Get ahead on bills

And I haven’t even gotten paid yet. My dad needs to borrow some money, no worries though. Then my sweetie wanted to take off early from work….twice. And we got sent home early once, no choice at all. So the eighty hour week has gone down the drain, it is now a 75 hour week. I am disappointed, really. I will have to keep working at it though.

Overspent at the gas station by two dollars. Gas is…well you all know how expensive gas is, no need for me to bitch as well.

So, I don’t quite have enough to cover my expense, but it won’t clear for a few days. However, if I don’t pop those two bucks in before it does, the bank will charge me $30.00, and that, my friends, is no way to save money. Better to go without the sodas now rather than lose 30 hard earned dollars when my next check deposits.

So far I have yet to pull it off again, but I think this might be it! I just have to stay strong. The 4th of July holiday helps too, since I have an appointment at school I have to go to on a work day. Though I did try to schedule it on an off day, I really did. Then, when that did not work, I put in for vacation time for that day and was denied. Fie on them. So I will simply have to call in, or go in for a half day with the understanding that I am leaving at 1:30pm. My supervisor will understand, she feels very strongly about what is and is not appropriate to skip work for.

Calling in because you feel like it, no. Going home early to sign up for your classes, yes. I know this because she has excused my absences before when I called in to pick my roommate up from the hospital she didn’t even blink. When I called in because I didn’t feel like getting out of bed, she tore a strip off my hide and gave me evil glares. It balances out.

So, for that 80 hour week, I will work all of my schedule barring July 11th, I get 8 hours of holiday pay for the 4th, I will try working 4 hours on the 11th, though they sent me home early on the 4th so I only get 3 hours that day. A total of…88.5 hours for the week counting time and a half for the holiday hours. Wooh! That would be so timely.

Out of sheer laziness. But it should not affect my finances too terribly. Yes, I make that little per hour that I can skip two days and hardly wince. Or I make that much, I suppose it is a point of view!

I have plotted my finances for the rest of the year, and if I keep within budget, I can afford a PS3 when they come out! And maybe even a couple of games! Sad how exciteted I am about that, and I do not even play the blasted thing except for my workouts. I want to surprize my sweetie with one! He will flip right out.

That is the first time in a very long time! Usually I take VTO (voluntary time off) when the phones get slow and they offer it. Just so happy to be away. Lately, however, we have been so busy that they have not offered it. Also, half of this week was vacation time… Ahem

Just you wait though, next week I will not only have 40 hours (giving me an 80 hour check and some extra spending money!) but OVERTIME. That is right, I will voluntarily work more hours that I must. I will work enough hours to pay all of my bills, have some spending money, buy a new pair of shoes, and open a savings account. I will try to get in overtime hours every week they offer it and the money I get from that will go into savings.

Whew, but the will power I will need to do that! We will see if I finally have it.

I know that I am doing ok, but I wrote a check a few days ago and just know it is going to hit my bank. Sincy my paycheck is electronically deposited, it is a race between the two. Will my paycheck clear before the check does? Will the $30 overdraft fee break me? Oh how I hate being poor! I was doing so well, I had money to spare, then I went to Florida, and now I am beyond broke again!

This is all the more reason to get my education and make a living wage!

We have decided to pay our rent by check the day before it is officially due or late, and cross our fingers that it doesn’t bounce. Even if it does, our bank will cover it. We will just be charged $30. Hey, that is totally worth it if it does! Better that the $50 we would have been charged for a $200 loan. Though I am still feeling so crappy over breaking my foot the day before my vacation, I am hoping to get a doctor’s appointment today and still get a miricle cure! Come on miricle cure! What? It happens on TV all the time! I am going to the BEACH darnit all to heck! The beach! Everything I have plans for in Florida requires two working feet, or at least much more experiance with crutches than I have. We will see. It really might not be that bad, just hurting all to heck.

Last paycheck, I didn’t have to pay my phone bill. I have had it for a year and my deposit came back. They even SENT me a check for $4! Woo hoo!

This paycheck…You guessed it! No electric bill! They did not send me a check, but I get $15 dollars off my next bill. This is perfect! Just in time for my vacation, so I can get ahead all that faster!

And I need it. My air conditioner has been running non-stop each day in the late afternoon early evening and it is still hot in here! I have the repair man coming tommorow, he says it probably only needs to be cleaned and it will run well again. I sure do hope so. I can’t afford to have it running for 8 hours, non-stop, a day. Whew. I was thinking about buying a box fan. Which I shouldn’t have to do. I live in an apartment complex for a reason.

So, all the bills are current, which is a good start. Must catch up before you can get ahead. But now my little brother is getting married, in Florida, nine hours away. So I put in and get my vacation time, and start saving. Err, well I tried to start saving. See…there was this…and that…and…I am broke. Oh fiddle. So now we (being myself and my sweetie) are looking into a small loan. Only we have no credit, so we are going to try and use our car as collateral. I hear debt bells ringing, but honestly it will be a very small loan and with the money we make we can have it paid back in no time at all AND still get ahead on bills. So currently, this goal is not only not being reached, but I am taking a huge step backwards.

I am not discouraged however. I know that as soon as we get back from vacation/wedding/family reunion we will start paying extra on all our bills. I have $100 earmarked from our next check to do just that! Wish me luck!

By the end of this year, I want to be three months ahead on all my bills. That is not just electric, phone, and cable. I want to have three months worth of rent and gas money in a savings account. I want a six month car insurance payment there too. I want to recieve my monthly bills in the mail and have them owe me money. I read articles all the time that everyone should have enough money in the bank to survive for three months. That is rent, car, gas, electric, phone, cable, groceries, everything! This is a fall back plan if one should lose their job and have trouble finding another one. I do not ever want to be in the position of scrambling to make ends meet. I grew up that way and didn’t like the stress it puts on a family.

I think this is a good habit to get into while I am young. It is the habit I want to work on for the rest of the year.