Ruling At Life

Disposable Razor Sharpening

2011-11-23T12:54:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite tricks lately, as explained by an accented dude on YouTube...

Keep it in mind. I've been doing this for a while, but not stroking the razor on the denim enough times. Ten or twenty times works! I'm in love.

How I Use My Google Calendar For Financial Reminders

2011-11-08T12:33:00.000-08:00

1. Track automatic payments
I track everything financial in my Google Calendar in the color green, as you can see below:

With this, I ALWAYS know when it is coming out of my account. Honestly, I usually subtract it all from my checkbook at the beginning of the month, but it never hurts to have an extra reminder.

2. Track When to Apply for a Credit Line Increase

A wise man once told me to have the biggest credit line that I could and not use it. That way, your credit to debt ratio is always real small (as long as you have self control and don't charge it up. I don't. Ever.) So, I make sure that every six months I apply for a credit line increase on every card that I have. This ensures that I have the maximum amount of credit available to me.

3. Track Additional Income
After each babysitting job I work, I track what I have made. This way I know approximately what extra income I am bringing in.

4. Track When to Expect Bills
I put notes to myself like "Expect New Light Bill Soon" or "Car Tabs will be Due This Month" or "Moped Tabs Due This Month" for expenses that I can't yet automate.

5. Track Savings Goals
Google Calendar has a to do list on the side. On this part I put what my current savings goal is (Right now it's a $2500 Emergency Fund) and how close I am.

6. Track Groupons And Deals
I also have on my To-Do List different coupons I have purchased and their expirations dates:

These systems definitely help keep me organized and on track. There are so many features to be used on Google Calendar, it's my #1 go-to tool each day.

Updates

2011-05-29T14:14:00.001-07:00

Nothing too new. Just wanted to update so I don't look like I'm dead.

The car is now paid off!

I am going on a trip this summer. Or maybe more than one. The plan is Reno (possibly), Chicago, Portland, and then Austin in October. These tickets are not cheap. But I have to have fun sometimes, you know?

New Phone

2011-04-11T11:00:00.000-07:00

While on vacation, I spilled moped oil all over my phone. Lame. Not fun. I needed a new phone, and immediately.

My phone plan is a family plan. I send my Dad and Step Mom $63 a month for 1000 minutes and a data plan. (Not bad at all!)

One thing I feel good about is being able to buy the phone that I want when it's needed. No, I didn't buy the cheap option. I didn't get any deals. I bought what I wanted when I needed it. What helped this?

1. An emergency fund. Enough said.

2. I am not a mindless upgrader. I will normally run my phone until the death. Granted, my old phone still worked, but only on speaker. While that wasn't death, I do have some standards. Otherwise, I would've kept with my original phone for a while, even though it was having some other problems.

3. Thought. I have been contemplating the new phone purchase for months, so when it was time, I knew what I wanted and how much I was willing to pay.

Though it was an expensive venture, I'm happy with the new phone and how it went down. What can sometimes be a crisis for another person went off swimmingly for me.

Score of the Day

2011-03-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have the HARDEST time finding cotton tights for grown-ups. There are plenty of little girl cotton tights, but in adult sizes they are rare. I have extremely sensitive skin on my feet due to eczema, so nylon irritates the hell out of me.

A few weeks ago I paid $10 for a pair of cotton ones. I've paid $22 before. $18. It's all over the board. I'm embarassed to admit it, honestly. But today, oh yes, today, I found a bargain!

Yep, $4.99 at Value Village for a pair of Kate Spade mostly cotton tights. My feet can be peaceful until they wear out.

Regular price?

$38.00. Yeah. Eat it. $76 worth of tights for ten. Love it.

Going to Nashville this week. SO EXCITED. The relaxation of vacation brings this calm over me that can't even really be describe. Plus friends, mopeds, dudes, beer...ahhh. Can't wait!

Suze! Suze! Suze!

2011-03-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending one of Suze Orman's appearances for her new book "The Money Class."

So much information! I haven't finished the book yet, but I can tell it's a good one. Really though, in my life right now I am going to focus on one goal: my eight month emergency fund. After that I will continue with more financially fit steps.

Really, though, there is so much to it. I like Suze. She says "Live your truth." Money is a part of all of us. As much as we wish we didn't have to deal with it some times, we do. (Well, unless you've found a way around it. For me I wouldn't want to--I enjoy the whole ordeal too much!) It affects peoples lives--their health, their stress level, the way they live, choose to live, want to live, no matter how big or how small. It can help with happiness, security, stress, desparity--however it manifests in your truth.

Suze is an inspiration to me because she gets to the heart of the matter. Though she may not have all the same views as me, she still wows me in her attitude, her words, her connection with people and feelings and the holistic approach to finances.

Farm Box

2011-03-16T20:57:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite songs as a child went a little like this:

Old MacDonald had a farm

Ei-ei-o.

And on that farm he had a bougie box full of organic goods that he sent to some lazy ass city folks,

Ei-ei-o.

Anyway. A friend send me a discount code a couple of weeks ago to sign up to get my own box of organic goods delivered to my doorstep once a week. After much resistance for years, I decided to try it.

Why the resistance? It just doesn't seem cost effective to me. Approximately $35 for a box of produce that I don't know if I'll eat? I can just go to the store and buy some produce for less. I can pick what I want. SAFEWAY HAS WHAT I NEED!

But, of course, these boxes are organic. Have local things in them. And we know organic and local things taste pretty damn good. There are some other discoveries I made along my way...

(The box. My foot.)

I ordered the box from Full Circle Farm (http://www.fullcirclefarm.com) located in Snoqualimie Valley, approximately thirty miles from my home. Local. Good! I am supporting local businesses and eating local foods. I am officially a good person! Woot! Woot! A regular sized box usually runs around $37 per delivery. This one was about $22 because of my discount.

The box arrived by 6am this morning. It was kind of like Christmas morning. I couldn't sleep thinking about my box arriving. I crept downstairs right at 6am and brought my box up to break into. It included the following things:

Roma Tomatoes, Organic - 1 pound

Bunched Orange Carrots, Organic - 1 bunch

Broccolette, Organic - 1 bunch

Shallots, Organic - 0.5 pound

Baby Spinach, Organic - 0.33 pound

Cremini Mushrooms, Organic - 0.4 pound

Green Leaf Lettuce, Organic - 1 bunch

Green Kale, Organic - 1 bunch

Navel Oranges, Organic - 4 each

Mangos, Organic - 1 each

D'anjou Pears, Organic - 3 each

Braeburn Apples, Organic - 3 each

I ate one of the apples for breakfast. Good. Fresh. Solid. I brought an orange to work for lunch at work. I actually don't like oranges (the sensory experience is way too much for me..sticky hands, juice everywhere, the work of peeling it...) but this one was good and I had wet wipes with me to clean up my hands afterwards.

I was a little irked that it wasn't all local, but I guess I didn't read the fine print. You can chose to have things exempted (I requested no more oranges!) but you can't request to had things added that I know of (which sucks cause I REALLY wanted beets!) But, it makes me feel a little bit better that some people do have to get some mangoes from Peru and they're not hating life over it and feel confident enough in them to deliver them to us, the loyal consumers.

Really though, this is an experiment. The price is one thing. But how do the other things stack up?

Convenience gets an A Plus Fuck Yeah. It's like a Christmas present to wake up to. Got me out of bed. LOVE IT. I don't have to go to the grocery store for these items. I just wake up, put on a muu-muu and step out on the porch.

Another helpful thing is that it's high quality and I want to eat it. I also want to eat it because I spent a ton of money on it, so I feel obligated not to waste my money. BAM, instant access to health food that I will feel guilty NOT eating. Win win.

Because it's mostly locally grown, I have a feeling it will keep longer in the fridge. But I guess we'll see.

It's definitely a luxury. I don't know if I'll keep on it forever, but the plan now is once a month at the beginning of the month to see how it goes. I have a feeling it will make my diet healthier in general.

For example, my stupid farm box was all I thought about all day at work. So when I came home, I threw a bunch of it in a pan and steamed it with oil and broth.

Then I decided to pack it for lunch tomorrow so I'll feel fuller during the day and not eat bagels and cream cheese at every possible interval.

Brocollini, tomatoes, mushrooms, with nutritional yeast on top. Plus my finger pointing to it, for fun.

Anyway, I'll let you know how this experiment goes. So far I'm stoked. We'll see if it lasts.

2011-03-09T20:27:00.000-08:00

I wrote a real negative entry earlier. I don't think it posted. Which is good, because I feel better now.

I am going to make tomorrow better than today. And yesterday. I will focus on things that I CAN control, not things that I cannot.

This is Life.

2011-02-10T08:04:00.000-08:00

I want to make a change, but I'm not sure what.

I want to be happier during the day to day, but I'm not sure how.

I feel good today, I want this to be typical.

I'm not that sad, but I'm not that stoked.

There are too many stressors in life. Not big ones, just little ones. I want to change my state of mind.

Things are too busy.

Some days I hate my job, and some days I love it.

Some day (sooner rather than later!) I want to do my own thing. Live my own life. Work for myself. Get my expenses down so that I can work for myself, and not for everyone else.

I need a plan. I have a plan, actually. It's direct in some ways and vague in the other. I need to work toward what will benefit me and not worry about the rest.

I do not believe that our culture sets us up to be healthy, rested individuals. I want to be a happy, healthy, rested individual.

**Photo of my favorite park as a teenager. From City of Bellingham's Website, http://www.cob.org/services/recreation/parks-trails/boulevard-park.aspx**

Ke$ha: Personal Finance Guru?

2011-02-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Following Trent’s from The Simple Dollar’s lead (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/) I have been putting some serious thoughts into inspiration lately. Who inspires me? What inspires me? There are many things. Most of these things are dull. Ke$ha is pretty high up there on the inspiration list, financial and other wise.

I’m not going to spend this post calculating the pennies per use for toothpaste vs. a bottle of Jack Daniels, but I will bring you the solid lyrical evidence of why Ke$ha can set an example for us twenty-somethings trying to party and live well.

First of all, the name: Ke$ha. K-E-Dollar $ign-H-A. I don’t know if it gets any better. I know it’s been a sign of controversy, but from a personal finance perspective, she really does represent for the symbol of currency.

Starting with her first hit, “Tik Tok”, Ke$ha states:

“Drop top and playing my favorite cds, rolling up to the parties, trying to get a little bit tip-ssssyyyy.”

How can Ke$ha afford to get tipsy? Because she listens to CDs. (I mean, in all honesty, she probably does get her drinks for free, but that’s not the point in this example.) Many of us think of CDs as ancient, a lost form of musical representation. The eight-track of the 90’s, but not nearly as cool. Ke$ha name drops CDs with no shame. Ke$ha doesn’t NEED a goddamned I-Pod, folks. She doesn’t need to tell the world she’s better than everyone else because she has a little pod full of shit she purchased off of I-Tunes. Hell, Ke$ha has FAVORITE CDs. She may not even have an I-Pod hook up in her car, which probably means she drives an older model, which is probably paid off.

Later, in Tik Tok, she states “Don’t got a care in the world but got plenty of beer. Ain’t got no money in my pocket but I’m already here.”

Ke$ha shows in this statement what she really values: beer. This proves a couple of things. The first is that Ke$ha is not against drinking beer. She doesn’t need any damn Cristal or Grey Goose. Give her a 6 pack (or more) and she’ll be just fine. This statement also alludes that she values fun, and supposedly, friends. Even when she doesn’t have money in her pocket, she can value the experience for what it is. She’s not going to sit in the corner complaining that she has no money. She’s going to party, be carefree, and probably dance.

“You build me up, you break me down, my heart it pounds, yeah you got me…”

You’ve got me, Ke$ha.

**MORE FINANCIAL TIPS FROM KE$HA TO COME…STAY TUNED!**

Hobbies R Kewl

2011-02-04T11:52:00.000-08:00

I have been sucked into the realm of mopeds by my dear friend Bunny. I held off on getting one until I could find a good deal/was in the right mental state. After two rallies the itch just wouldn't go away. I had to be part of this fucking club, even if I am entering at 10 mph.

This is my 1979 Puch Maxi, Goldie. I really know very little about her just yet. She is slow as SHIT and needs a lot of work. In general, though, she is quite stylin and will serve me well. I will get more pictures soon. She basically has rocket blasters on the back (not pictured). She runs (YAY!) but will still need a lot of TLC. I am going to learn to do some maintenance, with the help of a friend, since I am a social learner.

And if Goldie weren't enough, there's also SYLVIA!

Sylvia is a 1977 Columbia Commuter. She works really well, actually. There are a couple of things I want to do to her, but I want to keep her "stock" and not make her too damn fancy. I love her the way she is, for the most part. This way, when Goldie is being a pain in the butt I can ride her.

After meeting people at rallies I am finally meeting some moped people in the Seattle area, which is great. Also, my dear Bunny is moving here, so I'll have even more moped friends in close proximity. Having a new way to spend my time with fun people is really all I need in life. There's something about bonding and socializing with a community that helps with my level of value and happiness.

Financially speaking, the mopeds were only $700! $700 for two running mopeds, even if one runs kind of bad is great in my opinion. There will be extra costs with fix up, but generally speaking they're not going to run me bankrupt.

This is one big financial thing I've been wanting to do for a bit. Next: paying off the car. By May! Let's go!

Tax Return

2011-01-29T13:03:00.000-08:00

This year it will be around $1700, ALL of it going to pay off the car.

I am depositing it directly into my debtor's bank account to save some steps.

That will leave around $2000 left to pay on the car. Think I can do it by May 25th? That will mean I paid off my car in exactly one year. I hope I can do it!

Annual Debt

2010-12-25T23:10:00.000-08:00

I am ridiculous. I have this pattern. It happens every year, every December. I go into debt.

It's never a ton of debt. It's just enough to stress me out a little bit, to set me back a little bit.

This year I saved about $300 for Christmas gifts.

I also went on a lot of dates with boys, bought a plane ticket to Denver, bought a sleeping bag and helmet to bring to Denver, new winter clothes, new winter boots, old boot repair, etc, etc. And a lot of eating out and drinking booze at bars.

Yeah, totally fun, but not totally awesome financially.

So, here's the plan: I go to Denver and enjoy myself without worrying about money. (Within reason, of course! I'm not going to go shopping, but I am going to comfortably eat and drink without worry.)

I have already taken $400 from my emergency fund to cover some of the excess. I will also be getting a reimbursement check from work, as well as rent money from my brother. In February I have a very lucrative and fun babysitting job that will help pay off the rest if it isn't done, or help to build my emergency fund back up if needed.

It has also been a VERY lean month babysitting (everyone is out of town) so hopefully it will pick back up next month. A lot of people having babies and not going out, as well, so I'll be taking on a couple of new families.

I hope to make a huge improvement next year when it comes to this problem: save more money. I just updated my monthly savings plan to $80 a month for Christmas presents and Christmas break crazy spending. That will help if I do go crazy, and if not, I can put it back in the emergency fund.

I hope this works. I hope I don't take it out before then.

This is the fun thing about finances. I am responsible enough so when I have a little set back like this, it's not the end of the world. I can find a creative way to remedy it. This one is just frustrating because it's a pattern and I'm aware of it. I should've known by now! Let's hope this time next year will be different.

How did you do for the holidays? I'll let you all know when the debt is done and I'm back to regularly scheduled programming.

Shared Living Spaces

2010-12-12T21:36:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest pieces of personal finance advice is to take on a roommate.

I've always hated that one.

I hate living with people. I hate their dirty dishes, their attitudes, their destructive angry-veganess, their passive agression. Hate it.

But, I like money. Who can blame me? My mortgage is a bit too high. A little supplement of that would be great.

So, I think I found a way around that, for now. Behold: the brother moves in.

This is why it's working for now:

1. He's my brother. I can never actually hate him.

2. He doesn't mind living in my tiny sunroom.

3. He pays me a reasonable amount

4. He works so often that I don't see him very much.

5. It is my roof. My conditions. It is temporary, if need be.

With this extra monthly money, I plan to do the following.

1. Get the emegency fund up to the amount of one month's paycheck. Yes, I know it should be more, but I'm not there yet. Slow and steady.

2. Pay off the $4600 left on the car. I want this to happen within the next twelve months, but I think it may be sooner.

3. Buy a moped, for fun and getting around town.

4. Get the amount of two month's paycheck in the emergency fund.

5. Hardwood floors.

This is my general plan of attack lately: One month of emergency fund. One fun thing. Two months of emergency fund. Another fun thing. And so on, and so forth. Once the car is paid off I'll have an extra $300 a month for savings/fun things. I like that.

Child Care

2010-10-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

It's a widely known fact in my social circle that I want kids. I wanna get knocked up. Two to three times.

It's also a widely known fact in my social circle that I am crazy passionate about quality Early Childhood Education. I work in the field.

However, as some of you may know, quality Early Childhood Education and child care is VERY HARD TO FIND. Often, child care centers are quite expensive (In Seattle generally $1300 and up for infant care) and low in quality. Teachers rarely have much training or education. The turnover rate is high. Centers meet licensing requirements, but do not exceed them in any way.

There is some quality child care available for low income people who can qualify for assistance through the state. It used to be that you could get assistance if you were 200% of the Federal Poverty Level or under. Now there are cuts being made to balance the state budget, so only families who make under 175% of the Federal Poverty Level will qualify. That's about $2124 dollars per month for a family of two. If you make over that, you will probably need to pay child care at the going rate (instead of the copay that they charge with state assistance that ranges from $15 to ~$300ish.)

As a single parent, I could not afford to work. But I could not afford to stay home. So it's likely I would have to find care for my child that was less expensive and less quality than I would like.

