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Get home from work, slap peanut butter on a spongy slice of bread and scour the web for intellectual crumbs to jab into my mushy brain. Then realize I’d rather be left alone with my monsters; their stale, sunken eyes are trying not to feel anything on demand. Been writing exclusively in a journal lately and this is the gist of what you’ve been missing.

I feel like I’m in limbo right now.

Matt has been accepted into the Musician’s Institute of Los Angeles. My best friend/confidant, leaving in a few months. Not that he shouldn’t go. This dry town is snuffing him out.

Don’t fall through the stars, my darling. I’m ecstatically busted up.

I’m notoriously tardy with booking maintenance hair appointments and within a few short weeks, what resembled a sleek and full-bodied ‘do begins wilting with tufts poking out in strange places. I’ll swipe at the wily culprits and tuck stubborn wisps behind the ears. But the time inevitably comes when a quick peek in the mirror reveals a whole thrashing army of riotous hair poking into my eyes. Wiggling my fingers, I’ll attempt to smooth out the wretched mess while cursing my lack of motivation in simply slogging around the corner for a trim.

As a beauty klutz who rarely wears make-up, I was intrigued when a copy of Allure’s Confessions of a Beauty Editor landed on my desk a few months ago as a gift. Flipping open the glossy cover of this beauty tip monolith for beginners revealed a mini crash course on trimming your own bangs. (I must confess, I haven’t purchased hair scissors so the poor coils of my hair are forced to tolerate regular home shears.)

... preparing to butcher my hair ...

… preparing to butcher my hair ^

Linda Wells offers this simple advice on trimming your own bangs (p. 124):

Start by resisting the urge to wet hair – it’s actually easier to see what you’re doing when it’s dry – and by using real haircutting scissors (they don’t have to be pricey, just specifically designed for hair). Then divide bangs into three sections, grab the first one, pull it straight up in the air, and twist it like a unicorn’s horn. Snip into the ends with the point of the scissors cutting diagonally a little at a time so each strand is a slightly different length. Drop the section to see where it falls, then twist and cut some more if necessary. Pull up the next section, matching it to the length of the cut portion. And voilà – you just bought yourself a few more weeks.

Miss Wells’ useful technique has saved me frequent trips to the salon so I’m passing her information along to other humble broke ass beauties. And in the event of a ghastly failure, buttering up the receptionist and begging to be squeezed into the next available time slot should remedy your tousled tresses.

=^..^=

Related Posts:

  1. Beauty On A Budget – Some of My Favorite Beauty Secrets

Another storm rolled through last night except this one only dropped meek dustings of rain. I’m waaay overtired. Why is it whenever my body politely requests sleep, my mind jerks awake?

I’ve just finished a late shift at work and am now happily playing couch potato/ dipping the final glob of chicken from my Lean Cuisine into the last traces of saucy juice/sipping a decaf with my late night spread. Click on the Weather Channel and thunderstorms are in the forecast every day this week. Bugger. As long as pup stays clear of the blueberry brambles, I’ll be happy. It’ll give me an excuse at least to keep the little butterball inside while I’m at work.

Click on CNN to Sanjay Gupta chattering over some pharmaceutical controversy. Click on CNBC. Home prices are down 18% in the past year. Oil prices jumped today on dollar weakness. General Motors is seeking approval to sell itself and ten others are being charged in Madoff probe. Yuck.

Click, click.

I stare in displeasure before muting the tv and consider sneaking out for a midnight stroll. A quick peek reveals more ominous clouds approaching, so another flip through the channels it is. NYC Prep. Aha. What better way to veg out than a candid hour full of underage little vacuous twits? Just kidding. I’m crabby today but actually kind of like PC.

Not much else going on so I shall continue watching and snarking.

=^..^=

Rubbing tired, weary eyes; we’ve prevailed through another storm. These savage bursts of lightning are losing their dreamy luster and the anguish flashes in my little pup’s eyes as he pointedly informs me he’d rather snooze in the basement tonight. I sigh and take the last sip from a mug of tea, savoring the sharp cloying moistness. I hate these fretful, restless nights.

For the moment it’s me and the pup and one hell of a leaky roof.

A Financial Update

I know I’ve stepped away from this site for a while but honestly have been feeling extremely drained and frustrated lately. It’s infuriating to see so many average Americans struggling financially and my heart really goes out to those who have lost their jobs recently. My Aunt received a phone call on the way home from work where they basically told her she was being laid off and not to bother coming back the next day!

