Is it really March 5th already?

This week has been REALLY busy. I worked with the temp agency M and T and have another assignment this morning. I'm working all the days I can while the flu season is in full swing because who knows what will happen later.

I finally got the missing paycheck tracked down. It turns out they never sent it!! They are sooooo lucky that today I am working at the school that's just a few blocks from them so I don't have to drive all the way across town to get it. I have a fine from my auto insurance company for late payment and when I told this to the HR person I talked to yesterday all she could say is "It's our normal procedure to mail out paychecks to those who have termed employment with us". I don't have $15 just sitting around these days to pay for this, I want them to pay the fine. I know in the grand scheme of things $15 is almost nothing but I've been doing so well and to have someone else screw it up is maddening.

On Monday I had to mail a package. I stopped in at a PostNet store to send it off. The girl working there didn't know much if anything about mailing a package. She told me it was going to cost me $32 to send a 2.5 pound package to Mobile, Al via Priority mail. She said that the post office didn't deliver parcel post there. I took my package and walked out of there. There is no way on God's green earth it costs $32 to send. So, I took it to the post office yesterday and it ended up costing me $10.82 for Priority Mail with delivery confirmation.

Well, I need to get going. It's another long (but good) day.

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO ticked off

Ok, a few weeks ago I started training at the printing company job but quit when I found out I was not getting the hours promised (I would have had to find something else anyhow because the fumes from the machines and ink were making me sick). Yesterday was payday so I went up there to get my check. I was told that they mailed it to me. Well, no check yesterday and no check today.

I needed that check TODAY in order to save my butt when my car insurance payment comes out of my account on Monday. I have enough cash to cover the payment but of course they can't take cash over the phone. I can put the money on a pre-paid visa card and call them with the number, but the card costs $10 to activate. By the time I drive to where I can get the card and all the hassle involved it will cost me $20 to do that option, then I have the problem where I have no money to buy gas to get to work. Lovely.... So as it stands right now I think I am going to go with the $35 fee from the bank. It's not the best option in the world but neither is losing two very good jobs and my vehicle and my place to live.

I am going to have a few words on Monday with the human resources people at the printing job. I was willing to let go of the fact that they lied to me about my hours, but when they screw up getting me my paycheck, that's where I draw the line. I am going to request they pay me for the fees incurred as a result of their screw up.

Yes, I am alive!!

It was a LONG, but good, week. I had so much I HAD to do Friday that I didn't work with the temp agency (it was either work or get my vehicle repo'd for not making a payment today). I will be working with the temp agency on Monday, they already have an assignment for me. I went in today to drop off my time cards and apparently I already have a reputation in the office. Thankfully it's a good one! Apparently many of the paraprofessional subs are wishy washy about when they will and will not work and I am not. Plus, one of the teachers I worked with two days this past week is requesting me every time she needs a sub. The combination of being available on a regular basis and the comments from the teacher have put me at the top of the list for assignments (meaning on days when they don't have many assignments available I'll still get one).

My regular full-time job is going really well too. We had another test tonight and I scored 95%. Two more weeks of training then I start my overnights.

Before work tonight I had some spare time so I stopped in at the thrift store to look for pants. I only have 3 pairs suitable for work and needed 2 more so I don't have waste my precious sleep time in the middle of the week to laundry. Guess what? I found 2 pairs for $2 each!!!

One thing I learned this week is I need to find ways to maximize my sleep time. I've come up with a few things so far. On Sunday night before I go to bed I'll get my clothes ready for the next week. Meaning pants and shirt on the same hanger and a bag attached with socks and underwear so I can get dressed without thinking. Also, I need to get meals prepared in advance as much as possible. Hamburger helper (actually I use ground turkey most of the time) will do lunch and dinner for two days when I add some veggies. Frozen pb&j works well too for lunches when I am unsure about access to a microwave. I have the fixings for some simple (the way I like it) tuna and chicken salads I could bring in a small cooler with an ice pack.

I'm going to put my laptop down, roll over, and go to bed now (gotta love wireless internet).

Woo hoo, I'm working another 16 hour day!!!

I just got a phone call from the temp agency and I have another 16 hour day ahead of me. This time I'm subbing in an elementary school that's a few blocks from my house (which means no trips to McD's due to starvation between jobs). Yesterday. I pretty much sat on my butt and only actually did something for a half an hour or so. Today, I have a feeling will be different. I'm making sure I take hand sanitizer and ibuprofen with me.

I only need 4 more shifts or so and I'll actually be able to pay March's rent before April and pay April's rent on time!!! YEAH!!!! The big crunch time for me is until mid-April when I get my vehicle payments caught up, then I can really concentrate on getting some debt paid down.

YEAH!!!!

Schedule for the day:

7:50am-2:55pm work at elementary school
3:oopm-3:45pm make hamburger helper, eat some and bring some to job #2
4:oopm-12:30am work at job #2
1am CRASH

Thank God for weekends where I can do nothing but sleep. With working so much I can't even think about spending money. I find time to do things like figure out my budget and make my grocery list at my evening job while I'm waiting for other people to finish their assignments.

13 min.

I have 13 min. until I can leave work and go home to bed. Ahhhh..... It's been a long, but good day. I'm going to sleep well tonight.

Picking up change

I read something last night about picking up change you find on the ground. Some people won't bother with it while other people hunt for it and pick up every last penny they see. I am one of those who picks up anything the vast majority of the time. Since I don't go out shopping much and pretty much just drive to and from work my opportunities to pick up change are few and far between.

So I thought about other ways I can pick up pennies in the internet world. I looked at my e-mail inbox and found a perfect example. I read e-mails and get $$ for each one, usually $.02, but it's $.02!! What I do is let the e-mails pile up for a week or so and then "read" a bunch at one time while I'm watching TV. I figure this is going to bring in around $50/year, nothing to sneeze at....

I admit it, I spent money today

I brought food with me today for meal times at both jobs. By the end of job #1 I was ravenously hungry and at that point I had two choices. I could go home and get something else or I could go to one of the two McDonald's on my way to job #2. Both options would cost be about the same amount of money, but because time was a factor I went to McDonald's (I had cash) and spent $4.

So yes, I broke my no spending rule but I had to do something right?

Only 6 hours till I get to go to bed.....