As an advocate for quality early childhood education and child care in Washington State, I really would like to propose some sort of sliding scale child care system. Honestly, on my income, I think I could pay about $800 a month. Ideally, I would pay $500 a month for care. Would that ever happen? Not now.

In order to be progressive when it comes to early care and education, we must come up with a solution for everyone. Right now, the very low income and the very high income can afford childcare. Those of us in-between are kind of stuck. Well, actually, everyone is kind of stuck--quality child care centers are few and far between, and who wants to pay for low quality for their kids?

Just some thoughts that have been running through my head lately with these intense cuts. It will affect my line of work (non-profit childcare) very much. It will affect the families that I work with. It will make me cry. If nothing else, give this some thought.

Diva Cups

2010-10-09T22:58:00.000-07:00

I haven't bought a tampon in two and a half years.

All thanks to the Diva Cup.

I even had to go back in my posts to see if I had written about the Diva Cup before. I haven't.

It's a little messy, but it's environmentally friendly and also it's ALWAYS ON YOU! Well, not always, but for the majority of your cycle. When I used tampons I would always forget them and would have to run out and buy them during my lunch break or whatevs.

Just make sure you boil it after every cycle. I've also found soaking it in peroxide for a few hours helps bring it back to the lovely clear color.

The livejournal community on menstrual cups is pretty damn good for info on it:

http://community.livejournal.com/menstrual_cups/profile

And if your a huge hippie, you can add the fact that you're not supporting "the man: when buying tampons! Woohoo!

Ruling at Life: Slice of Life. Awesome.

2010-10-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

Vacation.

2010-10-03T22:53:00.000-07:00

My vacation was absolutely amazing. I went to San Francisco and saw friends, went to parties, and met new people from all over the country at a moped rally.

There came a time on Saturday when, after leaving the park, I laid in the back of the van, getting driven around town. The person driving and the person sitting next to her were stressing, trying to find where we were going. Trying to find parking. Navigating.

I just laid in the back, with some cute boys, drinking five hour energy, and feeling the most relaxed I have in my life.

I didn't have to baby-sit at five! I didn't have to go to work the next day! I could have a beer, or five! I didn't have a car to drive, or to park and pick up later. I didn't have to navigate, cause I didn't know where we were going! I didn't have to worry about impressing boys because they were temporary just in this city for right now, and besides, my personality sparkled anyway!

Best, best moment ever.

Now it's back to the drawing board here at home. Well, not back to the drawing board. But back to living, being responsible. And believe me, I get off on that, too. This weekend I got shit done. Put $100 in the bank. Took care of my health in the form of acupuncture and workouts. Slept in. Bought some farmer's market produce. Spent time with my family.

I can't live my life like a vacation every day, but I can try.

I haven't brought it up much, but I had a hard, hard summer.

In late June I was diagnosed with anemia, which doesn't seem like a big deal. But it was. I had been wiped out for months before, and could not get through a day without a three hour nap. In addition to this, or maybe alongside this, I was dealing with a pretty strong depression.

Health issues and depression have been a pretty strong influence in my past. I do not want them to be, so I have to do what I can do get around this. I did. I worked very hard this summer on getting the iron up, and consequently, lifting my spirits.

Usually I have a hard time going into fall. I'm telling this year to bring it. Bring the rain. I survived the summer, and I can survive the winter. I'm excited with how things are going and have a new string of hope to live on.

It's the big things, but it's the little things, too.

For example: I learned that a side braid is a great way to wear your hair when it's wet from the shower.

I learned that beets are an amazing food, and if you get the sweeter variety, they don't turn your shit funny colors.

I learned that I value my cat more than my car, but I still value my car a whole fucking lot, and take great joy in getting its oil changed.

I've learned that I am appreciated by people who I have served well.

This is my life. It's a day to day. It's not glamorous or exciting, and I'm not at the point where I need it to be now. I have to take value in all the ways that I live. I need to look at experiences and how they enrich my being. I need to not feel guilty about sleeping in, as long as I'm not late to work.

Thanks for listening, readers.

Packing for San Francisco Part Two: Personal Item

2010-09-30T20:30:00.000-07:00

Geez, I never finished my second post before vacation! Here are some things I did, though:

I packed a goddamned bagel. You'd think that'd be easy, but I guess it really wasn't for me the other four times I've traveled to San Francisco. I bought a bag of them for $3, bought some cream cheese, and then put it in a little wax paper bag in my bag. Simple! And saved probably $4 on a bagel.

I also brought some tea bags and my favorite brand of fake sugar (Xylosweet) and just bought some hot water from the airport. Or, rather was gifted some hot water and a cup. Thanks, Starbucks!

Because of the tea, I didn't really need to buy a coffee-like beverage the whole time!

I also brought a tupperware full of muffins that I made. I gave one to my neighbor on the plan and the rest to one of my hosting friends in SF.

I also brought two old magazines and read those on the flight, leaving them in the back of the seat pocket. I hadn't read them before, so they were new to me, but worth about as much as the $4 trash magazines I would've bought anyway.

When I was checking in, I realized that checking a bag would've cost me $30 each way. $60 total! Holy moses, was I glad I strategically packed.

On the downside, I spend $6 on some cut up fruit. STUPID! But I was hungry, needed something quick, fresh and healthy, and so I did it. Next time I'll buy a stupid banana.

The rest of vacation was wonderful: relaxation, hot hot hot moped boys, good eating and lots of Tecate. Yum! Kept it cheap, fun and interesting. Love it all!

Packing for San Francisco

2010-09-21T22:41:00.000-07:00

I posted a link a little while ago about attempting to do one bag for my San Francisco trip. Well, as hard as it seemed, I think I have done it!

Before: Line of clothes for every occassion.

After: Over-stuffed messenger bag (high quality, and only $2 at the bins!)

I did have to use some strategies:

Pack only the clothes I needed. Actually, shit, I didn't do this. My vacations are based around how good I can look, so I packed some extra stuff. Day time clothes, night time clothes, party clothes, extra socks and underwear, three cardigans, jeans, four dresses, a jean skirt, an extra shirt, tights, leggings. Yep, it's all in there, suckas!

The messenger bag is clothes only--extras will go into my "personal item" carry on, which will be highlighted in tomorrow's post.

Virgin Air, the airline I am using, allows up to sixteen pounds for a carry on. This one is only 12. Score!

(And, FYI, Virgin Air is sweet cause they have TV's on the back of every seat.)

The most important thing I learned from the Wise Bread post is to put extra things INSIDE of shoes and boots. I did this. Gooooood idea.

I did choose a messenger bag over a rolling carry on. Why? It's generally easier to maneuver in the airport and on public transportation. And I won't look like a huge tool if I don't get to the place I'm staying before I can stash my stuff. I also didn't HAVE a rolling carry on. I actually did find one in the free pile by the dumpster in my building, but didn't realize until later that the handle that extends was broken off. I put it right back in the free pile. Almost a bummer, but I still didn't have to buy anything and I think it will all work out just fine! (Although I suppose I'll let you know after the trip!)

Tomorrow: The contents of my "personal item" bag.

WBSA 2010

2010-09-15T18:49:00.000-07:00

Leaving for San Francisco a week from tomorrow, so decided to break open this year's WBSA (Wine Bottle Savings Account to see how much has accumulated for spending on my trip...

Me, combining my love of wine and money. Except for there was no wine.

My tools. It actually took a lot of tries--I couldn't break it at first! After a nice whack though, I got it.

Wait, no, these are my two loves: Darby and money. Darby swimming in money. Me-ow.

Anyway, this year's grand total is $280. Less than last year, I think, but still significant and will buy me lots of meals, cocktails and bus fare in San Francisco!

I can, of course, go above this if needed, but hopefully will not run up that credit card. Cause really, who needs that?

Sick days.

2010-09-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

There's nothing more valuable then being able to spend a whole day sleeping off an illness.

This is what I tried to do today. I think it worked. Going back to work tomorrow, hoping for the best.

I am super privileged to have so many sick days from my job!

Grocery Shopping for the Single Girl

2010-09-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Yes, we've all read posts about how to feed your family for less.

We've all read posts about couponing, making lists, meal planning.

And I love all this shit, I really do, but let's get down to business.

I am going to help you plan. No, not meal plan. No, not plan on making a shopping list. Let's plan your grocery trip around the plan of the most hotties. (I use the word hottie kind of ironically.)

Photo: Me, pretending to go to the Grocery Store (I really went yesterday.)

Step 1: Do you know a grocery store where someone hot works? Go there, preferably during his hours of service. Don't talk to him, just look at him and smile and say hi. Pretend you didn't even know that he works there. Get a reasonable amount of groceries--only stuff you need! Then leave! It's also great to buy cat food so you can make conversation with a hottie about your pet if need be. Try to leave the conversation ONLY if he's the cashier. But, also, try not to get in his line, that's desperate.

2. Know the types of hotties which hang out at each store. In Seattle, I go to Safeway for the practical hotties, QFC for the practical stylish hotties, Madison Market for the elitist hotties with dreads, Whole Foods for the Livejournal hotties, Trader Joe's for the authentically hot hotties who probably make more money than the rest of the grocery store hotties, and other stores that are near the homes and businesses of other dudes I might be crushin on.

3. Wear sloppy clothes. He's more likely to be working if you are.

4. If you know he's a vegan and you eat meat, purposely buy some lunch meat. You will look like you're personally challenging him by this, and he might be turned on by it.

5. If you are shopping out of your normal neighborhood, have an excuse ready. My favorite? "Oh, I come to the UDistrict every Sunday to get coffee anyway. Now how is your cat?"

6. Don't bring a friend. For realz. It looks way too planned that way.

7. If you must write an I SAW U, keep it vague. Very, very vague.

8. Don't discount the value of hot workers at the in-store Starbucks. Trust. Me. Also don't discount the value of writing an I SAW U for a hot worker in the in-store Starbucks. Trust me again.

Now, you may think that these tips don't have to do with personal finance, but they do! First of all, taking your time to visit hotties at the grocery store adds life value to your experience. It is multi-tasking, which saves time. And time is money! Happy hunting!

Recent Side of the Road Finds

2010-09-06T20:56:00.001-07:00

Haven't shared my side of the road finds for a while. There has been some good stuff.

A couple of weeks ago I found a whole bunch of things, the most significant being a really nice 13x8 Pyrex casserole dish. I've been borrowing my friend's for a long time now (thanks Chaddles!) and now can return it since I have my own.

In that same spot, I also found some beautiful vintage-y silverware (well, not SILVER ware, but you get the point) that beats the shit out of the horrible flatware I purchased at Target a year ago that is getting grungy and falling apart. I photographed the new ones to try to get some of the details:

The cool thing is that they're almost all different, from a variety of different sets. I love the feel of that.

That batch of stuff also had a matching set of four shot glasses. Cute!

Not that I take shots all that often (hah!) but they'll be nice for new years and such.

Tonight I found the following stuff:

The little electronic looking thing is an Mp3 player. I don't know if it works, but it's worth a try.

After doing all this I need to weed out some stuff that I already have--I don't want to become a hoarder! I do pretty well, though, keeping my place neat and organized.

It's back to school time, and of course I want to be updating more. We'll see. Love to all my loyal readers!

Laundry Tip for Apartment Dwellers with Shared Laundry

2010-08-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

"Girl," you're probably asking. "Why in god's name are you posting a picture of your pu$$y cat, a water bottle and a filthy old dress?"

My response: this isn't THAT epic of a tip, but still worth a mention.

A couple of weeks ago I was at the Grocery Outlet and saw this ADORABLE bottle of laundry detergent. My gawd it was so freaking cute. It was Dreft, which I have to use for my sensitive skin, and it was in a little bottle that was just begging me to buy it and carry it around my apartment building to the laundry room, back and forth, showering it in kisses and such.

The problem was, buying it was dumb, because I already HAD laundry detergent. So I refrained and instead picked up a water bottle from the curb shop (aka the side of the road: free).

The cool thing about this? It's light, it's compact, and it makes it WAY easier to get a smaller amount of detergent into the washing machine. The washing machines in my building are energy efficient and require a lot less soap. A bigger bottle is much messier and harder to navigate. The little water bottle with a sport top? PERFECT!

Try it sometime!

Smartphones Replacing Credit Cards?

2010-08-03T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, I get my news from Perez.

The "article" decribes cell phones replacing credit cards. Just swipe your cell phone and pay!

Hmmmmm. Maybe. Maybe? What if it had a super smart app that automatically tracked these purchases and said "pay off your balance!" frequently? That would be cool!

This could turn into something super helpful to aid in people being responsible with their money, or it could turn into another way to make people spend money without being aware.

Thoughts?

Small Step #2: Slightly Reducing Car Insurance

2010-07-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

Geico let me change my limits a little bit--I took off rental car coverage (really, if my car ever breaks down/gets crashed into, I will hop a bus to Bellingham and borrow my mom's extra car for the time it takes to fix it.) I also changed a couple of other car insurance limits--not drastically, but a little bit. These things resulted in a savings of $5.75 per month. Woo.

Photo: Me and my readily insured Malibu. By the lovely and talented Lydia Grimes.

Curb Shopping

2010-07-31T11:36:00.000-07:00

Remember!!!

It is July 31st. The last day of the month, AND a weekend day. Double whammy for curb shopping. I already found a totally sweet vest today and saw a bookshelf on the side of the road. I plan on making some rounds before leaving town for the day.

If you can, take a walk through your neighborhood and take in the junk!

**photo courtesy of http://www.cachetwrites.com/**

Small Step #1: Gas Transaction Fee

2010-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

My finances are looking bleaker as time goes on. Maybe it's just because it's summer and business is slow, maybe it's because of the new car and my expenses are going up. It's time for me to make some conscious small steps to get back on track. Today: eliminating that gas transaction fee.

I buy most of my gas at AMPM (Arco) because it's cheap. Maybe not the best gas around, but I've never had any problems with it. The thing that gets me the most is the 45 cent transaction fee. Since I roll with debit almost all of the time and they don't take credit, I can't get away from it.

So I am signing up for their damn card. Arco Debit Mastercard. Links right to your checking account. You can buy gas and eliminate the fee. You can also get rewards for using it, but not on gas, go figure. I may consider using it for other debit purchases, but we'll see how well it serves me, first.

Total Savings: About $2.25 per month. Ramit would kill me, but it's something, right?

10 Minute Work Break - Question of the Day

2010-07-30T09:27:00.000-07:00

What seemingly crappy cheap food item do you absolutely love?

Here's mine - Tetley Tea British Blend. I started drinking this in college when I was poor and couldn't afford Numi, which is the bougiest tea in the world. I thought Numi was so yummy and nice.

After I started to make a little more money, I started buying fancy tea only to realize that Tetley British Blend is actually where it's at. I can usually get a box for around $2.50 at Safeway. 80 teabags for $2.50! That's, what, three cents a tea bag? Three cents for a morning of caffeinated joy? Plus you can sometimes use a teabag twice...

QuickTip of the Day

2010-07-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of every advantage possible that your employer offers. Example for me today: Mileage. By filling out a simple form, I will get $14.90 next month to reimburse me for mileage driven. Sweet.

A lot of my coworkers DON'T take the time to do their mileage. I think of it as free money (even though it isn't!)

Is my generation being set up for financial failure?

2010-07-27T18:34:00.000-07:00

Most of the time when I purchase something, I use my debit card. I very rarely carry cash, as it's not convenient to go to the ATM or band to withdraw cash. Do you know anyone else like this?

When my debit card comes out, so does my "Check Card Register" courtesy of the lovely Bank of America. When that "Check Card Register" gets full of entries, I have to go to the BOA to request a new one.

Often, when I request a new one, the bank employees have a hard time finding one.

Each time I pull out my debit card register, I write the amount of the purchase down and subtract it from the money in my account. It seems simple, but most of the time when I'm doing this I feel RUSHED. There are people behind me waiting, and I have to move along.

Quite often, the person I am with or the person behind the counter comments. "You balance your checkbook? You are SO good!"

Growing up, my mom always balanced her check book when using a form other than cash at the store. So did everyone else I saw. Nowadays, it's a rarity.

There are many factors that contribute to my perceived "being set up for financial failure." But the speed and ease of transactions is something small that I feel like really contributes. Doing things quickly and easily can take the thought out of an action--making money and purchases seem less concrete than they are.

Also, what about checks? I rarely write checks anymore. While everything is automated and it's wonderful, it still takes time and thought to write a check. Even wish cash you have to handle it and count it out. It's more thought provoking than sliding a card.

And credit cards! Think of those! I have one, I make meaningless purchases on it. I'm guilty. What if credit cards came with little registers to add up the balance? Awesome. I'm going to borrow one of the BOA ones I got to start doing this. Awareness of what I'm charging will hopefully help.

So, friends, what do you think? Do you balance your checkbook? Use a debit card? Cash? Credit card? Checks all the time? How does it affect your spending?

(Photo: My debit card register. Never mind all the money I spent at Sureshot : )

Pantry Pantry Time Time: Meal 1: Pink Vegan Rice

2010-07-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

I am lucky to have a good job and a pantry full of fun items. This way, when I spend all the money that the good job brings me, I can piece together fun and healthy meals with items I have on hand. Tonight: Pink Vegan Rice

Step #1: Google some ingredients that you have. I googled "beets" and "rice" since those were two items in my pantry. I came up with the following:

Red as a Beet Rice at Recipegoldmine.com

It sounded good, but I wanted to make it different. I omitted the basil, since I didn't have any, used vegetable broth in case my vegan friend came over and wanted to sample it, and fried it in Soy Free Earth Balance so that it would taste more buttery. I also added garbanzo beans, vegan parmesean cheese and nutritional yeast for extra protein and flavor.

The results: yum. Cheap, free of foods that I'm allergic to, and I didn't have to buy anything extra. Until the baby-sitting picks up again, I will often be enjoying Pantry Pantry Time Time to the fullest extent.

