I have put off the entry forever. Which is strange because I'm very proud of what I have accomplished. I think I'm just being utterly lazy.
Let's review! I had originally wanted to save 1k a month until I could make a chunk $10,000 payment. However after some research I realized I would get slightly better results by making two monthly payments. So it began, I have lived off of only a few hundred (if not less each month). I pay rent, student loans, bills, gas and grocery and whatever left is mine for either saving or fun. Most months I end up with around $20 bucks in my account before payday.
What I Paid in 2012
Amt Toward Amt Towards
Principle Interest
January $6.54 $739.06
February $116.89 $628.71
March $96.05 $649.55
April $75.11 $670.49
May $118.89 $626.71
June $95.05 $650.55
July $117.29 $628.31
August $97.19 $648.41
September $97.89 $647.71
October $119.47 $626.13
November $99.46 $646.14
December $120.99 $624.61
TOTAL $1,160.82 $7,786.38
Seriously, look at January, only $6 bucks towards principle!!?!?!? Fuck you Wells Fargo. I didn't really keep track of my payments during the first year, I set up automatic payments and just didn't deal with it. I didn't want to think of what was going to principle or how much I was paying in interest or even how long it was going to take. I didn't feel like I had the power to, even if I knew what kind of financial trouble I was in there was nothing I could do about it. Once I got a new (and much, much, much better) job I was able to have the extra cash to take care of business.
What I Paid in 2013 (so far!!)
Amt Toward Amt Toward
Principle Interest
January $101.04 $644.56
January pt2 $708.44 $291.56
February $394.37 $351.23
February pt2 $712.04 $287.96
March $459.96 $285.64
March pt2 $715.86 $284.14
April $403.41 $342.19
April pt2 $719.51 $280.49
May $427.72 $626.71
May pt2 $723.25 $276.75
June $412.41 $333.19
June pt2 $446.45 $253.55
TOTAL $6,224.46 $3,949.14
Payment Amt Toward Amt Toward
MAde Principle Interest
July $745.60 $415.81 $329.79
July pt2 $600.00 $ $
August $ $ $
August pt2 $ $ $
September $ $ $
September pt2 $ $ $
October $ $ $
October pt2 $ $ $
November $ $ $
November pt2 $ $ $
December $ $ $
December pt2 $ $ $
TOTAL $1345.60 $414.81 $329.79
I am so proud of what I've been able to do with this loan. I've paid close to 600% more in just 6 months than what I paid in my first year. I will end up paying close to the same amount of interest (if not slightly lower) this year even though I'm paying so much more. I sometime's get so discouraged because I have so far to go but I just have to remind myself that I'm only 27 years old and I've only been at this for 6 months.
Showing posts with label broke. Show all posts
Showing posts with label broke. Show all posts
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
After Bill Pay
Ugh, right now my finances suck. Not really terrible pleased with where I'm at currently.
What I have
Checking: $17.68
Savings: $1823.94
What I Owe
Student Loan: $83.750.71
Credit Card: $165.86
I realized something the other day. My spending freeze is like an extreme diet. Instead of going slow and steady, hitting the gym and watching my intake I'm starving myself and running marathons. I'm really proud of how much I've paid off on my student loans but right now I need to work out a livable budget.
I've tried to balance too much on too little. My budget is perfect when things are going right but when they're not or when something comes up (car issues, birthdays, computer problems) it leaves me scrambling and without any money (example: I have $17 bucks to live off of for the next two weeks).
When I get paid again on the 15th instead of immediately paying a huge chunk payment and living off the rest, I'm going to pay off my credit card and pay any remaining bills (I think my utilities should be due around that time) with the remaining I'll then get food and maybe a tank of gas AND THEN I'll pay a chunk towards my student loan. I'm bummed because I won't see the huge decrease I like but I'm getting so tired of being so stressed and broke. I realized the other day that I'm not really broke at all, I make awesome money and I'm causing myself financial hardship by living outside of my means with my student loan repayments. Living within your means doesn't just refer to spending habits but saving habits and debt repayment habits.
In happier news: Can you believe how freakin' close I am to paying off 10k in principal on this loan?!?!?!?! Realistically I consider myself only in repayment for this year (I think the first year I only knocked off something sad like $900 in principal). In 6 months I have paid off $6,250 in principal!!!!
