Homeowner by 30!

Redecorating on the Cheap: Printables

2013-05-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I posted about how I spruced up my apartment for free. Today and tomorrow I'd like to post about how I added some pizzazz to my place by spending very little money. I was able to use some things I had around my house to keep it low-cost, but you may need to purchase some of these items to make it happen.

I have five 5x7 frames in my dining room from Ikea. They have floral prints (also from Ikea), and they've never really been my favorite. I just put them up because I already had them and didn't want to spend more money at the time. I went on Pinterest and searched for "free kitchen printables." I chose these ones, from Questionable Domestique. They are legit, and not stolen! Holla! They are also super fun. I like that they're neutral, so they'd work in almost any kitchen/dining area (mine are connected, so the kitchen theme works in the dining room).

The prints are available in both 4x6 and 5x7. If you have a better printer than I do, you could print these at home and keep it even cheaper. I chose to upload them to the Biola print shop (where I did my wedding invites) to have them printed and cut.

Inspired by how great I think these will look, I started looking for seasonal printables as well. I already had an 8x10 black frame, so I searched for prints in that size. I collected ten different prints that I liked, and again had them printed at Biola. I put all ten in the frame so that I don't have to go searching for them when the time comes; I can just take the back off and rotate the correct one to the front. I found most of them on a site called Over the Big Moon in the printables section. I also searched her blog for various holidays. I searched Pinterest for the holidays I didn't see on this blog. Here are a few of my favorites:

I liked this for January because all the other one's talked about snow...doesn't really work for Southern California.

I used a 40% coupon from Michael's to get a picture frame stand for under $5. I set up my frame on the corner of my dining room table, and I think it will be really fun to have a rotation of prints all throughout the year.

These two changes really added a lot to my dining area. I find that buying wall art or decorations can be SO expensive, but with these blogs giving away prints, it really keeps things affordable. If you don't have a printer, you could also upload the jpg files to your local drugstore photo department, which would keep the cost low as well.

Have you used free printables before? There were also a lot of fun ones that could be used for party favors and decorations, so I will probably use them again in the future. Hurray for creative bloggers who are kind enough to give things away, right?

I am going to attempt a craft this weekend as part of my cheap decorating scheme. If it comes out, I will take pics and post about it. Wish me luck!

Redecorating for Free

2013-05-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

So after my shower on Sunday (which was great! People were so generous, including my aunt who gave us the money for our table, chair, and linen rentals as a gift!) I suddenly became very dissatisfied with the decor in our apartment. Something about having some nice, new things made me annoyed with all of my old decor.

When we moved in, I did decorate. However, most of my stuff was just what I had from my old apartment. I was feeling very blah about it, so I decided to do some redecorating. BUT, obviously I didn't want to spend much since we are paying for the wedding.

So, here are my ideas for how to spruce up your home FOR FREE. Holla! I'll do another post on some of the cheap upgrades I did (spending very little), but let's start with the things you can do today to make your place look better without spending a dime!

(Of course, it would have been awesome if I took before and after pictures...I didn't. Boooo.)

1. Organize your books by color. A friend of mine did this, and even though I thought it looked great, my Type A personality just couldn't handle it. I had all my books organized by genre, alphabetically by author. (I know, I know.) But aesthetics finally overtook my need for library-like order and I did it. I did a blue shelf, a red shelf, and half green, half yellow shelf, and a black shelf. My other bookshelf in the spare room contains all my other books. It does NOT look pretty. But this one, in the living room looks great! I also have a million frames, so I put the ones that are these colors on the shelves. I took the random collection of candles off of the top of the bookshelf so that it would have a more clean look. Finally, I printed a 4x6 photo of a quote from Dr. Seuss (from "Oh, the Places You'll Go"). I searched for "free Dr. Seuss prints" and found one that's super cute. If you have a photo printer, this would be free. I paid 21 cents at Walgreens for the print. This looks SO MUCH BETTER than it did before.

2. Declutter the bathroom. I used to have a bin with all sorts of bathroom products on top of the toilet tank in my bathroom. But, after I put out my new bath and hand towels I got at the shower, I thought the bathroom could use some sprucing up too. So, I reorganized under the sink and made room to keep that bin out of sight. Then, I grabbed two blue candles that I had laying around (anyone else have a candle surplus??) and put them on the back of the toilet. I kept a couple of rolls of TP there ('cause let's keep it real), but even that tiny change made it look better in there.

3. Vacuum the couch! Freddie cleaned out the vacuum hose that had lost its suck (and no wonder! So gross how much dirt was trapped in there!), so I used the opportunity to put on the brush attachment and clean the couch. It made a surprising difference in how it looked. I also flipped all the cushions, which made it look much fluffier and inviting. So, if you are the type who keeps up with this, than this tip doesn't apply to you. And maybe you all do. But if you're like me and let things slide sometime, this is a chore that's worth doing.

Tune in tomorrow to get my tips for low-cost decorating tips!

Wedding Plans: Saving Money on Invitations

2013-05-08T14:12:00.003-07:00

We've done lots and lots of wedding planning lately! Our biggest update is that our wedding invites have been sent! Here's how we did invites on the cheap!

