Working In Retail Can Be Hazardous To Your Financial Health

Looking at the calendar I realized that it has been 3 years since I moved in with my mother. In these three years I haven't made any significant changes in my debt total. Granted, I am in better shape than I was when I started, but I should be out of credit card debt by now.

But I'm not.

So, I looked around the house and realized why I am still in credit card debt, I have been doing too much shopping.

Working in retail makes it very hard not to shop, between the employee discount and markdowns you can get some fantastic deals. Here are some of the items that I have purchased over the past year and what I paid for them.

1. Black leather Coach handbag - $150 Retail Price - $350
2. Brown leather Coach Handbag - $100 Retail Price - $350
3. Purple fabric Coach Handbag - $85 Retail Price - $350
4. Armani Watch - $85 Retail Price - $295
5. Dolce & Gabbana Sunglasses - $10 Retail Price - $295

Can you see why I bought these items?

I have improved, everyone of these items was paid for with cash, I did not charge any of them.

But now that I want to go to nursing school, and I am just sick of being in credit card debt, I am banning myself from shopping. No more shoes, bags, clothes, etc. From now until my credit cards are paid off I will not make any frivolous purchases.

There are a few more things I want to buy

This jewelry box
This embroidery machine
This software.

But they can wait.

Postponing Nursing School

As you read in my last post I have been working a lot of hours in the past couple of weeks. Due to this I haven't been able to study for the nursing school entrance exam. I was planning on taking it September 9th, but I do not feel prepared.

I have decided to start taking the pre requisites for RN and continue to study for the exam and try for the LPN program in Fall 2011.

In order to accomplish this I realise that I am going to have to get a new job relatively soon. My current working situation requires too many free hours and leaves me exhausted with little time to study. Also, night nursing classes are 5pm to 10pm, and my current work schedule wouldn't work with those times.

I am 31 and I hate to loose this much time, but I need to take these classes anyway so I guess it all evens out in the end.

Salary Vs. Hourly

From the time I was 16 and started my first job I would say to my self "I can't wait until I get a salary job." After the events of the past week I declare "I never want to work a salary job again."

Over the past week I have worked about 60 hours, and am only going to be paid for 40.

Why did I work so many hours, you ask.

The owner of the store I work for was flying in for a store visit. That turned everyone in the store into a crazy person trying to prepare for the visit. I would get to work at 7 in the morning and not leave until 9 at night.

I am so tired.