Every time I write the abbreviation "fml" it has to have the period afterwards. Caps is also kind of mandatory.
Anyhow, onto why I should eff my life- expense.
Life is expensive. At least when you try to buy things that entertain you. Also, it seems like they come one after the other. You don't get a break!
I decided I want a ferret. It's going to cost me over $600 for the ferret and all of it's necessities. That's okay because I'm willing to save for it.
Then, my phone starts malfunctioning more than usual. I've known since about three months after I got my phone that it sucks. (Note to readers: don't buy the LG Optimus V. Apparently, there's a reason it was on sale for $99.)
Then, there's a strategically placed Virgin Mobile- my service provider- ad that is advertising the iPhone 4S. New for Virgin Mobile customers! Lovely. I had an iPhone 3GS when I was with AT&T; back then it was around $300. The bill for AT&T just became too much for my mom. After all, she was paying hers and her two daughters' on one income. It's a little tight-budgeted.
To make it easier on her, I switched to Virgin Mobile because they have reasonable service in my area for only $35 a month. That is unlimited text, internet, and 300 minutes. Since I despise talking on the phone, this plan was perfect for me.
Then, I see the phone I now have, Optimus V, and it's on sale! Coincidence? Government conspiracy? Aliens? In any case, I thought it was my lucky day. I wish I'd just... I don't know... somehow found another iPhone for another carrier or something. This new phone isn't worth the money.
I'm telling you guys, it's super slow, freezes all the time, and gives me the "failed application" message at least three times a day. I've cleared it off of all my content and it still runs like a piece of crap. To add to the poop pile of the Optimus V, I haven't even had it for a year! Don't tell me that it's worth the $100.
So, uhrm, anyway... when I saw the iPhone ad for Virgin, I jumped for joy. I went pretty high and when I saw the price, I dropped like a ston- no, boulder. The thing is $649.99! I couldn't fathom why this phone was so much so I checked at the Apple Store Online. They have the same phone for the same price. The reason it's so pricey is that it's unlocked. This means it will work with any carrier that isn't Sprint or Verizon. Those you absolutely have to have contracts with.
Virgin isn't carrying them. They're just... telling people that they can buy unlocked iPhones that will work with their service!
No matter- I still want it. The only issue is that to get that much money, it will take at least a year! I don't know if my bundle of scraps will last that long and I don't want to go that long with it. The sooner it's gone, the better. To see if I could earn some cash, I checked out those sites that buy your cell phones.
Do you know how much they will pay for my piece of dung? Twelve measly dollars.
Literally, FML. My grandmother suggests that I save up for a phone instead of a ferret, but... that still doesn't help me! I can't wait for a whole year before getting a new phone! Since Virgin Mobile is a no-contract provider, there aren't any upgrade reward plans or anything like AT&T had. I'm screwed and have no clue what to do.
Even if my grandparents can scrounge up $100, my mom pitches in $100 as well as my dad, I'll only be half way there! I know my other grandma won't help (she barely acknowledges my existence) and my aunt is in less than a stable situation. My sisters just got jobs so they're no help and... I'm screwed. Did I already say that? If so, it's the truth!
I'd need to raise $350 on my own and... so tight... such terrible... FML.
Goodnight.
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Showing posts with label money. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Ferret Frenzy
Those little creatures are what I'm buzzing about, as of late. I am
planning (elaborately) my next furbaby and I've got a long road to
travel before the day comes.
All I know about the future guy or gal is that it's going to come from Petco. They're the only pet store in the area that carries them! I have yet to visit their store so I don't know what genders or coloration types they've got, but to be honest, I'm not too picky. My previous ferret was a Siamese type, but I don't think their colors have anything to do with their temperament... right? (I sense future research coming...)
1.
Prepare the cage. Thankfully, I can dodge a bullet on this part of
preparation. Most people have to purchase one and I have to say- they
aren't cheap! The Marshall Mansion I've got is around $160 (on sale)
at Petco. I know that the Ferret Nations (top of the line cages) are
around $250-$300 or more. However, our cage which has four levels came
with my previous ferret. I believe we payed $25 total for the ferret,
food, cage, and other supplies. It was definitely a steal (especially
since Tilly had such a great temperament). The only problem is pure negligence. I left the cage out by the shed
for about a year and there are some pretty severe rust places on the
bottom and it needs some maintenance. The cost to repair it is still
cheaper than a new cage, so I'll be going with the refurbish option. To do this, I will have to sand down the rusty spots
so there isn't any excess rust hanging around. Then, I'm going to paint
it using non-toxic spray paint. Here's a picture of a cage like mine, color and all:
The wheels are missing and I'm still debating on whether or not to replace them. To give it a more modern look that would fit in any room, I'm going to paint it black instead of blue again.