First, we went to Etsy and perused their invitations. We found some really cute ones with a flag banner and little birds on them that we liked. They are very simple, but cute. The cost to personalize them and have the file emailed to us as a pdf was $12. I went ahead and added on the thank you notes and programs as well, which were $5 and $10 respectively. So, we spent $27 on that part.

Then, I went to the print center at Biola, the college I went to. They worked with us to print our invites and thank you notes, which included the cutting and folding as well. Including tax, I paid $45 to have them printed. I haven't had the programs printed yet because I haven't figured out what I want on them. That's my project for this month!

I ordered envelopes for both the invites and thank you notes on Amazon for about $15. So, we've spent a total of about $90 so far, BUT that includes our thank you notes and the program design. I'm guessing our programs will cost another $20 or so to print.

I addressed the envelopes myself and didn't do the double envelope thing. Honestly, people are just going to throw them away and my writing is semi-decent, so I was fine with that. Invites just aren't something I care too much about, and the envelopes are definitely at the bottom of my list of concerns.

We also saved by making our RSVP online, rather than printing another card, buying envelopes and putting stamps on them. I used weebly.com to make a website that includes a map of our location, our registry info, and an RSVP form. All of the RSVP's go straight to my email. We figured only our grandmas might have trouble with the online RSVP, but we know they're coming, so it should be fine. :)

We could have kept it super cheap if we ONLY did invites, but I figured since we'll need thank you notes and programs anyway, it made sense to go ahead and get it all at once, so that they will all coordinate. I'm happy as well, because I think we will spend the same amount on all three things that many people just spend on invites.

I think the fiance spent about $20 on stamps as well. But, there were a few extra that a stole to send out thank you notes for my shower.

How much did you spend on wedding invitations? Are you traditional-wanting the double envelopes, calligraphy, etc.? Or are you more like me?

Wedding Update

2013-04-07T17:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some of our most recent wedding plans/purchases:

1. I reserved our tables, chairs, and linens for the big day. I called a few places, and went with the one that had what we wanted. They'll charge my credit card after they are delivered, so that's not something I have to pay right now. The total for the rentals is $350.

2. We ordered a pdf of our invitation on Etsy for $12. I'll have them printed at the Biola Duplicating Center, which is usually very reasonable. The same seller also does matching thank-you's for $5 and programs for $10. So, I'll spend $27 on all of the designs and then have them printed.

3. I ordered 12 white cloth napkins on Ebay for $12. I'm going to put these down on each table, with a vase of flowers on top for centerpieces (my tablecloths are royal blue). After the wedding I'll be able to use the napkins again, and the cost was close to the same to rent them for the day.

4. I also ordered 100 glow-sticks for the reception. We did this at a friend's reception: during the height of the dancing, we passed out glow-sticks to everyone on the dance floor. It was super fun, and made for some great pictures. I ordered them on Ebay for $15!

5. My last Ebay purchase for the day was a bra/corset from David's Bridal. The original price is $70, and I got mine for $26 with shipping. Yesssss.

Oh, and we're doing cake tasting on Thursday! FREE CAKE!

Do you Fitbit??

2013-04-04T12:16:00.000-07:00

I spent $60 on a pedometer a few months ago. It's called a Fitbit Zip, and I think it might be serious. Yes, it might be love.

The Fitbit is a high-tech pedometer that tracks your steps, mileage, and calories burned. The super part is that it syncs to your computer, so you get to see charts and graphs of how many steps you took each day, week, month, etc. You can also break down the day into five minute increments to see when you were the most active. You earn badges on the site for steps in a day and total distance. All of this is compelling, making it much more fun than a regular pedometer. Because I am a giant nerd.

BUT, I haven't even gotten to the super-awesome part yet. The super-awesome part is that you can compete against other friends who are on Fitbit. The leader board is based on a seven day running total, and it updates anytime someone syncs up their info. I have been pretty constantly logged in since I've gotten it. Because, for those of you who don't know me in real life, I am uber-crazy competitive. It can be a curse, but in this instance, it's a blessing. My competitive drive has made me work to get in way more steps than I normally would, simply because I am competing against my fiance and several other friends and relatives.

The competitive-factor has actually added many other benefits to my life. So, without further ado, here are the ways wearing a Fitbit has improved my quality of life:

1. Obviously, walking more is healthy. I am moving more, which research shows is important not just in working out, but in spending less time sitting down. So, this is the most important and most obvious benefit.
2. My house is cleaner, because when I want to get more steps in at the end of the night I go from room to room tidying up. I can get in a couple of hundred steps just by taking things from room to room to put them away.
3. I take out the trash a lot more. That's around 100 steps by itself. I used to avoid taking out the trash like the plague, but now I see it as an opportunity to squeeze in a few more steps.
4. I walk around my classroom more. This makes me a better teacher, since I am more aware of what all the students are doing and I am able to stop and help them when needed.
5. I watch less TV because I want to get steps in. Last week I went on several short walks and even went on a hike after work, simply because I like to win.
6. I have been walking on more of my errands (grocery store, post office, library, etc.) This is also a benefit for my wallet, since I save on gas.

Anyone else have a Fitbit? If so, let's be friends! I can't wait to ~~beat you~~ compete with you!

