisters junk is all in there), pick up the paint, plaster all the holes in the wall (think dart board) cover the room in tarps and painters tape.... and then actaully paint it over 2 days.

I've also fixed some calking that was chipping on my mom's kitchen sink.

Tuesday
This tuesday we'll be back to finish the job. At home we need to hang my closet doors again, fix the closet handle, put the blinds back up, run a vacuum around the room, and put all the outlet covers back on-- the old ones. We then need to measure the wood for the broken door jam, look at the lights we need to replace in the garage and the one in the hall, Take back the new outlet covers we bought that won't work until we re-wire the house; pick up a new lock/ handle for the garage door, buy the wood and the lights, also buy a new sensored light for the backyard security system... then install it all.

April Budget

The April Budget is up and running on the side bar. I also took away the Laundry Fund from the budget. I'm going to try doing one load of laundry at my mom's house a week and see if I can get buy on that. (maybe just for April... but hopefully its an extra $20.00 saved) I also took $10.00 away from my gas budget because even after i stole money from my gas fund, I still had $20.00 left over at the end of this month (which is going towards my next auto repair... which I should call ahead to figure how much its going to be ahead of time...)

~*~*~*~*~ Paycheck 1~*~*~*~*~
Groceries and Eating Out $120.00
Sparklets $15.00
Gas $140.00
Electric and Cell Bill $100.00
Fun Money $50.00
Roth IRA 2008 $360.80
House Dp Fund $403.40

~*~*~*~*~ Paycheck 2~*~*~*~*~
Rent $450.00
Roth IRA 2008 $739.20

Financial Goals

Update Time. were 1/4 of the way through the year... Lets see how i'm doing
Non- Financial
  • Only buying organic---- I still buy organic milk and eggs, and potatoes... but i've slumped as it gets pricer to buy in the grocery store (i was doing cheese for a while but that was eating me alive. Same with frozen organic dinners... but they also didn't heat properly) I'll continue with organic milk, potatoes, and eggs though (its a small step).
  • I did finally go to the Dr and get a check up. Clean bill of health. Woot. Now to just loose those extra 10 lbs... I grew taller i'm 5'1 1/2 now so I should be aiming for 135... not the 143-148 I find myself at.

Financial

  • Net worth $30,000.00-- DONE
  • $5,000.00 EF --- DONE
  • $1,200.00 mini EF Maintained --- DONE
  • $1,300 House DP (next month DONE)
  • Total roth contributions 07 & 08 $5,200.00 DONE (actually will be $4,000 for 07 and 5000 for 08 so way done)
  • 3400 Moving Expenses---- No longer needed and transfered amount to my roth instead

Looks like i need more goals.... With the exception of getting healthier, i've succeeded or went above and beyond what I wanted. This was mainly do to some big changes (an extra roommate+ moving home with my mom in June)

--------------New Goals------------------

  • House Downpayment Goal was: March $1,117.95; April $1,461.35 May $1,719.75 June $2,578.15

With the money from March Money Maddness... It's changed slightly
March $1,181.26 April $1,554.66 May $1,843.06 June $2,731.46

Now: I'm going to shoot for $3,000.00 by June. (If I get a government rebate check for $600.00 i'll shoot for $3,600.00)

leaks....

finally, I'm back at work in my normal place. It's raining today so we'll be slower then usual-- a nice change from the hussle and bustle preparing for a week long event to mark the 20th anniversary of cityhood... and i'm glad I work at my facility.... the rood doesn't leak like it does at the other center occassionally.

I'm exhausted. I went to a birthday party last night and I had a good time... but i'm sleepy as heck. we stayed till after 11pm (i was up at 6 am for work today) We played gitar/band hero, darts, ate tooo much pizza and M&M's...

(i've got to get serious about this healthier me... heck i'm gonna have to get in a wedding dress in 2 years.... plus my mom loves to nag about my waist line and since its only a few months before i'm back at home.... I figure that I better start now...) Maybe i'll make an April challenge or something to try and motivate me to achieve something here.

