Tag Archives: Goals

by

May Flowers

flat,550x550,075,f

Daffodils

April showers bring May flowers, or so the saying goes. I believe in the power of positive thinking, and that much like how pretending to be confident actually increases confidence, perhaps being positive will make my life more positive. I’ve noticed (and not necessarily on here) that I have been very negative lately. Most of the things I have been dwelling on have been negative (work, school, etc.) and that amplifies small issues into big ones and causes undue stress on different aspects of my life. So here’s to being happy!

physically fit

  1. Have a balance of -$1800 on my Discover Card
  2. Pay $250 of the $500 I owe my university
  3. Have $100 in my savings account

physically ffit

  1. Lose 13 lbs
  2. Log into MFP every day and log all exercise/food intake
  3. Do purposeful yoga at least 3x/wk and the Sun Saluation daily

pphysically ffit

  1. Finish the book of Matthew
  2. Read Millionaire Next Door
  3. Attend Stanford virtual finance classes
  4. Write 15 blog posts (min)
  5. Meditate daily

Miscellaneous:

I have a lot to look forward to this month, for instance I will be going to see the broadway tour of Rock of Ages later tonight and will attend my first big-kid wedding on Saturday. I’m also going to try to give up biting my nails again…so we’ll see where that goes. I also should hear back from a job I applied for at a nonprofit I really like (a career-job with the things that a “real” job should have), so cross your fingers for me! 

So how is your May looking?

by

April 2013 Recap

It was definitely a month of showers. April was pretty much the worst month I’ve had since February/March of 2012 (which were “dumped in a bus station” bad). I didn’t really set goals for this month, but I guess I did accomplish a few things that fall under the three big categories. Other things that happened this month can be found here. I am determined that May will be a month of flowers!

physically fit

  1. My savings account now has $100! 
  2. I finished paying for my car insurance!

physically ffit

  1. I lost the 8 lbs I gained in March (from February) + 4 more for a net loss of 12 lbs! 

pphysically ffit

  1. Wrote 10 blog posts! 
  2. Signed up for a finance class through Venture Labs at Stanford!
  3. Applied for a new job at a nonprofit!

So what about my budget? 

This wasn’t a terrible month budget-wise, but my income was a lot smaller because I took off a few days + having Good Friday off, so I missed almost a week of work. I don’t get leave or holiday pay, so it was like a long weekend. But it was worth it. Even if it means things were tight. 

april2013

Total Income: $1212.69 & Total Spent: $1291.39 for net difference of -$78.70. Yeah. I used my Discover card =/ but I did put $100 in my savings account, so I guess technically I have a net gain of $21.30. Though I shouldn’t have used my card. 

  • Car Insurance - $120 – I have officially paid my car insurance!
  • Discover – $80 – Kind of moot since I spent $50 of my limit this month. =/
  • Electricity – $62.37 – It’s getting warmer, so the bill is going to climb a little.
  • Electricity – $61.48 – A little lower than last month.
  • Gas – $143.51 – I went home four weekends in a row in addition to what I normally spend (home = $240+ mile round trip), soI spent roughly double what I normally do.
  • Medicine – $26.87 – I’m having insurance problems right now, so I’m having to pay for things like BC outright. It’s not a big deal right this second, but it’d be nice if they would sort out clerical errors!
  • Miscellaneous – $150.97 – This includes knitting purchases, girly purchases, and a purse that I bought for my brother’s gf after depositing cash in my account (since she doesn’t have a debit card).
  • Phone – $50.59 –  I finally called and figured out why I couldn’t access my account and setup autopay, which means I save $6/month!
  • Rent/Electricity - $385 – This is pretty much the same as it always is.
  • Savings Transfer – $100 – Yeah I put monies in my savings account!
  • CC Interest – $28.61 – Not in the chart up there, but that is included in my expenses. I did remove the protection plan fee from my card, so this is just interest…

Reflection: 

I didn’t really set budgetary goals this month, but I think I did pretty well. Only 12% of my expenditures were unrelated to bills or necessities (gas/food). I’m glad I ended the month 12 lbs lighter than where I started, and although April was icky and terrible, I’m looking to put my best foot forward into May. As Thoreau says:

“Never look back unless you are planning to go that way.”