Re-embracing Frugality

2013-04-03T12:13:00.002-07:00

Over the last nine months or so (since I've been debt-free) I've definitely relaxed in the area of frugality. I'm sure I'm still more careful with money than many people out there, but I let loose in a lot of areas. I buy myself clothes, joined boot camp, went to some concerts, and just generally relaxed about money. I don't stick with a budget anymore, though I do keep an eye on my accounts. I am still contributing to my Roth IRA, my house down-payment fund, and saving an additional couple hundred dollars a month to my emergency fund.

Sounds pretty good, right? Enjoying the fruits of my labor, but still making some good choices.

But lately I've realized a few things that have made me realize it's time to get back to some of my more frugal ways.

Realization Number One: Even a budget wedding is still going to cost me quite a bit of money.
In order to pay deposits, pay for our honeymoon, buy my dress, etc. I've used all of the extra money I've stocked away in my e-fund each month, as well as my tax return and a financial gift from my grandma. I still have the same amount I started with when I got engaged, but I haven't been able to save any extra. This would be fine, except that the day of the wedding we are going to owe quite a bit of money to different vendors. As in, I need to have a couple of grand ready to spend on the big day. If I don't start aggressively saving each month, I'm going to have to tap into my savings (e-fund) in order to pay for it. No, it wouldn't drain it completely, but my goal is to keep three months of expenses in there.

Realization Number Two: I really, really want to buy a house.
For a while, I was content to take my time in saving for a house and just see what happens. But, prices are starting to creep up again, and I don't want to get boxed out of the market. I also would like a bigger place for entertaining/having family over for holidays. We're also talking about starting a family, and it would be great to get into a house before we have a kid. So, I definitely don't want to stop contributing to my house down-payment fund, or my Roth IRA (which could also be used to supplement a down payment).

Soooo...back to frugality. Here are a list of things I am going to go back to in order to save more money each month:
1. Make an effort to have ten "no-spend" days per month. This stops me from the little purchases that add up throughout the month.
2. No buying clothes (exceptions include wedding-related events like showers and bachelorette party, but I am going to try to borrow clothes for those). I legitimately need some new clothes since I've lost weight, but I am going to try to hold off on that until after the wedding.
3. No stopping for coffee on the way to work. I want to work on making coffee at home, or--even better--just not drinking it.
4. Rather than buying new shoes for the wedding, I am going to try to get my white wedges repaired and use those. They are super comfy, and just need new insoles.
5. Cook from the pantry...I have a lot of stuff in there, and this would cut down on my grocery bill.

I also called T-Mobile and got my bill lowered, and I am working on being more diligent about my electricity use (though this has never been a huge expense for us).

What other frugal things am I forgetting? It's been a while!

Saving Money for an Out-of-Town Wedding

2013-03-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

So, besides planning my own wedding this July, I am also a bridesmaid in my dear friend Shelley's wedding at the end of July (just three weeks after mine). Her wedding is in Oregon, so my fiance (who will be my husband by then!!) and I will be traveling to the wedding shortly after our honeymoon.

I'm thrilled to be a part of Shelley's day, and also thrilled that I have found some ways to save money as a bridesmaid/guest at her wedding. I thought I'd share a few tips for those of you with out-of-town weddings to attend this summer.

First, I bought my bridesmaid dress used from www.bridesmaidtrade.com. I'm not getting any kickback from them for posting this, but I wanted to share this resource. My dress is from David's Bridal, where it would have cost $99+tax. I scored this one for $65 flat. I tried it on in the store so I know my size, and this one was worn once, no alterations made. Seems pretty cool (I'll confirm that when my dress arrives in the next week or so). If the dress does not come as described, you have 48 hours to mail it back for a full-refund.
Savings: $35

Next, Freddie came up with an idea to save us more money. I will fly up on Thursday morning to help and hang out with Shelley. I bought a one-way ticket. Freddie is going to drive his car up to Oregon (a 15 hour drive, yikes) that same day. He'll be there for the weekend, and then we'll drive home together Sunday. We may stay at a cheap hotel on the way home, just to break up the driving. This saves on his plane ticket, my ticket home, and we won't need a rental car. Even after gas, we'll definitely come out ahead on this deal.
Savings: $200-$250

Finally, I started researching places to stay. At first I looked at hotels, but then the bride suggested I look at cottages for rent. The wedding is in wine country, so there are lots of cute places available. I found a two-bedroom, one bath cottage that sleeps four for $135/night. I found two friends that can share it with us, so it ends up being an amazing deal! It also has a kitchen, so we can save money by cooking breakfasts and lunches at the cottage rather than eating out. Score!
Savings: $100 (plus whatever we will save on food...that is a looser number, but definitely cheaper than eating out every meal).

So, we are saving between $335-$385 so far! I'm definitely happy about this, especially since we will just be coming back from our honeymoon and money will be tight. Plus, I think the cottage will be a great place to stay!

How do you save money on out-of-town events? Any other ideas for me?

Money in the Bank

2013-01-16T13:12:00.001-08:00

The other day I posted about the wedding expenses so far (and how we're saving money so far). I thought I'd also post an update about how much I've put in my savings for the big day.

