Money Management: Creating a Budget, Bill Plan, and Predicting Paychecks.

After many requests, I have decided to start a series exploring my methods on money management.

For the following examples, we are assuming a new month consisting of 4 weeks, with a fully stocked kitchen. This is the first of a series of posts that will walk through a variety of topics including budgeting, how to save grocery shopping, and other household tips! Let's get started.

So, for me, everything revolves around cutting costs anywhere and any way you can. Before you can do anything, you have to create a budget.

1.  Create a Budget with a Bill Plan

Obviously, if you have a system that works for you, use that! If not, here’s how I do my budget, though admittedly, at the moment, it’s more of a “Bill Plan”. For other ideas on budgeting and how to create one perfect for you, check out these ideas on Pinterest!
I personally use a series of note cards to keep up with my bills. One, because they're easy to slip into a wallet, zip pouch, or any container, and two, because I have an over-abundance of note cards in my stockpile.
For me, I use one card per week. One side will have this week's bills listed on the card. This week, we're a little light on the bills due--which is good! If you know you need to get gas or groceries, you'll add it in here as well (we'll talk a little bit more on how to get that grocery bill down!). Notice how things that automatically come out I write "Auto" next to, so I know this one requires no action on my end. I've also included due dates so I know exactly when something needs to be done. For extra comfort, you can "high ball" these bills. So, for example, say I have an outstanding credit card bill, or car payment. Instead of the exact amount or minimum due, I budget for, say $5 extra. This way either a) I have budgeted for the bill entirely, b) paid off a little more than necessary, or c) earned myself a credit towards next month's bill. The last option is especially helpful if you know funds may be a little short next month, or there's extra bills coming up.

For privacy reasons, I've left off our private bill amounts.

Now, on the other side is where you'll run your weekly budget. I include everything that I have in the bank at the moment of doing the bill plan. (If, for example, you cash your checks immediately or do cash envelopes instead of using your bank cards, include that in your bill plan, or modify as needed.) '
So, let's do some examples! (Disclaimer: I came up with these numbers off the top of my head!)

So, let's write down our bank amount, plus any cash. If using a cash envelope system, it might be a good idea to just account for these bills as "paid" and don't even add it in here. It will save space and confusion. Okay, for my example I'm going with $475 in the bank, plus $340 cash for a total of $815. We'll take away $12 for Netflix, because even if it requires no action from me, it still comes out of my budget. Then (again, make-believe numbers), let's say rent is $610. So, when all the math comes through, we're sitting at $193 left in the bank--I call this "Carry over". Now is a good time to add that as you pay each bill throughout the week (if for some reason you cannot all at once), mark the amount on the bill plan some way, so you know it is dealt with. Also include when you took care of it and, if you use checks, it's a good idea to mark the check number on the bill plan as well. I also go ahead and mark this same information on the bill envelope itself.
(If anyone is interested in a post on organization, let me know!)

SO. Here's a look at our hypothetical budget for this week.

Now let's say we're back to next Monday, and now we have four more bills to make: A Credit Card Bill for $50 minimum balance, a Car Payment of $100 minimum, Phone bill of $200, and we need gas! Plus, daycare costs (for me, I pay daycare every other week, so this example works for me especially) of $50, due Monday.

So, we still have that $193 "Carry-Over" from last week. Let's say there are two paychecks coming in for a combined total of $400 (we'll look later on how you can "predict" how much your income would be if you--like myself and many, many others--work variable hours with hourly wage). So we have the $193 plus $300, for $493 total.

Now, we have a combined bills total of $400 (that's paying minimum balance) plus our gas budget (which will vary from person to person, region to region. I average $40). So we have $493, a total of $440 worth in bills and we need milk and bread (staples in my household!). These grocery-staples must be accounted for in our bill plans as we need them (for example 1, we assumed well-stocked pantries). So add a $20 grocery budget. Later on, we'll discuss how this number is so low and how to cut your grocery bill.

Bills are up to $460, we have $493. Cutting it close, eh? Some weeks, (this time speaking from experience), you may not have enough to make the ends meet. We're going to assume for this that you also have a utility bill next week for $200, and you know that you won't be able to make that with a cut in hours you got this week. So let's plan ahead (and I can show you my notations and ways to prioritize this clump of bills so you don't drown in debt).

Here's a look at a mock Bill Plan for this example's weeks two and three. This picture is showing it as a type of weekly planner--which you can use for keeping track of your bills as well.

Here's where we prioritize. Daycare and Gas have to be paid, so take that out first, so we have $403 remaining. Let's also take out our $20 grocery budget, because that can't be put off either, so that makes $383. This leaves Car Payment, Credit Card, and Phone Bill due for this week, and Utilities next week. Here's a look at our budget so far.

We're at $383 for the week. Before we continue allocating money to different areas of our budget, let's get a look at how much we should get on this week's paycheck.This is especially helpful for those (like myself) who work hourly-wage jobs that vary. We'll look at two options: one standard work week, and one with overtime.

So, we need to figure out what we will get for (Week 2) Friday's paycheck, which (usually) covers the work from Week 1. Let's say we work 30 hours, making $8 (which, for TN, is right above the minimum wage of $7.35). 
So that's 30 X 8 = $240 before taxes. The amount of taxes you need to take out will vary; I started out with my budgets taking out 15%. In this amount you need to account for any other deductions that come from your paycheck. For example, I have union dues as well as a $1 donation to United Way that comes out of every paycheck. This brings my deduction to about 20% or so, and I've found that this percentage works for me. It takes a little trial and error here.

So we set up a proportion to take out the percentage. X over the your gross amount, then equal to 80 over 100. (The second numbers are coming from the deductions; to make it easier and quicker to see your net amount--what you'll actually be getting--subtract your deduction amount from 100. So for this example, 100% minus 20% gives you 80%, shown as 80 over 100.) 

Bring out our calculators, and we'll do our cross multiplication. 80 X 240 = 19,200. Set that equal to 100x.

19,200=100x

Divide to solve for x.

192 = x

So! We will get $192 back for this paycheck we receive on Friday of Week 2. For the purposes of budgeting, it's always a good rule to lowball your expected income. Meaning, yes, we mathematically used those algebra skills (that you thought you'd never use) to find out what we'll get back. But what if you worked slightly less than 30 hours? Maybe your percentage is slightly off? To cover the "what if"s and make sure we have enough bills, you're gonna want to account for slightly less income. So for our budget, let's say we have $180 coming in with this paycheck.

