Well, I thought I'd post a pic of the pup today... just because.



Currently he is running around the apartment like a wild hog. When I took him out earlier, 3 different people stopped us to ask what kind of dog he was, how much they cost, etc. He's popular.

He's done really well with the housetraining again today. Went out this morning before work, then when I got back, he went #1, and we had a wait a little while before he could go back out for #2 because it looked like a sudden thunderstorm outside. All is calm now though.

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On the financial side, spending for today was:

Gas: $20
McDonalds (lunch): $9.50

Actually, only about $5 of the McDonalds was mine, because I picked up lunch for one of my coworkers too. (She's supposed to pay me back tomorrow.)

I had to put both on my Discover card, because I have yet to get my money transferred from my old checking acct to my new one with a debit card. But the Discover card is easy to check & pay online, so I will add my expenditures on it this month to the planned amount I was going to pay, and all should be even.

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Went off to work this morning and forgot to take the move-in sheet that I was supposed to fax to my old apartment complex. BF suggested that I use my scanner and email it to them, which is a great idea, if I can only find the power cord for my scanner/printer. I'd like to get it done as soon as possible, so I can go ahead and face whatever the next crap is that they throw my way.

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I may pay some bills later tonight, so I'll update if I end up doing that.

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There are several big financial decisions that have been weighing on my mind lately. One of these is my vehicle situation. I have had the same truck since I turned 16 and got my license. It's been great, very dependable and easy to maintain. With the recent not-starting and ever-louder grinding noise though, I am scared that it's going to be a downhill spiral. I am especially distrustful of most mechanics, and so it would kill me to hand several hundred dollars over to someone to fix my problem, and then run into another (or the same) problem soon after.

I just wish I knew exactly what was wrong with it, and if I spend the money to fix that, if it will hold up for a while yet. It's paid off, so I certainly don't want a car payment if I can help it, but I also don't want to keep dumping money into something that is going to keep taking it.

Also, if I'm going to end up selling it in the next year, I'd rather do it sooner than later, because whatever I get will be better on gas mileage. I'd also rather trade it in while it still has the most worth, and not wait until something else happens to it.

I have never car shopped before, so I have no idea where to start. I like the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic, but can't decide if it would be better for me to go with a new car and get a warranty, or get something used and hope it holds up. Bleh... I really just wish my truck was fine.

The other decision I've been thinking about is how much money to leave in my checking account for emergencies. With BF moving up here and having to start over with finding a job, I want to have enough of a stash to cover us for a month or so. Also, we will be spending some extra on gas to get back & forth to my graduation in May, as well as his family weddings in May & June.

So I am thinking I should leave at least $1,000 in there. That would cover us for a month or so, and the gas expenses to get back & forth. But maybe I should leave more to cover my pending car repair expenses?

I do think that I'm going to go ahead and get my hair cut this week. I haven't had a cut in 4-5 months, and I want to look decent for my graduation pics with family. I would rather do it now when I have a little extra in my checking, before I start paying extra on the credit cards.

Alot to think about, and not much time to think about it...