Day 3

How do you plan out the future? I have accomplished a lot of money goals for a millennial. I have no consumer debt (I had over two thousand dollars on a couple credit cards when I graduated college), and I have paid off my student loans (over twenty thousand dollars). I have a positive net worth. However I accomplished that a couple years ago thanks to Cappy. He's the one that owns the house we live in. I real like I'm swimming in uncertainty, trying to figure out how to answer, "Where I see myself in five years?" I'm finishing up my last class and then I can start the first section of the CPA in January. But there are so many variables we live in. Do I want to stay in the Midwest? If I stay two more years, will I stay here forever. Would that be bad? We as millennials are told we can be anything and live anywhere. We are an independent sort. How does that work when you are in a partnership? That's what I'm trying to figure out. And Cappy doesn't want to go with the flow. He is stressed that we need to save two million dollars each for retirement. I'm only making fifteen thousand a year right now. How can I make up my part of that savings? Nevertheless. I have my first interview at the end of the week for my first real accounting firm job. I'll talk about that in a later post. But these are the questions

NaNoBlogMo

So it is that time of year again and this time I'm participating in it. Of course I am talking about NaNoWriMo, where you write everyday for a month and in the original program you finish a novel. I'm doing an adaptation where I write a blog post everyday. I'm hoping to get out of this experiment is new habit of writing and to get excited about blogging again. I want to be a producer not a passive spectator. I've been learning lately the joy of participating and how becoming vulnerable with the risk of looking foolish is helping me grow and feel alive and cultivate better relationships with people. For example, I went to Burning Man for the second time this year. My first time was fun, but it didn't feel life changing, I hid in my shell of shyness because it was so overwhelming with stimuli and genuineness. This second time, I focused on relationships. It started with getting to know a couple of guys pre-burn by building yurts, that would be our homes for the week. Also I volunteered to head the snow cones gifting for the camp. It was logistically complex, but starting before the burn connecting with people. At the burn, I wanted to sit down with people and get to know them more than going to events in the booklet. I helped people were I could and one day early in the week my bike chain kept on coming off and a guy stopped and asked if he could flip over my bike and in 2 seconds it was fixed. I worked on accepting people's generosity. It's hard for me to accept people's good intentions. I'm always skeptical, but at the burn I have to open up and understand people want to help and share with nothing in return. It is a weird economy. But it opens one up for epic experiences and friends that you will know deeper than those you've known for a lifetime. It's all about participating and stretching yourself to find your new boundaries. I'm excited to start this journey with you, my reader. And if you want to get on the bandwagon you can join here, if you want to be official about it.

Coffee & Finance

"Coffee & Finance" was the original name of this blog. I tweaked it later because I wanted a more dynamic name.  I noticed how apropos this name is to my blog (Also I'm excited to use the word "apropos" organically in a sentence).
Lately I have been a ball of anxiety. One of the classes I'm taking is really challenging me on the school front and my boyfriend are seriously considering the next step. So instead of really doing anything last night after work, I comforted myself at looking at my mint.com account, drinking some coffee, then some red wine, and doing my taxes. I wish I could of completed my taxes, but I'm waiting on two tax forms. I find my center when I can sip on a drink and do personal finance. I like looking at the past and how far I've come (starting with 2500 in consumer debt and 20,000 in student loans, now a net worth above 5000), and making future savings goals and trying to game plan. I also looked for new coffee shops to explore on yelp.
Although I didn't get much of anything done that I should of, I did finish the night with a shiny sink, even I cheated by using the dishwasher, instead of the normal hand-washing method. I'll take it as a win.

