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.

To a New Year and a New Me...

 So we all know that 2020 has been the year of everybody's hell.  This year however has been a year of change for me and I honestly look forward to seeing what happens next year.  I hope to update the blog a bit more often, hope that I can get back into reading full force and pray that I get to hang out with my friends more.  I don't usually make resolutions but as it is officially New Years Eve I do have some goals I'd like to set for next year and see what happens.

Goals:

1.)  Have $1,000 in savings 

2.)  Pay off as much debt as possible

3.)  Try to read at least 75 books

4.)  Hang out with friends more

5.)  Take more ME time and do more of what I love

6.) Make at least 5 sales a month in my Etsy shop

7.)  Move into a place of my own

Some of these goals are more easily attained than others but I will work towards all of them.  I have realized the last few months (since the beginning of November) that while this has been a decent year for me I don't take enough time to do the things I enjoy.  Now it has been the holiday season and things are slowing down but not as much as they need too.  One of the other managers at my store has been out sick since the Friday before Christmas and work has been a living nightmare.  But I am feeling more prepared to take on the promotion I am working towards and training for.  Yes I started at this job in March, right before everything shut down, and I'm already up for a promotion.

We are supposed to be getting another $600 stimulus check and most of that will go towards savings.  That will almost finish goal 1 and then I will move onto goal 2.  With the raise I hope to be getting soon (with the promotion) this should also be more easily attainable.  I'd like to be in an apartment or house of my own by the end of the year.  I don't mind sharing a living space but it's getting a little old.  I need a space where I can spread out and have room to bring all of my books and craft supplies and well life down here with me.  More space would definitely help with the ME time portion.

The only goals I might struggle with is the 75 books and 5 sales a month.  I have been in a reading slump these last few years and this year instead of 3 - 5 books I was doing, I finally got a little over 50 books read this year.  Did I finish all of them?  No...if I didn't like it I didn't finish it but I still counted most of them as read.  So I feel like 75 books is a pretty attainable goal for this next year.  I also hope to get back into book blogging and reviewing this year too.  

I have a lot of jewelry I've made over the years and more that I'd like to make.  The issue is I need to sell most of what I have in order to make more.  So I'm looking for new ways to sell and lots of great discounts on my Facebook Page.  I need to get better at my social media to promote more sales but with my lack of time or patience for it right now I haven't had time.  I reopened my store in June and only had about 6 sales for the year.  I looked for different ways to sell items on Facebook to no avail but I'm not giving up.  I've got to get rid of some of this jewelry I've made!!!

I look forward to keeping you all updated on how these goals are going.  I hope to keep this blog more up to date than I have in recent years!  I also hope to start using this blog to promote some of the jewelry and other items I create as well.

Year in review...

I'm sure you've all been waiting for an update but a lot has been going on and changing for me so I haven't had a chance to sit and write everything down.  First of all, WHERE ON EARTH IS THE YEAR GOING!!!!???????!!!!!  Second of all, I've been doing a lot of working which hasn't left a lot of time for anything else.

I was working at Madame Tussaud's and J.Crew but things weren't going well with the manager so I found a Full Time Key Holder position at IT'SUGAR and have been there since the week after Easter.  I held onto the J.Crew position for a little while but they basically told me they no longer had hours for me so I quit not long after.

I did go North for Easter weekend and grabbed a few more of my belongings.  I may be headed back up for Labor Day but I am undecided on that matter as of right now.

I am currently taking hospitality classes that will help me visit various attractions with my friends throughout the Nashville area.  I am looking forward to exploring more soon though.  But first I have to get my financial situation back under control before I can do too much spending obviously.


So far the summer has been eventful though.  I spent my birthday hanging out and exploring with friends.  My actual birthday was spent with Staci shopping and then we met up with Randy at Cheesecake Factory (my first time and it was meh at best).  They got the waiters to sing to me and I was so ready to murder them both.  The next day, Staci, MiKayla and I went to a really cool old Soda Shoppe for lunch and then explored the Frisk Art Museum.  The Sunday following my birthday I had the night off and my roommate Erica took me downtown to see the final performance of the CMA Fan Fair weekend.  So I got to hear the tail end of Keith Urban and watch Luke Bryan perform.

