All work and no play?

So I have been working a lot this last week (at least a lot for me). It got me thinking about starting a basic savings account, an emergency account. I'm not sure if I should wait until I'm earning more or not. At this point I'm lucky enough to have my parents nearby should something big really come up, but I'd love to be in a place where I don't have to rely on them so much. One middle road to this would be to only use my spare change to save up a bit. I know we have about 45 dollars worth of change in a jar right now.
Also, since Bear has his own savings, we're not in any real danger at this point. I'm definitely going to keep my focus on my upcoming test and working towards increasing my general income. I will be working some during the summer (work tends to wane during the summer and winter holidays), but not nearly enough to reach my goal. Even if I can set myself up to increase my income for next fall, I'd be happy.
On a fun note-I'm going East this summer! Bear's family is from Pennsylvania and so we try to visit once a year. I love, love, love it there so I'm very exicted.

WORK!

A little background - I'm self-employed and do freelance work (don't want to specify what kind at this point). My hourly pay is pretty good, but I simply haven't been working enough. I've been coasting by on my college mentality. Yesterday I worked 12 hours (mostly in the sun-poor nose), which is FANTASTIC. However, this was a one time event. So while my next pay period will look good, after that I'm back to my normal poverty level of work.
My profession does several tests and levels that anyone can work towards in order to up hourly wages. My first step to increasing my income is going to be taking the first test. It was expensive (over $300) but Bear and my folks helped me pay for it (Love you guys!) and if I pass, I will double my hourly pay. I'm going to take the test in June and I am definitely freaking out. I know that if I pass not only will I be earning more, but I'll also be qualified to take more work. If I fail, then I have to wait for 6 months before trying again.
I know that my biggest issue is going to be getting more contracts, but this is a good start. Hopefully the contracts will be easier to get with this little boost to my resume (how do I make that the right kind of e....?).
Quick Confession - I hate selling myself. Talking to managers and supervisors...eek! I know that seems stupid considering I'm in a freelance position where selling myself is the point, but still! A real goal for me is going to be having enough confidence to get myself work.

Oh Me, Oh My

To start my blog with the beginning of my blog, I record that I am broke.
I've now officially been out of college for 1 year, am 23 and am sadly under-employed. Part of that is my own fault, I really haven't been selling myself or pushing myself, but now is that time to grow up. Health insurance, car insurance, saving for a house and having some form of emergency fund are no longer things I can put off dealing with. I hope that this blog will provide a place for me to learn to budget, set up savings and increase my income.
I currently live with my boyfriend (whom I'll call Bear) so I've been able to get by with earning between $500-$1000 dollars a month (yikes) and my goal is to be at $2000/month (consistently) by next year. I'll explain more about how I earn my money and why there is so much fluctuation (and why my goal seems low...I mean, how many people really think that $24,000 is an "upgraded" lifestyle?)
So. There it is. The birth of my blog.