Am I the Only One Who Thinks Some THings Happen for a Reason?

I know I'm not, but I can't help to think sometimes I am. This morning I talked about the lows and highs I went through these past couple of days. I'm sure you might recall me posting about how I turned down the Edward Jones job. Well after I did I sort of regretted it, but I didn't pay it no mind. Because I often regret choices I make. I'm use to it right about now. Well this one wouldn't go away and something about just kept nagging me. Well this morning when I went to check my many emails, I found a email from Edward Jones asking me to reconsider the possibility, adn you know what I am?

I'm not positive on what I'll do but I'm going to take a closer look at it this time around for sure.

Vacationing from The Edge: Mood Swings

It's amazing how one can go from a high to a low in space of a day. Well maybe in the space of a weekend. Last week I wrote how I had gotten a part time job, well I still have it, she just pushed back my start date. I was suppose to start this morning, but she wasn't quite ready for me. Hopefully I can start next week. Then my dad did my taxes, I was slated to get almost $300 back from Federal and just over $200 from state. Which I was glad to get, since I had only worked technically part time the whole year. Well they rejected both state and federal and my dad had to re-file for me, the problem? There had been a tax update within the week he had did my mom's and sisters and mines. That update affected me and the tax limit bracket I guess I was in, thus I get nothing from federal and only $54 from state, that's a big difference. Although I wasn't that upset because taxes are something you should never count on having. The government is to fickle to rely on, so oh well.

So I was bit bummed about that, I was going to use half of the money to pay off some debt, but oh well. I'll just use half of that to start the high yield savings accounts. Later that day the post came, and I must admit I love getting mail, even if it's just junk mail. I like it to see my name on it, it's weird I know. I don't necessarily like to get bills, but it is mail so I'm torn on it. Well yesterday there were several things for me, I felt so special. There was a first class envelope with no returned address, some samples I had sent off for, a coupon for free kid's yogurt, and a letter from my student loans provider.

Of course I was curious over the first class mail, no one ever sends me something so important it has to come in a priority mail envelope, not even my college degree was sent in one. So I tore it open, and it was a letter from some government agency conducting a survey. The survey was about how American students pay for secondary education. In gratitude they send you a $30 check after you finish it, since it was a web survey I logged on and completed the survey in about 25 mins. So in about four weeks I should be getting a $30 check. That of course lifted my spirits.

The samples and the coupon lifted my spirits even more, another thing I love is free stuff. I'm really excited to try the kid's yogurt. Even though I'm no where near a kid, the things they put out for kids tend to be more nutritious than the things they put out for grown ups. This one has less sugar than normal yogurt and plus its free.

But the biggest boost was the letter from the student loaner, I thought it was just my monthly statement that they send. But no it was a letter say that two of my loans were being dropped because of no disbursal. For some reason when you graduate in December they still give you financial aid for the spring semester. I had to wait for my alma matter to say I was no longer enrolled before they took away the loans. So a total of $2,751 was dropped from my total debt. Bringing my total to $15,190.98 in student loans and $17,904.00 in total debt. That's not bad, compared to some other's (got to stay positive.)

Well with all that good news coming back to back how could I get into a low? Well I received an email from one of the jobs I applied to and they decided to go with some one else, oh well. Then I sent an email to my mom asking what's the hold up on that job. Apparently they too went with someone else but that person declined the offer. So I'm just going to go ahead a say I didn't get that one. My mom thinks I should send an email to the head inquiring about the job and how I would really love to work for them, but I'm like I wasn't there first choice and they aren't my first choice, I'm not going to "beg" them for the job when I don't really want it. So back to the hardcore grind of applying for non-existent jobs.

I think the good and the bad have just even me out, I'm bummed but not to bummed. I would really like to get started some where in a job, just to give myself something else to think about.

Vacationing From the Edge: Preparing to Buy the Plane Ticket Back Home

Yesterday I told you that I was able to get a part time job, which is the first part in what I am now thinking of me returning from the edge of sanity (hence this blog post title). If you recall I already have a preliminary working budget, (and also here) where I figured out that I would need $23,769.60 (after taxes), or rather about $1,980.80 (after taxes) a month. I already planned on getting a part time job, although be it I had planned on getting one after I got a full time job, but I'm looking at in a positive light. I was mighty fortunate to find this job and to have my boss understand that I am still looking for a full time job and is more than willing to accommodate this. I'm more than excited to work for such a wonderful group of ladies and want to do my best to help them expand their business. At the rate it is now, it more than compensates for the pay I was looking for in a part time job. So in the grand scheme of things, I might be going about it in a backwards fashion but it'll balance out in the end.

