Day 183 - Moving Right Along That Checklist

I feel that I am doing a pretty good job of sticking to my checklist of goals.   Today I submitted my MLT application which took me MUCH longer than anticipated.  (They need all sorts of crazy information like my ACT scores.  Um.  That was 2001...I have no clue.)  Also, I don't think that applying to MLT was stated as an official goal back in March, but its sort of a sub-goal of getting into B-School.

MLT is essentially a MBA Prep program for underrepresented minorities in business.  If you are accepted into the prep program you have access to personal coaching throughout the entire business school application (which is strenuous in itself).  The idea is to help strengthen applications of minorities to increase their chances to get into top business school programs and subsequently increase their presence in senior management positions.  It's pretty cool.  More info here.

I won't know if I'm accepted until November so for now I will just focus on the upcoming new job!  My VISTA service will begin on Monday and I'm so excited.  I'm excited to meet everyone at CCV, find out more about my position and just excited to be trying something new.  I'm also really scared.  I don't like to be bad at things so I hope I'm not bad at this job.  I also don't really like to be new at things either because it makes me feel so helpless.  But alas, I cannot just walk in knowing everything so I will be patient and try to soak up everything as fast as I can.

With the start of the new job. the reality of my new budget started sinking in as well.  It is going to be TIGHT.  I was at Target for nearly an hour struggling to distinguish between things I NEED and things I just WANTED.  In the end everything I had in my hands was just something I wanted so I tried to par down to just the items that seemed truly practical (air freshener?  I have a cat!  new cardigan?  it's cold in offices!)  There were a few truly good budget deeds I did today that I'm hoping is showing my new frugal mindset:

1. I only ate at home today.  Leslie and I made a delicious dinner of pasta, mozz, red peppers and spinach with a side of acorn squash (see picture).  It was cheap and made lots of leftovers!  
2. Megan and I wanted to meet up for drinks tonight but I knew that going out to a bar would rack up fast.  So I went over to Megan's to see her new place and just drank a couple of beers there.  Economical and more personal!
3. Despite Armageddon rains all day I did not break down and take a cab at all today.  I even normally feel a little iffy taking the bus at night, but I knew a cab from Lincoln Park would be expensive so I sucked it up and waited for the Diversey bus at 10:15pm.  Totally safe!  And only $1.75 :) 

So yes.  I'm getting there in every sense.  I am working along my personal and professional checklist, I am days away from my new VISTA position and I am working hard to stick to my new budget!