SavingTo Pay Down My Home

Bringing my lunch

2009-07-10T17:05:00.002-05:00

I've brought my lunch every day this summer, and I've only gone out to eat once (still brought my lunch). I've realized that I have to spend a little more money for convenience, but at least I'm packing my lunch! For example, I buy a large container of prewashed lettuce instead of leaf lettuce and cherry tomatoes instead of chopping up a tomato. I know I could save more money if I took the time to "prepare" my lunch, but I'm too lazy (and usually in a hurry) before I head to my office.

My recent favorite lunch is:
spring mix (prewashed salad)
cherry tomatoes
sprinkled with feta cheese
Greek vinaigrette dressing

It takes me about a minute to toss the ingredients into a Tupperware container and head to work. I know their are cheaper options for lunch, but I have turned down lunch invitations because I enjoy my salad so much.

I also pack a piece of fruit and a dessert option (usually chocolate).

My Plan to get rid of cockroaches

2009-07-09T11:44:00.002-05:00

Since I moved into my condo, I have found 3 cockroaches. One during the first week and two in the past few days. I've read a lot of different do it yourself "rid your house of cockroaches" articles.

My plan of attack has a lot of different parts, but I can't sleep when I'm thinking that there are cockroaches in my condo.

Outside:
I plan on filling holes around the condo with caulk to keep the cockroaches and any other bugs from finding their way inside.

I am going to sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth around the perimeter of my condo. I've read that it's an easy way to kill pests with exoskeletons. The rough edges damage the exoskeleton and the pests die from dehydration.

Inside
I plan on using Borax all over! I plan on sprinkling it on my carpets, leaving it for a few days, and then vacuuming it up. I plan on sprinkling it under my bathroom and kitchen sinks.

I am going to use bay leaves in my cabinets with my plates and food. I read that cockroaches don't like bay leaves. I will try to find a spice shop, so I can buy them in bulk (much cheaper than buying them in the grocery store).

I'm also planning on purchasing a gel to dot in the cracks of my cabinets and along my floors.

I will buy a few roach motels under my bathroom and kitchen sinks.

I might work on creating a few Vegas roach traps.

Guest Post: Stetching the dollar in the grocery store or kitchen

2009-07-08T08:14:00.006-05:00

This is a guest post by Valerie Kent. Her new book, Gracious Living on Social Security, is an easy-to-read decade-long journey that offers tips and suggestions on how senior citizens can stretch their dollar and get the most for their money. Eleven chapters cover every important aspect of living together, from the wedding preparations to where to live. Key considerations follow each chapter for quick reference: Considerations like where and when to buy clothing, choosing a place to live and juggling your finances. Artist Jeff Nitzberg adds his unique touch with original drawings introducing each chapter.

My husband Rick and I have lived throughout much of the country and were seasoned at the process of building households when we married fourteen years ago. Rick, I discovered, was a gourmet chef, having owned a chain of restaurants in the Boston area. We prefer to cook with unprocessed foods, and are not reliant on microwave cooking. Usually we prepare enough food so that we get several meals out of a given preparation. We tend to buy in bulk at discount outlets like Costco or Sam’s Club where the food moves out fast and is cheap by the pound. Target and Walmart are excellent for specialty food at a good price. While not vegetarians, we avoid red meat until the craving overcomes us. Since restaurant portions are almost always more than we can eat, we usually take half our entrée home for another meal.

At eighty-eight, Valerie Kent is the survivor of a long lifetime spent adjusting to dramatically evolving worlds. She moved from Britain to the United States in 1933. Valerie began at the age of forty-six the drawn-out process of education - seven universities - that would generate, initially, a career as a drug and alcohol counselor for troubled women, then a decade as a celebrated college teacher and - ultimately - a final, exultant marriage.

For greater detail about Gracious Living on Social Security and Valerie Kent, check the Tree Farm Books website, www.treefarmbooks.com.

A year older...

2009-07-06T17:24:00.002-05:00

I'm officially 28 years old! I'm not sure how I feel about this bump in age (especially since I'm still in graduate school), but I did appreciate the gifts. My mom gave me 5 new tops, so I don't have to worry about buying any new clothes to wear to work.