And I don’t.

by

March 2013 Recap

Obviously, with it being over halfway through April, you can bear with me when I say this “March went out so much like a lamb, I cannot even remember what I did.” While that is only sort of true, it is true that March was certainly a #YOLO month for me. I’m not sure if this was because of how anal-retentive I was during January and February (1200 calories every single day, paying off my rent debts, less spending, etc.)…but suddenly, during March, I just did not even care. So as of when this post should have been written, we’d be roughly 15% of the way through the year. RIDICULOUSNESS, AMIRITE? So I’ve made…better progress toward my goals in April, but this is about what went down in March…

physically fit

  1. Put $200 (min) into savings acct
  2. Make $100 in Discover Card Payments
  3. Research & set up a mock portfolio with Morningstar
  4. Create my loan repayment plan
  5. Spend $$$ to eat out a maximum of 2x
  6. Don’t use Discover Card

Yeah no. None of these happened. I didn’t even keep a budget. In fact, I took off of work for three days so that I could go to Gulf Shores with bf and his family. It was a ton of fun, but took nearly $300 in income + ~$100 spent on souvenirs and preparation things.

physically ffit

  1. Lose 10 lbs
  2. Log into MFP every day
  3. Complete weeks 1-4 of Couch to 5k
  4. Do Wii Fit Yoga routine 2x a week
  5. Contact Habitat for Humanity & volunteer a minimum of one Saturday

Nope. Didn’t even log into MFP. IN FACT I GAINED 7 LBS. Great right?

pphysically ffit

  1. Read 4 books minimum (1 per week)
  2. Learn and use one ASL sign a day (31 total)
  3. Revise & update my résumé and LinkedIn
  4. Write 16 blog posts

Nope. I did learn some more sign language because I saw my grandparents the last weekend of March, but I didn’t achieve really anything mentally. Actually, I found out I had to apply for reentry into my university because I took a semester off…which is more than a little frustrating since I called ahead of time to specifically ask if that would happen (to which I was told, “No”).

I know a lot of this sounds like complaining, and that’s probably because so much has happened between now and March and I’m a little sleepy (and thereby grumpy ;) ); however,

th (1)

I needed a #YOLO month…or so I think. It was a month filled with wonder and joy. At least, it was one I spent mostly at bf’s house eating food his mom cooked, watching tv, and in general being happy. I didn’t achieve my goals, but honestly, after some reflection, those were less things I actually wanted to achieve last month and more things I thought I had to achieve before 1/4 of the year was through to show I had made adequate progress.

So what about my budget? 

I didn’t really track my spending. At. All. So I’ll just use my bank statements to figure all this out. I’m not even doing a pie chart…

Total Income: $1245.65 ($192.20 leftover from February)with & Total Spent: $1437.07. This is obviously not including Discover Card nonsense, which ends in total payment: $124, total spent: $42.52, and total interest: $33.96. I did finally get rid of the protection plan that kept charging my account!

  • Rent (& internet) - $395 – This is pretty much the same every month.
  • Telephone – $56.35 – I have a Net10 Trac-phone
  • Auto – $73.12 – Not that terrible. I didn’t do a lot of traveling this month using my car.
  • Electricity – $54.19 – A little lower than last month!
  • Discover – $124 – Not the ending balance…
  • Everything Else – $734.41 – I couldn’t even tell you. This is food, clothing, eating out, etc. I don’t even know.

Reflection: 

So it did go out like a lamb…

416156

by

March – in like a Lion

tumblr_m6yb4j2jar1rqq0c0o1_500

…or so the saying goes.


So far 2013 has been picking up speed…in that my overall expense-income ratio is starting to balance out, I’ve been consistently losing weight, I’ve met with my academic advisors to work out my graduation plan, and my personal relationships are starting to develop unexpected depth. I want to continue this trend so that 2013 does truly become my come back year and my roundup January 1st of 2014 won’t be one of shame. This is also the last month of the first quarter of the year, so I want to have measurable and significant progress toward my overall goals.

Future March Achievements

  1. Financially Fit
    Put $200 (min) into savings acct
    Make $100 in Discover Card payments
    Research and set up a mock portfolio with Morningstar
    Create my loan repayment plan
    Spend $$$ to eat out a maximum of 2x
    Don’t use Discover Card
  2. Physically Fit
    Lose 10 lbs
    Log into My Fitness Pal every day
    Complete weeks 1-4 of Couch to 5k
    Do Wii Fit Yoga routine 2x a week (between C25k workout days)
    Contact Habitat for Humanity & volunteer a minimum of one Saturday
  3. Mentally Fit
    Read 4 books minimum (1 per week)
    Learn and use one ASL sign a day (31 total)
    Revise & update my résumé and LinkedIn
    Write 16 blog posts

If some of these goals look familiar, it’s because if I didn’t achieve it in February, I want to now or I want them to become habits that I don’t even have to set as goals anymore (e.g. blog posts, Discover Card usage, lowering amount of eating out/take-out, etc.). Others I’ve made more reasonable (4 vs. 8 books).

