save $5000

I got in a teeny tiny fender non-bender (there were just two scratches on the other car, yo) and my insurance went from $850 (for six months) to $1400 (for six months).

no joke.

So, there goes almost half my savings. Color me sadfaced.

whoo!

Unfortunatly the joy will be short lived. My car insurance is due in mid-december and that will be around $850. I feel like I spend too much money but checking out my account activity tells me that I really don’t. I buy little things and even then they’re not excessive or extravagant. $20 on a book for my friend’s birthday here, $2 on a coffee there. I take my lunch to school/work 99% of the time so I’m not spending money there. I spend too much money on gas but my boyfriend lives on the other side of town and I drive a Bronco. Not much I can do about that!

I don’t think I’ll actually GET to 5k ever but I still think it’s a good goal to have. It started because I’m going to japan for the summer and even now I feel comfortable with the money I have. 1k on plane tickets and the rest is just food/gas/entertainment as we’ll be staying with my boyfriend’s family.

How can I be only $45 up from two months ago?

Well, I finally started substitute teaching which meant:
1. buying teacher clothes (almost $200 on that)
2. paying for my lisence ($200 on that)

so I busted into my savings account. And then I put $400 worth of shit on my credit card because I’m an idiot. But my card is paid off completely, my bills are done, and I’m putting money back into my savings. Of course before I know it my car insurance will be due…..

this is harder than I thought.

I’ve always had a savings account but never actually used it to ‘save’ for anything, I just used it as a storage place for money.

Now, the boyfriend and I are planning on spending next summer in okinawa, japan, (staying with his parents, thank goodness) but we also want to visit Thailand and China while we’re in the area!

I work at Starbucks and a birthday place for little girls, but the bday place has been slow and I haven’t worked in five weeks there! So, money has been tight and I’ve been spending too much. I’ve decided to save half of each paycheck. As the school year starts the bday place should pick up and I’ll try to work as much as possible there and starbucks until I can start substitute teaching ($91/day!) at which point my life will become easier.

Did I mention I’m taking six classes this semester? AHHH!