The $30 Party

2010-07-10T22:57:00.000-07:00

I'm getting back on track with my money management. I'm not in debt, really, just falling a little short each month. I still, of course, want to have fun! This may involve re-evaluating my version of fun, which I think is a great exercise.

A friend is turning thirty on Saturday. Big step in life! I gathered with another friend to plan her birthday party. Because it's such a short month and I've basically spent my whole paycheck, I wasn't quite sure how I was going to do it.

I decided to keep it simple. First of all, it's a short party--just three hours. It's also a surprise, so that will make it that much more exciting. Surprises can be such cheap thrills! For festivity, I picked up a fifty cen birthday banner at the Dollar Store that is shutting down by my work. I can reuse it. Decorations in general are mostly just clean up and waste anyway, but I needed a little festivity.

For food, I decided to make pizzas. I made a ton of dough last night with a jar of yeast and flour I already had. I think it has turned out well, but only tonight will tell. I'm using spaghetti sauce for the sauce, cause I have a lot of it. Hopefully no one will notice! I purchased some mozerella cheese, which I will use in moderation on the pizzas. My 30-year-old friend is also a vegetarian, which saves money on meat! I have some vegetarian meat leftover from another pizza party, and also got onions, green peppers, mushrooms and zucchini.

For a cake, I had some cake mix in my cupboard. For some reason my mom loves to buy me cake mix. I whipped up a 4 tiered cake last night. I purchased frosting, which is actually cheaper than making it, and bought sprinkles and candles. The cake is beautiful in it's ridiculousness, which I am happy about.

The birthday girl also requested hummus and carrots and broccoli, which I gathered up for about $7.

I encouraged everyone else to bring drinks, but I have a little vodka and blueberry-orange italian soda to mix up.

She THINKS we're going to have a nice quiet dinner, so how surprised will she be when she comes over and sees ten of her friends?! Very surprised, I hope.

When shopping and planning for this party, I kept the following in mind:
What is ABSOLUTELY necessary to make this fun and nourishing?
What do I ALREADY have that can be of help? I contemplated making my own hummus, but am not good enough yet and didn't have all the right ingredients.
What will make this MEMORABLE? Hopefully the crazy cake and the surprise factor will help.
Do I need to go ALL OUT? No. Sometimes simple is better.

I'll let you all know how it goes!

UPDATE: It was a blast! Everyone seemed to have fun and enjoy the food. People also brought a lot of little appetizers and beer. Success!

Still Alive.

2010-07-05T18:47:00.000-07:00

I bought a new car. I love love love it. Need to sell the old one.

I had to go into debt to buy the new car. I currently owe $7500 on it. Interest free. I can do it, and hopefully quick!

Otherwise life is just going. Baby-sitting is waning at the moment, so money is not coming in as strongly as it was earlier in the year, but I'm just rolling with it and waiting for it to pick back up. It's a little difficult, but I love a challenge. A financial one, anyway.

I need to concentrate my efforts in life to funnel in some happiness. I'm taking some steps, different ones than before. I'll keep you updated on their progress.

One important step I've taken in the last month is buying a gym membership. It sounds cheesy, but we all know physical activity is awesome for your levels of good brain chemicals. Plus, doing Zumba and Hula Hooping Class and dancing around like a fool never hurt anyone.

Any way to bring joy into my life, brain and heart is appreciated. Working on it.

Dishwasher

2010-05-17T17:38:00.000-07:00

My dishwasher broke a couple of months ago. It is old, and would no longer start when I turned the crank. Though it worked well when it did work, it is still old and I think the part that needs to be replaced is costly.

I went looking for another one on Craigslist and found one that I liked for $20. Problem? Transportation. And schedules. And scheduling someone with a bigger vehicle than me to pick it up and haul it up to my condo. Then I'd have to buy food for the friend, gas for the friend, do some hauling, blah blah blah.

On Friday afternoon I got a brilliant idea. My neighbor was remodelling--maybe she was taking out a perfectly good dishwasher? People seem to be into that. I knocked on her door, but didn't get a response.

I decided to go downstairs and ask the building's office manager if he knew of anyone else remodeling who had a dishwasher. And someone did! A repair man had just replaced one and was taking it to the dump at that very second. He told me that it actually worked perfectly! The old owners replaced it with a more efficient one.

I'll get an efficient one someday, of course, when I have $700 to drop on one. But for now, I'm going to roll with my free, newer-than-my-old one dishwasher that the kind repair man hauled up the stairs for me. He sold me some parts for $16 that will help with the installation, and my step-dad will be installing it next Saturday.

Halfway there?

2010-04-26T06:51:00.000-07:00

As you can see by my Chevy Malibu chart, I am halfway to my savings goal! Each of those little squares that are filled in means that I have saved $100. Because there are 40 squares filled in, it means I have saved $4000. Yay!

I was so excited to be halfway there. Finally I would get my 2005 or 2006 Malibu, probably by October! But, here's the thing. My coworker's husband got a 2010 Malibu. It is so nice and fancy. It has three gloveboxes and all this cool stuff.

I got to thinking--maybe I COULD HAVE A FANCY MALIBU TOO. Can I be patient enough to save for a newer one? How much will it pain me to drive my 1992 Geo Prizm for another year past my savings goal date (November of 2010, originally). If it is this easy to asve $4000, why not go for $12,000? Or more?

So, I have decided that I am going to save indefinitely. I am going to save until I can't stand the sight of my Geo anymore. I am going to save until I am content to buy a car that I will be happy driving for 10-15 years. Or until someone rear ends my car. Or until my car has a repair that is more than it's total value and I have to buy a new one.

Another interesting option: parents may give me an interest free loan if I find the Malibu of my dreams. I'm going to try to avoid this, but if the Geo dies before I'm able to save a good amount, well, then...we'll see.

Time for breakfast.

Life goals and stuff.

2010-04-25T16:08:00.000-07:00

I worked on some life goals this weekend. I keep talking about goals, specific goals, but I really wanted some guidelines to drive those specific goals. These are things I value, things I want to share with others. I think they fit with financial responsibility pretty well. It's all interdependent. Blah blah blah, here's some hippie shit for you to read.

Goals

The following are things that I will strive for in my life. One cannot exist without the others. They build upon each other to support the ultimate goal of contentment and growth.

1. Relationships. I will build relationships that enhance my life in a positive manner. I will recognize that each relationship should help me to learn something about myself and/or the world. Children will always be a part of my life, and eventually part of my immediate family, whether they enter the world through my body and genetics or someone else’s.

2. Home. My home will be a place of consistency and love. I will strive to eliminate all tension and clutter from my environment. I will work to create a harmonious place to return to at all times.

3. Health. My physical and mental health are priorities. I will at all times work to be aware of what affects them, both positively and negatively, and to remedy the items that are affecting my health negatively.

4. Time. My time will be spent doing things that I enjoy and value. Because my work consumes so much of my time, I will strive to maintain positive working relationships. I will make sure that my work is always of value to myself and others.

5. Possessions. I will work toward obtaining possessions only when they will enhance my quality of life in an authentic way. Possessions will be obtained with intentionality, thought, and patience. Possessions will be slowly added to my life to serve specific purposes.

PS: Isn't that just a BEAUTIFUL picture of Darby? I took it today while cleaning the house. Love him.

Dress

2010-04-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Hi. Computer is back. Entries can resume.

See this dress? Like it? It cost me $13 on clearance at Fred Meyer in 2007. I waited for a long time for it to get marked down.

Yesterday it was very very nice out. A high of 68 degrees, which is unheard of for Seattle this time of year. It's just enough to make you want to quit taking Celexa. Anyway, I wore this dress with my salt water sandals. I went shopping downtown with Stef Ann.

SEVEN NORDSTROM WORKERS COMPLIMENTED ME ON IT. The first one asked if it was from Nordstrom and told me that it looked like Diane von Furstenburg. I told her it was from Fred Meyer. She looked uncomfortable. I liked it.

It goes to show for the millionth time that it's really not necessary to spend a lot of money on fashion if you are creative and have good taste. Or something like that. I was stoked.

Updates

2010-03-29T12:02:00.000-07:00

It's been a while. My computer is broken, and now sent off for repairs (not without a little crying at Office Max). I'm updating from work on my lunch break so I can fill you in on the past couple of months.

Most importantly, I got a new job! It's the same place of employment as the place that was going to lay me off but a slightly different position. It pays about forty-five cents per hour less, but still a more-than-livable wage for me. Yes! This has been a major stress source in my life since around Thanksgiving, so I am very thankful that it is resolved. \

Some more good news is that by the end of this month I'll be about halfway to where I want to be on my car savings. We're looking at December at the latest for the purchase. I plan to name him Gerald.

I got my wisdom teeth out and it only cost a hundred dollars. Thank you, dental insurance. I hung my bill on the wall I was so excited.

In other news, why are all my images broken?

That's all for now!

Weekend Food

2010-01-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Hi Loyal Ruling at Lifers!

It's been a while. Why has it been? Well, basically because I'm trying to make my life better AWAY from the internet lately. I'm pretty addicted, but it's getting much better when I focus my efforts elsewhere. This means I've been running a little bit, feng-shui-ing my home, going to the library, thinking about my new car that I will buy by my 27th birthday, and baby-sitting for wonderful families.

Anyway, I have still been trying to rule at life. You know, "living cheaply and efficiently without sucking." My realization of the past month or so: I eat in restaurants WAY TOO MUCH on the weekends.

Now, of course, I'm all for restaurants. Love them. They are great social experiences. But. Some weekends I get super into it and eat at three different restaurants. Not normally, but since I was on "winter break mode" I never really got out.

Part of it is because I'm out and about and hungry. Part of it is because I'm out with peers. Part of it is because I don't have anything quick, easy and fun in my fridge.

This weekend I decided to try and remedy this. Last night I went to Bougie World (aka Whole Foods) and got some buffalo meat for five dollars. I came home and browned it up. I put half in a tupperware for later in the week when I will make tacos. I put the other half into a huge pot of pasta, tomato sauce, spinach and onions.

I will now eat that pasta for the remainder of the weekend and maybe for lunch on Monday.

This isn't to say I won't eat out at all this weekend. I probably will. But I'm aiming for once instead of a lot of times.

I can do this because I like pasta. This particular batch includes a lean protein and some vegetables. It's whole wheat, so it's probably healthier. I ate some before acupuncture and I'll eat a little more before babysitting. Having something around makes eating out a lot less tempting. The fact that it's already in a pot in my fridge makes it fairly effortless to prepare.

That's my advice for the day. I'll let you know how it goes!

Ruling at Life Awards 2009

2010-01-08T21:12:00.000-08:00

The following people and businesses have helped my life rule a lot this past year. (This, does not of course, include family and friends, because then it would turn into a big cheese-fest. But of course you guys know who are you.)

My Real Estate Agent
Steve Kikikis
This dude rules. He helped me buy my condo. Everyone should use him. He is cool, professional, easy going and organized.

My Acupuncture Clinic
The Pin Cushion
I love this place. They are amazing. I see either Julie or Sam almost every week and have noticed lots of improvements in my health because of my treatments.

My Doctor
Katie Hester at Country Doctor
I loooooooove my doctor. So much. She is super nice and understanding. Best ever. Highly recommended.

My Dentists
Dr. Velling Brothers
I just did the yelp link. This is where I go to the dentist. It took me a long time to find a dentist that I like, because I am picky and fussy about dentists and hate giving them my money. But both Dr. Vellings (they are brothers) are rad. Nice. And they have nitrous oxide available. Win.

Just wanted to give props to all my favs. If I'm going to spend my hard earned babysitting money, I want to give it to nice and awesome people.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-03T18:40:00.000-08:00

Hi Loyal Readers!

I have been on vacation since December 23rd of 2009. That's 12 days of uninterrupted fun, slothery, frivolous spending, drinking too much, telling people off after drinking too much, and sleeping.

So, it's time to get back on track. Tomorrow I go back to work. Back to cooking my own meals instead of having restaurants cook them all for me. Back to centering and being organized and saving for that 2006 Chevrolet Malibu. Back to the work and babysitting grind.

I have been contemplating resolutions for a long time this year. I had some tentative ones, but didn't solidify them until today. I swear I'm more traditional than that, usually. I usually try not to be too formal about resolutions, or to make them very vague so that I don't fail, or whatever. I contemplated a couple this year "Get better" and "Buy a Chevy Malibu". But those are boring. So today i solidified my list, illustrated and wrote it, and hung it on the fridge. I will outline it here for you, readers.

1. Stop being a creep.
Basically, stop hitting on boys so much. Stop saying creepy things to them or sending them uncalled for emails. Stop asking dudes out in ridiculous ways. Stop internet stalking. Stop going into Trader Joe's on Sunday nights to smile at the boy I like that I emailed once and then he never wrote back. (I didn't go tonight! Success!) It's getting embarrassing and discouraging. Instead, I will find other ways to distract myself. Like NOT being a creep.

2. Explore spirituality.
I have NO IDEA HOW TO DO THIS. I started by getting a book from the library called "Seeds of Faith: Practices to Grow a Healthy Spiritual Life." I have no idea how this is going to work out, but I've been denying spirituality for a long time, cause I just don't really feel into it. I don't want to be obnoxiously into it, but I want to see if I can find a teeny tiny portion of it somewhere in me. If that works, I'll find another teeny tiny portion next year.

3. Go to library more often (alone).
Did this today. It was great. By library I mean downtown library, the huge one with a million books. Going there was really satisfying, plus I got to do people watching and be exposed to some great books. Plus it's free. (Except for the $10 fine I have going there. NOT FRUGAL!)

4. No computer on Mondays.
Oh wow, this is going to be INSANELY DIFFICULT. I'm totally addicted to my computer. Like totally and completely. So this is my first step. No computer on Monday, except at work, cause I have to use the computer at work. Hopefully having just one day a week off will open my mind and help me get a whole bunch of stuff done.

And, that's basically it. Of course I have other things that I want to do, but this is a good start. Most people fail at New Year's resolutions. I am hoping I can hold on, at least for a bit. Wish me luck! Happy New Year, I hope it's a good one. (Mine will be good, but I'm already sensing that it won't be as life-changing as 2011.)

Favorite Christmas Gifts.

2009-12-25T22:35:00.000-08:00

1. Aromatherapy diffuser that my mom got at a store close-out sale for $1. I'm excited for my condo to smell better.

2. New Sonicare toothbrush. My old one died. This one is lightweight and easier to clean than the last one.

3. Adorable homemade hot pads and towels.

And, not a gift, but my mom hemmed my $6 Goodwill dress for me. I'm excited to wear it. Pictures at a later date.

O, Christmas Tree

2009-12-14T21:24:00.001-08:00

Here is this year's Christmas tree. I bought some lights for it, which cost about $12. I also bought a new $3 ornament (purple ballet slippers!) Besides that, almost all of the ornaments have been given to me. And the tree? Artificial, decent-ish, and free from the side of the road!

Hollywood Video Refund

2009-12-09T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Hollywood Video by my house closed down. I was signed up for some thing there called Power Play, where you get a certain number of points each money and then can use the points to rent videos. I don't rent videos too often, but it ended up being cheaper usign this program. Plus, the points rolled over from month to month, so you could use them later if you needed to.

When I heard about my job ending I was planning on canceling the membership anyway. But, the store closed down, so I had an even better reason. I called the Hollywood Video hotline, who informed me that my membership was automatically canceled. they also informed me to call a number within the next three weeks for a refund.

I called today, and they let me know that I could get me $7.95 that I paid for November back, since the store closed in the middle of November. Good, right? No, not good enough. I asked if there was anything that could be done about all the points I had accumulated. She put me on hold to find out. When she came back she told me that the total amount of my refund would be $31. Yes! $31!! Much, much better than $7.95.

I had her put it back on my credit card, since I have a little balance on there from this month's bills that I pay automatically with my credit card. I was very happy that I asked about the extra points, as it earned me another $23 or so.

Photo from Capitol Hill Block at http://www.capitolhillseattle.com

FML?

2009-12-07T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hi loyal readers,

A rough day today. I applied for two jobs within my agency and didn't screen into either one of them, leaving me without so much as an interview. I have also applied for several other jobs, but heard nothing back. It is a discouraging day.

Among everything though, I am not worried about money. I am anxious about the future. I am sad that my wonderful job is coming to and end. I'm upset to leave the community of people that I have spent the past year with. But I am not worried about money.

Why not? I've probably told you before, but I am a super-employable individual. If I can't get regular employment, I can baby-sit my way out of many financially rough situations. I can pay my mortgage by piecing things together. I can do it.

My emergency funds are looking better by the day as well. I still have $1000 in debt to pay off, which will be done before the end of the year. After that, I have enough of a buffer to live for a little while without a job. That being said though, I always have my supplemental (baby-sitting) income to live on until the regular employment happens. It's unlikely that I will even have to dip into the emergency savings. Possible, but unlikely.

I'm also blessed with the possibility of unemployment checks. This would of course affect my ability to do my supplemental work, but still an option if I need to take it.

So, the cycle continues of applying for work, baby-sitting like crazy and throwing it into savings, and praying for the best most rewarding and similar-to-my-old-job-paying position to come up. I know it will. I have faith.

Updatez

2009-12-02T21:30:00.000-08:00

Hi friends,

Just a check in. I've been a little stressed out this week over the job situation. I have applied for two jobs that I thought I would certainly get interviews for, but have not gotten anything yet. Rough! Luckily, I have time and potential for unemployment. I'm not worried about money, really--I seem to be doing fine with saving. I just worry about not finding the right job for me. It needs to be something that I enjoy that compensates me at a rate similar to what I make now, and it needs to be full time. My current job also has excellent benefits, which are going to be hard to give up if I need to leave the agency.