Now, what do we do with overtime? We will basically walk through the same steps as above. First, let's define overtime. For the average part-time hourly worker, this is anything over 40 hours, and is usually paid as "time and a half". This means, if we use our previous wage of $8 and hour, you get paid the $8 plus half of that per hour. Making your overtime wage $12 and hour--pretty freaking sweet.
So let's say for our second paycheck coming in on Friday of Week 2, we had worked 46 hours throughout Week 1.
So, 40 of these hours we made at our regular wage of $8, bringing us a gross total of $320. The other 6 hours worked were at the overtime wage of $12 an hour, bringing us to a gross total of $72. Add these two amounts together to get our total gross income for this week.

Now, we'll walk through those deduction steps to take out 20% of this total. For this paycheck we will have $313.60 in "take home", or net pay. Don't forget to lowball your income so we'll have roughly $300 to work with on this paycheck that we will receive Friday of Week 2.

(Note: These examples are based on a two job income, so adjust these accordingly. Either way, this example will show how to account for overtime. When we go back to our Week 2 Bill Plan and Budget, I will be combining both paychecks that we just worked with.)

So let's review what we're working with. In this example, it is the beginning of Week 2, and we are facing quite a few bills. We have $383 left after allocating money for the absolutely-cannot-wait-bills. We have a $100 car payment due on Sunday, a $50 minimum balance on our Credit Card due on Tuesday, a $200 Phone Bill due on Friday, and a $200 Utility bill on Tuesday of Week 3. We can expect a total of $480 of income on Friday of Week 2. We're wanting to pay bills up to get out of debt faster, as well as have a little bit of carry over for next week.

So, let's go ahead and pay the Car Payment of $100, and the Credit card bill. We've already determined we should have enough for both the phone bill and the utility payment for next week. So let's pay up the Credit card bill---send $80 there, and then the Car Payment of $120 (again, paying up. One of the easiest way to get out of debts--pay as much as you can when you can). That leaves us $183. Now, we do have a little extra! Hide some away into a savings account, and 
DO NOT touch your savings until it saves you from drowning. Want to get a pizza? Make it. Want to buy that cute new shirt? Nope. DO NOT TOUCH YOUR SAVINGS.
Here's what we're looking on Thursday of Week 2.

So when Friday comes around you add the $108 to your income of $480. You'll pay your $200 Phone bill, the Utility bill for Week 3, and have $188 leftover. The cycle continues. 

What if you need to split payments?
Let's say you've come up short one week; all resources are depleted and you absolutely have to pay your phone bill or they're gonna cut it off. Trust me, I've been in this situation. Here's my advice:
Call the phone company (or whichever biller may be causing you problems). Offer to pay whatever amount you can. Let's say, for our example of a $200 phone bill, we can only pay $75 this week for whatever reason. Tell the biller how much you can pay, and pay it. You need to build a bit of trust with these people. Set up a payment arrangement with them for your next payment on that bill. Every week until that bill is paid off, make it your number one priority bill.
I keep all of my bills in an organizer on my desk; every time one comes in I mark the due date and the amount due. Every time I pay the bill, I mark how I paid (debit, credit card--HUGE no, no-- or check with the check number). If I have to do a partial payment, mark each partial payment, payment method, and the new amount due. Highlight each partial-payment bill so it stands out to you next time you sit down to do your budget and bill plan.

Doing Bill Plans allows for me to readily see what needs to be paid for first, ensuring I don't overspend, and I don't get service charges or late fees. Another way I keep up with these amounts and upcoming due dates are through two apps on my phone (both of which have website components). I use Manilla and Mint to keep track of my bills, spending, and budgets in general.

Since this post is so long, and I'm sure there are tons of questions, comments, etc. about the subject, I am turning this into a series on Money Management. 

As always, if you've enjoyed this post, let me know. Feel led to support me in someway? Check out my GoFundMe. Don't forget to pass this post on to whoever you think can benefit! Until next time.... What Money Management information, tips, suggestions would you like to see? Sound off in the comments below!

Update: Tired, Burnt, and Ready for the End

….of this neverending rollercoaster.
You know that dream that we’ve all had when we were kids?
Gee, I can’t wait to be a grownup! I can stay up past 9pm and eat ice cream and gollywhiz, it’s gonna be grand!
Yeah.
No.

So, I’ve been meaning to update this for exactly one week now. Last week, we loaded into the car and drove down for court. Recap: Bryan had been driving on a suspended for over a year without his knowledge, and the crooked cop that had pulled him over tried to cite him for driving like 27 miles over the speed limit when in all honesty it was maybe 5.
Court went WAY better than expected. After waiting for nearly two hours to speak with the public defender, the attorney basically encouraged us to go forward with a not guilty charge. Basically, the cop went about everything completely against protocol, and, being a pretty-well hated dude, the attorney was offering to go to superior court with us for less than half what he normally charges. It’d wind up being a year or so before we’d make it to that court hearing and, because the cop would be forced to recognize he did wrong pulling us over in the first place, and apparently the cops in Blairsville rarely show to court anyway…. we would have won and had all charges dropped. We would have had to do at least three more trips to the courthouse, and, with my anxiety and everything else, we ended up deciding just paying the fines and being done with it.
The judge, upon hearing the story of what went down from the attorney, thankfully let Bryan go without serving jail time, and we paid our nearly $1,000 and went on our way.
So there’s THAT dealt with. Our next issue is/was getting Bryan’s license reinstated. It cost us a whopping $475 to do so, but his license is reinstated, and all’s clear….except he doesn’t have the physical license yet. The arresting officer (cough, different than the one that pulled us over on Christmas, because that’s not fishy) never gave Bryan his license back, never gave it to the courthouse….nothing. So now (long story short) we have to get him a new license in Tennessee (rather than just surrendering the GA license and being issued a TN license), which, in case you didn’t know, requires both a birth certificate and Social Security card…. both of which have been misplaced/damaged/whatever. So, now we’re in the process of tracking all of that down so that my love can have proof that he is indeed legal to drive.

sigh.

In other news.

We got the Save the Dates back from the printers! YAY! I was able to design our own, format it into a 4x6 picture, upload it to Shutterfly, use a couple of discounts, and get 100 prints for roughly $15. Not bad, when normally Save the Dates (I refuse to abbreviate…..) run $1.97 a piece. Well. They do on Walmart.com.

So, theoretically, those would have gone out in the mail like two weeks ago, but you know. WonderWoman over here is running low on juice. I’ve officially hit the point where I’m barely functioning, and writing this blog post was actually a break from the neverending homework that I’ve been choking on. Since we stayed in Blairsville significantly less time than originally planned, and Bryan was with me the entire time (trust me, I’m not complaining), I ended up getting behind in my studies, and you haven’t experienced exhaustion until you’ve literally fallen asleep doing homework, dreamed that you were studying, and woken up studying.
Well, I’m not sure if that’s exhaustion but still. I’ve got 600 pages of Herodotus to read and trust me, that’s more than it sounds. I’ve gotten into the habit where I write out study plans (which I’m currently behind on already but shhhh), and it physically pained me to write it out through next week. You know. Spring Break.

