Vegas trip is booked July 31, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : travel , add a comment
So the Vegas trip is officially booked for Nov 9-12th. I’m going with a very good friend, and there might be a chance that 2 other girls will be coming as well – so it’ll be a total girls trip. :) I’m excited for the full Vegas experience.
After taxes, fees, and any other expense, the flight and 3 nights of accommodation is costing me $339 US. That is so ridiculously cheap, and it includes the $20 travel cancellation fee.
We ended up booking our accommodation at Harrah’s Las Vegas, since it was a bit cheaper than the other hotels (Caesar’s Palace, Monte Carlo, Planet Hollywood) that we checked out … and it’s not like we’ll be spending much time in our room anyway! My friend’s stayed there twice and said that it’s pretty nice. Plus, it’s right on the strip, and that’s all that matters.
I’m really excited to ride the New York, New York roller coaster. Also, my sister has informed me about where she got her $1 margaritas, so I’m set. And my friend really wants to see Elton John at Caesar’s Palace, but tickets start at $100, not including all the Ticketbastard fees they add on top of the price … so I’ll have to think about that one. I’ve decided that I’m going to take out a set amount of money for gambling (maybe $50?), and once that’s done, I’m out.
Can’t wait for the 2010 Olympics! July 31, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : volunteer , add a commentI just got called about volunteering for the 2010 Olympics in the ice hockey venue. The interview took about 15 minutes, and I think it went fairly well. My fingers are crossed, because I really, really want this opportunity.
Not only would it look great on a resume, but damn … to get to be a part of the Olympic ice hockey experience? That’s like a dream come true.
Thanks for the fashion advice! July 31, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : spending , add a commentSo I’m on the hunt for cute silver shoes to go with that pink dress for Wedding #2. I figure these are the best option because I have to buy silver shoes anyway for Wedding #1 in September. So that takes care of shoes for both weddings.
I found these cute J.Crew sandals (in silver, not gold) selling on Craigslist in Vancouver for $75 (originally $175 US). I think they were recommended by someone who commented on my blog. They were worn once, the seller said. Anyway, she’s out of town for a while, but when she gets back I’ll meet up and try them on. If I like them, I’ll offer $50. And even that’s more than I wanted to spend on shoes … but I really want to be comfortable in them if I’ll be standing around for long periods of time, on more than one occasion.
As for the wrap/pashmina, I’m still torn. I think once I get the dress, I’ll go shopping with a couple of girlfriends and bring it with me to see if I can find something that will go with it.
Kind of on the topic, has anyone tried Spanx before? Do they actually work?
Unsuccessful candidate July 30, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : job , add a commentWell, they finally called to tell me that I didn’t get that job. Which was kind of obvious, seeing as they called me 1.5 weeks after the date they said they would.
Oh well.
Fixing my shower drain July 30, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : miscellaneous , add a commentLast night, BF came over and I made chicken enchiladas and a pumpkin pie.
In exchange for cooking, he had the unpleasant task of cleaning out my shower drain. It hadn’t been draining properly for the past week or so. One of the drawbacks to having long hair, I guess. I’d rather clean toilets than have to deal with cleaning out a shower drain, so the 3 hrs. it took me to cook dinner was nothing in comparison to him doing what he did. :)
August Monthly Goals July 29, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : monthly goals , add a commentI almost can’t wait for the summer to be over, because I seem to be spending a lot more money this summer than I’m used to. I guess it’s because I’m new to a city that has so many things to do. But now that I’m done spending on hiking gear (for the most part … I still need to get a few things, but that will have to wait until I can save more money), I think I’ll be okay in getting back to saving.
By October, I should be back on track. These weddings are kind of messing with my budget, but it’s not that big of a deal. And I’m grateful that I have the money available to go to these weddings, and to buy all of this hiking gear, without having to put it on my credit card.
- Make an extra $150. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to accomplish that. I’m banking on some PPP opps as well as mystery shopping payouts.
- Get a new job. I obviously can’t really control this, except for putting my resume out there, and doing the best I can during the interview process. I have criteria for whatever new job I end up taking, so right now I’m being quite picky. So picky in fact that I’m not sure I’ll be able to obtain this goal. But I’ll try my best.
- $400 into Retirement Portfolio. Auto deductions. Although August 1st is when I start with the company RPP matching plan at 4%, so I’m not sure how that’s really going to work out. I’ll have to research into it, since I haven’t even picked my funds yet.
- $200 into Emergency Fund. The $3k mark is so close! I can’t wait until I hit that mark.
- $300 into Condo Down Payment Fund. Just have to keep plugging away.
- Weigh less than 130 lbs. With being in 2 weddings coming up, I’m going to really have to work hard at this. That means getting back to my morning abs/weights routine, and going running on a regular basis. Thankfully I’ve gotten back to walking to work every day, so that’s an extra 90 min. of exercise a day that I wasn’t getting before when I kept borrowing BF’s car to go to interviews and other miscellaneous things.
- Run 2-3 times per week. This may not seem like a lot, but I think combined with my 90 min. of walking every weekday, plus my morning abs/weights routine, and any hiking I do with BF or Z, I should be good.
July Goals: My Review July 29, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : monthly goals , add a commentJuly Goals (end of month review):
- Successfully complete the July Transportation Challenge. Check! Sorry, I haven’t really been keeping up with my weekly updates of the challenge … but I’m happy to report that I’ve just squeaked by this month with $145.50/$150 spent on transportation. That included
- Make an extra $150. Check! Between PPP and mystery shopping, I made $105.19. But I also sold my Wolf Parade tickets for $60, bringing my total extra income for July to $165.19. Kind of a cheater’s way of making this goal since I did actually pay for the Wolf Parade tickets back in May … but, oh well.
- $500 into Travel Fund. No. I was only able to save $300.
- $400 into Retirement Portfolio. Check! I deposited $400. Although, with the way the market is right now, I actually lost money.
- $150 into Emergency Fund. Check! I was able to deposit $350.
- $300 into Condo Down Payment Fund. Check! I contributed $400.
- Weigh less than 130 lbs. No. In fact, I think I’ve gained weight. I feel disgusting.
- Switch my cell phone over to a local Vancouver number. No. I’ve decided not to switch my number over until I get a new job. There are too many of my resumes out there to risk switching my number right now.
- Do something social with someone new. Check! I went on a picnic with one of the new girls from work, and all the younger gals from the office went out to Cactus Club for dinner earlier on in the month.
P.S. I Love You July 29, 2008
Posted by gmbmfb in : miscellaneous , add a commentI rarely ever cry during movies … but this evening, I watched P.S. I Love You, and couldn’t have stopped myself even if I tried.
And I didn’t even think the movie was going to be that great. What a pleasant surprise. :)