Instead of keeping up on financial news, the main focus has been on enjoying the outdoors and spending time with loved ones. Lately I’ve been digging around in the dirt and establishing an even bigger garden – along with veggies, there are now blueberry and raspberry brambles alongside some grape vines and strawberry patches. And, of course, the primary goal for summer is to trim away more debt.

It feels like my finances have been bleeding unexpected expenses and unfortunately my original goal of funneling $1,000 toward my debt each month hasn’t been met. Once the summer is over, my work hours will be cut back to 19 hours per week so I’m desperately trying to pinch every penny possible for the next two months.

Right now my debt is at approximately $3,000 and I’ve decided to shell out $800 for July. Although I really wanted to slap down more, my car insurance came up for renewal in June and I opted to pay for the full six months upfront instead of doing a minimum payment. I used my Cash Back Discover Card for my insurance payment and just finished paying the bill off online. Since using a Cash Back card a couple of months ago, my reward points have accumulated to $15 so far – not too shabby!
:)

I have to keep reminding myself to be patient and feel proud over my progress over the past year because at this point, I just can’t wait to be debt free!!

That time of year has arrived where Uncle Sam determines how much of my earnings will be restored back into my eager little paws. I took a certified tax preparation course last year and am getting pretty decent at completing these buggers. After helping friends and family file these past few weeks, I’m officially taxed out!

I felt like the Mother Hen as they fluttered around and oohed and aahed over their refund amounts. (“Ok, where is your 1099-INT, dear? Whaaa..? You’re only receiving .25% interest on your savings account?? Dear god. And of course you have records of your dividend amounts. I need that documentation!”) I raised my eyebrow a few times at the thousand dollar plus refunds as they squealed in elation. (“Here you are, hon. But why are you giving the government such a large interest-free loan over the year?” – blank stare- “Sigh, never mind. Congratulations. But use it wisely!”)

I’m astounded by how many friends have no clue what interest rates are attached to their bank accounts, especially when their rates are so extremely low. As they deliriously indulged in the ‘happy money tax refund’ dance, I showed them how to access Bank Rate to compare more competitive rates for savings and money market accounts. At least I tried, although I’m not sure it did a lick of good. :)


Hah. I have no idea where these originated from but I found them tucked in my mailbox and they were too cute not to share.  Enjoy these sassy new corporate logos for 2009.

apple

mcds

citi

chrysler

dell

please-buy

fiascodow

yahoo

ford

nike

ferrari

bad-year

lg

nokia

xerox

~¤~¤~

401k

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I received my loan statement yesterday and my debt, which was at a hair-raising $20,000, has shriveled to a more demure $5,400. I can almost feel languorous freedom again – it’s sooo close! But my debt-free journey is far from over.

Here are some simple tidbits which helped me enormously this past year.

  • I stopped digging. This piece of advice (“For the love of God, stop digging!!!”) helped so much in emerging safely out of a burning financial hole. I stopped digging myself into trouble and ardently refused to take on further debt, no matter what.

Even when a sales associate plucked Crème de la Mer from the counter and enticingly waved it in my face, I politely declined. My skin may have cried in anguish and my MasterCard moped for weeks after but my piggy bank cheered the triumph.

I know it’s really none of my business but I cringe when I overhear friends breezily using credit cards as savings accounts. This may have worked in the past but rules for credit companies are rapidly changing and I fear they’ll get caught in a dangerous situation.

In fact, I’ve been a loyal customer of WaMu for over two years and never carried a balance from month to month on their card. Last week I received a letter from WaMu’s new owners JPMorgan and Chase, stating how my new rates are getting jacked up to 30% (!!!!) <- What, are they nuts??

My rule is firmly, a line of credit is not a personal piggy bank. If someone is in a bind and using credit to help close the gap, they’re compounding a previous problem with a whole passel of other complications – ie, going into even more debt. Credit companies are just waiting for you to slip up so please proceed with extreme caution here.

Which is why it’s critical to …

  • Build up an emergency savings as quickly as possible. Let’s face it, unexpected expenses always crop up at inconvenient times, which is why it’s crucial to automatically set aside a certain amount to help zap these nasties.

