Sold Another Book

I sold another book on Amazon.com, I just listed two last night and one of them already sold. That is one of the pros of using Amazon.com as soon as you list your item it may sell. Now I'm just waiting the 5 business to have the money deposited directly into my checking account (my new account with Commerce mind you.) So if there are any students out there with books left over from classes, trying listing them on Amazon.com

Sovereign Bank Sucks

I recently deposited cash and a check at a drive in window, the cash was not immediately available. Since the cash was not immediately available like I expected (since it normally has been in the past) I overdrew on my account, not once but three times. All three times were very small amounts on money ... ranging from 3-5 dollars. So of course the bank charged me $33 three separate times for a total of $99. I feel as though this is crazy, it's almost like robbery. I went to the branch to complain and see if the charges would be reduce or removed entirely, of course they would not/could not remove the fees. I very calmly deposited enough money to make my account "green" again and I left the bank. I have many things attached to this checking account, but that will not stop me from taking my services elsewhere. I have one or two more paychecks coming from work, my school refund check will be deposited into that account as well, and I have one bill that will be paid online through that accounts system on June 26th. After these things are done, I will remove the money and take it to Commerce Bank where I opened a new checking account minutes after I left Sovereign Bank.



Commerce attracted me because of it's numerous convenient locations, not to mention that number is increasing due to the TD Bank merger. The benefits of my new checking account include the best banking hours available. Commerce is open 7 days a week and they have relatively late hours when compared with other banks. The penny arcade, pour in all your change, and get a slip with the amount of money, then give the slip to the teller for cash! It's free and easy and I can't wait to use it. I also got a free Visa Check card printed up right there, it took less than 5 minutes. The account also has free online bill pay and online banking.

Just Shoot Me Already!

I am convinced that the Financial Gods have it out to get me. Every time I turn around there is a unexpected expense or something crazy going on with my money. Just like now, my $6,000 student loan for summer session 2 was turned into two separate payments. So that means two separate refunds instead of one large check. I already paid for summer session 1 via personal check, but the lovely people at my school decided to divide up the $6,000 requested for summer 2. The first half disburses on July 1st and the second half on July 27th. Remember, the whole point of taking out more than I need to pay for classes was to cover my expenses because I want to devote all my extra time to studying and preparing for nursing boards. So tomorrow I will have to make a trip to the financial aid office and see if there is something that I can do to get the money disbursed sooner.

Where's my Breadstick!?!

I recently saw an article on AOL.com about how different restaurants are making cutbacks due to the current economic status of the US. I thought it was interesting and browsed the comments. One commenter said that Olive Garden is now only giving 2 breadsticks in the dish once you finish the first batch. I laughed out loud and said noooo that can't be true. So when the opportunity arose to go to Olive Garden I went and let me tell you IT'S TRUE! Olive Garden happens to be one of my favorite places to go for lunch because of the unlimited soup and salad deal. So I told my BF about the breadstick thing in the car on the way there, he didn't believe it either so when the waitress sat our second batch of breadsticks down and there were only two in there we laughed. I was kind of shocked at the cutback, but my BF said he thought it was just a way the company was trying to eliminate wasted food as well as many monetary cutbacks. The people are Olive Garden were more than willing to bring out more breadsticks, still two at a time, but at least they offered to bring more. I mentioned I would have never noticed if I didn't read about it online. My dear BF replied, "I would have noticed, but I would have just thought it was because we are black." *blank stare* Anyway, our poor waitress had to make several trips back and forth for more breadsticks, so I wonder if the lack of productivity will counteract the attempt to save money?

RN Job Hunt

Graduation is right around the corner. I'm starting to narrow down my top three choices of hospitals. This is a very exciting time for me, but it is also a very stressful one as well. I want to make the right choice when choosing a place of employment. I know that salary is important, but it is not as important as other things, such as benefits, retirement plans, 401k's, etc. I'll continue to post on this topic as it gets closer to that time.

