New Year, New Bargains
We are off and running. The new year started out great. Small gathering at Hermen's house north of Detroit was just the low key break I needed. Ended up staying until late on Saturday as well. We wore little hats on Friday night, ate lots of peanuts, and watched MTV's Pimp my Ride until we all slowly fell asleep. In the morning we cracked jokes, Hermen and I reminisced about old times on Mae Rose (the famed summer of 2003), Santi complained about the RA job, we made plenty of GV Beta style remarks about salting it up, and none of us left the house until around 7pm, when we snuck out to get some Chinese food (thanks in part to Kim's suggestion and Heather's support) during the Rose Bowl.

I did take some time to think about resolutions and what not. I have never been big on that kind of stuff... really something I refused to do in the past. I actually think one year I made a resolution to not make any more resolutions. However this year I want to make a few publically:

1. Call Novali more. Now that she is big and likes to talk on the phone I need to get in the habit of calling and talking to her more.

2. Work out more. I am not saying I want to lose weight, I just want to work out. That means some tennis maybe, or maybe a jog once in a while.

3. Keep learning. Since leaving school I have no longer kept up on current events. I need to spend more time reading higher education articles, and researching different topics. I also need to use my time outside of work more productively. I also need to start looking into where to get my next degree from...

Enough of that... so today was productive, well about as productive as I have been all break. I got some work done in the afternoon and then went to Target... to return somethings and clearance sale shop. You all know how I love a good deal... and man was there bargains galore! I got packages of purple Christmas Tree globe ornaments for 50 Cents, scored a bunch of picture frames for dirt cheap (gonna spruce up my stairway at the house), and got a car vacuum for 5 bucks! Since I spend about 2 bucks in quarters each time I vacuum my car this is a great investment, not to mention it was regularly marked 20 bucks. What a steal. I also stocked up on wrapping paper for next year.

So I am on a renewed bargain kick, since I need to learn to budget my money better. No more buying lunch, no more buying anything just cause it is on sale. I am broke ladies and gentlemen... very broke. It has come as a huge shock to me paying back my school loans and learning to live on a fixed income. In school with my part time jobs, when I needed more money I just worked more hours. Can't do that anymore.

I decided to leave engineering to go into this field, something that paid less but I knew in the long run would make me happier. I am loving what I do right now. I love going to work, and I am always excited about what challenge is coming next. However, my challenge for right now will be to get my money situation under control. Someday I will be a high ranking administrator... but now I need to watch my spending. So here are some of my New Years money resolutions:

1. Spend less money (I trimmed this year, and now must trim even more). Yes this means not getting the Treo phone I have been wanting so badly.

2. Cut extra expenses. As of right now I know I need to lower the minutes on my phone, cut off my DSL at home, and make my lunch.

3. More income with Outsight. I am making it a goal to spend more time developing clients for OutSight, and I want to double my revenue for 2005.

Well there is it folks... some New Years Resolutions from me. I have a feeling this is going to be a good year. I know I have some tough times ahead of me... but there are some exciting things coming up.

So what will the new year bring? a preschool for Novali... my first full year on the job... applications to grad schools (JD or PHD?)... placing at a race... big client for OutSight... getting a roommate...

Who knows... right now the options are wide open.