The Automatic Millionaire Discussion Post

I still have a little bit of this book left to read. My goal is to finish it today... or it would be if it wasn't in my husband's car. Ugh! Anyways, it's the 20th so I'm giving you a discussion post! If you want a discussion post for the second book, Insurgent, let me know. I was think that since it was a "just for fun" kind of book, we didn't need a discussion post, but if you want one I'd be happy to create one. Oh, but I think our GoodReads page has a discussion post for it.

So far I have been absolutely loving this book!! I feel like I'm learning a lot and I've been very caught up in it and making changes in my life. With my husband and I at new jobs that actually pay good money (and my husband is killing it in sales) we're finally creating a financially sound base for ourselves. Reading this book came at a perfect time, and I'm so happy I chose to read it.

Alright, leave your opinions, thoughts, criticisms, etc. in the comments below and let me know overall what you thought about this book. I will include a few discussion questions below (hey, I used to major in English teaching, it's a part of me I can't forget) and if you have not read the book yet, I guess spoiler alert? It's nonfiction, it's not like we're giving away secrets. Although I think reading through the discussion may encourage people to read it, so I take back that spoiler alert.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
(You don't have to answer the questions, feel free to talk about the book anyway you'd like, these are here to help you out if you need them.)

1. What's the most important lesson you learned from the book?
2. What story impacted you the most and why?
3. Does this book change the way you look at your financial situation?
4. Have you made any changes since reading the book?
5. Do you think this book will be helpful for future generations to come?

If this book helped you find a little extra cash, why not donate it to my Charity of the Month? 

Money Free March

Welcome to March! March is a good month. In Utah the weather flips from Spring to Winter and back and forth again everyday so it's certainly an adventure. But this has been a surprisingly warm Winter so who knows what will happen. St. Patrick's Day is exciting too. One year my best friend and I hosted a St. Patrick's Day party and it was pretty great up until a friend pulled a knife on another kid... yeah, high school was a weird time for me.

Anyways, this month my husband and I decided to do something different to help us out financially. We are not going to spend any money during the month of March. 

Obviously there are exceptions to the rule. We have to pay rent and other bills, we are allowed to buy gas for the car and necessary groceries, but that's it! Nothing else!

There are three main reasons for this challenge:

1. I made a New Years Resolution this year to save up more money and basically to give us a financially safe bank account. 
2. Last year we really struggled to pay bills and ended up having to move to a cheaper apartment. I don't want us to ever be in that situation again. 
3. We eat out... a lot. And by making the decision to not spend any money that means less fried food and possibly I'd be able to lose weight. 

This challenge will honestly be a challenge for us. We are comfortable and set in our ways, but we both know things need to change. So, with the exception of our date night yesterday, we are going to hide away our debit cards, not spend any cash, and only make necessary food purchases. It'll be good for us and help us save up some extra money but also maybe get us in the habit of spending less. 

I challenge you to join us in Money Free March! I'll be tweeting updates about our challenge on my Twitter page so don't forget to follow me! If you end up doing the challenge with us don't forget to tweet about it as well using #moneyfreemarch so I can see how you're doing as well! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

November Favorites

FAVORITE YOUTUBE-ER: LATE NIGHT

These videos from Late Night With Jimmy Fallon are so funny and I just enjoy them so much!! 

FAVORITE WEBSITE: 24 HOURS OF HAPPY

This song and this 24 hour video are just so incredible! It honestly just makes me happy to listen to this song and it's been great with all the stress I've been going through lately. 

FAVORITE FOOD: WILD RICE MINNESOTA SOUP

At my brother-in-law's homecoming talk luncheon, we had this soup that was so incredible!! It was some of the best soup of my life and I have soup a lot, so I should be an expert by now. My mother in law gave me the recipe so I will eventually put it up here and share my experience making it, but we're dealing with a move and finals right now so it won't happen for a while. Sorry! 

FAVORITE TELEVISION SHOW: COMMUNITY

Every night on TV Chris and I watch two episodes of this show from 11:00 to midnight. It's so funny and it's just a great show to watch. :) 

FAVORITE MOVIE: CATCHING FIRE

NOTE: I feel the following video gives away stuff that the other ones don't, so just beware. :)

Okay. OKAY!!! This movie... I saw it Thanksgiving night... SO IN LOVE!!! And the more I think about it, the more I love it. And dare I say it, I think I might like the movie better than I did the book. This movie was done so incredibly well and I came out of the theater jumping around and wanting more, it's been a long time since a movie has done so much for me. I HIGHLY recommend you go see it, as long as you've seen the first one beforehand. WATCH THIS MOVIE!!! 