When I started my financial journey with over $20,000 debt and zero savings, it felt absolutely suffocating. I would play with or quickly spend additional money and if anything came up, I was screwed.

One night I finally had some sense beat into me and swore from that moment forward, 20% of any amount of money I received would immediately be stashed away into savings (10% for short term stuff – like food or a night out with the girls and 10% for long term savings not to be touched. The remaining 80% went strictly towards my debt.)

I held myself accountable to the promise and soon that svelte percentage of savings blossomed into a respectable amount. This also brought an immense peace of mind with it.

The beauty of this is, I can still strategically plan for and afford everything I want. But now I’m saving first as opposed to being devoured by the ravenous debt monster over it. Instead of thinking, “I can’t afford to!” my new mantra has become, “How can I afford to.. ?”

  • Manage money well. Being stretched too thin was a surprisingly beneficial lesson because it helped me value each dollar more. I became an extremely resourceful chica and nimbly learned how to use available ‘stuff’ more wisely.

If you’re forced to crack into your savings by the way, don’t beat yourself up too harshly over it. But do try to build the amount back up as quickly as possible. I’ve done some really stupid maneuvers where I’ve been forced to dip into some of my long term savings. But take comfort in the fact that feeling stressed or guilty over unexpected expenses defeats the entire purpose of having an emergency savings in place to begin with.

Although it has been a financially challenging year, I’m so grateful for the lessons I’ve absorbed. I was caught in a damaging cycle of inaction and denial until I became angry enough to take back control of my finances. I finally had the courage to ask myself, whose life is it anyway?

=^..^=

Talk about feeling like an intense snow bunny again. We’re getting quite an accumulation in western New York. Well, at least this blustery weather gives me the perfect excuse to cancel my evening activities and catch up on some cleaning. There’s only so much kitten fur a girl can take.

I’ve cracked out the vacuum and ripped apart the bed so far, while my fuzzy felines intently supervise my every move with their charming little faces. Actually I’ve been in the process of washing my sheets forever now since I have to do it all in separates. The last time I threw my new, buttery soft, ivory pillowcase in with the rest of the wash, it emerged the hue of a speckled carrot. : (

Since I’m patiently waiting for my laundry to finish, I went nipping around the site archives to compile some broke-ass adventures from this past year. Here’s a quick roundup of posts from 2008.

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(Financial Stuff)

My Incredibly Shrinking Savings Account. Are Savers Financial Losers? – The purchasing power of my savings was evaporating as interest rates plummeted and inflation rose. In the current turbulent economy and financial sectors, what gives?

By Taking Control Of My Finances, I Took Back Control Of My Life – The first steps to wealth accumulation blossomed when I was five years old.

Paying Down Debt, What An Amazing Feeling – Still debt-ridden but not out for the count.

Rationing Cards – A Pictorial Journey Down Nostalgia Lane – How millions of resourceful Americans kept it rational during World War II.

A Sip of Sapience – The whispers of wisdom reflected throughout the ages.

(Personal Development Stuff)

Beauty On A Budget. Some of my Favorite Beauty Secrets – Some beauty tips on how to look and feel like a million dollars, even on a broke-ass budget.

Why A Smile Is Your Most Valuable Asset – It pays to put your best face forward ’cause no one enjoys a sour puss!

Fit Nation. Time To Whip My Buns Into Gear – A gym?! I don’t need no stinking gym!

(Bizarre Stuff)

The Mysterious Georgia Guide Stones. A Shepherd of Reason Or An Elitist Covenant? – A bizarre Stonehedge-esque granite monument built on a fertile Georgian hill heralds the conservation of mankind, yet this mysterious artifact remains virtually unknown.

Google Analytics Is Fun! – Whether you’re searching for financial matters or a tiny bit of ass, you may just end up here.

Everyone Requires A Pinch Of Solace – This is actually from 2007 but I just couldn’t resist. If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him!

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Numerous states are being affected by this raging, slippery snowstorm – so for everyone getting piled on, stay safe and warm!

=^..^=

Timothy Geithner, Treasury Secretary-designate and president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, polishes his position within the á la mode Obama bureaucracy. geithner=^..^=

Recently when I met with an old friend over lunch, the subject of our floundering economy inevitably weaved into our conversation.

My friend works as a legal aide and felt her company was pretty secure. Yet over fragrant sips of ginger and spicy Chai, it was her parent’s business she was most interested in discussing. Her family specializes in appraising and selling jewelry.