Ooh! I haven’t shared. So I have this AMAZING wonderful, indescribably awesome and completely stellar aunt who, as a Christmas present, has booked a cruise in the Caribbean for myself, my three sisters (psst, Amber, that includes you), Mom, my Mimi (the source of Chelle’s awesomeness), and herself. Week long cruise with the family, soaking up sun, and studying more homework trying to get caught up relaxing from this stress ….sounds like my kinda Spring Break.

So, there’s that update for you.
As the title may suggest, I’m a) tired (of doing homework, of never having downtime, of cleaning, of…….), b) burnt out of doing everything. (Like seriously, real life is giving me a headache previously reserved for too much Nintendo) and ready for the end of the madness.

Til next time, as always, we thank you for all the support and words of encouragement. While we’re still struggling, just gotta take this one day at a time, right?

--Kayla

**As proof of the neverending rollercoaster of madness, I'm posting this a full month after I wrote it, simply because I haven't had the time. Stay tuned for another update on the past month!**

T-Minus Less than 12 Hours.....

First and foremost, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who has supported us in this journey, whether it was through kind words of encouragement and support, or through financially and physically supporting us. So, again THANK YOU.

With that being said, since I decided to "go public" with our story in the famous (to me) January 17th post, I've come under a few criticisms and...stumbling-blocks, I suppose along the way. Let me be completely, utterly, and honestly, clear. I am NOT begging for money; I am NOT trying to guilt trip anyone, and I am NOT trying to force anyone to do anything. I am simply trying to keep my friends and family (and anyone that so happens to stumble upon my speck of the internet) informed and up to date on our situation. And, as both Bryan and I are too ....proud I guess the word would be... we do NOT want to straight up ask for money, and we don't accept it easily however. So, yes, we set up a GoFundMe (found here) to let those who feel compelled to donate and help us out, to do so easily. (And before someone tries to criticise the fact that our wedding is mentioned on our GFM page, we will be asking for monetary gifts as opposed to traditional/registry gift for our wedding.)

Now. On to that update.
We are in Blairsville, Georgia, safe and sound. I've got quite the stockpile (gathered from couponing) built up for my food while here: Cheerios, Ramen, jugs of KoolAid... I'm ready to go. Court is less than 12 hours away, and I'm officially beginning to get nervous. The jumpy, do-we-have-enough kind of nervous. As barely-above-minimum-wage workers with a child and a heavy debt ratio baring down on us (thank you student loans...), I'm terrified we won't get this all taken care of this week. We know of roughly $1500 worth of fees, fines, etc etc that need to be paid before we are scotch free out of here. Meanwhile, every day Bryan has to spend in jail (Side note: Positive energies, prayers, kind thoughts, anything and everything is appreciated that we don't have to be here more than the two nights) is another $65 for the hotel that I'm beginning to fear we won't have. Luckily, I brought all of my homework with me, so the hope is while I keep my mind off the fact that my love is stuck in jail over something he had no honest-to-God clue about, I at least get caught up with my classes.
I suppose only time will tell, and as always, I keep everyone updated again.
--Kayla

Less than Two Weeks

I've been trying to write this post for a month now. I had planned to update this blog weekly, and it just hasn't worked out that way. At the present time, we are less than two weeks away from court. Everyone with me, big breath in, slow breath out. Yeah. I'm stressed. Over the past few weeks, we have (so far, knock on wood) been pretty okay. Bryan was luckily given extra hours at work (yay overtime!), and my schooling has picked up. I've gotten used to three to four hours naps replacing my nightly sleeps, and large amounts of coffee fueling my day. I've reached the point where exhaustion is a step away (and fear it took me Tuesday night when a migraine caused me to go to the ER). But still. We're good. 

In fact, life has kept us so busy that we are now 5 days from court a I type this on my phone. We each had to take an entire day off to drive to Blue Ridge, Georgia so that Bryan could take a driving course, required by the State. I've begun running our budget constantly and, of course, we're a couple hundred short for court. Here's to hoping they take payment arrangements, right? 

This coming week will definitely, surely, test our faith in the universe. I'm planning to spend my few days in the hotel doing homework to keep me occupied and get caught up. Since I can't leave, might as well, right? 

On to happier news. Our Save the Dates for the wedding are here!! We found an awesome deal with shutterfly that got us 50 free prints through MyCokeRewards, so of course we formatted our Save the Dates (SN: I tried to abbreviate that. Don't do that.) into cute pictures and I'll start addressing envelopes soon! Yay! Meanwhile, still no venue, and we're less than 8 months away from our wedding. Do it with me. Breathe in, breathe out. 

Whoo. 

As always, if you feel so inclined, you can help us out at http://www.gofundme.com/6e3i8o

January 17th 2014

For a long time now, I have contemplated the publishing of the following post. For those who know me well, you know two things: 

1) I am an open book, read ‘em and weep. 

2) I am stubbornly independent to the point of nausea and heartbreak. 

What does this mean, exactly? For those who have stumbled upon this site, what am I saying about my own character? What does this say about the nature of this post? What do I hope to accomplish?

         I want to tell you the story of my life, or more specifically the troubles that my fiance and I have endured the past couple of months. I believe it has become a similar story across the nation as other families, whether they be my age (early 20s) or older, are struggle to make ends meet. I feel like everywhere I look, I see someone in desperate need of some kind: a parent/spouse lost their job, an unforeseen circumstance brings destruction and chaos to a family, a cut in assistance that previously allowed a family to eek out an existence. It’s on facebook, selling sites, social media, classrooms…. it’s in society and existence itself. And I’m not sure whether to blame poor budgetary planning/spending, a rise in costs of living, social problems and stratification, lowering of education standards… I’m sure the national epidemic of poverty (as I see it) can be explained in a combination of these ways. I don’t know, I’m not sure, I won’t claim to know everyone’s story, for this is only of my own.

          Last August, I began the last leg in my journey for an Associate’s degree of Arts from Pellissippi State Community College. The summer before I had attempted two online classes, both of which tanked my GPA and cost me a scholarship. My fiance and I were in a rocky situation at the time; our previous apartment complex had been entering our apartment without our consent/knowledge to the point of damaging our property. When we approached the property manager about the incident, he physically forced Bryan out of the office, screaming and cursing. To make a long story short, we called the cops and vacated the premises as soon as possible. We’ve just settled into our new place, unpacking and reorganizing far from done but liveable. With both of us working only part time jobs (that’s all we have still been able to find with an availability as ours has been with both my four year old and school), we ran a tight ship that would only get tighter as the semester went on.

