August 2010 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $4005.20
Checking: $29.50
Future Fund: $0.04
Other People's Weddings Fund: $0.02
Misc. ING Funds: $0.22
Roth IRA: $7,925.59 (out of the $7,810 I've invested so far)

401k: $6,355.10
Sharebuilder: $42.27 (out of $50 initial investment)
____________
Total Positive: $18,357.94


Rent: $PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $218.00
Phone: $45

Subway: $20.00
Credit cards: $574.71
Student Loan I: $7,150.22 (from over $19k)
Student Loan II: $0
____________
Total Negative: $8,007.93


Net Worth: $10,350.01

Once again, wedding festivities have precluded me from posting in a timely manner. I'm almost through wedding season (for this year), but as you can see, I had to dip in my E-fund to help finance it. My spending was out of control this past month, and I'm hurting, cash-wise. The only positive item for this month is the fact that my old employer just contributed just over $1,400 into my 401K for FY2009. I was holding out on transferring my 401K exactly for that reason, and I wasn't sure if it would happen, so yaaaay!

July 2010 Net Worth

My delay in posting is due to the insane 4th of July weekend. I'm still puffy from overindulging in terrible, wonderful foods and plenty of liquor. And honestly, I'm not super excited to report this month's numbers. Here's why:

Emergency Fund: $5,004.56
Checking: $63.09
Future Fund: $0.79
Other People's Weddings Fund: $122.89
Misc. ING Funds: $1.00
Roth IRA: $7,244.87 (out of the $7,710 I've invested so far)

401k: $4,476.20
Sharebuilder: $34.27 (out of $50 initial investment)
____________
Total Positive: $16,947.67


Rent: $PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $218.00
Phone: $PAID
Subway: $20.00
Credit cards: $1,169.83
Student Loan I: $7,231.16 (from over $19k)
Student Loan II: $0
____________
Total Negative: $8,638.99


Net Worth: $8,308.68

This month was horrible in terms of shopping. I was doing fine in that area for a while, but then I realized I had no summer clothes. I have long been on a search for my holy grail of shirts. I could never find shirts that weren't some or all of the following: (i) too thin, (ii) too short, (iii) too long, (iv) too skanky, (v) too stretchy, or alternatively, (vi) shapeless. The trend at all major retailers hawking clothes to Gen-Y women has been to make really long, very close-fitting, paper-thin tops. Not to play the "back in my day card", but when I worked at the Gap about 9 years ago, the tops were still a nice gauge and fit (I still WEAR some of these nigh decade-old tops, because they've held up!). You definitely only needed to wear one shirt at a time, which sounds ridiculous, but now, even after layering a couple shirts, I still kinda feel naked.

Enter Land's End. I had never purchased anything from Land's End before because I thought it was frumpy, but I was game after looking over a recent catalogue. It took me a couple orders to figure out fit and size, but I can tell you that I am thrilled with their "original" fit tops. The fabric is mostly cotton. It's not see-through, and it has some give, but not too much; the length is right, the sleeves are perfect, the v-necks aren't too deeply cut, and the sizing doesn't skew on the small side. What more could I ask for? Oh yeah, colors. And they have MILLIONS of colors. To sum it up without going into too much detail, I went a little overboard. Everything is well-priced, and sure, I've made returns, but the 15 or so articles of clothing I kept really add up. But if shopping at Land's End makes me frumpy, so be it.

Probably my most overdue purchase was a belt. I've only ever owned 1 belt, and it was back in middle school when everyone wore baby tees. I literally have not touched a belt since. Isn't that strange? How did I keep my pants up, especially now that the only kind of jeans out there now are the kind that get super baggy after 1 wear? I didn't. I was a serial tugger. So I am now the proud owner of the "Heritage Leather Belt", which I am happy to report does a wonderful job keeping my pants up without incessant tugging.

So that's where most of my money went. Hopefully by next month I will be better behaved.