Monday, June 3, 2013
Resolution Check In: Halfway through 2013
I can't believe that this year is almost over with. Time is seriously zooming past. Since this year is halfway over I wanted to check in on my New Years Resolutions to see if I'm making any progress or if I need to re-evaluate my goals.
New Years Resolutions:
1. Run Capital 10k in one hour or less: Sort of? I ran the Capital 10k in 1 hour and 4 minutes which is (obviously) 4 minutes longer than 1 hour but it is 10 minutes less than the first time I ran the Cap10k. I still want to improve on my speed for running but I'm happy with my performance in the race.
2. Complete Fun Run: I ran the Color Run a few weeks ago and it was a blast. I honestly think it was some of my best running time too. One of the people in my race group had an awesome pace and I kept up the entire way. I definitely think I broke my usual 10 minute mile.
4. No desserts for the month of January: I did really well at this goal. I was surprised too because I'm such a sugar addict (for example, during this 2 day weekend I got ice cream 3 times). I've definitely had a few bad days in my diet recently but for the most part I'm happy with where I'm at health wise.
5. 50 squats a day during the month of January: Loved and hated this challenge. This plus weight lifting completely changed my legs. I'm a classic pear and I thought it was impossible to lose weight from my thighs but weight training has made them more toned and sexier. I think it's incredible funny/ironic that itty bitty 90 lbs girls long for a thigh gap and I have one now simple due to how wide set my thighs are.
6. Save at least $1000 a month for Student loans and make a $10,000 chunk payment: This was my original goal until I crunched the numbers and realized I would see better results with more payments. I plan on making a post about my success over the last 6 months in repayment. I'm already down around $7000 :)
7. Get a new driver's license: Never doubt the power of allowing yourself to accomplish easy goals. Feeling accomplished and driven is so good for the psyche.
8. Go to the gyno and try to find a birth control I like: Going to the doctors this week, not sure about birth control. Obviously, I don't want a baby right now because they're expensive and I have no money but I have never found a BC pill that I like. I figure I'll discuss with my doctor my options and see if I can find one that works for me.
10. Sign up for the Capital 10k: Obviously couldn't complete Goal #1 without this but seriously, allowing yourself to accomplish easy goals or tasks is so motivating.
11. Redecorate my bedroom: Found an amazing deal for an entire new bed set for only like $200 bucks. God new curtains and new bedspread and the room looks so much more grown up now.
12. Write a short story of book: My computer crapped out months ago and I just don't feel comfortable writing on my boyfriends computer. I'm hoping to get my computer fixed soon and I definitely want to start writing again.
13. Reupholster my ugly painted chair: I honestly don't know if I'm ever going to do this. The chair is gorgeous to look at (very rustic and shabby chic) but soooo gross to sit on (crunchy fabric paint).
14. Learn more hairstyles than the same bullshit I constantly wear: Nope :( However this is the healthiest my hair has been in 10 years. I haven't dyed my hair in over a year (maybe longer) and I've cut off all the processed stuff. My hair is much lighter in color than I had anticipated but I look pretty good. Sometime it's hard to fight the urge to dye it all of the time but I just remember how annoying upkeep is and how expensive constantly dying it can be.
15. Cook new recipes: Yes? No? I've definitely tried new things but not on such a level that I feel it justifies crossing this item off. I had a completely lazy weekend where I spent hours on Pinterest so I have lots of new recipes to try.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
You Might Be Broke If......
-You've ever re-used a coffee filter
-You have no shame in using rubber bands and tape to hold together everyday items
-You can easily ignore any sound that might mean an appliance is breaking
-You have paid for groceries in loose change
-You experience overwhelming joy when there's free food at work
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Bump in the road
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| It's really early so I'm not even bothering to find good pics. Sorry. |
I had a bunch of amazing posts planned out (I'm an insane planner) but the universe had other plans. My computer is once again on the outs. Remember last year-ish when I had to have a ton of repairs done? Same thing. Basically the DC jack (the thing you plug the cord into to charge) is very loose and is unable to charge. The battery works just fine (to my knowledge) but I'll most likely have to take my computer in to have the part replaced.
