Got Change?

 
Years ago, I found coins/loose change valuable. They were useful for tolls, vending machines, parking meters, etc. But now, I have an E-ZPass account, and most of these machines take bills or debit/credit cards. While I do love being able to pay in the exact amount, right down to the last cent, most of the time I'm in a rush so it's just easier to hand whole bills over and take the change. Over time, coins became more of a nuisance, just items that weigh my bag down since I tend accumulate a lot of them. But as of late, I have fallen in love with them again.

A couple of years ago, I purchased this electronic coin bank that adds up your coins as you put them in it. I, of course, put it to good use- when I would remember. But about a month and a half ago, I  decided to clean, and by doing so, I came across loose change I've left (forgotten) in wallets, bags, and drawers. I decided to put them in my coin bank, and I actually filled that little sucker up in no time. So what did I do next? A trip to the nearest Coinstar machine? No. I went to my bank.

During one of my trips to my bank, I noticed that they had installed one of those coin counting machines, which was great because I do not have the time to sit there and roll coins. The other great thing is they do not take a percentage of my money since I have an account with them- Coinstar does. I walked away from the machine $158.48 richer. :)

Moral of the story? A penny is still money. LOL.

But seriously, ever since that day, the value of these coins have increased in my eyes again. I even pick coins up when I see them on the ground! I also almost always pay in bills most of the time, just so I can get change back. The change then goes straight into my coin bank. I am saving without really trying, and I can't wait to make that trip to my bank's coin machine again. :)

The next time, you find yourself belittling those coins, just remember that they can easily turn into $158.48. So save them or give them to me! LOL.

xx,
Pamela

Goals and Financial Update

So back in July, I started making myself little goals. I am proud to say that I have met those goals, so I have decided to add another to the list:

Goal # 1 - Lose 5 lbs by August 09, 2013
     I should probably aim for this again. I have achieved my weight goal since, but I am sure I have gained some lbs. back due to recent celebrations and pigging out sessions. I honestly have not weighed myself so I do not know how much I have gained (or not), but I really should so I can assess the damage. LOL.

Goal # 2 - Pay off two of my credit cards by August 31, 2013

Goal # 3 - Organize all my receipts and documents by July 23, 2013
     I am not going to lie... Since achieving this goal, I have accumulated quite a few more receipts, although they are stored in a more organized manner than they normally would have been. I really should think about investing in a Neat Scanner though...

Goal # 4 - Pay off one more credit card by October 29, 2013 (3 months)

Goal # 5   Pay off one more credit card by February 28, 2014 (NEW!)

I really hope to achieve Goal # 5 sooner than that, but the holidays are just around the corner so it will be difficult to save and put a little more towards paying off my debt. To be honest, paying this particular credit card off by the end of February may not be realistic at all, but I am still hoping to do it. *Crossing my fingers...

The last few weeks have been really hectic for me... Needless to say, I have abused my body by giving it no rest, and now it had finally decided to shut down on me. I am actually sick as I am writing this. It's weird though... My body feels like it has the flu, but my head does not. I know that does not make sense, but that's how I feel. My whole body feels weak and achy, and I get the shivers, but my head is alert, not groggy at all, the way I usually would feel when I have the flu. It's like it's just my body that is sick. I am physically sick. It really feels like I have the flu, but my mom thinks it's just exhaustion, which it could very well be...

Hopefully, I will be back to normal after a couple of days of rest. I still have a lot to do, and a lot to blog about, like the time Orlando Bloom and I locked eyes. Oh yes, we did... But that's for another time. LOL.

xx,
Pamela

Update for July and August Goals

As stated in a previous entry (click here),  I had set 3 goals for the months of July and August. Since July is about to end in a couple of days, I've decided to post an update.

Goal # 1 - Lose 5 lbs by August 09, 2013
So far, I had lost 2.5 lbs. Yes, half-way there... I still have until the 9th so... *crosses fingers.* Actually it fluctuates between 2.5 to 3 lbs, depending on what I eat of drink. It didn't help that for my brother's birthday, we ordered in food from this nearby Portuguese restaurant, Portuguese Churrasqueira.The food was delicious, and you definitely get more for what you pay than what you would get in other restaurants. Needless to say, my belly was happy, the scale was not.

Goal # 2 - Pay off two of my credit cards by August 31, 2013
I am proud to say that I have accomplished this within two weeks of posting the original entry. I am now replacing this with a new goal, which is to pay off the next credit card within three months. This credit card will take a little longer to pay off due to its balance being a little higher, but I am hoping that I can do this within three months. :)

Goal # 3 - Organize all my receipts and documents by July 23, 2013
Okay, so technically I did meet this goal but not quite the way I had planned. First, I didn't finish until the 24th. I procrastinated up until the 23rd, thinking it was going to be really easy. Turned out, I was wrong. I had accumulated bags full of receipts and junk mail. I had to sort through them and weed out the ones that I can/need to get rid of. Second, even though I had sorted through them, and organized them as best as I can by the 24th, it took another day and a half to shred the unwanted ones. I can only shred so much before the shredder overheats. Yes, it was that much that my shredder had to take breaks. Third, new junk mail keeps arriving in the mail, and new receipts (from the hubby, of course) keep showing up to be filed. And fourth, I know I have bins full of old(er) receipts and documents that I had stashed away in places that are not too easy to reach (under the bed, on top of the closet, under bins of yarns...).  But once I get to them it's just a matter of shredding them so no biggie. Also, I was able to finally check all my lotto tickets. No, I am not a millionaire (yet), but I am $28 richer.

At this point, 2.5 out 3 goals is not bad at all. I have never been so motivated before. I expect to accomplish more in the future, and will be posting a new entry with my new set of goals. Until then...

xx,
Pamela