Moving On Up!!!

January 30, 2013

 



Good things come to those wait, right?  After years and months, I finally felt I could move out of my parents' house due to finances, emotional launching, and the stress of finding an apartment in a central location to meet my needs.  I took a big girl step. 

I arrived back to the states the summer of 2007 after living and teaching in Qingdao, China for two years.  Though great experiences since then, overall the job search has been frustrating.  August of 2011, I received acceptance into the CUE (Collaborative Urban Education) grant program through the state of MN and St. Thomas University for a license in special education at the graduate level.  A free program except for textbooks and parking, I knew the Lord was offering a blessing and new direction for my career based on my own journey, my passion for struggling students, and my previous experience as an educational therapist at a private school.  This opportunity has been filled with laughter, a few tears, many sleepless nights, good relationships with new friends in my cohort, research, lots of papers, new technology, and connections in the field.  Though time is valuable, the time we put into something proves its value to us. 

Through the stress, I am so grateful for this opportunity and hopefully if all goes as planned, will finish in May.  By being part of CUE, I have finally landed a job on a variance in a public school nearby in a large district.  That just means I am learning on the job as I go to school to learn the job.  This is not as easy as traditional student teaching, but in the end my friend (not in CUE, but on a variance in the inner city) and I are learning more and will look back on the experience and know He had a plan.

With this part-time position I am able to afford a very modest apartment.  I decided to launch the third week in January to move February 1st.  Though the location seems further away from work, it's actually about 22 minutes (according to Google maps), the same distance to get to work from my parents' house.  I choose this complex for many reasons, one being I know two people that live there and someone who lived there years ago, plus apartments near work cost about $980-$1,000 a month.  That would not keep me on my Road Map (Crown Financial Ministries) or working on my Baby Steps (Dave Ramsey).  I'll just have to take money saving advice learned from mom, friend Ellie Kay (author and financial expert- can be seen on Good Morning America), "The Tightwad Gazette" author Amy Dacyczyn, and hopefully you- my precious readers.

              

 

Here's the financial breakdown on the apartment:
1. $50 application fee (non-refundable)
2. $400 deposit
3. $810 monthly rent (includes: heat, water, trash, underground parking, storage unit...everything but electric/cable/internet)
4. Wash and Dry clothes $2.75 a load (will use sparingly)
5. Tanning bed (won't use- not healthy- $3 per time)
6. Pool, sauna, hot tub- some amenities

What I sacrificed for the price was hard for me, but a smart financial choice: separate dining area and washer and dryer in unit.  Guess I'll be having Monday night dinners with mom and dad to hang-out, do laundry, write reports/homework on their computer (no internet at my place), and watch "Biggest Looser!"  Plus, I can stop at the chiropractor where mom works beforehand (I get to go for free as a family member perk).

What's the biggest move up you've done lately?