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| DC jack. So small, yet so vital. |
I had been hoping that it was similar to what was happening last time, that the jack itself was just loose and needed a little glue or something to set it straight. I went through the trouble of watching multiple videos on DIY fixes only to open my laptop up (such a pain in the ass) and see that the jack is still very secure but the inner prong is, how do you say, loosey goosey.
I've been borrowing my boyfriends computer but it's just not the same. I have all of my files and my pre-sets and the things I like on my laptop. It's obviously a very first world problem but anyone on a tight budget knows how much of an issue any little unexpected expense can be. Hopefully I can take it to a local shop who can do the repair on the cheap.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Non gym work outs (aka burning calories puttering around my house)
Today I'm skipping the gym in order to get some things done around my house. I don't think many people realize how many calories can be burned by being active and present in your own home.
Projects today:
1. Pinterest DIY headlight cleaning with toothpaste
Source: Frugal Fun Ideas
My headlights are filthy and it's really effecting how well I can see at night. I'm hoping this works because I don't really have the cash to purchase a specific cleaner (I'm using the last of my disposable income on a haircut because the last time I got a trim was in January).
2. Weeding my garden
Do you even know what a workout weeding is??? I had no clue until I started. My whole body ached after the first day and I could barely clinch my hands. It burns something crazy like 400 calories an hour. And it's totally free!! AND it makes your yard looked cared for and nice.
I plan on posting some before and afters of my Rosemary bush. It took a few days but I trimmed her up, weeding her out, and even destroyed a rotting stump right in her middle :)
I don't have much time so that's probably all I can do today before work but I have a 3 day weekend coming up and I'm really hoping to get my closet sorted out and a pantry made.
LOVE house work :)
Projects today:
1. Pinterest DIY headlight cleaning with toothpaste
My headlights are filthy and it's really effecting how well I can see at night. I'm hoping this works because I don't really have the cash to purchase a specific cleaner (I'm using the last of my disposable income on a haircut because the last time I got a trim was in January).
2. Weeding my garden
Do you even know what a workout weeding is??? I had no clue until I started. My whole body ached after the first day and I could barely clinch my hands. It burns something crazy like 400 calories an hour. And it's totally free!! AND it makes your yard looked cared for and nice.
I plan on posting some before and afters of my Rosemary bush. It took a few days but I trimmed her up, weeding her out, and even destroyed a rotting stump right in her middle :)
I don't have much time so that's probably all I can do today before work but I have a 3 day weekend coming up and I'm really hoping to get my closet sorted out and a pantry made.
LOVE house work :)
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Staying Afloat
I have just really sucked at blogging lately. Sorry about that. I guess it's because I just haven't really had much to post. I wanted this blog to be about saving money and DIY-ing shit and I've been TERRIBLE at both of those things. I'm so broke I can't even DIY :(
Things got a little better in the last week or so. I went for my final dentist appointment and got my teeth all squeaky clean. Most of that went on my credit card but there was really nothing I could do about that. I had to make sure I had enough for my loan payment so everything else had to be charged. My credit card got up to around $600 bucks but I managed to pay it down to $250. So things are going great, I make it to pay day, put money in my savings and blah blah blah everything appears fine. So, of course it's not. Out of the blue after work one day I go out to my car to drive home and it's dead. Ain't that something? There is really no better way to describe my life then thinking that everything is going to be okay and finding my car dead.
And I don't mean that in a bad way (if that makes any sense). At this point it's just sort of darkly funny. I just remember sitting in my car and desperately turning my key over and over and finally just sitting back and looking up and thinking, "okay, what now".
The little bit of cushion money that I had saved to help me make it to my next pay day went directly to my new car battery (which they only had 1 in stock and it was the most expensive one...of course). Now I sit in waiting for this Friday when I get paid from my second job. Until then I'm hanging on with $21 bucks in my account. But life is still good. I went grocery shopping before my battery crapped out so I have food and my amazing boyfriend bought me gas (and some clothes!!! Seriously, this guy is beyond perfect/wonderful/amazing).