“Business has really been booming for my parents.” She tapped her mug and frowned. “But it’s been a disturbing change over the past few months. More frequently, financially desperate customers are coming to the shop.”

She paused and sighed.

“There’s been a surge of people bringing in wedding bands, precious keepsakes and family heirlooms – treasured pieces held in the family that are now being sold to cover basic financial costs. The stories my parents hear of why people are parting with such sentimental objects is heartbreaking. It’s getting pretty bad out there.”

A woman yesterday was forced to sell a gold diamond necklace and ring set inherited from her grandmother in order to cover family health insurance costs. And a recently laid off man came in to sell his pocket watch to pay utility bills – for him, every dollar counted. This type of situation, my friend mused, was increasingly becoming the norm. To make ends meet, people were raiding jewelry boxes and other personal items to sell whatever they could to turn assets into immediate cash under economic pressure.

On the way home from our lunch, I noticed a neon sign outside a pawn shop that had sprouted up a few blocks from me. “PAYING TOP DOLLAR FOR YOUR GOLD AND JEWELRY!” it screamed.

I didn’t have far to go before I was greeted by the next lurking signboard – “I buy diamonds! Sell us your unwanted gold! Fast Cash Now!!”

Another harbinger of lackluster economic times?

=^..^=

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Almost!

I’m still grappling with this cold from hell. One day I feel fine and on the road to recovery – until the usual stuffiness and feverishness settles in again at night and wishes me a hearty ‘harro!’ Whatever this bugger is, it sure is clingy!

On top of everything, work has been extremely hectic. Enrollment at the community college I work for has been through the roof these past two months. With a suffering economy, everyone is inspired to return to college for remaining spots in the Spring Semester. I’ve literally seen hundreds of students these past two weeks – all desperately cramming to get in at the last moment. The semester officially started yesterday but students still have the opportunity to juggle their schedules this week so I expect the craziness not to wane until after.

Amidst struggling with the sickies, I did manage to have an amazing weekend. Rent the musical was in town (with two of the original cast on board for the encore) and Matty surprised me with tickets to the theatre on Sunday evening to catch the final performance. It was surreal. I loved the movie Rent but actually seeing it performed live on stage with some of the original cast was captivating beyond words. Even strolling through the downtown theatre district is stunning and an experience in itself.

For now, I’m going to nestle into a luxurious bubble bath with my tissue box faithfully at my side and bid the evening adieu.

=^..^=

Currently not reading anything because my head hurts..

This morning I was greeted with a viselike grip around my throat and a stuffy nose. Ugh. And last night I woke up multiple times feeling flushed and delirious. I hate being sick :’(

Snuggled in a checkered fleece blanket, I heated up the tea kettle and sniffled my way over to the sofa for my daily news intake. A staggering tower of journals and articles – some foreign, some domestic – sat poised on the coffee table, silently enticing. I wavered but felt it impossible to concentrate and the temperatures were absolutely frigid this morning. Brr.

I dismissed the articles and instead settled in with my laptop to browse some ads. A dental student was announcing free clinical cleanings and left contact information. I jotted down her details. A local firm was hiring part time at an attractive hourly wage. Someone was forlornly offering a cash reward (“no questions asked”) for the return of misplaced diamond rings. And a shemale promised a therapeutic encounter not to be forgotten.

I love Craigslist.

Today will be a frazzled day.

=^..^=

What I’m currently reading: “My Laid Off Life” from New York Magazine.

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Compare prices and read helpful product reviews to make smart buying easy through Ciao! – Price Comparison and Product Reviews for the savvy shopper.

This year I’ve decided to try a different approach by forgoing resolutions and instead creating mini-projects scattered throughout the year. My first mini-task presented itself with screaming clarity when I opened up my closet last night. How had I managed to squeeze so much crap in such a tiny area??

I poked my head into those murky depths and got lost amidst the disheveled hodgepodge of clumsy duds staring back at me. It was time to bring my wardrobe back onto the path of good health, one of bliss and much more au courant. After taking a deep breath, I ravaged through the entire mess and divided all my clothing into two piles. It’s just amazing what I found hiding out in there!

#1. The Keeper Pile

This was the soulful heap. The moment I gazed upon a garment, I felt captivated and knew it was a keeper! All articles that wiggled their way here made my heart sing with joy and made me feel happy and confident while wearing them. This illustrious pile contained everything from my favorite jeans to expensive cashmere sweaters to my beloved ratty hoodie. Basically all garments I cannot live without were whisked away to here.