          As stated earlier, we both maintained only part time jobs, and we were in need of government assistance for some time. Every bit of our roughly $400 in food stamps went to purchasing nutritious foods that fit into our lives--meats and proteins, fresh fruits and vegetables that my son adored, and we even managed to convince a four year old to eat things like yogurt and apples. We didn’t have to worry about “making it stretch” or saving leftovers to use in the next night’s meal. We had enough to eat well (read: not indulge and engross ourselves in mounds of food). It was routine for me (as the shopper of the family) to stockpile our staple items when they went on sale, and make good rational decisions about the money, but still. The assistance was well needed and well spent. Through this assistance my son also got to go to a wonderful daycare with a daily curriculum, learning how to interact with others and getting him prepared to enter the vigorous experience that is kindergarten in Fall 2014. We received a discount tuition rate to this splendid institution and my son was able to learn and grow while I worked or went to school myself. Things were looking well, and (remember that need for independence?) I purchased our own phone lines, and left the family plan with my parents. An extra $150 (or so they told us….) a month wasn’t too bad when my fiance and I were both working around 35 hours a week.

          Around mid September, our food stamps and family assistance was terminated. Even though we updated our addressed with DHS (as per the rules and guidelines of receiving assistance),  our appointment letter for a recertification to be sent to the wrong address and wasn’t received until after the case had been “closed and discontinued.”  For the following month, we utilized every resource we had. Instead of the child support money we received being spent on my son, who was going through a growth spurt, or deposited into his own savings account, the money went to food or to pay his raised tuition ($40/week, and that was even with a little bit of “transition assistance”). Gift cards that had been accumulated through birthdays and what not were now used on food, or sold through facebook. Free rewards programs that I had been enrolled in (shopkick, Swagbucks, etc) I quickly “cashed out” of and got maybe $20 to a PayPal account. Somehow, we made it through the month and to each paycheck.  Around this time, excess financial aid and a small student loan, applied for and approved for in the midst of all of this, came through and we were able to pay the bills and stay somewhat afloat. Through a roller coaster ride and bouncing back and forth between DHS case workers and appointment times, after a month of struggle and hoping for the best, I finally got an appointment with a caseworker. It was then that they told me we had lost the assistance permanently. The fluke of extra hours at work had been enough to put us roughly $25 over the threshold and we lost the $560 or so of assistance, unless “circumstances changes”, ie I lie and say my fiance doesn’t live with me, or one of us loses our job, neither of which were going to happen. Another small loan was taken out, and we started “making things stretch”. The stockpiles I had carefully built earlier were now being used.

          In early October, my beloved car began to smoke. A trip to the mechanics and $650 later, a rack and pinion had been replaced and the small issue of mini-fires in my engine had been resolved. This extra cost dug deep into any savings we had, and we began switching to meatless meals when my son stayed with his biological father every other week. Beans, bought and stored back when we had WIC, were now making their way into soups and meals  to satisfy protein needs, and my fiance and I began brown bagging it to work with fewer amounts. Rather than taking the leftovers from a previous meal, or a cup of Ramen, a sandwich and small bag of chips inhabited our lunch bags. It wasn't alot, but at least we had food, right? Bills started pouring in; our phone plans skyrocketed, colder weather meant higher utilies, and rent was coming due. The credit card I had for "emergency use only" now was being used for bills. I felt like I finally knew what it meant to "steal from Paul to pay Peter".
          On November 15, I wrecked my car. Wet conditions and weakening brakes contributed to me rear-ending another car. Physically, both myself and the other driver were okay; his car had minimal damage, while mine was totalled entirely. The next day, a trip to the ER showed I had a "sprained neck" that caused pain throughout my entire body. Fun right? I had also just started working in the deli department at work, and they were not thrilled when I had to call out Day One for this pain. Down to one car, the tardiness unfortunately didn't end there. Every time I left for work, whether it was in the rental (that luckily insurance provided for all of a week) or with Bryan taking me from our home in Northwest Knoxville to Farragut, something delayed me. There was massive traffic, a wreck, five different emergency vehicles that had to get through during a standstill that backed for three miles. Once, it took me twenty minutes to go two miles. I would leave early, and there would be an even worse backup than before. Try a different route; something in the way. This would remain a constant to this day; I've coined it the bad luck of the deli. I have to leave a full hour and half to even hope to get to work in time. I digress.

          Fast forward to Christmas. We've managed to find a decent car for less than $100 a month car payments. A busted tire with three other balding, and a damaged O2 sensor left us with an $800 bill on a fancy Firestone credit card. We hobbled our way through Christmas, putting in layaway and building up our present pile slowly. After the morning festivities we set off for Bryan's hometown of Blairsville, GA. To cut a very long story (that I'm not sure how much I can actually share) short, Bryan's license had been suspended without his knowing due to a previous speeding tickets. The tickets were paid off, and for two months Bryan checked to make sure his license wasn't suspended. The last call they told him it wouldn't be---only for it to be suspended three days later. He was pulled over for "speeding" (which he wasn't but... we won't get into that) and jailed for driving with a suspended license. We're facing upwards of $1500 owed to the state of Georgia by March 5, and the ordeal of Bryan not having any form of identification. Meanwhile, our car insurance has gone up, and, I suppose as the universe's way of compensating for that, our credit card limit has gone up as well. This means our bills are "paid" except for a nearly maxxed out credit card.
This past month alone, both of our hours have been cut at work, and money continues to get tighter. I was able to graduate from Pellissippi and I'm currently enrolled at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with two classes. A loan is due to come through any day now for school, and hopefully that can help us from one step to the next. So, why do I tell you all of this?

          Many close to my situation have asked me about financial support and help. Can I send you money; is there anything I can do to help; what do you need? While these questions come from well meaning and loving individuals, whether they be friends or family, thus far in my life I have denied you. I have said something to the effects of “no thank you, we’ll figure something out,” or “we’ll manage, you don’t have to do that.” Let me please please please make it clear now and forevermore, that I appreciate the offers from the bottom of my soul, and I understand your need and want to help me. However, my pride, my hubris if you will, stands in the way. I do not want it to seem that I am asking for a handout, that I am lazy, or that I just don’t want to provide for myself. At the same time, the mounting troubles and the neverending flow of debt and negative income into my home have led me to this decision, to this blog post.