June 2010 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $4,606.69
Checking: $179.88
Wedding Fund: $0.79
Other People's Weddings Fund: $100.71
Misc. ING Funds: $67.14
Roth IRA: $7,380.11 (out of the $7,600 I've invested so far)
401k: $4,565.19
Sharebuilder: $37.60 (out of $50 initial investment)
____________
Total Positive: $16,938.11


Rent: $PAID
Groceries/Utilities: $PAID
Phone: $PAID
Subway: $10.00
Credit cards: $1,055.25
Student Loan I: $7,349.16 (from over $19k)
Student Loan II: $0
____________
Total Negative: $8,414.41


Net Worth: $8,523.70


Ouch. Explanation to follow.

May 2010 Net Worth

Emergency Fund: $4,303.92
Checking: $1,120.00
Wedding Fund: $930.00
Other People's Weddings Fund: $420.07
Misc. ING Funds: $150.66
Roth IRA: $8,100.41 (out of the $7,600 I've invested so far)
401k: $5,046.50
Sharebuilder: $41.52 (out of $50 initial investment)
Amex Gift Card: $12.00
____________
Total Positive: $20,125.08


Rent: $650.00
Groceries/Utilities: $PAID
Phone: $PAID
Subway: $10.00
Credit cards: $528.62
Student Loan I: $7,468.02 (from over $19k)
Student Loan II: $0
____________
Total Negative: $8,656.64


Net Worth: $11,468.44

My wedding is TOMORROW, so no time for chit-chat. I'll do a more thorough update after the dust has settled. Btw. I got acrylic nails, which is so not me. They feel like talons. I look like I'm from New Jersey or like...Texas... which I am.

Job History

Over at Punch Debt in the Face, DN asked readers to make a list of their job histories to see if their current jobs are the last in a line of logical progressions. Here is my job history, from age 12:

1. Babysitter
2. Grocery store bagger/cashier
3. Sales associate at the Gap
4. File clerk temp at phone company
5. Instrument sterilizer at dental office
6. Junior dental assistant
7. File clerk at law firm
8. Slide projectionist for an art history class (work-study)
9. Server at seafood restaurant
10. Intern at a an art museum (unpaid, does this count?)
11. Paralegal
12. Front desk at a dental office

Totally predictable. My job history looks sort of like a circle. Not only have I not been making any large leaps forward, but my latest job, especially in this context, appears to be a step back. I'm approaching it more as a momentary pause, but it's still annoying to it see laid out like this.

Skincare!

Inspired by FB's post today on skincare, I decided to share my own.


You might say that I have been blessed with perfect skin my entire life... or as close to perfect as human skin can get before it dips into the uncanny valley.


As a pre-teen, my first brush with "blemishes" occurred when I developed an acne-like rash on one cheek. My mother, bless her heart, has always wanted to give me/make me the best, so I was immediately taken to the dermatologist, where I was diagnosed with the vague catch-all that is "dermatitis" (I'm sort of prone to sensitive skin ailments, like rashes - gross). I came away from that appointment armed with a tube of Differin, plus instructions to throw away my Seabreeze cooling bar facial soap, and replace it with a bar of Cetaphil, along with a PM application of Curel body lotion to my face.


Since that day (probably more than 14 years ago) my routine hasn't changed much. Sure, I've experimented with weird and fancy products, but I always find myself reaching for my basics. No combination of products I've tried works more gently or consistently.


Now, before you think I'm peddling anything, let me say that I know plenty of people for whom Differin didn't work - to each her own. For instance, Proactiv works like hell. No, really, you can feel it working in a really hellasciously effective, burning way. Retin-A definitely works, but in a really visible, peely sort of way. I tried Rx-only sulfur-based lotions and washes (Klaron, Plexion), but they were so stanky, the twice daily application nixed any aesthetic gain.


