Amber's Personal Finance Blog

I got an extra $10 today for being nice. A woman came in today on my part-time job who I helped out and she gave me $10 tip so I added that as well as my weekly $25 to my challenge
new total $4699.71

I have been so busy that I have not had time to thnink. Taking 3 classes, working both full and partime has had its toll. I have managed to spend a ton of money dining out because I am too lazy. I have however upped my CC balance (dentist and tuition) but on a good note I added to my challenge bring my total to $4662.99
I had a couple of offers on the car everyone wants it but has not bought it
If it is not sold by Friday next week I am calling a junk yard to come and get it atleast I will get a little something

Went to th dentist today for a second opinion and of course I was right my dentist screwed up my tooth. Firts the crown was not fully on and the cement that was used was getting into my tooth. $200 later and I am PO'd. Now it is going to cost me another $850 with the new dentist to repair he did suggest that I go back to her and her to correct it but I have been there twice and the problem as not been fixed so I'd rather pay the money that I really don't have and get it taken care of. I did however charge today's service but I am taking the money from my EF to pay it off tomorrow
On a good note, I finished my class project, I have no idea if it was done right or not at this point I don't care but we will see. I also added $25 to my challenge brining my new total to $4238.35
In regards to my car I got a ton of calls so hopefully it will sell by tomorrow

I just added $6.35 to the challenge because I spent that amount dining out
so my new total is $4213.35

I just posted my car on craiglist, I hope some one takes me up on it I can use the cash. It's an really old car but very clean, they'll need back breaks and an alternator but I will be happy with $200 we'll see. If not I will call a junk yard to pick it up

I have been so busy, that I have not had time to think,save or anything else for that matter.

I am taking a research class and it is the class from Hell. It may not be has hard as I think but it is a lot of work and rather than the instructor lecturing in class about the assignments he talks about other stuff and makes a video that he posts on his website in which he lectures about the assignment

I have no clue what I am doingI sent him an e-mail to see if I was on the right track of course he has not responded

I have been eating out because I have been to busy with this assignment to even want to cook, so there as been a lot of money spent

On a different note I added $35 to my challenge since I did not go to the hair salon this week
New total $4206.97

What I have learned is that if I am not blogging or reading other blogs about finanaces, I fall back into my old ways and that is wasting money. I have been busy with school (3 classes this semester) and have not had time to catch up on my blogging or finances. I have done a ton of shopping so I guess I have fallen off the wagon. It is time to get back on track and make some serious changes.
I paid bills today and made some deposits to my challenge and IRA but my cc debt has risen to about $900 (I will update the total later) but atleast $700 of that is for school
Anyhow, I just wanted to give every one heads up and let you know I am still alive
Added $53 to the challenge
$205 on cc
$143 towards car (saving a little extra towards extra payments)
$30 EF
$10 misc account
$50 for IRA
$44 on water bill
$64 for Cable
$15 for meds
$20 tithes
$35 dentist (had some swelling)
I am still waiting on a check/deposit from Amazon for a book sold which will go towards my cc/school transactions
and I got an extra $5 to for a survey so I am adding this to the challenge as well

This has been a weekend in which I did nothing but a %%$# paper. Sorry, but I am a little upset. I started this paper over 2 weeks ago and the professor stated if we e-mailed him what we had, he would look it over and send back. Well when did I get my response? FRIDAY and of course it was all wrong. The topic was adverse selection, but I wrote the paper in essay format which should have been in a type of research format with an intro and hypthesis, tables, etc. I was up until 1am Friday and 2am Saturday and I just finished sent it to my friend who will proof it and if it is wrong then so be it. Then I let a classmate borrow a book for a different class, she was to return today but I won't see her until Tuesday....arrrrrgh!!!!!

I notice that there are a few of us here attending school and buy textbooks. I get my books from the following sites as low as $4, check them out:
Sorry you will have to copy and paste I am not sure how to add links

http://search.a1books.com/cgi-bin/mktFront?act=homeGreet&tab=Home

http://www.abebooks.com/

http://www.biblio.com/isbn/0130175986.html

http://www.textbookx.com/exchange_detail.php?isbn=9780130175984

http://bestwebbuys.com/

http://www.ecampus.com/

I really need to keep up with my account balances or back them up. Some kind of a way my checking account was over by $607 I have no idea how and I could not remeber my balance (I do balance manually once a week). I think if I keep up with it here when ever there is a change I will be better off. I was able to balance (well come up with the correct balance) but was unable to find the error. I never balance on the computer (everything is written ) and I tried it for the first time (on the computer) which I think screwed up everything causing me to be over, but atleast it is taken care of.
Anyhow, yesterday was payday and I paid all bills that was due by the 15th and socked away $190 and still have $335 left. So I guess I am doing pretty well