With these things accomplished, I believe at the end of the first quarter of the year I will have made marked progress on my overall goals for 2013. I’m most nervous about blog posts…but I have ideas that I just need to put the work into making a reality. I plan for March to go out like a lion too ;)

by

February 2013 Recap

The shortest month of the year is gone! I’m a little sad, but at the same time relieved. Mardi Gras is done with, Valentine’s Day is done with, bf’s birthday is done with (I promise I’m not the Grinch), and now we’re 16% of the way through the year! So what kind of progress have I made on my goals?

physically fit

  1. Pay my roommate the remaining $421.10 I owe him
  2. Save $460 for my car insurance (due in March) - I later lowered this to $300 (based on anticipated income), but I actually saved $400 and will pay the remaining amount the eighth!
  3. Don’t spend ANY $$$ on eating out or vending machines - I spent very little? :) I spent $10.99 taking bf out for yogurt and $9 on food at work (both the last week of February). The latter was because I had only had yogurt the day before and was starting to get sick from low blood sugar. 
  4. Don’t use my Discover Card AT ALL - Welll…sort of? I used it twice, once to buy baking things for Valentine’s Day and once to buy a loaf of bread, but both times I paid back that amount as soon as I got paid, so although I did use it, I paid it off during the month, which I hear is how these things are supposed to work.
  5. Begin researching Morningstar for creating a portfolio – NOPE.
  6. Stay within my set monthly budget - I did for most everything except miscellaneous expenses. There were a lot more “holiday-esque” celebrations this month than I anticipated.

physically ffit

  1. Lose 10 lbs – Almost! 02/01/13 – 188, 02/28/13 – 179.6, aka a net loss of 8.4 lbs! 
  2. Log into My Fitness Pal every day – Yes!
  3. Work out every day - Ha. Ha. Ha. No.

pphysically ffit

  1. Write 13 blog posts (minimum) - Eh. No. But I didn’t do badly either? I hit 9, or roughly 75% of that goal.
  2. Read 8 books – NOPE. I intended to, I really did, but I wanted to finish Catch 22 so badly…but I hate it so much. I think I’m throwing in the towel for now on finishing it.
  3. Work with BF to learn to read sheet music – I’d say there was a little bit of victory here. When I went to church with him I could at least follow the pitch of the hymns I didn’t know.

Looking at that, it doesn’t seem like I actually got a lot done, but I’m very satisfied. Only eating out twice (and spending $20 vs. $150) on that this month is a really big accomplishment for me, as well as seeing a weight starting with 17_ for the first time since 2008. And I made progress on most of the ones I didn’t outright accomplish. Reasons for that are mostly work-related, in that we have a huge deadline coming up so there’s been a lot of coming early and staying late and sleeping 15 hours from exhaustion every day.

So what about my budget? 

I did a lot better this month than in January. I tracked my spending very carefully, and although there was a hiccup literally on the last day of the month with card interest and fees tipping my expenses to be a little more than my income, I would say that February blew January out of the water in regard to spending. 

Feb2013

Total Income: $1475.08 & Total Spent: $1442.88 for net difference of +$32.20.

Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! 

Except not really. Discover charged interest (which I had forgotten to take into account in my budget), as well as a Protection Plan Fee. So when I take into account that expense (even though I didn’t spend it, it’s still on my card and therefore I count it as an expense), my total spent is $1489.10 for a net difference of -$14.02. Although I am in no way pleased that number is still negative, it’s still a drastic difference from the -$202.25 from last month. In fact, it’s a 93% improvement! #smallvictories