The bottom tray, you know, the plastic one, is gone from mine. We had it outside of the cage (I have no clue why) and when a storm came, it got blown around and cracked up. We had to throw it away. Now, I've got to find another one and that isn't going to be cheap. Also, for some reason, my grandfather "borrowed" one of the three ladders. By "borrow" he meant cut in half and throw away the bottom. Add an extra ladder to the list of cage needs.
Although all of that sounds like a lot of money (it is definitely not going to be taken care of for under $10), it is still cheaper than a new cage. When you're an unemployed fifteen year old working on allowance and dog-washing money, you need as cheap as you can go.
After the ladder and pan are replaced, minor repairs are finished, and it's painted, the cage will be ready for use. That's only about 1/4 of the battle.
2. Purchase supplies for the ferret. Honestly, I want to have everything for the little critter before I buy him/her. I don't want to have to make a million emergency trips to the pet store in search of an item.
Just for the heck of it, I'm going to post a list of everything I intend to buy for it.
Alrighty then. That's a rather long list. It's easy to see why this would cost around $200, right? If I get fifteen dollars every time I wash the three dogs and I bathe them every week, it would take me about four (4) months to earn enough money for those materials. That is if I get to bathe them every week and the money stays consistent... and all of it makes it to the "Ferret Fund".
Odds are, since school starts in a few days, portions of that fund will have to be put in school.
We're going to say that a good six months will be taken up on just the supplies.
3. Put back emergency money. You never know what could happen to you little balls of joy. They could fracture a bone, get impacted, catch the flu, etc. Any number of things could happen, so I'm going to put back at least $100 for emergency situations. That's only responsible pet ownership. What's the point in owning a pet if you can't properly care for it? My point exactly.
That's going to be another 2-3 months right there.
4. Pick out the new family member! This is the point I'm super excited for. Though it might be a longs ways off, I still can't wait! Once, steps 1, 2, & 3 are completed, I have to save up $100- $160 dollars for the cutie. I hear that Petco usually has the ferrets on sale for around $99, so that's good.
Like I've mentioned before, this amount of money will take 2-3 months to earn.
Just to see about how long it will take to achieve my goal, I'm going to list out just how much money each step will take and the amount of time required to come up with the funds.
Step One: Non-toxic Spray Paint (around $6 per can and I'll need three or four)
Replacement Ladder (no clue how much this costs, so we'll allot $20 to be on the safe side)
Replacement Pan (the plastic one is $20 and the metal one is $27 with shipping; we'll go on and say $30 for the pan)
Overall cost of Step One: $74
If I make $15 a week washing dogs, it will take just over a month to get the cage fixed and ready.
Step Two: That Massive List of Supplies (I'm going to spare you and just estimate that it's around $250 for all of it, not counting shipping if I buy some online)
At $15 per week, I'll have the supplies within five months. Just shy of five, actually.
Step Three: $150 in Emergency Funds
For the $15 a week allowance I'm getting (if it stays steady, of course), I will have the emergency money stashed back in three months' time.
Step Four: Ferret (they cost up to $160 at Petco, so we'll allot for the max)
To get $160 it will take me precisely three months to raise that amount at $15 every week from washing the poodles.
When we add up all that time, it will take one year or twelve months to get this ferret. It seems like forever away and actually hard work. That only makes me want it more for some reason.
Earning $634 seems impossible too, but then again... once I achieve this feat on my meager allowance, I'll know I can do anything! This will be a really good lesson for me that has a pretty cool reward, if I do say so myself.
(I'm posting this entry at 3:00 a.m. and I have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to go fishing with my dad. I'm screwed.)
P.S. Is this not the longest blog entry ever?!
All I know about the future guy or gal is that it's going to come from Petco. They're the only pet store in the area that carries them! I have yet to visit their store so I don't know what genders or coloration types they've got, but to be honest, I'm not too picky. My previous ferret was a Siamese type, but I don't think their colors have anything to do with their temperament... right? (I sense future research coming...)
But,
anyway, as you can see, there's a wide array of choices. Though the
colors won't affect my decision when adoption day comes, I have to admit
that the Blaze, Panda, and Marked White color variations are really
making me melt.
