The Prices We Pay...

What an amazing morning! I slept well last night. One of the best night's rest I have had in a long time. Since deciding to end my pursuit of the full-time position as Administrative Support to the Director of Operations at the job that offered benefits, but lower pay, and no "purpose," I feel a great sense of peace. And relief. I woke up to the sunrise gently kissing my face; feeling alive, and ready to enjoy the day.

My latest revelation makes me terribly concerned for the emotional well-being of the millions of people who are still suffering the unemployment and economic crisis. Any of you that have been through it know that being out of work, especially when you are trying to support a household or family, is an incredibly stressful thing. Add to that being forced to take whatever job you can get, regardless of whether or not it is something you enjoy doing, a job that does not allow you to do those non-work-related things that bring you the ever-important enjoyment of life... and you have yourself a potential mental nightmare!

In support of my own quest to avoid finding myself working solely for "the man," and doing something 2,000 hours a year that doesn't bring me some sense of fulfillment... I'm going to stick to my plan to pare down my expenses, and continue on with my non-profit work, caring for Chester, and pursuing my creative adventures. There is a slight bit of risk involved. My job is only guaranteed until September, and it's future is dependent upon the receipt of additional grant funding... But I'd rather be doing something I love, and living the life I have fought so hard to live, for six months, rather than zero months! By following this master plan, I'm only sacrificing material things, instead of sacrificing my entire existence. Giving up my fancy conditioner, as opposed to my identity, sounds like the smartest decision I have made in many years!

So... I continue my quest to spend money wisely. Save whenever, and wherever I can. That meant I was forced to go to Walmart. Many a better-than-you type person would tell you they would rather pull their own teeth out with dirty pliers that be caught dead in Walmart. I've got to confess that I don't really care to shop there either. I am not bothered by the fact that the majority of Walmart shoppers are of a lower socio-economic status. Hell, I'm not exactly rich. At least not in a monetary sense. What bothers me, is the commotion! I have a gift of travelling down the same aisles as the mother of a pack of unruly, disheveled, screaming me-mes, who doesn't understand that the aisle is barely wide enough for two carts to travel side by side... so leaving her cart, with the wailing, snot-nosed baby in the seat, in the middle of the canned good section, makes my shopping inconvenient; and my head pound! But if I'm going to successfully find my true calling in life, I've got to shop where I can get the most for my money, and that just happens to be where the overly-reproductive people shop as well. A small sacrifice, I suppose, in the big scheme of things.

Saving money takes a little bit of effort, and a lot of creativity. This morning, I replaced my very worn and hardly working wiper blades with the new ones I purchased, from Walmart, for $4.97 a piece. I have no idea what the current going rate is for wiper blades at those one-stop oil- change-and-more type places, but I have a vague memory of spending at least twenty bucks to have them replace and install new wipers on my car in my early, naive, twenties. They are very easy to put on: a simple slide and snap into a hook. Unfortunately, taking the passenger side wiper off required a little more focus and patience then my just-woke-up brain was capable of, so I suffered a cut to my index finger. One of those wounds that isn't really that serious... but bleeds like you ought to call an ambulance fast, before you lose consciousness. I went straight to the bathroom, and realized that I don't have, and haven't had, any bandaids! Huh. Good thing I finally picked up toilet paper at "Wallyworld," last night. (Christmas napkins aren't very absorbent.) Soooo... I covered my throbbing, bloody wound with two squares of Charmin Ultra Strong with Diamond Weave, and secured it with Scotch tape. I realize this isn't as impressive as a soap opera plane crash... when the sexy, chiseled, man seductively tears his shirt off to create a life-saving tournequet for his damsel in distress, but I was pretty proud of my budget-friendly, blood-flow preventing, invention!

It has now been two hours since my injury. The bleeding has stopped, and my primitive, life-saving, impromptu bandage is in the trash. A literal reminder that with a little effort and creativity... I can, and will, survive this, and hopefully find my true path along the way.