My grandma gave me a check for a thousand dollars toward the wedding, which was super nice of her. I deposited that, along with $515 from the weight loss contest I did. My grandma also gave me a bag of coins as a "stocking stuffer" (even though we didn't do stockings this year). That was another $51.11. And then I took in our jar of coins. We started it when we moved in together a year and a half ago. We have occasionally raided it for laundry money, but we've obviously been pretty good about leaving it alone. The total in there was $119.55!
So, for those of you playing at home, the grand total in the wedding budget is $1,685.66. Holla! This is good news, since I need to pay off my dress, the taco guy deposit, and will be paying another $200 deposit this week. Luckily I am still ahead of the game in saving, and will continue to add more from my tax returns, and my regular paycheck as time goes by.

I put the money in with my E-fund for now. As I use it I will transfer it to checking, but I want to keep it somewhere I won't just spend it. I have added another thousand to my E-fund since I stopped blogging, so I am at three and a half months of expenses, plus the wedding budget in there. If it gets too difficult to keep track of, I can start a new account...but I'd rather not since I have money in five accounts already.

Now, I am just chomping at the bit waiting for my W-2's to come so I can do taxes and see what my return will be. Anyone else excited to do taxes? How did you save for your wedding?

Saving & Spending on the Wedding

2013-01-14T17:41:00.001-08:00

So, here's how we have saved and spent on our wedding plans thus far...

SAVED:
*We are having our ceremony and reception in a friend's backyard. This saves in obvious ways, since we aren't paying for a venue. It also limits the size of our wedding to about 60 people, which is great. I want a small(ish) wedding, but I know if I had a large venue I'd keep inviting people. By keeping it intimate, we are able to save on table and chair rentals, food, drinks, cake, etc. It also gives us flexibility in what vendors we use. Speaking of...

*The food will be from a "Taco Guy." (Sort of like a Taco Truck, but no truck just a metal grill he brings in to cook three different kinds of meat for tacos, quesadillas, beans, rice, and salsa. We are feeding 60 people a great meal for $390! I had this same guy for my birthday and have attended other parties where he has catered and people always RAVE about the food. During the cocktail hour we are going to set up a nacho bar, which I estimate will cost us another fifty bucks or so.

*We are serving beer and wine (and my friend's Sangria!) but not hard liquor. This will save us money, and since we are in a friend's yard, we can just buy the booze ourselves. I plan on hitting up BevMo during their five cent sale to get the wine. Still need to figure out if a keg or bottles would be cheaper for the beer.

*We booked a photo booth (a splurge that we really wanted) and our DJ together. I saved $200 right off the bat by booking the services from the same company. He was also running a $100 off special for the photo booth, and I saw a $50 off coupon on Yelp. I asked if I could combine offers. He said usually he doesn't, but since I asked he would do it. (ALWAYS ask!) The photo booth will serve as our favor for guests, and our guest book. The attendant will put in a photo of each group and have them write a message next to it. We thought about not hiring a DJ, but we think the night will run a LOT more smoothly if we have one. Also, we would have spent some dough renting the equipment and getting all the music, so I feel good about hiring the DJ. We are spending a total of $900 for both services.

SPENDING:

*I bought my dress last week. It's lovely. :) It's a Vera Wang, on sale from David's Bridal (I saved $200). The total was $675, which was a little more than I wanted to spend. However, I love it and I don't think it's too unreasonable. With tax and alterations, I will end up spending about $1,000 total for my dress (ugh). But I am reminding myself of all the other places we've saved.

*This week I mailed deposits for the Taco Guy as well as the DJ/Photo Booth totaling $250.

Tune in tomorrow for an update on how much I have saved/collected for the wedding. And later this week I hope to have an exciting update on how we're saving on our honeymoon...

Where is My Wedding Budget Coming From?

2013-01-08T13:56:00.000-08:00

I mentioned in the last post that I wanted to keep our wedding under $5,000. That's still a large chunk of change, and I wanted to share how I will be paying for it. Because I like to share all of my personal information on the internet.

So far, here's what I have:
$1,000: coming from generous gift from Grandma :)
$500: winnings from last weight loss contest at the gym (I won first place! Boo-ya!)
$50: Christmas money
$100: Change jar (we've had this going for a year and a half, so I plan on cashing it in for some wedding related expense).

Future plans:
$2,000: Tax return. I don't know exactly how much this will be, but based on previous years I am assuming I'll have about this much to put towards wedding expenses.
$??: Change from Grandma. She gives it to me or my sister as a stocking stuffer each year, but she forgot to bring it on Christmas. It's all her change in a jar and she empties it once a year. No clue the total, but it should be a large chunk of change (literally).
$??: Ideally I will place in the weight loss competition I just joined, although I can't depend on this, of course.

Other than that, I will be pulling money from my regular paycheck to cover the balance. This should be no more than $1500 more dollars over the next seven months, so I that is definitely manageable. I am putting extra money in E-fund each month, but if I have to use some of it that's fine by me. I definitely won't dip below the three month mark at any point, but I already have several savings accounts, so I am not opening a new one for the wedding.

And there you have it. In the coming months, I'll be sharing how we are having a wedding for no more than $5,000. I truly believe it is possible, and that it can be a nice event without busting the bank.

2013 Goals

2013-01-07T13:44:00.000-08:00

Some people hate New Year's Resolutions. I LOVE them. Because I like having goals, and I like to think that the month of January makes me suddenly more disciplined. :) Without further ado...