But even in all of this mess I'm still so happy. While it may not be permanent I've been getting more regular shifts at my job and my boyfriend and I have decided to move in with each other in a few months. I'm also going to start babysitting for a friend weekly which not only means extra cash but time spent with my friend and her awesome son. Nothing's okay and everything's okay (if that makes any sense). I'm broker than I have ever been in my life and yet I'm happier. Being forced to distance my self from my consumerist ways has made me so much happier than I thought was possible. Before all of this loan non-sense I just bought, bought, bought without any sense of what I truly needed. Now I'm happy when I can afford more than the basics. I'm broke but I'm lucky which is more than I deserve :)
I swear I have plans to get this blog back to what I wanted it to be. When my credit card is paid off and my boyfriend and I shack up together I will buy a sewing machine and start more DIY. Until then I have my fingers crossed that all of my bills get paid :)
cl
Things got a little better in the last week or so. I went for my final dentist appointment and got my teeth all squeaky clean. Most of that went on my credit card but there was really nothing I could do about that. I had to make sure I had enough for my loan payment so everything else had to be charged. My credit card got up to around $600 bucks but I managed to pay it down to $250. So things are going great, I make it to pay day, put money in my savings and blah blah blah everything appears fine. So, of course it's not. Out of the blue after work one day I go out to my car to drive home and it's dead. Ain't that something? There is really no better way to describe my life then thinking that everything is going to be okay and finding my car dead.
And I don't mean that in a bad way (if that makes any sense). At this point it's just sort of darkly funny. I just remember sitting in my car and desperately turning my key over and over and finally just sitting back and looking up and thinking, "okay, what now".
The little bit of cushion money that I had saved to help me make it to my next pay day went directly to my new car battery (which they only had 1 in stock and it was the most expensive one...of course). Now I sit in waiting for this Friday when I get paid from my second job. Until then I'm hanging on with $21 bucks in my account. But life is still good. I went grocery shopping before my battery crapped out so I have food and my amazing boyfriend bought me gas (and some clothes!!! Seriously, this guy is beyond perfect/wonderful/amazing).
But even in all of this mess I'm still so happy. While it may not be permanent I've been getting more regular shifts at my job and my boyfriend and I have decided to move in with each other in a few months. I'm also going to start babysitting for a friend weekly which not only means extra cash but time spent with my friend and her awesome son. Nothing's okay and everything's okay (if that makes any sense). I'm broker than I have ever been in my life and yet I'm happier. Being forced to distance my self from my consumerist ways has made me so much happier than I thought was possible. Before all of this loan non-sense I just bought, bought, bought without any sense of what I truly needed. Now I'm happy when I can afford more than the basics. I'm broke but I'm lucky which is more than I deserve :)
I swear I have plans to get this blog back to what I wanted it to be. When my credit card is paid off and my boyfriend and I shack up together I will buy a sewing machine and start more DIY. Until then I have my fingers crossed that all of my bills get paid :)
cl
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Despair?
I'm not sure what is going on with me but I've been really bummed out lately. More than bummed out. I'm not sure I would call it depression because I've never really experienced anything like this. I've been trying all week to put it into words and I've been struggling to pin point what has gotten me to this place. I guess it's a few things so I'm hoping by putting it down in writing I can get a firm grasp of this situation and change it.
First of all things with my boyfriend are kind of blah. I'm not sure when it happened and I can't really figure out if one of us is to "blame" but something has changed (or maybe nothing has changed and this depression is making me think that something has changed). When we first got together he was such a positive force in my life and I was so proud and happy. Now it feels that he's gotten super comfortable and doesn't even try anymore. We've been dating less than 4 months. Granted, I've only been in two long term relationships before but this seems a bit early to get comfortable. Again, I can't describe the feeling but I feel distance between us. I don't feel happy anymore.
THEN, there's my overwhelming debt. I feel trapped and burden by this enormous thing that I can't control or fix. I feel so sad that this is my life. There's been a lot of recent studies about how negatively social networking is affecting how people feel and I completely understand. When I log on to Facebook and I see people I knew in high school and they're married, having babies, and living in houses I feel so ashamed and sad that I'm not at that point (I honestly don't care about marriage and babies but I want a house more than anything). This wasn't supposed to be my life. I had potential. Now, I'm 26 and living alone in single bedroom apartment and I can't afford to get my hair cut. Most of my friends had family that paid for their college so no one really understands what I'm going through. I have no extra money, I'm worried all of the time and I feel so beyond pathetic. And honestly I don't see that changing.
