I’m not usually one to make New Year resolutions. I just hate the idea of trying to choose to only make life changing decisions on one day of the year. This year though I have decided to set some goals. Not resolutions, but specific and trackable goals. More specifically things that I have some control over.
On to my list:
GOALS FOR 2009!
Hopefully I’ll take more than one class, but one would be enough for me to start. I’m not sure yet what kind of class I am going to take, but I’ve considered photography, wood working, writing, or something else creative. The catalog comes out in a few days, so I’ll get to decide then.
I’ve been intending to walk the 3-Day for about five years now. I got as far as raising half the money necessary to participate in the walk. Unfortunately, at that point, my fundraising hit a wall and I wasn’t able to walk. This year I am determined to do it.
I have no credit cards, but I have student loan debt and, because of my own stupidity last year, I owe the IRS a small amount. I’m going to work my ass off at getting atleast one of those debts cleared up in the next year.
If there were one thing in my life that I could change, it is that I would have learned to make lefse from my grandmother before she got sick. It breaks my heart that I didn’t. My uncle fell into a crazy period a few years back where he got pissed at the entire family and took anything he thought was of any valuable, financially or emotionally, from the house. He took grandma’s lefse griddle, potato ricer, rolling pin….the entire lefse set up. So, I’m going to need to purchase an entire new set, but it will be worth it. And I’m going to learn to do it with a photo of my grandma at my side the entire time.
This one shouldn’t be all that hard. I do this anyway. But there are times when I let myself slack off for a week or two. This year, I want to really make an effort at it. I’m also going to keep track of the titles. Don’t expect anything profound. I generally just read whatever is available to me at that moment, so it could be anything from Clay Aiken’s autobiography to the latest piece of chick lit.
I’ve been knitting for three years now. And I still SUCK. I’m getting better, but definitely not at the level of someone who has been knitting this long. I’m going to start working through atleast one challenging project a month. You can follow along at the link above, or you can always check me out on Ravelry.
I’ve recently rediscovered my love of cooking and baking. And with the delivery of my KitchenAid mixer for Christmas, I have a great excuse to do some baking!
There are already plans in the work for a cruise in December of next year. I’ll actually have to get a passport! The only time I have ever been out of this country was to go over the border into Mexico near Brownsville, Texas. We were on a mission with my great-uncle to get his same day dentures made for less then $300. We were successful, but I definitely don’t want that to be my only opporutnity to leave the country.
I stole this idea from someone else. But it was such a great idea, and I’m constantly trying to figure out “something to do”. Now I have a list.
- Live frugally and simply, Recycle/Reduce/Reuse, coupons, budget
This one is rather self-explanatory. I’ve been overwhelmed by material stuff in the last few years and I want to really focus on simplifying.
- Renew my commitment to my physical and mental health.
Also self-explanatory. I’m not going to make any specific goals on this one yet, but they’re coming.
- Collect and collate my recipe collection
I have too many recipes spread all over the place. Between websites, print outs, cook books, and random recipe cards, I most likley have nearly 100 different dishes floating around.
I think my plan is going to be to try and give a brief monthy blog update on my progress, since holding myself accountable requires constant reflection. So, you’ll be hearing more about my goals in a few weeks. Until then:
HAPPY NEW YEAR! May your 2009 bring everything you need into your world!
So, if you follow this blog at all, you know that on Monday night I was pretty disappointed with Microcenter. To make a sort of long story sort of shorter; I wanted a laptop. Found one on their website that was a refurb but fit all my criteria and was cheap. The website showed one in stock. I went to the store to be told that they did not have any in stock. I was sad. Disappointed. Almost cried. Drowned my sorrows in Ben and Jerry’s Everything But The icecream and wrote a ranty blog post about it.
This morning, I found a comment on my blog from Microcenter Customer Relations! Really? Yep! You can see it here. I’m pretty flabbergasted! That’s some awesome customer service right there! I replied to the comment and to “Albert” the customer service rep that left the comment. We’ll see what happens next! I’ll keep you posted.
I woke up this morning in a bit of a blur. All I really remember is that Riley dog jumped up next to me and i asked him if he would like to play a game of Scrabble with me. Now, I know that dog is smart as hell, but um..Scrabble? Not *that* smart.