Financial Goals
1. Keep wedding under $5,000.
2. Get at least $10,000 in house fund.
3. Get E-fund up to six months of my part of expenses (four months of total household expenses).

Health Goals
1. Maintain weight/current clothing size until/unless I get pregnant. (Yes, I'm going there).
2. Continue working out at least three days per week.
3. Eliminate soda completely.
4. Only have desserts for wedding related things (cake tasting, wedding cake, cupcakes at shower, etc.) I am trying to conquer my addiction to sugar (the white Satan).

Work Goals
1. Teach Summer School if it is available.
2. Find out if my LACOE salary points from old district can convert into real units for this district.
3. Take three classes to earn units towards a raise.

More Discipline (But Not Too Much)

2013-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday I posted about how I am not tracking my spending, using a credit card, and how it's working out famously. Boo-ya!

However, with wedding stuff looming and some savings goals that I still want to make happen, I do want to find ways to save more money.

So, here are some goals for January in order to save more throughout the month:
1. Have 10 No Spend Days. This helps to save on those little mindless purchases, which adds up to more saving throughout the month. It also helps me to plan what I want to spend and run those errands all at once with lists to make sure I don't forget anything. The list also helps me stick to the plan and not buy extra stuff.
2. Cook From the Pantry. My cupboard seems to be overflowing, but I am always buying stuff to make meals. My goal is to sort through what I have and try to make meals without shopping. Tonight I am making Korean beef and Asian salad using all ingredients I have here.
3. Stick to Weight Watchers without Subscribing. I have lost about 10 pounds in the last few months (it was about 13, but then Christmas happened). I didn't renew my subscription, but found some online calculators and would like to follow the plan without the services. This saves about $20 per month, and the fiancé is doing the same thing, so hopefully we can work together on that.
4. Lose Five Pounds. No, not because I'm getting married. But because I joined a second weight loss contest at my boot camp, and the prize money would be AWESOME. :) So, I want to lose at least five pounds this month, and five more before the contest ends in February.

My end-goal is to have at least $200 left over at the end of the month to put into my E-fund ($50 more than I had last month).

What are your goals for January?

Next Up: 2013 Goals

You'd Better Sit Down For This One...

2013-01-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

Okay, hold onto your hats...I'm about to shock you.

1. I got a credit card and am using it ALL THE TIME.

2. I'm not tracking my spending anymore.

3. It's all going really, really well.

So, I decided to get a rewards credit card a few months back. After doing a lot of research, I went with the Capital One Venture Card (the one's with Alec Baldwin on the commercials). I figured I might as well earn points and save money on some of my travels, and this one seemed the most flexible.

My plan was to use the credit card for everything, but keep tracking all my spending as I had been for the last few years.

But then I didn't. I just used the card for my usual expenses, including my cell phone bill, groceries, etc. Basically anywhere that lets me pay with credit card, I use this card to rack up points. I keep an eye on the balance throughout the month, making sure nothing crazy is happening. At the end of the month, I looked at my checking account (which has only a few bills auto-paying out of it), paid the credit card bill in full, and had about $150 extra bucks to put in my emergency fund.

Hmm. That all worked out okay. So I went ahead and did the same thing in December. Lo and behold, the same thing happened. I had about the same amount left over in my checking (even after Christmas spending!), so I transferred it to my emergency fund.

I am still doing several automatic transfers to savings right after payday:
*Summer Saver: this district doesn't pay in August, so I am saving for that)
*Travel Fund: I throw $100 into this every month.
*Roth IRA: I have this set up to max out my $5,000 contribution over the course of the year
*House Fund: Right now I have $500 per month going into this account

Since my E-fund is funded for over three months right now, I am not putting too much in it, just whatever is left over at the end of the month. I wouldn't have thought I could be comfortable not tracking my spending obsessively, but things are working really, really well.

Are you shocked? Want to shame me? Want to punch me for pulling this off? Let me know your thoughts (and that I still have a reader or two out there).

Next post: How I plan to be more disciplined in spending, without tracking every penny.

I'm Back, Baby!

2013-01-04T13:08:00.003-08:00

Why, Hello.

Happy New Year! I haven't posted in many, many moons. And my "new blog" didn't really happen either. I make no promises that I will keep up blogging daily again, but I do miss writing, so I have decided to pop my head in and write some posts over here.

The biggest news in the last month is that Freddie and I got engaged! Whoo-hoo! He asked me on December 4th, a random Tuesday while we were sitting in the car. The element of surprise was definitely there, as were many nice things, a lot of happy tears (from me of course), and a gorgeous ring. I said yes!

We are planning a simple, backyard wedding in July. My goal is to keep it under $5,000. My grandma has said she will give me $1,000, which is super generous of her. I have enough in my savings to cover the whole event, but my goal is to keep my E-fund at at least the three month level AND keep adding to my house fund. I think this is do-able, but it is making my hard-core PF side perk up.

So, over the next days/weeks/months I want to start updating what's been going on in the PF world of Jessica. I'll also talk wedding on a budget (which will bore some of you, but may be useful for others). I also made goals for 2013, so I'll share those as well.