          January 17th 2014, the name of this post, is the day I decided to go public. Moreso than anything, I wish to let everyone know of the actuality of a struggling family. I heard a kid in one of my classes this past week say that a person "should know better than raise a family on minimum wage" and that it's of the person's own "laziness and refusal to get off their ass" that leads people's financial trouble; this same outlook on the poverty problem is rampant on facebook as well. While I know I could definitely have it worse than I do, and I full appreciate the things that I have, I do see myself as the "family that fell through the cracks" and I do wish to share my story. Before this blog has been used to track my ramblings, recipes, craft projects, and the such. This journal of sorts joins those categories as I invite you to follow along in all that we do.
Thank you for reading.


If you wish to donate or help us out financially, a GoFundMe account has been set up here. Thank you once more for all the love, encouragement, and support. 

Introducing the New Webseries: How to Survive on a Tight Budget

How to Survive on a Tight Budget: A Webseries from Journey to Life 

Not to brag, but I've had plenty of people ask me how in the world I am able to make ends meet. For awhile, I was the sole income for my household, working less than 40 hours a week at barely above minimum wage and able to make it work. Now, I'll admit, I do have quite a bit of help from extra scholarships among other things, but I am confident that with my tips and tricks, I can help anyone stick to a budget and figure out how to survive in this economy. So, with that said, I am creating a new webseries with different "Lessons" filled with my tips and tricks. I've created an outline so far and the following Lessons are being created now:

Lesson 1: Creating A Budget and Knowing Your Limits
This Lesson will look into how to create a budget, how to figure out your "limits" in regards to spending, and why it's important to know all of this before cutting corners.

Lesson 2: Shopping Trips--From Couponing to DIY
Ahh, couponing. I've been asked by many for this blog, and I look forward to writing it. We''ll explore what couponing means, the different ways to do it, and a brief look into DIY (do-it-yourself) rather than spending good money on pricey items that can be made yourself. Focus on grocery items and household goods.

Lesson 3: The Internet is Your Friend!
A deep look into how the internet can help you accomplish many tasks--from finding a recipe for the night's dinner and further help with budgeting to tutorials on making your own clothes and earning rewards!

Lesson 4: ....And So are Reward Programs!
What was that about rewards? Oh yeah, that's the internet thing again. This post will focus on nothing but the many rewards programs out there, how to get into them, what rewards they offer and what I recommend. I had a post back in March that dabbled in this, but I want to go a little more in depth with it. What sayest thou?

Lesson 5: Family Outings and Other Fun Things on a Budget\
Everyone wants to spend time with their friends and family doing things other than nights in (though that shouldn't be discounted!). So what is there to do? Of course, since I'm based in Knoxville, most of this will be focused in East Tennessee, though I will definitely get into how to find these free/cheap things to do in your hometown.

Lesson 6: Repurposing and Reusing: A Further Investigation in DIY
A bit of a further look into DIY and learning how to make things for yourself. Noted in this post will be my clotheslines and how to find recipes for DIY household cleaners and other items. This will be a very BROAD post, with specific examples, but I'm sure there'll be something for everyone.

Lesson 7: A Little Money on the Side Never Hurts
And of course, we can't forget the "How to Find Money!" posts. I'll explore the different options on how to get a little bit of money on the side, whether its running a home business, selling unwanted/unneeded items, or utilizing that Internet again.

I'm looking forward to writing these over the next few weeks and doing this. One question remains, and that my friends is where you come in.


What do YOU want to see in this webseries?

Recipe 2: Delicious Veggie Soup! in a Crock Pot

Yes, I do realize it is spring, but this soup is wonderful! It's filling, but not so filling you feel a hibernation coming on. I usually eat this one warm with a Minute Maid Cherry Limeade---call me weird but I think it makes it feel springy--y'know? Anyhow, I made this one last night in the crockpot and the boys ate it all up.

The way I did this one when taking pictures and what not, I'll introduce the ingredients through picture format and then throw it all together. Imagine this as a picture book recipe! :D

One pound ground beef (optional)

Three medium carrots

Chopped. Varying sizes are cool too!

One cup chopped celery. I always buy celery in bulk and freeze it.

1/2 cup chopped onion (I used a sweet onion)

Herb mix! 2 tsp Basil Leaves, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tsp Garlic Powder and 2 tsp Parsley flakes. Mix well.

Two cans diced tomatoes.

Brown the meat if your using meat in your soup.

Dump everything into your crock pot.

I used one bottle of water, but the point is you want enough to water to leave the stuff room to cook in, not enough for it to make really soupy.....soup.

And this is what it looks like with meat.

Crock pot low 8 hours. (We cooked ours actually on high for 4 hours---made a late dinner!)

And voila! That's it! Super yummy too! 

What are your favourite soup recipes? Let me know if you used this recipe and what you think! Enjoy!

The Easter Egg Hunt and the Ticket System

Better late than never! I've been saving this Easter post until I get the pictures into this thing and it's finally here!

As my first Easter living "on my own" and working, nonetheless, I wanted to be sure my son could still enjoy the wonders of the Easter Egg hunt! So, early Saturday morning we distracted Adam while eggs were stuffed and hidden. Now, you may be asking, "what about this ticket system you mention in the title? Kayla, you said there'll be a ticket system! What's that?" Well thank you, wonderful reader, because the Easter Egg hunt helped push the ticket system back to life.

The stash of Easter eggs (that I will reuse again and again...) and candy

Inside the eggs: Monies (see below), tickets, and candy!

 A few months ago, I purchased a roll of tickets and a small container to keep them in. Adam had a little Toy Story container from last Easter, and so we sat him down and explained the system. For every good thing he does he gets a ticket, and his ticket-reward increases with each thing he does. For example, he gets Mommy the remote half way across the room. He helped Mommy like a good boy, so he gets one ticket. He helps Bryan do the laundry, he may get 5 tickets. Cleaning his room, he'll get 5 tickets per toy box he's filled on his own. And so on and so forth. When he's bad, however, his tickets get taken away. He gets three warnings to behave, and then we take tickets in 5 ticket increments. Usually, he straightens up immediately--he wants those tickets, because they can be used for cool rewards and prizes.

The Ticket Rewards Box with price list. Rewards include candy, Hot Wheels, a Star Wars Light Saber (for a whopping 100 tickets!) and Monies.

The Ticket Rewards Box  is a small plastic shoebox filled with all kinds of goodies, like Hot Wheels cars, Curious George fruit snacks, or something of the like. As we find cool new things for him to do and/or have, (provided there's the little bit of extra money and/or item is cost-effective) we'll add it into the rewards box.

Price List for the Ticket Reward Box. Some extra rewards are added on as we go--like the Light Saber. And of course, "Time with Mommy and Bryan is always free!"