  • Rent (& internet) - $496 – I am officially caught up on rent with my roommate! Yay!
  • Groceries – $108.8 – Exactly $19.99 of this was eating out. $10.99 was from treating bf to froyo on his birthday, and $9 was the cafeteria at work. The rest actually from a grocery store (and not even the deli part :P )
  • Auto – $73.12 – Gas is getting more expensive. Also I’ve been visiting bf’s family a little more often, so it’s a little more gas.
  • Electricity – $61.48 – A little lower than last month.
  • Discover – $73 – This was the $49 minimum payment plus the $24 payment to pull me back under my limit (which had happened because I forgot how interest worked because I’m silly).
  • Miscellaneous – $174.13 – This was VERY high this month, but that would be because it includes a trip to the doctor’s office, my mom’s birthday present, bf’s birthday present, Valentine’s Day stuff, etc. February is an awful month for gifts! Some of this was also stuff like cat litter (boring).
  • Savings/Specialty – $432.20 – $400 of this was car insurance (surpassing my goal of putting $300 toward the total $480 this month) and $32.20 is still sitting in my bank account…although honestly it will probably go to gas for the next two weeks instead of my savings account.
  • Fees – $46.22 – This would be the payment protection plan and interest that I didn’t even remember existed. Because I miss the forest for the trees sometimes.

Reflection: 

If I had anticipated the interest, I would have spent less on bf’s present and made sure to have a back-up lunch at work, which would have kept me in the green. But now I know and can adjust accordingly. I wasn’t as frugal as I could have been, but I hit a point about 75% through the month where it was really difficult to keep depriving myself, and honestly, I don’t think I can sustainably do that. Being out of debt and saving up for tuition asap is very important to me; however, to constantly have to say no to everything is really too much. What good is 2013 if all my memories are of me hiding out in my room looking at spreadsheets? Nada.

So was February Fierce? Yes.

by

A Fierce February

A fiercely successful and ambitious February!!!

tumblr_ma3koubCpp1r5t2a6o1_250Why fierce? Mainly because it’s alliterative. So what’s going to make February better than January? Well. For one I won’t live outside of my means. I have been trying to keep my goals manageable and something I can keep track of on a day-to-day basis. I’m a person who has six thousand calendars, lists, notebooks, etc. to be able to keep my mind on what I want. Otherwise I’ll get off track and look up and it’ll be November. So what do I want to do?

February Goals

  1. Financially Fit
    Pay my roommate the remaining $421.10 I owe him
    Save $460 for my car insurance (due in March)
    Don’t spend ANY $$$ on eating out or vending machines
    Don’t use my Discover Card AT ALL
    Begin researching Morningstar for creating a portfolio
    Stay within my set monthly budget (bringing the rent line item up to $422 from $375)
  2. Physically Fit
    Lose 10 lbs
    Log into My Fitness Pal every day
    Work out every day
  3. Mentally Fit
    Write 13 blog posts (minimum)
    Read 8 books
    Work with BF to learn to read sheet music

 I feel like my goals for February are really manageable. I want to utilize the time I’m not spending taking classes working on self-improvement. The goal I’m most nervous about is definitely not spending any cash to eat out or on vending machines. At least 2/3 of my food expenditures are always eating out, and it needs to stop [I want to set a possible exception could be for BF's birthday, which is at the end of February. I would be willing to break this goal to do that, but it'll depend on what he wants]. Losing 10 lbs I’m a little nervous about too. I did in January, but I don’t want to set myself up for failure. I limit my calories, but I also work out a lot (and am starting from a high weight, which generally means losing it is a little quicker), so we’ll see. And reading 8 books…that sounds like a lot, but I read 1000+ wpm (childhood passion), and I have a LOT of free time, so I think I can do it! I’ll also hopefully hit a lot higher than 13 blog posts. 

by

January 2013 Recap

So January is officially over. We are 8% of the way through the year already! How did that even happen??? So I started the year with a lot of goals, and I’m going to be doing a little wrap-up of progress on each so that I stay on track, or at least am aware I’m not doing it (which to be honest is more of a problem than just not wanting to).

physically fit

  1. I know every penny I spent this month (I even went in and split transactions where needed and wrote in what I spent cash on – I feel fancy!)
  2. I created a standardized budget to use from February on that I think will work for me!
  3. I paid my roommate $700 of the $730 I owe him

physically ffit

  1. I’ve been working out 2-3 times a week (yoga, jogging/walking 4 miles/Wii Fit)
  2. I lost 11 lbs total this month! (1/1/13: 199; 1/31/13: 188)

pphysically ffit

  1. I found a way to finish my psychology minor that will cost me approximately $225 less in tuition/fees (if approved). I can take the last class as an independent/distance learning course on my own time for $445 versus at the university for $678.
  2. I read two and a half books this month! I know that should have been a higher number, but c’est la vie! I was thinking of adding a books page to do brief reviews…
    01/17 – The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
    01/24 – The Stranger by Albert Camus
    Current – The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald

I’d say it was a pretty successful month goal-wise. I know there’s tons more to do, but a lot of things (e.g. having an EF, saving for things) take time.