Easy Ways I Save

I am currently really trying to limit my spending as much as I can. A few ways that I do it are by doing my own hair most of the time. I try to limit a salon visit to once every month or even once every other month. I purchased brand new rollers from ebay for a lot cheaper than I would have paid in the stores. I already have a hooded dryer so it works out well, plus with the summer here I just avoid using heat in my hair at all. I rely on braid-outs, twist-outs, and wet bunning to get through, just because I don't go and get my hair done doesn't mean I can't look good! I also do my own manicures and pedicures, the more you do it the better you will get. Since the summer is here light colors look best and they are the easiest to use when compared with dark colors. I also do my own waxes. Do it yourself beauty is a great way to save some change! Check out my other blog, The Anti Hair Slave for more DIY beauty tips and tricks.

Yearly Review

I officially resigned from my current job, the weekend of the 28th and 29th will be my last days. However, my 1 year review was due at the end of May and it still has not been completed. I complained and was assured that it would be completed and I would still get the retro that I am entitled to. I mean it really does only seem fair sincce it is about a month overdue, which actually isn't as bad as my 90 day review which was three months late.

Opinion Outpost $100.00

YaY! I'm excited because I hit the $100 dollar mark with Opinion Outpost! If you want to sign up use the link and I'll be the referrer. Then you can refer your friend and family and get more $ rewards too!

Overdraft Fees

I heard on AM radio this morning that the total amount that banks made on overdraft fees was about 17.5 billion dollars last year. That is outrageous, I wonder what the banks are doing with all that money. I'm sure everyone knows about overdraft fees and the best way to avoid them is good management of your checking account. I don't think that most people write checks knowing the money is not there (well I hope not) I really think it's more of a matter of judging and timing when deposits will clear or when other charges will hit.



What ways (free ways) do you avoid overdraft fees?

This Site is For Real

I joined ThisSiteisForReal a while ago. The first month I did enough offers to receive a check. My first check was for $11 and some change. I have sense forgotten about this site, especially since there are no reminder emails. The only emails you get from them are emails confirming offers that you have completed. Anyway, today I went on and saw that they had some new high paying offers (in the $2.00 range) I did a few and brought up the amount in my account. If you want to sign up please use this link http://www.thissiteisforreal.com/start.php?rid=324116 Then I will get credit as being the referrer... Thanks. I wonder how much I could possibly make in one month if I really sat down and did a few free offers a day? I don't have much time for it lately so I haven't been active with any of the paid survey sites or sites like this one. One of the good things about this site is that there is also an online forum where members can write about what offers they actually got paid for and which ones did not seem to work. On the forum people even post pictures of their checks for non-believers. You really do get a check as long as you make $10.00 and don't worry the balance is carried from month to month if one month you don't hit the $10.00 mark.

However, just today in about 10 minutes I went from $0.00 for June earnings to $6.15 so just a few minutes a day and you could really do well...except I know I won't spend a few minutes everyday. Maybe it's more like a few minutes a week.

Decisions, Decisions...

Student loans, personal loans, maintaining or leaving my job...decisions decisions. I decided to go with the student loan over the personal loan just because I don't have to start paying back the student loan as soon. With the personal loan I would need to start making payments the very next month. Even though the interest rates are roughly similar the student loan seemed like the best opinion, and to my surprise my dad was very willing to co-sign this time. The loan was approved today for the requested amount of $6,000. Of that $6,000 $2,688 will go towards my last summer session. $399 will go towards taking the Kaplan NCLEX-RN review course. That leaves me with $2,913 to go to various things, including re-taking the HESI (hopefully I won't but if I needed to I could pay for it,) my car insurance for the months of July, August, and possibly September (hopefully by September I will have an RN job but this is just in case money for that,) and finally the fee for the actual NCLEX test, which I hope I will only need to take once. Anything left over by the time I get my job will be used as a payment on the loan.