I was incredibly excited because I found a laptop on Microcenter’s website for well within my price range. It was a refurbished Presario, but it met the specs that I had decided were the minimum I would consider and it was over a hundred dollars less than I had initially planned on spending. I was PSYCHED. I immediately emailed W and asked if she would mind going with me after I picked her up from work. I double checked the website about eighty times to make sure they had them in stock. Still at this very moment the website claims there is one in stock. ONE IN STOCK. But when we got there, the high-pressure salesman informed us that they were considered “M Shelf Stock” and that they did not have any in the store room. Whatever the heck M Shelf Stock means in Microcenter speak, I’m assuming translates to “lying to get you into the store so we can try to sell you something more expensive” in English. I was near tears when we left the store. I was so so so excited and then nothing. I pouted for about an hour and then ate a pint of Ben and Jerry’s. I’m better now.
Posted by Amelia on Sep 9, 2008 in
Financial Woes and Wows In the past, I have avoided personal loans at all costs. I’m afraid of them, honestly. I’ve had vehicle loans and mortgage and, of course, the ever present student loans, but personal loans just made me nervous. I always hated the idea of putting up collateral, and honestly with my credit collateral was always required. But I hate going to my family when I need cash. Right now, I could really use it. I need to get some money put aside for our pending move and I really would like to replace my laptop now that the Mac has officially died. I suppose I could probably look into a bad credit loan or credit card. It could help with fixing the credit issues that I don’t have alot of control over and start rebuilding the lack of credit in my individual name. Who knows? Ugh. I truly hate money, but I’m glad there are options out there.
Posted by Amelia on Sep 8, 2008 in
Financial Woes and Wows Bills cost me money.
Money which I do not have.
Millions would be nice.
I took this handy dandy little quiz over at BillsIQ this morning. And boy, oh boy, am I in trouble! I miserably and utterly failed. I knew when I took it that my financial health is not at the greatest point, but I certainly didn’t realize that I would fail. Fortunately, I do not need any credit card debt help. I don’t have any credit card debt. I do have student loans and medical bills that need to be figured out and settled. There are also some issues I have with having the right amount of insurance and preparing a will and starting to plan for the future. I think that I have lived for so long on a paycheck to paycheck basis (30 years now, if you include my childhood and watching the way my mother took care of finances) that I just forget that there is a life outside of *right now* when it comes to money. I pay my bills. I purchase groceries and anything else that is needed for around the house. I take care of my family and then I enjoy myself. And that is truly a stupid way to be living. I guess this is where the educational process begins.
126 days. Really! There are 126 days until Christmas. I know for the average person, this is plenty of time. But for me, the Queen of OCD, the Princess of Planning, the Empress of….oh to heck with it, let’s just remember that I literally do have OCD and not being absolutely prepared for something really drives me up a wall. I usually have my shopping list prepared no later than Halloween and unless you’ve been living under a rock you know that the day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday. All of the stores go insane with their specials and deals on Black Friday. My family has always wanted to be among the wackos that are standing at the Walmart door at 4am waiting to be crushed in the ensuing riots, but last year I learned my lesson and settled in to my keyboard with a hot cup of coffee. The same deals, if not better, are offered on the store websites and I didn’t have to get up at the crack of dawn!
SO, when I found this website,Black Friday, I was just about thrilled.
It’s not just a typical Black Friday site. Those are all over the place. This one has a bunch of other features that make it just…well…better. They will email you an alert when a new ad is posted. It looks like they will eventually provide some shopping list capabilities. YAY LISTS! I’ve already added it to my bookmark list. I’m pretty thrilled by the selection of stores available. They even have The Microcenter Ad, which the geek in me freaks out about and the Toys R Us deals which the mom in me could cry over!
Yep. The shopping season has never been more exciting for me. Or so organized.
