I want to do some Christmas shopping for myself

I don't need anything but there are a few things that I want. I saw these neat long socks that are cute, they fit almost any outfit and they'll keep my legs warm when I wear my crop pants and boots. They're about $6 for 2 pair which isn't bad. I also want a few pair of regular trouser socks for work. I can pick those up almost anywhere so that's not a big deal.

I'm still trying to figure out how to fit my new phone into my budget. It's not so much the phone that I have to find money for but the new data plan that I'll have to add on. I want way too many things considering my limited income.

I am definitely taking a vacation in 2010

I haven't had a real vacation in almost 3 years. I did go to Vegas in 2008 but that was just for a few days and it wasn't really relaxing. I wasn't able to take a vacation at all this year. Well I'm determined to remedy that next year. I've been looking into All inclusive family vacations because I want everything paid for up front. All I want to do is show up and not have to worry about paying for anything.

The Riviera Maya has several great all-inclusive hotels for me to choose from. I'm leaning towards the El Dorado Royale Resort. They have private suites with outdoor ceiling-free showers. They also have King-sized jacuzzis with window-front views and also junior sweets with air conditions and ceiling fans. This resort sounds so relaxing to me right now.

I'm going to get started saving for this right now. Hopefully I can go next year during the month of November. I am so excited already and I have almost a year to go.

I am so super stressed

My job is really working my last nerve. I haven't been happy for a while now. My company merged with another company and some employees are being displaced. Once those people are placed in new positions there will be more open jobs. While my rational side understands that, my impractical side just wants a new job asap.

Hopefully something will break by the beginning of the year because I don't know how much longer I can deal with this place.

I still haven't heard anything about the job

I've been waiting almost 3 weeks and I still haven't heard anything. I knew it would take this long because the hiring manager is on vacation until next week. Then she has to come back and weed through the candidates and possibly make a decision. I haven't even factored in the possibility of second interviews. The job is also still technically open and taking applications. So she could even start interviewing more people over the next week or so.

I never did like this part of looking for a new job. I'll just be glad to hear one way or another. The suspense is driving me crazy.

I'm waiting to hear about a job

I had an interview last week and I'm waiting to hear whether or not I got the job. The interviewer is actually on vacation for the next two weeks so I may hear something by Tuesday. If not, that means I have to wait for her to come back off of vacation before she makes her decision.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Truthfully I'll just be glad to know something one way or another.

This economy is really troubling

It's troubling because it seems to be getting worse. The dollar is losing value and that's even more worrisome. There are a lot of personal finance experts that are hedging their bets against the dollar. One of the ways they are suggesting is to buy precious metals like gold and silver. Gold seems to be at a all time high and keeps going higher. However silver is a much safer bet right now especially ingots which are commonly referred to as bullion.

Above ground stockpiles of bullion are low while world demand exceeds production. While silver selling at a discount, demand is climbing and experts expect the prices to really jump. Who wouldn't want to profit from silver like everyone did from gold?

All you have to do is contact Monex and let them do the buying for you. It's time the little guy hedges his bets like he big guys have been doing for year.

I have to get another job

I'm extra broke right now. I don't know where my money is going but I know it's not in my bank account where it should be. I won't even be able to start saving until at least January. But my bank account is on "E" so waiting several months is not a good thing for me.

I hate the idea that I have to do this. Especially at this point in my life. I should be accumulating serious money, not working for pennies. I think I'm depressed right now.

I've won some cool stuff in the past week

It seems like since I wrote that post saying that I hadn't won anything, I've won a few nice prizes. Nothing big like a computer or anything but some small stuff. I've won $50 that was added to my debit card that they gave me. I also won a $5 check from a different contest. I'm still waiting for that and it should be here in another 2 weeks.

I hope I win more prizes like that soon. I don't need to win every day but it's fun winning at least once per week.

Sweepstakes are not as fun as they used to be

I used to love entering sweepstakes. I made sure I went to every website that I could and entered almost every sweepstakes that I could find. If I wasn't interested in the prizes I wouldn't bother. But if there was even a marginal interest, I was all over it. Lately I can't even be bothered to enter them at all. There are some that are only a email submission but I won't even do that.