I read some article today about a man who managed to pay off his $90,000 college debt in 7 months. I was so excited thinking that there was something I could do to get rid of this debt only to find out the guy paid off his debt with his six figure salary and sneaking flasks into bars. AWESOME. I can sneak flasks into bars till the fucking cows come home and it won't change the fact that this guy did what he did because he makes 3 times my gross annual salary.
I really hit bottom yesterday when I received a notice from my insurance saying they're not going to cover most of my dental work and the portion that I need to cover is $1200. I bawled my eyes out. It's such a stupid thing to cry over but I think it was just my breaking point. After a good 12 hour cry and How I Met Your Mother marathon I started to feel better (plus, talking with a co-worker who gave great insurance appeal advice). After taking some time to really examine my life and my heart I've come to a few conclusions:
I cannot count on my boyfriend (or anyone, for that matter) to help me
I don't mean this in a depressing, "everyone dies alone" super dramatic way. I just have to release and recognize that the only person who can change my life is me. I can't waste my time hoping for some magical solution to bring itself to me and fix all of my problems. If I'm not happy being this broke or living this way I'm the one responsible for fixing it.
My worth isn't what I own or where I live
Facebook and Pinterest are dangerous, evil places. That article I mentioned above talked about when it comes to social networking people create their own "brand" (like companies marketing a product). No one goes on to Facebook to advertise what a fuck up they are or how they gained weight or lost a job or whatever. People go on to Facebook to post vacation photos and celebrity encounters. People only share the good times, not the bad and that's not reality. I have to spend less time on social media for my own mental health and happiness and I have to remind myself that most people are only "advertising" the good times, not the bad and for the most part everyone struggles with some aspect of life.
I need to maintain perspective
I've mentioned before that when sad times hit I usually give myself a day to deal with how sad/depressed I feel. I throw a mean pity party. There's drinking, excessive crying, blaming God, and lots of couch time. It's great but it's not a party I want to go to often. So, while I think it's healthy to work through emotions I don't want to dwell on them. This is where perspective comes in. If, after my one day pity party extravaganza, I keep dwelling I must remind myself how lucky I truly am. In the past week one of the stories catching the attention of the nation is about a beautiful, young woman who cut herself while zip-lining and got infected with a flesh eating bacteria. While doctors think she may live they have had to amputate one entire leg, her remaining foot, and at least one of her hands (not to mention soft tissue on her abdomen). Whenever my mind tries to drift back to that "woe is me" place I imagine sitting down with this 24 year old woman and trying to explain to her how hard my life is. The ridiculousness of it snaps me right back to normal thought. Yes, I have debt. Yes, I have HUGE debt but I didn't get most of my body cut off. Heck, worse stuff happens to people everyday than debt.
I can't wait on fate
I keep waiting for someone or something to change my life. While I do believe we all have a destiny I think sometimes I use "fate" as a crutch so I don't have to make decisions. My anxiety stems from the overwhelming fear that I'm making the wrong decision. I've messed up in the past and now I feel terrified that I'll once again fuck something up. But I can't live that way. I have to take control of my own life even if it's scary.
I'm honestly not sure what I'm going to do. I have a few ideas but they're big and scary life changing ones. I just know that I'm not happy right now and I want to change that . I want to be free of this debt, I want to one day own a house, I want to be happy.
First of all things with my boyfriend are kind of blah. I'm not sure when it happened and I can't really figure out if one of us is to "blame" but something has changed (or maybe nothing has changed and this depression is making me think that something has changed). When we first got together he was such a positive force in my life and I was so proud and happy. Now it feels that he's gotten super comfortable and doesn't even try anymore. We've been dating less than 4 months. Granted, I've only been in two long term relationships before but this seems a bit early to get comfortable. Again, I can't describe the feeling but I feel distance between us. I don't feel happy anymore.
THEN, there's my overwhelming debt. I feel trapped and burden by this enormous thing that I can't control or fix. I feel so sad that this is my life. There's been a lot of recent studies about how negatively social networking is affecting how people feel and I completely understand. When I log on to Facebook and I see people I knew in high school and they're married, having babies, and living in houses I feel so ashamed and sad that I'm not at that point (I honestly don't care about marriage and babies but I want a house more than anything). This wasn't supposed to be my life. I had potential. Now, I'm 26 and living alone in single bedroom apartment and I can't afford to get my hair cut. Most of my friends had family that paid for their college so no one really understands what I'm going through. I have no extra money, I'm worried all of the time and I feel so beyond pathetic. And honestly I don't see that changing.