Still working on saving though. Here are some things I've been doing.

I've been taking advantage of all of the little perks that I get from work. Making sure my VEBA Claims get sent in for reimbursement. Making sure my mileage is turned in on time. These reimbursements can really add up. If I receive all the reimbursements this month it will be an extra $400! And it will all go in savings.

I've been really limiting my grocery shopping and working off what I have in the cupboards. I used to do a lot of little grocery trips (I waver back and forth on this, actually, but have been careless lately) and now I do not. I'm doing every two weeks, spending a maximum of $60ish dollars each time. I did stop at the produce stand today, but was very careful not to overbuy and only ended up spending $4.57 on some carrots, spinach, avocado, satsumas, cucumber, zucchini, green beans, a banana and a butternut squash. Those things can combine with canned and dried food to make some excellent meals. I made my own hummus tonight with my newly purchased ($4.50 at the thrift-store!) food processor and ate it with carrots, cucumbers, avocado tortillas. Nom nom.

I haven't even started Christmas shopping, but I'm going to be very sparse this year and buy people gift cards for the amount that I can. I'm only shopping for my immediate family as well, unless I see something perfect for someone that is reasonably priced. I'll explain in a later post why I really don't believe in Christmas gifts.

I've been doing well laying off the booze. I did have a fun, expensive-ish night out on Saturday for the Lashes reunion show, but only had one drink and half of a (cheese-less) pizza while out. I had the opportunity to drink more at the Cha Cha but chose not to. My body thanked me for it on Sunday. I also shared some food and beers and wine with friends at my house prior to the show, which was lovely and inexpensive.

I'm babysitting like crazy still, maybe too much, but it's good for now. I've packed a lot into the next two weekends, then I think I'll give myself the weekend after that off, as it's my (fake) husband's holiday party at work. All this babysitting is ending up to be a lot of extra money.

The great part is that I need an emergency fund anyway, and I need to be saving money for a new car. If, by some miracle, I get a new job very soon, I can transfer a lot of the money I have saved into my new car fund. I can also use it to pay off my remaining family debt (which is almost done anyway.)

I've been reading a lot of PF stuff saying to take it one goal at a time, so after this debt is paid off my main savings goal will be for a new car. Specifically, a 2005 to 2008 Chevy Malibu. I'm excited. I hope to save enough money for one by the time I turn 27. Do you think I can do it?

Curb shopping!!!

2009-11-23T20:25:00.001-08:00

Hi friends!

Tonight was a glorious night. Why? Curb shopping!

My new condo boasts pristine white carpets. Or boasted them, rather. It now boasts dirty white carpets. (Is that the right use of boast? Probably.) Anyway, that's annoying. The dirtiness of my carpets.

Earlier in the summer I was convinced that I needed an entryway rug. I ordered one online. When it came in the mail, I discovered that it was all wrong and sent it back. I made do with a shitty bath mat for a bit.

Then, about a month ago I found a nice enough hall runner in the dumpster outside of my house. Here's a picture of it:

Pretty fugly, right? But at least it protected the carpet. So I was down.

But then came tonight. Oh, glorious tonight. Right before the rain started I was walking to my friend Stefanie's house and came upon a pile of stuff. I was intrigued by the automatic timer that I had found. Then I noticed a nice carpet. It was a hall-runner. It covered more ground than my current hall-runner. It matched my curtains. It had black accents, like I like. Sure it was slightly dirty, but who cares?

Here is the new hall runner:

Beautiful, isn't it? I am in love. Perfect length. Perfect colors. Perfect price. Once it is vacuumed and clean Darby will stop looking at it funny and all will be well.

Also scored tonight: vintage white mixing bowl. My kitchen will thank me later.

Not Spending Money: Update

2009-11-17T17:46:00.000-08:00

I have done very well in the "not spending money" department since I heard about losing my job.

What have I spent, so far? $121.75. In one week. It may look like a lot, but let's break it down. You can help decide if these things are necessary or not.

Wednesday, 11/11/09
$4.00 Coffee Drink from Sureshot
$23.00 Vacuum Part off of Ebay
$29.00 Gas

Friday, 11/13/09
$0.75, Can of Coca Cola from vending machine

Saturday, 11/14/09
$35.00 Acupuncture
$30.00 Medical Bill

And that's all!

Pretty good, huh? I could have probably gone without the coffee drink or the Coke. But treats, people. I need treats sometimes. I limit these treats to once a week.

Here are the things I could have spent money on but didn't:
Vodka Sodas
Restaurant Food
American Apparel
New shoes
A lot of bougie food
Other junk I don't need

So, I think I did well. I will keep it up until I have a new job lined up. I'll keep you posted.

Things I am Doing to Prepare for Being Laid Off

2009-11-14T12:51:00.000-08:00

Hi friends!

Oh, friends. Friends friends friends. Guess what? They have decided to discontinue the wonderful program at work that I am a part of. My job will end sometime between now and June 15th. Though it is uncertain when exactly, my best guess is between February and June.

I have been expecting this for a while, but now that it is official, I am doing some extra things to prepare in addition to my normal money saving routine. Keep reading to find out what!

POSITIVITY. Po-si-ti-vi-ty. Nothing will be helped by being pissed off. Nothing will be helped by being sad (although sad is the hardest emotion to get rid of in this situation, mostly because I adore my job.) Nothing will be helped by complaining about the economy, or comparing myself to others, or complaining in general.

So, what then?

I have a lot of experience in my field. I have a lot of knowledge about my field. I interview pretty well. I have a fairly specialized degree. I have diverse experience in the field. I work for a great agency who will consider me an internal employee for the next eighteen months, so I will have more of an opportunity to continue with them. There are already two excellent job opportunities that I will be applying for. One of them even pays more per year! We'll see what happens, but my guess is that I will be switching jobs before they even need to lay me off.

Plus, there's always unemployment. I think that would be a fun challenge to live on less. Don't you?

Save. Save save save save save save save. As in do not spend. And then save it. I decided the day that we got the news that I just wouldn't do any unnecessary spending. It's amazing how often I (and other people) handle their emotions by buying things. In fact, my first reaction to the news was to go buy a coffee drink from Starbucks or something to make myself feel better. But I didn't. (I did get a Coke Zero from the trunk of my car, though.)

Of course, I will get small treats every so often. A white coffee from Sureshot counts as a small treat (as long as it's only once a week.) A Coca-Cola from the machine at work counts as a small treat (as long as it's only once a week or less.) These are things I do anyway, I just have to be even more careful.

In contrast, three vodka sodas from a bar are not a small treat. Even one is not. I've decided to quit drinking (or quit spending money on drinking at least--if an attractive man wants to buy me one that's quite all right) until I've secured a new job. I even practiced this act of willpower last night when out with friends. My friend asked the bartender for a cup of hot water for me so that I could make some tea, but he said no. Oh well.

Work extra. Or, as I sometimes say "I am going to baby-sit the shit out of this weekend." (Or week, or month, etc.) Actually, I don't say that, but I definitely think it. I am lucky enough to have several local families who call me to babysit quite often and pay me generously. Normally this is my "fun money", but now it will be my savings for a mortgage payment in case I need it when I lose the jobby job.

An added bonus? If I save a lot of this money and then get another job, I can apply it all toward the debt that I owe to a family member. I am now slowly paying off, but it'd be nice to get it all over with. Sweet. They should have given us this news at work a long time ago.

And quickly, some other things I am doing: Cooking at home all the time, not buying stuff from American Apparel, letting my cat hunger strike when he doesn't like the food that I bought him, being even more careful about turning the lights off and keeping the heat down, taking care of my health and not skimping on acupuncture too much because it is an investment, and trying to appreciate all the shit I already have so that I don't have to buy any more for a long, long time.

Five Ways I Saved Dollarz on Vacation

2009-11-08T21:29:00.001-08:00

The above is a picture of me spending dollars on vacation.

I just got back from another San Francisco trip. Bet you didn't know I was going, did you? Yes, I just went in August, but I went again last Thursday for a short trip.

Why?

When I graduated from college, I was dead set on moving to San Francisco. Fortunately and unfortunately my job connections and housing options here in Seattle were much more financially practical, so I stayed up here. At this point I promised myself that if I lived in Seattle, I had to make an effort to visit San Francisco as often as possible. I was shooting for twice a year, and have met that goal now for this year!

Another reason I went was that tickets were super cheap. After taxes and everything, I paid just $99 to fly on Virgin Air. This was ROUND TRIP. Sweet.

Since I had not started a "wine bottle savings account" for this trip, I started a small cash stash in a jar that I wouldn't have to break, since I didn't want to have to break a WBSA after just a month and a half. I put as much babysitting money as I could spare in a little jar. By the time it was time to leave, this jar had about $300. I spent just $180 on vacation. Yeah, that's a lot for three days I realize, but hey, I could easily spend that at home in three days as well. Besides...it could have been more!

Here are some things that I did that kept it from being more.

1. Snacks. I brought my own snacks. The night before I left I went to the natural foods section at Fred Meyer and bought some granola flakes, potato chips, pistachios, and allergen-free sugar cookies. Though these are not the healthiest things, they were the best things I could find that I wasn't allergic to that would travel well. I snacked on these things as much as I could throughout the trip so that I wouldn't have to buy snacks so often.

2. Public transportation. Except for two cab rides split three ways, I took it everywhere, including to and from SeaTac airport for the first time ever! The only reason we took a cab is because we saw some cops raiding a donut shop right by us and wanted to get out of the bad-seeming neighborhood ASAP.

3. Staying with friends. I am lucky enough to have extremely generous friends who will host me in SF. I hope they know how much I appreciate them, and I also hope they know that they are required to stay with me each and every time they visit Seattle.

4. Drinking less. I tried to limit my alcohol intake as much as possible. Everyone knows I love my drinky-drinks, but I didn't want to spend all my cash OR be too hungover to enjoy San Fran.

5. Eating good meals. Because on vacation I eat out a lot, I made sure to eat healthy, filling meals (that were allergen free, of course.) This helped so that I didn't want to snack as much in-between. I was also good at not splurging too much on coffee-like drinks or sodas in between meals.

Next step in achieving good San Francisco-related savings habits? I'm starting an ING Savings Account called "San Francisco". This will help to spread the cost of a plane ticket and expenses over several months through an automatic savings plan.

This way I can go back soon and pick up my heart that I left there. <3 <3

Severe Budgeting.

2009-10-11T12:43:00.000-07:00

Interesting fact: As I started writing this entry, "Head Like a Hole" by Nine Inch Nails came on the radio. The beginning lines of this song:

God money, I'll do anything for you.
God money, just tell me what you want me to.
God money, nail me up against the wall.
The god of money don't want everything he wants it all.

I actually just looked that up, and there are conflicting sources of whether the line is "God money" or "Got money". I always thought it was "Got Money" but oh well. It's still about money. As is this entry.

The past months have been hard for me. My monthly housing payment has increased significantly, since I own my place now rather than rent. This was expected, so it isn't a huge deal.

But, on top of that, I owe a family member some money because they helped me with money for a down payment. I'm working hard to get this paid off as soon as possible, but it's hard! I was paying $500 a month toward this debt at first, but I was beginning to struggle a bit to have anything left at the end of the month. This month I knocked this amount down to $300, and am still struggling a little!

I decided to put myself on a stricter budget to make my dollarz last longer throughout the month. What's been happening is that I get paid once a month. I pay all my bills, buy things I've been wanting for a long time, get groceries, whatever. Then, as the month nears the end, I don't have anything left and I'm scrounging through my babysitting money and anxiously awaiting my mileage check from work.

This month I decided to do something. I took the money that was left in my checking account after paying several bills and buying some clothes (about $60 worth) and divided it by four. I also did some rounding. This amount ended up being about $180.

The first week I did great. It was hard, but I did great. This week, however, it is not working. I haven't even really been buying too much "frivolous shit."

Week One's expenses involved the following:

Gas: $12.70
Cold Care Tea, Dayquil, Cat Litter $11.90
Nyquil, Gummi Vitamins: $18.59
The rest are estimates, as I lost my records, but here's what I can remember.
Groceries at Whole Foods: ~22
Vintage Mixer at Rummage Sale: $10
Butternut Squash at Farmer's Market $1.75
Coffee Drink: $4
Manicure: $15
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ingredients @ PCC: ~8
Dental Bill: ~$20
Acupuncture and Herbs: %59

I'm at a loss for where the rest went, and regretting that I lost my records. Sometimes I forget how important that stuff is! The loyal readers of Ruling at Life are anxiously waiting!

This week has been worse. I did some babysitting and tried to save part of that money, but am going to have to spend some of it. This week my records are rounded. I do not want to do that next week. Here's what I have:

Special Eczema Wash for my feet: ~$25
Vitamins from Vitacost.com: ~$19
Tons of veggies and some bags of beans: ~$17
Soda at Lunchtime (I brought my own lunch!): ~$2
Soda at Billy McHales (socializing with coworkers): ~$3
Paying the Tailor to alter my trench coat so that it is way better: $28
Gas: $19.23
Food to make dinner @ PCC: ~$8
White Coffee Drink: $4
Groceries at Trader Joe's (including Food, Snacks, Shampoo, Probiotic Vitamins): ~$37
Money set aside for Acupuncture: $60

So far that adds up to about $163. But I know I'm missing something, because I added some babysitting into that, and I'm still coming up short. This is what I get for keeping shitty records. I will be better this next week.

I also found some $20 socks for $6. These are special socks because they help with the eczema on my feet. I am going to buy these.

Anyway, by looking at this data I have figured out many things. But, the thing that sticks out the most is that I have to spend a TON of money for health conditions. This sucks. But is necessary if I want to get better.

For example, I do NOT like spending money at bougie grocery stores such as PCC and Whole Foods. But because of my allergies, it's sometimes necessary for me to do so. For example, at Whole Foods I bought some Soy Free Earth Balance. Needed, as the only other butter that is free of butter, soy and coconut tastes pretty bad.

The money spent at PCC was on chocolate chips and chocolate bars that are soy and dairy free. (Hard to find, believe me!) This might be a little frivolous, but a girl needs her chocolate sometimes. With the chocolate chips and soy free earth balance I can make my own cookies, which is better than spending $5 on a package of Newman's Own cookies that taste like health food. (Newman's Own are the only allergen free ones I can find.)

The vitamins that I bought are Oregon Grape capsules. Those help with inflammation, which is good for my feet. It will be cheaper to take the capsules than to take the tincture, which I have been doing.

And acupuncture and the chinese herbs I have been taking are necessary for my eczema. I've tried to skip out on those and notice a very significant difference in how I feel and how my skin acts.

So, that's how it is. I am hoping that all this money spent on this stuff is an investment to help to cure my health issues, but we'll see. It certainly makes me feel better right now.

Now that I'm done, this is one novel of an entry. I'll check back in next week on how the budgeting is doing. Another important note: I am trying to do a lot of this with cash, which is helpful to make everything a little more tangible.

And now I leave you with a picture of Trent Reznor, from dietrichthrall.wordpress.com/2009/02/16/.

"God money's not looking for the cure.
God money's not concerned about the sick among the pure.
God money let's go dancing on the backs of the bruised.
The god of money's not one to choose"

Please note his dreamy "hurt" look and his hott scarf.

Food.

2009-10-08T21:13:00.000-07:00

Bought nearly 24 pounds of produce/food today at MacPherson's produce stand. Cost me $17.05.

Celery, butternut squash, four apples, two pears, tomatoes on the vine, broccoli, cabbage, onions, potatoes, a yam, an avocado...

I will be set for a while.

I've been doing really well improvising dinner on what I have here. Usually mix a grain (rice, barley, quinoa) with a ton of veggies and some kind of protein (usually beans or lentils.)

I have a ton of food allergies, so anything with cheese has been out of the picture lately. And meat's just too damn expensive. It's been good.

This week's meals have included:

Vegetables and Chicken Curry in Rice Milk
Half bag of frozen vegetables, some curry paste whisked into rice milk, and a chicken breast dumped into the crock pot. (You could definitely do this with coconut milk, too, but I'm allergic to coconut as well.)

Spaghetti
Pasta, pasta sauce and garbanzo beans with a ton of veggies. I know that garbanzo beans are weird in pasta, but I needed protein and didn't want to have to use meat. I used to use TVP, but am allergic to soy. FML. When cooking for one sometimes a whole jar of pasta sauce is too much, so I use half and freeze the rest for next time. I should start making my own pasta sauce, though, as that's even cheaper, I think.

Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Soup
Butternut squash cut up into cubes, red lentils, two tablespoons of ketchup (sub for tomato paste, haha, didn't want to go shopping!), cinnamon and cumin, and a cube of chicken bouillion and some water. A squirt of lime juice. Dumped into the crock pot, cooked. Really, really good.

Beans and Rice
Made rice last night, but didn't get a chance to do anything with it. Hot-soaked some pinto beans this morning, cooked them tonight. While they were cooking I simmered some tomatoes from the produce stand with some onions and seasoned the shit out of them. Also used some leftover taco seasoning that I found while cleaning out my cupboards. Added the rice and some spinach. I like spinach in everything, slightly wilted. It's good for you.

Also did some red beans and quinoa last week. Threw in a can of tomatoes. Turned out nice.

All these allergies as well as some budget restrictions (read: I haz a mortgage) are forcing me to be thriftier, more creative, and more healthy. Win win win. I like it.

Taming the American Apparel Addiction

2009-10-01T15:09:00.000-07:00

Or, maybe not taming it. Mine isn't that bad, I guess. But it's pricey, even though it's not bad.

American Apparel. Have you heard of them? They are a company that is "sweatshop free." They pride themselves on having sweat-shop free, well fitting, nicely colored, hip clothes. They also pride themselves on being run by a sleazy man in underwear. Or so I've heard.

