Well, I had to work today as usual. With driving comes the expense of gas, which cost me $10.01 this morning and $40.00 as I filled up this evening. Hopefully that last bit will last me a while!

The most exciting thing about today is that my boyfriend is visiting tomorrow night! I have to work until 7:30, and so by the time I get home, he will probably only be about an hour behind me. Anyway, it will be the first time I've seen him in about a month, and we've never gone that long apart, so I am SUPER excited. So excited that I decided to make his favorite dinner for him either tomorrow night, or the night after if we don't have time tomorrow.

Of course, I didn't have the ingredients on hand, so I had to make a trip to Walmart. I decided to go ahead and do some grocery shopping while I was there, hence saving some future gas money, if I saw any decent prices.

Here is the run down:

Box of Fish Sticks (44): $2.63
2 Potpies: $.62 each
2 Boxes of Mushroom Bites: $1.25 each
3 Frozen Dinners: $.98 each
1 Frozen Dinner: $.78
Box of Saltine Crackers: $.96
2 Cans of Salmon: $1.82 each
Chocolate Milk Mix: $2.32
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough: $1.72
Ketchup: $.96
Can of Biscuits: $1.34
Half Gallon of Milk: $1.84
{FOOD TOTAL} $22.87

Bottle of Fabric Freshener: $1.27
Bottle of Carpet Cleaner: $3.38
(2) 10 Pks of Clothes Hangers: $1.17
White Posterboard: $.38
Pack of 24 Crayons: $.72
Pajama Set: $9.97
{OTHER TOTAL} $19.15 (tax included)

GRAND TOTAL: $42.02

The best part is, I had a gift card left from my birthday that covered it all, and I still have about $150 left on it! (It was a nice gift card lol) I am going to try and save at least $100 on it until BF moves in, in case he has trouble finding a job for a while then we can at least have that to fall back on.

That's all that I spent today, and I think the food will last me for at least about a week. Now I just have to find time to finish laundry, cleaning, and putting away groceries so that I can go to bed!

I could've posted this yesterday, but I forgot! When I was going about listing a few random items on Ebay (mostly stuff I got for Christmas that I'll never use/wear) to see if they would sell, I checked my Paypal account and realized that I had $34.13 left in there that I had never transferred to my bank account when I sold a textbook last month. I have no idea how I forgot about it, but it was a nice surprise!

I have two other books that I might try to sell. I usually wait until early January or late August, so that people are needing them for classes, but I guess I might as well try now, before they're obsolete!

As far as spending goes, I didn't eat out again today (I'm really on a roll with this), but I did buy two packs of cigarettes on my lunch break. It's kind of weird to even put that down as an expense, because I'm not really even a "smoker", so it's weird to even think about them as an expense. I usually only smoke sporadically when I'm around my brother, etc., but since I have a 40 minute drive to and from work, and I'm by myself except for the dog & cat, I have started out of boredom I guess. I go through about a pack every two weeks, so the two packs I bought today should last about a month. That should be about the same time my BF is moving in, so then I won't be bored anymore! Ha!

Anyway, the cigarettes were $7.94 with tax, and I paid cash. I also had to get gas this morning, which I used my debit card for, and it was $15.

I also got my signing bonus today!!! Apparently they didn't want to direct deposit it like they did my other two paychecks, so I had a paper check waiting in my manager's office. The total amount is $2,952.50, which is about what I had expected.

The mail brought my health/prescription cards today, and those are effective the 1st of April, so I should be set there!

So mostly good news, but I do have one nagging little issue going on. My new checking account, which I had opened online before I moved (in the hopes that it would actually be up and running when I got here) is getting so freaking complicated. It seems like opening a checking account would be one of the simpler things that banks do, but apparently not!

First of all, when I submitted our account application online (a month ago), I was told that I would receive notification via email in a few days to let me know it had been accepted & opened. This was true, a few days later I got the email thanking me for opening the account, and telling me that we would be receiving a "welcome kit" in the next few days with our account documents. Fast forward a few days and I am already moved, and a few days after that I get the paperwork in the mail, but it has a signature document in it that we (me & my BF) are both supposed to sign and apparently mail back in.

Keep in mind that my BF is now TWO states away. Needless to say, he gave me permission to sign his name & I mailed it back in. Prior to this, I had tried to call the 24 Hour phone support number they have to ask where we were in the process of actually being able to use the account. Unfortunately, you cannot access anything to do with your account unless you have a "security code" attached to your SS#. If you don't have a security code (which I didn't of course), you had to request one, and then they tell you it will arrive in 7-10 days!!! So I requested the code, and meanwhile mailed the signature paper off.