I think I also need to start looking for some money leaks in my budget... It seems like these b-day parties are getting crazier. (the last 3 i've bought the gifts for my Bf and me together--- which i don't mind and he's not going to pay me back either and i'm OKAY with that. He does other things in our relationship that I value far more then this.---) but i keep forgetting that since i run with a more socible crowd (since i have lots of good friends and i count my blessings everyday that these amazing people are in my life), but i keep forgetting that these pop up more frequently.... sometimes 2 times a month... I'm pretty sure the overtime from the 20th anniversary will be ear marked for other such occassions.

Friday, March 28, 2008

the boyfriend

The boyfriend is going to apply to get a regular job!!!

His lighting company gig is going into the slower period so he's going to apply at Home Depo with his forklift license... if he doesn't hear back from them, he's going to apply to work at COSTCO with his forklift.

He wants to zap out his Credit card debt, pay off his taxes since this year he's 1099 (and save for next year too), add to his coin collection, buy me a ring (in a year and a half), and start saving for a wedding and a house.....

he's perfect.

=)

Happy!

My networth is just over $30,000.00 (my annual goal!)!!!!!!!!!!!! When I do my next auto maint check i'll re-adjust the value of my car kbb style so its uber acurate!

2008 Contributions for my Roth are at $1,850.00 ($600.00 purchased, $1,250.00 in savings for future purchases since the market is so shaky and I don't want to drop a whole lot of cash at once there). I should be done gathering all the money by the time the last of my boxes will be packed in June.

My roommate gave me the rent so were all squared away there! I'll deposit her cash today and write the check monday.

March Money Madness was/is really cool. I ended up stockpiling $$$$$ so my house DP is at $1,181.26 before interest from my accounts and my Gas rebate are added in. woot! I think I might even clear 1200.00 by the end of the month!!! and the cool thing---- I didn't even dip into my next months budget (while i did end up buying more groceries then i should with some extra gas money from the budget.... but this was because my boyfriend agreed to eat in this month so i needed more to go around as i tested my cooking skills) all around very sucessful.

I should have 17.5 hours of overtime on my next paycheck. I'm not sure where its going yet, but i think i'm going to set some money aside for future Birthdays and Parties... since i still haven't figured out how to sucessfully budget for those occurances.

Monday, March 24, 2008

I'm angry today...

I missed the IGOBANKING rate change by a few hours so I wasn't able to open the CD at 4.0% for 15 months.... they changed it to 2.75% so Nope.... and the savings account is now 3.52%.... why did i have to be at STUPID WORK... Paw! Oh well, I guess it's still better then ING (3.0%) and Emigrant Direct (2.75%)

It just bites for all of use who are responsible with their money and want to save it in an account... We get punished by those who buy things they cannot afford and scream bloody murder when they actually have to agree to the terms of the deal they signed....

When i buy my house the government won't let me have my mortgage at 3-4% fixed for 30 years.... but to "stimulate the economy" they can have it for that rate by refinancing the home they bought but can't actually afford... Heck i'm okay with home prices dropping--- they are so inflated its rediculous.

I say that government should sit back and watch what they have created topple. My $600.00 stimulus... ya i'm not spending a dime of it.

Friday, March 21, 2008

Rates drop

Emigrant Direct: 2.75%

ING DIRECT: 3.00% --> this should drop...

IGOBANKING 3.86% --> I'm just waiting for this sucker to drop. I tried to open a 15month CD with them 4.00% but I can't do it online (apparently They have issues thinking i'm me.) I'm going to call at lunch time and put the whole $5,000 into a $4.0 % CD

oh and i'm glad i opened those 2 CD's when I did... I got them for 3.50%.... ING is now offering them at 2.75%


CAN WE SAY RECESSION...

and as a side note... I've seen a good 20 motorcycles in a week... I used to see one a month....

My roommate paid me! and some overtime

Yup. I got the pretty late fee and the electric bill from my Greek Goddess Roommate! YeAh! WOOT

I'm going to have a lot of overtime coming my way come the first check of April... It's the 20th anniversary of cityhood and all hands are on deck apparently.