I'm still waiting on the teacher position and I hope to hear something this upcoming week. I'm not all that confident that I will get the position and am still actively looking. I received an email from a former work colleague who asked if I had found work and he would be keeping his eyes opened for anything. So keep the fingers crossed, I still have six days before the end of the month to find full time work in order to meet one of my monthly goals.

Despite the fact that I don't have the full time job I still wanted to come up with a plan of action to jump start my personal finances. I know me if I don't think of it before hand then I'll just go on as before. The first thing I have put down is I can't loan money out, I won't be bringing a lot in so I need to be able to control where that money goes. You might have noticed I put back up my progress bars, although they have been paired down quite a back. I have a bar for Other debt (debt not related to student loans), Student Loans, Car Fund, and Apartment Fund, I might be putting one up for Savings as well.

Other Debt

I currently have $2,713.02 in other debt not related to student loans: credit card 1 ($1,468.00), credit card 2 ($ 777.19), class ring payment ($137.83), and medical bills ($330.00). I plan to get rid of this first for a couple of reasons the main one being it's the smallest amount and I could in theory (if it doesn't grow) knock this one out with in the year.

Student Loans

I currently have $ 17,192.00 in student loans and $749.98 in interest on those loans. I still have four months left on my grace periods and I haven't consolidated it yet either. Which I will be doing most likely in the last month of my grace period. I've already started the process of looking up different options. I have all my loans through the College Foundation of my state, and they boost that they save you money on your consolidation loan, which I would think they all did but guess not.

Car Fund

I live in the south and it's not easy to live in the south without a car. I would like to manage to do without a monthly car payment but I am so particular in what I want: small to medium size and mid-90's to early 00's that I'm more than likely going to have to have a car payment. If I could keep it to under $350 a month I would be good. I've set a $2,000 limit for the down payment. I don't really want to use the whole amount on just the down payment, but on all the other things that goes with starting insurance, tags and licensure, and the payment for driver's license. I've managed to put it off for 23 years I don't think I push my luck any more. Plus I'm getting a bit tired of depending on others for rides.

Apartment Fund

This is the biggest for me, other than getting rid of the debt of course, I need my own place. More for keeping my elusive sanity. I've set a goal of $3,000 for application fees, security deposit, first and last months rents, utilities deposits, first round of food stocking, furnishings, and a house warming party. A friend of mines advised me to have at $1,000 set aside to do the first four items on the list but I like to have a little insurance so I added another $500 to it and the rest of the $1,500 is to do the food stocking, furnishings, and the party all on a low cost budget of course. I would like to find a two bedroom in a decent and safe neighborhood under $600 which I can do, the only aspect would be the commute. Honestly I would be willing to do a longer than average commute if I found my dream apartment. I know with the gas crisis that's a big pf no-no but sometimes it's about filling a want rather than a need.

The Plan

Well like I've said there isn't going to be a lot of money coming in just yet, but I would like to start paying down some debt and saving some money. So the first thing to be paid will be the other debt in a SanityGurl fashioned snowball plan. The class ring payment, then the medical bills, then credit card 2 and credit card 1. There's tons of information on handling a snowball debt plan, which was first thought of (I believe) by a guy name Dave Ramsey. A lot pf bloggers would go with the Highest interest method (I'll discuss at another time along with the snowball debt method) but my credit cards don't have high interest rates and the amount is not that great.I plan to pay off the class payment in full and then take that amount and split equally amongst the other debts on top of the minimum. So in a way I'm doing it the way he prescribes but I'm not over paying just one and not the others. Hopefully buy the end of my grace period in the end of June I will have paid off the class ring and the medical bills, and made a noticeable dent in the credit card debt. I no longer use my credit cards so I don't see it growing much outside of the interest. At the same time I'm paying out for debt I want to make equal payment into a savings account. I plan on opening an high yield one, (another topic for another day) and have three sub-accounts, Car Fund, Apartment Fund, and Savings. I think this is a good start, don't you? It helps that my mom is allowing me to stay here rent free, although I'll still give her some kind of money to help out.

Job Search: Another Interview

Today I have another interview, for an office assistant. I don't know how much it's for and I don't even know if there are any benefits. Somehow I doubt it. Why am I pursuing this position? Well the lady who I would be working for is a contact of my mom's. She told my mom she was looking for an office assistant and my mom suggested me. So there is a rather good chance that I will get, but the real question is for how long will I keep it. I'm still going to be looking for a better job, I know this just isn't the one for me.

I'm meeting with her this afternoon to discuss the position, I'll let you guys know how everything turns out.

