I was at my friend's house for our typical Tara Tuesdays. (United States of Tara is a great show. Watch it.)
We had dinner, watched TV, went for a walk around the block. Then she asked me if I wanted to go see Wicked with her at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts here in South Florida. I said "sure." I'm always down to do new and interesting things. Anything out of the ordinary is my cup of tea.
So she went to Ticketmaster to buy tickets and said they would be $60 + taxes to sit in the nose-bleed section of the balcony. Hmm.... I thought. I know what it's like up there. In short it's awful. Seats are cramped, you have to sit really close to who you're sitting next to and you can barely see anything.
Then Gimme showed up.
Gimme took the laptop from her friend and started looking up coupon codes... promo codes... anything that may help her get closer or at least feel better about spending money on the crappy balcony seats. After a few tried and a few coupon codes denied, she decided to go from Ticketmaster to the actual performing arts websites and Eureka! A coupon code for Wicked. Not only a coupon code, but one that lets you get in the Upper Orchestra section for only $49!
So not only did we get better seats, we paid $10 less than we would have for the crappy balcony seats. What a deal... I love it!
In case anyone reading this would like to visit the Broward Center and see Wicked, the coupon code is: SHIZ49.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Back Up and Running
It's been years since I've written in here, but I think it's about time.
I've been blessed for the past few months with great financial security... and I realized just how easy it is to get off the beat and track when it comes to budgeting and watching where exactly your money goes.
So when I got an email today from Eharmony explaining how they were so excited that my payment went through (I completely forgot to cancel it before they charged me again... no luck on that site... or any site for that matter) for the second time! I decided it's time to go back to basics and start getting myself on a budget again.
So it begins.
Let me explain where I am and how my journey to financial stability and mini wealth may be of service to you.
I'm 26 years old, live alone, single, and am able to comfortably pay all my bills and still do the things that I want. I consider myself very lucky today... but it wasn't always this way.
When I was just starting college, my parents told me that if I wanted to go to school that was great. But I had to pay for it. When I told them I wanted a car, they said great. But I had to pay for it... and insurance... and a cell phone just in case something happened.
Therefore, I had to take matters into my own hands, get a job, and to quote Tim Gunn from Project Runway, "make it work." And I did. And I did it very well. I was even able to pay for my sorority dues and books and gas... everything from my 10 dollar an hour job. And I'm proud to say I left college not owing one red cent. No loans to pay back. No credit cards to pay off. Nothing.
But then I met the man of my dreams (or so I thought at 20 years old). And he and I fell quickly in love, moved in together, and started our "family." Well... families are hard. Especially when all of a sudden you're not the only one spending money. Your bank account gets drained, you have unexpected car repairs, and your love has to pay almost half his salary to his past love for child support.
Needless to say it was rough. But I made it work. I budgeted, I saved, I made it work... financially.
Unfortunately our young love did not last. So I moved back in with parents and then two weeks later promptly lost my job. Leaving me with the little income unemployment provides here in the state of Florida.
But I found part time gigs, freelance work (I'm a writer by trade), and then finally bit the bullet and went back to work for my old company. In the year that I was staying home with my parents and not really being too careful with what I spend, I managed to save around 8 thousand dollars. Then my aunt passed away and left me 10 thousand dollars. Then I left my job and got a new one that paid a decent amount of money, got my own apartment, bought a new car, and took on all the bills of a place by myself. When money started looking a little low, I got a freelance job that paid me incredibly well and I worked for 3months like a crazy lady running around trying to work two full time jobs. I was talking fast and losing friends just as fast. So I decided to take it down a notch and here I am today.
I have a nice cushion, but I noticed I'm overspending... not just on eharmony... on everything. And after watch Extreme Couponing, I decided the frugal me needed to come back out. We'll call her Gimme.
Gimme is ready to rear her money saving head again and has realized that she loves saving and getting a great deal.
Join Gimme and I and let's make some cash, budget, and still get all the damn things we want before we turn the big 30. Are you with me??
I've been blessed for the past few months with great financial security... and I realized just how easy it is to get off the beat and track when it comes to budgeting and watching where exactly your money goes.
So when I got an email today from Eharmony explaining how they were so excited that my payment went through (I completely forgot to cancel it before they charged me again... no luck on that site... or any site for that matter) for the second time! I decided it's time to go back to basics and start getting myself on a budget again.
So it begins.
Let me explain where I am and how my journey to financial stability and mini wealth may be of service to you.
I'm 26 years old, live alone, single, and am able to comfortably pay all my bills and still do the things that I want. I consider myself very lucky today... but it wasn't always this way.
When I was just starting college, my parents told me that if I wanted to go to school that was great. But I had to pay for it. When I told them I wanted a car, they said great. But I had to pay for it... and insurance... and a cell phone just in case something happened.
Therefore, I had to take matters into my own hands, get a job, and to quote Tim Gunn from Project Runway, "make it work." And I did. And I did it very well. I was even able to pay for my sorority dues and books and gas... everything from my 10 dollar an hour job. And I'm proud to say I left college not owing one red cent. No loans to pay back. No credit cards to pay off. Nothing.
But then I met the man of my dreams (or so I thought at 20 years old). And he and I fell quickly in love, moved in together, and started our "family." Well... families are hard. Especially when all of a sudden you're not the only one spending money. Your bank account gets drained, you have unexpected car repairs, and your love has to pay almost half his salary to his past love for child support.
Needless to say it was rough. But I made it work. I budgeted, I saved, I made it work... financially.
Unfortunately our young love did not last. So I moved back in with parents and then two weeks later promptly lost my job. Leaving me with the little income unemployment provides here in the state of Florida.
But I found part time gigs, freelance work (I'm a writer by trade), and then finally bit the bullet and went back to work for my old company. In the year that I was staying home with my parents and not really being too careful with what I spend, I managed to save around 8 thousand dollars. Then my aunt passed away and left me 10 thousand dollars. Then I left my job and got a new one that paid a decent amount of money, got my own apartment, bought a new car, and took on all the bills of a place by myself. When money started looking a little low, I got a freelance job that paid me incredibly well and I worked for 3months like a crazy lady running around trying to work two full time jobs. I was talking fast and losing friends just as fast. So I decided to take it down a notch and here I am today.
I have a nice cushion, but I noticed I'm overspending... not just on eharmony... on everything. And after watch Extreme Couponing, I decided the frugal me needed to come back out. We'll call her Gimme.
Gimme is ready to rear her money saving head again and has realized that she loves saving and getting a great deal.
Join Gimme and I and let's make some cash, budget, and still get all the damn things we want before we turn the big 30. Are you with me??
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