Before I get ahead of myself, I think a checklist is in order. (Checklists are the bomb!)
The wheels are missing and I'm still debating on whether or not to replace them. To give it a more modern look that would fit in any room, I'm going to paint it black instead of blue again.
The bottom tray, you know, the plastic one, is gone from mine. We had it outside of the cage (I have no clue why) and when a storm came, it got blown around and cracked up. We had to throw it away. Now, I've got to find another one and that isn't going to be cheap. Also, for some reason, my grandfather "borrowed" one of the three ladders. By "borrow" he meant cut in half and throw away the bottom. Add an extra ladder to the list of cage needs.
Although all of that sounds like a lot of money (it is definitely not going to be taken care of for under $10), it is still cheaper than a new cage. When you're an unemployed fifteen year old working on allowance and dog-washing money, you need as cheap as you can go.
After the ladder and pan are replaced, minor repairs are finished, and it's painted, the cage will be ready for use. That's only about 1/4 of the battle.
2. Purchase supplies for the ferret. Honestly, I want to have everything for the little critter before I buy him/her. I don't want to have to make a million emergency trips to the pet store in search of an item.
Just for the heck of it, I'm going to post a list of everything I intend to buy for it.
- Corner Litter Pan
- Ferret Litter
- Carrier
- Collar
- Harness
- Leash
- Water Bottle
- Portable Water Bottle Stand
- Food Bowl
- Dry Food
- Ear Cleaner
- Nail Clippers
- Skin and Coat Supplement
- Brush
- Conditioning Spray
- Shampoo
- Vitamin Supplement
- Cage Cleaner
- Bed
- Toys
- Treats
- Jester Hat (trust me, it's adorable)
- Sweater
- "Born to Dook" Tee (dook- just google it)
- Personalized Fur Coat
Alrighty then. That's a rather long list. It's easy to see why this would cost around $200, right? If I get fifteen dollars every time I wash the three dogs and I bathe them every week, it would take me about four (4) months to earn enough money for those materials. That is if I get to bathe them every week and the money stays consistent... and all of it makes it to the "Ferret Fund".
Odds are, since school starts in a few days, portions of that fund will have to be put in school.
We're going to say that a good six months will be taken up on just the supplies.
3. Put back emergency money. You never know what could happen to you little balls of joy. They could fracture a bone, get impacted, catch the flu, etc. Any number of things could happen, so I'm going to put back at least $100 for emergency situations. That's only responsible pet ownership. What's the point in owning a pet if you can't properly care for it? My point exactly.
That's going to be another 2-3 months right there.
4. Pick out the new family member! This is the point I'm super excited for. Though it might be a longs ways off, I still can't wait! Once, steps 1, 2, & 3 are completed, I have to save up $100- $160 dollars for the cutie. I hear that Petco usually has the ferrets on sale for around $99, so that's good.
Like I've mentioned before, this amount of money will take 2-3 months to earn.
Just to see about how long it will take to achieve my goal, I'm going to list out just how much money each step will take and the amount of time required to come up with the funds.
Step One: Non-toxic Spray Paint (around $6 per can and I'll need three or four)
Replacement Ladder (no clue how much this costs, so we'll allot $20 to be on the safe side)
Replacement Pan (the plastic one is $20 and the metal one is $27 with shipping; we'll go on and say $30 for the pan)
Overall cost of Step One: $74
If I make $15 a week washing dogs, it will take just over a month to get the cage fixed and ready.
Step Two: That Massive List of Supplies (I'm going to spare you and just estimate that it's around $250 for all of it, not counting shipping if I buy some online)
At $15 per week, I'll have the supplies within five months. Just shy of five, actually.
Step Three: $150 in Emergency Funds
For the $15 a week allowance I'm getting (if it stays steady, of course), I will have the emergency money stashed back in three months' time.
Step Four: Ferret (they cost up to $160 at Petco, so we'll allot for the max)
To get $160 it will take me precisely three months to raise that amount at $15 every week from washing the poodles.
When we add up all that time, it will take one year or twelve months to get this ferret. It seems like forever away and actually hard work. That only makes me want it more for some reason.
Earning $634 seems impossible too, but then again... once I achieve this feat on my meager allowance, I'll know I can do anything! This will be a really good lesson for me that has a pretty cool reward, if I do say so myself.
(I'm posting this entry at 3:00 a.m. and I have to wake up at 6:00 a.m. to go fishing with my dad. I'm screwed.)
P.S. Is this not the longest blog entry ever?!
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