Sleazy man in underwear aside, I really enjoy their clothes. In the winter I live in their leggings. And cardigans. I love their t-shirts, and have been drooling over some of their stuff for months now.

Why not buy it? Because it's expensive. I mean, it may not be expensive by normal person standards, but for me it is. I hate dropping $50 to $70 on just one or two things. Too much.

After a year though, my precious black leggings have started to develop a hole in the crotch. It happens when you wear them almost every day. It's understandable. But it's just not wearable anymore. I dreaded having to go into the store and drop $26 on one pair of leggings. But, they do last quite some time. And they fit perfectly. And they're the perfect length. So, FML, I needed to go get some.

Of course, I'm an idiot and forgot about the wonders of Ebay. Until last night. I got on Ebay and looked that up hard. And what did I find? For the normal price of one pair ($26) you can get two pairs shipped right to your house.

And I did just that. One black pair and one white pair. Satisfaction. (So far, at least. We'll see what happens when I get them. Maybe they'll be awful knockoffs? But I doubt it.)

Of course, I couldn't stop there. I've been after their seersucker skirt for months, too. Price: $38. For a skirt that I could sew myself, if I could sew. This is why I have been putting off this purchase.

A quick Ebay search revealed that I could get this skirt for $28.99. So you know what? I did. It was payday, and I've been thinking about it for a long time. Plus, it's just the right length to wear over leggings with boots.

In the store, these clothing pieces would have cost me a total of $97.20 approximately.

On Ebay, these things cost me approximately $55.

Oh, thank you Ebay. Now, if only you had that damn white button up shirt that I want from good old Overpriced Apparel. But, with all the money I have saved, maybe I can afford it.

Besides, I kinda like going into the store and hitting on the hipsters, even though they are far, far too cool for me.

Twitter

2009-10-01T15:04:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Just made a twitter for this blog. It is "ruling_at_life". Add it. It might be interesting.

Free Furniture

2009-09-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

I have a cute place. (I think, at least.) And, it is mostly furnished with free or cheap furniture. Much of this furniture is temporary and just waiting for an upgrade--but definitely serves its purpose for now. Examples:

This is a dresser that I got from some people I used to babysit for. I think it is beautiful. It's nice because it has a mirror and drawer space.

This is one of my best side-of-the-road finds. It is an Ikea shelf. I found it a block from my house on the day after Halloween last year. Everyone who sees it says that they want one, but can't afford it. All it cost me was some dragging for a block and some super glue to repair one of the shelves.

This is two of the three parts of my vintage sectional couch. I got it for free off of Craigslist. I love it, except for the fact that it is old and worn out. But it folds down and lines up with the other section to make a bed, which is rad. I'm seriously thinking of reupholstering it once I have the money saved. But, I also have a cat, so that might be counterproductive.

These two shelves both came from different sources. The one on top was one of two that I found on the side of the road and hauled home. The one on bottom came from my old work. This is one of my least favorite set-ups for my place--I can't wait to replace this with a vintage credenza to hold all my media needs. But, some things have to wait.

One of the two matching ones from the side of the road.

This used to be a barstool, but now I have no need for a barstool, so it is a plant stand. It's kind of ugly, but I think paint might make it nicer someday.

Second plant stand. Modems are hiding in the bottom. I hate visible modems.

Coming soon: Cheap furniture post. I think my most expensive piece cost $125. And that's the one I like the least.

Best Buy's Price Matching

2009-09-29T09:49:00.000-07:00

The other day I was buying a DVD player at Best Buy. This was, of course, after I had compared prices at Target. I wanted a reputable brand, as my last two DVD players have died on me because they were cheap.

All over the store, there were signs about price matching. Best Buy swore up and down that they would match the price of any other store.

Before hopping into line with my $41 Sony DVD player, I googled the model number on Google shopping. Sure enough, I found the same DVD player on Amazon for around $39.

When girl started ringing me up, I showed her my evidence of a lower price elsewhere, and she matched that price. This saved me three dollars, which is equivalent to a cup of chai with rice milk, 1.5 avocados, or a pair of cheap socks.

I was happy.

Yelping My Money Back

2009-09-15T19:25:00.000-07:00

I went to the dentist yesterday.

Boy, do I like my new dentist. I can't remember if I talked about it before, but I wasn't happy with my old one. I didn't realize HOW unhappy I was with my old one until yesterday when I had an incredibly pleasant cleaning done.

How did I celebrate this pleasant cleaning? Why, by writing a semi-unfavorable review about my old dentist on Yelp, of course!

For those who are interested...

In short, I recently felt one of the fillings that the old dentist had done shift around as I was flossing. At my dental visit yesterday, my new dentist told me that I would need to have it replaced. This is after it being done less than a year ago!

Happily, my old dental office read my Yelp review this morning and offered to refund me the money for that filling. This is so nice. That filling was expensive, as I had to pay for it out of pocket. Hopefully the repair will be covered by insurance, so the refund will more than cover the work that needs to be done. It will also help pay for the time I will have lost having to have that tooth worked on twice. Dental appointments in general are kind of a time suck for me.

Basically, when in doubt, ask. Oh wait, I didn't ask. When in doubt, write a bad Yelp review. It might just pay off. Thank god it did for me.

**Photo courtesy of the flickr of shakespearesmonkey

Finances and the Single Girl

2009-09-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

It is a known fact that I do not really like being single. It gets lonely and I don't get to have sex nearly as often as I'd like. But that's beside the point. This is a finance blog. Here are the ups and downs of my wild bachelorette lifestyle.

Let's start with the good...

I'm only responsible for myself. I don't have some trashy boyfriend pissing away my savings or an annoying husband trying to share one of my three retirement accounts. I don't have to worry about taking care of someone if they get sick or hurt, or bailing someone out of debt. Just me. And Darby, but he's easy.

I have more time to work.Because I have no one to report home to, I am able to spend these years of my life working two jobs to save a little extra. I enjoy both of my jobs, so I don't see it as a time loss at all. Sometimes I wonder what will happen when I am married and have kids and don't have time to babysit. Will I miss that money? Yes.

I always have leftovers.With only one person to feed, I always have enough dinner left over for the next day's lunch, sometimes even for two meals.

I am able to focus on my own financial goals.Of course I will still have financial goals when I am no longer single (if that ever happens), but now is a great time to be able to focus that much more. I feel like I can be more efficient at this point without the distraction of a really hot boyfriend (I mean, um, normal looking partner.)

The Bad...

My mortgage is really expensive.Sometimes I think of how nice life would be if I only had to pay half a mortgage. Or all my married coworkers who are buying big houses together. If I were half of a couple-y unit, I too could have a bigger space and a cheaper mortgage. I also would require less social interactions, so maybe I could save even more by moving out of the city a little bit. Of course I am thankful for what I have, and wouldn't trade it for a freeloading boyfriend at this point, but sometimes i get a little jealous of the people who only pay half of what I am paying for housing.

Less total income.If I were part of a couple, we would be making more money total (hopefully) and spending less on bills (for example, I would only have to pay half an internet bill, half an electric bill, etc.) Now, I'm sure me and my super-hot man friend could find a way to spend this money that we were saving, like for example on cable so we could sit around and grow fat together. But generally having that much more money would be nice.

Security.If I lost my job, I would have someone to help me out. Not that I don't already. It just might be easier to ask my hot boyfriend for help for a little bit than asking my family and friends.

In general, I am quite happy with my situation. Many people in my position might feel like they couldn't do some of the things that I have done financially. But I have, and on the income of a preschool teacher/social worker. Not bad. Financially, I don't really feel all that deprived at all. Now it's time to work on the loneliness and lack of sex part.

A Day Off and Meal Planning

2009-08-17T10:36:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful to have a day off after my vacation (which was wonderful, by the way.) I am so lucky to work for an agency who gives me adequate vacation time. I don't think I've actually taken a paid vacation since 2006! It makes all the difference.

Today is everything one would want or need to do after a vacation--relax, snuggle the needy kitty who missed me, and GET SHIT DONE. This involves going to my favorite coffee shop, running errands, and doing laundry.

My first step is to do some meal planning for the week. I have been failing at this lately. I was doing it monthly, as you may have read about before, but honestly it was stressing me out way too much. So I went to big monthly grocery shopping trip for the staples, and then filling in the gaps where needed. Maybe not the most cost-efficient way, but the stress reduction helps a lot.

This week I decided to write all my meals in my calendar so it would be right there when I looked at my appointments for the day:

Notice it says "curry". Yep.

The rest of the week:

Tuesday: Stir Fry--I have veggies to use up

Wednesday: Hummus Plate--going to try it with dried garbanzo beans

Thursday: Quesadillas

Friday: Pizza (I am babysitting my god daughter at my house, and I can make a vegetarian pizza. She can help, if she wants!)

Saturday: Enchiladas--having more lovely vegetarians over.

Sunday I will figure out.

Today I will also fill up my car with gas, and do other little odds and ends. I love San Francisco, but I am still happy to be back at my lovely home.

For Those Of You Who Were Curious...

2009-08-11T19:02:00.000-07:00

Normally I don't like to put whory pictures of myself on my blog, but I think I look pretty.

My wine bottle savings account (RIP) contained $360.

I have started automating savings for next year's vacation, but will also do another one of these. For vacation or maybe for something else, like getting my couch reupholstered. (Yes, I know it would be cheaper to do it myself, but I would prefer to not have a couch that I reupholstered myself, because it would look terrible.)

Finding a Cat Sitter

2009-08-11T18:38:00.000-07:00

I am going on vacation tomorrow. I need someone to take care of my precious Darby, as pictured above.

This always poses a bit of a problem. My friends are all lovely cat sitters, but they are busy. They do not always have time to come and give Darby maximum snuggles. I am not crazy about taking him somewhere, due to the cost and his stress level.

So I turned to the community where I live.

One of the things that drew me to a co-op style home is the idea that there is a community here. Unfortunately, it is not quite as cooperative as I had hoped. I have met some lovely people in my building (which contains around 100 units) but I have also met a lot of really fucking grumpy old people. Well, maybe not a lot. And I might have deserved it (**cough**pool party**cough). But still.

When I moved in, the one of the board members, who is quite lovely, told me that the manager, who works in the office, will sometimes watch people's cats.

I went to him, and he said that he will. For free! Score. Although, he did mention that he takes tips. So in an effort to not be cheap, I got him a gift card to the grocery store that is just up the hill from our building. I wanted to buy him chocolate, but what if he's vegan? Or diabetic?

I typed out some directions, too. Luckily, Sir Darbus is pretty low maintenance. I'm hoping that him and the manager will have a good time together.

Wine Bottle Savings Account

2009-08-09T14:22:00.000-07:00

The above picture is of my wine bottle savings account. This is the second time I have had one of these, and it has proven to be quite awesome.

Yes, I am aware that I am not earning interest on this. I am also aware that someone could break into my home and steal it at any time. But you know what? It's worth the risk, for now, at least.

As a professional child care provider (aka babysitter) on the evenings and weekends, I often get paid in cash. Normally a lot of that cash goes out the window--toward alcohol, dinners out, coffee, etc. It's fine--I am diligent about saving an appropriate amount of my normal paycheck, so this is my fun money. I get to be young and slightly frivolous.

But, I don't want to blow all of it. It's important for me to have some put away for a rainy day. Although, if I spent my wine bottle savings account each rainy day, I wouldn't have one, since I live in Seattle and nearly every day is a rainy one.

So, I save for vacation instead.

Vacation is a great time for me to have cash on hand. My current WBSA amounts to approximately $300. My last one was about $150. Given my current situation and my situation at the time I broke open my last one, I think that is a good amount to spend on vacation without feeling guilty.

I do, sometimes, spend more on vacation. I do things I normally wouldn't. I buy some clothes, some shoes, some little extras. I may go a bit over my current $300, and that's okay. But it's nice to have it there for little odds and ends. It's nice to be able to sit down in a San Francisco Starbucks and get a chai AND a pastry.

Basically, I do the following:

1. Start with an empty, clean wine bottle. Rinse it and LET IT DRY. (I didn't let it dry thoroughly enough the first time I did this and ended up with a moldy five dollar bill.) THIS IS THE FUN PART MY FRIENDS: IN ORDER TO GET AN EMPTY WINE BOTTLE YOU MUST FIRST DRINK THE WINE! PARTY ON!

2. Contribute a certain amount of cash every time you can. (I was doing $20 each time I babysat for a while, but then the babysitting died down, so I scaled back a bit.)

3. Keep track. Or don't. The first time I did this I did not keep track--and it was fun to be surprised. This time I have kept pretty close track and am also pleased with the results. Because you can't count it without breaking the bottle, I wrote what I contributed each week on the side.

4. Break it when it's time--but be careful.

5. Enjoy. This is mostly just a lot of fun. So.

"Hot Dogs in a Thermos"

2009-08-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at a work function I was explaining my cell phone strategy to another person that works for the agency that I do. While I described how I would actually be paying less out of pocket for more service, she said

"It makes sense. You are the girl with the hot dogs in a thermos."

What? You may ask? Hot dogs in a thermos? Let me explain.

Earlier this summer I was at the park with my friends. Boy, was I hungry. There is a small hot dog stand at the park. A hot dog with a bun and condiments is $4. It is a yummy, high quality hot dog. I could probably eat two of them each time I go to the park. But I don't. Why? That's approximately $80 a summer on hot dogs, assuming I eat two a week for ten weeks.

I came up with a strategy that will now be known as "hot dogs in a thermos."

1. Go home. Boil hot dogs in some water on the stove until they are nice and warm.

2. Put hot dogs in a thermos. (About five fit in my thermos.) Pour boiling water over them. Seal lid on.

3. Pack buns and condiments.

4. Bring to park. Share with your friends. If you are super stingy, charge them 50 cents per hot dog. (I don't do this--yet.)

5. Revel in the joy of saving money.

On sale, a 12-pack of hot dogs costs about $2. Sometimes less. A pack of buns? About $2 on sale for 8. I keep both on hand. Sometimes I freeze them.

At almost any event or activity that involves being outside for a long day, you will find me with a big bag or basket. This bag or basket normally contains hot dogs. If you are nice, I will give you one.

Picture: My thermos, along with my condiment containers made cleverly from old vitamin bottles. I wrote words such as "Mustard" and "Fancy Ketchup" on them.

Two Days.

2009-08-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

I ate lunch out two days this week.

I am kind of bad.

Normally I am so good about bringing my lunch. Mostly leftovers. Make a big dinner for myself, save part of it for the next day. Good? Good.

But this week, things were dragging. I don't even know how it happened. On Tuesday I brought a lunch--some of last week's chili from a huge batch that I made.

Then my coworker interfered. He invited me to McDonald's. I had to go. I mean, I didn't HAVE to, but I love me some McDonald's, as long as it's every once in a while.

It was good, too. I savored my burger, and my chicken nuggets, and my fries. Well, maybe I didn't SAVOR the burger--I guess I ate it kind of fast. But it was good.

Wednesday came and I ate Tuesday's chili. It was good.

Then Thursday came along and I forgot a lunch again. Wednesday night was busy--acupuncture, vegan soft serve with a friend, and then drinks out with more friends. I gave in again and had some KFC.

Today, though, I did well. Last night allowed no time for anything--I worked all day and then had a babysitting job all night. At the babysitting job I had some lovely dinner, but of course I couldn't bring any home. (Well, I guess I COULD have, but that's just tacky and wrong. Pretty much stealing.) So today I took my favorite combination of ingredients and threw them in a bag for work:

1. Tortillas
2. Spinach
3. Avocado
4. Mustard

I then bought some lunch meat at the store and made my favorite wraps. They are yummy, simple, and very nutritious.

There is no moral to the story, exactly. Some weeks are better than other. Most of my weeks are excellent when it comes to lunch packing--I think this is the first time I've ever had lunch out more than twice in a work week. I would practice next week, too, but I'll be on vacation! That's when it will be time to splurge with my vacation fund. I'll tell you all about that soon.

NOTE: That is not me in the photo. But I wish it was. Yum.

Oh, Internet Phones

2009-08-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

I've been really into the idea of an internet phone for a while. Being able to have the internet whenever I need it is really very appealing to me. Having a GPS or even just GoogleMaps available when I am on the go is a huge perk for me, as I am constantly getting lost, for my job and otherwise.

But, paying an extra $25 a month plus buying a phone did not sound appealing. Especially since it wasn't something that I really NEEDED. Then, something came along to help me change my mind.

Currently, the agency that I work for provides us with work cell phones. We have a cell phone and they take care of all the billing for it. It's nice. It's convenient.

But, after this month they are switching over to a stipend-only policy. Instead of paying for our cell phones, they will give us a stipend of $60-$100 per month based on our usage.

That got me thinking.

Currently, I pay around $40 per month for my phone on a family plan with my mom, my step-dad and my brother. That includes a certain number of minutes, which I rarely exceed and unlimited texting, which I added after I started exceeding my old text limit. A $60 stipend per month would cover that easily, so I could potentially just use my current phone as my work phone.

That option, unfortunately, would not work for me. I work in social work and often have to give my phone number to the families I work with. I currently have a work number for this. Using my personal phone would be a little close for comfort when blending personal and professional life. I also have a phone number that is in my hometown's area code. My work families would not be able to call me on this unless they had phones with long distance. Many do not.

After MUCH negotiation and calls to the phone company, T-Mobile, I was able to arrange the following with my lovely step-mom's help:

1. I will add a line to our family plan. This will bring our total for the five phones to $90 a month. I will be responsible for 2/5ths of this.

2. The line I am adding will be switched to a local area code for Seattle.

3. I will buy an internet phone for around $150 and a data plan for $25 per month.

4. I will continue to pay $20 a month for texting.

After all is said and done, my portion of my family's cell phone bill will be approximately $81. With work paying for $60 of this, the total cost to me will be approximately $21, which is $19 LESS than I am currently paying for cell phone service.