I made it to the $4000 mark for my challenge. I am happy but know I should have a lot more. I wasted a lot of money this month, I am ashame to say but will post my spenindg later on. But for now my challenge is at $4036.32 after add $40

Ok yesterday was my first day of classes and I was all excited. So I am in class and it is dark, but I thought nothing of it. Next I notice I began to sweat, I mean to the point I thought I was going to pass out. Then a as I am fanning myself I say my God it is hot in here and one of my classmates says to me didn't you get the memo. I was like what memo, he then says the school is cutting it's budget by $7 million and the a/c will be turned off. I thought you have got to be kidding me. I do remember seeing the e-mail but never thought the a/c will be turned off during classes. What about cutting some salaries? This is crazy, of course we ended classes early
Now there is this huge write up in the paper about FAU cutting back.If it is the same thing tonight I will definately send our president a little note

That�s it; it is time for a new doctor. As every one knows I go in to see the MD every three months because of my abnormal paps. Any how I had a biopsy the other day and the results were in , well the nurse who is very rude called to tell me I needed to make an appoint so I said to her if I am simply making an appointment to come in to be old to make another appointment in three months I can not afford that (that is what happened last time and I was charged $30) Well that was last week, well the doctor called to tell me it is their policy to have the patient to come in , as I was about to say ok let me schedule she then said and besides your insurance doesn�t pay that much anyway. Well I was PO�d, it wasn�t my idea that she sign up an accept BCBS fee schedule. So I am immediately terminating my relationship with that office

Today was a no spender when it comes to dining out. I am doing really well these last 10 days or so. I have not had dinner out or breakfast, I have been brown bagging now for a while. So I added $1 to my challenge and a buck to my car fund (this is all extra going on the car)so I am happy

I finally cancelled my early nights and weekends (7pm-7am) with my cell phone carrier which was $8.99 but after taxes it came up to about $17 extra a month, so no more wasteful spending. That extra $17 will be added to my challenge

Went to the dentist on Thursday because my crown (that was $900) cracked after chewing gum. Any how when I saw the dentist the week before I was told that they have this new machine and they could replace my crown in the office with in an hour and a half. Well I got my crown alright, but with some serious pain for the last 3 days plus a 3 hour stay at the dentist with my mouth wide open.

First of all, I thought they were going to remove the old one, take a mold of my tooth, give me a temp and reschedule me for the permanent one. No they did surgery on my gums and I still don�t know why and placed the new one on (3 hours later) I am positive that I was a ginny pig for this new machine they have�it seems like he was just learning how to use it and now I am so sore because he did some laser surgery on my gums. I had to call them up today to have pain pills and antibiotics called in

You know I wish they had been honest from the start but after they started on my tooth what was I going do
I knew after I paid $20 I was an experiment and replacing my tooth was not out of the kindness of their hearts

That is what I have to say about my brother in law. He has been driving my nephew's car about 2 months, since he has been sick (my nephew) and my BIL doesn�t have the money to get his car fix which has been broken for about 3+ months. Anyhow, do you think he would have told my nephew that he needed to replace his tire or get it plugged since he is the one driving the car for so long, of course not that would be the right thing to do. What does he do he drops his car and leaves and then call him to tell him he as a flat. Not only that he has been driving the car for so long and knows it is cutting off and is not safe for him (my nephew) to drive, does he say anything, no. He waits until my sister chews him out to say that the car is not safe, idiot. He knows since M has been diagnosed with schizophrenia he has not been working but on the weekends and he hardly makes any money and since he is driving the car you would think that he would help maintain it. I did have an extra $20 so I gave it to M to try and help with his gas or even car repair, it's not much but it is something
Sorry I just had to vent

Well I went on a shopping spree and bought 1 shirt and a pair of pants, grand total $164 Of course everything is going back. I don't know what I was thinking, since my old car that I drive around in needs an alternator and back breaks. My mos says I she get ri of it but I like the fact that I can drive this car around and put all the miles on it. But we will see

I also had $31 left over in my bill account, tomorrow is payday from the parttime job, so I put $25 in my challenge home account and $6 in the car fund

Ok I go into Publix today to pick up a few things. So I hand the cashier my coupon for $.35 which I thought she did not take off in which I am staring at the screen. When I cash out and get my receipt I am looking for the discount, of course there isn't one. So I say to her did you take the coupon off (while she is staring at me) she says no and hand it to me, I say to her were you planning on telling me or keeping staring wondering if I noctice? I was so upset then I go to the desk and the girl is starin at me as if to say it is only $.35. First of all if the first cashier had applied my discount, by doing her job I would not have been at the customer srvice desk. Boy was I mad

I just read an article thatFair Isacc the company which reports FICO scors will no longer recognize authorized user accounts.