#2. The “Meh” Heap (also known as the Giveaway Pile)

If I wrinkled my nose and said, ‘meh’, that article was tossed into a second pile of frippery shame. These included things which no longer fit properly as well as those elusive items that, for reasons unknown, never seem to be worn. It also included anything I agonized over whether to keep or not. If that baby tee didn’t immediately stir my soul with its absolute fabulousness, it wasn’t serving its purpose and needed to go. Depending on condition, these garments will either be thrown out, given to charity or sold.

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My end goal was to transform the hideous clutter into a comfortable closet space that contained only pieces I loved. If something didn’t make me feel good or was unflattering, there was no reason for it to take up precious space. Any closet-based source of unhappiness needed to go, pronto.

Clearing the clutter from my (now shriveled-yet stunning) closet served as an excellent reminder not to spend frivolously on clothing in the future. There was so much stuff I’d accumulated over the years that was tucked away on shelves and rarely worn. I’ll now consider long and hard whether or not to fork over hard-earned dough next time I feel the urge to shop. This is an excellent plan in general for everything, not just clothing. Unless it’s an item that resonates strongly with me, I simply won’t buy it. From now on, only the most delightful pieces will find a home here.

Discarding all that extra baggage and uncluttering the closet monster was not only liberating, but the process was also a lot of fun! I have clothing in great condition for charity and now I can whip out an outfit without being eaten alive by fashion foibles. Frugality and style doesn’t have to feel like a painful sacrifice as long as I remain mindful of what I buy and only buy what I truly love.

beauty

~†~ Baby Steps Are Key ~†~ Quality cuts and fabrics shouldn’t be a source of guilt as long as they’re affordable for your budget and something you really adore. This ensures every piece will serve its purpose in your closet, both in quality and by making you feel comfortable and radiant.

=^..^=

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Featured Resources

Compare prices and read helpful product reviews to make smart buying easy through Ciao! – Price Comparison and Product Reviews for the savvy shopper.

The Bank of England will be able to print extra money without having legally to declare it under new plans which will heighten fears that the Government will secretly pump extra cash into the economy.

Wow, this seems quite relevant while we’re on the topic of hyperinflation so what exactly is going on here? An article from the Telegraph UK yesterday:

The Government is set to throw out the 165-year old law that obliges the Bank to publish a weekly account of its balance sheet – a move that will allow it theoretically to embark covertly on so-called quantitative easing. The Banking Bill, which is currently passing through Parliament, abolishes a key section of the law laid down by Robert Peel’s Government in 1844 which originally granted the Bank the sole right to print UK money.

The ostensible reason for the reform, which means the Bank will not have to print details of its own accounts and the amount of notes and coins flowing through the UK economy, is to allow the Bank more power to overhaul troubled financial institutions in the future, under its Special Resolution Authority.

However, some have warned that it means: “there is nothing to stop an unreported and unmonitored flooding of the money market by the undisciplined use of the printing presses.”

Although the amount of easing is likely to be limited, news of this increased secrecy will spark comparisons with Weimar Germany and Zimbabwe, where uncontrolled use of the central banks’ printing presses ultimately caused hyperinflation.

The Bank said it will still publish details of its balance sheet, but, significantly, the data – the main indicator of the extent of quantitative easing – will not be presented until more than a month has elapsed. For instance, under the new terms of the law, if the Bank were to have embarked on a policy of quantitative easing last month, the figures on this would not be published until the end of this month.

The reforms, which are likely to be implemented later this year, will make the Bank of England by far the most secretive major central in the world, experts said.

“Quite why the Bank has to keep its operations so shrouded in secrecy is a mystery to me,” said Simon Ward, economist at New Star. “This [reform] will make it much more difficult to track what the Bank is doing.”

Full article: Reform plan raises fears of Bank secrecy

Lack of transparency and accountability is what brought us into this exorbitant financial mess in the first place so I honestly can’t understand their reasoning behind this. When will the general public become fed up with all the secretive schemes before finally declaring, enough is enough?

=^..^=

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Featured Resources

Compare prices and read helpful product reviews to make smart buying easy through Ciao! – Price Comparison and Product Reviews for the savvy shopper.

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