This Easter, we added a new reward---Monies. Adam always asks me "Do we have monies for bowling? Do we have monies for McDonalds?" And of course, I face the issue every parent has faced before: How do I handles this without him always wanting thing x? Special things like that are rewards, not just given out; how can I teach my son that? So, using his own wording and a few index cards, we created monies. He can turn in 5 tickets for one of the Monies (below), and turn in x amount of monies for the desired trip or reward.

We've had this system in place for about a month now, and we've already gotten a Knoxville Zoo Membership and had a few excursions. Adam's behaving better than ever (*knocks on wood*) and things are getting brighter as we move on!

I hope to write another post tonight on couponing, and my upcoming Ireland trip but for now--Have a good one!


Leave me a comment or message me if you wanna learn more about the ticket system, rewards, or the monies. --Kayla

Recipe 1: Yummy and Simple Tomato Soup with Crisp Parsley Toast

Many people have asked for my recipes and I figured we could plug them in here! This recipe is one of my favourites for quick-fix dinner/lunches at any time. I've altered it Takes about 15-20 minutes total from start to finish. Makes about two to three servings, depending on the size of your portions. (I always go for the big bowls.)

Ingredients:
2 can Campbell's Tomato Soup
1 can water (I just use one of the cans to measure it out)
1 loaf of Italian bread (I buy mine from the Kroger bakery, sliced with the bread slicer. You can also use regular bread, or make "croutons" by tearing bread into small cubes)
Olive oil (can use butter as substitute)
Cheddar cheese, grated or shredded
Herbs/Spices to taste:
(These you can "customize" to your own likings, these are just my personal faves that have gotten wonderful reviews from those who've had it.)
--basil
--oregano
--garlic powder
--cilantro.
--parsley

Directions:
1) Empty both cans of soup into a medium size pot, set on medium heat on the stove.
2) Stir in water. Make sure it's well blended. Let simmer for two-three minutes.
3) While that's simmering, line a cookie sheet/oven pan with aluminum foil. Arrange sliced Italian bread on the pan. Set the oven to about 350F.
NOTE: You may also use regular bread or make "croutons" by tearing the bread into cubes. For croutons, simple arrange in a single layer across the pan.
4) In a small bowl, pour just enough olive oil to cover the bottom.
NOTE: if you're using butter, heat in the microwave 10 secs, stir. Microwave in 10 second intervals with stirring between.
5) Mix in a little bit of parsley, enough to "fleck" the olive oil/butter. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the bread. If making croutons, slowly pour or spoon the mixture over the bread pieces.
6) Bake the bread in the oven for approximately 5 minutes.
7) Returning to your soup, mix in your spices. I usually do 2 parts basil, 2 parts oregano, 1 part cilantro, 1 part garlic powder. This is usually 1 tsp per part, but I usually do it by sight ("eyeballing it"). Mix well.
8) Cover the soup, and turn heat to medium-high.
9) Grate cheddar cheese. Shredded will work just as well.
10) After ten minutes, check the toast. The toast is ready when the edges of the toast are very lightly browned, and feels firm to the touch. Croutons will be slightly browner.
11) Serve.

Serve soup in a bowl topped with cheese, with a side of toast. If using croutons, they may be served atop the soup as well.

I've included my pictures of my soup and toast as well. :)
Enjoy and let me know what you think in the comments!

A New Chapter in the Book

Proverbial book, that is, but a book nonetheless. Moving out last October has certainly put a spin on things in my world, and I'm hoping I can start documenting them more and more here, as well as most some of my wonderful ideas and recipes that some Facebookers have been dying to get their hands on.

First things first, I'd like to show off a couple of the new reward programs I am loving! The first is called Swagbucks. It gives rewards in the form of "Swagbucks" for doing simple things, such as having a toolbar, answering a daily poll, or going through a "NOSO Path," that is a path of No Obligation Special Offers. Follow the path, get Swagbucks. You can also fill out surveys, perform tasks, watch videos, etc to earn SB. Even searching with their search engine (conveniently found on the toolbar!) can earn you surprise SwagBucks.  After all that, earning points for doing simple tasks, you can trade them in for Sweepstakes Opportunities, or some cool prizes! They've got it all from stick rubber ducks for the bottom of your bathtub, all the way up to sewing machines and TomTom GPS Systems. Pretty sweet deal for just clicking through a few things a day! To help get you started I've place a widget on the right side of this blog, so all you have to do is click and start earning!

My Coke Rewards is the program I've been with the longest. Simple enough, CocaCola has printed codes on the inside lid of every Coke product, as well as on the inside of the boxes of canned products. Each code can be entered for points (minimum of 3 points per code) and you can turn these in for prizes or sweepstakes. I'll admit, MCR does have its downfalls: points expire after 90 days of inactivity, and the prizes aren't too great unless you have major luck as a Sweepstakes winner, or are a Coca-Cola fanatic. If all else fails, I would always happily accept you MCR donations. :D

Kellogs and Huggies are also companies that have Rewards programs. I haven't looked into either of these too terribly well yet, but I will keep you updated as I learn more. As always, links are provided there so you can check them out yourself!

I think that's about all for now, I'll check in later with everyone. Maybe post some more recipes later in the day. :)

--K

Journey to Discovery

So, I'm not exactly sure where I can even begin this post. It's been over six months since I've updated this damned thing and I'm not sure where I can begin. I left these nonexistent readers of mine with hope. I had made the dean's list my first semester of college; I was coming up on my one year anniversary with Brian, my love from Scotland. I had direction. Purpose. I was whole and fine.
Now.
Now. I've fallen off the wagon a million times over. Miraculously, I passed my classes with a C this past semester. I've been kicked out of my house numerous times, and yes, it is being kicked out when you're told to pack your shit and leave.