FAVORITE SONG: HUMAN

This song is absolute perfection! I honestly have no words, it's just amazing and everyone should listen to it and realize just how incredible Christina Perri is. She's so wonderful! 

FAVORITE / MOST POPULAR BLOG POST: CONFESSIONS OF A PENNY-PINCHER

Thank you to everyone for making this such a popular post! Followups to come, but it really is so amazing to see a good response from this. :)

FAVORITE EVENT: MY BIRTHDAY!

You can read all about my birthday weekend by CLICKING HERE but just know that Thanksgiving was a close second for my favorite event of the month, I will write about it soon. 

So this Monthly Favorites post this month is kinda short and boring but I'm having issues with my laptop so this is the best I can do. THANKS FOR READING!!! 

Further Confessions of a Penny Pincher: A Note On Yesterday's Post

Yesterday I posted THIS POST about the "Confessions of a Penny-Pincher" with tips to saving money. And as I looked over it as it stood proudly on my blog, I realized it really is a list of confessions, of the things that I wish I did more. Sure I use FAFSA and visit the Dollar Store for most my items but I also love fast food! I eat it way more than I'd like to admit. Saturday night I ate McDonald's French fries after I had already eaten a full meal!

I don't coupon, my credit card is maxed out, we never make grocery lists, we're always driving, and we are overall just wasteful with our money. And this needs to change! We are so poor. So very very poor. In fact, I can't afford to buy new body lotion so I have to keep using the stuff that makes me itchy (don't worry, it's not that bad).

Basically this follow up post is to warn my readers again that I am no expert in money and my tips from yesterday were just things that have been working for us. I wish we had more money and were able to handle our money better but we're newlyweds and we're still getting used to our combined incomes and sharing a bank account. We're still learning and I hope to share all the things we learn with my incredible readers.

I want to thank all my readers for your constant support! I recently had a reader email me about a job I could apply for and I've never been more grateful in my life! You all are incredible and I feel so blessed to receive all your great comments and good thoughts. I LOVE ALL MY BLOG FRIENDS!!

Confessions of a Penny Pincher (AKA Tips To Save Money)

I'm broke. There. That's my first confession. But if anyone reads this blog regularly or knows me personally, you should already know that. It's not new news. But to anyone newly reading this blog (as you should because it's awesome... sometimes), now you know.

My husband and I are living on an INCREDIBLY tight budget. Basically we live off his tip money from being a pizza delivery driver (so don't forget to tip your drivers) and both our paychecks just go to rent and bills (we're currently trying to find a cheaper place to get out of this situation... and new jobs).

We are forced to be penny-pinchers, or "cheapskates" if you will (but not in the extreme way). It's not exactly by choice, but it's necessary and it works well for us. So I'm here to share my favorite money saving tips (and don't worry, they don't include sharing a toothbrush). So basically these aren't confessions... well sort of... you decide.

Tip #1: The Dollar Store

Okay, I could write a whole post about how wonderful the Dollar Store is. I kind of did with my Halloween decorating post but I have so much more to say about it! I always call it the Dollar Store, my mother-in-law calls it All-A-Dollar but for both of us it's really Dollar Tree, and it's amazing. Here is just a sampling of things that are better to get for a dollar than at other stores:

• Holiday Decorations: It can all add up if you get a lot, but they have great quality stuff that looks great. I've already seen their Christmas collection and am excited to write a Christmas decorating under $10 post! 
• Soap (dish soap or hand soap): I don't see how dollar soap is any different than five dollar soap, except the price. It cleans the same no matter the price. I've even seen big sized dish soap containers and the dollar store so you can get a lot of use out of one dollar. 
• Diswasher/Laundry Detergent: Same as soap, it's all the same to me. And they do have some good brands. 
• Sponges or Cleaning Cloths: Why spend lots of money on something that just gets dirty? In fact, our absolute favorite dish cleaning brush is a Betty Crocker brush with a cool scraper thing on the end that you can get at the dollar store (we actually got it for our wedding so we paid nothing for it). 
• Other Cleaning Supplies: They have so many wonderful things for just $1. They even have magic erasers!!! I'm going to get them and test them out to see if they are as good as the real Magic Erasers and I'll write a review on this blog. 
• Toiletries: Shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, lotion... they have it all! Sure we all have our favorites and we like spending more for certain items, but I currently don't have the money to do so. the dollar store is where it's at.
• Party Supplies: Why spend $4 for a package of balloons at Walmart when you can buy it for $1? Same with table cloths, paper products, invitations and gift wrap. 
• School and Office Supplies: As a college student and future teacher, I go through a lot of school supplies. It's so much easier to get them for $1 than to spend lots of money. I mean I already spend like $400 just for textbooks each semester, might as well get my supplies for cheap. 
• Kids Toys: I don't have kids, but I know they're there, and they are awesome. Check out THIS LINK for some really great ideas for both parents and teachers. 
• Things For The Home: They have baskets, vases, towels, dishes, storage supplies, mattress covers, pet supplies, satin flowers, picture frames, etc. It's definitely worth checking out. 
• Food: DISCLAIMER!!! Don't always trust food at the dollar store! Frozen things are probably fine, candy is usually over priced except in bulk (but it's usually stale). Some have milk and eggs that could be good. Just be careful when buying food at the dollar store because it's probably so cheap for a reason. 

Keep in mind that NOT ALL DOLLAR STORES ARE CREATED EQUAL! Just because I love my dollar store and it has lots of great things for me doesn't mean that yours will be just as good, but I think it's always worth checking out. Visit your local dollar store and see what bargains you can find. 

Tip #2: Don't Buy Fast Food

Not only can it help you lose weight, but it can help you save money! The dollar menu may be tempting, but it can all add up, especially if you buy frequently. With my husband being a pizza delivery driver, we tend to get free or discounted pizza from his work, but other than that we don't eat out. We buy most our food at Walmart, which leads to my next tip...

Tip #3: Don't Shy Away From Generic Brands

The Walmart brand fruit snacks are my favorite! Their orange juice is also really good and their applesauce or saltine crackers. Some foods aren't so good in the generic brands, but they're usually cheaper so it's worth trying out. We always look for the cheapest brands, occasionally it's not the generic brand though. 

Tip #4: Coupons! 

I am not an extreme couponer, although I sometimes wish I was. But I look for coupons for things I need because if you can get a discount, you might as well! I know there are classes in Logan about couponing and I'm considering taking one because I would love to save more money on grocery shopping. 

Tip #5: Make A Grocery List and Stick To It

By making a list, you are less likely to buy unnecessary items or be tempted by samples. Also, learn the tips. Watch THIS VIDEO to learn some great tips about the tricks grocery stores try to pull on us. There are a lot more videos like this on Youtube, don't be afraid to do your research before you shop. 

Tip #6: Pay Your Bills On Time

Don't get caught up in late fees or bank fees! Trust me when I say, it's the worst! Don't let it happen to you, keep up with all your bills 

Tip #7: Use Cash

Debit and credit cards seem to have no limit and it's easy to just get caught up in spending that you don't realize how much you've spent. With cash, it's much easier to know exactly what you have and to set your limit. If you only have $20 in cash and hide away your cards, you can only spend $20 and no more. It's a great tool when you're on a serious budget. My husband and I never use our cards anymore, only cash, and it's working really well for us (especially considering that since our bank account is current in over-draft, we get fees if we use our cards). 

Tip #8: Save Your Change

But don't use grocery store Coin Stars to get cash, they often charge you. Most banks have the same thing and can put the money straight into your bank account. Our bank has it and we love it! We currently have a jar for all our change. It works really well for us especially since we're on a cash only basis. 

Tip #9: Avoid Driving

For my husband, this isn't possible with his job. But gas prices are ridiculous now-a-days so it's better to carpool, walk, or bike to get where you need to be. If you're in Logan, like I am, this city has the world's best bus system. Use it! Check out your own city's bus system to see if it will work for you. Save gas money and don't drive. Also, try finding gas point systems, like using a Smith's Fuel Program. Find something in your community to help you save money on gas.  

Tip #10: Be Creative to Make Money

I was recently an alternate crossing guard to make extra cash (until they realized I could rarely sub for them because of class, so I quit). I use websites like Inbox Dollars and Swag Bucks to make a few extra dollars a day (which can all add up, especially if you and your spouse each do it). I blog (but this blog has yet to make me money) and use Google Ad Sense and am an Amazon Affiliate in the attempt to make some extra money (again, hasn't happened yet, but maybe someday). Sell your clothes online or to Plato's Closet to make some extra cash (but keep in mind that are incredibly stingy with girl's clothes). Sell other items you're done with online. Do odd jobs with a temp agency. My husband donates plasma for money. There are so many ways to make a little extra cash. I learned a lot from THIS BLOG about making extra money from home. It's worth the read. 