A few days later, me & BF both received our debit cards, and called to activate them. I tried to get online and check the balance, since I had received a notice that they had posted my opening deposit of $50, and it kept telling me that I already had an online account. I finally ended up calling the online support number (different from the 24 phone support), and she told me that I had a username & my password was the last 5 of my social. Could someone not have told me this, either over email or in the series of documents I was sent?

So I check the balance and it says that I have a $20 debit for gas (which was fine), and then a $1 debit three days later for "credit card...." The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I am getting charged to use my debit card???

I haven't used the card for anything else, but the second charge was 3 days after my gas purchase? I would call about it, but I haven't received my security code yet!

Now on to the next issue... checks. Apparently we are not getting any with our new account, nor are we getting a check register or deposit slips. No problem, I think, I will just order my own. I go to Walmart check printing online, and I find some simple inexpensive checks that will cost about $7, try to order them, and it asks for information off an EXISTING check. So I decide to try and order through BBT, even if it might be a little more expensive. I go to the online site for ordering through the bank, and picked out a style that I didn't particularly like because there was very little selection. I get almost all the way through the ordering process for one box of checks before it tells me the price. $29 for one box, of about 100 less checks than the Walmart site!

Long story short, I refused to do that. I plan on calling them (as soon as I can figure out how to actually speak to someone) and ask about both the $1 charges and the check ordering process.

Until then, I am not going to deposit my signing bonus into that account, not if it costs me $1 every time I use my debit card to spend my OWN money. I also need to close out my old checking account, which now has a balance of about $3,500, before my BF moves up here, but I don't want to do it now because of how complicated it's all been!

Eh. This is what I get for trying to be prepared and open an account before I actually needed it.

Well, enough of my rant, I am going to see if I can actually get something productive done tonight.

Today marks the end of a whole week of NOT eating out! I was going to go get breakfast this morning, with a sweet tea from McDonalds (my fave), but then I decided that I wanted to complete a whole week of my goal.

So I ate oatmeal for breakfast, and decided to make myself lunch, even if it was just me and the pets. I ended up with a concoction of chicken breast cut into chunks, a chopped up red apple (skin still on), small pieces of spaghetti, and a little vegetable oil & curry powder. I wasn't sure how it was gonna turn out, but it was actually pretty decent! Plus, I had everything already in the fridge to make it, so I didn't have to buy anything.

There was enough left for me to take to work tomorrow, now I just have to find something to go with it...

Now if I can just finish cleaning and doing laundry, I will feel pretty good about starting a new week.

I have to go in early tomorrow, which means I don't have to close. I like the early shift better, except when the alarm goes off at 6 AM! My only fear is that my car won't start again. The first time it happened was about 2 weeks ago, it wouldn't even try to start for about 10 minutes, and then finally it tried, I slammed on the gas, and it started. I ended up being about 25 minutes late for work (but I had called to let them know). I thought it might be dirty fuel injectors again, because the only time I've ever had a problem with it not starting was when the "check engine" light would come on and I'd have to put fuel injector cleaner in with the gas, and then it was fine. But now the engine light isn't on, so I don't know.

Anyway, I went that day before work and filled up with gas, and then put the injector cleaner in there. It started fine the rest of the day, and hasn't faltered since, until yesterday. Once again, I went out to go to work and it didn't even try to start the first few times. It's like the battery is dead or something, but I just got a new one about six months ago, and it's not even really cold here now?

Normally I wouldn't worry about it so much, but because I'm two states away from my family & boyfriend, and 40 minutes away from my work, I honestly don't know what I'd do if it just quit on me. It's a '99 model Toyota, and has always been very dependable, so I REALLY hope it's not going to be a downhill spiral from here. I really can't afford a car payment right now! Here's hoping the problem will be solved...

I just balanced my old checking account, and paid my electric bill online. Actually, I enrolled in the online billing, but they couldn't upload this month's statement. It still gave me the option to pay it online, which I did, but I just hope it doesn't get screwed up somehow. I need to make a note and check it in a few days.

Electric Bill = $12.82 (part of a month)
"Other" Life Insurance = $28.02
Cell Phone = $187.99

The Life Insurance is usually $14.01, but in the midst of moving the last bill was late, so I paid them both at the same time. The same thing happened with the cell phone bill.

I am trying to make sure I have everything in for this month. I've paid all 3 credit cards, my electric bill for both my new apartment, I got my first month's rent free here so didn't need to pay that, and my car/renters/life insurance is paid.