I think part of it is because my computer is acting up. At most, I can usually spend about 45 minutes on the computer before I have to shut it down, wait a half hour then start again. Maybe once I get a new computer, I'll have fun with it again. Or until I win something really cool. Then I'll be all over it again.

I need a serious vacation

I mean somewhere that I can really sit down and relax. I don't want to have to think about anything. I'm looking at a family vacation in the Mexican Riviera. There's a resort called the El Dorado Seaside Suites that I have my eye on. First of all, it's adults only which is a plus. I don't want to hear any screaming children while I'm trying to relax.

They have swim up jacuzzi suites as well as having direct access to the beach. It's the ultimate in luxury. And believe me, I don't mind paying for luxury during vacation. There are also authentic Mexican tile and marble floors. It sounds like a dream and something that I would totally enjoy.

I haven't had a real vacation in about 3 years when I went on my cruise. I am so looking forward to my vacation next year and there is no time like the present to start saving for it.

Someone hasn't paid me

I usually get paid every week or two. I have to admit that I don't always keep track of who owes me money so it's easy to miss a payday. It's not a lot of money either. It's only about $10 bucks. But this is money that I replace to my savings account so I remembered it.

If I don't get my money by the beginning of next week, I'll have to email the people that owe me with a gentle reminder.

I hope this is a quick meeting

We have a meeting every Friday at 10am. Most of the time we don't talk about anything special. They usually go over different information about the department but sometimes the meetings only last about 5 minutes. I sure hope today is one of those days.

Update: Of course not. It lasted almost 35 minutes. We talked non-stop about the fact that our department is expanding with people that won't be doing our work.

Major eye roll.

Why couldn't I find a gold coin?

I couldn't even believe that it really happened but it did. It just seems too good to be true. A local woman went to a vending machine and gold a pure gold coin with her change. No not a regular gold dollar that you can get from the bank. She got a gold collectible dollar out of the vending machine. She gave it to her local school as a donation and they sold it to a local dealer. The school got over $900 for that coin.

You can't even buy those coins right now. Gold is in short supply so there won't be anymore gold coins minted until the reserves are built back up. Right now the best place to go is to Monex for your gold coins. They have a in-house reserve that you can buy and have sent to you. Or they can arrange for a depository to hold it for you.

I guess that's my best bet as well since I can't count on gold falling from the sky, or the vending machine either for that matter.

I want a new phone

I don't need a new phone however. It's really hard to justify the expense when you know it's something that you don't really need. The funny thing is that I'll spend much more money on a daily basis at work. If I just tightened my belt for a few weeks, I could pay for the phone and not even miss the money.

Maybe I'll wait until summer is over and see what I can get.

My savings aren't going so good

I should be saving a lot more money than I am right now. I still have credit card bills and both personal and student loan payments every month. But I don't have a tuition bill or books to buy any more. So my savings should be growing by a nice clip. Instead I'm just spending the money on junk or even worse, I'm wasting it.

I need to start getting serious about my money.

I hope I win some good prizes

I've started to do online sweepstakes again. It's usually easier to win in the summer because most people aren't home to play. There are so many other things to do that no-one wants to sit at home in front of a computer. Anyway there are a few that I really want to win. Almost all of the prizes are gift certificates.

I'm not entering mail-in sweepstakes as much. Postage is a big factor and when you don't win that makes it even worse. I do have to admit that it is fun to play the games though.

I understand the need to hoard coins

It's pretty brutal out there right now. Yeah the economy is slowly starting to turn around and come back but I'm not totally sure the worse is over. Now is a good time to get precious metals in your portfolio. Not just bullion but things like bars and certified coins. These are things that you could keep yourself or have a storage company hold them for you.

Right now I'm looking into acquiring both domestic and international gold coins. A company like Monaco is definitely worth checking out. One of their specialties is in the rare coin markets. I'm not looking for rarity personally. I'm looking at American Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs to start off.

I had better get them soon because the price of gold keeps soaring.

I need to cut back on gas

I can't believe how much money I've spent on gas lately. Most of the trips are just to the grocery store. But several times I've gone to the store, come home and gone right back to the store because I forgot something. Each and every time it was something small or something that could have waited until the next trip. I'm wasting time and gas.

