Profile
I am twenty-nine years old. I work as an assistant production manager and my yearly salary is $52,000. I live in NYC, aka the most expensive place on earth, and am still often wondering why on earth I left my last job where room and board were part of my salary.
Saving & Spending
At least this month I’m wondering it a little bit less. I learned an unpleasant lesson this that month that if you overspend for a week it takes like a month to catch back up.
February was kind of rough, but since I lived mostly like a hermit, managed one No Spend Week, and a second spend very little week in March, I’m back on track.
Side hustle wise, not the greatest month really in one sense, but pretty awesome in another. I did several Mystery Shops, but I won’t get paid for them until the end of April. If I recall correctly, I kind of slacked on the Mystery Shopping in February, so I’m not expecting any check this month.
I was offered the chance to write 3 articles for different blogs, which I’m super excited about because they are my first paid guest posts!
After a props slump all month, I finally got offered another job and went to the production meeting for it this weekend. It doesn’t pay great, but I’m actually really excited about the show. It’s exactly the tiny niche of theater that I get really passionate about and $75 for something that’s fun to do anyway is nothing to sneeze about.
Tonight I’m headed to the orientation session for a company called ibidmobile.com. They host iPad auctions, so I’m hoping to go start working some of those auctions on days when I get out of work early.
I’m also in the process of considering opening an Etsy shop. I think I’ve mentioned a slight chapstick habit once or twice… so I’ve frugally started making my own. Now I think I’m going to do it in bulk. Any NYC natives headed to the blogger meetup this week want to be a guinea pig? I’ll bring you a free tube if you let me know if it makes your lips fall off. Kidding. Sort of.
Oh, and this baby here netted me $2.94 on Goodle Adsense. Which doesn’t seem like much, but since I’ve been averaging like $.03 to $.08 cents a month, I was pretty excited. That means I’ll actually hit the payout in just under 3 years!
So while I didn’t exactly rake in the dough this month outside of my 9 to 5, I’ve got the ball rolling on several promising leads.
I caved in and said good-bye to the couch I was really attached to, because I still couldn’t shake how stupid it was to pay that much for a piece of furniture. Instead I picked up a $120 futon at Walmart. I had friends coming who needed a place to sleep, so it pushed my furniture timeline up a little, but it was worth it. My apartment is actually starting to look like a home.
Definitely not the awesome and aesthetically pleasing $500 couch I was looking at… but it gets the job done.
Even better, I did not, at any point, lose my Metrocard this month. Nailed it.
My net worth took an overall dip this month since I actually took the time to double check the Kelly’s Blue Book value of my car. It had been a while. She’s actually holding steady where I had her at $7,200 in Good Condition, but I thought that considering the abuse I put her through on the road last year and the fact that I’d need to put about $500 worth of work into her to get her back into Good Condition, I would update it to the Fair Condition value.
Net Worth: March 2014
My goals are pretty much the same as last month. I’m still planning to contribute to my IRA, so I think I’ll be able to get that maxed out and I want to get my emergency savings up to at least $5,000 by the end of the year. I’d also like to invest in another stock.
As for New Year’s Resolutions – the one to furnish my apartment in a financially stable manner – check. Done and done.
I didn’t know you made homemade chapstick!! That’s awesome!! I absolutely want to try it! I didn’t get the memo about the meet up, but maybe I will just get some from you when we do the park clean up.
Shannon @ Financially Blonde recently posted…Music Mondays – Fooling Yourself
What? Social. Tomorrow after work. You should come! And so should any other NYC bloggers reading this.
Congrats on getting some paid blogging gigs! That’s awesome. I think I have the same futon. It serves its purpose even though I know it looks like something out of a college dorm. I’ve had it for about four years now and it’s still functioning.
E.M. recently posted…My Ideal Apartment
Awesome! That’s what I like to hear.
I would definitely be a guinea pig were I in the NYC area. I honestly think I have a little bit of a chapstick “problem.” Congrats on the progress this month!
Ryan @ Impersonal Finance recently posted…March wrap-up and some link love
I’m increasingly convinced it’s the PF blogger vice 😉
Keep at the Google Adsense thing.. it’ll improve 🙂 Don’t worry. When I first started blogging eons ago, even a penny got me excited.
I too am on a No Spend (ish) kind of lifestyle trend right now until I can get back to work….!!
save. spend. splurge. recently posted…North American versus European Approaches to Debt and Saving
A penny still totally gets me excited – nearly $3 was like cause for celebration.
Glad you didn’t lose your metrocard. I felt for you when that happened before.
I’m curious about the mystery shops. What size of city do you need to live it to make these more lucrative? Are they a big hassle to do?
debT debS recently posted…Booze Budget
Honestly, the more I do them, the less of a hassle they are. You have to take these quizzes about the mystery shop before you do them, but one you do one for one brand – say Pottery Barn – you can do any Pottery Barn mystery shop. So I just keep doing the same few store brands.
I think at least midsized, but I couldn’t say. I mean, NYC is huge, so it’s a great spot to do them in. I started them when I was traveling a little more and I found Chicago has a lot to do too. I’d say just sign up and see what offers they start sending you.
Thanks, Mel! I’m so anti-shopping these days, I don’t know if it will work for me but I appreciate getting some direct input in case I decide to try. Have a good one!
debT debS recently posted…Booze Budget
It takes so long to make any money off of Google AdSense! Don’t be so hard on yourself!
Holly@ClubThrifty recently posted…Copper Obamacare Plans Sound Hilariously Sad
What a nice little update! I especially loved the chart and your avatar is so cute! 😛 I’ve been wanting to visit NYC for as long as I can remember, and even had flights booked at one time, but unfortunately had to cancel my trip. Hopefully, next spring.
Eva @ Girl Counting Pennies recently posted…March 2014 Debt Repayment Update
It’s definitely a place to see! And there are quite a few bloggers writing about things to do here on a tight budget – if you ever do get your trip here back together.
Love the blog! This accountibility post is a great idea, keeps you honest. I feel the same way when I post my weekly spending and monthly budgets. Good job on the side hustling! I’ve been making soap and lotions as a hobby for a while and I have the stuff for making lip balm, just haven’t gotten around to making it yet. Probably this year’s Christmas gifts 🙂
Morgaine recently posted…Weekly Spending: Mar 31 – Apr 6
I was surprised that it was pretty simple – and most of the people I’ve given them to seem to have liked them. I just need to improve the labels a little more. I think I’m going to actually be able to open the Etsy shop in a week or so.