The second new thing going on in my financial life is that I have resigned for my job. I have decided to leave because I was only working two days a week (Saturdays and Sundays,) and for the rest of the summer I want to dedicate my weekends to other things since my weekdays are fully booked. I'm not one bit sad about leaving, in fact I'm looking forward to the extra time to get other things done. My spending habits for the rest of the summer are going to be very limited, but that is OK. Most of my time will be used towards studying for my big tests. I can't wait for school to be over...it was a fast 16 months but also a difficult 16 months, Nursing classes are no joke.

Drugstore.com

I found this site by accident while searching for CVS pharmacy sales online. Anyway, turns out it's a pretty decent site. Drugstore.com has just about all the products you can find in your local pharmacy. The perks of the site include it's affiliation with Beauty.com which is like an online Sephora if you order somethings from Drugstore and other items from Beauty.com they will ship together and you will be billed together, there is free shipping on all orders over $49 so stock up on sale items or do your monthly pharmacy shopping there to save even more. Drugstore.com can also fill your prescriptions and have them sent to your house...I've never done that, but apparently it can be done. Another thing that's cool is the 5% cash back (to be used at Drugstore or Beauty) on every single order. My favorite thing is the email of products you buy when they are on sale, it's a great reminder and notification that stuff you use is on sale. A perk about the Beauty.com site is that you get to pick three free samples with your purchase.

Gym Membership

I have been thinking about joining a gym once I get a 'real' job for months now. I never work out now, because I just don't have the time. I tried going once or twice with a classmate during our lunch break, but I would rather spend that time studying, so I stopped going. Then I came across an article in the June issue of Fitness magazine about 5 women who spent various amounts of money on fitness. The prices ranged from $30 to $4,600 and all the women (including the woman who only spent $30) had fabulous results. Now I am re-thinking the gym membership and I think I might just buy some dumbbells and a work-out DVD. The key to success with fitness is sticking to your regimen not spending tons of money for a gym membership. For now, I'm skipping the gym membership. I'd actually prefer to work-out in the comfort of my own home anyway.

Inbox Dollars

I joined Inbox Dollars a long long time ago and I just recently made the payout amount which is $30.00. There are a ton of different ways to make cash like the paidemails, cash offers, cash surveys, cash games, cash shopping, and through referrals. I only did the paid emails which is why it took so long, to make the payout amount. You get a $5.00 bonus just for signing up. Again, I recommend creating a g-mail email account if you are interested in any survey companies because g-mail has the best spam filter. I requested my check back in May and it should be sent on July 1st. The company waits two months before sending the check to ensure that your account stays active. To stay active all you have to do is click on the links in the emails, that's all. My check is in the amount of $27.77 which includes an upgrade to Gold Status. So if you sign up use the link so I'll get the referral! Thanks guys! :-)

DIY - Waxing

So I'm on a bit of a Do it Yourself kick. I've been trying to do more things myself instead of paying for someone else to do it. So far I have been doing my own hair, nails, and skipping the dry cleaners. I have all the rollers I need and the hooded dryer to do my own rollersets. I have the foot spa and tons of bath salts to do my own pedicures. Plus most of the clothes I have dry cleaned do not even require dry cleaning. Now, I have another idea to save me more money. I used my amazon rewards certificates (received through doing online surveys) to purchase the GiGi mini pro waxing kit. It includes everything I need to do my own waxes, which could really end up saving me lots of money. The kit includes Mini Heater with Adjustable Temperature, Honee Creme Wax 14oz., 8 each of Petite, Small and Large Spatulas, 25 each of Small and Large Natural Muslin Strips, 2 each of Face Strips and Body Strips, Pre-Hon, Antiseptic and Benzokal Lotion, 2oz. each, After Wax Cooling Gel 2oz., Slow Grow Skin Maintenance Lotion 4oz., 2 Collars for 14oz. cans, Rest Bar, and technician's manual. I'm so excited I can't wait for it to come!