6 1/2 hours saturday [normally work 8 so a short day for me]
EASTER- OFF [i'll use my floating holiday!]
6 hours on Tuesday
6 hours friday + my regular 8 hours
6 1/2 hours saturday [normally work 8 so another short day for me]

----since 3 hours have to go towards making up the 2 shorter saturday.... I get a net of 9 hours of overtime for the 20th anniversary and that's at a pretty $23.00 an hour!!!!! WOOT


The bad news--- I came home AGAIN and found another sparklets delivery on my doorstep... I FIXED IT LAST MONTH AND I'M GOING TO HAVE TO CALL AGAIN--- and they will charge me more money then i budgeted for this month GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

Monday, March 17, 2008

Free clothes and a bad roommate

My sister went through her closet and i scored some free clothes. A few pairs of jeans and some tops and 2 jackets!!! nice.

And My mom apparently bought me a $50.00 gift card for Easter... so now I have $100.00 in giftcards (easter + $50 blackjack party)!!! WOOT WOOT.... but I also can't spend them... My birthday is coming up so if I buy something with them, I won't have anything for my birthday that I want and my family will go bezerk.

I'm still waiting on my greek goddess roommate to pay me the money she owes me-- she went to San Diego to see a few friends so i haven't seen her to get the money from her.... ( But I actually need that $40 late fee and $15 ebill to cover that last birthday party i went to-- since it wasn't in the budget and i'm not planning on my Boyfriend paying me back.

If and until she pays me I can't spend any money because if i don't get the money, then i basically won't have anymore money for the month (i'll have to use the $40.00 from my gas fund...)... and all the hard work from March Money Maddness will be wasted...

and she wants me to get another apartment with her after the lease is up... HAHAHAHA. If she doesn't pay me this month (late fee, ebill and current Rent), I'm calling her parents and demanding payment (they really like me).

Sunday, March 16, 2008

i just felt like blogging

It's the mid week slump for me. I only have to come in early tomorrow (5:15am) and then i'm off by 2:15pm and my "weekend" starts. SO its just the regular midweek slump... and work is really slow today cause it's Sunday morning. (maybe i'll clean something after my post- ya I think I will)

Speaking of cleaning, my sister is starting to clean out her closets (shes gotta get everything out of my room before i move home) and she's also lost some weight. Apparently there is a bag of hand-me downs waiting for me to sort through when I go over to my mom's house. WOOT- she always buys nice stuff! I figure i'll go home to my apartment, shower, then go rifle through the stuff before I go to church tonight.

Even though its a year and 9 months off or something like that--- I had an interesting conversation with that handsome man of mine... He's worried about supporting us when we are married. (no he hasn't asked me yet and were definently waiting so our friends don't think were crazy to just up and get hitched--- but we will eventually. He brings it up in the cutest ways sometimes... We were buying a birthday card for a friend of ours and we past by some cards that said Congrats on getting married... and he pulled it out, read it outloud to me and said. "soon."

I told him that before we get married that He needs to pay off all his Credit Cards. I know he'll forever be a spender and a collector (and i'm okay with this-- you can't change a man) but he just needs to spend money he has... not money he doesn't have yet. And he's doing a GREAT job. I'm so proud of him. He knocked off a $1,000.00 last month! WOOT. I think he has aroung 6 grand left to go.

But he worries because he doesn't know what he wants to do and doesn't have a college education to do it. He likes computers-- but thinks a desk job might not be the best thing for him... but then He's shy and doesn't really like new people (a walflower).... Currently He works freelance at a lighting company and if they offered him full time he'd take it... but they aren't so he's got work now because its the busy season. But if they slow down he might apply to home depo and drive the fork life since he has his fork lift license curtisy of the lighting company.

He mentioned firefighting or being a park ranger too...

I told him that i wanted him to be happy doing whatever it was that he wanted to do-- REGARDLESS of what the take home pay is. I also reminded him that I have a good job so were a heading in a good direction.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

HOW DARE SHE CALL HER CHEAP!

My sister, who has finally decided to pay off her Creditcards, budget, and move into an apartment with a roommate no less.... is finally being carefuly with money for the first time in her life. Straight from High school she got a 40 hour a week job and racked up the CC's not getting a college edu, but rather a wardrobe.Since then she's taken a second job (working as lead retail at a shop in the mall), and a large loan from my mom to help get things in order. She has also started paying that loan immediately back.

