I was working the other day when a girl who I have worked with for years handed in her notice. She's still going to work in customer service, but at least it's another job.

My job is annoying me right now. I don't know if it's because I've been searching for another job for months, or because I'm not happy with the pay... People are leaving all the time. I don't like my hours either. I'm never usually like this, I'm just in one of those moods.

I suppose I should be happy that I have a job.

I applied for some jobs last night so hopefully a new job will come along soon.

I've been on the internet looking for a new driving instructor. I think I will book a block of lessons and hopefully book a test after that. My theory expires next year so I have to pass before then. So, I am sticking with driving lessons.

I quit my driving lessons today. I'm not getting the hang of it and it feels like it's a waste of money and time. I told my instructor. He thinks I should get back to him at the weekend and think about it more.

I got a letter today telling me to phone a number to arrange a job interview. It's not till November and it's a temporary position, but at least I've got to the interview stage.

My blog entries have been few and far between. So what have I been up to? Well I've mostly just been working - and trying to save money. I've added money to my challenge but I don't know the exact total.

This week is an easy week at work since I have only worked one day extra. I will regret it when I come back from my holiday but I need a break.

I've decided that volunteering is the best thing to do until I find another job. Hopefully it will help me find one. I have applied for jobs and I haven't heard back from them. My CV doesn't look the best, so the more experience I get, the better. My travel expenses will be reimbursed when I eventually start a placement (I'm still waiting to hear from them) so I can add that to my challenge.

I have the day off work to go to a BBQ that my boyfriend's mum's work has every year. Free food and free drink! It's great! Back to work tomorrow though for a ten hour shift.

I wasn't going to officially start looking for another job until after my holiday. Anyway, that all changed today when I was reading a graduate magazine. One graduate, who has a better degree classification than me, has spent over a year looking for a proper job. She filled in over 100 application forms but has only had 4 interviews!

I've just spent about half an hour registering my details on a graduate website. One thing was clear: I need experience. I uploaded my CV but I had to make some changes first. This website will email me if there are any vacancies which I'm interested in.

In other news I'm still waiting for the volunteer centre to get in touch with me about my placement. I need experience! Retail experience just isn't helping me. I also need a driving licence.

I filled in an application form and posted it away yesterday. Today I emailed the recruitment centre and asked them to send me an application pack for another vacancy which I'm interested in. I hadn't planned on starting to look for a job until after my holiday, but I seen these vacancies and thought "why not?" If anything it will give me practice filling out application forms.

I walked my dog today so I have £1 to add to my challenge, but I haven't done that yet. Before I go to bed, I'll add it.I also have other savings that I've made while shopping to add - but that will have to wait until I get paid. My challenge has really been neglected for the past while.

After my holiday I might change my contract, just in case the overtime stops when the summer ends. I doubt it; a lot of people are leaving.

During August I need to put aside spending money and preferably put money into my ISA. I also need to put more money towards the challenge.

I also have £3.20 to add to my challenge for not buying my magazine in July.

I have an honours degree in Psychology. I don't know what I am going to do with it. I've been looking into further study and they all say that experience is essential. Working part-time in a supermarket definetly won't help me. I need proper experience. I don't have the best degree classification so that really doesn't help me. If I do end up doing further study, I'll need to find out about funding etc. I've emailed a few institutions and asked for more information on their courses. I can only wait and find out.

Actually, it's not new. I bought it from a charity shop. I plan to use it a lot. There's some pasta recipes which I will definetly use for work. Taking sandwiches all the time is boring.

I've just been reading some of my previous entries. I should have actually saved the money instead of just writing about it here. I would have had a better start on saving this money if I had done that. What was I thinking?

There's this woman in my department in her early fifties who keeps on pestering me about when I'm going to leave the supermarket. She's been like this every since she realised that I graduate this year. Yesterday she asked me if I had started looking for another job. I said I hadn't. Her response: "So you're just going to waste your degree and spend the rest of your life here?" I told her that all the jobs I've looked at say you need experience. I've decided not to tell people in my department anything, especially this woman who is really friendly with my manager - she even does the rotas. It's none of her business so I don't know why she keeps on asking me; clearly she wants rid of me. She would be the first to tell my manager if I had applied for other jobs.

During June:

- I completely maxed out my overdraft
- I borrowed money from my mum
- I went to my friend's wedding and hen night with borrowed money
- My OH even helped me out with money
- I abandoned my challenge during the last two weeks of the month

All in all, a really bad month. I hope this month's better.

There was a 25% off sale at work yesterday on clothes, that was before staff discount. My OH bought me a lot of clothes, he filled one of those little trolleys. I put a lot of it back. He spent about £80 on me after discount and it's all for going on holiday. He's really getting better at picking clothes for me. I told him I would buy him a game for his XBOX 360 when I can afford it.

One of my close friends is getting married today. I had to borrow money from my mum to go. I don't know exactly where the registry office is so I've ordered a cheap rate taxi. Hopefully we'll get the bus back to save some money. I think I might have to order soft drinks at the reception. I'll be having a three course meal there so I should be fine. Maybe I should just order water instead?

