I am currently out of town for an AP workshop and it has been nothing but stress. I should have know because before I came, the event organizer kept calling me like a bill collector saying that the school has not sent in the payment. Then at registration they had me signed up for the wrong class. Luckily, I was able to sit in the correct class for the week.

But the main issue is the cost of the trip. My school gave me around $890 to cover hotel, food, and transportation by taxi. The room is slightly more since I am staying an extra day so I won't have to leave early. Food isn't a problem really. The taxi is the main problem. This morning I paid $28 to get to my destination. That adds up to almost $60 a day for five days, plus another $50 to get from and to the airport. My school only gave me $100 for transportation. I figured it would be much cheaper to rent a car, but I have no credit card. So I paid $50 to get to the airport from my workshop to rent a car with my debit card. My dad is going to put some money in my bank account tomorrow. My school said that they would reimburse me for the rental.

I am extremely stressed. I thought that all costs were covered and didn't even plan to spend extra. I even packed light to avoid checking in a bag, to save those costs to go out. Well I have no funds to go out whatsoever. I found a walking tour, but honestly, I'm just tired and I plan on working while I'm here. I have my list of things to do and plus I really need to work and plan for the school year because it starts next week.

I took a sleeping pill to make sure I can get some sleep tonight. I have too much on my mind and have to wake up too early, so I can't afford to toss and turn all night. Apologies for the horrid writing of this post, but I had to get this off my chest. Hopefully things will get better as the week progresses. Good night!

it has started

I called my mom yesterday to let her know when my flight was leaving and before we got off the phone she asked me for some money. I'm feeling frustrated already and this makes me not want to move home.

stipends came in

Well most of them anyway. I also got a check for teaching a summer camp for a week.

Other than that, I've been trying to keep busy and forget about my breakup. I just got back from DC on a business trip and I have another trip coming up in two weeks.

Moving home seems to be the best option but my room at my mom's has become a storage area. I'm going to have to gradually purge and set up the room so I'll be ready to move right in in November. And I have several people interested in buying my furniture when the time comes, so that will be good. I have a lot of stuff to get rid of!

Should I move back home?

I keep going back and forth about whether or not I should move back home when my lease is up. When I think about going home, the first thing that pops into my mind is that I'll be able to save $1000 a month, which will help me get out of my truck sooner. Getting out of my truck is my main goal because it takes up half of my income each month. Since I can't do anything with the truck note yet, I plan on changing my living situation.

Part of me feels as if moving home will be a way for me to let go of my responsibilities as an adult. I feel that being 27 years old, I should step up and deal with my mistakes. I also think about living with my mom before and how frustrating it was for me. Being in loud situations is not for me. Then there is the dog too. Last time I was at my mom's I had severe allergies to him, which is weird because before I did not.

Despite all of my negative feelings, when I think of moving home, I still think about $1000 to put on my truck each month. I was talking with my friend the other day, and he said to me that moving home would be a bad idea. He is very familiar with my home situation and also said that when I get home, I'm going to think about all the extra money I have and that I'm going to want to go out of town more and spend money on clothes. When I thought about it, it really makes sense. I can see myself spending instead of saving.

So what are your thoughts about moving home with my mom?

No stipend this payday

I'm so sad. I was really hoping that it would come this month. But on a good note, I don't have to pay union dues or insurance during the summer, so my check was $200 more than usual.

And I paid the check advance place and did not borrow any more. :)

One reason i hate payday

When I'm expecting something like a bonus or stipend, I will stay up all night until I see my paycheck posted to my account. I hope my other stipends come tonight. Come on midnight!!!

Keep Track of Savings Goals with Mint.com

I have one more reason to love www.mint.com. Mint now can help you keep track of your goals, such as savings or paying off debt. The goal screen looks like this:

After selecting your goal, you set the amounts you want to save or put on your goal. For this example I am doing a one month emergency fund as my goal.

After that, you have the option of creating a new account for your goal, or using a current account. I opted to use my ING Savings account.

Once you are done you will have this little reminder of your goal(s) on your home screen.

It's so motivational to see a reminder of your goals. I love this feature and I'm about to set up another goal for my credit card payments. If you have tried this feature, please let me know what you think.