Posted by Amelia on Aug 14, 2008 in
Financial Woes and Wows I’ve been driving a car that The Professor and I got for free about a year ago. The original owner didn’t feel like doing the work to swap out the thermostat, which was less than a $10 part and 20 minutes of work. He gave it to us for absolutely nothing, just signed the title over. And it ran like a dream until a few months ago. Now it’s having electrical problems. There’s a short somewhere in the dash. The alternator is dying. With all the draining and charging, the battery is shot and now it needs a new battery. It’s just an auto disaster.
So I’ve been considering getting a new car. I have horrific credit though. Well, maybe not horrific. It’s definitely improved over the last few years, but it is probably still at the point where it will require a specialty loan if I want something without a co-signer. I’ve been doing alot of research and it seems like this place:
Bad Credit Car Loans
is a decent option of me. They offer Auto Loans for all types of credit histories. Good or bad they’ve got something going on. Guess I have some thinking to do.
I’m still trying to figure out how to dig myself out of the financial mess that I am in. My debts are really not all that big or I would start considering some way to consolidate debt. Unfortunately, the debt that I do have is something that you cannot consolidate, as it is not credit cards or things of that nature. I have some student loans, but I really don’t have a ton of credit cards or anything of that sort. I really just need to get a copy of my credit report and start working my way through it. I almost wish that I had debt that was consolidatable. (Is that even a word? If it wasn’t before, it is now.) I’m going to sit down this weekend and really develop a budget for the next few months, and hopefully I can get myself really on track. There are a few major expenses that need to be lined up over the next six months or so, and if I really pay attention to it all, I am absolutely sure that I can do it. I got some big news this morning that will definitely effect my financial situation in a very positive way, but I don’t really want to post about that right this moment. I do know though that it is going to make the prospect of saving for those major expenses MUCH much easier.
Today was crazy cleaning at the apartment. I scrubbed the kitchen floor, finished up the dishes, put away a shit load of laundry, vacuumed. The only thing left to do is dust the living room, which I plan on doing as soon as I find the damn duster. I must say that cleaning really helps me get my mind focused on things in my life, but today it just wasn’t working.
I’ve been really trying to figure out alot of different things in the last week or so. Nothing life or death, but things that I’d like to work through. So today I was thinking through my monthly budget and trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to do financially. I definitely have to figure it out, but it’s not going to come overnight. I’m trying to find some sort of software or a website or something that will help me develop and stick to a budget. Any suggestions?
I celebrated my one month of being a non-smoker on Sunday. I’m already noticing the benefits. My stamina is improving. My sense of smell is improving. My lung capacity is improving. I’ve stopped sounding like Janis Joplin after a fifth of whiskey and two packs of cigarettes every morning, so my voice is definitely improving. Which leads me to the next dilemma….
For the past few years, I have looked at the website for the Twin Cities Women’s Choir every season. I’ve thought about joining and even had it on my calendar a few years. I have recently met Swirlspice and her lovely girl M_tm. They are both members of the choir and I think having them there would make it less intimidating for me. It would really fulfill a few long time goals of mine. It would give me the opportunity to get some damn music back in my life, which really fell to the way side 12 years ago when I got pregnant and dropped out of the UTA music department. It would also give me a chance to meet some women and start finding the possibility of friends. And I’d have a hobby outside of the house, which is always a good thing.
The dilemma comes in with the dates. The choir rehearses on Wednesday nights. Unfortunately, as of right now, I am scheduled to begin an eight week support group on the exact same nights. The support group was my initial plan to start transitioning myself from being so isolated into trying to find some friendships. Truly the choir provides the same thing. The only difference is that I would have to find other outlets for “support”. I think I have made the decision, but who knows if I’ll chicken out at the last minute.
Posted by Amelia on Aug 2, 2008 in
Financial Woes and Wows It seems that every time I have major financial needs, I am completely broke! Right now is one of those times. I have so many things that I need to take care of. The Boy™ needs a new computer for school. My laptop is on it’s last legs. The car that I have been using technically is not in my name and so it should probably be returned to it’s owner and I should purchase one of my own. In order for my dog to move into the apartment, we need to come up with a deposit. I’ve used Pay Day Loan in the past but over the last few years I’ve had problems finding any place that had a minimum level of professionalism. So I guess I’ll just keep looking. Pay Day Loans perhaps? Maybe Used Car Loans?