Smart? Yes. Ruling at life? Perhaps.

I am aware that I could've chose another path (I was strongly considering using Second Voice but didn't want to deal with calling their voicemail number every time I needed to call out) that would allow my to pocket some of the stipend money from my agency, but really, this is pretty sweet.

Now all I have to do is wait for it to come in the mail.

Fridge Repairs and the Joys of Homeownership

2009-07-30T20:25:00.000-07:00

I have owned my home for nearly two months now. It is great. It is grand. IT IS EXPENSIVE.

Seattle Washington has been experiencing the most intense heat wave that it has had in a LONG time. Temperatures reached 103 degrees yesterday, an all time high. People have been going crazy.

Today I was having a bit of a fat girl moment and decided to eat some frosting and chocolate animal crackers. "Wow," I thought to myself as I was eating the first delectable bite. "This frosting is really soft and nice. Usually after being in the fridge the frosting gets yucky and hard. Mmmmmm." I didn't think twice.

Then I decided to eat some potato salad straight out of the container. It, too, tasted warmer than it should.

At that point I stuck my head in the fridge and started frantically feeling things. Things were not ice cold. Wine was gathering condensation. I began to panic. I open the freezer. The ice cubes are half ice, half puddles.

Shit. Shit shit.

The first thing I do? Switch the plug of the fridge from one outlet to another. Maybe that will help, right? I decide to calm down for a bit.

After checking again, I realized that no, it has not worked. Panic. Call several refrigerator repair places. All have a fee of $50+ just to come look at it. The earliest that one can get here is "between eight and five tomorrow." This is incredibly convenient, as I can definitely take a day off to wait for a repair person. Right? WRONG. Who the hell do they think I am?

There is a complete lack of information when it comes to Seattle Fridge Repair people. Frustrated, I type in FRIDGE REPAIR, like that, in all caps, hoping to find some big asshole corporate company who will come, do something simple and then charge me up the ass.

Instead, I found a nice little article about things to try when your fridge isn't working! "Wow! I could do this myself," I thought. It tells me to dust the coils. I then google "How to dust fridge coils" and came across this:

Awesome dude who shows me how to dust my fridge coils on youtube.

I proceed to vacuum under the fridge. And dust under the fridge. And vacuum more. And dust more. Finally, I took a hair dryer and blew the shit out of the underside of the fridge.

And I'm not positive, but it seems to be working better. I'm going to sleep on it and check it out in the morning. Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Costco.

2009-07-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Costco.

Keep in mind that I do not have a membership. Even so, I can reap many benefits from going to Costco.

1. Prescriptions. Costco has the most inexpensive prescriptions that I have found. You do not need to be a member to use their pharmacy. Just tell them that you're going to the pharmacy if they try to check your card when you go in.

2. Free samples. Self explanatory. Great for while you are waiting for your prescription to be filled.

3. Cheap food court. A hot dog and a soda for $1.50. It's cash only, but still amazing, because it is cheap and you do not have to be a member. A great place to sit, eat and people watch while you wait for your prescription.

I also take time to look around and see if there is anything that I need. Usually there is not. However, if I do find something that I really need or want, I will HAVE to think about it before buying it. This is because you can't buy items without a Costco card, which can force intentionality. If there is something I absolutely need, I must go out of my way to find someone with a card, have them accompany me to the store, and have them buy the item so that I can pay them back. Pain in the ass. Rarely happens.

Anyway, an afternoon spent at Costco is usually one well spent. Cheaply.

I would like a new car, please.

2009-06-17T19:37:00.001-07:00

I want a new car. The 1992 Geo Prizm is getting kind of old. It is needing to get stuff replaced. It is loud and ugly and a little embarassing. But it is not time yet.

This year, my priority was to buy my first home. In order to do this, I had to do a couple of things. I had to take on some debt for the downpayment. I had to increase the amount I was paying monthly for housing.

I also had to put off buying a new car.

But it's not so bad, right? I have heard the Geo Prizm called "the ultimate frugal car." I have been told over and over again that it will "run forever." Even if I am putting a thousand dollars each year worth of maintenance into it (I'm not, yet) it will still be cheaper than buying a new car.

Besides, it gets me to work, and all the other places that I need to go.

My plan of action for a new car is familiar to most people who are frugal, but completely foreign to others. After my down payment debt is paid off, I will start making a monthly payment to myself. Depending on what else I have to save for and my motivation, I hope to put $200+ a month for the new car. If the old car craps out before this, I will take the money I have saved and put it toward a new (new-used, actually) car so that my payments will be lower and/or take less time to pay off. Hopefully, though. my little Geo will keep on going until I have enough saved.

I can't wait!

2009-06-17T19:34:00.001-07:00

Got Health Care? Probably not! The number of people lacking health insurance right now seems to be high. This can be depressing, disappointing, and frustrating.

Even with insurance, you can get screwed financially. Currently, I am completely blessed to have a wonderful job with the best benefits I have ever heard of. Ever. this is even more of a blessing after being uninsured for nearly three years. Here are some things that I have been trying to do to reduce health care costs.

Prevention! Take care of yourself. Eat right. Don't eat a lot of sugar. (I fail pretty hard at this one, but you know.) Get the right amount of sleep. Exercise (or just go for walks!) Don't over-schedule yourself. Have a positive attitude. It sounds stupid, but a positive attitude is my biggest health benefit. It makes all the other things easier, even if it took many years to acquire. If you are a woman, get your girly exam once a year. If you are sexually active, get tested after every new partner. Don't screw around with your health.

Alternative Medicine! As we speak, I am taking my vitamins and soaking my foot in an oatmeal bath. It sounds bizarre, but don't knock it until you've tried it. My life has improved by leaps and bounds since I started doing acupuncture on a weekly basis, taking vitamins for depression and other things. I also have a doctor who doubles as a naturopath. All of these factors have helped to keep me healthy.

Find a good doctor! When I was uninsured, I hated paying hundreds out of pocket for office visits with jerks. Unfortunately, sometimes you're going to have to pay hundreds out of pocket. But don't pay it to jerks. Find a good office that will let you self-pay, and find a wonderful doctor there. THIS WILL TAKE WORK. But it will make you happier in the end. In Seattle I really enjoy the Country Doctor. Now that I am insured, I still go there. I also recommend Planned Parenthood. They helped me with free birth control and low cost exams for years.

Rest BEFORE you get sick! Doing this helped me fend off a lot of sickness when I was in college. Unfortunately, this is harder to do when you have a job--before I could just skip class and sleep. (Not that I did it unless I really needed to!) Give it a try though. Your sicknesses will not last as long.

Alcohol, Cigarettes and Marijuana! These things are bad for you. Use in moderation or not at all. You'll save a ton of money in many ways. Plus, pot is smelly.

When in doubt, ask! Back in the day, my drunk roommate stepped on my toe with her high heels. (I don't blame her--it was an accident and also her 21st birthday. It happens!) I went to the doctor and she said that she would Xray it. I asked her why and how much it would cost. She said "You know...we don't REALLY need to Xray it. It was just to see." We ended up skipping the Xray and probably several hundred dollars off of my bill. Yes!

You can also call your insurance company to get a rough idea of what things will cost. (That is, if you are insured.) I called mine earlier this week to see how much it would cost to get allergy testing. This let me evaluate whether it was worth it or not. (I think it is.)

Don't look on Web Md to self diagnose! You'll regret it.

These are probably not new ideas to you, but I have found them quite helpful, after much trial and error with this ridiculous system that Americans call health "care". Good luck!

Buying a Home

2009-04-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers!*

I have recently purchased my first home. It is a coop unit in Seattle. Yay!

This is an exciting time for me. I will take on a mortgage. I will have my own space. I will get to paint the walls whatever color I want!

It is also a big expense. My mortgage is going to be several hundred dollars more per month than what I pay for rent right now. A lot of people are asking me why I bother. I did some thinking, and some calculations, and here's what I have come up with...

1. Owning a home is a priority for me. It is one of my life goals. I value stability and a sense of ownership. This is my main reason for buying.

2. Even though the expense will be more per months, I will not be struggling. Currently, I save a large portion of my income every month. Instead of cutting into my spending money, it will be cutting into my savings money by about half. Basically, instead of saving, I will be putting my money into my home, which is an investment. Fortunately, I will still be able to save a significant amount every month if I continue to maintain my current standards of living.

3. I just calculated what I have paid in rent my whole life. It adds up to approximately $31,641 in six and a half years. Wow. That doesn't include deposits, moving costs, etc.

4. Though my mortgage is higher, my building has several amenities and benefits that will save me money in the long run. There is an exercise room and a pool, so I will never need a gym membership. (Not that I wanted one anyway, but I wanted to brag.) There is also a set of outdoor stairs that run along the side of the building, which I can run up and down for exercise.

Also, laundry is significantly cheaper at this place than it is at my current one. Fifty cents to wash and twenty five cents for thirty minutes of drying! I am in love. (I do still plan to do some hang-drying in my HUGE closet!)

And more--there is cheap parking and a storage space in another area of the building! This is in addition to the very large closets in my unit.

There are also several things that will bring me much enjoyment and in my life--a rooftop deck, an enclosed deck off my unit and a great location where I am within walking distance of plenty of activities. There's also a flight of stairs right outside the front door of my building--my favorite cheap workout.

I am so excited. Now come to my pool party.

*I know I have readers, cause at least three people now have told me that they read. Yes! Comments, please!

Saving Money 101: Fall in Love With Your Bank Teller

2009-03-17T21:53:00.000-07:00

When I was in high school I went to the bank a LOT.

This is because I had a crush on my bank teller.

Erek was a super hot, super awkward curly headed bank teller in my hometown. I worked as a babysitter. I always told the parents to pay me with a check.

That's about all there is to the story, actually. But it helped me save money. Think about it.

Don't YOU want to appear totally cool and responsible to your hot bank teller? Yes. I do. Who doesn't?

Unfortunately, I don't have a hot bank teller any more. Are there any hot Bank of America Tellers in Seattle? If so, please point me their way.

I am also willing to switch banks, if necessary.

Please leave recommendations in the comments. Thanks.

Cheap Exercise Tip

2009-03-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

I think I am going to take up hula hooping. I have heard that it is good for your abs.

So far I have read that you should hula hoop twice a day for ten minutes.

Imagine that! Hula hooping for health! I am excited to see if this works. But it must, right? You are using muscles and getting an aerobic workout.

My hula hoop only cost $5. Eventually, if all goes well, I may upgrade to a heavier one.

Rad.

Making the Most Of Your Sick Days

2009-03-09T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today I am sick and staying home from work.

It sounds silly, but there ARE efficient ways to stay home from work due to illness that will save you money in the end. Luckily at my job now I get sick time, but I still, of course, want to minimize my time away.

Here are some things that I learned in the past couple of years:

1. Stay home BEFORE you get too sick. I very well could have gone in to work today. It wasn't going to be a very busy day, so I could have handled it. But I didn't. Why? Over-exerting myself today would have just made my illness worse for the rest of the week. By tackling it just as it is coming, I am saving myself time later in the week.

2. Spend your time actually RESTING. I have a tendency to want to get things done when I have time off. But this is not the way that sick time is meant to be spent. Today I really want to clean my house and go to the store and go exercise. No. These things will not contribute to my wellness. My job today is to sit around, take naps, and drink tea.

3. Avoid sugar and bad foods. This is hard. But really helpful. Sugar just makes you hold the sickness in longer. Or something like that.

4. Use remedies that work for you. I am a big fan of Zicam Zinc Nasal Swabs. The earlier you use them, the better. I'm also a big fan of airborne, but I am starting to think that it tastes really good, meaning it probably has a ton of sugar in it. I am going to look into getting some Vitamin C Tablets today instead.

5. Take care of yourself when you do return to work. Make sure you eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and continue with helpful remedies. I will be going back tomorrow, most likely, and I will have to make sure that I don't over-exert myself. I will also be taking it easy after work tomorrow and as long as I can.

6. It sounds like a no-brainer, but DON'T go out with your friends. In the past on sick days I would be like "Oh, I'm sick, but I want to be social, so I'll go have some bitters in soda water or a screwdriver or something." Bad, bad. Really. Avoiding rest and drinking alcohol is probably the worst thing that you can do. If you want to be social...well, don't. Wait until later. I know it's hard.

Okay. Now that is said, I am going to go rest now. And drink more tea. And take vitamins...

March Meal Planning

2009-03-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

I did some grocery shopping.
This month, instead of doing a calendar with a menu on it, I just did a list of meals and bought for all of them. I feel pretty well stocked. Here is the list of meals I will soon be eating (if I have not already eaten them).

1. Chicken with Cheddar and Broccoli Soup, Broccoli and Potatoes
2. Chicken with Cream of Mushroom Soup and Potatoes
3. Chicken Burgers with Butternut Squash Fries
4. Veggie Pizza with Fiber One Crust
5. TVP Tacos
6. Nachos
7. Quesadillas
8. Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich
9. Pasta with Red Sauce and TVP
10. Pasta with Pesto
11. Ravioli with Red Sauce
12. Stir Fried Vegetables with Egg
13. Yakisoba Noodles with Vegetables and Egg
14. Barbecue Chicken Wraps
15. Chili
16. Teriyaki Chicken with Edamame
17. Egg flower soup
18. Black Bean and Cheddar Soup
19. Tuna Melt
20. Pumpkin Salsa Soup
21. Salmon, mashed potatoes and green beans
22. Frozen Lasagna
23. Falafel
24. Hella Salad
25. Turkey and Avocado Wrap
26. Red Curry
27. Vegetables with Simmer Sauce

Oh, except I did not buy the frozen lasagna. Too expensive. I want to learn how to make my own, but that's expensive, too.

Go me! I have some goals this month. One is to not eat out so much, because that is kind of pointless, sometimes.

Coke Rewards Again

2009-03-06T19:46:00.000-08:00

I just bought two sweet things with my Coke Rewards Points.

1. A free 12 pack of Coke. Sweet. I will probably get Coke Zero. I spent the points and they will send a coupon in the mail. I redeem it. Bring Coke home. Put the points from that package into my account. Repeat.

2. A subscription to Self Magazine. Because why not?

There are some higher point items on the site that I want, like an exercise ball for 1700 points. But, that would just be too much. I think you get ten points per twelve pack that you buy, and by the time that I drink 170 twelve packs of Coke I will be dead and/or the promotion will be over. So no.

Shopping!

2009-02-07T18:22:00.000-08:00

Today I went shopping. I shopped for over three hours.

I was not pleased.

You see, I bought those expensive (expensive EXPENSIVE) jeans a while back. They are absolutely wonderful and pretty much worth the expense. Yet, I am having a hard time finding cute and sexy shirts to wear with them.

Because I normally wear dresses, I have a hard time feeling feminine in pants. So I try to wear only my most feminine shirts with pants. And as of right now, I am sorely lacking feminine shirts.

So today I went on an adventure to find them.

And do you know what I bought? Nothing.

I see that as a good thing and a bad thing. But mostly a good thing.

I went to several stores: two fancypants stores downtown to check out the sales, Nordstrom Rack, a vintage store in Pike Place Market, Macy's, Anthropologie, The Gap, Old Navy, another vintage store on Capitol Hill and Value Village. This was a nice range of prices and selections. But I still found nothing.

In the past couple of years I have decided that I am only going to buy things that I absolutely love. There is no point in me buying something that I do not feel absolutely amazing in. If it makes me feel boyish or fat or unattractive I don't get it. It must be beautiful, flattering and almost perfect. Otherwise, what is the point?

Clothing and the way I dress is extremely important to me. I was talking to a friend about this today. I am not an artist, yet I express myself daily through what I wear. My creativity comes through my clothes. If I am going to buy something, it must fit the message that I want to convey exactly.

So, the search for a perfect shirt to go with my expensive jeans rages on. And that is okay.

2009-01-23T21:20:00.000-08:00

Just so we all know...

more animals

I plan on seeing how my tv works for this and then evaluating. I don't NEED tv. But it would be nice to continue to have Gossip Girl available.

Some good jeans.

2009-01-17T22:02:00.001-08:00

I just spent way, way too much money on jeans.

I am brand loyal to some things. Jeans is one of them. I really like Lucky Jeans. They say "Lucky You" under the zipper, come with a fortune in the pocket, and fit really nice. They also last a long time--I have been wearing my first pair since 2004. Of course, I don't wear them very often, but they still do me well.

I have lost a little bit of weight in the past year, so my most recent pair of Lucky Jeans was getting a little big. I needed something new. Something sexy. Some well fitting jeans.

Of course, I didn't want to pay full price for them. So, as I usually do, I waited for Lucky's sale that happens twice per year. Twice per year most of their jeans are fifty percent off!

I went in and picked out a whole bunch of pairs. I tried them all on. Only one pair fit really well. I brought it up to the extremely hot dude at the cash register. He rang me up. It was....$140.

"$140?!" I screeched. "I thought they were half off!" Of course, the only nice fitting pair were NOT on sale. Stupid. Stupid. The salesboy then looked at me with his blue blue eyes and told me that he would go look and see if they went on sale any time soon. When he returned, he informed me that he did not.

And you know what? I bought them anyway. I am a little ashamed. $140 is too much for jeans. But, they are an investment. I believe that if you are going to buy something, you should buy something that you really love for a lot of money than something you kind of love for a little money.

I could've bought the half off jeans. But I wouldn't have wanted to wear them nearly as much as I do these ones. I had been looking for a while. And believe me, Goodwill does not have well-fitting jeans, let alone well fitting Lucky jeans.

Plus, buying these jeans helped hot salesboy get some commission, I hope.

So you may think I am frivolous. Foolish. Not frugal. And I might agree.