I'm angry because my sister called me in tears as her roommate called her cheap.
My sister bought a smaller thing of paper towels... and when questioned about it, she kindly pointed out that her roommates boyfriend lived there too (cause he moved in) and that he should chip in for some of that too..... She was then called cheap for the first time in her life.... and as an ex shop aholic... it stung deep......
Her roommate then went on and on about the one happy hour she took my sister to and paid for it (my sis had a bad day and when asked to go out told her she didn't really have the money to spend... so she offered to treat) and now basically through it in her face and was like "when's my happy hour..."
I can't stand that she would say that to my sister...

Stuff... and more stuff

I called my Greek Goddess Friend and reminded her that she shorted me last month on the e-bill so she owes me $15.00 this month and that she still owes me the $40.00 late fee. I should be getting this in a day or so!!!! WOOT

-----------------------------------

I celebrate because the boyfriend and I went to a birthday party and we had to pick up a gift because he forgot too (which isn't his fault because his company didn't pay him on time... and to be honest, he's not good at planning things with money yet. I'm just proud that he's not adding to his CC and that he's sending the majority of his money towards paying it off.) So I got a nice giftcard (40.00 + 3 for the card) from the both of us, and while he told me he'd give me some money for it later, i'm not expecting him to pay me back. This way i'm not mad if he doesn't and money doesn't get in the way of our relationship.
=)

But he also mentioned on how he knows he never paid me back for the last party we went to... So who knows... but I figure it doesn't really matter much in the long run. I don't know how many times he's taken me out to dinner or what not, and frankly, since he never lets me treat unless his account is zero- this is my way of being a good girlfriend. I keep the loose ends together. (when we get hitched I have a funny feeling i'll be picking out gifts and he'll be signing cards... lol)

Oh and I won Second place at Blackjack (we played 3 hours straight) and i frugally only bet one chip a hand unless i had something good and double downed... I came home with a $50.00 AMX giftcard!!!! woot woot.

-----------------------------------

When I move home with my mom, I'm pairing down my budget in an extreme since... so i need to go ahead and make the small changes now so i won't feel the total pinch later down the line. This is what i'm looking at when I move home with my mother....
  • Groceries $120
  • Gas $140
  • Cell $55
  • Car INS $85 --->
  • fun $50

$1,928.40 to save

I really want this to be $2,000.00 ............

If u noticed, I won't have a basic necessities category in my budget when I move home (she's buying that stuff) so anything I need to purchase will come out of my Groceries budget... so i'm going to remove my basic necessities for the next month and just set aside $15.00 for my sparklets water delivery (which used to come out of my basic necessities) and send the extra $30.00 to my house dp fund.

  • Groceries+ Eating Out $120.00
  • Sparklets $15.00
  • Gas $150.00
  • Electric and Cell Bill $100.00
  • Fun Money $50.00
  • Roth IRA 2008 $369.00
  • Laundry $20.00
  • House Dp Fund $365.20
  • Rent $450.00
  • Roth IRA 2008 $731.00
  • house dp 8.20

Gas Experiment

QUESTION:

Would I actually save money and gas by putting my car in neutral at stops, and anytime I went down hill?

So with the last few weeks of Febuary, I went ahead and filled my gas tank full, re-set the trip odometer and vowed to stick my car in Neutral at all stops and any down hills that I came to. I did this for the entire tank and waited until the gas light went on. I went 322.9 Miles, and had to put in 15.474 gallons of gas.... This mean that I ruffly got 20.8 Miles per gallon--- all city, no highway.

Then I went ahead and did it again, but this time i decided to drive normally to see what the difference was...

Lo and behold, I went 310.1 miles before the gas light came on... but only had to put in 14.35 gallons of gas.... This mean i got at least 21.6 miles per gallon ----all city, no highway....

So apparently, I get better gas milege by just trying to drive around normally...

Friday, March 14, 2008

The next few months

Here's what I'm planning on for my house downpayment for the next few months before I venture home with my mother: REMEMBER: I'm also using this time to gather all the funds to MAX out my ROTH IRA 2008-- that way i can pull the money from savings and purchase funds overtime since the market has been crapy and I don't want to buy buy buy and have it drop...
My Retirement account will be maxed out before I move home with my mom since i'm stocking away $1,100.00 a month. But back to the house

March GOAL

  • $1,117.95 -- Currently $1,134.88 and rising... YeAh MaRcH $$$$ mAdDnEsS!!!!!!!!

