Budget Update

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope your weekend has been as relaxing as mine has. I had a casual night out Friday, babysat and relaxed Saturday and so far today I slept in, made a yummy breakfast (minus the sausage-undercooked I think) and updated my budget. Now Father of the Bride I and II are on so I'm a happy camper :) -these are happy tears I swear...

Anyway, when I say I updated my budget, that's the same as balancing my checkbook electronically. It had definitely been a while and I wasn't quite sure how much damage I had been doing the past week or two. There were a few purchases that definitely weren't necessary but for the most part I'm above water. I have plenty of money for gas, enough food to last until next week, not a ton of allowance but I will try to make due, and enough for the oil change I'm due for.

My mom was nice enough to let me use my phone, car insurance and health insurance payments to put towards my credit card so I should have my bill paid off with no interest. Should.

I've also done the math on my loan payments that will be due in December. Here's the breakdown for the minimum payments of all 4 loans (yes, that means I would be 42 by the time they're paid off!!): $38.83, $107.97, $167.79 and $172.05. Woof. That's $486.64/month until I'm 42!!! No thanks. I definitely plan on doing the snowball effect so I'd put more than $38.83 towards that loan so once it's paid off, that money can be put towards the next smallest loan etc. At the moment I don't make enough at Express to have $486.64 or more a month so I'll have to figure something out. My plan is to start building up a savings so I can have more to work with but that will run out after a few payments I'm sure.

I have been flirting with the idea of getting a puppy. It's lonely living alone in a new city, especially right after a break up. My friend has one and it's just the cutest thing ever! I'm not home enough and they are expensive but I can't give up the idea of having some company around here. I told the boys I was babysitting that I wanted a puppy and here was Johnny's solution:

He made me a paper dog :)

That will have to do for now. It's quiet, low maintenance and free. Now if could only be as cuddly as a real puppy, it would be perfect. 

Now that I've figured out how to put pictures with my blog (yes, I'm that slow to learn, but I also needed a memory card adapter that I hadn't had until now), I will leave you with a picture of a project I worked on last night that I just love! It was a whopping $6.99 and makes my bedroom my favorite place in the apartment now-and I don't even have tv or internet in there!