anticipation

So I hear I might be getting my camera by the end of the week. The call to Sony wasn't very useful. They didn't even have a tracking number for me. She sort of guessed I will have it on friday from FedEx at the earliest. *sigh* She sounded like me, except I know how to look for tracking numbers =P

I was very very bored in class tonight. It was one of those days where I want to just get up from my seat, scream, and get out of the building. Alas, I didn't do it. I just ended up shopping around for rubber stamps. In fact, I did a whole bunch of shopping today, but didn't buy anything.

After a bit of soul searching (yes, that is what I do when I'm trying to tune out the lecture), I've decided I need to implement yet another incarnation of my savings plan. Well actually what I had before was working pretty well, I just need to put in a spending limit/clause/something. I have spent way too much in the last few weeks, I need to get back on the frugal track. With that, I need to do a little bit of math.

-- I net about $600 per month from work. That's after deductions, taxes, stock purchase, 401K, charity and such, and that is how much I have to work with.

-- Priority goes to the essentials and recurring charges such as: Phone Bill ($90.84), Netflix ($19.47), Gym ($28), Gas (budgeted at $50... ouch), Grocery ($80... about $20 a week for lunch stuff), Dinner and Bowling (3 games at $7.50, dinner at $12.50.... $20x4 = $80). At the total of $348.31, and let's round that up to $350.

-- $600 - $350 = $250 is what I have left on what I earned. True my parent do give me some money at the beginning of the month, but I do prefer not to touch that at all. I do have an agenda as I will talk about later.

-- I typically do get a little bit more then $300 on each of my pay check. That extra amount will now go to my newly established vacation fund. Oh you KNOW what that's for =P

-- I actually went and set up 2 shadow accounts on Quicken. Both of these accounts has running totals in it, but the actual amount of money are respectively in my checking and savings accounts. The spending account gets $250 added to it at the beginning of every month. I can spend it as I will, or keep it in there to add to a bigger amount later. The vacation fund is a portion of my savings that is for just that... a vacation. The amount gets added from the excess from my bi-weekly paycheck, and my current system of keeping the change. My collection of change accumulates at the end of each night when I deposit any loose change or dollar bills into my dish. Everytime my bills reaches $10, it is added to my Vacation Fund. Loose change will get counted once my bottles gets full.

-- Ok... back to my $250 of spending money for the MONTH. I would love to put 20% of that into savings. So that leaves me $50 per week... not too realistic I know, but it's something I can shoot for. If I can accumlate $50 per month towards the spending account, I'm looking at an extra $400 for December. Of course I am not going to put every single transaction onto it. I will only put down things I deem nonessential. It pains me to say it, but I'm putting things such as scrapbook supplies, camera supplies, games, extra clothing, eating out and such down on this account. I'm trying to be strict on myself. These are things I don't really need (well some would argue I know...). What this really means is that I can't buy anything on impulse. I need to really think about how each purchase has an impact on my budget for the month. I will probably end up buying things towards the end of the month, after weeding out things that are just wasteful.

So there it is, my savings/spending plan.

I still have potentially another year of school to go. What I really want is to have enough money saved by then to live comfortably after I get out. Get a full time job, get a place of my own. I already have the majority of stuff I need to furnish my place. Everything in my storage unit is enough to furnish a small condo. And of course a fully stocked kitchen. I have so much stuff in there I really can't wait to use them again. It's almost sad to see all my stuff in boxes piled into a corner. I'm suddenly really looking forward to it. To feel that sense of independence. It looked pretty scary before, especially when it became a road I'd walk on my own. I'm really in no hurry to move out. I won't do it until I buy my own place, which I do plan to. Where you ask? I'll think about it when I cross that bridge.