I passed!!

I thought I got them in July but I checked my university's website and it's tomorrow. I'm working all day tomorrow so I'll have to check them when I've finished.

I sent an application form to Volunteer Scotland and they got in touch with me today. I'm hoping to get a placement there so I can get some experience so I can get a better job.

A few days ago I emailed one of my mum's friends to see if there were any job vacancies at her work. She replied today and said there were two; she gave me their number. I might just get an application form and see.

I think this is too much because I should be focusing more on graduation since I haven't got everything ready for it e.g. shoes, bag, additional tickets (if I pass). I really shouldn't be applying for jobs when I don't know my results.

Ideally I would like to try the job where my mum's friend works (21 hours),volunteer for one day and still keep my part-time job (15 hours). I'd still have driving lessons to fit in too. My mum thinks it would be too much; my OH doesn't even know about this one yet. There's no way I can do everything, but I could try. I might just fill out the application form even though I said I would wait till September before applying for a job. I might not even get it.

It was so nice to check my mail and find that a comment had been added to my blog.

I'm so pleased, I thought I was going to have to write another one. I wrote this one during my first semester of my final year so I need to make some minor changes.

Job hunting will begin after I come back from the Dominican Republic in September.

I went into work today to ask my manager for a favour. This is unusual for me; I never go to see my manager on a day off. My manager thought I was there to hand in my notice. She looked worried.

I came home from work and checked my university email account. I don't automatically check this because my course has finished now so there's really no reason to. I got an email from my lecturer asking who was going to the class get-together next Thursday. I could have kicked myself for not checking it earlier - I put my name down for a shift next Thursday! I can't go! I'm just not meant to go to these things; I missed going to the pub on Saturday because I was working. I hate it when things like this happen.

I joined this website in January and, believe it or not, I haven't used coupons at all. I really don't know why; maybe it's because my mum is responsible for shopping. I think it's about time that this changes. I've been looking in magazines for them and I've found some which expire at the end of the month. I also have a coupon for 10% off in Superdrug. I'm now looking for coupons in magazines etc. I find that if I send away for a free sample I usually get a coupon. I have two coupons for garnier nutrisse to use, so I will buy something for going on holiday.

Any savings I make are going towards my challenge. I really don't like having less than £20. Hopefully there will be a noticeable increase in the total soon.

I think I might have to re-sit during the summer which will mean a November graduation. I'm hoping I've just passed.

For the past week or so my mum has been complaining that everything she eats tastes sweet.She's only 43. I think she needs to change her diet. Last night she only ate veg from her dinner because she didn't like the taste of anything else. Anyway today she decided to make a curry sauce with chicken. As it turns out we didn't have everything in the house that we needed for the sauce. We're going shopping on Monday and we're going to buy in extra tins of chopped tomatoes etc so we can make a proper curry sauce. My mum is happy with the result considering we didn't have all of the ingredients. I need to be more organised in the future. If I was then things like this wouldn't happen.

It's after 11pm here and I've just sent a sample answer to one of my lecturers. I'm really stressed about my exams now, especially since I'm working all weekend (it's my contract). I'm going to leave early on Sunday since my first exam is on Monday morning. I'll also be getting up early before work.

Studying all day tomorrow, well until my mum takes me to see the new X-Men movie. We're not going until the evening so I can get plenty of work done first.

I got a coupon in the mail today for Garnier Nutrisse. It's valid until 31/8/06. When I do finally use it I will put the savings towards my challenge.

I think I'll focus more on the challenge after my exams. I know I really haven't been focusing on it, especially when I read other entries about how well people are doing with their challenge.

My student ID expires in September. I'm going to make the most of it till then and put any savings into my challenge.

My OH and I have decided to put our names on the housing list. We will be on there for years since we aren't a priority (as in I'm not pregnant or homeless). We'll end up renting a place anyway for two reasons: we can't afford to buy straight away and we want to see what we'll be like living together.

I've got a couple of questions for everyone:

1. is it any different living together?
2. did you and your OH make preparations before you both moved in together? e.g. buying things for the house, saving money. I'm hoping to do both.

We will hopefully move in together next year. By that time we will have been going out for over 4 years. I don't think that's too soon.

I'm so naive when it comes to things like this.

I just handed my dissertation in! I hope it's okay.

I'm glad it's out of the way. Just need to start studying now...

Paid my library fine (£7.10) and put over £5 in my printer account at uni to print out my project, plus £2 to get it bound... they don't tell you about all of the little costs

Also spent £4.50 + £2.30 = £6.80 on bus fare alone.

I think I might have to phone work or ask my manager at the weekend for extra hours. June is going to be an expensive month.

I'll need to think of more manageable goals because my goals for May just aren't going to happen. If they do I'll be very surprised.

Still need to think of ways to add money to my challenge. I haven't checked my receipts yet.

Since this is an American site, I thought I would use a currency converter to convert $20 into pounds. I don't know if this is accurate but apparently, 20.00 USD
United States Dollars = 10.6179 GBP.