Get on a Sunnyvale BMR Waiting List NOW!!!

So three or four weeks ago I posted about how the wait list for the Sunnyvale BMR's might not be as long as I had initially anticipated, well now I know EXACTLY how long they are!

Right around the time of that post I started turning in applications for these units. One of my top picks was Cherry Orchard Apartments which are AMAZING! Well, three to four weeks later and I get an email from Cherry Orchard telling me that they already have a two bedroom opening up!

If you guys haven't done so already I seriously suggest getting on these waiting lists now, before the lists get longer. If you need the application, just send me an email at mysingleseason@gmail.com and ask me to send you one. I suggest filling it out and then making several copies and turning each one in to the different participating complexes.

God Never Ceases to Amaze Me...

This Sunday I attended church for the first time in four weeks. The main reason for my lack of attendance was my second job as a waitress on the weekends. The shift made it impossible to go to church, get the kids to day care and then get to work by 11:30.

Within about two weeks of this I was starting to suffer spiritually and emotionally, and I requested that I no longer work on Sundays... Kind of a bold move for someone who had only been working there for two weeks, but I decided beforehand that if they weren't willing to budge I wasn't willing to sacrifice going to church, and that I would ultimately need to quit. Well, the manager agreed to the schedule change and my Sundays are now free...

So on January 1st, in an effort to start 2012 off on the right foot, I made sure that I spent it at church. While I was there the pastor approached me and slipped a piece of paper into my hand. When I opened it I realized that it was a check for $150! It made my day!

Fast forward to last night, realizing that my rent was due this morning I spent the evening trying to square away my finances and trying to recover from my December long spending spree. Well, as I went down the list I felt confident that when everything was said and done I would have enough to pay my largest expense, which is the rent. Unfortunately that didn't end up being the case though... I came to the sickening realization that I didn't have enough to pay my rent for January...

But then I realized something else... the amount that I was short. Would you believe that the exact amount that I had been unable to hang onto was the exact amount that my pastor had felt compelled to give to me just the day before? Yes, that's right! Exactly $150!

It made me think about the fact that even though I have been stretching myself to the limit with my two jobs and everything in between, I still didn't have enough to provide for me or my family. GOD on the other hand recognized what I needed, and then addressed (and solved!) the problem long before I even noticed that there was an issue...

What a blessing... And what a great way to start out the New Year!

God bless you all!

Another BMR Apartment Program

The city of Cupertino also offers a BMR Unit program. While I am not familiar with the length of the waitlist, or the amount of the rents on these units, I did want to make it available to anyone who might be interested. You can find information on the program here.

One thing that I do know is that the two participating complexes are extremely nice, and the Cupertino school district is supposed to be exceptional! Keep me posted on what you find out about this program!

Looking For One More Single Mom!

So, if you keep up with the blog at all, you know about the Mom2Mom program that was rolled out earlier this month. The program was designed for moms in the Bay Area to connect with eachother to see about becoming roommates or swapping childcare.

Well, through the program I actually met an awesome mom who has two children close to the age of my sons, who was looking to live in Sunnyvale, like me. We both were interested in swapping childcare, and our schedules synced perfectly to where we were available to watch eachother's kids on the times and days that we needed, it couldn't have worked out better!

So we were talking and both of us agreed that if we could find another mom who is looking for the same things as we are, then the three of us could afford a house as opposed to an apartment, and it could just be a great opportunity for everybody, all around!

So, if you are a mom who is interested in living in the Sunnyvale/Cupertino/Mountain View area and looking to move around February 1st, shoot me an email with what you're looking for and how much rent you can afford, and I will get in touch!

Hope to hear from you soon!

mysingleseason@gmail.com

Time For New Year's Resolutions!

New Year's Eve is upon us, and I don't know what that means for you, but for me it means: NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS!!!

I LOVE making my list of resolutions, and I love the feeling of a fresh start at the beginning of the year. I'm really hoping that 2012 can make up for 2011... and especially 2010, which was the worst year of my life...

Four days into 2010 my brother Ryan committed suicide. It was the most awful thing I had ever experienced, and it essentially set the tone for the 12 months that followed. I developed a drug habit as an attempt to cope with the pain and then it was all downhill from there...

So today, just four days away from welcoming 2012 with open arms, I am anticipating my best year yet. Here are a few of my mile long list of things I plan to do differently in 2012:

• Start saving money
• Get back on the diet that I let fall by the wayside as soon as Thanksgiving rolled around
• Have my kids in bed by 9 (or 9:30, if I'm being realistic)
• Have myself in bed by 10:30
• Avoid Drive Thru restaurants at all costs
• Develop and stick to a routine
• Blog at least once a day
• Exercise
• Think about quitting smoking
• Buy a more economical car
• Move out of our one bedroom "cottage" and into a place where we're not tripping over eachother
• Get back into my couponing groove
• Stop buying scratch off lottery tickets

I would keep going but my lunch break is over and I'm already exhausted from realizing the big job I have ahead of me in even reaching three of the above mentioned goals...

Do you have any helpful resolutions that I may have left off my list?

Here's to making 2012 the BEST year so far!!!

A Second Chance at a Bank Account

As I mentioned before, I am in ChexSystems and unable to have a traditional bank account at a bank like Bank of America or Chase. For the most part it's okay because there are other options available, such as AccountNow which I talked about here, but if you ever find yourself in a position where you need to rent a car, for example, it can be nearly impossible without a debit card from a "Brick and Mortar" bank.

If you are in the same position and unable to open a checking account for whatever reason, you should register for Bank on San Jose. The program is run by United Way of Silicon Valley, and if you sign up and attend one of their financial classes you will receive a certificate that you can take to one of the participating banks or credit unions and they will help you open a "Second Chance Account".

Opening an account at a credit union is a great idea, especially if you anticipate trying to get a car loan in the near future. They usually have the best rates on loans, so I would suggest signing up for this program at yout earliest convenience. The website has the class schedule (they are all held in the evenings for the most part), the list of participating institutions, as well as the answers to just about every question you might have.

Make 2012 your year of financial independence!

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas! I know my postings have been pretty sporadic (or non-existant) lately, but it's only because of the holiday chaos. I plan to be updating regularly again once things have calmed down. So stay posted, bare with me, and have a great Christmas everyone!