Possibilities for the coming Year

Questions by Jenny Blake, LifeAfterCollege.org

• What is one new skill that you would like to develop this year?
• I will learn how to hula hoop going beyond the basic, then add fire to the mix. It seems like it will be a fairly frugal new skill to learn to bring back to the playa.
• What is one hobby you want to practice? 
• I want to practice more yoga, I look at it as a hobby more than exercise.
• Where is one exciting destination you would like to travel to in 2013?
• I would like to go to Istanbul.
• What is one creative project or idea you would like to undertake?
• I would like to finish my picture frame earring holder and wine cork trivets. This year is more about the follow through, not just seeing and recognizing but actually doing.
• What one career move would make the biggest impact on your overall happiness and success this year?
• I will find an accounting internship. It will break up the monotony of my barista job. Also landing an internship will build my confidence in finding employment after Starbucks.
• What one money move would make the biggest impact on your overall financial picture this year?
• I will learn about investing beyond just contributing to my 401k and open a brokerage account after my emergency fund is back to being fully funded.
• Who is one person you would like to meet or reach out to this year? For example, either someone new (and maybe aspirational) or a re-kindling of an old friendship or relationship.
• I would like to reconnect with my favorite old roommate, when I go back to Seattle. I've seen so many changes happen in her life via facebook since I moved away.
• What area of your physical space can you clean, purge or re-organize this year?
• Like most women, I want to tackle my closet again, especially the floor. I still have bags that I haven't emptied from my vacation in September. I look at it and it just is energy sucking.
• What is one adventure you would like have in 2013? Choose something fun, risky, different, or otherwise soul-stirring! 
• I want to go on some more road trips. The first one that comes to mind is to Memphis.
• What is one health or fitness milestone you would like to hit?
• I want to run a half marathon this year. It's one of those goals on my bucket list. I'already have one run on the books for this year the Color Run in April.
• What is one new system you can put in place, or an area of your life that you can streamline or organize this year?
• I want to get more on board with following FlyLady rountines.
• What is one thing you would like to ask for help with this year? Big goals often take a village, and sometimes we get shy or afraid to ask for the help we need. What would you love to have some support around, even if you're not quite sure who to ask? 
• I need help with procrastination. It is so horrible, yet I can't break the cycle. I don't know how to fix it.
• What is THE biggest, hairiest, most meaningful thing that you would like to happen this year? 
•  I would like to get a full-time job in accounting. I am ready for a "big kid" job. I want to contribute more to the shared household instead of Cappy paying for majority of things.

Retail Therapy

So I didn't go home this Christmas, instead I worked. Mine is one of the few Starbucks open 365 days a year, it's in a rich Jewish area. So I didn't have to buy presents for my family this year, that's normally 12 presents at 10 to 25 dollars, so I saved a i little over 200 bucks. So instead I bought 150 dollar boots and Cappy some nice presents. I also bought heels, also a phone. I feel like I've spent a lot of money lately, but it's not that much in the scheme of things, but I've just spent a lot of time shopping and it makes me feel guilty. I miss my family, so I've been filling my time with shopping. Oh retail therapy, the roller coaster of emotions.

Procrastination: Gratification in the Delay

So I suffer from procrastination. I've learned to work around in school by trapping myself at the library or cafe until I got whatever assignment done. I knew I was ready to graduate when I researched and wrote a 20-page paper in 24 hours that we were originally given two weeks to write. I am proud of what it has forced me to accomplished. Also it has been a great money saver, in that I will procrastinate and pine over an item until it is no longer for sale. Lately it has manifested in applying to jobs, I know I'm burnt out on my job and probably not the best co-worker due to that fact and I don't want to be promoted, but I can't pull the trigger to actually apply for other jobs. I live in the future. I might go on a trip next month, I'll want the flexibility of my current job. Or this job looks perfectly I can totally see myself doing it. I'm the perfect fit for them. They totally would hire me if I applied. I basically have my next job. Oh wait it disappeared. How do I stop this procrastination and actually do things and not fall back into it? It's so warm and cozy and I'm happy when I escape into tv shows or movies in the midst of procrastination. Sometimes I take the bull by the horns but get sidestepped so easily. But this procrastination is also why I'm a saver not a spender, Double-edged sword?

This post was inspired by reading Simply Superkim's Post, "If You're Not Happy Change!"

Start of Class, A New Beginning

My community college class started on Monday and I loved it. Its an accounting class on how to use Excel. Man, it was so lovely, because I was learning something new and making mistakes and learning from those. I could also directly see how this is a marketable skill that I can put on my resume. It is just so tangible. It gives me hope. I think now I can see the future with a real grown-up job. I think I was a little down before due to using half of my emergency fund to pay off the remainder of my student loans. It added to my feeling trapped. Also I chatted with my boss and she is willing to really work with me, by giving more hours and off the days I ask for. I also discovered that I could get the trial version of the Microsoft Suite free for 60 days, which is longer than the duration of my class. So I'll be able to make a more educated decision on whether to buy the software and which version, also education prices are nice. It's coming up roses.

Accomplished Big Goal, Why Ho-Hum

So I sent in my last payment towards my student loans last week. This is momentous, except I feel fairly ambivalent. It's good I don't have any debt. I'm no longer a wage slave. I'm doing better than a good majority of my peers. I have a job and no debt, other than my credit card that lasts for two week intervals to earn rewards. (Although I might stop using the credit card except for one monthly expense, I feel a little allergic to debt now. It makes me itchy and uncomfortable.) However I thought I would be in a different place literally and figuratively. I'm feeling the burnout of Starbucks due to management and other things. I expected to be in a career using my degree by the time I finished paying for it. I'm enrolled in community college for this upcoming quarter, which I'll pay for up front. Or I thought I would be traveling in some exotic European city and doing some awesome random job to help me to continue to travel. I just thought it would feel different, like I would take more pride in it. Also most of the last payment came from the money I left in an account that I saved to pay the minimum on my loans while I was going to be traveling, and had her check last month to see how much was left and ended up being three times the amount I thought (Happy surprise, I guess).