Tip #11: Don't Waste Money on Things You Can Change

This tip is very vague and I don't know if I can explain it well. Perhaps as a college student you shouldn't take the PE class "for fun" because it cost an extra $50. Maybe you have to move somewhere cheaper to save money. Don't pay for apps or software, use the free versions (at least until you can afford it). Maybe you should stop buying a new pack of gum everyday (because gum is gross). Little things like that can add up and you end up spending much more than you would like. Make necessary changes to keep things cheap.

Tip #12: Don't Be Wasteful

I'm the worst at this! We almost never go through all our milk or bread before it goes bad and that's just money thrown away! Don't buy in bulk if you know it will go bad. On the other hand, sometimes buying in bulk is incredibly useful, for snacks especially. Be sure to check prices though to make sure you're getting a deal and not getting ripped off.

Tip #13: FAFSA!!!

This tip is specifically for college students. To be completely honest, it irritates me when people won't apply for FAFSA just because the think they won't get anything. Trust me, it's worth trying! Only one year did I not receive financial aid, but even then I was offered a loan. You'll always get offered a loan. While loans can be scary, just understand what you're getting yourself into and set goals to pay off those loans. If you're above 24 or married or poor, you will most likely get grants, which you don't have to pay back. This year, Chris and I both had our semester paid for just through grants. It's fabulous! Even if you think you won't qualify, at least try, because you never know if you'll get something good. Apply early to get more money (in theory, I don't really know if that's true). You can find their website by CLICKING HERE. It doesn't take as long to apply as people think as long as you have all your tax stuff (and sometimes your parent's tax stuff) ready to go.

Tip #14: Don't Use Credit Cards

I'm currently struggling to pay off my credit card and I'm ticked off about it. I used to be so good about it! I would never use it unless I knew I had the money to pay it off immediately. And I did pay it off immediately! Usually the day after! That was before I went broke though... Anyways, just don't use a credit card. Yes it can build credit, but it's too big of a temptation to risk sometimes. When you are financially sound and have set goals about your spending, then you can feel free to use a credit card.

Tip #15: Keep Track of Spending

Keep receipts, check online bank statements, use Mint.com (please do, it's awesome), keep a spreadsheet, do whatever you need to in order to know where all your money is going. There is nothing worse than wondering where all your money went. Keep track of everything so you know exactly where all your money is going. After a month look over all your spending and see where you can change things. Maybe you got too much fast food or bought a daily snack on campus, seeing how these things add up can help you change your spending habits for the better.

Last Sort of Tip: Check Out These Websites

Here are a bunch of websites I found off Pinterest with great tips to save money. I'm obviously not an expert, but some of these sites seem to be.

• 118 Ways to Save Money in College
• How Does She Live On a Budget
• 10 Ways to Earn Money From Home
• How to Easily Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
• Couponing For Beginners: Not So Extreme
• The Envelope System Saves $$$
• 20 Ways to Save Money When Living Paycheck to Paycheck
• Simplest Budgeting Technique Ever
• 12 Things I Do Not Buy
• Dave Ramsey's Envelope System
• How to Build Wealth With Time on Your Side
• Vintage Money Saving Tips That Need to Be Brought Back From the Dead
• Top Ten Money Saving Tips -As Chosen by Frugal Moms
• 141 Best Money Saving Tips
• Student Financial Aid Search Engine: Find & Apply for Financial Aid to Pay for College
• United Negro College Fund Scholarships
• Scholarship America Scholarships
• “No Essay” College Scholarship
• Scholarships to Help International Students Afford U.S. Colleges
• And tons more through a Pinterest Search

Wow, that's a lot. See, I'm not the expert and there are a ton more tips out there that I may not know about. This post is basically the things my husband and I do to make our budget work. Thank you for reading and I hope that this helps you in your situation! 

Do you have an incredible money saving tip? Leave a comment below to let me know! THANKS! 

Read my follow up post: Further Confessions of a Penny Pincher

Pinterest Sunday

I have been on Pinterest so much this week it's ridiculous! To see all my pins, feel free to CLICK HERE. Below are just some of my favorites from the week. Thanks for reading!

