After my job interview this afternoon, Jake and I are headed over to West Virginia to meet up with my dad at a state park I used to go to all the time when I was young. We’re renting a cabin and will be getting back to nature for a few days. We’re also going to visit my grandma’s farm and catch up with family. I will probably be posting again on Monday. I hope you all have a wonderfully frugal weekend!

As of August 4, I will no longer have health insurance. Jake’s soon to be old employer offered insurance to employee’s domestic partners and so I was able to be on his plan, but his new employer does not offer this coverage.

Since I work part time, neither of my employers offer health insurance benefits. So far, I’ve considered getting my own independent health plan (with dental coverage), but that would cost me about $80 a month which is money I really don’t have. My other option is to go to the courthouse with Jake and get our marriage license almost a full year earlier than our actual wedding ceremony so that we can be legally married and I can be put on his insurance.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Jake informed me a few nights ago that, in addition to the guitar parts he needed to buy for a guitar that he’s currently getting paid to work on, he purchased a guitar part for himself. That frivolous part cost him about $200 and, to make matters worse, he purchased it on his credit card. When he told me this, I was rendered speechless. It was as if we were back to where we were a year, two years ago. How could he resort to his old ways of spending recklessly? Especially when we’re really tight and saving every extra penny for the wedding?

It didn’t take long through my diatribe before Jake started to feel really shitty about his purchase. He admits that his credit card hijacks his brain and leaves him a spending zombie. He took out his old plastic friend from his wallet and put it back in the safe keeping drawer.

There’s really nothing we can do, but try and pay back his credit card as fast as we can. Hopefully the money he’s getting from the guitar repair work will pay for his little slip up. At least we learned something valuable from his mistake: Jake still cannot responsibly handle his credit cards.

Jake got the job! He’ll be getting paid more and will have much better hours. Woot!

Nothing too fabulous to report this week for deals, but I did manage to get a few items on the cheap at Kroger: a free bottle of Powerade ($.20 overage actually), $.50 roll of paper towels, 2 bottles of ketchup for $.60 each, 2 free bottles of mustard, clearanced down organic mushrooms ($1.25 a container), clearanced down organic green onions ($.49), and 2 free containers of Horizon organic yogurt (clearanced down to $.49, minus $1 off 2 coupon).

I stopped in my local bread outlet today and found out that they’re going out of business  . Everything was 50% off though, so I got 2 loaves of bread and a package of bagels for $3. I’m going to see if Jake wants to go back and stock up on bread to put in the freezer. You can’t beat $1 for a loaf of Pepperidge Farm multigrain bread!

From time to time, I figure model for art classes to make a few extra bucks. I live a few blocks away from an art museum that holds adult art classes throughout the year and I am on their model list. The instructors give you a call whenever they need a model for one or more of their classes and if you can make it, great, but if you can’t, that’s okay, they’ll call up another model to see if he or she can make it instead.

Figure modeling does not always equate to nude modeling. In fact, I’ve only ever modeled nude once, which, interestingly enough, was the very first time I ever modeled. Lately, I’ve modeled a lot for portrait classes, so I get paid to sit and stare into space for three hours. I make more money per hour modeling than I do at either of my other jobs and an instructor told me this week that the museum is actually thinking about raising the pay by $3.

For course, figure modeling isn’t for everyone. If you fidget a lot, get bored easily, get muscle cramps easily, or are overly self conscious then you probably won’t enjoy modeling or be very good at it. I, surprisingly, can hold a pose for quite a long time. I shocked myself the first time I did it. If you’re unsure whether you’d be good at figure modeling, I would say go for it. If you don’t like it, then you can just ask for your name to be removed from the modeling list and chance are, you’ll never have to see anyone from the art class ever again. No matter your size, shape, or look, you will be more than welcome to figure model as students need a lot of diversification in order to perfect their drawing and painting skills. My dad is an artist and I only got a smidgen of his talent. Figure modeling is gratifying for me because, while I’m not very good at creating art, I can at least inspire it and be someone’s muse.

