Time to Pay Bills

I was pleasantly surprised when I got my pay stub this week. I thought my pay cut was going to be in effect and I budgeted accordingly, but I guess it did not go into effect in time.

I reworked my budget to fit my new (lower) salary. I deferred my federal student loan, the interest rate on my private student loan must have changed because my payment dropped by almost $100 (thank God), and I am working on lowering my electric bill.

New Budget

Pay Check 1 - $830

Student Loan - $556
Electric - $212 (Working on lowering this amount)

Total - $768

This leaves me with $62 for 2 weeks. $30 to fill my tank, that last 2 weeks and $32 for groceries.

My pay check was for $1085.

Surplus - $255

Magazine Subscriptions - $31 (I let the payment laps and was getting angry letters from them)
Book Club - $17 (I ordered a book about turning your craft into a business)
Target - $7 (I needed some lotion)

With the $200 I have left I am going to pay off some charges I put on my Master Card. Yes, I've used the card I paid off. I'm so ashamed, but I'm doing it so they don't cut the card off. I pay off everything I charge.

I also got my tax refund. I wish I could put my refund in my savings account or use it to pay down a credit card, but it has been earmarked.

Tax Refund - $995

Car Repair - $650
Sister - $245
Mother - $100

There goes my refund, but at least I was able to complete one more of my goals.

Time to Pay Bills

I know this is late, but here was my cash flow from the 13th

Pay Check 1 - $1000

Sallie Mae - $556
Amex - $111
Visa - 85
Taxes - $40
Savings - $50

Total - $848

This left me with $158 for for the next 2 weeks. I bought gas, cat food & litter, groceries and miscellaneous.

I have $90 left over and I am going to try to not spend money between now and Friday. If I make it I am going to snowball that $90 to a credit card payment.

I get paid this Friday and here is where my money is going to go.

Paycheck 2 - $950 (This is an estimate, I don't know what my paychecks will look like now)

Student Loan - $181
Electric - $167
Cable - $150
Cell - $75
Savings - $50
Visa - $100
Visa - 100
Ex Boyfriend - $50

Total - $873

Left Over - 77

I am going to have to find a way to stretch out that $77 for 2 weeks.

Time to Pay Bills

I actually enjoy paying bills. Don't misunderstand me, I don't like seeing my money drift away but I do enjoy sitting down with paper, a pencil and my laptop and paying what I owe. Maybe I should have been an accountant.

Paycheck 3 $1059,

Student Loan 2 $181
Amex $250
Visa 1 $77
Visa 2 $75
Internet/Phone/Cable $156
Cell $75
Ex Boyfriend $50
Savings $50

Total $914

That leaves me with $145. I have a reimbursement check of $56 to deposit which will leave me with $201.

I went grocery shopping with my mother at Costco and I tell you, membership has its privileges. Here's what I bought. Items divided by two are split between my mother and I.

Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner (Box of 4) - $7.49($2.00 coupon) = $5.49 / 2 = $2.74
Zephyrhills Water (35 1/2 litter bottles to take to work) = $4.79
Store Brand Laundry Detergent (180 loads) = 18.49 / 2 = $9.24
Lysol Cleaner (1 1.125 gallon bottle) = $5.99($1.75 coupon) = / 2 = $2.12
Tilex (1 spray bottle and refill bottle) = $8.69 / 2 = $4.34
Eggos (Box of 60) = $7.69
Tyson Wings of Fire (13lb bag) = $14.99
Spinach (3lb bag) = $3.99 / 2 = $1.99
Frozen Vegetables (Large bag) = $6.59 / 2 = $3.29

My Total = $51.19 plus tax = $54.77

$201 - $55 = $146

I have $146 to last me 2 weeks. I need to buy some pet supplies (food and cat litter), gas up my car for the week, and buy some personal items (shampoo. etc). I am going to work very hard to not wast the money I have left over. I think after I buy these items whatever I have left over I will put in my savings account.

First Bills Of The Year

First pay check of the year.

Funny how it takes 2 weeks to earn it and only 5 minutes to spend it. This is where my money went...

1. Sallie Mae (Notice that she did not need a bail out) - $645
2. Electric - $154
3. Master Card - $50
4. Stupid - $34

Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, I pay Sallie Mae $645 a month. I was unable to consolidate my student loan due to my credit score so I am currently stuck with a high interest rate. Hopefully after I pay off 2 credit cards my credit score will improve enough that I can consolidate that loan. I was thinking about asking (begging) Sallie Mae for voluntary forbearance for about a year and using that money to pay off my credit cards faster. That should raise my credit score enough that I should be able to get a great interest rate. What do you think?

I am working on lowering the electric bill. For the past few weeks I turned down the heat to 74 when I go to work, run major appliances during off peak hours, and watch T.V. in the dark.

The Master Card will get paid off at the end on the month with my *Free Check*

I only have one payment left for Stupid (don't ask), I plan on taking that $34 and adding it to credit card payments.

That leaves me with $137

I also spent money at

Super Market - $2
Fast Food - $7 (Last Trip)
Fast Food - $4 (Last Milk Shake, worth the money)
Lunch - $33 (Took my employees out to lunch)
Target - $24

I now have $67 for the next 2 weeks. That is enough to gas up 2 cars (mine and my mothers)
and a little money left over. I planed on sending my ex another $50 but buying my employees lunch messed up my budget, but they deserved it.

Where Does The Money Go

Pay Check 2 $1094

Expenses

Student Loan 2 $181
Amex $211
Visa 1 $70
Visa 2 $75
Internet/Phone/Cable $200
Cell $70
Electric $120
Stupid $34
Ex Boyfriend $50

Total $1011

Me Money $83

The student loan speaks for itself. I am snowballing my credit card payments, that is why the Amex gets $211 while the rest get a little over the minimum payment. As I stated before I live with my mother, I don't have to pay rent but I do have to pay Internet/Phone/Cable and electric. Not a bad deal. The $200 Internet/Phone/Cable bill can only be altered so much. It is a bundle and I think it is a pretty good deal. We keep a land line because cell phones don't always work (as I found out on September 11th.), I don't have a life outside of work so cable is a necessity, and I use the Internet for research and communication purposes. This bill can be lowered if I stop ordering movies. I plan on looking into getting a cheaper cell phone plan, I don't talk on my phone much, but I do send a lot of text messages. I am researching ways to lower the electric bill, but with a retired mother who is home all day I don't know how much lower it can go. Stupid is something I signed up for that I don't use anymore but I have to finish paying for it. I think I have 2 more payments to go. Finally the $50 to the ex is something I cant wait to be done with. It's a long story but the moral of it is NEVER BORROW MONEY FROM A BOYFRIEND.

The above figures are not my budget as the holidays have messed with my money and I spent more than I should have. I am in the process of working out a new budget that will allow me to have more money to pay off the Amex.