This Thing Called Life

     After adding up my total for money wasted this month on Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, the bars, and fast food, I realized I had to stop. $371.65 could have paid off some debt I owe and it also could have been an extra car payment. Looking at my life at this moment made me realize I want things in life that I will have to work hard for and be strict with my spending. By 2022, I want my own house on a few acres so I can have people over for a bonfire and just enjoy life. I would also like to have a better paying nursing job so I can eventually buy a truck. I've always been a hard worker and a go-getter so I really need to be  aware of what I am spending my money on and make sure it is not on useless things like fake hamburgers or sugar loaded coffees. From here on out until I reach my 2022 goal, I will be pinching pennies and saving as much money as possible.

     This morning I checked to see how much my next power bill is. It's only $75! That is a huge drop compared to the winter time when it ranged from $226-$280. That makes me feel good knowing I will actually be able to use some of my paycheck to put towards my medical bills! Being a broke student sucks but when good things like this happen, it reminds me that after school is done I will be able to work full time again. The days are really narrowing down with just 128 to go until graduation. The labor and delivery clinical rotation is amazing. I love postpartum in the mother-baby unit. That was the motivation I needed to get my act together and it also helped me decide that at some point in the future, I will be going back for my BSN so I can work in the L&D unit. Nursing school is awesome and I cannot wait to start my career!

     I have been working and paying bills since I was 15. I've never been scared to get my hands dirty and work hard for the things I want. When I met my current boyfriend I was working two full time jobs. When I applied to nursing school and got accepted quicker than expected, all of that changed. I tried continuing to work both jobs and go to school at night but that reflected in my grades and GPA. When my boyfriend offered to pay rent and help me financially I initially hated the idea because I had been financially dependent on myself for so long. I was used to paying all of my bills and pinching every penny to make my ends meet. I got accustomed to doing everything for myself and depending on no one to help me. Financial stress has always been my stressor. Even when I worked both full time jobs there would still be times when I didn't think I'd be able to eat that month or pay my power bill, but somehow I made it happen. When my boyfriend started paying my rent, ...

     There are tons of survey sites out there and choosing a good one can be tricky. The only site I use is Cashcrate. You get $1 just for signing up and there are many other bonuses too. If you check in every day you get 3 cents and if you check in everyday for a whole month, you will earn 50 cents. That may not sound like much but depending on how many surveys or offers you complete, you could make a killing. This is perfect for people who have down time at work or someone looking to earn extra money for something they are saving towards. If you love shopping like I do, sign up with Cashcrate and under the "shopping" tab, select stores you shop at like Walmart or iTunes and earn a percentage of your purchases back. It's that easy. I signed up to make some extra money to put towards community college. Here is the link to sign up! http://www.cashcrate.com/4652172

     The last time I calculated how much I needed in order to pay for my A.A.S degree out of pocket was a lot. I think it was around $15,000. I jut went back onto my community college website and re-calculated my costs. It was near $11,000. I guess the last time I added it up I was being really cautious just in case I needed to pay more for certain things like books or my uniforms. This is kind of good news. It's still a lot of money but it isn't as much. I only have 6 pre-reqs left before I can apply to nursing program. I really hope I get accepted. I plan on getting my BSN from Sentara if you're employed with them it's about $9,000 and if you aren't it's about $13,000. My first semester of college I told myself I would do whatever I could do to pay out of pocket for school and materials and stay away from student loans. I really need to start saving more money in order for me to do that. I only have about $1500 in my savings now and that will pay for my micro-...

     The weather today is pretty gross. Hopefully the sun will decide to come out after hiding for 2 whole days. It's May so bring on the warm weather. I just paid my tuition for the nurse aide program and I've already ordered my books! 19 days and counting. I am truly thankful for everyone who reads my blog and deals with me talking about school all the time. It means a lot. I like to talk about for two reasons; One, because I hope to inspire other people to go and for the ones that went and quit to return. And two, because I'm proud of myself. I could be wasting my money on rent, alcohol, shopping and other things, but I'm spending it on my education.      Education is important to me for many reasons. My father dropped out of high school but luckily back then, you didn't need a high school diploma or GED to flip burgers at McDonalds like now. My father is actually a very successful person. He started working with the city 30+ years ago and sti...

     In a previous blog entry, I mentioned the survey site Cashcrate.com. I've been using this site for some time now. It does take a while to to earn the minimum payout of $20, depending on what surveys you get,  but it is all worth it. With each check I earn from this site, I put it directly into my college savings fund. It starts to add up after a while. Taking surveys is perfect for teens looking for extra income, stay at home moms, or people like me with a desk job who have LOTS of free time.If you have things you're trying to slowly save up for like a new summer wardrobe or new shoes, this is perfect for you.      The good thing about this site are the choices. You can do surveys, complete offers, watch videos, and you even earn 3 cent for checking in everyday! If you love shopping, sign in and shop to receive money back from stores you purchase from.  I know it doesn't seem like much for some, but to me, some money is better than...

     On February 21, I will be attending the open house session at my community college campus for the Certified Nurse Aide program that they offer. I will need about $1000 to pay for the program. I already over half saved. Hopefully at the informational session I will be able to figure out if it will be worth it or not. The only issue with spending the money in my savings on this program is that I will have to save up even more money twice as fast in time for classes next semester.      My community college website doesn't list whether I need certain classes to attend the program or even how to apply. I wish I knew so I could be a few steps ahead. The only reason I'm choosing to stay at my community college for this type of program is because of the location (I can go right after work) and because I'm already registered with the school. I don't want to have to re-apply to schools and other programs and fill out a butt load of paper work.  ...

     Celebrities and other people who make millions and billions have no idea how lucky they are. They will never have any financial stress unless they completely waste that money and do dumb stuff with it. Most of them though, have more money than they could spend in a lifetime. They have no idea how hard it is for "average" people to make ends meet by working a job or multiple jobs, instead of a great paying career.I do appreciate those celebrities and CEOS who are passionate for certain causes and organizations, especially when they create their own to help people out, like bullying or cancer. But for those celebrities who spend $15,000 on a dress or leave a bar/night club with a $100,000 tab, think about what "average" people could do with that money. To them, that money is nothing, to me and other average joes, that it just like winning the lottery. It must be a great feeling to wake up and not have to stress about how they will pay the light bill or put food o...