• Armpit wax = $15


• Lip wax = $ 8


• Bikini wax = $35 (regular) $50-75 (brazilian)

Most women get waxed at least monthly, so that's a lot of money I could save by just doing it at home. I've gotten pretty good at doing my own armpits so I'm on a mission to learn even more and since this kit is basically "free" I might as well try. I'm pretty good with these types of things so I am fully confident in my abilities. I'll keep you updated.

Mortgage Hell - a real eye opener

"Welcome to my mortgage hell" written by Meghan Daum is a very interesting article in Glamour magazine. It was all about women who got themselve in over their head financially by purchasing a home they actually couldn't afford, well actually they could afford it but they were severely overextending themselves financially to have these homes. The article hit home because I guess I have fantasizing about how great everything will be financially once I get a nursing job and the first story was about a nurse who makes $92,000 a year and ended up losing her home. Ouch! I read it and could hear my bubble bursting in the background. It really stressed the fact that you always always always need an emergency fund in my head, the woman had a series of unfortunate health events, without a savings account or emergency fund she started missing payments and eventually the bank took over her home. This article really scared my into doing tons and tons of research before I buy a home and I will make sure I have a substancial down payment and pick something that has a comfortable mortgage payment. That article was a real eye opener. I would recommend it to anyone who is even thinking of purchasing a home.

Eyebrow Threading

I love the look that eyebrow threading gives. The closest place that does it by me charges $20, that is too expensive so I recently have been going to Charm's to get it done and they only charge $8. I have also been using my tweezers ($1.00 from elf.com) to keep them looking decent so that I can prolong the trips. There are so many different ways to cut corners, if you are aware of how much you are actually spending and seek out ways to cut back. This way you don't have to give up what you want, just find ways to do it cheaper.

Frugal vs. Cheap

I had to take the loss and purchase an air conditioner for my room. Last summer my ceiling fan broke and I just used a window fan, which didn't really work well but I was being cheap and didn't want to buy an air conditioner because the summer was almost over. Yesterday was the hottest day so far and it was unbearable in my room, I couldn't imagine spending the entire summer in those conditions. I did a few internet searches and found that my room only required about a 5,000 BTU air conditioner. Luckily Target had a 5,200 BTU air conditioner on sale for $79.99, I purchased it and I am no longer uncomfortable in my room. This lead me to start thinking about the difference between being frugal and being cheap. I think last year I was being frugal since the summer was about to end I just toughed it out without the air conditioner. If this summer I didn't purchase one then that would just be cheap. Being cheap is when you can afford something and need the item but you just don't purchase it because you don't want to spend the money. Being frugal is waiting to purchase the item, waiting for a sale, clipping coupons, or re-using/repairing an item. So here is the million dollar question: Are you frugal or just cheap?

Lunch Costs

Bringing my lunch to school is proving to be a bit of a challenge. My first class starts at 8am and my last class doesn't get out until 8:30pm most days. It's hard to pack enough food to cover me for the entire day, including snacks. Plus if I manage to do so, I have a hard time keeping it okay to eat. My car is very hot and sometimes I have a lot of things to carry around with me, textbooks, notebooks, purse, and home care bag. I have been trying to not buy things to eat, but it's a bit harder than I thought. I'm still working on it though, last week I ended up buying almost all my meals outside. This week I will try not to do that, it gets expensive. Today I purchased 9 boxes of Suddenly Salad because it was on sale at Stop & Shop 3 boxes for $5.00. I made two boxes and divided it up into 4 containers. I also purchased some beef bologna because it was on sale buy 1 ($3.99) get 1 free. I put one in the fridge and the other 3 freezer(bologna goes fast around here.) I already have bread, cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomato, etc. at home so I'm all set there. I also got some cereal bars, more containers, small juices, yogurt, cucumbers, sliced olives, and granola. I purchased everything either on sale or using coupons and I spent about $40 total, which I think is very good considering how much I ended up with. I'm sticking to my goal of not buying a single food item outside this week. Everything is coming from home! Let's see how I do.