But less than a week after I got the jeans my friend's friend told me that my ass was amazing. Case closed.

Bring Your Lunch.

2009-01-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

I hate this piece of advice. I see it everywhere. Everywhere! But it's so, so true.

I have been at my job for almost two months now. I have bought lunch once. At Popeye's. It wasn't very good. Or healthy.

I have worked 25 days at the new job. I have bought 24 lunches. A lunch "out" (fast food is running approximately $6.50 a meal now, if you get a drink, a hamburger and fries. Total? I have saved $156.

With that money I can buy almost enough groceries to last me for a month.

So while it may seem like dumb advice...

BRING YOUR LUNCH.

Auto Insurance - The Ads Don't Lie

2009-01-06T20:48:00.000-08:00

Just FYI--I just saved a huge amount on my car insurance by switching to Geico.

Really.

I WAS paying $98.84 per month for Car Insurance and Renter's Insurance.

I NOW pay $54 per month for Car Insurance and Renter's Insurance.

Look into it.

Also, RENTER'S INSURANCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT. Believe me. One time my apartment building almost burnt down in a huge fire that was caused by some drunk passed out duder cooking french fries. The place BURNED. Our apartment didn't burn specifically, but the smoke damage and post traumatic stress was enough to put me out of work, cause me to do a ton of laundry, and generally just make me grumpy and depressed.

Also, I STILL have items in my house that are smoke damaged.

Renter's Insurance would've made this situation a lot easier. Plus, they'll put you up in a hotel so you won't have to burden your friends with your post-traumatic stress.

Think about that.

PS this picture is from the actual fire. See the upper-left hand corner? That is where my roommate, ex-boyfriend and I were. What a way to wake up!

Financial Goals for the Year

2009-01-06T20:31:00.000-08:00

I've got big dreams.

1. Save $10,000 for a condo down payment by January 1, 2009. (If the market gets low enough so it is worth it to buy now rather than later, I will get temporary parental help and begin paying that off accordingly.)

2. Go on a vacation. Use only money from my vacation fund to go on that vacation. Vacation fund was started today. Current balance: $100. San Francisco and/or LA, here I come!

3. Any money I get back from my job for mileage goes into my New Car Fund.

4. Keep a small fund for unexpected expenses/emergencies. Dip into Condo Down Payment fund in event of a major emergency. Hopefully there will be none of those. Use credit card as last resort for emergencies.

5. Do not wrack up credit card debt. Continue to build awesome credit.

6. Continue to save for retirement so that I will be able to live comfortably when I get older.

7. Once I have saved the appropriate amount for the above things, I am allowed to buy stupid things, such as expensive jeans, coffee shop drinks, alcohol, and fancy clothes. However, I am NOT allowed to buy these things if they cut into my savings or put me into debt. I figure that I am putting so much away that I can spend the rest on whatever I damn well please. While still being frugal. And bringing my lunch to work every day.

Kill me now.

2008-12-19T16:25:00.000-08:00

I know I talk a lot of shit about Ipods. That is because I think they are generally a waste of money. Well, maybe not a waste. But not NECESSARY you know? Some people act like their Ipods are like food: they will die without them. This is probably not true. You will probably not die without your Ipod. Probably.

But. I understand that they’re convenient. I understand that they’re fun. I do not think that you need to wear yours ALL the time and cut off all human communication just so you can listen to the latest Cat Power record. I don’t think that you should be buying a new one every time a new one comes out. I think of it as a luxury—kind of like pre-package convenience food. It certainly makes things easier, but for a price.

That being said, I will never own an ipod.

BUT.

Yesterday I was taking a walk down to the good old community acupuncture clinic. This is normally the highlight of my week. Anyway, on my walk there, my CD player started to skip. Again. And again. And again. This happens pretty regularly. Although I am proud of my CD player and all the money that it saves me, it really can be a pain in the ass. It’s not so much having to listen to one CD at a time—I don’t really mind that. It’s the skipping. A lot of my CDs are really old and there are songs on them that I just can’t listen to. Sometimes it’s a whole half of a CD that I can’t listen to.

As this was happening yesterday I was like “Damn it! Eff this! I am buying an ipod!” Then I cursed myself for even thinking of such an unethical and outrageous solution. Then I remembered that I could have an MP3 player without being too much of a trendy bitch—I could buy a Zune…

Yes, it’s the same thing. But at least it’s not an ipod, right? White ear “buds” attached to a secret container in your pocket? What is that, a pot reference?

Today I am stuck working from home because of the copious amounts of snow outside. So, on one of my breaks I decided to do some Zune research. In the past when I considered buying a Zune I thought that maybe I would get the 80 GB one. Go big or go home, right?

Then I realize that an 80 GB Zune was completely unnecessary. Let’s say my current CD collection has about 100 cds. I listen to approximately 50 of these cds on a regular basis (if that).

The “Zune 16” holds 4,000 songs. Let’s say the average CD has about twelve songs on it. That means that the “Zune 16” holds approximately 333 CDs. Since I only have 100 cds, and many of them are rap-rock from the late 1990’s that I would rather die than listen to, maybe the” Zune 16” would make sense.

“But,” you might say. “What about all that sweet music that you are going to download off of ‘I Tunes’ every day?”

“Do not fret,” I would say back. I think that buying a ton of stuff off of this “Itunes” business would be a waste of money for me. I do not usually stay current with new music, and maybe buy a CD every two months at the very most. So, even after uploading 50 CDs onto my brand new Zune, I would still have room for 283 more. And, if I bought a CD every month (unlikely) and added that to the device, it would take me almost two years to fill it up!

And by then I will be so into my Zune that I will be the new model, because the old one will be as outdated as the Discman I currently rock out with.

So, my friends, I might buy an Mp3 player. But I swear that I won’t be proud of it.

How To Get What You Want By Using Yelp

2008-12-14T11:00:00.000-08:00

If you're like me, you don't want to waste your money on someone mean, lazy, or just bad.

With the help of Yelp.com, I am able to avoid money-wasting, meanness, laziness and badness more and more often.

Yelp is a website where you can type in something you need (examples: acupuncture, dentist, shoe repair) and read reviews of business that do those things. Each business has a star rating, as given by readers, and reviews by readers specifying why they gave a place a good or bad review.

For example, I wanted to go to acupuncture. So I looked up "acupuncture" in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, which is where I live. I found affordable acupuncture with five stars. I have been going there for six months now and it is wonderful.

Another example: when shopping for insurance for my new job, I had the choice between the coverage of Washington Dental or Willamette Dental. Willamette Dental was a far better deal, but you could only go to Willamette Dentists. I looked up the Willamette Dental center by my house, which got horrible reviews. Another Willamette Dental center in Kirkland also got horrible reviews. I decided to save myself the heartache and go with Washington Dental. Even though it is a more expensive plan, you can go anywhere you want. And I, personally, enjoy a nice dentist rather than an evil one.

I have also found a great shoe repair place, tea shop, and vet through Yelp. I've also reviewed many places that have treated me really good--or bad.

Yelp really is a great tool to help weed out the places that you DON'T want to go, and find places that might just become your favorites.

Once a Month Grocery Shopping - Update

2008-12-13T19:59:00.000-08:00

Remember when I bought groceries for the whole month at the beginning of the month? Yeah.

It's gone pretty well so far. I have actually made it until now without eating out once. Which is good! I am allowed to eat out, of course, on the weekends, but I have had enough food at my house so that I have not needed to.

The menu helps a LOT. Knowing what I will be eating the next day comes in super helpful. Although, sometimes I schedule myself pretty tightly and don't have time to cook. When that happens I will make something easy off the menu and just make more of it so that it lasts longer.

For example, on Monday night I am supposed to babysit, which I did not originally plan for. So I will probably not make vegetable soup. Instead, maybe I will make stir fry or pasta. Or, perhaps I will make vegetable soup on Sunday night and have enough for two days.

I am quite happy with my results so far. I have gone to the produce stand twice. It is on the way home from the new job, so it is not out of the way any more. Besides that, I haven't needed to buy anything at the grocery store! Yay!

Another advantage is that when I am hungry, I know I have enough food to make SOMETHING. Before, even though I was spending a lot of money on groceries, I wouldn't have anything to make because it was all random and unplanned. Now I have several staples for several meals.

Yes. I will let you know if I make it until the end of the month...

I'd Like To Buy The World a Coke

2008-12-12T17:21:00.000-08:00

I like Coca-Cola. I always have. But, it is pretty bad for you. Really. And kind of expensive for what it is.

Really, you should be drinking water. It is good for you and nearly free. But, sometimes people don't LIKE to drink water. Sometime I don't like to drink water. So I have a stash of Coke Zero in the fridge. I drink one every once in a while, but try not to make it a habit.

At the moment Coke has a promotion going on. Any Coke product that you buy comes with a promotional code. Once you have this code, you go to http://www.mycokerewards.com, register for an account, and enter the codes. It will give you points.

The points are good for all sorts of crap you don't need. But, they're also good for free Coke! Honestly, buying the Coke really isn't worth the points, but if it is something that you're going to do anyway, you may as well take advantage.

For example, right now I have 80 points. That seems like a lot, right? Well, not exactly. For 24 points I could get a 20 oz bottle of Coke. So right now I have enough for three twenty ounce bottles. Not bad.

My strategy for this? Scavenge. Yes, it's tacky. Yes, it's a little gross. But who cares? Maybe the word scavenge isn't quite right. Collect? Beg?

If I am walking down the street and I see a 20 oz bottle of Coke that someone has littered, I pick it up, take off the top, and put it in my pocket. Sweet. I have done this several times. Also, if you're at a party and see a potential Coke point source just sitting there, take it! (Unless you know the host collects them. But they probably don't rule at life, so don't count on it.)

This is how I got so many points. I probably have purchased maybe 20 of those 80 points. Maybe. Mostly it is by being tacky and a little gross. But eh.

So go on! Next time you see a bottle of Coke just sitting on the sidewalk, take off the cap, take it home, and enter it. Or, at the very least, give it to me.

Taking Advantage of Extras

2008-12-10T20:25:00.000-08:00

My wonderful new job comes equipped with all sorts of benefits and extras. I'm excited to start exploring these and finding new ways to save.

One of them is mileage. My job pays a good rate for any driving I do that is necessary for my job. (This should be standard, but sadly, it is not--I have driven for jobs for years and this is the first time that I have gotten actual mileage.) Right now I think it is around 51 cent per mile. I have been doing a lot of extra driving these past couple of weeks while I am still training.

My plan? At the end of the month, I will turn in my mileage card. I have been tracking closely and writing everything down ASAP so that I will not forget where and when I drove for work. When I get the mileage reimbursement check, it will go into a high-interest savings account that will eventually pay for a new car. It's unlikely that I will be able to buy a new car on mileage checks alone, but hey, it can't hurt. At this point of the month I have been at my job for eight days. So far I have driven about 150 miles for work. That is $76, which is sweet.

Another good benefit is a resource called Enhanced Benefits Group. I have already called them to talk about mortgages. I am hoping to buy a condo, so I talked to some sort of a mortgage counselor on Friday to see what my price range should be.

I also will have access to what's called a VEBA Account. Each month, I am allotted $712 for benefits. But, I am only using about $600 of those. The remaining money will go into a VEBA Account, which I can use to pay other health care related costs. I am hoping to pay for part of my weekly acupuncture visits with it.

I am finding that there is a lot offered through my job. The key is knowing what your resources are and taking advantage of them. I am sure that some people of the agency aren't aware of all the ways that these things can work for them. I'm excited to get started.

$212

2008-12-09T19:17:00.000-08:00

What would you buy if you had an extra $212 dollars each month for a year?

I would buy the following things:

January: A Zune Mp3 Player
February: A lot of Jean Paul Gaultier Perfume (It is my signature scent and discontinued--I'm stocking up)
March: Books
April: A ton of cheap clothes from H&M and Forever 21
May: Cds
June: A plane ticket to San Francisco
July: Dinner out three times a week
August: A fancy drink from Sureshot every day
September: Hella Booze
October: A new TV
November: Expensive shoes
December: A whole bunch of meaningless crap for everyone else

And you get the point. I can't even think of how much crap I would buy with an extra $212 a month. Of course, I could always spend it on useful things. But what is considered useful?

I just started a new job, complete with a retirement plan. $212 is the amount that will be put away each month. I will up this next year when my salary goes up. But, even if I don't up it, I will be in good shape by retirement. Why?

According to some retirement calculator online...

"Your 457 could be worth $932,845 after 40 years"

So yes! Instead of having a bunch of stupid clothes, electronics, dinners out and coffees that I will just get tired of or digest, I will have almost a million dollars.

And you won't. Unless you get started saving. NOW!

Stopping for pedestrians is costly.

2008-11-30T12:30:00.000-08:00

But it IS the law...plus it is considerate.

Please read my Craigslist "Missed Connection" ad.

Today I called a pedestrian an asshole.
I drive a car. I know, I know. Cars are bad. Cars are bad for the environment. They're expensive. Blah blah. But a lot of the time, when walking somewhere is not practical, I drive my car.

Today was one of those days. I decided to buy a TON of groceries (to last me the whole month!) so I drove my car so that I could take them all home.

On the way home from my huge grocery trip, I stopped for you, the pedestrian I called an asshole. I stopped so that you could cross the street. Why? First, because I THINK it’s the law. (Don’t pedestrians always have the right-of-way? I’m pretty sure. Maybe this guy knows something I don’t, though.) Second, it’s considerate. Yes, law-abiding and considerate.

What makes it even MORE considerate is that it cuts into my fuel efficiency to do unnecessary stopping and going. Of course, because it is the law (as far as I know) it is not unnecessary for me to stop for pedestrians.

But, it IS unnecessary for me to stop when you CHOSE NOT TO WALK. I guess that’s a choice you can make freely. Of course it is. But it is a completely inconsiderate one. What, are you too GOOD to cross the street in front of my old beater car? Are you trying to be considerate by letting ME go? Well, guess what? It is NOT considerate for you to let me go first. Why? Because it wastes my time, my gas, and essentially, my money.
Today it was also wasting the time, gas and money of the drivers lined up behind me who honked. Embarrassing! I’m not sure if they were honking at me because I looked like an asshole for waiting for some asshole who clearly wouldn’t go, even though he was obviously wanting to cross the street, or if they were honking at your for wasting their time (and money, and gas, etc.)

Anyway, guy that I called an asshole this morning, you are not alone! This happens to me pretty frequently. So, all you pedestrians who are trying to be considerate by letting me go first—don’t! When I stop, politely wave, and then go! I will appreciate that SO much more than you letting me go. Actually, most of the time I won’t go—I will sit and sit and sit there until finally you decide to go, after wasting everyone’s time. And sometimes it takes a LONG time to realize that I am not going anywhere until you fucking CROSS THE STREET. (Today I did not play that game because of the people waiting and honking behind me.)

P.S. I actually think I called you a “fucking asshole” within my car. You definitely picked up on this, because as I drove away I saw you looking at me. Maybe in fear. Who knows.

(I posted this and then it got flagged. So I change the headline and wording a little bit and reposted. We'll see how that one goes...)

Monthly Grocery Shopping

2008-11-30T12:08:00.000-08:00

Hi loyal followers (hah),

Today I bought a month's worth of groceries. Well, almost.

I read an article earlier this month about monthly grocery shopping. I thought it sounded like a good idea, for the most part. I decided to try it for the month, but with my own rules and steps.

I made a menu for an entire month. I did not plan for weekends, as those are crazy and I didn't want to schedule myself too much. I figure that weekends are for cooking with friends and being spontaneous.

I also made sure to plan around weekly events--for example, on Thursday nights I have a weekly babysitting job. Thursday night meals are always simple to make, as well as Friday lunches.

I am allowed to buy some products after the inital monthly trip. For example, I am allowed and encouraged to go to the produce stand once per week (On Mondays, preferably.) Awesomely, the cheapest produce stand in town is kind of on the way home from my new job, which will save on gas for the trip down there I usually make. I did plan my menu around going to the produce stand on Mondays. For example, tomorrow night's planned meal is veggie stir fry.

I am also allowed to buy stuff that will spoil or run out--mostly stuff like lunch meat, since I eat sandwiches as snacks sometimes.

Anyway. Today I went to Safeway to get almost all of the things. I did pretty well--I spent $141.34, but actually only 111.21 was on food groceries.

Included in the $141.31 was cat food and litter, sandwich bags, a quart of motor oil, some cleaner, and some hair conditioner. Even though I may have been able to get these things cheaper elsewhere, I figured buying them now would help in the long run with impulse buying. If I bought as many things as I can now, it will give me less excuses to go to the store to "just buy cat litter" but then end up buying a ton of other things. It will also save on time and gas.

I did not buy wine, even though I have been drinking a lot of it lately. I will buy that as needed. (I have not been drinking a LOT of it, I mean, but...some. It's more of a weekend thing.)

I also have not bought salmon yet. I couldn't find it at Safeway.

The question is: will this really save me money in the long run?

I am not sure. Looking at my past monthly grocerie bills, it probably will. It also may save me money on restaurant food, if I can control myself. This will be easier, as I will be working less hours at the new job and it is in a neighborhood with less interesting restaurants, as far as I know.

For the record, I spent $168 in October on groceries. This is according to Mint, which is not completely accurate because of my cash income from babysitting.

Really, I should be depositing my cash and THEN spending it, but that is hard. I am pretty sure that I used some of my babysitting cash for groceries in October. But whatever.

I also spent $49 on restaurants in October. Again, probably inaccurate, because of the babysitting cash that I had.

September is probably a little more accurate--$279 spent on groceries and $92 in restaurants.

August is $145 on groceries and $133 in restaurants.

Looking at all of it, I spend an average of $197 on groceries. Which is about where I want to be, anyway. (Of course, less would be better!)