I'm also traveling to a conference at the end of the month. Since I don't have any suits, I was planning on purchasing one. Luckily my sister loaned me a suit and a few pieces, so I can survive the week without purchasing any new clothing. I have another conference in November, so I will eventually have to buy my own suit.

In other news, my grocery bills have been higher. I would like to keep my food spending below $200/month, but I'm going to be a little more lenient. I am trying to eat healthier and make my meals at home. One of my favorite salads includes mixed greens, feta cheese, and cherry tomatoes. I'm working on eating out less, but eating healthy and delicious items at home.

Spending....

2009-07-05T00:24:00.001-05:00

Tuesday--$9 on Lunch at the Olive Garden

Wednesday--$25 groceries

Thursday--No Spend Day

Friday--$18 for take-out for M & me

Saturday--$60 groceries for the week

Buying my condo: Choosing a place & Placing an offer

2009-07-03T09:41:00.003-05:00

I recently purchased a condo; which is why I changed the name of my blog from "Saving For a Home of My Own" to "Saving To Pay Down My Home." I decided to purchase a condo close to my apartment when I saw how inexpensive a one bedroom condo sold for (~$50,000) in a complex down the street.

I found my Realtor through a website (big mistake, ask friends or coworkers for a recommendation) and started checking out real estate in the area that I wanted to be in. I decided that I wanted to be within 5 miles of my office, have a washer and dryer in unit, and for the condo to be move-in ready!

I spoke with a mortgage broker, and he recommended an FHA loan. I would be able to purchase a more expensive place because I only needed to put 3.5% down. I wanted to keep my housing payment below $800/month including taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and mortgage. The mortgage broker recommended that I find something $80k or below.

I searched Internet listing and made a list of places that I wanted to visit. I went out and looked at about 10 one and two bedroom condos. When I saw the condo I purchased, I knew that I wanted it. Most of the condos that I had looked at were in an apartment style complex, but my condo looks more like a townhouse. I share one wall with a neighbor. While the $84k asking price was more than I wanted to spend, the HOA fees were the lowest of any of the properties I looked at, below $100/month.

I told my real estate agent that I wanted to make an offer, and he drew one up. I thought I made a full price offer (clearly I didn't really know what was going on...huge mistake!), but I made a full price offer with the seller paying $3k of my closing costs. It took the seller a week to accept my offer, which was extremely stressful.

I made a lot of mistakes purchasing my first place. The mistakes started with not getting recommendations for a realtor and then continued on from there. I'm happy that everything worked out, but there were just so many little steps that I didn't consider. Since my family lives in the Midwest, I did everything by myself. No one saw the place until I was moving in. I hope my mistakes help someone who is purchasing their first place avoid stress and frustration.

I will continue on to the closing and move-in process next week.

July Goals

2009-07-03T09:25:00.001-05:00

Lose 4.5 pounds. I lost 3.5 pounds in June, so I need to lose an additional 4.5 in July to reach my 8 pound goal for the Blogger Weight Loss Challenge.
Run every morning before work.
Get 8 hours of sleep every night.
Get 3 long bike rides (over 20 miles) in during July.
Track spending.
Write down what I eat.

Blog Sponsor: UPrinting.com

2009-07-02T09:29:00.002-05:00

As you may have noticed, UPrinting.com is one of my blog sponsors. I've been able to offer giveaways through my blog and receive a little bit of income to help pay down my mortgage and save for hardwood floors.

Why UPrinting.com isn't your average printing company:

Blog Sponsorships:
If you are looking to find a sponsor for your blog, UPrinting.com is definitely interested. We offer giveaways, advertising and more for qualified bloggers.

Non-Profit Sponsorships:
The U-Community Program sponsors hundreds of non-profits and education to improve our local communities.

Social Justice Projects:
The UPrinting Kiva account promotes small business growth in developing countries.

Green Printing:
UPrinting supports a sustainable future by recycling, using non-toxic inks, and offering eco-friendly recycled paper stocks for business cards and postcard printing.

Recap: June Goals

2009-07-02T09:22:00.002-05:00

I give myself a 50% on my June goals. I made improvements in most of the areas, but fell short of the goal.