Things have changed; I've learned many, many things over the course of six months. The first thing has become a new rule of mine, something that I'm sure that you, the reader, will find shocking (especially when I consider the fact mostly family reads this). 
I've learned not to give a fuck what anyone thinks.
That's right, re-read it. I simply do not care. If it doesn't affect me or my son, I couldn't give a flying rat ass about your opinion. I am an eighteen year old college student. Yes, I am a mother. Yes, I do have responsibilities. But when I have my shit taken care of, when everything is A-OK, please for the love of all things good and holy do NOT try to condemn me for the way I live or for my beliefs. Do not try to tell me I am wrong, do not try to tell me that you've "been there" because trust me, lady. You haven't been where I am at this moment, and more on that in a minute.
Actually.
No.
Let's discuss that one now. The situation I am in is a complicated one, and you know what? I'm gonna lay it out for you, whether you be a complete stranger stumbling across the internet, or a family member who subscribed to this long ago.
As a writer, there exists numerous voices and characters in my head. A few, six to be exact, are NOT characters. Are NOT my own "inner voice" and, though I've had a psychology major argue with me and constantly reassure me these voices are in my control, I doubt that. Maybe I've watched too much Supernatural. Maybe I've been writing horror for too long. Maybe I do believe in demons, possession and the things that condemn you to hell in the Bible Belt. But guess what, I do not
I've learned that I believe there is no God, not anymore. Maybe at one time he created us, set forth a master plan the world "should" follow. Then he ditched. That's why the world is in shambles, why we have free will, why I am the way I am. Sorry Mom. But thats the way it is. I've come to discover that I'm borderline athiest. After all the shit I've been through, why should I be expected to believe there is someone, something higher than us that dictates the way of the world? He must be one sick fuck if he lets this all go on--and for what use?
No, I'd rather believe that there is Fate, Destiny, something set forth for us of a master plan that works its intricate ways to test us, prove us wrong, prove us right, make us stronger. There is no Good God. There is no saving redemption. As many times as you may pray to save me, this is my belief. This is what is on paper, and what is singing in my soul. Go ahead. Begin the exorcisms. I'll laugh, and try to restrain the raging voices in my head. They get loud, they get persuasive, and I have blacked out before. But go ahead, piss me off and we'll see what the voices have to say about it.

You know, it's weird. Sometimes I think this is all one complicated story with an intricately designed character. She struggles with life, challenges it, takes it day by day and battles the contant nitpicking from her own mind. She believes herself to be a lost cause; she's broken and destroyed. Her soul is no longer hers; her mind is no longer her own. She is never alone as six voices dictate her life. Kevin is aggressive, homicidial, even, and slightly paranoid. He screams all day long. Timothy is quiet. Timid, but romantic. He's the Nicholas Sparks of the group, and keeps her romantic thoughts alive and well. He's in love with Annie, the shy, conservative girl who holds onto all hope and reason. She still wants to believe there is a God, someone to love her. Erica is bitchy, she doesn't care to tell you off whether you're her worst enemy, best friend, or superior. Take no shit attitude. Her and Kevin fight constantly. Then there's two other voices, yet to be identified...
I'm split. I'm torn. I'm barely managing to survive on a day to day basis without succumbing to the evernagging feeling that I need to be self-medicated. Drugged. Whatever. Booze, sex, and nicotine. That's what I tell myself I need. The alcohol is impossible; I'm almost 19, legal age is 21? Yeah no. Nicotine? I'm like a damn chainsmoker right about now. It's calming, soothing, and, personally, I think it shuts Kevin up for a little while.
You know.
I had been hiding these voices of mine for years, yet here I sit telling the entire internet about it. It's...refreshing, not to have this giant secret on my chest anymore. Even if no one else reads this. It's a beautiful feeling to not have to have this burden a secret.
Anyway. So Alcohol, negative. Nicotine? Done deal. Sex....
Good God.
I've long since broken up with Brian, and let me tell you. I feel like it's been a rollercoaster from there. Bri was the last guy I've honestly loved, despite how many suckers I've said those heavy words to this year. I'm torn between the need to have an honest loving relationship, and just needing the pure, rowdy, rough sex. I mean, lets be honest. There's something euphoric about...well. Second thought. Let's leave it there. We all know the great effects of sex. My point is, I've been a horrible, dirty person here lately. I've used boys for a place to sleep; I've had sex with guys who were currently involved with my friends. I've been a shitty person bar none, and maybe I'm getting my fair share of karma now that I'm like "oh shit, yeah no it would be good to be in love again." And maybe that's why the universe keeps throwing me this curveballs.
I want to be that girl that is stable enough that you want to know more about.
I want to be that girl that is mysterious enough that it takes more than a day to have completely figured out.
I want to be that girl that you could fall in love with.
That you could take home to mom and dad
That you could see yourself with a year from now.
Five years from now.
I want to be that girl that you could marry and spend your life with.

If, that is you can put up with my bullshit and my issues.
Because let me tell you, it took eighteen years for me to figure this shit out.
Maybe I'm doing everyone a favour by publishing this.
Maybe I'm doing the hard work for you.


You know.
I thought the other day, what would life be like if I wasn't this fucked up? If I was that little girl that still believed in a God, in a brighter future. The person that wanted to grow up and teach students because I liked helping, not because someone's gotta know the past mistakes to prepare for the future ones.
And then I think.
What if I am that girl?
What if I am such a hypochondriac, such an attention whore, such a pathelogical liar that I've even fooled myself into believing these delusions I cooked up in my head?
What if I am so fucking boring.... that I've fashioned a false reality to live in?
That's when I get scared.
That's when I worry.
That...that is when I go on my journey to discovery.

End of the Year Obligatory Post

It's been WAY too long since I've just sat in front of a computer screen and simply write. I need to do this more often. I've stumbled my way through my first semester of college, earning nearly straight As in all of my classes. Beginning Spanish 1010--A.
General Biology 1110 and Lab---A
Western Civilizations 1010--A
Finite Mathematics--C but hey, I'm glad I passed that one. It kicked my tail around the block and then some.
There's not too much to share with anyone who stumbles across this page, other than I'm thinking of getting a Tumblr. A condensed space to think, blog anything without hassle. Blogger, I have loved you since 7th grade, and youve been great but I'm beginning to believe it's time to move on to something that can offer me more. I can post REAL works on there, not just rambling, and I can post finished things. Something that can get me noticed. Do you know how weird it looks to put ".blogspot.com" on the end of a website? I want to be an author, I want to make a name for myself, and I believe this means slowly killing my KayyMyLove persona.
Now this is beginning to be a crossover post....
My site Inspirations Haven has been there for me for a long time. Awhile really, as has my penname KayyMyLove. Google it. It's all mine for the first page. Which is impressive to say in the least. But as I grow up and I want this dream of writing more and more, it's time for me to have a grownup page, something that I monitor what I post, and what image it portrays. I honestly believe my Bloggers will always be there to fall back on, I'll post to you often. But you're not something I want on a business card. That'll be my tumblr.

I feel resolved.
Thank you.