I read some article today about a man who managed to pay off his $90,000 college debt in 7 months. I was so excited thinking that there was something I could do to get rid of this debt only to find out the guy paid off his debt with his six figure salary and sneaking flasks into bars. AWESOME. I can sneak flasks into bars till the fucking cows come home and it won't change the fact that this guy did what he did because he makes 3 times my gross annual salary.
I really hit bottom yesterday when I received a notice from my insurance saying they're not going to cover most of my dental work and the portion that I need to cover is $1200. I bawled my eyes out. It's such a stupid thing to cry over but I think it was just my breaking point. After a good 12 hour cry and How I Met Your Mother marathon I started to feel better (plus, talking with a co-worker who gave great insurance appeal advice). After taking some time to really examine my life and my heart I've come to a few conclusions:
I cannot count on my boyfriend (or anyone, for that matter) to help me
I don't mean this in a depressing, "everyone dies alone" super dramatic way. I just have to release and recognize that the only person who can change my life is me. I can't waste my time hoping for some magical solution to bring itself to me and fix all of my problems. If I'm not happy being this broke or living this way I'm the one responsible for fixing it.
My worth isn't what I own or where I live
Facebook and Pinterest are dangerous, evil places. That article I mentioned above talked about when it comes to social networking people create their own "brand" (like companies marketing a product). No one goes on to Facebook to advertise what a fuck up they are or how they gained weight or lost a job or whatever. People go on to Facebook to post vacation photos and celebrity encounters. People only share the good times, not the bad and that's not reality. I have to spend less time on social media for my own mental health and happiness and I have to remind myself that most people are only "advertising" the good times, not the bad and for the most part everyone struggles with some aspect of life.
I need to maintain perspective
I've mentioned before that when sad times hit I usually give myself a day to deal with how sad/depressed I feel. I throw a mean pity party. There's drinking, excessive crying, blaming God, and lots of couch time. It's great but it's not a party I want to go to often. So, while I think it's healthy to work through emotions I don't want to dwell on them. This is where perspective comes in. If, after my one day pity party extravaganza, I keep dwelling I must remind myself how lucky I truly am. In the past week one of the stories catching the attention of the nation is about a beautiful, young woman who cut herself while zip-lining and got infected with a flesh eating bacteria. While doctors think she may live they have had to amputate one entire leg, her remaining foot, and at least one of her hands (not to mention soft tissue on her abdomen). Whenever my mind tries to drift back to that "woe is me" place I imagine sitting down with this 24 year old woman and trying to explain to her how hard my life is. The ridiculousness of it snaps me right back to normal thought. Yes, I have debt. Yes, I have HUGE debt but I didn't get most of my body cut off. Heck, worse stuff happens to people everyday than debt.
I can't wait on fate
I keep waiting for someone or something to change my life. While I do believe we all have a destiny I think sometimes I use "fate" as a crutch so I don't have to make decisions. My anxiety stems from the overwhelming fear that I'm making the wrong decision. I've messed up in the past and now I feel terrified that I'll once again fuck something up. But I can't live that way. I have to take control of my own life even if it's scary.
I'm honestly not sure what I'm going to do. I have a few ideas but they're big and scary life changing ones. I just know that I'm not happy right now and I want to change that . I want to be free of this debt, I want to one day own a house, I want to be happy.
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Fell Off the Wagon: Shopping
This whole blog is about me being broke and trying to find a way to live/eat all while paying off my ridiculous student loans. I've been going strong for a while now but I am only human and not only am I human, I am a girl and there's only so long I can stay strong when it comes to shopping.
