Christmas. Budgets. Bills. & Africa.

Meiko. Still working with my new camera and seeing what settings work best. (Should have moved all the cords!)

Yes you read it. The past month or so it hit me that finances were going to get really tight really quickly coming up on the holidays, birthday gifts, saving money, paying for bills, purchasing everything needed for Africa. It adds up quick I tell ya! I know in the end this trip is one of a lifetime and money is really not that important, but man does it take some creativity to make sure all the accounts add up. So what have I been doing, taking as many shifts as possible; with still having a few days off to enjoy time with the ones I love in hopes to make up for the cost of next month.

Things I've done to make sure I keep track of everything:
- Check list of all the bills due in January before my return
     -> Pay any and every bill possible ahead of time (including but not limited to rent, internet, energy, cell   phone...)
- Budget! Easier said than done.
     -> Go out to eat less
     -> Save as much from every pay check since September to save up for the trip and adding expences of living off campus
     -> Thinking creatively on what to get people as gifts (I LOVE buying gifts for people, and getting something they actually enjoy...it's harder to do on a tighter budget than normal)
     -> Being thankful for the good things I have, and remembering many people go with a lot less

Day 2 of Christmas break: I woke up early to bring a friend to the air port! Then took a shower as fast as I could to be presentable for my moms morning preschool class and help with "Christmas Cake", then ran back home to take a nap before I leave for my first evening shift ever at my job. (3:30pm - 11:30pm) I'll report back and see how I like it.

Last night I got to go to my youngest brothers swim meet, my first of the season. I'm a little sad I'll be missing out on so many swim meets this January of everyone I love. So I'm trying to make it up now, and when I come back!!

   

Zach. He's kinda a big deal. (He might kill me if he ever realizes I put this up here!)

 

I'm really happy so far with how well the photos have turned out, even with the zoomed-in lens and everything. None of these are photo-shopped or edited because the program I had on my computer is no longer due to the fact that my computer crashed and had to be re-loaded; minus all the programming. 

So consider these photos pretty awesome considering the circumstance. 

 Now off to make dinner/ lunch, go to the bank, maybe stop and drop something off for my brother, and then to the hospital for my first work shift over break!