That Crunchy Granola Type

So, I started college this past Monday at Pellissippi State Technical Community College or whatever the "official" name is of the place. It's pretty okay, makes me glad I didn't go the the humongous University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I love all of my classes, so much that I'm going to share with you a very detailed, stalker friendly description of my day--partly from boredom, partly as an attempt to rid writer's block so I can start my proposal for my first project. That's right--already I have a semester project.
See my Mondays start bright and early at 8:30 as I (hopefully) arrive on campus early to get a decent parking spot. As I trek to my Western Civilizations class on the 3rd floor of thje McWherter building at 9:40, I reflect on my fear of heights and that wonderful burning sensation in my calves as I haul my huge backpack up there with me. It was in this class that I was assigned my semester project. Professor Erickson passed around a sheet of paper with each unit listed and a slot for four student names. I signed up next to the "Rome" topic and my mind flocked to the ideas I had brewing in my head already.
Imagine me in a toga, if you will....
xD
I'm pumped. So, before my next class (General Biology 1110) began at 11:50, I rushed to the library--my new home. I checked out five books (count em!) for good measure and carried them all to my car in the very back parking lot (I like to call it Egypt). And then I briskly walked back (I like that word, briskly) to the McWherter building only to hear my heart sinking. Professor McElroy, though very lively and sure to be a wonderful instructor, believes "death by PowerPoint" is the root of all evil. It's horrible. She doesn't make PowerPoints, she doesn't post notes on line. I got nothing. See, to me, this so called "death by PowerPoint" is the life in my lungs, the air in my veins!
O.o
Well, you know what I mean. I live for the stuff. You see,  if I can write down the PowerPoints off line, read them for myself, hear the instructor go over the matieral, and then take lecture notes on top of that! It's golden. Good stuff right there. But no, my worst subject doesn't believe in the power of the PowerPoints.
So then, I have found a solution.
Death by Outlines.
This, this horrible wretched fun thing to do, is the root of all evil. Who wants to curl up next to the fireplace with a biology book (or math book, as my math instructor "David" pointed out this morning)? No one, that's who. But alas, I must do it, just as Snape must be honor bound to serve two masters. I must write the outline. -.-
However the lovely Professor McElroy did ((I just realized that all of these Professor titles really do make me delusionally believe I'm at Hogwarts.)) give us extra credit opportunities out of the wazzoo.
Moving on to Tuesday. Finite Mathematics in the Lamar building with David Fey (who really prefers you to call him David)) ...

I interrupt this blog post to inform whomever may read this that at 12:23pm on Tuesday August 30, 2011 wbir, the local news crew, tweeted the following:
"@wbir: Streaker arrested with racoon in the car http://t.co/NmSxN6y "
First, let us look and see that I do believe "raccoon" is misspelled and then, please do click the link. It's worth it.
O.O
That man is obviously freaked out by something! Goodness.....
O.o

I return to the story of David, the eccentric math instructor who begs you to call him by his first name. His class with nothing interesting other than the fact all of the homework and quizzes are online and the access code has to be purchased from the bookstore. Problem: the bookstore is sold out of access codes. -.-
So I went to the cafeteria, bought myself the only light and healthy snack I could find and took a seat to begin on the second extra credit assignment for my Biology class (yes, second. You may seend the nerd alert out at any time).
And it was here, as I stirred the granola into my strawberry fruit and yogurt cup that I realized--I look like that crunchy granola type. You know the one. With the tiedye peace shirt on, reading her college success book as she sits alone in the corner of the cafeteria thinking of the wonderful post that this would make on her blog that no one ever reads.

Oh wait.

-,- see my problem?

And now, I will pull myself away from the blog (after posting to facebook of course) and pretend I am a scholarly person as I go downstairs to study and outline my biology book.
Have a very Crunchy day,
Kayy

Simply Said

Lately, I've received a lot of dirty looks for my newfound love of travel. You have a child; you only want to go there because Brian's there; blah blah blah. If you want details, check out the previous post. There's more than that--than the Brian's there excuse. I mean, yeah, that's nice and it's a bonus. But does anyone ever think about the culture that is slowly seeping away? Ever since I returned from Europe, I've said that America has lost any cultural significance (to me at least, and I fear/know I just angered some relatives). Where is our history? Our heritage? We don't have the castles of centuries ago. We don't have Renaissance art hanging in our most treasured gallery or museum. Our youth care more about Jersey Shore and Halo then the culture around us.
Now see, I can take this into one of two directions. Either A, I can push for discovery of the history, culture, and knowledge around us--encourage my (usually invisible or extinct) readers to go out and discover the land around them. Or, I can go the route I planned. Let me travel. If I can't experience what I long for here in America, let me go elsewhere. Yes, I know I have a child. Yes, I know I have responsiblities here at home. But two weeks every summer to visit distant lands of such rich...experiences...let me experience what I long for.
With that being said, this summer...I wish to go to Scotland., to see the wonderful landscapes and experience the culture. (I feel like I'm overusing that word, I really do. I cant find a better word though...)
And thus we begin the list.

1) Architecture.
Tell me these pictures aren't gorgeous, that Edinburgh and Glasgow aren't beautifully made cities. (source)

 This cathedral has a story, waiting to be told! If you know me at all, you know I am a writer. You know inspiration doesn't come along every day. Look at this beautiful cottage! The stream running past. Look at me and tell me that you dont want to walk along the stream, you don't want to experience the beauty.

This, is by far the favourite I have found so far. Two lovers, lounging in a field overlooking the city of Edinburgh. Tell me that isn't beautiful. Tell me you don't want some of this beauty, to experience it and marvel in it!

2) Culture
What about the festivals? The people gathering in the street to celebrate New Years? What about those? You know, I was talking to Brian the other day as he told me about a celebration that is held ever year called Hogmanay. It's a beautiful gathering of people in the streets--areas shut down completely just for these street festivals. 

When was the last time we saw that? Or the multiple festivals held every year. The West End Festival, another street party with food, vendors, and music? The children's centered North Glasgow International Festival. The Glasgow International Jazz Festival. World Pipe Band Competitions....The list goes on and on! I dont see events like that in Knoxville. I don't see something new and exciting happening everyday. I want to feel that. I want to experience that. And...let's not forget the bagpipes. :D

3) Landscapes and Castles
I've pretty much decided that Scotland is the MOST beautiful country on the planet. It's no wonder Brian never wants to leave. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Beautiful....

4) History and, of course, Nessie!
I'll admit. When it comes to Scottish history, I don't know much unless it involves the names William Wallace or Queen Mary of Scots. BUT. That's exactly why I want to go. Again, if you know me then you know that I'm planning to major in history. I want to know the entire world's history if I can. I think it would be wonderful, walking into someplace, or being dropped off in a foreign country and knowing the history of it. (While we're on the "I'm lost in a foreign country" scenario, I also want to know every language, every dialect. THAT would be awesome). So, I see Scotland as a learning grounds. Somewhere to truly learn the history, the culture, the heritage. And of course, to visit Nessie at Loch Ness.

So see, it's more than just "because Brian's there" though I always have said...
5) The best way to discover an area, is with a native.
So Brian being in Glasgow helps. :)

I'll leave you with this adorable puppy in a kilt. :D

Thank you for reading my rant, it's nice to really share the love with others.
Leave me love,
Kayy