money talks

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And while, as Neil put it, “it don’t sing and dance and it don’t walk”, it sure is nice.

Today marks the end of my first real week of the cash budget. And I made it. I want to thank everyone who left comments on my last money post. They have all been very helpful. I decided, as a means of transitioning, to start with the cash system. I allotted myself an amount for two weeks. I pulled it out on my payday, as suggested by my cousin, and divided it. If it was all in one lump, I knew it would have been gone before week two began.

So, here’s what happened. I went to the grocery store; out went half my budget day one. Then, day two, I had to pick up a prescription at Target and found a really, really cute sweater. I assessed my money situation. Considered what my plans were for the next six days, and purchased it.

Pause a moment and think about that. I considered before purchasing a non-necessity item. Not all of you will appreciate how major that is, but I assure you, it is HUGE.

I was left with almost enough money for the rest of my plans, which included going out to eat twice, a movie at the expensive theater (sorry, “regularly priced”), and treats. Some of you better budgeting people are probably guffawing in response to my “movie” and “treats”, but remember that this is very, very new for me. New, as in never been done before. It’s about baby steps, my friends. Baby. Steps. So I think $3 over budget is pretty darn good. And for now, that $3 is coming out of next weeks budget.

So, what did I learn? I really do like to spend money, although I knew that. I don’t often think about what the spending means to my life. I can eat out without ordering a soda…not that I did. I really do love to buy books. The money I make can go a lot further than I ever imagined. It is possible to end a pay period with money left over.

What did I sacrifice? A number of new songs on iTunes, most of which I can’t recall. Eating out a few times. The shirt that I wanted in addition to the sweater I purchased. I think that’s it. Or at least that’s what I remember. It just goes to show how impulse buying is really more about the rush than actually wanting the item. I hate when other people are right about my issues. Hate. It.

My goal for this week? Take Lisa’s advice and write down where the cash is going. The “zero-balance” will come, I think.

un cauchemar

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10

So, I am totally one of those people that dreams about whatever it is that’s going on in my life. Last night, it was a nightmare. This whole grad school application process makes me want to pull my hair out. Today is the six week mark for the school I mentioned earlier this week. Six weeks is the end of the time range they gave me for receiving an answer. After looking at their website yesterday and discovering that they aren’t even back in session until Tuesday, I decided to calm down and not worry about it.

I thought I did a pretty good job of letting go, until I went to sleep last night. Apparently, I didn’t stop the worrying, I just repressed it.

The Nightmare:

I got a letter in the mail from said university. I didn’t open it for fear of not getting in, so I went to my dad to have him open it. In the dream this involved leaving my house and walking across the street to his front door. At the front door, there was a grouping of people, some with video cameras, some dressed in suits, holding microphones: news people, and at the front of the group, talking to my dad was the guy who interviewed me. As I approached, I heard Mr. Interviewer asking my dad, “So, is Chloe taking the news okay? I mean, we know she really wanted to get in, but after her interview, there was just no way.”

Ouch!

And then I woke up. It was awful.

the fabulous life of…

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And why is my life fabulous? (No, it’s not because I have heard from the aforementioned school and was accepted.) It’s because I get to park in the garage.

This may seem minor for all of you non-snow state dwellers, but I assure you it is a big deal. About a month ago, I made an off-handed remark to my dad, on the way out the door, about how I knew that the deepest desire of his heart was to clean out the middle garage stall so that I could park there for the winter. This is how I generally make requests to my father. He knows that when I say, “I bet you really want to…”, I will be asking for something.

To be honest, this was one I didn’t think would happen, but when I arrived home I had a garage door opener waiting on the railing by my front door (yes, I have my own front door, located in said garage) and my dad magically appeared to receive the praise that he totally deserved. My dad is rad!

Last week, the chain on the garage door broke, rendering my garage door opener completely obsolete. I was forced (yes, forced) to park outside in the cold for three whole days. It was awful…but considering there was no snow, it was not so bad. Last night, I arrived home to a new (much smaller, much nicer) garage door opener on my railing.

I woke up to a huge snow storm. There was already about six inches on the driveway. As usual, I got to be late (3 am…the joys of more school applications), and thus, did not want to get out of bed, so I didn’t until about 30 minutes after I should have. You cannot my joy at the realization, after peering out the window, that my car was parked in the nice warm garage and there would be no standing in the freezing cold scraping the mounds of snow from the windows.

Yes…I am totally spoiled. Isn’t better that I know it and appreciate it, though?

P.S. In case you are wondering, I have yet to hear from the school mentioned in my previous post. I have now been invited to interview with four of the five schools to which I have already applied. And I am in the process of applying to four more. January 15th, the day the last application is due, will be such a happy, happy day!

P.P.S. In case you were curious, my brother is hilarious. His is comment number 2! I love that kid.

obsessed

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6

That is how I would describe myself lately. And with what am I obsessed? My email. I check it every five minutes.

I’m waiting to hear from one MBA program in particular. I left my interview with a decision time-frame. “You can expect to hear from us in four to six weeks.” Well, this Thursday it will have been six weeks. And time ticks by…slowly.

As I’ve said before, patience is a virtue that I do not possess…at least not without a lot of effort.

altered

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8

Sarah and I went to see The Great Debaters tonight. Words cannot begin to describe what that experience was like…but since that’s what my blog is, words (mainly), I’m going to try.

With my involvement with Sowers of Hope, I am much more aware of prejudices and racism than I have been in a while. Really, the world is full of “old hatred”, as I call it. Hatred that I cannot even begin to understand. Sometimes I try and wrap my head around it, to get some sense of how a person, or a people, could hate enough to persecute, torture, kill, etc., but it never works. I’m just left completely baffled.

I remember reading Blood Brothers in preparation for study abroad in Israel (which I didn’t actually go on due to some extenuating circumstances). I was 18 and the book completely opened my eyes to see a side of Palestine that I had never considered. More recently, I read The Kite Runner and once again (as I am wont to do anytime I read or see something like that) wondered how on earth people could really hate another people enough to do such horrible, awful things to them and the way that hatred is passed on from generation to generation – “old hatred”.

Tonight, watching this movie, I felt that same confusion I always do when my mind is faced with such incomprehensible hatred. And my heart broke a little. I just sat in the movie wishing that I could make it (“it” as in racism, prejudices, hatred…the world) better.

So, that’s my plug (for the movie, and both of those books). And once you’ve seen the movie…buy the soundtrack (the instrumental one). Incredible. I’m listening to it right now. It’s on par with Braveheart, Last of the Mohicans, and Meet Joe Black. Seriously fantastic!