Chugging along... the debt train

So I'm supposed to be working on getting out of debt.

Things I like to do in my spare time (what am I kidding, my life is my spare time):
Read about financial tips and saving strategies
Think about how things will be better when I start school and get my job back
Scheme about starting an ebay business

Specific sites I like:
WIFE.org , Women in Financial Education or something or other
MSN Money (thus the obsession with Microsoft Money)

So, where is this leading? Today, I was checking my hotmail account (I have numerous e-mail accounts, so sue me (not literally, I could not pay you)) and I came across an MSN Newsletter that I signed up for with articles from M.P. Dunleavey, a writer for MSN Money. This particular article was interesting, but then I started searching a bit more for the Women in Red (they don't have an index on the MSN Money site for them, which I think is a shame), I came across this article about being "Young, carefree... and deep in debt".

Wait, that sounds like me!!!

So, I read on and somehow ended up at this site. Surf, surf, surf, follow link, follow link, follow link, ta da! New blog to read! Now, I don't know how excited y'all are, but let me just tell you that I'm really excited about this.

Now, I know what you are thinking: but, what does this mean for me? Well, I'll tell you what it means to you - you get to hear about my new "financial" adventures a little bit more than usual. I know, I know, I'm all promise and no action - but I'll tell you where I'm going with this.

Since I started tutoring that kid, I have paid off my telephone bill and some time next week I will be making payments on 2 of my credit cards. I did make a payment on one credit card already (as referenced in an earlier post, I have 3 credit cards). I'm working on making categories for the site, that'll be up soon (when I say soon, I'm thinking maybe a month or two).

Making payments on time is my biggest problem actually. I am a college student and live on a college students pay and eat on a college students dollar. I don't have a regular full-time job, I don't even have a minimum wage full-time job, so it's hard for me to start up my savings and a retirement fund and all that jazz.

I have found myself in a financial pickle I can't get myself out of, I called in the troops and they said (this is my sister talking), "Your CD doesn't get out until September". To which I echoed, "September!?!" and my fiance says, "September???"

Man, that's a long time down the road.

So I'm not betting on the money I made while being a waitress a really long time ago, I'm not betting on that to help me out. I am betting on my research checks to really help me out and I'm thinking about taking on an internship tutoring kids through this ministry-type program we have on campus.

Research: $2,800/semester (only during fall, I can do this only a limited number of times)
Work-study: $1,000
Student Employment (WS job continues): $1,000
Internship: $500 (not guaranteed, but possible)
Check E-mail for Cash program: $30 maybe somewhere in the semester???

Totals: $4,800-$5,330 plus the maybe $1,000 from my savings thingy. I forgot how much I borrowed out of it.

When I have a regular job, somewhere down the line I'm going to think: "how did I survive in college?"

- V.