But what about my budget? 

I would say it’s not as awful as it could have been, but I could have done better. BUT, this month I tried to be very cognizant of every penny I spent. I have to be in February – my car insurance is due before my first paycheck of March >:| (which I suppose I want to work up from living paycheck to paycheck anyway, right?)

jan

Total Income: $1071.69 & Total Spent: $1273.94 for net spending of -$202.25.

Whomp Whomp Whomp. 

  • Rent – $700 – I now only owe my roommate February’s rent + $30. Yay! [I'm not one of those people who spent all their money on frivolous things and then went "Oh well no rent for you!" My parents sort of pigeon-holed me into having to go to school last semester and it was tuition or rent. Luckily I live with my best friend who was super understanding and knew I was working and trusted that I would pay him back, which I am]. 
  • Groceries – $191.05 – This is pretty much ridiculous. I group eating out into this as well, which is why it’s this high (I know some people have separate budgets, but I think food is food).
  • Auto – $68.71 – This is for gas to go to work, to visit my parents/brother once (about a 120 mile drive), and oil to change my oil
  • Electricity – $65.62 – Pretty normal and self-explanatory. My roommate and I keep a giant Excel spreadsheet. I pay the electric bill in full (it’s in my name) and he takes his portion out of the rent I owe (the lease is in his name)
  • Discover – $228.59 – This is payment to my card (plus $28.59 in interest that they charged at the end of the month that ended up overdrafting my card. I completely forgot that was even a thing). Lot of good putting money on it did me.
  • Miscellaneous – $46.99 – This would be getting a new license (lost my wallet in December), lotion, payment protection fee from Discover, and a trip to Goodwill

Reflection: 

So how could I have not overspent this month? Well. For one I could have not eaten out as much. I could have also cancelled the payment protection fee (which I keep meaning to do but it’s hard to find where on the website and I really don’t want to call (is it worth $17 to call? Probably)). I could have not gone home until February. Those three things alone would have probably kept me in the black for this month. This is better than other months (like where I overspent by almost $600 in December), but I just have to keep striving to be better.

by

2013 – Looking Forward

For 2011 I did a year in review as well as a spending summary in order to better determine what my 2012 goals should be. That uh, did not end up well. The goals I set were achievable in a perfect world, but 2012 was not the year I thought it would be. So this year, instead of making several very specific and numerical goals, I just made a huge list of everything that I would want to accomplish and then weeded out what was actually achievable this year based on what I know my spending habits to be and my anticipated income. I found that they really fit into three categories. I’ll be updating these as I achieve them on my Goals page, and doing a brief “This is where I stand!” at the end of each month.

physically fit

I would love to be debt-free this year (wouldn’t we all?), but I know that’s in no way any kind of realistic unless a long lost relative leaves me some money or I win the lottery (which would be really amazing since I don’t play). From my 2012 spending analysis, I was able to really clearly see where I need to get more financially fit. Because I need to save up as much as I can to pay for tuition this year (since I a-don’t want to take out more loans and b-am ineligible to take out more government loans), I can’t do a lot in the way of debt repayment…but this year I do have pretty set monthly billing system and a steady income, which has not been true for any other year. I also saw my credit score…which is “average” (mid-600′s) but I don’t plan to leave it there. So what will I ultimately accomplish this year?

  • Raise my credit score
  • Raise my Networth by $2062.26 (minimum)
  • Save $2580 for tuition
  • Keep a standardized budget for each month and split excess funds between my Discover Card and my emergency fund
  • Start an IRA fund
  • Keep a mock portfolio with Morningstar
  • Find an apartment with lower rent for 2012-2013
  • Create a loan repayment plan

physically ffit

I could just sit here and say “Man I’m tired of feeling fat! I want to be skinny!” but, it’s much more than weight. Besides, weight doesn’t necessarily determine how fit you are (though I do have a numerical weight goal). I would like to be able to go hiking, buy boots that aren’t a size too big to fit my calves, and a slew of other things. I’ve been using My Fitness Pal so far this year to log everything I eat and all of my workouts, and of the 61 lbs I’d like to lose, I’m already down 10!