April GOAL

  • $1,461.35

May GOAL

  • $1,719.75

June GOAL

  • $2,578.15

Move Home

It would be UBER cool if I could make this a nice pretty $3,000.00 ****I'm hoping!****

**** I also realized I make $2,378.40 a month after the government fed and state taxes, medicare, 1% to retirement thru the city... **** which means more money!!! Check out the new budget off to the side. It will change in MAY again when I have to start svaing up for AUTO INSURANCE again... but for now, my house dp is liking the little extra it's recieving.

Thursday, March 13, 2008

My controlling Mother...

I've been looking for ways to cut down on my gas consumption because when I move home with my mom, driving will be my largest expense.

I decided i'd get my Motorcycle liscence and get an automatic scooter and save a bunch on gas... and just use it to and from work(under 5 miles away cause its the short trips that are killing me) BUT..... I.... CAN'T... my mom told me that i'm not allowed to do the following when I move home with her
  • obtain said licence
  • own a motorized scooter
  • Bike to work
  • Walk to work
  • Take the public bus.

Instead i HAVE TO DRIVE my car. Talk about controlling and over protective. I'm 21 and can't make my own decisions if i choose to live there.... so i won't be getting my scooter... because living at home is far cheaper then living in an apartment...

But dang.... she's really screwing me over. The whole point of moving home is to be REALLY REALLY FRUGAL!!!!

Who called it...

I did... ING Direct drops its rates.... 3.10% good thing i opened those CD's when I did...

I'm sending 16.93 extra to the house dp account. (10.00 from Dee for the ebill and 6.93 leftover from cell and money I have set aside for ebill stuff)...

My Greek Goddess roomie and I will have a little chat about that late fee and what she owes me in the next couple of days since she's back from house sitting and has gotten paid. Hopefully this means extra money for me.

I scratched THE MOVEMENT from the budget for personal reasons but that money is now going to the house downpayment fund.

So tomorrow when i'm paid i'm at $1,134.88!!!! for a house DP

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Well it finally happened

This Friday will be the first paycheck all year that won't have an extra on it. No overtime, no holidays to interfer... just 80 hours at my hourly rate and my benefits.
The following March paycheck too....
But on the brighter side, I'll be working a lot of overtime the last week on March, and that will be reflected on my first paycheck in April.

I'm really trying to stick to the budget. Normally I steal money from other areas in order to "get by" and have more "fun." I'll spend the money I get from my roommates for the e-bill... if i don't need cleaning supplies and junk, i'll take that money and go to a movie, or out to dinner....

but i'm refusing to do that this month. If i'm successful, i'll be smiling on April 1st...

I still haven't gotten the late fee yet from my roommate (who I haven't seen in at least 2 days...) looks like i'm going to text her.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Sold an Item on Half.com

Sold another book online. Guess i'm off to the post office on Monday to ship it. More money for March maddness.

Today I'm also turning in my gas reciepts at work. $18.78

I figured with Yesterdays drop in the Market i'd go shopping since it's "on sale." I don't want to talk about how much i've lost... When I opened my account shares were $13.00 , 12.50 on a bad week...

Yesterday it was $10.57

Too bad I opened my Roth so early. Oh well. I'm in it for the long hall.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Rates: Savings Accounts and CD's

This morning Emigrant Direct Changed its APY to 3.30% --The first time It has ever been lower the ING...

ING is currently at 3.40%
IGOBANKING is currently 3.86%

--->it won't be long before these two follow suit.

I need to find a better avenue for my 3 month emergency fund... but CD rates bite right now and today is friday.... which means it will take a few days to move the money from IGO to ING or BOFA to put in a CD.... and i can't lock that money into a CD until I move home with my mom because there is the chance I could infact actually need it! But I want to get in before the rates change....

I only have one solution right now, because likely these rates will change in the next 2 days.... I have to Eliminate some of my checking account padding.... which is huge.... I love my checking account padding... but its the only money I have that is earning less then a CD rate right now... and I don't want to pull money out of IGO because they generally "hold out" a bit longer before they change their rates.

