It’s been a hectic week here at my job and life. I was in a funk and my posts were reflecting that. All of my funk seems so insignificant when my friend called this morning, though. Her father died of a heart attack today. I’m so worried about her and I’m leaving tonight (as in 20 minutes) to get over there and support her.
It’s about a 3 hour drive, so I’ll be gone for the weekend.
Photo Credit: Laenulfean
My 90 day performance review is coming up in a few weeks and I’ll qualify for some benefits, including health insurance. The Human Resources manager gave me a packet with the health care premiums to review. I’m supposed to turn it in two weeks completed if I want to have health insurance coverage starting July 1. I’m taking this as a sign that they still want me around.
We reviewed the policies and started looking at the price differences between all of them. If my husband and I have both health insurance and dental, it would be $320 each month. We’re both in 20s and in excellent health. I was surprised at how pricey the plan was at this job. My husband’s previous job had a much cheaper option.
After running the numbers, we saw there’s no way we can afford the plan at my new job if we put both of us on the plan. We make too much to qualify for state health insurance, but $320/month is a bit much for oubudget right now.
We’re going to have to go with separate plans. If I go with my job and he goes with the temp agency’s plan, it would be $160/month. The benefits look comparable at half the price. Once my husband finishes his contract and (hopefully!) is hired, then we may switch to his company’s plan if it is a better deal.
Have you had to have different plans for health insurance if you’re married? Which companies have the best customer service according to your personal experience?
Photo Credit: Subconsci Productions
One year, I would like people to come to us instead of us driving to see them. Gas is so expensive! LOL, anyway, we still want to see family and friends, so we’re traveling up to Richmond, VA and then on Monday we’re going down to Fayetteville, NC. A nice relaxing 3 day weekend is the plans and we’re going to try and stick to it.
We’re leaving bright and early tomorrow morning. I’m already packed and my husband promises he will do so tonight. I’m bringing the digital camera to get some pictures taken and I will force myself to actuall go down to Walgreens and get them developed this time. We need pictures to hang around teh apartment and we have 2 years of friends and family just waiting to be printed and hung.
We already allocated money for this trip and we’re determined not to go over budget. there’ no real personal finance lesson. I guess I could remind everyone that money is here to help us enjoy life within reason. Visiting family and friends is important to us; we’re just not planning going broke doing it.
I just wanted to share my plans with you guys. What are your plans for this weekend?
Photo Credit: pashasha
I admitted the other day that I was eating out for lunch too much. I decided to stop that trend. I talked with a coworker that I needed to cut down on it and we both agreed that we would exercise during two of our lunches. Today we started and did about 2 1/2 miles.
Tonight I felt energized enough to suggest to my husband that we go for a walk. We did a little over 3 miles according to Map My Run! The great news is that this feels better than a greasy meal and it’s good for my health. I’ll try to blog about it as it motivates me to keep actual tabs on what I do.
Thanks Kacie on your suggestion to plan my lunches to improve my choices.
Photo credit: Kekka
I’ve been bad. I’ve been eating out for lunch too many times. I keep making excuses to eat out. It’s not good for my wallet and it’s not good for my health. I’m eating Whopper Jr. value meals, Bojangles, and Mexican food. Argh, I got to get serious again.
I realize that I need to get back to my ‘cash’ lunch routine. I’ve been using my check card instead of stopping by my bank’s ATM and getting my ‘allowance’. Paying cash made it seem more real.
I’m not going to eat out the rest of this week. On Saturday, I’ll pick up my weekly cash. I need to get focused. How have you kept on your eating out budget? Any advice?
Photo Credit: ebruli
Photo Credit: Matt Callow
Green Panda was selected as the editor’s choice for my economic stimulus check plan! Prime Time Money is host the 140th edition and the theme is Circus Day. Here are some great articles that I enjoyed reading from the carnival:
As you may know, I’ve moved to pursue a great job opportunity in a different state. So far, it’s been a good move overall. My husband has a job nearby, so the commute has been reduced for both of us. The area is nice and we’re meeting new people.
My problem is I found out how much my company keeps tabs on us. I know companies do this to ensure that sensitive information is not leaked out and the workers or productive. I just never been in a company that does it so much. Just last week I was working on some orders. A coworker came in to ask some questions and when I turned around, I noticed that my cursor was moving. The tech guy was logging in remotely without letting me know. It was a bit creepy.
With the spring semester over, many college students are either looking for their first job after graduation or an internship to gain experience. If you don’t know where or how to start, here are some tips:
Be Organized
Make it your job to find a job, no matter how long it takes. Try looking at jobs and follow the ‘rule of thirds‘ when deciding what to apply for. Have a system to track your job hunt and keep a schedule to get you ready for when you find a job.
Go beyond submitting resumes on the internet.
Don’t take the easy way out. Placing your resume on Monster or Career Builder takes 5 minutes and many employers give less time considering it. It’s a great way to what opportunities are available, but it doesn’t paint the whole picture.
You can also ask your friends, family, and other associates to help you. Pass your resume around, you’ll never know what we will happen. By passing my resume around a friend of my mother who knew of a job opening in her company. It wasn’t advertised.
Try state employment agencies if you want to widen your net. You also may want to put your portfolio online in a blog format.
Produce an eye-catching and accurate résumé.
There are thee basic typs of resumes. “A résumé tells potential employers not only who you are but also what you have accomplished and why they need you,” says an employment consultant.
Chronological: This is the most popular resume. It lists your work experience in reverse order. If you have some formal work experience, this could help you. Potential employers like the ease of seeing where and when you worked.
Functional: This resume lists skills and training you’ve had such as software expertise. If you’re a student or someone with less work experience, you may want to consider this type. List skills that would be used for the job you’re applying to.
Combination: Like the name indicates, this resume combines the functional and the chronological style. A great way to use this resume is by putting the relevant skills you have and then list the jobs you’ve had chronologically.
Hunting for a job can be nerve-racking, exciting, and difficult. This is just an overview to help you get started.Anybody have more tips to include? If you want to share stories or tips, please leave a comment. I really want to help people out, so if you need some ideas to get a job, email me. I’ll give you some job listings from my university’s alumni career center for the area you’re looking in.
Photo Credit: Daquella manera
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