Survival Tips...

Just a quick post to pass on some potentially helpful information to you readers in the hopes that someone, anyone, survives this devastating economy without losing everything they own!

A not-so-well-known, but very helpful job posting site:

http://www.indeed.com/

And a soon-to-be-well-known shared housing site:

http://www.nationalsharedhousing.org/index.html

Hidden Treasure

For about a month now, I have been on a mission. Trying to get all of my "junk" sorted. Sorting through old boxes of unorganized madness from years gone by; particularly the year that I moved out of my apartment in a procrastinated panic and just shoved any and everything I could fit into random boxes... only to have them sit for 7 years.

I knew there were lots of important papers in those boxes. Papers with information an ill-intended person could use to rob me of my $115 savings account. And somewhere in those random boxes, I knew there were many little treasures. Some I would want to keep, and many that I would like to hock on Ebay for a quick, and much-needed buck.

Transporting the boxes of junk from my mother's house to my house, led to the typical messy aftermath that seems to occur every time I take on one of these "get your shit together" projects. You know, when you set out to organize the closet, and suddenly your bed is piled high with clothes, shoes are everywhere, and your once peaceful room is now a chaotic disaster?! I can't be the only one who does this...

I was smart enough to bring a couple boxes at a time, in hopes of preventing said disaster. This worked quite well, until I got to my gigantic old hanging file box. Within minutes, my home office desk had disappeared under a pile of papers, old checkbooks, junkmail, homeless office supplies, and appliance manuals. The task became so insurmountable, that I simply turned the light off, and turned my back on the mess for about ten days. After an evening spent cleaning my house, I am proud to say that I have officially conquered Mail Mountain. My desk is not only clear, it has returned to its previously organized state, and was even sanitized.

During my cleaning rampage, I managed to clean out both drawers of my bedside table. Something that had been eating at me for a shameful 15 months! I just could not find time to tackle such a mess! And wouldn't you know, it took me about 20 minutes to sort through, and clean them. Weird stuff was in there. Lots of pizza coupon flyers, casino flyers, and other junk mail. I must have shoved that stuff in there to give a visitor the misconception that I was more organized and tidy than Ms. Martha Stewart herself. Now I'm stuck with an empty bottom drawer. What ARE you supposed to keep in your bedside table? Besides old pizza coupons, of course!

For any of you that haven't figured this out already, the less junk you have, the easier your junk is to manage! And the more organized your junk is... the less likely you are to accumulate more! I'm not quite a professional Junk Manager, just yet, but I'm getting there. Not having a job, and watching the economy sink like the Titanic, makes junk management a necessity. It provides you with a meaningful task, and, if you're lucky, a few bucks from your hocked hidden treasures. The rewards are plentiful. Less chaos. More room for the things you literally treasure, money earned from what you sell and tax-deductible donations, the receipient of your junk actually appreciates it, and you save yourself from buying something you already had, but couldn't locate.

My work here is not done. I still have a box of random treasures waiting to be listed on Ebay, and my Sanford and Son garage will definitely have to be cleaned and organized once Spring finally arrives, but my efforts are paying off. I've made $100 off of my unwanted junk so far, which sadly enough, is a lot of cash to me right now... and each time I open a closet, or a drawer and can actually find what I'm looking for gives me a sense that I'm becoming a real grown-up!

Saving Mona. Mona Saving.

I have been pinching the few pennies I have left throughout my own economic crisis, but since the coldest winter on record made higher utility bills inevitable, I've had to get a little more creative.

Thankfully, I grew up poor. When you grow up poor, you learn to be resourceful. I've never been one to waste things, but even the most frugal can find new ways to save money. Not only is money "tight" right now, I'm still very unsure of when it will run out. So, my goal to save money has now become an obsession! Saving money, is saving me. Hopefully!

