Since I started my first full-time job after graduation about 5 months ago, I have spent a LOT of money on my career.

Between getting the certification I need, dressing the part and just getting to work..It hasn’t been cheap.

 The certification

In my field of work I need to get licensed by my state. To get the license, you need to pass 4 exams. I have passed two. I took the third exam but unfortunately did not pass. While my work will provide me with a nice BONUS when I pass the exams and will reimburse me for some of my expenses, I currently have more than $1,500 tied up in this exam. The earliest I could pass is mid February. After all the different fees, I expect that with the bonus, I will break even.

 

 The Look

I get it..dressing the part is everything…But to be honest, I wasn’t expecting to be working with such stylish bean counters! While I don’t mind dressing up-it has been a struggle to do this every single day. Since starting work, I have spent approximately $400 on clothes and shoes. That doesn’t get you a lot of clothes either-especially when you are looking for high-quality work staples (hello nice heels, sweaters, and blazers). I took advantage of the Black Friday promotions and added a few items for a little less.

I also went from getting a haircut from every 3 months to every 2 months. That’s an extra 2 haircuts a year at about $50 a visit, or a total of about $300 a year.

 The Transportation

I live about 19 miles away from my place of employment (yup living in the suburbs!) I commute most days using public transportation. $3 each way, $6 a day. 53(?) weeks a year for a total of about $1,590. Yikes. But it beats driving, with the cost of gas, wear and tear on the car and the cost of parking (at least $10 a day).

Other Stuff

I also expect to occasionally grab lunch with coworkers or go out for happy hour. While I hate spending the money on lunch it is a crucial way to build relationships at my work and have fun. I think this will cost me about $100 per year.

 So there you have it: working full-time will cost me about $3,890 this year. Hopefully the exam fees will be finished by February and now that I have established a basic work wardrobe, those costs will also decrease after this year.  How much are you spending on working? What is your biggest “work” expense?

Lina

The Dining Room

 

Fighting about money is exhausting..

 

Even though Thanksgiving is just right around the corner and I have a lot to be thankful for-I found myself becoming victim of our consumer-centic society.

 

You see, since we moved  in to our house in August we have yet to furnish our dining room (which flows right into the living room)..Well ok thats a lie. We do have a dining room table and chairs..but they are crap-from college…and bareley holding together. 

 

The Mistake

We made the mistake of going to an amish furniture store and drooling over a beautiful set of table and chairs-that cost over $3,000. Before we knew it, we began seriously contemplating a purchase. I mean, sure we have the money in our savings…but what about everything else that needs to be paid for? hello STUDENT LOANS. 

 

We Forgot

When we went into house buying mode this summer we started hoarding cash and basically stopped making our extra payments towards the loans. Now fast forward 4 months and we are still hoarding cash (and have spent a lot of it on the house).. We have somewhat built up a savings cushion and are still figuring out what are monthly expenses look like. 

 

We Fought

When we began to deliberate the purchase we found ouselves disagreeing about how much money we should spend. It also dawned on us that we really don’t have a “game plan” for paying off our student loans. Over the last few years we just threw whatever we could at the loans and that was that. Now that we have more expenses and more responsibility the game gets a littke trickier. Just how much can we afford? What is the safe amount of savings to have? 

 

 

So as you might guess the dining room set is on hold for now. What are you waiting to purchase until your financial situation improves? 

Home Maintenance: Wood Floors

This weekend Hubby and I are having our wood floors “buffed and coated.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with the process it involves a professional lightly sanding your wood floors and then applying a finish. This process helps maintain the floors.  Sure maybe this treatment wasn’t a necessity-but we made this project a priority because we have 70 pound Labrador whose nails are really rough on the floors. The floors were also in rougher condition than we remember them being before closing on the house. Oh the things you notice AFTER you purchase your house. 

 

Getting a buff and coat puts off the need for traditional refinishing-which would have costs us upwards of $1500. I’d say we have at least 4-5 years before we will need to consider either another buff and coat treatment or traditional refinishing. 

 

 

This is the second major investment that we have made in our home since we purchased in August. The first repair was replacing a toilet that was cracked in the basement (didn’t realize until after closing that it was broke…grrr).

 

 

Maybe now we can start saving for the bathroom and kitchen remodels! maintenance

Hi World

Hi World- Welcome to my blog about personal finance!

Here are a few facts about myself:

1. I am a crochet addict.. I love making hats, mug cosies, and blankets! Seriously it is the most relaxing activity.

2. I never imagined that I would have a career in business-always thought I would be a writer.

3. I have been married to my best friend for the last 2.5 years-we got married really young!

4. Elizabeth Gilbert the author of Eat Pray Love is one of my favorite all time authors. She inspires me to no end

5. The best money advice I ever got was from an old accounting professor-“They key to having enough money is wanting less and being satisfied with what you have.” Can’t beat that!

 

Tell me a little about yourself?

 

❤

 

Lina