I think the only things I have left are my personal loan, which my brother deposits money into my account for usually, and finding out how much I owe my old apartment complex for my last water bill and breaking the lease. Oh, and I will have to pay this month's electric bill for there, which shouldn't be much, and I'd like to go ahead and send my ex-boss what I owe her ($638).

Okay... I think I have a handle on it now. Things will be much simpler when I only have one apartment to worry about!!!

Forgot to add yesterday that it was another No Spend Day! It wasn't too hard because it was my day off, but I did have to resist the temptation to sneak off to Walmart or run to McDonalds.

I am really impressed with myself and my goal of cutting back on the amount of money I spend on eating out (especially lunch while I'm at work). Starting on Monday, I haven't eaten out once this week! Thanks to bringing my own lunch, and some free food at work, I have saved probably $20.

In other news, I finally got my debit card for my BBT account, and my boyfriend got his too, so I think it's finally opened! I am debating now on whether I should order checks, depending on how much they cost. I really only use them to mail a few bills, but I guess I should have some just in case, before I close my other checking account.

Today I stopped to get gas so that I wouldn't have to in the morning before work, and that was $20. At least I could use my debit card and not have to worry about putting more on the credit cards! So far that is the only expense I've had, but I do have a few bills I need to pay online or put in the mail tonight. I'll have to update later when I figure out what those are.

I left a message for my old apartment manager this afternoon, she is supposed to be getting back to me on the total amount of my last month's water bill, and the total amount I'll have to pay for breaking the lease. I have been estimating $2,000, but it would be great if it was less!

Another good thing happened today, I got my first paycheck from my new job! Actually I just saw that it was deposited into my old checking account. I had about $525 for the first week, and then about $1050 for the two weeks after that. I still haven't seen the signing bonus I am supposed to get "the first full pay period" after I started. I assumed the first full pay period would be considered the full two weeks that they paid me for. Apparently not though, I guess I need to call or ask someone about that.

Also, when I checked the mail today, I had an Easter card from my grandmother (my dad's mom), with a $20 bill inside. Usually she just gets us one of those little boxes of candy for Easter, so I was surprised. I have the feeling she did it because I am two states away and I won't get to go home for the holiday. It's a nice little extra either way.

So, I think today was what I've seen posted on other blogs as a "no spend day". I didn't have to get gas, so there was no expense there.

The dog woke me up extra early this morning, so I used to time to make something different to take for lunch. I ended up having mini pizzas (tortillas with pizza sauce, pepperonis, and shredded cheese melted between them & cut into wedges) and celery with cream cheese. We also ended up having a meeting at work, so there was food there as well.

I am kind of excited about the little changes that I've been trying to make. Even if I only look at the last 3 days, I have saved probably between $10 and $15 by taking my lunch and not eating out. Add to that the $2 or $3 I would have spent stopping for cappuccinos on the way home, and it starts to add up!

If only I had something I could work on when I'm off work that would create some money. I used to dog & house sit for neighbors, but it's hard to do when you are in a new place and don't feel comfortable volunteering for that!

So I stuck to the whole not eating out for lunch thing again today. I took a turkey sandwich again, but then one of our vendors brought pizza, so I actually didn't eat the sandwich until later anyway. I am definitely going to have to take something else tomorrow though... the turkey sandwich is getting old.

So the only money that I spent today was another $40 on gas, $18 on dog food/cat food/cat litter, and $4 on paper towels.

I've found that keeping this blog and tracking my expenses really helps to keep me honest about where my money is going to begin with. It also helps me resist those evening cravings for a cappuccino on the way home!

I have come to the realization that most of my money mistakes come from little things, not big ones. I'm not the type of person that buys big screen TV's or a new car every other year. Most of the time, it's the random trip to Wal-Mart where I spend $16 at a time. Might not sound like a lot, but when it is once or twice a week for things that I might not necessarily need, it adds up.

That's not to say that I don't splurge every now and then. I have a rather expensive phone that I probably didn't really need. However, it has come in very handy since I've moved, and I had to replace my old phone anyway. I guess the key is to keep the small expenses down and the splurges very rare.

Another of my weaknesses is fast food. Because I live by myself with only the pets right now, it's hard to get motivated to spend time on making dinner. However, I am happy to say that today, I took a sandwich & apple for my lunch at work, so that I wouldn't be tempted to buy fast food. Tonight, I resisted the urge to stop on the ride home, and am currently eating chips & salsa (I will probably fix something more substantial later).

So the only money I ended up spending today was $20 for gas, which I ended up putting on the credit card because the gas station didn't take checks and couldn't accept a $100 bill.

The good news is that I got my debit card for my new checking account today, so hopefully I can begin the process of transferring the money from my old checking into my new, and then have a debit card to use for purchases! YAY!