I would like to have a better job. That would be really nice for me. This article had some really good tips and it's a great reference for me for the future. To see the article CLICK HERE. 

4 EASY SCHOLARSHIPS ANY STUDENT CAN WIN

I don't have the best GPA right now and yes, being married brings a bit more financial aid, but we could always used more money for college. This is a great resource because you don't have to have a fantastic GPA to apply to these scholarships. 

I am NOT excited for winter to come, but I cannot get over how beautiful this picture is! 

I really miss ballet. I'm hardly even flexible anymore. I just love this picture and like to look at it and wish I could be doing that again... 

These are so simple and quick to do and can be incredibly effective! I'm sick of being at this weight, this is the biggest I've ever been in my life, so I'm working on changing that. These simple exercises are great for inner thighs, which are always a trouble spot for me. :)

I'm sick of going through a lot of cleaning on Saturdays and then letting everything pile up through the week. So I'm thinking of making a checklist/routine like this. This is a great example and something that I think would be great for my little apartment. 

August Favorites

I'm recently addicted to Meghan Rosette videos on Youtube. Every month she makes a video of all her monthly favorites. I'm going to try to do that on my blog! So this is the first month of that and I hope you like it! If not, just don't read it.

FAVORITE SNACK: Great Value Fruit Smiles!

My husband was just getting mad at me because he found like ten wrappers for the fruit smiles around our living room (which inspired this whole post, and shows that I'm no good at throwing away my wrappers... sorry mom!). They are just so yummy and the most simple snack there is! I love them so much!

FAVORITE MAKEUP PRODUCT: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer 

I'm going to be talking more about this in tomorrow's post, but just know that I love it. I've only been using it a week, but it's been fantastic for me. More on it tomorrow...

FAVORITE MOVIE: Beautiful Creatures

I know this movie came out a while ago, but Chris and I saw it for the first time this weekend. We rented it on Redbox and didn't return it for a few days because I just kept wanting to watch it! I just love it so much! This next month for my book club we're going to be reading this book, because I really want to read it because of how much I love the movie. :)

FAVORITE BLOG: Lauren Conrad

I love reading blogs so so much! And I love supporting bloggers by sharing them on my blog. Lately I've been inspired by Lauren Conrad's blog found HERE. It inspired me to pick The Fame Game for my book club this month. But I love her blog, definitely check it out!

FAVORITE EVENT: Fiddler on the Roof

This month I got to see Fiddler on the Roof at the Ellen Eccles Theater in Logan. It was so much fun! I've always loved the movie and it was so great to see it live! They did a great job. But they did have all the lyrics to the songs displayed on a projector and that was really weird, but other than that, the production was fantastic!

FAVORITE SONG: Radioactive by Imagine Dragons

This song is just amazing and I listen to it constantly and never get sick of it. But I don't understand the music video... If you get it, please leave a comment below.

FAVORITE WEBSITE: Mint.com

If you haven't already, I highly recommend creating an account there. It monitors all our bank accounts and loans, it notifies us of any problems, it's just perfect. It's wonderfully useful and I think everyone with a bank account should make an account.

FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCT: Ever Straight Brazilian Keratin Therapy Flat Iron Spray

I straighten my hair a lot and use heat on it a lot. I've only been using this a week, so this isn't an official review, but I have been enjoying it and it smells pretty good.

These are my August favorites! If you have any questions, comments or suggestions of new products for me to use or review, please leave a comment or send me an email. :) Thanks for reading! 

Also: GO USU AGGIES!!! 

Recent (Crazy) Events

As I said yesterday, this week has been going downhill. But things are sort of looking up... sort of. 

Monday started with me learning that all my classes had been dropped and my tuition not paid. I stayed calm for like twenty whole minutes while I applied for new classes, learning the ones I had previously had were now full, so I couldn't take them anymore, messing with my whole schedule. After about twenty minutes I just broke down crying because this is like the third time this summer that the school has screwed me over.

Also on Monday I had to turn down two dance teaching jobs. Two. I've been wanting to teach dance for basically forever, and I had to turn down two jobs doing it??? Why? Because a) the school messed up my schedule and b) I got my old job back. I was so angry with myself that I had to turn them down, because I've been wanting to do it forever. It is just so frustrating that the opportunity appears and I can't take it.