Baby Shower Gift

I had to attend a baby shower today, I really didn't want to go. I'm broke and I can't really afford a gift, but the Mother-to-be is a very young girl and I feel like she needed the support of people who she actually likes (and also like her) at her shower instead of a bunch of her mother's friends whispering about her and how old she is. Anyway, I stopped a few yard sales this morning pre-baby shower and I was surprised to find brand new baby books... cool one's too. How to be a posh mom, Going Green baby or something like that and a few more. I purchased three in total for $5... the mother-to-be loved my gift and spent most of the time at her shower flipping through the pages. This just goes to show you that you don't always have to spend a lot to get something great. Right in the midst of all the pink onesies, pink dresses, and pink everything else was my gift of books. It was a break from the same thing and it's something educational as well. I would have liked it too.

Education Costs

My summer 2 bill (last bunch of nursing class) is due on June 25th. I just received the bill via email earlier this week. Grand total: $2,688.00 Which is around the same amount that I paid for summer 1. To pay for summer 1 I took out a personal loan, which I am currently making monthly payments on. I did not take out a student loan, because I would need a co-signer and I don't exactly have anyone capable for doing it for me. I would do the same thing for summer 2 but they (my credit union) usually like to see 6 month payment history before issuing another personal loan. So I am going to try to do it that way, but if not I may have to turn my father and do a little begging to get him to co-sign the loan.

I also found out today that the Kaplan NCLEX RN review classes are going to be around $400, so that's another education expense.

Financial Goals

My financial goals for the rest of the summer are pretty straight forward. Manage to pay all my bills on time and avoid overdraft fees from my checking account. It sounds easier than it really is. Here is the problem, I will no longer be working full time. Instead, I will be working 16 hours a week. Fortunately, my car payments are taken care of. Luckily, I save up enough money to cover them while I am in school...they are on autopilot so that's one less thing on my mind.

Here is the tricky part: I HAVE TO STILL PAY ALL MY OTHER BILLS.

Already, it is proving to be a bit of a problem. Mainly because for one week I did not work at all. A long term goal I have for myself is to not live paycheck to paycheck. My parents do it and it's terrible...I see and feel the stress that it causes. So I WILL NOT live paycheck to paycheck in the future. I'm working on it, and I'm sure I will be able to accomplish this goal.

Ask & you shall receive

Imagine my shock when I opened my Macy's Bill and realized I had not paid my previous month's bill. A whole load of four letter words escaped my lips that I won't repeat here, so needless to say I was pissed. Only at myself though, I had completely forgotten about this bill. I've kind of let my organization slip due to some other issues, but no more. I have begun reorganizing all my bills and expenses and this will not happen again. I also wondered if there was anything that I could do to have the fee removed, so I called the customer service line at Macy's and told them that I had honestly forgotten all about the bill. They reviewed my "perfect" payment history and immediately removed the late fee. So that saved me $29.00 I was a little bit surprised that it was so simple. Don't worry I have no plans on doing it again ever, but it is nice to know that even bill collectors have a heart. :-)

Gas :-(

I have a 2005 Dodge Neon, I did not know what sized engine it has so I checked around online. Apparently, it has a 4 cylinder engine...I'm not sure what impact that plays on gas but that's what it has. I think a 4 cylinder is actually the smaller size. The gas tank holds 12.5 galloons and today it cost me $38.85 to fill it up. It was not entirely empty either, I still had a little under a quarter of a tank left. I'm hoping that this will last me all week, the car should get 29mpg (city) or 36 mpg (highway). I do a lot of driving that I cannot avoid so, it's really up in the air.

I'm curious as to how much other people are paying to fill up their tanks, so leave it in the comments section.

Cash Crate May Earnings

So May has ended and my earnings are in! I made a modest $20.44 from Cash Crate, the check will be mailed out next month on the 15th. I plan on using the money for gas. I could have earned more but I stopped completing offers (I only do the free offers.) For June my goal is to match May's earnings or beat it.



Here is my breakdown of earnings:

• $10.50 from offers


• $0.00 from shopping


• $0.00 from surveys


• $6.94 from referrals


• $3.00 BONUS!