The worse part is that I'm wasting money and that definitely has to stop.

Why is my paycheck already gone?

Especially when you consider that I don't get paid until tomorrow? This really stinks, it truly does. I definitely need to make more money because my "me" money is gone way before payday. I realize that this week had a holiday in it, but I didn't do anything or go anywhere. All of the excess money was from the week before last.

My finances are a sorry state of affairs.

Extra money because of the tax cut

I get a few extra dollars in my check every payday because of the Obama tax cut. I put half of it in my savings account and the other half is absorbed into my budget. I like getting the extra money but over the weekend I was talking to a friend and we figured that our tax refund next year will probably be smaller. They're taking less taxes so there's not as much money to get a refund on. I already get a small refund so next years will be even smaller.

I guess I should just be thankful that I don't owe.

No more tuition payments

Yeah! I'm extremely happy about that. I don't have to pay any more tuition for school. I may take a writing class this summer or this fall. It just depends on whether the class I want is offered at a reasonable time. This class is just for me to explore my writing capabilities not for anything serious.

But if I decide I don't want to take the class, I don't have to. And that's a great feeling!

I'm glad tax season is finally over

It's over finally. I had to file my local taxes last night because I kept forgetting to do it. In the past I haven't filed local taxes because I always break even. Last year they made me file for 2 or 3 years and of course I broke even.

I wish I had a refund coming but I got that puppy over a month again and it's long gone.

I'll be shopping this weekend for sure

I just know it. I looked at my shoes today and the heels are totally gone. I also need some new shirts for the spring and summer. While I'm at it I might as well buy a few fashion jewelry sets to match my new clothes. I know just where to look too. I'll look at holsted jewelers on the internet. They have some great pieces at reasonable prices.

I've looked at my different coworkers and I've noticed that it's their jewelry and accessories that sets their outfit apart. That's just what I'm looking for. I had better get shopping now while I still have extra money.

I didn't have a late fee

I'm really happy about that. Especially since the fee is $100. I couldn't be mad at the school if they would have charged it. I knew the payment was due and by waiting until the last minute, it totally slipped my mind.

I had better not make a habit of doing that because most companies will definitely charlge that fee.

I may have to pay a late fee!

I'm not happy about it but it's my own dumb fault. I was procrastinating and trying to pay a bill at the very last minute. The day it was due, I planned on paying it after I got home from work. Great plan except I forgot to pay the darn bill! I did pay it the next morning. I'll have to wait a few days to see if a late fee shows up.

I'm really disappointed in myself right now!

I need to go shopping

I ran out of food. I knew I didn't buy enough when I went shopping last weekend. I grabbed enough fruit but not enough of everything else. That means that instead of spending the entire weekend in the house, I'll get to go out.

I guess that's a plus.

Weddings are expensive

One of my coworkers has a sister that's getting married in June. I think she should wait since she's only 18 but that's another story. Anyway, her family is spending a ton of money on her big day. I've suggested that they use wedding flowers from fiftyflowers.com. They use Ecuadorian long stem roses, which are known for the large heads and come in a variety of beautiful colors. I'm sure they'll have the colors that will go with her color scheme, which is some variety of pink.

They also ship overnight express from their grower farms. I'm sure she'll be happy with whatever she gets.

I'm getting a refund!

Yeah I'm so happy about that. I didn't think I would get a refund because I have my exemptions set pretty high. It's pretty cool getting the extra money in each check but it super sucks when you get no refund.

I think it's because I get a credit for school tuition that did it. I really don't care though. This is one of the first time's I've gotten a refund over $500 in a long time. I'm just gonna be happy with it.

I don't even know where to start with the money. But I'm sure I'll find something.

Adsense doesn't pay for me

I haven't even gotten to a payout yet and I've been using Adsense on several blogs for more than 2 years. It's ok I don't really mind though. I have to look at something else to put in that spot. I may put a picture instead of some kind of money click box.

Oh well bigger and better right?