I've been to several minor league baseball games to watch the Nashville Sounds.  Staci and I hope to go once a month and so far we're on goal for that.  On the 4th of July I made it home in time to go downtown with Erica for some music, fireworks and food.  I am so glad that my jobs are more flexible than they were last year so I was able to do a bit of CMA Fan Fair and 4th of July this year.  I missed it all last year.

All in all my first year here has been a great success and I look forward to many more years to come.  Today I got to head to The Farmer's Market for lunch and then we walked next door to the Tennessee State Museum to explore a little bit.  I have lots of photos to post eventually but they are on my phone so I have to get them to my computer.  One day lots of photos will hit the blog and Facebook!

New Year, New Journey

As we bring in the new year I didn’t really make resolutions.  However, I do want to push myself to do more.  I was looking back at my Facebook memories for New Years Day and I keep setting goals I will never accomplish.  

This year I just want to be me and live life to its fullest.  I don’t want to let anything stand in my way.  I want to be happy and so far I’m off to a great start.  

I’ve made some really good friends down here and have found myself pulling out of my shell even more.  It’s only been about six months but I couldn’t have chosen a better place to live.  There are still so many fun things to do and see here.

Anyways this year I brought in the New Year by hitting the gym, cleaning, hitting a concert, getting pizza at Boombozz, watching Relatable and then watching the fire works and a Keith Urban Concert.  I enjoyed hanging out with my roommate and look forward to more adventures like it.  I am hoping to get pictures soon of the concerts but can’t post them from my phone but if your on Facebook you’ve seen them lol!

Chaos ensues

So the last few months have been completely insane.  I was working a crap ton of overtime but that’s come to an end.  I have learned the final department at the museum which was crazy.  

I am actually writing this post from the mall as I sit outside work people watching because I don’t want to go home.  That sounds bad I know but there has just been a lot going on both at home and in life.  

So today I had two interviews scheduled for a second job.  One was at a store in the mall called It’s Sugar, if you’ve ever been to Myrtle Beach with me you know I can drop a hundred dollars in that store in minutes.  The interview went well but they are looking to fill a mostly nights and weekends position which is what I currently work so it wouldn’t work out.  The second one was meant to be at Cracker Barrel across the street from the hotel.  Needless to say I got there at about 1:45 for a 2 interview.  The manager was contacted and I stood there until 2:35 waiting for the interview to actually happen.  I finally just left without being interviewed. 

I came back to the mall and turned in the application I had for another store and was told he would be calling people to set up interviews soon.  Then after talking to a coworker who works there I went across the hall to talk to the manager of the restaurant about a host position.  So after going back to the drawing board things are looking up again.

I was essentially hoping to go full time at the wax museum but I can’t wait any longer for them to make decisions on that matter.  I have been driving Uber when I get the chance to fill in the money gaps.  But this last paycheck without full time hours or overtime was an eye opener.  I jumped right into a job hunt.  So here I sit on the bench outside work just watching and looking for job options in the mall before I walk around again getting harassed by kiosk sales people.

Something new...

So after my post the other night about being inspired to get back on the path of following my dreams I decided to start keeping a journal of sorts.  I found this little notebook and have decided that I will carry it around with me.  If something I see, heard, say or do sparks something for a story it will be written down.  

I feel like that is part of my problem.  I get these ideas while I’m standing at work or shopping.  Then by the time I get home they are gone.  Like the other day I had forgotten that the weirdest thing I saw was two big, burly bikers were riding those stupid rideable animals through the mall.  Or what about the older woman who put on one of the tutus we keep in the photo area and then took her pants off for a photo.  Or the older gentleman who did the same thing, but took his shirt off too and put on a jacket.  These are see through bottoms so yes we can see your underwear especially when they are teal!!!  Just saying.

What made these instances pop into my head?  Probably the fact that people are freaking crazy.  Most likely the fact that I have been trying to come up with new story ideas.  Who knows.  I look forward to regaling you with more tales from the fabulous life I lead working in the mall.