I just opened 2 CD's at ING Direct.
  • $200 for 6 months (using all the padding from BOFA) eeeeekkk!!!
  • $500 for 6 months (using half the padding from Electric Checking at ING)
Both are earning 3.50% APY.... which is 3.50% more then BofA was earning and ING is earning 1. 25% more then the 2.25% it was getting in the checking account. (Interest will be deposited monthly into an ING savings account.)

if I can't handle the crunch and lack of padding, i'll just have to not spend as much to get it back in there.

I'm not too worried about ING.... it has plently of padding.... But i'm a little worried about BOFA because while I don't have any bills debited from that account ... My RENT and any Checks I write out to my church are... and my church hasn't cashed the last check I wrote out to them LAST MONTH!!!!!!! AND if my GREEK GODDESS FRIEND is late with rent again... I'm gonna be screwed unless she gives me a heads up and I can transfer some money from ING...

It's a good thing that i'm depositing all my march madness money savings into my BOFA account.

I think its time I go ahead and turn in those gas rebates my work owes me (i normally try and save them up for a couple of months and try and get $20.00.... but its time to get that money into an account)

Thursday, March 6, 2008

March Money Maddness

So far so great. I'm sticking to the budget and doing good.

  • I got the back rent from my roommate (minus the $40 late fee, but she said next paycheck for that)... and $5.00 for the e-bill (plus $3 in change)
  • I got $16.00 refund check from AAA for changing my policy a little

I have some gas reciepts from work to turn in which I will sometime next week and I will be having a lot of overtime from the last week of March. It's the City's 20th anniversary and all hands on deck in the rec department which means i'll be pulling lots of Overtime.

My friend HOTEL BOY wanted to have lunch, and since i brown bagged it again to keep March Maddness going strong, I told him to meet me at MY work and that we'd have lunch at MY work on the patio.... and he did!!!

The boyfriend and I have also been carpooling and staying IN and EATING IN instead of out and its definetly helping to stay on track! and he's been saving his recycle for me and brings by a couple of cans and bottles every now and then. =)

I still have to deposit some spare change that I was able to finally roll.

I have a thing of dimes and a roll of pennies so far. but who knows by the end of the month what it will be.

Saturday, March 1, 2008

NetWorth





My NetWorth at the end of February $28,842.00

up 14.27%

Looks like I might need to revise my 2008 goal as next month I'm highly likely to meet it.

=)

Simple living and Furniture...

So the other day this girl I met only once in my apartment complex while I was doing laundry was having to move out because her and her boyfriend were no longer an item... needless to say she was a little emotionally stirred up still...

So i lent her a hand moving and taping boxes, drove her down to the post office (cause she couldn't get the boxes she needed to ship in her stuffed SUV--- which only had her "stuff" and one small chair in it....) from her 1 bedroom apt that she was sharing... I also dropped 2 bags of stuff off to Goodwill chock full of clothes.

all I can say is i'm glad over the years and especially this last year that i've paired down my belongings... But I'm still not looking forward to the move back home...

on a brighter note, I inherited a wooded end table that actually kind of matches the free wooden hutch I got from a friend of mine when I moved.

Which brings the free items i've recieved to:
  • Small circular dinning room table-- Freecycle
  • Black leather recliner couch--- roommates now ex boyfriend's stepdad (and i get to keep it cause she hates leather)
  • hutch "coffee table" --- my old bible study leader... which really made the place feel like home because i grew up at her house practically
  • end table -- from the girl I helped in my apartment complex
  • Entertainment mini unit--- i found this by the dumpster when i was wandering around the apt complex a week or two before i move in.
  • fireplace poker set--- freecycle.

Basically, everything in the living room of my apartment that's mine was free... and my bedroom set was my 18th b-day and high school graduation present combined.

and amazingly enough, paired with a few new items, these things I think would work in my future place really well. good thing I can use my mom's place as a storage unit... where I still have my glass work desk.

As a side note on simple living-- None of the books I've posted have sold yet, which is sad cause i'd like to make some money off them and get them out of my apartment.... but I am still slowly going through old boxes of things and momentos and decideding what to keep and what to part with. I'm also scrapbooking pictures and getting rid of old photo albums and the like. I have 4 more pages and i'm done with jr high and high school!!! Then i'm going to make a small book for memories of my dad... then I might tackle college.

Either way, this should help weed out some of the bulky boxes under my bed. and I rather like my new little hobby.