Make $40 extra to put toward my mortgage. I made $144. I will put $72 toward my mortgage and the other half will be placed in my home savings account.
Lose 5 pounds. I'm participating in the PF Bloggers Weight Loss Challenge for June and July. My goal is to lose 8 pounds. I want to kick start my weight loss in June. I lost 3.5 pounds. I really need to kick it up a notch in July.
Workout every day! I want to start running in the morning before I go into work. Not even close. I've been working out 3-4 days a week, which is an improvement.
Set a work schedule from 10-4 for research. My research has been stalled for a while...
Stick to my budget! I'll post my proposed June Budget tomorrow. I have no clue! I've done a horrible job tracking the money that I spent in June!

Net Worth Increase

2009-07-01T01:30:00.003-05:00

Even though my savings, retirement, and non-retirement assets decreased slightly; my total net worth increased because I was able to pay down my mortgage (a little) and paid off my credit card in full.

Currently, my savings accounts stand at

Emergency Fund $6,000
I want to bump this up to $10k since I now have to worry about my mortgage.

Car Maintenance $593.43
My goal is $10k for this account because it is a car maintenance and replacement account. My car currently needs quite a bit of work done, so I hope this will cover it.

Travel $501.80
I want to purchase two plane tickets home (Thanksgiving and Christmas) this year. I don't have any other trips planned. I will try to stash another $200 here.

Home Fund $189.66
I added $144 to this account this month (from money made online). I plan on using $72 to pay down my mortgage and leave $72 in this account (leaving $117.66).

Fun Fund $80.08
I want to buy season football tickets ($135) and a massage (~$100) this summer.

Clothing Fund $168.70
I need to purchase a few items to wear to a conference at the end of July.

Great News!

2009-06-30T19:06:00.000-05:00

I just found out that I received a large fellowship for the next few years. I should receive an extra $4k in September. This will really help my savings accounts (especially my car maintenance fund and my home account).

Recipe: Zucchini & Summer Squash

2009-06-28T06:53:00.002-05:00

This is another really easy recipe that is healthy and tasty! I like to make a lot because it's excellent heated up. I usually prepare this as a side with chicken or fish.

Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or another other oil that you prefer) into a large pan.

Slice the zucchini and squash into 1/16 of an inch sections (I like to do them as thin as possible for fast cooking).

Place the veggies in the oil when it's extremely hot (get your hand wet and flick water on the pan, if it sizzles it's ready).

Allow all of the slices to get coated with the oil. Continue to move the zucchini and squash around the pan until it's done (about 5 minutes--will be slightly browned). Season with salt and pepper (and basil if you have it).

Expensive day

2009-06-26T15:01:00.001-05:00

$110 on Manicure and Pedicure (I also paid for my sister's pedicure)

$22 on a bra and gel heel things for my shoes

Wedding is tomorrow!

2009-06-26T05:58:00.002-05:00

My sister's wedding is tomorrow...and I'm the maid of honor...my toast is still in pieces and I'm flipping out! :)

Wish me luck!

Sister's Wedding

2009-06-25T05:54:00.003-05:00

I'm traveling to the midwest for my sister's wedding. I plan on doing a little shopping (for clothing), getting a manicure and pedicure (~$70), and doing my own hair and make-up. I'm going to try to be as frugal as possible, but the mani/pedi appointment was out of my control. However, my sister was cool with me doing my own hair. I'm doing my makeup and my sister's (a little nervous about that).

I will not pack a checked bag, and I've already made a list of stuff that I need to pack. I hate traveling, but I do have a direct flight. I plan on trying to spend as much time with my family as possible and as little money as possible :)

If I had $81,000 to spend...

2009-06-23T02:17:00.001-05:00

...and only a month to spend it....

DebtHater brought an interesting article about Kelis's monthly expenses. She estimates her spending to be about $80,831 per month. She spends $14,861 on her mortgage...

I thought it would be interesting to see if I could come up with enough stuff to spend $81k in a month (and not just pay off my mortgage like a responsible PF blogger would).