  • Lose 61 lbs
  • Do yoga regularly
  • Run 5 miles straight
  • Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity again
  • Complete a 5k, 10k, & half-marathon

pphysically ffit

This not only includes managing my own mental health better, but also my education. I could say “I should have graduated in December” but really…I should have graduated years ago. BUT DARNIT – it’s happening this year! I have three classes left for my BS in mathematics (with a minor in psychology), and although I’m not quite sure what I want to do with it, I’m going to figure something out by then.

  • Graduate with my BS with no additional loan debt
  • Become CPR/First-Aid certified
  • Read 100 books
  • Relearn American Sign Language
  • Learn to read sheet music

Summary

I do have a lot I wish to accomplish this year, but I don’t want to do a 2013 recap and be regretful of poor spending and realize that I didn’t accomplish what I wanted to again for lack of willpower and want. I guess a big difference this year is that I feel like a completely different person. It’s like I spent all of 2012 rediscovering who I was and creating my own identity independent of other people. Now that I know who I am and have and idea of where I want to go with my life and have people I want to keep in my life, I need to work on improving my life. A month ago I was hit with the sudden realization that I’m 24 with a full-time job and bills and have a future ahead of me outside of perpetual undergradhood, which is all I saw for myself this time last year.

When I realized I'm 24 and pretty much an adult with a job and an income.

And I guess all of that came to a head when my mom warned me of “how much my car insurance was and when it’s due.” Which, as of my phone contract ending (and me going with pay-as-you-go), means I am officially independent of my parents. So here’s to getting my life together!

by

Volunteering: Long-Distance

One of my major new year resolutions this year was to volunteer a minimum of once a week. Because some weeks do not lend themselves to going out & walking dogs, I decided that I could do online volunteering…during whatever busy week the future might hold. Well, that week turned out to be this one. I have been at a business conference for a corporation that is being held in Boulder, CO (~1300 miles away) since Monday & won’t leave until tomorrow, leaving little time for in-person volunteering. So how could I help out some initiative via online methods?

True Story

Thanks to Erin (@dogatemywallet), I now have a resource! You must create a profile and set your interests (so that they can better recommend opportunities), but there are no charges or minimum requirements (i.e. you aren’t required to do X events a month). They show needs for data entry, web design, logo design, brain-storming, & a plethora of other opportunities. From my experience with it these last few days, many of the people looking for help are nonprofit organizations who may not have the resources to hire someone. I first suggested a name for an organization (not chosen) & then  moved to an ambitious transfer of a smaller website over to wordpress. I’m still working on it, but it’s proven to be a little more than I thought it would; however, through doing these things, I am helping a non-profit & completing my New Year Resolution.

So if part of your new year resolutions or even just general lifestyle lends to this type of action (or if you want to give back but are really busy), check out Sparked! I’m going to be looking for other online resources as well, but this is a great starting point.

by

January 2012 Budget

Walking in a Winter Wonderland of Debt Repayment

I’m both intimidated & excited by the amount of spending present here. The former because I’m afraid my income for Jan ’12 will not be sufficient and the latter because the spending primarily consists of EF-building & debt repayment. I anticipate an income of ~$90 from my job at the end of the month, & ~$100 from baby-sitting for bf’s nieces. This leaves me with ~$525 to pay (of $715). I am not sure what the stipend for my new job looks like; we have training relatively soon that will tell me. If it is not sufficient, to the plasma/consignment shop I go! Because I’m a little worried about being able to afford it,  I have my budget items ranked by importance :) I know this isn’t how a budget traditionally functions; however, although all of these items are important, not all of them are urgent, and I have to keep that in mind.

  1. $195 – GRE Testing Fees – Taking this in January; honestly, it will probably get put in the credit card & then this money will get added to my credit card payment. This also includes my fee to apply for graduate school (in my mind the 2 fees are so tied together they’re one).
  2. $150 – Credit Card Payments – To lower my carrying balance to $1000. Goal is to have it to zero by May ’12. APR is 0% right now, so all should be good :)
  3. $150 – Savings Deposit – Part of my goal to bring EF up to $2000 by the end of ’12
  4. $60 – Food & Dining – Way lower because I have a meal plan this semester!
  5. $140 – Student Loan Interest – This is ~14% of the interest I currently owe + how much interest is accrued per month (so that it doesn’t accrue half of what I pay again).
  6. $20 – Hobbies – This is to pay for a deal at Yoga Bliss that aligns with one of my 10 New Year Resolutions; it’s a 10 sessions for $20 within 30 days. I am not sure what the timeline of the deal is (by when it should be purchased), so this could potentially be pushed back to February or even March (or never & I could just pay the cost up front later, but I’d rather not).