Some things you should know about me; I never throw clothes away. EVER. I have clothes from high school. If it still fits and is basically clean then it's mine forever and ever and ever. Unfortunately I am in an interesting period of my life. Adult puberty. I am going from a teenager/early 20-something to a 26 year old professional woman. The way that I dressed when I was 19 no longer reflects the person I am. Me at 19 = slip on ratty vans, tight cigarette pants, and Obey t-shirts. Think this:
Now, there is nothing wrong with this outfit or style of clothing (although, it could be argued that a pear shaped chick like me should stay away from cigarette pants but I digress) but it no longer is what I'm about. I still have these clothes but as the years go by I don't wear them as much and while my closet is filled with clothes my actual wardrobe is very small. I can't really pin point my style but I'm starting to drift more towards classic clothes and finer fabrics. Sometimes I border on preppy which is an entirely new thing for me. Here's some examples:
Due to my non-exisistent shopping budget I've just worked with what I've had and dealt with feeling unfashionable and sad (cue sad female drama). But I finally broke and my busted old cardigan is all to blame.
Despite living in Texas and dealing with unimaginable heat 9 months out of the year I am in love with sweaters. Cardigans, boyfriend sweaters, hoodies, and pull overs I own and love, love, love them all. I have one black button up cardigan that I wear constantly that is as near death that a piece of clothing can be. I've owned it since high school, it's missing a button, it's faded and peeling (is that the correct term?), and at one point I dropped it in my parking lot on a rainy day, ran it over with my car, and found it 8 hours later.
One day last week I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I chucked the old sweater in the trash and dragged my boyfriend to Highland Mall. Now, if you live in Austin you know Highland Mall is on it's last leg. I think there are like 5 stores remaining in it and there are constantly riots there (charming, right?). I figured I could swing by the mall, pick out a cheap sweater from the clearance Dilliards, and move on with my life. But like most things in my life this didn't go as planned. The only store left that had anything CLOSE to what I was looking for was Wet Seal. I haven't shopped there since high school but beggars can't be choosers and it turned out to be a treasure trove of cheap, awesome finds.
Wet Seal is apparently so hard up for customers in this sad, empty mall that half the store was on clearance and they had a special deal where you buy one clearance item you get another for only a penny. I lost my mind a little. I bought a brand new black, lightweight button up, a thick gray cable knit sweater, a boyfriend style long striped cardigan, a striped flowing tank, a pair of southwest style slip on shoes, black strappy sandals, 2 pairs of panties, and silky gray camisole. All for only $32.48. That's 9 pieces of clothing for less than what my boyfriend and I spent at Taco Tuesday at Quality Seafood (best day to go IMO).
Now, I know I can't go shopping like this all the time but being able to pick up some new items for cheap made me feel so much better. My next plan of attack on my wardrobe is to buy a sewing machine and try to jazz up what I already own.
Here's a fashion show so you can see what I bought (all images from the internet because I'm too fucking lazy to take pictures).
Some things you should know about me; I never throw clothes away. EVER. I have clothes from high school. If it still fits and is basically clean then it's mine forever and ever and ever. Unfortunately I am in an interesting period of my life. Adult puberty. I am going from a teenager/early 20-something to a 26 year old professional woman. The way that I dressed when I was 19 no longer reflects the person I am. Me at 19 = slip on ratty vans, tight cigarette pants, and Obey t-shirts. Think this:
Due to my non-exisistent shopping budget I've just worked with what I've had and dealt with feeling unfashionable and sad (cue sad female drama). But I finally broke and my busted old cardigan is all to blame.
Despite living in Texas and dealing with unimaginable heat 9 months out of the year I am in love with sweaters. Cardigans, boyfriend sweaters, hoodies, and pull overs I own and love, love, love them all. I have one black button up cardigan that I wear constantly that is as near death that a piece of clothing can be. I've owned it since high school, it's missing a button, it's faded and peeling (is that the correct term?), and at one point I dropped it in my parking lot on a rainy day, ran it over with my car, and found it 8 hours later.
One day last week I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I chucked the old sweater in the trash and dragged my boyfriend to Highland Mall. Now, if you live in Austin you know Highland Mall is on it's last leg. I think there are like 5 stores remaining in it and there are constantly riots there (charming, right?). I figured I could swing by the mall, pick out a cheap sweater from the clearance Dilliards, and move on with my life. But like most things in my life this didn't go as planned. The only store left that had anything CLOSE to what I was looking for was Wet Seal. I haven't shopped there since high school but beggars can't be choosers and it turned out to be a treasure trove of cheap, awesome finds.