I don't know what to do with my money

Especially right now the way the economy is. Should I invest in the stock market which is dropping like a rock. Invest in treasuries which are yielding next to nothing. Or even just putting the money in my mattress. None sound extremely appealing right now. I have thought about investing my money with Monex for their gold and silver services. Gold was hovering around $900 per ounce the last time I checked. It's a hard asset that easily transportable or I can have Monex arrange for convenient and safe storage at an independent bank or depository company for me. How much more convenient can I get.

I do know that I plan on doing my due diligence before I invest my money anywhere. It just seems like I'm throwing cash away. And I surely don't have enough for that.

Tax time is upon us

Have you done your taxes yet? I haven't. I always wait until the last minute. I don't get a large refund from my federal taxes and I always owe the state between $10 and $60, it depends on how much I get from interest and dividends.

I'm in no hurry to pay the government so I'll wait until the last minute as usual.

School is driving me crazy

I can't wait for our mini break to here. I'm going crazy with all of the work that I have. I have 2 books to read for one class that are so boring. For my other class, I have to read 2 chapters every week. It's a lot of work that I'm barely keeping up with.

Hurry up April so I can be done already!

I still haven't done my taxes

I should get a small refund. Small meaning under $300 bucks. That's a good amount for me though. I don't have a lot held out but I get to deduct my school costs so that gives me my refund. I do get jealous of some of the large refunds my friends get but I'm not changing my exemptions to 0 to get a larger refund. I would rather have that money in my check every two weeks.

I'll be glad when my 1099's come in and I can finally get my taxes done.

I finally got my contact lenses

They're here! The only thing I don't like is that they are only 1 month disposable lenses. Right now I wear 2 month lenses. I only had to pay $24 after insurance but if I only have 6 months worth of lenses then I have to kick out another hundred or so dollars in 6 months. We'll see though. I'll call and ask the doctor if I can stretch them out or not.

I'm just glad that I can finally see.

I finally had my last eye doctor appointment

I know the doctor is thorough but I was getting tired of seeing her. I think I saw her for almost 4 weeks straight. Not counting the week that it snowed and I canceled my appointment. Now I just have to wait for my new contacts to come in.

Then I won't have to see her anymore. No pun intended.

It doesn't pay to be cheap

Especially when your health is at risk. I have a friend who is a diabetic and she plays with her illness all of the time. She won't keep enough medicine to last between appointments and she's always running out of syringes for her insulin. I told her to shop online where she can get all of her diabetic supplies from one place. That way she can buy everything at one time and she will always have enough.

That's better than the alternative. Which is going into a diabetic shock or even worse a diabetic coma. I don't know about you, but that's enough to make me go on the straight and narrow.

My benes end in 10 days

My benefits don't run Jan-Dec for some odd reason. They end on the last day of the month of January. When I go to the doctor and have her order my new contact lenses I have to be sure to tell her to order them on the 2008 benes.

That way I can order another set at the end of the year. That's a money saving move for me. Can't beat that.

Saving money on fun stuff

Right now the economy is in the tank. People need to save money any way they can. Why not go and get a spyder paintball gun and go have fun with your friends. There are even places where you can rent them really cheap.

It's something that a whole group can get involved in as well. It's a great stress reliever to boot.

I own more stock than I thought I did

I knew how much I owned of 2 companies. I'm trying to increase my position in the 3rd company and I sent money to my stock account at least every other month. I thought I only had 55 shares of the company in the account. When I got my year end statement I had 59 shares. It's not a lot more but hey every additional share brings me closer to my goal of at least 1 round lot of each stock.

I take good news wherever I can get it.

I'm looking to save money on a necklace

I really want this initial necklace that I saw. It's perfect to wear with almost any shirt or blouse that I have. The problem with buying it? It's from a expensive store and it's way overpriced. I don't want to spend unnecessary money on the necklace no matter how much I want it. I did find a place where I can get Discount Jewelry. I don't mean cheap jewelry either. It's a site that sells great jewelry at reasonable prices. I don't think it's too much to ask to want to save money on purchases.

Whether I want to get a complete wardrobe of jewelry or a special piece I can look to Holsted Jewelers to find the perfect piece. I can't wait to look around and find the necklace that I really want at a great price.