Why Couchsurfing is frugal...

So CouchSurfing was been making the rounds in the media lately. I thought I would put in my two cents about my experience of CouchSurfing (CS). I have been a member for about 5 years now. I don't surf much I've done it only a handful of times in the US. Nevertheless, I have used as a social outlet after college to meet like minded people in that we like to travel. Since these people like to travel, they have the desire to save money, while having a good time. Last week, Cappy and I hosted this 7 person Aussie gypsy punk band for two days. They stayed on our couches, futon, and floor, but they were just happy to have hot water and washing machine (although they didn't use the dryer, instead they line dried their clothes). We got to check them out at the infamous Stag Night in St. Louis for free. Also that same weekend, we went with a CS friend who had old study abroad friends in town ziplining and since we had a group of 10 we got the group discount. Also the local CS group has a monthly happy hour that moves around the city and so not only do we get to try new bars, but sometimes we can get the happy hour specials extended to our group due to our size. So I get to save money by hanging out with these crazy traveler types while we are working our regular jobs and feel special showing my version of St. Louis.

Being a doer instead of a talker

This idea has been really present in my mind recently. I've grown up being told that you need to have a plan for your life. year, week, etc. and that maybe a back up plan or two would be good as well. With these lessons, I got good at being able to tell people what my next steps could possible. However I am horrible procrastinator. Thus I have all these plans and the best of intentions, but I get distracted by TV and movies and paralyzed by fear of failure and the what-ifs. This helped my finances as in I've automated my savings, so I have a good amount in there. I have a couple sets of plans for this money. But the what-ifs keeps the money in the savings account. However I have figured out one plan to use the money. I am getting a tattoo on my birthday in exactly a month. I'm excited and weird sense of calm about coming to the realization of where to get the tattoo and the ability to give artistic license to some one else. Its a step in the right direction to become a doer instead of a talker. For what is savings for, but for to experience life fully.

Minimalist Valentine's Day

I know I am little late in the game on this one. But let me just tell how I spent my Valentine's Day. First Cappy hand delivered a dozen roses that he arranged himself in a vase we already had with a tin of Ghiradelli chocolates. I appreciated this because part of getting flowers is sharing with people or showing off to people especially since it was right next to the register. I got him a nice rib eye steak. I like that we got each other consumables instead of stuff like dumb stuffed animals or even jewelery. For dinner, we used a groupon to a bar we could walk to from our house and saw a free screening of a local film while there. We did get a bottle of champagne, however it was only 8 bucks, which we drank out of mason jars. So no too spendy and very tailored to our personalities.

Unwanted gift cards

So I got these ugly pajama pants from my brother for Christmas. So instead of being polite and say I liked them and totally would wear them, I did the rude and honest thing and said good attempt, but I'm not that kind of girl. The next day I returned them. He got them from WalMart, even though I told him in the past how much I despise WalMart and don't want presents from there. So now I had a gift card that I didn't really want. I looked on line to see if I could sell it on one of those auction websites for gift cards, but since my card was for $17.98, I had hard time finding a site that would take it. The lowest amount most of them would take was $25. I did find one, ABC Gift Cards. It was a little more of around about way than the other ones. I had to send in a request to see if the would accept it and then they sent me an email like a week later. They sent me a form to mail in with the card, and at that point, I also accepted that it might be a scam and I wouldn't see the money or gift card at the end. However, in a couple weeks time, I got the PayPal email saying the funds were transferred into my account. So I really recommend these guys. So glad to have money in my bank account, instead of cheap crap from WalMart in my house.

Theoretical vs. Actual Savings

The No Spend Challenge has got me thinking about savings cause isn't the point of this exercise. I think it is a little silly how grocery stores and even Starbucks say how much you saved at the bottom of your receipts. I didn't save money, I just spent money. It didn't go into savings or towards paying down debt. I most likely would not have bought that thing if it cost that much more, my purchasing threshold was due to the actually price, not the savings, my mind does not work that way. However, Cappy is totally falls into that trap of theoretical savings and spends more because of the value and just saving so much on the one item he can then get those other things too. This is why it is amusing to see what he comes home from the grocery store. So I'm wondering if there is a way to bridge the gap between theoretical and actual savings or if it is necessary to. Again it seems dumb or too much effort to take those receipts and move the theoretical money saved from the checking account into my online savings account. I have the fear that I didn't budget for this and if move to much money I'll just have to dip back into the savings, which I worry will create a habit of it or if that money is moved to pay down debts that I will need to use a credit card, thus a vicious cycle is reignited.

