Umm what the heck...

 We are a month into the year (well almost a month) and things are going good.  I took the jump and found a new part time job at Amazon to replace my current one.  It pays $5 more an hour and is basically only seasonal but I don't see it ending anytime soon.  I can also transfer to a full time position if one opens up at my facility or another facility in the area.  If I can find my Instacart card and lanyard I will start doing that in my free time too.  Anyways the good thing about Amazon (besides the pay increase) is that I get to pick what shifts I want essentially making my own schedule.  Also I will paid weekly instead of bi-weekly.  All of these things are essential to my goals for the year.

As for those goals well things with several of them took a downward spiral but I should be okay.  The Emergency Fund took a $200 drop already.  Instead of getting a tax refund I will owe money because my current job screwed me over big time.  So that is adding a debt to my pile but that one debt will be gone in a few short months and should be the smallest debt so it all works out.  Is it annoying AF, absolutely.  However, on the financial goals I am still staying strong and making it work however I can.  But I did come up with a new savings challenge of sorts.  I opened a random bank account and any cash I find, get tipped, coins or cash I have left after spending cash will go into this account at the end of the month.  I am putting a little over $40 into this account in the next couple days before I leave the current job.  I also plan on doing the $5 challenge and it will probably go into this account as well, but I haven't decided yet.

I added another goal where I turn off the TV and laptop by 10 pm.  This one kind of coincides with my reading and me time goals.  I've been having issues with sleep but I've found that the nights I shut off my tv and laptop no later than 10:30 pm I sleep better.  I have several books going in book, ebook and audiobook format so I grab one of them and get some reading in.  Last night I grabbed one of my coloring books at random and did some coloring while I watched movies.  I didn't work today so I didn't worry about a shut off time but I'm shutting it off tonight.  I've only finished one book this year but I'm working on four different books right now so that won't last for very long I hope.

I've taken the time to spend more time with friends lately too and it's about to get even easier.  Even easier once taxes are paid and I have spending money lol.  My biggest issue besides time is money when it comes to spending time with friends.  One of my friends is getting married in Arkansas in March but I can't do anything until after April and somebody has to stay home with my roommates dog so she's going and I'm staying.  After this weekend I will have plenty of time to spend with friends and I truly look forward to that.

I'm still working on starting the rest of my goals but I feel like it's just a matter of time.  I look forward to seeing what happens this year.  This year has to be better than last year.

Rocky Start to a New Year...

 So this year has not gone as planned so far but I'm so ready to move on from the insane several days it started with.  I wound up not going to my friends for New Years Eve but it was not intentional.  So on New Year's Eve I found myself waking up at 11:30 pm in my chair (not a recliner mind you) fully dressed and with one shoe on.  Yes I fell asleep putting on my freaking shoes before I went downstairs to make something to take with me.  Needless to say at 11:30 I woke up changed back into pj's and went to my actual bed where I fell back to sleep.

I worked all day New Years Day and then went home and fell asleep.  Saturday at work was kind of a disaster and Sunday wasn't much better.  Monday our store manager was back and instead of working what she has me scheduled I'm getting called in early every shift.  I've already been called in 3 and a 1/2 hours early tomorrow.

I did have yesterday and today off.  I got almost all the laundry washed and dried, it's currently sitting on my bed unfolded and there's one load in the washer.  I had to run some errands today to pick up some cards that went to an old address, the library and then a quick run to Wal-Mart for some bins to store Halloween and more Christmas decorations.  When I got home with the bins I put away all the decorations I had laying around and it is such a relief to have Christmas gone and done with.  Christmas usually comes down Christmas Day for me but since I slept through Christmas and my next day off (New Years Eve) I didn't start pulling things down till Sunday.  Then I realized I didn't have enough room in my Christmas bin so I had to wait until I bought a new one.

Tomorrow I was looking forward to doing something fun before work with friends but since I'm going in at 1 instead of 4:30 it's not going to happen.  I'm still slightly exhausted but that doesn't matter apparently.  I still haven't had time to see my friends so I still have two of their Christmas presents.  Had I been smart I would have taken them with me and dropped them off with the perspective people.  Alas, I didn't think about it until I was on my way back from that area.  My living area looks much better than it did but it needs a good vacuum and I've got some cups that need washed and put away in the Christmas bins lol.

As for the goals I set myself...the friends and me time ones aren't going too well yet but I'm planning on working on them soon!  However, I am excited to say that I am so very close to my first goal.  In one day I went from under $100 in my EF to being $300 away from completing it.  This next payday I should be able to complete it because we're starting the year with a 3 pay month.  I've already paid off my cell phone so that's one debt gone.  Next up I'm going to throw money at my Southwest card because it's the smallest debt only a few hundred.  I haven't done much with the shop yet but over the next few days I will be working on that.  As for the reading goal, I am reading two books and almost done with one of them.  I'll probably finish one of them tonight.

So while we're only 7 days into the year things are looking okay but not great.  I need the next couple weeks to go quickly so I can get back to a regular schedule.