In other words, I'm back, baby! Anyone still reading?

My New Blog!

2012-09-16T19:54:00.000-07:00

I started a new blog, and I'm pretty excited about it! It's called Not Pinterest. Here's my description:

"Oh, hello. I didn’t see you there. Please, pull up a cozy chair (that you re-upolstered yourself), brew a cup of tea (that you keep in a mason jar with twine tied in a bow around), and sit in your perfectly cleaned living room (with pictures of your perfectly clean, blonde, children).

Oh wait. This ain’t Pinterest. And I’m me.

In that case, flop down on the couch, grab that last popsicle that’s been in your freezer for a questionably long time, and try not to look at the clutter on your coffee table. This blog’s for you, my friend.

I used to blog about personal finance, but after I got out of debt, that got a little dull. I miss writing, and want to write about life as a teacher and life at home. I like to share recipes, ridiculous stories about teaching seventh grade, cleaning and organization tips, and whatever else pops into my head. I’m actually pretty good at those things.

But, I’m going to be honest and real and tell you that I am not “Pinterest-good” at them. If I took a picture of my dinner, it would not look amazing and artistic. In fact, sometimes pictures of my food don’t even look appetizing. But the meals themselves-great.

My cleaning tips are more “real lazy” than “Real Simple.” My organization strategies are effective, but not in matching drawer liners with trendy contact paper.

So, I decided to own it. Join me for the ride as I live my life, share some ideas, and hopefully make you laugh. It’ll be like Pinterest, but it won’t make you feel bad about yourself."

I hope you'll check it out, link me, and maybe even read it, despite the fact that it's not personal finance focused. I'm going for a mix of practical and funny. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Update

2012-08-23T20:54:00.000-07:00

Well, I became what I was always annoyed with: the blogger who gets out of debt and promptly stops posting. Yup. I'm just not that interested in blogging about PF anymore, to be honest. But, I am working on a new blog, which I will get up and running in the next month or so. I'll definitely post the link here, and I'd love it if you'd read it. l

Basically, I'm alive, all is well, and I still read your blogs. I like them. Don't be like me, keep posting.

Smooches.

Getting Money Back-Moving

2012-07-20T11:14:00.015-07:00

When BF and I moved out of the old apartment, we did the things you usually do in hopes of getting back my full $500 deposit. We cleaned like fiends, basically. Patched holes in the walls, scrubbed, soaked, and deep-cleaned the place. I think we did a pretty good job, so I am hoping for almost the full deposit back.

The other way I hoped to get some funds back is in my July rent. We had to pay for the whole month, but we were actually completely out of the apartment by July 7th. So, I emailed my landlord and asked if she could pro-rate the rent for us. She said that if she found someone to move in before the end of July, she would be willing to refund our rent for those days. SCORE!

I helped her along by posting the Craigslist ad on my Facebook, showing the apartment while I was still living there, and of course cleaning the place so that it would show well. And on Tuesday I found out that our efforts paid off: the apartment was rented and the new move-in date is the 20th! So, we will be refunded most of the deposit (I always expect a little to be taken off) plus ten days of rent! YES!

That money is going straight back into my Emergency Fund, since that's what I used to pay the deposit on this apartment. That will put me only $500 away from a completely stocked E-fund!

So, I encourage you to be assertive with your landlord when moving. She wouldn't have offered, but when I asked, she was willing to work with me, and it paid off!

Market Research...Cha-ching!

2012-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was walking out of the Whittier Public Library when a woman and I made eye-contact. She asked, "Do you live in this area?" I had a moment of panic, because I grew up here and just moved back. I thought she might ask for directions, and that's not my strong-suit to begin with. :/ I said yes, hesitantly. She then asked if I would be interested in doing some paid market research on July 17th. She also said, "It pays $300."

WHAT?! Hell yes I am interested! So, she asked me several questions to see if I qualified, and then gave me a letter with the info. I had to go to LA, arriving by 8:00. The session went until 6:30. I would be paid in cash as I left and provided with lunch.

I looked up the organization to make sure it was legit, and according to Yelp reviews, it was. So, on Tuesday I headed out at 6:45 and attended. I signed a confidentiality agreement, so all I can say is that it was on local issues. We watched presentations and filled out questionares. At the end of the day, they put us in groups to discuss the issues while the watched and videotaped us. It was a long day, but the topic was fairly interesting. It's not how I'd want to spend every day, but when they handed me an envelope with $300 cash in it, it definitely felt worth it!

So, what am I going to do with the money?
$50=Desk for second bedroom from Walmart. I already bought this and put it together.
$50=Mac eyeshadow kit. My friend Rene works for Mac and got me to pre-order this item.
$100=New work clothes. I got rid of a few ancient pairs of pants and need some new shirts, so I'm going to start rebuilding with $100 at the outlets (I love you, Banana Republic Outlet).
$100=Vacation! We leave on our massive road trip next week, so I stashed $100 away to take on the trip.

I thought about putting some of it into savings, but I actually feel good about how I split up the money. I think it's a good mix, and since this month was VERY expensive, with moving and all, this couldn't have come at a better time.

I emailed the woman who recruited me, told her how much I enjoyed participating, and that I would love to be a part of more studies if she needs people. Fingers crossed she calls me again!