Extraneous or Just Real Life

So I'm trying not to spend any extra money. However, I'm trying to hang out more one-on-one with friends to build stronger relationships. This has been leading to spending more money at coffee shops and restaurants. I'm sure how and if I want to stifle this spending, because it straddles that line of superfluous and necessary. Plus I'm always in the mood to try a new coffee shop as I am still learning about my new city. Also I have these craft projects I want to do, but again I don't want to spend extra money. I kind of have in my mind that if I use my tip money to pay for it doesn't count.

Clothing Swap Time

So as a part of the decluttering of the wardrobe, I given up on some of those cute clothes that are totally gorgeous, but so not me. It's time for a clothing swap party so those clothes can go to good homes and where most likely I'll see them in their full glory on one of my friends. I actually was talking to my old roommate about the first one I did 6 months ago after hearing about it at "And Then She Saved." Now that she has moved all of her stuff back to the parents. She realized she had 2 bursting wardrobes and a small childhood clothes to try and fit them into. So we decided hopefully at the end of the month, we will co-host another clothing swap. It will be fun finding new things that I like, while drinking wine and hanging out with the ladies. However, just because it's new clothing item, I have to love it before it can added to my life. Because the reason behind this is to get rid of clothes after all. I excited that I'll be able to this during the challenge month as well as being a frugal social activity to hang out with friends without having to go to bar or restaurant.

photo via And Then She Saved

Declutter Challenge

So my starting number for my closet is 220 items. I did the full inventory a week or two ago when I looked at Leo Babatua's Clutterfat Challenge, but I ended up not liking the interface. Nevertheless, it has gotten me started in the right direction.  I would love to get down to 100, that is my ultimate goal. My intermediate goal is to get rid of all the clothes I don't like, don't fit, or needs to be fixed, cause at this juncture I am not going to get around to fix it, nor do I know how. So that's where I am starting out at.

February Challenge Goal/Reward

So it's February 1st. Let's set out the goal for the low (no) spend challenge. I want to direct all my excess monies to my emergency fund to achieve the goal of 2000 dollars. If I reach that by the end of the month as I am 389 dollars away at this point, the rest will go towards my student loans, which is around 8000 at this point. I am also going on vacation in March and April so I need to save for that. But I need to think more on that. Since Cappy gets paid more than me, he has no problem saying majority of it, but I do want to pull my own wait. So that's what I am starting with for this challenge. I am super excited.

February Challenge

So I entered in the February Challenge. Let's do it! Here's the rules / original post

30-Day Rule

So I actually used the 30-day rule that I learned from Get Rich Slowly. I wanted to buy new work shoes with this technique. I ended up buying them online for cheaper than I saw at the store, since the 30-day rule gave me the time to research and decide if this was the right shoe to fit my needs. It also fits into my fledgling minimalism, does this new item actually add value to my life over the burden of more stuff. Will it replace something in my closet that is worn out or can that that worn thing still be used and delay the purchase and make do with what I got? I kind of feel like I've earned it, but I think it will make my life better too. I love my new shoes, but I'm unsure what to do with my old shoes. Also I did this with my new iPod Touch, but adapted. It was a reward after the holidays and being able to save up and pay with cash, also wait until my iPod was actually starting to break ( I could only get sound sent tone ear bud.). Man do I feel happy about my purchases.

2012: The Connect

So I've been reading all about people's New Year's resolutions and it's got me thinking of my own. I will let you know I'm a big fan of writing up resolutions or at least the leg work of self-reflection it involves. Do they normally work out? Actually the ones that most often work out for me are the financial ones. My resolve has been strong when it comes to my finances since graduating college with 15 thousand dollars in student loans and 2,500 in consumer debt and a barista's salary. Tammy Strobel's post about having a theme for the next year instead of a bunch a resolutions really clicked with. The having one focus, your mind being pulled in one direction instead of 6. So my theme for this year is connection. I want to connect more with my friends and build deeper relationships on my own instead of just as a couple. I want to connect with my community, I want to connect back with education by helping Bosnian immigrants and using my language skills. I also hope through this to grow deeper into Saint Louis, my chosen home. And now just wait here until the next adventure begins and wasting my youth by waiting.