So, without further ado, this is what works for me:


Morning:


Wash face with a little bit of Cetaphil bar soap after brushing teeth (a lot of toothpastes have ingredients that can cause perioral dermatitis, so I like to wash after brushing, just in case). Pat dry with washcloth set aside exclusively for facial use, and quickly apply moisturizer before face dries completely. Frequently, especially in the winter when my skin is hurty and dry, I'll just use my Curel fragrance-free body lotion. I know, SPF=0 - I'm terrible. In the summer, I for sure use an high SPF lotion like La Roche-Posey Anthelios 40.


Night:


Wash face with Cetaphil again after brushing teeth and flossing. Pat dry. This time, I let my skin dry completely. I apply Differin almost all over the face, minus the eye/nose/mouth area. Afterward, about every other night - and here's where it gets a little scandalous - I pat some Retin-A under my eyes (not too close) and along the top of my cheek bones. You know that tell-tale shiny look Retin A gives you? I think it looks terrible when it affects the entire face, but wonderful when it's confined to the cheekbone area. Plus, I'm not getting any younger in the eyes, and this is definitely keeping the fine lines at bay. Then I answer a couple emails and wait a while for everything to sink in, wash and dry my hands, then moisturize my dry areas with Curel.

It's relatively inexpensive (with insurance for the Rx's), effective, and an efficient use of my time an energy, because I know it works.


Remember the sulfur products I mentioned? Instead of using them daily, I use a sulfur mask when I feel like it. I used to use the Proactiv mask like FB, but now I use Serious Skin Care's Continuously Clear "Unmasked". I prefer the texture and the tub (vs. tube) packaging, but they're essentially the same product. Occasionally I'll use the glycolic acid mask from the same line if I'm in the mood for some exfoliation.


As for makeup, I don't wear much. About once a year, I wear Bare Minerals foundation to appease my mother. About half the week I can't be bothered with makeup, and the other half I wear some under-eye concealer, blush, mascara (+eyelash curler), and chapstick. It takes less than 5 minutes, and I do admit I look far more rested with it than without it.

So that's that! Basically, when you've got some work-horse basics like Differin or any other kind of retinoid (Retin-A, Tazorac, etc), the best thing to do is to keep whatever else you put on your face simple and pared down, and be consistent with your routine.

Oh yeah, and drink water and eat food. The end. ;)

New Job Beefs

I thought I had cracked the code to accepting a lower-paying job: overtime. I would just work a few teensy little hours of overtime each week, and viola, I could force them to pay me my asking price.

As good as I felt about logging those extra hours, after a few weeks in a row, my new employer was not amused. Apparently, they don't "do" overtime. Uh oh.

My first beef is that it's incredibly hard to even come close to completing all the work that needs to be done in any given day, even when I work overtime. I've only ever held a salaried job before, wherein I would work until the work was completed. Yes, at times I felt that I was being taken advantage of, but at least shit got done. Now, there is a completely different kind of pressure in the form of the office manager needling me out of the door as I approach 40 hours. What to do in this situation? Sure, I'll get better and faster as time goes by, but in reality, this job probably requires 2 people. We're looking for some part-time help, but until then, do I just let my stacks grow and hope that they recognize that I'm working my ass off, NOT slacking off?

My second beef really isn't on-topic at all, but is necessary for me to vent before it crushes my soul. So I work at the front desk. I understand the front desk needs to look presentable, and that it's semi-shared territory, as someone may need to sit there to check people out in my absence. I am completely fine with that, and I am not one of those people who latches onto the THIS IS MY DESK notion. ...HOWEVER, I do work there everyday, and 99% of time time, I am the only person using that desk, and yet I don't even get ANY drawer-space. I have one box of tea and a chapstick, yet there is no room to be had!

And don't even get me started on the TOP of the desk. When I leave 2 neat, staggered stacks of papers at the end of the day as a reminder for myself, the next morning it inevitably has transformed to 1 solid stack in the file tray in the corner. When I leave a few post-its in a neat row in front of my phone as a reminder to call certain people in the morning, they are moved to the corner, stuck one on top of the other, right next to the to-do stack. The office manager's fascist tendencies are going to drive me insane.