Growing Up: Finances and Banking and More...

A few days ago, I posted this status on Facebook:

After I got off of work that evening, I added this comment to those from my friends:

Graceful, I am not... I've even tripped over a plastic shopping bag.

Today, my knee is a few different colors, but thankfully, there's no more pain.  It got me thinking, though.  Growing up is simultaneously awesome and terrifying.  In less than a year, I will have a Master's degree.  I am hoping to have a job secured by the time I graduate.  Vic and I decided to split the decision of where we relocate to 60%/40% since he graduates first.  It only makes sense.

One of the things I am not a fan of with growing up is banking and financials.  For a while, I had over $4,000 in my savings account.  Due to helping to pay for graduate school, I now have nowhere near that.  My job on campus goes toward my tuition and I get $35 every two weeks.  My other job pays me weekly and above minimum wage (which is seriously awesome).  Because of a few missteps, I overdrew on my account last month.  It took until my most recent paycheck to cover this and get everything squared away.  Fortunately, I also have income from Amazon now and again through selling books.

My bank covered some of the overdraft fees, but because I was still waiting on paychecks, the sustained overdraft fee kept adding up.  I now have a positive balance in this account, but am closing the account because I need/want a fresh start with a new bank (who, by the way, has been nothing but helpful).  Earlier, I tried to transfer that meager amount of what I had leftover to my new account.  Apparently, I couldn't transfer amounts of less than $10.  Eventually, I need to go in and collect the amount that's less than what a gallon of gas costs...

Although Vic and I will have to make the decision of whose bank we use for joint accounts, where we move to, and what cell phone provider we use (we have different banks and providers currently), knowing that we compromise really well together is awesome.  We're both trying to be more frugal as well and save what we can.  We pack our lunch (and dinner for me) for most days we're on campus, and use coupons as much as we can.  For a while, Vic was even trying to grow vegetables in my room when I lived on campus.  I don't see why we wouldn't continue to try this when we move in together.

Both of us will have 600 hour internships in the fall and spring respectively, and won't have jobs on campus to help pay for those credits.  I'll be working weekends at my other job, but that's only 2/7 days a week.  I have set up a spreadsheet for myself of my income, upcoming expenses that I know about (gas, membership fees to professional organizations, et cetera), and it's definitely helping me put it into perspective of what I need to do to make sure I don't screw up again.