$15k toward my mortgage (which would pay off my mortgage in less than 6 months)

$56,125 for the car of my dreams--a fully loaded 2009 Infiniti G37 Convertible Sport 6MT

$298 on a pair of designer jeans

$98 for a pair of black flats

$150 for a deep tissue massage x 4 (once a week)

$150 for a facial

$75 for a pedicure x 2

$50 for a manicure x 4

$200 for a Clarisonic for M (He's obsessed with mine)

$500 for a hair removal device

$46 on Frederick Fekkai Hair Products

$695 for a new dress

$855 for a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes

$5,100 to Tiffany & Company for a watch :)

$850 for this adorable necklace

I would blow the last $279 on liquor for a blow-out party!

That's insane! If I didn't "purchase" the car, I would have had a really hard time spending all of the money! However, I realize that she probably has much more expensive taste than I do!

Poll Results

2009-06-22T09:24:00.002-05:00

Thanks to my readers that voted in my poll! I'm still undecided about what I should do with the money that I have been making online. Saving for hardwood floors won the vote with 41%! Paying down my mortgage came in a close second with 38%. My retirement fund only received 18% of the vote....but clothes, shoes and purses received 10%!

At this point, I think I'm going to divide the money that I make online (shooting for $50 in July) between saving in my home account and paying down my mortgage. I know that I won't be able to access the money that I put toward my mortgage, but that's part of the reason I'm putting it there. Like my retirement accounts, I can't access the money when I feel the urge to spend! I've been debt free for a few years (now I have mortgage debt), but I still go through spending times when I'm feeling very secure financially.

Recipe: Casserole

2009-06-21T21:11:00.000-05:00

This casserole is easy to make and leaves a lot of leftovers. The only down side is that it requires 2 hours of baking time!

1 c rice
1 green pepper cubed
2 medium sized onions cubed (I use sweet or white)
Can of spaghetti sauce (I used to use a jar, but this is so much cheaper)
Kielbasa sliced about 1/4" thick

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mix the ingredients into a casserole dish (make sure to coat the rice with sauce). Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 hours (uncover and stir the rice around the edges after an hour to avoid crunchy rice along the sides of the dish).

Meal Planning

2009-06-21T21:06:00.003-05:00

In order to save a little bit more money, I'm going to give meal planning another try. This is a short week because I'm leaving Thursday morning for my sister's wedding.

Monday
Breakfast: Eggs
Lunch: Spinach salad with tomato, cucumber, and provolone
Dinner: Casserole (have to make it)

Tuesday
Breakfast: Eggs
Lunch: Salad and leftover casserole
Dinner: Casserole (leftovers)

Wednesday
Breakfast: Eggs
Lunch: Salad and Leftover Casserole
Dinner: Tilapia & Veggie (not sure what yet)

This meal plan will require me to buy a vegetable for Wednesday dinner. I have the rest of the items in my cabinet. Since I spent so much money on food last week, this will help to keep my spending within my budget for June.

Recipe: Tilapia

2009-06-21T18:50:00.001-05:00

I've been trying to create easy and fast meals. I love to make tilapia because it's delicious. I buy it in individually sealed packets in bulk through Sam's. I spend about $13 for 15 fillets.

Heat olive oil in a pan.

Season the tilapia with salt and pepper.

Cook for 3 minutes per side.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I know this doesn't really count as a recipe, but I had no idea how to make tilapia a few weeks ago. I hope this post helps the horrible cooks in the world!

Victoria's Secret Hydrating Body Lotion

2009-06-19T13:04:00.003-05:00

Last night I tried out a few samples of the new Victoria's Secret hydrating body lotion that I received in the mail.

I tried the Vanilla Sandalwood on my right leg and the Acai Berry and Magnolia on my left leg.

Both of the scents were extremely nice. I love Sandalwood, so I preferred the muskier scent of the Vanilla Sandalwood.

This is the perfect summer lotion. It's light-weight, extremely hydrating, absorbed quickly, and left a sheen on my legs.

On the downside, the lotion left my hands feeling a little greasy.

I love the Vanilla Sandalwood scent. I think I might have to use my $10 coupon and purchase a bottle ($12 at Victoria's Secret).

I'm also a fan of pump bottles....no need to remove a top :) I'm lazy!

Thanks, readers!