So Monday I started my old job working as a custodian at the student center. It's a good job. It's steady, stable, and it will really help us money-wise. We'll be able to pay our rent! Yay! ...Because also Monday, our landlord came over to tell us that our rent check was returned because of insufficient funds in our account. Just another problem this week. Starting my old job was good. I love my boss, she's fantastic, but most the other employees are new so I feel like an outsider. And cleaning the toilets in the student center isn't my ideal job. But I had to take what I could get, and after three months, this is apparently all I can get (except for two dance jobs I couldn't take and a crossing guard job that I'm about to talk about).

So Tuesday I had to talk to my mom and have her lend us some money to pay off our rent. In about a week, we'll receive our refund check from our financial aid, so I will be paying my mom back as soon as that comes, but regardless, I absolutely hate having to borrow money from my parents. I'm married now, it's not supposed to be this way, but it was incredibly necessary yesterday.

Tuesday I also had training for my crossing guard job, however, because the school dropped my classes and I had to get new classes, I can no longer do the job Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons. Yes it's an alternate position, so I wouldn't have to work everyday, but I don't know if I should just quit this job too or try to do it and just not take M,W, F afternoon shifts, but that just doesn't seem fair to everyone else. And I was going to talk to the boss at the training, but she wasn't there and it was the cute old man and I just couldn't do it. So I'm currently still a crossing guard and I work this Thursday and Friday to be trained on the job, but I don't know if (or how) it will last.

(PS, back home we have a neighbor who is an actor who does a lot of Mormon movies, he's good friends with my dad, he was in the crossing guard training video. It was funny!)

Chris got a hold of the financial aid office on Tuesday and they explained why our Pell Grants weren't the full amount. We got all that figured out, but with my class schedule I still have to pay $200.02 out of pocket for this semester, which we won't have until our refund gets here. And if I don't pay it soon, they'll drop my classes again! (because I'm not already feeling stressed enough)

So... yeah... I'm incredibly stressed this week. And I just don't know what to do about my tuition and the crossing guard thing. So I have a lot to think about and a lot to do this week because school starts next week.... yeah... So basically those are my recent events. I just... yeah...

Nightmares

Last night I had a nightmare. Anyone else in the world wouldn't think it was a nightmare, but to me it was. And here's exactly why it was a nightmare to me:

In my dream I was shopping with a friend. At the checkout, she said she would only pay for half. So I reluctantly handed over my credit card to pay for the other half. The total for my half was over $60! And that's how it became a nightmare. Because I'm unemployed and don't have $60 dollars to spend. I don't even have 60 cents! I have absolutely no money to my name, and am not even doing anything to get money!

So that's it. Those are the nightmares that I have. It's apparently stressing me out way to much that I'm unemployed. But I applied for some jobs yesterday and I'm really praying and crossing my fingers for them!! Wish me luck!! 

Wa Hoo!!!

So I woke up this morning, super excited because I learned I got a Pell Grant!! It even exceeds the cost of this semester's tuition, so I'll have $88 to spare. $88 that will have to go to rent, or bills, or debt, but still, I'm happy that school will be all paid for!!

We still have to check Chris's account to make sure he also received financial aid for this upcoming semester (update, HE GOT ONE TOO!!), but I'm pretty sure his should be the same as mine. I'm hoping. I was also offered more loans, which we may take some of the money to buy books and pay off our current debt.

Everything has just been falling into place lately. I have a new positive attitude and I just have this feeling Chris and I will be able to make it. We went to the temple yesterday (we try to go at least once a month) and I really felt the spirit calming me down and letting me know that everything will be alright. I have a very strong feeling I'm going to find a job soon.

Well, I just wanted to share with all my blogging friends my good news. I really am super excited for school to start! And I'm even more excited to find a job! Wish me luck! :)

GO AGGIES!!! 

Pinterest Sundays: Money, Dance, Lizzie McGuire, Walt Disney and Pixar.

Sundays are the day that I spend a very lengthy amount of time on Pinterest. Sundays will now also be when I post some of my favorite "Pins" onto this blog to spread them around. So here we go. Here are my favorite Pins of the day. :)

To go directly to the Pin's link, click HERE. I really liked seeing this today, because we really are living paycheck to paycheck, and this had some really good tips. :)

I saw this picture and it just made me so happy! I've decided I want to start doing ballet again. I'm registered for a ballet class fall semester and I'm really excited for it.