And Medicare will no longer cover "avoidable accidents" that occurs in hospitals. Things such as: bedsores, slip in falls, and items left in a patient after surgery

First I leave work early thinking school starts today and it is not until next week so I lost 2 hours. And to top it off it is a class I kept saying I wanted to drop and not attend tonight, I guess we should always follow our gut.

I was able to add $1 to my challange and $1 towards my car account because I did not buy breakfast or lunch today
Ne challenge total $3963.55

And next I got some good news, my uncle heard from our family and every one is fine with little or no damage from hurricane Dean. Now we just have to keep our fingers crossed for those in Mexico, the storm is now a category 5

Well the storm just barely missed Jamaica and last I heard (around 9am) there were no fatalities, which is great. However, we have not heard from anyone

Even though I am happy, here in south FL we won't see this storm (hopefully, anything can happen) I am sadden because my parents are from Jamaica and we have a lot of family there who is about to face this storm. I am really worried. We are talking about a category 5 storm, if any one remembers Andrew was a 4 as well as Katrina. So we know what these storms can do and with all the mountains in Jamaica which can cause a ton of mud slides
oh dear

I know what I am about to say is pure selfishness and I wish I could get rid of this feeling of joy but for some reason I can't. So I figured I will post my feelings
About 3 years ago my BF for about 6 yrs left me for some one else. I was devastated and I know we were having problems (money) but never thought he would just up and leave then the next thing I knew they were married, it was like a slap in my face.

Now I find out they are having the same if not worst problems than we had, she has caught him cheating twice, their lights were off and now they are facing foreclosure on their home.

Now I see it as he cheated on me with her and now she is faced with the same thing, he also skipped out on me owing me money now they are in the process of loosing their home and a lot more. Why am I happy, I think it is a feeling of payback, I wish I could shake this feeling because I know I am not exempt from the same thing

I went on a splurge today first with breakfast ($3.29) and then lunch ( I lost my receipt, about $10)
It all started when I was running late for work and left my breakfast; even though I had my lunch, my co-worker wanted and pleaded to go out to lunch but did not pay. But I got lucky and a patient gave me $10 today for lunch so that worked out.
Then I went to Blockbuster's and picked the Bourne series, since I saw the movie the other day ($25) so today was definately a spend day

I was able to pay last month's balance on the cc, so I have until next month to pay the balance remaining before I incur interest. I also added to my challenge the following:
� $25 weekly deposit
� $20 the dentist did not charge me today so I saved his amount
� $2 for not eating out
New total $3944.80

I have finally decided to join the company's 401k investment program. This is with my part-time job, my full-time job does not offer 401k and I have to add to my Ira bi-weekly. Any how they match the first 4%, so of course I will deduct the 4%
I have decided to allocate my funds as follows and hope this is a good move:
� -10% Wells Fargo Stable MMK (DSR1) low risk
� -10% Pimco Return (PTRAX) Bond this has a medium to low risk
� -10% Oakmark Equity (Oakbx) medium to high
� -10%Van Kampen Comstock (ACSTX) high risk
� -10% Wells Fargo Adv index fund (NVINX) high risk
� -30% Dreyfus Appreciation (DGAGX) high risk
� -10%Wells Fargo adv growth fund (nvlcx) high risk
� -5%wells Fargo small cap (nvsox) high risk
� -5% American funds (rerex) high risk

I added $2.09 to my challenge. A buck for not buy breakfast and a buck for not buying lunch 3 days in a row I have not eaten out, this is great for me

New total $3897.80

I finally went to the movies today and used my free passes, I also took my nephew and it was great. We saw "The Bourne Ultimatum" I can't tell the last time I went to a movie, but I am glad we went.
The only money spent was on his luch, I opted out and decided to eat at home

Did not buy breakfast or lunch today so $2 is added to the challenge

New total $3895.09