It's Friday! I'm soo happy it's Friday. I love my job, but it's so stressful.(not to mention I'm not making much of a salary). I make almost half of what DH makes and my bills certainly outweigh his before the marriage. I hate the fact I brought so much debt into this relationship. I just looked today to see where I am in terms of my debt:

CC1- $12,403.83
CC2- $5,432.90
Student Loan 1- $39,000
Student Loan 2- $14,000

He owes:
CC1- $3,000
Car Loan- $10,000


If I could use my whole salary without tax deductions it would still take me almost 4 years to pay my debt off before the marriage. I am very unhappy about that, but on a brighter note we budgeted $450 for food & entertainment and only spent about $225-250 for the month. I hope we only spend no more than $100.00 to go clubbing with my friends for Halloween. We also budgeting $125 for electricity and spent only $43 thanks to no air conditioning.

We decided whatever we don't spend that's budgeted we are putting in a fund for vacation to treat ourselves. It's more of an incentive to save for us.

We bought steak and all sorts of beef under budget this weekend. I am soo happy there is no more chicken. I love chicken, but there's only so much you can take. Anyway, I did some Christmas Shopping this weekend and I must say we are almost done with our lists. I also bought a crockpot (despite having one w/o a timer) with a timer to cook meals while we aren't home. I must admit I'm a little worried how it's going to work out. This weekend we paid a total of $385 broken down as the following: $160 for groceries from Costco, $45 for the Crockpot, $157 for DH and my brother's gift(an IPOD Shuffle) and $22 for insulated thermoses. If all goes according to plan our cards will be ready to go out by Nov.1 but we'll actually mail them out around Thanksgiving and our gifts will be bought by the end of Thanksgiving. As for the decorations and tree, we've decided to purchase our first real tree and wreath for the door. We hope to spend no more than $100 for both. Is that too high/low? I've only had artificial trees growing up.

As you can see from the title, DH and I reevaluated our budget. The "dummy" (I say this in jest) forgot to include my salary when looking to keep what was formerly just his car. The insurance rates here in NYC are killing us in addition to the car payments, but the car is necessary for food shopping. The corner stores here are just too expensive in my neighborhood. Also, it's great to get away from the city once in a while. We both love Westchester County. Therefore, we sat down one night when he was getting even more glum about losing the car. (He called so many different insurance agencies.) We decided we'll take some of the money from the wedding and start paying down credit debt which would leave a lower monthly payment doubled and nowhere near what was previously paid. We would pay the minimum on the cards with the lower interest rates, use his former college savings to pay off the engagement ring(freeing up $156), and go to a defensive driving course which would lower the insurance by 10%. We also decided because we do all our banking online it's a necessity for cable modem, especially because I run my business off there as well. In addition, we'd be able to have cable as well due to the package deal. Yea! We still have money to save too and i'm sure the food/entertainment budget can be cut in half. Hopefully, all goes according to plan. If not, we still have half of the wedding money to fall back on.

The holidays always seemed to be a stressful time in my family. When we were younger, my family traveled out of state to see my grandmother and aunt/uncle. We would sit in a car for five hours asking "Are we there yet?" I remember those car rides as a child, but most of all I remember all of the preparation for Christmas Eve down South by my parents. My mom becomes the Keebler Elf and her kitchen a workshop for a variety of cookies. She makes many batches of chocolate chip, oatmeal scotchies (Oatmeal and Butterscotch), sugar cookies and sometimes other flavors. It seems now as I start my life with my husband I will be taking over the tradition of Christmas Eve, so I started earlier. I refuse to be waiting in line on the 23rd (which happens to be my brother's birthday) to get cooking and baking supplies and gifts for everyone.

My husband and I went shopping this past weekend and bought a few presents for everyone. Mom and dad get a steak knife set(they always buy the cheap kind so we bought a nice set they can use a few years). We paid on credit, but have the funds to cover it. It's a shame I brought so much debt into our new marriage.

Anyway, Mom gets Cinderella on DVD (It's her birthday too in Dec. and she's an avid collector of Disney movies). My brother and his brother both get money for their birthdays and Christmas. I think I'm going to put them in a small opened ornament for Christmas. My brother's girlfriend we bought a nice set from bath and body and we're going to get a small summed gift card for Hot Topic. My best friend and her boyfriend a treat from Hickory Farm (steak) and a GC for a pint of Haagan Dazs. Grandma down south is getting the professional picture of my husband, her and I from our wedding day two weeks ago in a nice frame.(We might have to wait a while to get this. Our pictures aren't in yet.)

On his side of his family, we decided to get his parents a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant. They don't go out that often and it would probably be much appreciated. My husband's best friend is getting a GC to the Playhouse back home. His grandfather is getting a donation to the non-profit nursing home he's in and his grandmother we haven't decided. The other set of grandparents are probably going to get dinner...

Yes, if you're adding this up...it's a LOT of money. However, we're spending $1,000.00 of the money we got from the wedding and then banking the rest for a house. We can't fly back to see his family for Christmas and Thanksgiving, which reminds me I need a small something for the game they play at Thanksgiving. Perhaps I will make my cinnamon syrup.

Other than that, I hope to finish shopping by Nov. 30 and have the cards out no later than Dec. 1. It's a gloomy day here in the city....

Short-term goals:

1. To develop two sources of income other than my current full-time employment that brings in a steady income. They can be from the following: administrative, household, writing/editing, etc. Online magazine....

2. To earn $100 dollars more per month to apply to my credit card.

3. Consolidate Student Loans

4. Start a book club of 20-30 year olds living in BR. Locate a place to hold it and market the idea.

Mid-term goals:

1. Save at least $400 towards Europe for our honeymoon by July 2006. Travel to Europe (specifically Great Britain and Ireland) by July 2008.

2. Save at least $900 towards a down payment on a house by July 2006.

3. To earn at least $1,000 more by May 2006 at my place of full-time employment.

4. To pay off all of my credit card debt by January 2007.

5. To write and have a book published by January 2008.

Long-Term:

1. To have a steady source of income from my own businesses to quit my full-time position.

2. To own a house with Greg by the time I am 30 years old and by the time I am 40 years old to have another house with him generating an income.

3. When we have children, I aim to start a college savings plan for each child so they don't have to endure the debt I have.

Within the next five years, we hope to:

1. Buy a house:

Ideal Criteria:

a. Price- No more than $300,000 depending on future income
b. Large enough to accomodate two children and maybe three
c. Ideal 4 bedrooms for a home office, 3 is acceptable
d. Pool
e. Large spacious kitchen with plenty of counter space and cabinets
f. Large Family/Living Room
g. Location near excellent schools with excellent ratings
h. Near a cultured city/big city ideal
i. Garage/Driveway for two cars
j. An area where there is "Some" public transportation
k. Low insurance rates for automobiles and housing
l. Unattached
m. At least a backyard, not necessarily an acre of land
n. Minimal restrictions for improvements in a community
o. Closer to the North
p. Low crime, both property and against another being
q. dishwasher
r. washer/dryer

Ideal Locations: New England Area/New Jersey (Moorestown)/Maryland (Ellicott City)/Rhode Island/Massachusetts/Connecticut



Within the next ten years, we hope to accomplish:

Travel:

A. Europe: Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Austria

B. Domestic: Boston, Hawaii, Cross-country vacation: Grand Canyon, Sedonia Arizona

C. Other: Australia, Carribean, Egypt

Children:

We hope to have two children in the next ten years and start a college fund for our kids

Within the next fifteen years, we hope to accomplish:

A. Owning our own business: a Bed and Breakfast

B. Owning a summer home

Continuous: Continuing to build on our retirement funds....