A great thing about modeling is how quickly you can build up a network. Once you model a few times, an instructor or two may take a liking to you and call you first for modeling jobs. One of the instructors at the museum has been using me quite a bit lately and has recommended me to other instructors when they are in need of models. Also, the instructors and students may have art projects on the side either with another artists’ group or individually that require a model and they may think of you first when it comes time to arrange the model.

To find figure modeling jobs, I highly recommend giving the following organizations a call: art museums that offer classes, art studios that offer classes, colleges, community colleges, and art centers.

I was going to write about the wonders of figure modeling as a way to make some extra money on the side today, but I came down with a nasty migraine this afternoon and am still trying to shake it. I’ll try again tomorrow.

I adamantly resisted planning my wedding for a good 6 months. A few weeks ago, though, it dawned on me that it’s possible Jake and I can swing a wedding for next summer, like we originally wanted, and I got down to planning. Believe it or not, I actually really enjoy it! Here are the frugal things I’ve come up with so far:
-We’re going to have the wedding in upstate NY where Jake’s family lives. His uncle owns a restaurant on Lake Champlain and he gave us a really good deal for the reception. He also owns 6 cabins on the water and he gave us a great deal on these as well (one for us and the rest for out of town guests).
-We’re either going to have the ceremony at a small park close to the restaurant or have it outside of the restaurant on the water.
-I’m only having a maid of honor.
-Peonies grow everywhere in that part of New York and so I will have peonies in my bouquet, my maid of honor’s bouquet, and in the centerpieces. We’re going to get the flowers from Jake’s relatives’ backyards. Jake’s mom is going to be making all of the flower arrangements.
-Jake’s mom is going to make our cake and Jake’s aunt is going to decorate it.
-We’re going to use our iPod as the DJ and Jake can loan audio equipment from his work for free.
-We’re going to have a buffet instead of a served meal.
-We’re probably going to buy the alcohol at a liquor wholesaler in New York and have the bartender serve it at the reception instead of using and being charged for the restaurant’s alcohol.
-We’re probably going to go to Maine for our honeymoon instead of going to Italy like we originally planned. I think we’ll save Italy for our one year anniversary.

I would love to hear more ideas you all have for ways to keep wedding costs down.

Yesterday, I realized an ECB was expiring that day, so I ran into CVS after hitting the post office. I grabbed:

2 Sure deodorants $5.38 minus 2 $1 coupons= $3.38
Bic Soleil razor $6.99 minus $4 coupon= $2.99
4 pk Soleil cartridges $6.99 minus $4 coupon= $2.99
Minus $10 ECB that was adjusted down to $9.36
Total out of pocket (tax) $.50
Got back $8 in ECBs and $1 ECB for my spring spending
I will also be sending in the Sure Buy One Get One Free rebate to get $2.69 back

The only coupon queen moment I had at Kroger this week was getting an 8 pack of DanActive for $1. It was clearanced down to $1.99 and I had a $1 coupon. Maybe next week will prove to be better for couponing.

Jake and I are going to walk to 7-11 after dinner to get our free slurpees. What a nice treat for a hot day!

My mom’s birthday is this weekend and I, of course, don’t have gobs of money to spend on her, so I started brainstorming inexpensive ways to show my love for her.

I remembered that I have a sketchbook full of drawings that I drew when I was younger. There was a possibility that there was a drawing that featured my mom in that book. I hunted around and found it at my dad’s house. We looked through the sketchbook as well as other sketchbooks he had saved of my brother’s and my artwork. We not only found a drawing that I did of my mom when I was about 6, but we also found a hilarious drawing my brother did of my mom when he was about 9.

I sealed them up, along with a card, and mailed them to her today. I’m sure they are going to make her laugh, cry, and feel loved. What better present could you ask for?

+I modeled today for 3 hours= $36
+I will be modeling two more times next week= $66
+I applied for a job today and will apply for at least one more before the week is out
-Jake informed me that he didn’t have enough money to pay his student loans and now has to pay a late fee
+Jake has a strong lead for a better job
-Wedding invitations are expensive
-I haven’t studied for the GRE in weeks
-Our old landlords still haven’t gotten the unjustified fee cleared up and will most likely deduct it from our security deposit
+I sold a shelving unit= $20
-We’re still not completely unpacked yet
+Thank you for the wedding encouragement