Scale Tales and Changes

-3.2 at WI last night!!  Total lost is now 6.6.  Which I will totally take!

So much has happened in the last week, and I don't even know where to start.  I guess the biggest thing is that I ended my relationship with Clayton. We had our differences. He wanted me around more than I was, and I like my alone time. I'm independent, and don't like feeling smothered (not that he really smothered me). The problems really started happening Memorial Day weekend, and we had made it through that hurdle. I tried to get him to work things out, he said he needed time/space, so I removed all of my things from his house. It was definitely a hard decision to make, and I really love him. But sometimes love isn't enough. We will both pick up and move on.

I'm going to move my job search to more populated areas and closer to school. I've set goals for myself. I want to concentrate on making me happy now. I've always put everyone else first, and at 24, I think it is time to put myself first.  I have a wonderful support system and want to give my all to school and finding a better job. Depending on where I eventually land a job and if I have to move right away or not, my goal is to buy a house next fall. Once my student loans go into deferment again (hopefully next month since the new loans will be distributed), I'm going to start throwing money into savings. My goal (as long as I'm living at home) is to live off of one pay check, and save the other. Totally doable, I just have to stay focused and disciplined.

As much as it hurts right now, I know deep down it was for the best. We ultimately wanted different things. He was happy with a job, I want a career. He loves being around family and friends, and while I do as well, I also extremely value and need alone time. Nothing wrong with either of us, we just want different things in a relationship/marriage. It just wasn't meant to be.

Credit Cards

I'm proud to announce, I am finally credit card debt free for the first time since I went to college!  Now I just have student loans and my car payment, but I knew I didn't want to enter married life with credit card debt.  I'll still use my cards, but just for stuff like gas and groceries, that I know I can pay that month.  Anything that I want will just have to wait until I have cash. 

Now onto more wedding planning!  And none of it is going to be paid for with a credit card!

Funk Yesterday

So I was in a ginormous funk yesterday, and I apologize for that really long, sad post yesterday.  Granted it wasn't really sad, just funk-y?  I was horrible yesterday, and so emotional and on the verge of tears all day.  Ya know that lump in your throat you get if you're about to cry, but trying not to?  I had it all.day.long.

But today, I'm better.  I did create a budget last night.  First thing is to pay off my credit card, which I will do with part of my tax refund.  The rest of it will go into savings.  Then everything I've been paying on my credit card (400-500/mo) will go into savings. 

I definitely blew the wedding cost thing out of proportion yesterday (I apologize again, haha).  If I can get $450 (at least) into savings every month, starting in February, then by October (hopeful wedding date is the 13th) I'll have $3,600 (not including what is there now and the tax refund).  The two big purchases on my shoulder will be venue and photographer.  I already knew this wedding wasn't going to be out of the water expensive, and now I've become comfortable splurging a little for my big day.  Whew.  I feel better :)  If anyone in the area has photographer recommendations, send 'em my way!


In other news, Sunday will mark 3 full weeks of tracking!  They say it takes 21 days to make a habit, so hopefully it's a good sign!  This weekend I'll come up with another mini goal to concentrate on for 3 weeks.  Probably exercise related, but I'm not sure yet.

Now to make myself do some work.  It's so hard staying motivated when you don't like your job...

New Year, New Goals

I hate resolutions.  So for the first time in my life, I don't have any. I've never kept them anyway.

So this year, I have goals instead.

1. Health first: I'm going to really stick to my WLJ.  I have a number in mind that I'd like to get to by the end of the year, but I'm going to keep it to myself for now.  But I do have it written down.  I've renewed my Weight Watchers membership, and I'm ready to do this.
2. Get in an exercise routine.  My first goal is going to be 3 days a week.  I'll increase as I get into it more.  But I don't want to burn myself out too soon.
3. Plan my wedding. Pretty self explainatory.  We haven't set a date yet, but I'm thinking probably October or November.
4. Pay off my credit card and get a decent amount in savings.
5. Get a new job.  This has been a goal for the last 1.5 years now.  I'm going to up the job search and re-vamp my resume, and I will get a new job this year.

Budgeting

So over the last year or so, I've managed to rack up a decent credit card balance between two cards.  At the beginning of September it was about a total of $2,400 (both were about $1,200 each).

I made a promise to myself that I'd get them paid off asap (one by November-ish, and the second by tax time--and I do my taxes in February). 

Just in the month of September, I paid $500 on one of them, or 41.667% on that card, and 20.833% of my total balance.  The new total is about $735. My goal is to pay $300 on it in October (hopefully more, but with the pigeon forge trip I want to have plenty of cash, so I DON'T use a credit card), and pay the remainder in November, which would put me at meeting the first goal!  Then I can put everything I'm paying on this one, and add it to what I'm paying on the other one (small monthly amounts right now) and get the second one paid off hopefully by the end of January.

I want to be revolving debt free within the next 4 or so months.  Then that will leave car payment (which I'll start paying extra on) and my student loans.  Then regular bills, including adding more to savings. 

Figuring this stuff up today made me extremely happy and proud of myself!