Have you ever done market research for money? Was it worth it?

So, About Being Debt Free

2012-07-06T04:25:00.000-07:00

A few posts back I casually mentioned that I paid off my student loans and am 100% debt free. I did it in the midst of some other posts, and after a long-ish absence, so I thought I'd go back and write a bit about it, and reflect on how far I've come.

I was able to pay off the last chunk of my student loan because as a National Board Certified Teacher in LAUSD, I am able to earn money for additional hours of professional development (both as a leader and a learner) each year. This is money on top of my regular check and is part of the incentive to get the certification. (Alas, my new district does not participate, but hopefully they won't lay me off every year either). When I got that extra chunk of money, I decided to go ahead and just pay off my entire student loan amount and be done with it all at once.

Honestly, there wasn't the fanfare I felt when I paid off my credit cards or my car loan. I think in part because I don't have any regrets about my student loans, and they never bothered me as much as my other debt. Also, I didn't entirely plan to pay them off that day, so it didn't have the build-up that the other debt payoffs had. To top it all off, I was/am going through HUGE transitions right now-laid off, new job, moving, etc.

Don't get me wrong; it feels pretty great to be debt free. But I guess I thought there would be more glee or jumping up and down than there actually was. I do occasionally think, "I am debt free." And it always brings a little smile to my face.

I did some number crunching, and from what I have figured, I have been on this journey to be financially responsible for 31 months (two and a half years). In that time, I have paid off approximately $28,000 of debt to become debt-free. I've also saved almost a three month E-fund, 25% of a house down payment, put money in a Roth IRA for seven months in a row, and increased my funding to my 403(b).

I got super serious about budgeting, tracking every cent I spend. I was really intense in the beginning, and have relaxed as I've gotten out of my high-interest consumer debt. I still took vacations during this time, and prioritized for the things that are important to me.

I remember taking Financial Peace University and hearing that it takes most people two to three years to pay off all their debt if they get gazelle-intense. That seemed like FOREVER. But, I have to say that being on the other side, it doesn't seem so long.

So, am I excited about being debt free? A little. But I think the better word to describe it is proud. I am proud that I did what it took to get here. That I worked hard for it, changed my patterns and habits, and became a financially responsible person. And that's even better than giddy, short-term excitement.

Do I Need More Discipline or a Looser Budget?

2012-06-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

For the last few months, I've gone over my budgets in areas like gas, groceries, and eating out/fun money. The fact that I've been absorbing other expenses into my "cushion" money hasn't helped (my CSET test and auto registration come to mind). I've also done a TON of driving to my new school/district office and back and forth from my old and new apartment. BUT, that doesn't explain all the overages.

On one hand, I think that I could be more careful in my spending, and get back down to what I've been spending in the past. I still have savings goals, and want to make sure that I don't start overspending when I don't need to.

On the other hand, I now have zero debt. ZERO. My budget can loosen up a bit, and I will still be able to max out my Roth IRA this year, as well as contribute to a 403(b), and save $550 per month. Which is great, and I'm thankful that I have found a job where I am able to do that. BUT, if I lock down and get more careful, I could add another $100-$200 per month to that number.

I think there's a reason people talk about being Gazelle-like in debt payoff. Not that I'm suddenly buying designer purses or throwing money out the window. But I think now that I've accomplished that big goal, I want to loosen the reigns a bit. Maybe when I am closer to buying a house or paying for a wedding, some of that gazelle-intensity will come back. I know I have it in me. But for now, I'm going to enjoy being debt free and slow down to a leisurely jog...more giraffe-like. Or excited puppy-like. I don't know, I don't like animals enough to know which one to compare myself to. But you get my point.

We Found an Apartment!

2012-06-26T21:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official: I am moving back to my home town. Yes, Freddie and I are moving to Uptown Whittier. We get the keys on Thursday. The apartment is two bedrooms (so no more printer in the living room, and we'll have his fold out couch as a guest bed). I'm excited about the size, since it was feeling REALLY crowded in our one bedroom apartment.

It also has a garage with room for one car and some storage space in the back. The other person can park their car in the driveway in front of the garage, so that means we both have a parking spot. Holla! After living here, where parking is INSANE, it will be a relief not to have to worry about that.

It is about halfway between our two works, so that's better than some of the other places we looked. We're going to be paying $170 more per month, but the other places we looked were almost that much more for a ONE bedroom, so I'm satisfied with the price.

I am sad that we will no longer have a washer and dryer in the unit, and that there's no dishwasher (again. I haven't had a dishwasher in forever). But overall I think it's a good move for us.

The worst part is that we have to pay deposit, first month's rent, and our rent for this apartment all at once. Ugh. The current landlord told me that if we're out early (we will be) and she can rent it before the month is over, that she will refund us money/prorate the month of July. So, if anyone's looking for a lovely one bedroom apartment in Long Beach, let me know.

I'll post pictures once we've actually moved, but if you're wondering what I'll be doing over the next few weeks, it will be hauling loads of boxes and bags to my new apartment, packing, trying to convince boyfriend to goodwill things, and figuring out how on EARTH we're going to get my couch out of here. (It came in over the balcony, hoisted on top of the moving truck. I don't know how this will work in reverse).