The caption for this one is 25 Important Fashion Lessons From Lizzie McGuire. I used to watch this show a lot and this list is really funny. I think you should check it out and laugh.

I'm currently obsessed with this quote. It's the best one I've seen in a long time and it's been making me feel a bit better about not having a job yet.

I really like this image and the tips on it because I love writing stories, and these are fantastic tips for writers.

My Life Without a Job

I have this annoying tight feeling in my chest because I'm constantly worrying about how on earth we are going to pay our bills next month. I'm pretty sure it's impossible. We don't have enough money to do it. Chris's job doesn't work him enough for him to be making tons of money and I still can't even find a job!

Here's how I spend my typical days at home: I wake up around 10:00 AM (8:30 today because of the freaking loud lawn mower outside our window that literally sounds like an airplane about to crash through our window, it's happened three times since we've moved in and every time I'm terrified). I eat breakfast. Tell myself to workout, but don't. Shower. Then sit and watch episodes of Friends while my hair dries (except now I've gone through all the seasons of Friends so I'm not quite sure what to do). Then eat lunch. Look for the nonexistent job opening available. Then sit at home and watch movies while my husband goes to work. Then I go to bed. Half the time, I don't even do my hair or makeup. Because why would I when I literally have nothing to do and no where to go.

I've applied for at least fifteen different jobs and haven't received a single phone call, email or interview. I went through the phone book and wrote down numbers for all the places I would most like to work, I called a page and a half of businesses, and only one of those was hiring. I applied for it online, but it was perhaps the worst job application I've ever filled out. It didn't ask for anything. They don't know anything about me from that application. It's a good thing it let me upload my resume, because there's a lot more information about me and my work history on there than in that whole application.

I absolutely, positively, 100% HATE not working. I've been working since I was fifteen. That's seven years of working with probably only six months of unemployment during that time. Oftentimes I would be working more than one job at a time. I LOVE working! I love that feeling of accomplishment. I love feeling like I'm helping people through my job (I've been a childcare provider, custodian, cashier, receptionist and more and all gave me that special feeling you get when you do service). I love feeling responsible. I love working hard to make my own money and working to afford my life.

...but I can't afford my life anymore. And I don't even do anything! I sit at home literally all day and never spend a single cent, yet I'm almost positive we won't be able to pay our bills next month.

Next week I'm going to go to a temp agency and see if they have anything available for me. I'm going to keep applying and calling and dropping off resumes and doing everything I can to get a job, but quite honestly, I'm feeling so discouraged and upset that I haven't found a job already that I'm losing hope.

I hate being unemployed. It makes me feel awful and sad. I have so much work experience in many different areas of work that it's just so frustrating that I can't find a job. I'm sad and upset and bored out of my mind.

I just want to find a job soon.

Summer Classes

So I haven't written in forever and it's because I am so terribly busy and stressed that I just can't force myself to write on this blog in the rare bits of free time that I do have. One more month till my wedding! ... and we've been having complications with the invitations and trying to get them sent out this week. So I'm sorry I haven't written. Blame Chris for proposing to me. :)

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Today I registered for classes at Utah State University for summer semester. I AM BEYOND EXCITED!!! I love USU! I've been a student there for three year, then took a year off, and now I'm going back! I'm so happy! I'm taking Human Anatomy and Introduction to Technical Communication, both of which are classes required for my major/minor (English teaching with a minor in physical education coaching and an ESL endorsement).

But why does school have to be so darn expensive??? And weddings for that matter!! I stopped going to school so I could save up money to go back to school. But then the government got angry and made me start repaying my loans, I had to pay for parts of my wedding (my parents are very generous and have helped out so much (I love you mom and dad!!!)) and all the money I was "saving up" is now mysteriously disappeared. All that's in my bank account is enough to pay for summer semester.

I'm going to have to take out another loan. I already have two out, Chris has one out, we aren't married yet and we're already very much in debt.

But for some reason, I'm very calm about the whole thing. Sure in one month I'll go from having two jobs to being job-less. I'll be moving back to Logan and have to pay rent on a beautiful apartment that I'm in love with. Tuition is due the 24th of April. I still have wedding expenses to pay for...

... but the fact is, I'm so happy to be going back to school, I can't really complain! I'll be married to the most wonderful man who ever lived and I'll be continuing my education. How could I ask for anything more?

I'm so happy that I've had the opportunity to go to college and that I get to continue and work hard till I can finally graduate! :)