Wet Seal is apparently so hard up for customers in this sad, empty mall that half the store was on clearance and they had a special deal where you buy one clearance item you get another for only a penny. I lost my mind a little. I bought a brand new black, lightweight button up, a thick gray cable knit sweater, a boyfriend style long striped cardigan, a striped flowing tank, a pair of southwest style slip on shoes, black strappy sandals, 2 pairs of panties, and silky gray camisole. All for only $32.48. That's 9 pieces of clothing for less than what my boyfriend and I spent at Taco Tuesday at Quality Seafood (best day to go IMO).
Now, I know I can't go shopping like this all the time but being able to pick up some new items for cheap made me feel so much better. My next plan of attack on my wardrobe is to buy a sewing machine and try to jazz up what I already own.
Here's a fashion show so you can see what I bought (all images from the internet because I'm too fucking lazy to take pictures).
I love this little slip ons so much. Comfortable and perfect for Texas summers.
Haven't worn these yet but I'm excited to pair them with a fun summer dress.
Follow me on Pinterest so you can keep up with my future projects and inspiration. I have a bunch of new DIY in the works (it be coming sooner but I have to spend money on lame things like the dentist and car parts).
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
It's never easy
My weekend is almost over but like they say there's no rest for the weary. My weekend was spent picking up shifts from my old retail job and battling a cold. Each alone is perfectly fine but combined makes for a very grumpy Pour Girl. But I'm the first to admit it really doesn't take much to make me grumpy. While my cold isn't terrible the idea of feeling slightly under the weather and going and working a 10 hour shift setting up a Christmas show isn't exactly having me jump for joy. I am, however, incredibly thankful that my old job gives me shifts because I am dead broke.
1. Strategy #1: Eat an Antiviral Breakfast: All I have/can afford is eggs for breakfast. Whether or not they'll cure my lousy cold is up to God.
So, because I can't update with new recipes because I haven't had anytime to cook, here are a few news articles and general internet updates that affect my life.
1. Strategy #1: Eat an Antiviral Breakfast: All I have/can afford is eggs for breakfast. Whether or not they'll cure my lousy cold is up to God.2. Strike back with Stress: apparently a little stress is good for your while too much is terrible? I'm either the healthiest person in the world or I'm a ticking time bomb of death.
3. Brew a cup of Cold virus killer: aka drink hot tea (no shit)
4. Recharge your immune response: aka sleep more (again, no shit, if sleeping more was an option trust me I'd be there)
5. Vitamin D: My God really? I feel like some poor sap had to create web site content and slapped this list together out of the most obvious pieces of information.
6. Take a Walk: I wake up early to make sure I can make it to the gym but does the cut time sleeping negate the time at the gym? This shit is confusing.
7. Get a Massage: too broke :(
8. Fire up the crock pot: Definitely did this. I made a giant vat of chicken noodle soup yesterday that I think is actually helpful.
In news that is infuriating/life is all a giant joke: Woman leaves $13 million Fortune to Cat
Not the actual cat in question but I think it's safe to say this cat has more money than I do
Are you kidding me? Are you FUCKING kidding me?? Millions of dollars left to make sure a cat is okay???? Don't get me wrong, I love animals, I was a vegan for years because the idea of eating animals honestly upset me but this is too fucking much. $13 million is the kind of fortune that can change lives. There were probably children starving within a mile radius of this old bat but her primary concern was whether or not a cat was taken care of? Cats can take care of themselves! They can live on the streets and eat mice and be perfectly fine. Children cannot. She could have given the money to shelters that help abused woman, schools that are underfunded, the homeless, AIDs research, ANYTHING but one cat. I don't want to be cruel here but maybe the reason that this old bat suffered from loneliness her whole life was because the people around her got really fucking sick of her making stupid fucking decisions like giving a fortune to a Goddamn cat.
I can't. I just can't.
So I was going to post another article about the benefits of coffee because I like the idea that my daily habit is a healthy one and not a terrible choice but unfortunately I have to run and work my second job. Because I'm broke. Here's the article. Enjoy.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Crushed
Remember the other day when I posted about how happy I was? It was like life was finally working itself out and I had figured out a way to make it. Yesterday I received a letter in the mail from the bank that holds my student loan. I have to start repaying it next month. My payments are set at $821 a month.
This is how I feel now:
I have no idea how I'm going to make it through this. How am I going to survive?
This is how I feel now:
I have no idea how I'm going to make it through this. How am I going to survive?
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