I am shooting for around $150-$170 this month. That allows this $111 shopping trip, plus four $10 trips to the produce stand, as well as $20 of flexible money. We will see. I will keep everyone posted.

Oh! An important detail! The kindness of my mom and her husband brought down my bill pretty significantly. My mom donated to the cause--home made salsa, jam, home-grown peas and corn (frozen) as well as several other things. That will save a LOT. So thank you, mom.

The key here is to be conscious. I have to remind myself that I have an overstuffed pantry every time I want to go to the store for entertainment. I have to remind myself that every time I want to eat out. If I am conscious, I can do it.

Be Careful What You Wish For...

2008-11-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Because it might just be on the side of the road!

I have found so many great things that I have wanted or needed on the side of the road within the past couple months. I know I have already written an entry about this, but I have found even MORE great stuff, so I had to share.

Within the past nine days, I have found...

A barstool. I really needed a barstool! I have a bar in my kitchen/dining area, but no stool. The one I found isn't beautiful, but it is functional.

A crock pot! My mom actually already bought me one for Christmas, but when I found one on the side of the road, I couldn't resist. I picked it up and plugged it in (it works!) and will give it to a friend. It does need a liner, which could prove challenging, but we'll see.

A pizza cutter! I just found one of these this morning. Just was I was thinking that I needed to go to the dollar store to pick one up.

I also found some kitchen knives this morning. This is helpful, because I only have one at my house.

Also, on the day after Halloween I found an AMAZING bookshelf less than a block from my house. It is one of those "cube" bookshelves--EXACTLY what I was looking for.

Anyway, now that I have found all this stuff that I need, I have learned something: sometimes it pays to wait. It's better not to buy things. Just wait for them to come to you....

Garage Sale

2008-11-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

Today a friend and I tried to have a garage sale. Unfortunately, we chose the COLDEST DAY EVER. I am also still feeling sick, so that didn't help.

We sold four things: a necklace, two cds, and a Joey Fatone Bobblehead Doll. The JFBD cost seventy-five cents. I told the guy who picked it up that Joey was on Dancing with the Stars. That really sold him. Also, on the price tag, under where it said the price, I wrote "super hot."

So, that was awesome.

Other than that, we didn't last too long because it was FREEZING. We brought all the stuff to Goodwill. It was a lot of stuff, but it was okay, because that is less stuff in my house to worry about. Thank goodness!

Save Money AND The Environment

2008-11-20T19:46:00.000-08:00

One of the seemingly eccentric frugal things that I do is hang dry my laundry. Well, I guess a lot of people do it, so it's okay, but it makes me feel a little bit eccentric.

Plus, I don't hang dry ALL of it. I normally do two loads of laundry every week or two. One of these loads I designate for things that can and will go in the dryer. (Mostly towels--I tried to hang dry those once and they got kind of yucky.) The second load is for stuff that I can and will hang dry--mostly dresses, shirts, tights, and slips.

When I made the decision to hang dry laundry, I search my 624 Square Foot Apartment for a place to do it. I didn't really find anything. I decided that I had to be creative. Very creative. And this is what I came up with.

Step 1: Over the Door Hanger

This is an "Over-The-Door" Hanger. I got it at the Salvation Army a few years back. I hang coats on it, normally...

Step 2: Laundry Basket
I put a laundry basket on the Over the Door Hanger. The hooks of the hanger fit into the holes on the laundry basket

3. Hang the clothes
I hang the clothes from hangers. Once they're all dry, I can just hang them in the closet! Sometimes I will also use clothespins to hang things like tights and slips from the holes. If needed, I will run a fan to circulate the air (this is right by my front door and in my hallway, so sometimes it needs some circulation.)

This doesn't save me much money--usually $1 to $2 per load, which is what it costs to dry a load in my apartment building. But, hey, $1 to $2 is better than nothing, and it also helps the environment.

It's funny though--whenever I am walking down the street in my neighborhood, homeless people ask me for money. I never give it to them. I always just say "Sorry" when asked, but inside my head I say "I didn't just spend 20 minutes hang drying my laundry so that I could give you the dollar!"

Also, I can't overload this laundry basket hanging dryer. It has gotten too heavy before and fallen. A lot of times I will hang some dresses and skirts from my shower rod as well so that the load is lightened.

Not Ruling Very Hard. (Or "When Life Gives You Lemons, Get a New Job")

2008-11-20T19:12:00.000-08:00

Hi Friends!

I've missed you! As you can probably tell by the title, I haven't been ruling very hard lately. It's quite sad. But, I plan to start ruling again soon. Let's talk about it!

I have had a hard go at work for a while now. My job is quite stressful. I have been a manager, meaning I am the one to pick up the slack when we are understaffed (which we frequently are) or when anything out of the ordinary happens. It was fun at first, with all the responsibility, but after a while it just became unhealthy. I do not think that humans are meant to work even EIGHT hours a day, let alone ten. And I have been working ten a lot of days.

This has affected my work in many ways. I am less focused and get less done. It's affected my home and financial life, too. I have gotten sick twice in two months and also gotten a bit out of control with my spending this month. Some examples:

1. Ooo, you know American Apparel? Well, it is a super cool store where you can buy super-overpriced but supposedly ethical and super cute cotton wear! Anyway, about that. I bought a sweet and soft gray cardigan there. I love it, and I will wear it often, but geez. I really couldn't afford it and didn't really NEED it. Luckily, I only buy a few things there a year. And no wonder--the cardigan cost me $44 plus tax! But, when you're overworked and it is Veteran's Day and you are out buying expensive coffee and looking at stores with a friend, it SEEMS like a good idea.

2. Ditto on all the other clothing items I have bought this month. Definitely cute, but unnecessary. (None are quite as expensive as the Overpriced Apparel cardigan, though.)

3. You know when it's Friday night and it seems like a WONDERFUL idea to go to a gay bar and spend a ton of money? Yeah, well, it's actually NOT. It's fun while it lasts, but then you wake up with an awful hangover and a credit card reciept. Maybe MAYBE every once in a while, and that's how I usually do it, but please. I cannot make this with a habit.

4. Ditto on going to the fancy drink place down the street.

5. Dining out is a great source of fun when you've worked all week! And with an Entertainment Book it is super cheap! Right?! Well, kind of. I bought an Entertainment Book, which has already paid for itself. This is lovely, but should NOT be used as an excuse to eat out a LOT.

In addition to all this fun stuff, my computer broke! While this is happy, because I hated that computer...I had to buy a new one. I managed to get what I was looking for for a good price, AND I have an emergency fund for expenses just like this. But, it is still an unexpected expense that doesn't feel quite amazing.

But, my friends, GOOD NEWS! I can start ruling at life hard again soon. Tomorrow is Pay Day, and I will be turning over a new leaf. (Well, not quite new, because I'm not TOTALLY out of control, but newish.) And then, three days after Pay Day is Thanksgiving, and then after Thanksgiving...

I START A NEW JOB!

Yes! Thank you! My new job has benefits (not only benefits--Amazing benefits!) pays more hourly, and has SUMMERS OFF! Granted, the money will be less yearly, but I am hoping to supplement with some kind of a chill and fun summer job. And even better news--I will only be working eight hours per day! The work is much more along the lines of what I want to do, and will hopefully be more interesting--I won't be stuck in an office all day. I'm also hoping for less stress, but I'll keep you posted on that one.

Anyway, I am quite grateful for the change of pace and hope to have more time to keep up with this blog. I will keep you updated about how to Rule at Life. Check back soon!

PS That Girl is not me. I am not an American Apparel Model. Thank God.

Working less is more.

2008-10-12T10:33:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, mostly because I have been working too much. I have one full time job where I often work overtime. In addition to this, I work as an independent childcare provider (aka babysitter) in my "spare time".

This, of course, has its good points and bad points. Given that my regular job pays me under what I think I should be getting (but, I guess we all probably think that about our jobs, huh?) I feel the need to work extra child care jobs to make extra and easy money. And it is easy money. Enjoyable, too. It is nice to be able to help a family by providing quality childcare for them. It is also nice to spend an evening with kids and then watching tv or reading after they go to bed. It is nice to connect with people that I have known a long time. Some of these families I have been in contact with for several years.

But, there's also the bad. For example, a couple of weeks ago I had a babysitting job on a Thursday evening. I got off of work at 3:30pm (I worked eight hours without a break.) Then I had dinner out with a friend. It was nice, of course, but let me tell you, for saving money and ruling at life, eating dinner out is not ideal in this situation. We were rushed because I had to get to my job by 5:30. The restaurant was chosen hastily. I was hungry and exhausted for work, so I probably ate much more than I needed to.

After dinner I went to my babysitting job and it was wonderful. But guess what? It threw me off for the next day, as well. Because I baby-sat until 8:30, when I got home I was too tired to make lunch for the next day. Meaning that I had to spend money at the grocery store buying a prepared frozen dinner that I wouldn't normally buy.

While it might not be the smartest thing to babysit, as it throws me off, I really do enjoy it. In the end, I definitely am able to save more money than I spend. But I try to be aware that even though I am working extra and making money, it is generally not as good of a deal as it may seem to be. Though I get money and enjoyment out of it, sometimes I just need to CHILL. I need to sit at home with my cat and just MAKE DINNER.

Luckily, on this Sunday, I have the best of both worlds. I am babysitting in my home for a wonderful toddler, who will probably nap for part of the time. We will get to read books, go for a walk in my neighborhood, and just chill at my home. This is definitely nice. The extra money, of course, will be nice too, because sometimes you just need it. This month's extra expenses have thrown me for a loop. But, my friends, that is quite another entry...

Coffee is frivolous. So what?

2008-10-05T01:44:00.001-07:00

The first entry in my debit card register on Wednesday, October 1st is an ATM Withdrawl. This makes sense. I am allowed one coffee drink on Wednesdays from the Sureshot Cafe. "But!" you might say "Getting coffee is expensive and wasteful and DEFINITELY not a way to rule at life by saving money! What are you thinking, getting coffee once a week?"

I am thinking that I like getting coffee. Well, not coffee, exactly. I purchase what is called White Coffee, a different kind of coffee drink. I usually get it with soy milk and some sort of flavoring. It runs around $4 after I tip my attractive barista.

Yes, I could make my own white coffee at home. I could brew it up, add my own syrup and make it cheaply. But I do not. Why not? Because mostly I go get coffee for the experience. It is worth the $4 per week, $16 per month, and $192 per year for me to get away from work, buy some caffeinated goodness, attempt to flirt with the attractive barista, and drink a comforting drink. It just is. It is not cheap, but it is worth it.

Luckily, I get the most out of my visit to Sureshot by trying to only go on Wednesdays. Why Wednesdays? Because on Wednesdays they stamp my little card TWICE. That's right, it is double stamp day. Doing it this way helps me to get my free white coffee TWICE as fast. This is a smart move toward a weekly purchase that may be considered not so smart.

(I found th picture on Google Image Search. It is from someone's Flickr.)

Phone-y is the new communication.

2008-10-03T18:07:00.000-07:00

I broke my phone last night.

Well, I didn't break it. It died. Death, oh death of a phone. It's not pretty.

Let's start at the beginning. Around two and a half years ago, I was rocking a Nokia 3390 with a red cover. It was pretty sweet, except for the fact that people kept teasing me about how "ghetto" it was. And, it was getting old. I started craving a new phone. One with pictures! Sound recording! Sweet ringtones! One where a picture of a person would come up every time they called! And if someone I didn't like called, I could set it to a picture of something ugly! YES!

So I traded in that little Nokia 3390 for a Motorola Razr. Oh, how trendy I was. Then everyone started getting Razrs. They were all the rage.

But, as time went on, the fancy-schmancy internet phones started to make it big. And here I was, little old me, with my old Motorola Razr. "It's about time to renew," I thought. "I should get a fancy internet phone. Even if I don't use the internet, it could have a calendar on it. I need a calendar! After all, my PDA just broke! Yes! A phone with a calendar and and Mp3 player." This is what I wanted.

My PDA broke a couple of months ago. It was nice to have, a nice gift from a family that I used to nanny for. As nice as it was and as disappointed as I was when it broke, it's been pretty refreshing switching back to a paper calendar. To not bury my nose inside something electronic at every spare moment.

I don't need to be cool phone-wise, anymore. I mean, really. First I'd get a Blackerry. Then I'd get the internet for it. Then I'd start ignoring my friends in real life. Then I wouldn't be able to stop. Blackberries. I-pods. I-phones. Then I'd get a computerized car. Work from home. Not ever talk to people. Ever! No. I do not want that.

So I went into the T-Mobile store today. I went up to the salesperson and told him that I needed a new phone. He asked me what the most important feature was. I told him that the most important feature was that it was a free phone. The next most important feature would be that it can call people. Then a camera. It would also be excellent if it was a purple phone.

He hooked me up. He did well. All it cost me was dedicating another 2 years of my life to Tmobile (formerly known as Voicestream) and $19.26. Not bad. I have been with Tmobile for 8+ years now, and still only pay around $25 per month on a family plan. You really can't beat that.

As nice as it'd be to have a fancy-ass Blackberry and start ignoring people, I am learning to be happy with what I have. Not just accept it, but embrace it. Just look at my collection: My Walkman and Discman, which both play music for me when I need them to. (Don't worry, I have rechargeable batteries for them.) My paper calendar, full of its beautiful chaos. My simple new and almost-free phone. But best of all...well, best of all, I don't know. That's a whole lot of stuff to be carrying around in my purse. But I am ruling at life, so I don't mind.

Oh, dental.

2008-10-02T16:45:00.000-07:00

One thing that you should know about me is that I am uninsured. I don't really want to be uninsured, but it is just how things have worked out up until this point. Generally though, if you're healthy and don't have any severe accidents, being uninsured is cheaper. So that's good. But, it is risky.

Anyway, my teeth hurt. I went to the dentist in July, after not having gone for a while. He told me that I have several cavities that need to be fixed. All in all, it will be around $2400 worth of work. I wasn't happy. I actually cried, in front of them, which is always lovely. That dentist is actually pretty condescending and seems shady anyway.

After trying to get into a low income dental clinic (which didn't work, because I am not low-income enough) I decided to get a second opinion elsewhere. Hopefully the second opinion will tell me if shady-condescending man was quoting me for things that I didn't really need done.
I don't want to spend $2400 on my teeth. I don't even HAVE $2400 to spend on anything right now. But, if I can find someone who will work on me, be considerate and kind AND be flexible payment wise, I will be good.

It will be nice if I can get a cheaper quote. But, if not, I would much rather spend my two-plus-grand at a place with caring staff. And, if they work out, they will be getting another two grand from me in the near future. You see, I think my wisdom teeth are coming in....

The Curb is a Goldmine!

2008-10-01T22:10:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of days, I have found some lovely things on the curb. Come to think of it, over the past couple of MONTHS I have found some lovely things on the curb.

On Monday night my friend Chad and I were walking down John Street on Capitol Hill in Seattle when we came across a box. Oh, and boxes mean good things. This one was mostly full of foam packing peanuts, but it also contained some magazines and a pair of almost new red flats. Now, I know what you're thinking--FOOT FUNGUS! Oh, probably. But you know what I have to say about that? Bring it on. BRING IT ON!

(Actually, I am already having a lot of problems with my foot related to severe eczema. While I am definitely going to wipe these shoes out with Lysol or something, I think it is damn near impossible for the condition of the skin on my foot to get any worse. So whatevs.)

Anyway, it looks like these flats have been worn maybe once. I really should get a picture up in here, but I'm not quite to that stage yet in my blogging. Anyway, they are cute. And guess what else? I actually really needed a new pair of red shoes. During my younger years I wore all heels. They started to give me bunions, so I have slowly been replacing all of my shoes with flats of a different color. And I hadn't replaced my red ones yet. So score.

Then, yesterday, I came across a patch of grass on the curb three blocks away from my house. This patch of grass contained many items, the most notable being a collection of THREE hair dryers. Three!

I am actually pretty opposed to hair dryers, as I think drying your hair is a waste of time and bad for your hair, but still, it can't hurt to have one just in case, especially with winter coming up. It is also good for when you have guests over--I felt bad when my lovely friend visited from California and I had to break to her that I didn't own a hair dryer.

Out of the three, I chose a purple one, because purple is my favorite color. I plugged it in today and it didn't electrocute me or kill me (yet). I take this as a good sign, and also maybe a gift from God.

The other thing I found was a little sampler kit of Burt's Bees products. Yes, those expensive-ass, yummy smelling, slightly yuppie creams and soaps and lotions and whatnot. (I'm also sure they are organic. Whoop-de-do.)

I know what you may be thinking: Gross! But guess what? This little bag of products was all unused! Sealed and everything. So I took the little kit home and used it. It included a bar of "shampoo soap", shower soap, toner, face wash, foot cream, body lotion and cuticle cream. I used almost all of them, except for the cuticle cream, because I already have some of that (I get it for Christmas most years.)

And let me tell you, I like the stuff. The shampoo soap bar made my hair a bit greasy, but still good. The cuticle cream (when I do get around to using it) is a great way to kill time when you're in class or whatever. It really is a treat to find unused Burt's Bee's products on the side of the road.

Then, finally, I found a cute patterned Old Navy tank top on Broadway by a dumpster today. (Again, I know what you may be thinking. And again, BRING ON THE SCABIES. I mean, not really. But of course I will wash it before I wear it.) This tank top will most likely be a great addition to my wardrobe. And, if it isn't, I got it for free, so I didn't waste any money on it.

Basically, don't hesitate to do some of your shopping freely from the curbside. You may be surprised at what you find. You also may get scabies, but whatever. You could also get scabies at Nordstrom from trying on clothes after someone else has. (It is important to note that scabies can happen to anyone. It is highly contagious and affects everyone, regardless of age and income level.)