2009-06-18T12:43:00.002-05:00

Thank you to the reader that signed up for MySurvey through my link. It put me over 1,000 points. I ordered a $10 check and I plan to add it to my home savings account (currently designated for hardwood floors).

Updated Priorities

2009-06-18T11:06:00.002-05:00

Since I purchased my first home, my savings priorities are shifting. I need to get my finances in order to make sure that I am able to comfortably live on my small graduate stipend. I have also adjusted the amount that I feel comfortable having in the bank:

Emergency Fund--This was at $6k, but I'm going to try to bump it up to $10k. Being a homeowner means expensive maintenance and changes.
Car maintenance (and replacement) Fund--I've had a $10k goal, but I rarely contribute to it. I have started contributing $100/month, but that will leave only $320/year after I pay for insurance. I'm going to try to contribute $150/month, which will leave me with $920 annually. This isn't perfect, but it is better. If I have to replace my car in the next few years (while in school), I would definitely buy something used (maybe around $5k).
Hardwood floors--I'm guessing that I have about 500 sq. ft that I would like to have done. I'm estimating about $1k for installation and $2k for materials. I'm going to try to save up $3k for flooring.
Books--I'm estimating $200/semester. I'm setting aside $50/month for this.
Travel Fund--I want to build this up to $1k for a flight home for Christmas and a vacation next summer.

Making Money on the Internet

2009-06-16T10:51:00.003-05:00

I don't make a lot of money on the internet or through this blog, but I am trying to ramp up my income to $100/month. I thought I would share with my readers which sites have worked for me (and which haven't).

SAVING DIVA APPROVED

MySurvey has been excellent, but it goes in spurts. I recently received a $10 check and plan on adding it to my home fund. So far, I've earned $450. I don't like that I have to wait to receive my checks. The wait is worth it because I've never had my information sold (no annoying pop-ups) and receive the checks within a few weeks of ordering.

PayPerPost has been my biggest money maker ($811.76). I wrote quite a few sponsored posts on this blog. I tried to keep them interesting, but some of my readers didn't like the paid posts. The income from PPP really helped me build up my down payment account, so I have no complaints. The money is also deposited through your PayPal account 30 days after your post is approved.

I haven't earned any cash, but I have received a few prizes. The site was shut down for a while, but it's back and pretty easy to use.

TRYING OUT

Swagbucks is something new that I'm trying. Right now I have 25 swagbucks, and I haven't redeemed them for anything.

DID NOT LIKE--I considered not posting this section, but I thought I would give my readers the opportunity to let me know if they have had better luck with these sites.

Winning Surveys never yielded anything except junk mail. If you do use this site, set up a junk e-mail address.

Survey4Profit had a high cash out amount, a lot of junk mail, and pop-ups.

Seven Facts

2009-06-16T09:54:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Sunflowers at The Debt Chronicles...

The Rules:

Link to your original tagger(s) and list these rules in your post.
Share seven facts about yourself in the post.
Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and links to their blogs.
Let them know they've been tagged.

Seven Facts

I always wear sunscreen. Right now, I'm wearing Lubriderm lotion with SPF 15 on my body. Neutrogena moisturizer with SPF 15 on my face and bare minerals with SPF 15. I also should mention that I work in a room without any natural sunlight (the glamorous life of a graduate student).
My favorite TV show is Gossip Girl. It makes Mondays tolerable.
I prefer to drink watered down Gatorade. I think the full strength stuff is like syrup. Ick!
During my Olympic distance tri, I didn't intake any calories and I crashed around 2 hours. Next time I will try to eat some sort of gel or something.
I haven't been able to unpack my bedroom because I don't have a dresser. I'm working on designing a closet organizer to handle all of my stuff.
I've started to enjoy cooking. This sounds horrible, but I started to enjoy cooking when I started cooking for M. He thinks everything is delicious (least picky eater ever), so I don't feel bad if I over cook something (which happens often) or screw up a recipe.
I don't proof read my posts. I doubt this shocks my readers, but I thought I would come clean. I like to get my ideas out, but the thought of proof reading makes me want to stop blogging :)

I'm going to break the rules and not tag any other bloggers. If you would like to participate, please feel free to tag yourself. Also, let me know because I love reading little tidbits about other people :)