101 in 1001: February Update

We're really close to the end of this 101 in 1001 challenge.  I honestly don't think there is anything else I'm going to end up crossing off the list, but I'll definitely be participating in the last link up and sharing everything that I did manage to accomplish.  Here is what I've accomplished since my last update.



Visit NYC -  On November 27th my best friend text me out of the blue and said she was going to her parents house in DE for a few days and asked if I would be able to meet her in NYC.  I was a bit skeptical at first because the bus times sucked and I had to catch the bus in Syracuse.  Also, I would be on the bus for 10 hours in 1 day.  I said yes though because I hadn't seen her in a year.  We had a great time in NYC on December 4th.

 
Pay off one Student Loan - We paid off my Federal Student Loan in January!  Every time we pay something off, it's a small weight off my shoulders.  I'm so ready to have the personal loan paid off, hopefully in April!

Put together a financial plan and stick to it -  I'm counting this as finished.  We've been really good with our money over the last 8 months and I know it'll just keep getting better this year!  We have a solid plan to pay off our debts by April of 2020, but we're trying hard to be debt free by the end of 2019, before we PCS.

Book Reviews: January

I am so happy to say that my reading year has started out fantastic!  My first read of the year was one of my favorites yet and I haven't read a book yet that I didn't enjoy!  I'm really enjoying Erin's challenge! 

Linking up HERE

I have so many feelings about this book that I'm not even sure I can write a good review right now.  I think this book will get a post of its own.  If I don't get around to writing a review, just take my word for it and read this book ... 5/5
Read for Book Challenge By Erin

After the heaviness of Beartown, I really needed something light and cute.  This book was just what I needed.  There were some parts that were annoying because it tried a bit too hard to be angsty, but for the most part it was a cute story.  My favorite part of this book is that Reagan and Dee's friendship was a central part of the story rather than just the love story.  It was cliche and a bit predictable, but I enjoyed it ... 3/5
Read for Book Challenge By Erin

This book would have been so much better if it was just a tad shorter because holy hell did some parts just drag on!  Other than that, though, I enjoyed it.  It just took me a bit to get through and it was a bit overly wordy.  It's basically a Will and Kate fan-fiction so if that doesn't sound like your thing, then I probably wouldn't bother but if it does then it's an enjoyable read ... 3/5
Read for Book Challenge by Erin

I really enjoyed this book.   I know that the maid was a fictional character, but the facts about how Andrew Carnegie rose through the ranks and became so wealthy are actually true.  It was interesting to learn more about the Carnegie's, a family I knew very little about before reading this.  I also enjoyed reading about and Irish immigrant.  Even though Claire was a fictional character, the hardships she and her family faced were very real at the time - my Grandmothers family were Irish immigrants, so hearing different stories is always interesting to me.   This is a solid read and I'd definitely recommend it ... 4/5.
Read for Book Challenge by Erin

Life Update: January

In 2016, I did monthly updates and I'm really glad I did.  It ended up being a really great year and I'm happy I have those posts to look back on.   I decided not to go that route in 2017 and I'm glad I didn't because for the most part it would have said "this month I worked 2 jobs and went to the dog park".  Hopefully, with my husband home, this year will be better than last so I've decided to give the monthly updates another go.

January was friggin' cold.  We spent the first half of the month in the negatives - not my cup of tea! Luckily it warmed up bit later in the month - so over these long cold winters!

We paid off my first student loan!  I'll go in to a bit more detail in my next financial update, but I'm ecstatic!   Every time we pay something off I feel a little bit weight lifted off my shoulders.  As exciting as it is to pay everything off, I can't wait for this part of our lives to be over!

I got a different second job.  The hotel is basically dead all winter so I wanted to get something more stable for a second job.  I accepted a job at another restaurant that seems pretty steady through the seasons.  I'm really hoping to make more money to speed up this debt snowball.  We're on a roll and I don't plan to slow down. 

I started a new cleaning schedule at the beginning of the month and I'm happy to say that I've been sticking to it pretty well.  I do one or two rooms per day so that I don't end up spending my entire day off cleaning the house.

Of course, we had to end the month with my pulling my hair out.  Josh's radiator went up and we had to get it fixed immediately.  Luckily a guy he works with knew a guy and we got it done at a fraction of the normal price, and he did a solid job.

Nothing too exciting in January - for now we're just working and trying to stay warm.  I'm ready for winter to be over so we can actually do things!

Linking up HERE