How I Saved $30 Today AKA Studying at Home

2012-06-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that I almost get laid off every year, and in fact did get laid off this year, I decided that it would be in my best interest to broaden my opportunities by getting another credential (this will be my third, in fact). I am taking the test to get a history credential on July 14th. I went for history since I've taught 6th grade history for seven years and was a US history concentration in college. And I like it.

However, sixth grade history is only a small part of the test, and college was eight years ago, so it's definitely time to study. This was confirmed when I took a practice test online, and upon seeing the first question, said, "oh shit" out loud. This morning I came up with a plan to get some studying done.

"I know! I'll go to Barnes and Noble and buy a prep book ($20, at least), then take that to Coffee Bean ($6 for coffee and pastry) and study. I should get a nice, new spiral notebook at Staples too ($3), so I can take notes and do practice tests in it."

Then I remembered that June has been a crazy expensive month and that I shouldn't be spending that kind of money. Also, the prep books got TERRIBLE reviews online, so I am better off using the state standards and my good friend Wikipedia. So, I came up with Plan B.

First, I got up, took a shower, and changed out of my pajamas. I did my hair and makeup too. This put me in the "time to do something" mode.

Why yes, I did choose black and white because it's more flattering.

Next, I dug around and found a spiral notebook with PLENTY of blank pages in it. It was in the BF's drawer, and he tore out the used pages, so I snagged that and some highlighters, a pen, pencil, and post-it notes.

Exhibit A

Then, I poured myself a diet Cherry Pepsi into a glass with ice and a straw. I also made some popcorn and put some wasabi almonds (they're like crack!) into a bowl.

Exhibit B

For ambiance, I put my flowers on the table (thanks student on last day of school!) and tuned my Pandora Station to Death Cab for Cutie for some mellow tunes.

And voila! I am now set to study for the next few hours. If I can get enough studying done and actually pass the test, that will save me the $200 it would cost to take it again. Enough procrastinating, I need to look up all the Constitutional Amendments and remind myself what the Federalist Papers were. And try to get the difference between inflation and deflation straight in my head. Etc, etc. Over and out!

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2012-06-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

I'm alive.

I officially got laid off by LAUSD.

I got a new job teaching seventh grade in West Covina.

Freddie and I are looking for new places to live, somewhere betwixt our two works.

We're also planning a road trip or some sort of vacation for the end of July.

Oh...and I paid off my student loan. So, you know, I'm debt free.

I think all of these minus the "I'm alive" statement will warrant a post of their own. And I do want to get back to blogging, if any of you are still reading. Miss you. Hugs and Kisses.

Jess

Some Updates

2012-05-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

So, here are some updates:

I got a letter from a collections agency claiming I owe Verizon $27.99 for a phone bill. FALSE. I have never had Verizon for my phone (just internet). It also claimed that Verizon had tried to contact me about the bill several times. FALSE! I will be calling Verizon tomorrow to inquire and make sure it is not a scam. If it is in fact collections, I will be writing a letter disputing the claim, since I have received no contact from Verizon about it.

Rumor has it that most pink slips will be rescinded on Tuesday after the school board meeting, but that 800 will not be rescinded at this time. No way to know if I'm in the bottom 800 until then. So I hold my breath and hope that I am one of the lucky ones. If I'm not, that most likely means unemployment for the summer and either getting called back in August or long-term subbing my own class in the Fall. I'm trying not to think about this too much, though it is making me want to beef up my savings in the next few months.

In July I will be losing about 1/4 of my paycheck all at once for furlough days we are taking in June. Luckily, July will be when I get my pay for the National Boards hours I've done this semester. I'm thinking I should break even on that deal.

I stopped putting money towards my house fund for now, so that I can get my Emergency Fund where I want it to be. I am also still putting $100 into my travel fund, but both of those savings accounts could be tapped for a true emergency, so I'm leaving the money where it is for now. If I add up what I have, I have almost four months of emergency expenses covered.

I'm keeping up with tracking my money and doing what I'm supposed to be doing, but the prospect of possibly getting laid off takes some of the fun out of it. Of course I'll still do it, but it's not as fun to plan for unemployment as it is to plan for paying off my student loan or saving for a house.

I guess this post is kind of a downer. Let me end on some positives: I lost seven and a half pounds in three weeks on Weight Watchers. Boo-ya! My Inbox Dollars check came so that's $27 more in my pocket. My mom gave me a $10 Starbucks card today that she didn't want, so that will be a nice treat. I have been successful in keeping my electric bill below $20 for the last three months!

There. It's not all bad stuff around here. I should have an update about the pink slip on Tuesday or Wednesday, so that will either be an even bigger downer or super super exciting. Fingers crossed for the latter!

Little by Little

2012-05-03T11:10:00.000-07:00

Today I made another lump sum payment on my student loan. I paid my $300 extra I've been paying every month and also threw in $28 left over from my April budget. This payment brought my total to 90% paid off! Holla!

I also found out that I we will be having furlough days in June, meaning on the plus side I get out a week early, but on the minus side I lose almost a week of pay from my July check. Ugh. That will definitely hamper my loan payoffs over the summer, but I still hope to be on track to be debt free before my birthday in October.

That's all for now. Just wanted to share my excitement in reaching the 90% mark! :)