It's been a full 5 months since I've been on this site updating. These past 5 months have been horrid financially. Let's recap:

7/08 - In a moment of frustration with the old car and persuasion from family, I buy a new car. Now I have something called "car payments". Before you judge the new car, just know that the old one required repairs amounting to 3x the value of the car. I also moved to a cheaper apartment, but slightly further from work. The price difference offsets the car payment for the most part. I also get a 6% raise.

8/08 - I've left the world of singles. I found a girl that I love, and that I'm ready to settle down with. Unfortunately, she's on the other side of the country. Plane tickets are expensive.

9/08 - I realize that a lot less money is being saved. Gas prices are through the roof. My finances are starting to get a little crazy.

10/08 - I discover how ridiculously expensive engagement rings and weddings are. I open a new account in my ING account labeled "Engagement ring fund". It begins with $50.

11/08 - I must find a way to keep the finances under control. I discover that it started slipping when I stopped posting. The car and the girl did not help things. The latter half of the year always seems to hurt more than the former.

So here I am. I have more debt than I last left you with, I have about $1000 saved up for an engagement ring, and these trips back and forth across the country aren't too cheap.

Sometimes I wonder how people that make less than I do manage to get married, buy a house, and have a kid. *blink blink*