In other news, I've kinda come at a stall point for things to write in this blog. It's not easy to keep an PF blog, when you don't have PFs. I've actually stopped hardcore reading the many PF blogs I fav. Mainly cause I haven't found blogs that are really talking to me. It might be where I'm looking, but I'm not finding any PF blogs for single recent college grads, especially women. What does that mean? That there aren't any other single female recent grads that take an interest in the pfs? Or does it mean that these people just don't write about it? Like I said it could be where I'm looking. I would like to find some blogs that really are aimed at a person such as me. I'm sorry I can't really get into a blog that talks about family life with a husband/wife/significant other and their kids/lack there of. I'm 23 I'm not looking for a family life just yet.

I would also like to find blogs that don't force their opinions onto their readers. Not that there is wrong with having opinions but some bloggers have strong opinions and they don't take the time to address the other side. I guess that's what I'm suppose to do but if your going to tell me your opinion it would be nice to see your take on the other side to show that you aware of it.

Sorry about that rant, it's just something I've been thinking about.

Job related news...

Well I got an interview tomorrow for the school thingy. As of now I'm not nervous, I've been trying to keep my mind off it. Which meant listening to music and sleeping all day. Which is why I'm just now posting something. My mom was able to give me some pointer of the questions they might ask tomorrow, there's only one or two that I might have to tell a slight half-truth on...like why I want to work there...I can't tell the whole truth which would be cause I want a job and this is the currently only option right now. That might not go over so well. I'm kinda ready to get it over with. My mom said that they are looking to hire two or three people, they had an interview today, I'm tomorrow, another one is after me and then two more next week. So I probably won't hear anything until next week at the earliest.

Wish me luck!

The Job Search: an Update

Although yesterday's post could be seen as an update of search for my job search, but it was more like a post for posing an question for this subject. I decided to go for the job. After posting a similar post on a more friend's only post, a friend of mines gave this advice:

There's something that both Nana and Momma have told me over the years that may apply here: If you really want a job, some things just won't matter.
When it comes to dealing with potty issues, I'm pretty sure you'd be fine after you got used to it.
You're resiliant and I think you'd probably get into the swing of things after a few weeks. Also, you have your mom. She's been doing this for I dunno how long, so at least you aren't going in completely new to the whole thing and you have someone to go to when you get nervous. I've heard you talk passionately about some of these kids- about them as people and about the way they're treated at home. You care. That right there makes you more qualified than some people I've seen in a similar job posistion.
I've got faith you can do this.

I really took this to heart. Sometimes I don't always have self-confidence in my own skills and capabilities. It's always great to have a love one say I know you can do it. Last night I wrote up a cover letter (which was a bit of a hard thing, because I wasn't quite sure what she wanted they are so lax and not all that professional so I was afraid of over doing or not doing it good enough.) This afternoon I sent it alone with my resume to her. I haven't heard anything but I figure they are waiting for others to apply to. Now that I have it in my mind I really want this job. It's less then what I want to making, the highest would be $22,000 a year (before taxes), roughly $1,833.33 a month. When I started my job searching I did a preliminary budget, and all though there were a good amount of unknowns, I have figured I would need at least $23,769.60 (after taxes), breaking it down to about $1,980.80 (after taxes) a month. That means if I got this job I would have to find a part-time job that would net me roughly less than $2,000 extra a year ($147.74 extra a month). That's not that much more of a gap. But that's going with the idea that they would give the highest. I highly doubt that, since I don't have any experience per se.

I've already started thinking of some ways to try to earn the extra $200 a month. I would hope that the revenues from this site would help, but I'm still too new on the scene. Plus I haven't done any advertising for the blog, I'm waiting to I can regular post about personal finances (which means I need to get a job to have finances in which to talk about) But until then, I have to look to other means. In this post I gave some ways I was trying to earn some money. One of them was the selling of my paperbacks online. Yeah that didn't work out so well. I did a price check on the ones I have and saw that people were selling them for pennies. Granted I hadn't spent a lot on some of them, but I wasn't willing to let them go for pennies. So I've rethought the idea, there is a used bookstore, Edward McKays, (which when I was looking for the link for them I saw they were hiring...I applied for 20 hours, unfortunately it doesn't say how much the pay but I think that would be a good part time job.) I could sell back some books there. Although I think I would get cash and book credit, which is good that way I could use the credits to buy more books and not spend any more money. New books, without spending any money...works for me!

I could also try and find some seasonal work, which means I would have to temporarily cut back on some of the budgetary items, savings, until I found such a job and then put all the earnings from that job to it's respective areas. This would be a last resort scenario sense I need the money right now.

Tomorrow I'll give an general goal update.

And yet another Job Decision needs to be made.

