Friday, July 4, 2008

Furgal Fruit

***EDIT:
Windfalls are beautiful. I'm no longer worried about my text books! That's all I have to say. <3


I found out yesterday evening that Nathan's GI Bill will expire at the start of September. FUN! What does that mean? $1,200 less a month in our pockets.

Why does this suck?
--Nathan is still in school until November.

--I'm still in school until forever.

--We have a $750 dollar a month rent on top of our other bills and expenses.

--Gas is $4.00 a gallon

-- My text books will total over $300 this semester

--and we still have to do this pesky thing called eating. Have you heard of it? It's a pain in the ass.

The good news:
--Sept 1st I got to $8.40 an hour (though right now my hours are set for me to break even with my current rate...that will hopefully change). If I get to max out my hours I'll be making $100 more a month than I am now. This would be helpful to say the least

--We're supposedly starting a commuter shuttle from Montgomery College (where I work) to SHSU (where I go to school) that would save me an hour and a half of driving on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 160ish miles a week.
Which translates to $25ish bucks a week I'm not spending in gas.
Now--the question is how much will the shuttle cost? AND will it run at times that are doable for me? Tough questions, ones I can't find answers to, which is irksom.

--There is a Subway across the street from my house that should be opening soon, so they're currently hiring. Also, Mr. G would take me back in a heartbeat, I know, but that would mean back to the very stressful and exhausting restaurant setting. I really don't want a second job (let's face it, with dA it would be a third) because I'm taking 16 hours in Junior and Senior classes, but if I have to get one to make ends then I will.


--If we adhere to our strict budget right now then we'll have enough saved to take us through November when Nathan gets out of school and is able to work at a better paying and full time place. Get his career going and all of that.
This budget currently allocates $6 dollars a day for us to eat.
Strict.


--If I get rid of my storage (ie haul it all home finally) I will save $60 a month, if I put my gym membership on a freeze then I'll save $30 a month. Total: $90 a month saved.

--That 6 bucks a day could lead to some healthy weight loss for the both of us. Not eating is green right?


--If we get my stuff out of storage I can sell some of my books at half price books and get a little extra cash. This would be hard for me...but I have a lot of books that I know I could part with (mostly ones I've scavenged from garage sales and the lot--and i have a /lot/ of those).

--I've got a kidney I'm not really using...

I'm sure that in the end, it will be okay. I'm crazy about budgeting and all of that stuff and so the challenge for me is keeping Nathan at least close to on track. I know it will be hard, but we don't really have much choice.
To say I'm stressed over it, though, would be a huge understatement, especially because my health still kind of sucks, I need a crown, a root canal, and another crown (grand total of $600 smackers. I know! I know!), OH and still haven't gotten an updated Rx for my eyes, let alone new lenses, since highschool! like...SOPHOMORE YEAR.
Also known as 5.5 years ago.

I have a doctor's appointment Monday:
Co-Pay: $30
Rxs: 75, 5, 5, 5...
Gas: $30 (yes, it takes half a tank to get there and back)
Total: $150

Ugh.
/end bitching

/start whining:
Still stuck on the same spot of TGTD. Though I have been revising things at my dA account . Which I hear is healthy.
Honestly, it's one of the last things on my mind currently.
I know, I'm probably over thinking, over stressing, all of that. I know.
BUT!
I did get through a scene that was tugging at me. I would share it, and I have with a couple of people to get some prelim feedback but I don't think I will tonight as it currently doesn't stand on it's own, it's part of a larger work that I do not think wants to be written chronologically.

I might yet talk it into it...

2 comments:

Siavash G. said...

hi, I wanted to ask ya a question which is: how can ya like both Art and Physics at the same time!!? It's somehow strange.

Ali said...

Haha! Science and art seek to do the same thing: express and discover truths.
In literature we strive for eloquence in poetry. Mathematics seeks that same eloquence in proofs.