My mom works at a school for autism kids. Well they are hiring, and at first the job they were offering was for a part-time teacher for 1 to 4.5 yr kids. It was 30 hours a week, at $13 a hr. plus benefits, the kids would be both "normal" and autistic. Many of my friends know I have a slight unnatural fear of kids. I like them okay I just can't handle them for long periods of time. But I was willing to take this job, cause one it would be easy to get to work. If my mom goes I go, which is a big thing because I don't have a car to provide my own transportation. Plus it was a job which meant money would be coming in. And at this junction I need money. I wanted to have a job before February...but since that's tomorrow...I need to kick things into an higher gear.

So I sent my resume to my mom so that she could give it to the head boss. Well today my mom sent me an email saying that the teacher who I would be working with has decided that they don't want another person in there. Which doesn't make sense to me, why didn't they say something before and just not have the job offered. So the boss has decided to do another job offering, instead of being just in one class I would be doing 1:1 with some students plus work in several different classrooms. I would basically be a private tutor for autistic kids. I believe that the pay is slightly higher and I think it might even be full time, not sure. And while the aspect of working with autistic children might be admirable I'm not sure about the whole idea of it. I mean I loved working with my mom when we worked with two of her kids especially the one little girl. But what if I got saddled with one that was destructive to themselves and others, I couldn't handle that. And what if I had to help them learn how to use the potty, or if they had a bathroom accident? Its different when it's a toddler then when it's a kid that's 10. Not only that but the working condition isn't all that great. The people there, especially some of the management are basically not cut out to be in the positions they have. And I don't handle poor management well, I run right over them I can't help it I just do.

So if there is anyone out there actually reading this I would like your thoughts on this conundrum. There doesn't seem to be another option in the horizon and I have bills to pay and a sanity to keep. But just at the same time is this not a similar problem that I found in the Edward Jones job offer?

Job Search: Hard Decision Made and Back to the Grind

Well after much debate with myself and some discussion with my mom. I opted to not take the job with Edward Jones. This was a major decision for me and I'm one of those people who always like to think of all the pros and cons before I make a decision. I thought I would share them with you all...so you can see what I was thinking.

The Pros:

1. It was a job which there would income coming in

2. The work entailed some interest for me...basically it would be a continuation of the things I want to eventually do with this blog, financial advising.

3. They were willing to train me to become a financial advisor and pay me for my training.

4. I would basically starting my own business and they would hire me an assistant to help maintain the office.

5. The pay was more than I was looking for...just over $30,000 plus bonuses. Their benefits packages was pretty good to... the basic included basic life insurance, basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance, income continuation plan for short-term disability, profit sharing and tuition reimbursement. (They also have optional medical and dental insurance, long-term disability, supplemental life insurance, supplemental accidental death and dismemberment insurance, dependent life insurance, long-term care insurance, health care reimbursement account, dependent day care reimbursement account, 401(k) plan, after-tax plan and investment savings plan.)

So those are some good pros...but what made me decide to go the other way

The Cons:

1. Ultimately this is a sales job...something I don't really want my whole job to be about. I know that almost all jobs has some sort of sales to it. But in order to be successful in this job you had to be a successful salesperson.

2. It's a career oriented job. I'm not looking for a career just yet. I want to go back to school in a year or two and I don't think I could just walk away from this in that time frame.

3. I would be responsible for my paycheck. They only pay you the salary for the first month, after that it's really up to you to have built a sizable business to start making a income.

4. I can't really see myself doing this for long, it seems very stressful and I wouldn't be able to do that and school, plus continue on working on my writing.

5. I'm just too young to start to settle into such a career path.

So five cons and five pros...you can see how I was in a bit of a fix. But I realized that it wasn't really about how many was in each list but how much they each weighed in my life. This is where it really pays to know your life dreams and goals. Granted one of my life dreams is to become financially stable but I don't want to sacrifice other dreams to be financially stable. In my life the Cons weighed more than the Pros. While I feel a little disappoint that I'm not posting about a new job, I'm comforted by the fact that I hadn't sold my soul for money. It's a good feeling.

Vacationing From the Edge: Introductions part 4- Me

Note: This was once part of one giant post but I have decided to break it up into smaller parts, so that the post isn't that long to read!

The last edition for this posting series Vacationing From the Edge: Introductions. I've talked about my Graduation Blues, Money Trouble, and My Family. It's the fourth part, and there's only one last thing to talk about...Me. Again another *sigh*.

4) Me

And then there is me. I just kind of gave up after the summer; I was tired, abused, and disillusioned. I quit a job that I had been at since my freshman year and got two new jobs that were mindless. I didn’t save anything and went overdrawn almost every month. I’m back in my parent’s house something that I didn’t want. I have no job prospective and no income to speak of. Needless to say, I am beyond depressed and can only hope to get better.

All this as cause me to become a resident of a village located at the edge of sanity. I hope my stay here is brief. I invite you to journey with me as I stumble my way back to solid grounds in sanity. I know that it will be rough and not pretty, but that’s what makes good living right?