Yesterday, I went to my mother's house to grab a few boxes of my stuff. I swore I would never be the kid who left a bunch of junk at their mother's house, but, I did. Not a bunch, and definitely not as much as my brother did, but I still left things behind. Getting everything out has been on my to-do list for over a year. I'd like to say that I went there solely to do the right thing and take care of what I left behind, but I had an ulterior motive: selling off my things on Ebay.

Even though I don't have any really "big ticket" items, I do have things that I certainly don't need, that are of some value. Selling it on Ebay will generate some income (hopefully) and get that junk out of my life for good! My plan is to use any and all Ebay earnings only to pay bills. I have about $650 in credit card bills that will be the recipient of my Ebay "fortune." Saving me money in interest, and additional financial worry.

My second new money saving idea won't be easy for me. I am now only using half of a fabric softener sheet in the dryer. I'm a self-confessed fabric softener sheets-that-smell-good junkie! I alway use liquid fabric softener and dryer sheets... and for my bedding, I use two! These savings aren't going to prevent me from going into foreclosure, or allow me to spend an extra ten bucks on groceries, but it will make my box of dryer sheets last a little longer than usual. Although I have only done a few loads of laundry since the literal cutback, I haven't had any tragic static incidences, or found that my clothes are so stiff that they cause bloody abrasions... so I may just make this a permanent change.

That's about as sexy and exciting as it gets around here! I still haven't adjusted to having things to do and had forgotten about ceramics class times until tonight. So counting those, and my Saturday watching Chester, I have THREE obligations for this week so far. Woah! I'm not sure I can handle it!

Thrifty Thursday!

Despite a shocking sit-down with $790 worth of bills that are due by the fourth of February, and knowing I only have $485 coming in, I'm feeling a little triumphant over this economic battle I'm facing. My first "score" occurred at Walgreen's, while mother was picking up her medication. I needed to pick up some hair color, since getting my hair done was immediately cut out of the budget in April. I was hesitant to buy because I didn't have a coupon with me... but low and behold, it was on clearance! Instead of paying $15.99 one box of my standby Revlon Colorist 40 Dark Brown, I got three boxes for $20.70! That oughta cover my few (but pesty) grays for the next six months! What a bargain!

My next big win was a very thrifty, and very tasty sandwich for supper. I had one small barbequed chicken breast left over from Sunday night. I hate wasting food, and now, I can't afford to. So what to do with this little chicken breast? Make a sandwich! I found one Kaiser roll at the back of the second shelf of my very empty refrigerator that remained from my December 13th graduation party, and a slice of provolone cheese. I cut up the barbequed chicken breast, cut a slice from the onion from God-knows-when, and topped it with the provolone cheese. Zapped that little snack of a sandwich for 45 seconds... and mmmm was it good! Think of pulled pork, only more like pulled poor.

Thrifty thrill number three: (WARNING: Serious coffee drinkers might find this offensive!) pouring my 12 hour old and lukewarm coffee onto my left over ice cubes from my water for an unplanned "iced coffee" treat.

Struggling through this tumultuous economy, isn't that fun. I won't lie! But, with a little creative thinking, and adding an "I will survive" type attitude, you can do it! My only real bitch right now is that I don't have any more stamps to send out Thank-You cards in a timely fashion. I don't have enough cards, but, if I am going to claim to be an artsy gal, I've got to be happy, and comfortable making my own. It's springing for stamps that is stinging my ass. Gratitude is very important to who I am, and who I want to be, so they must be sent... just perhaps a little later than "Miss Etiquette" would like.

The Great Salsa Incident

Today was probably the most challenging day I have had this year. It started out with the two quit smoking crabby-appletons complaining all the way through the work day. Followed by a phone call to give me a "heads up" that the owner is flipping out about their labor bill and will be on site tomorrow.

Knowing Todd, he presented the situation in a negative light. He's a great guy, but I'm thinking that he loves the drama. Likes to be the hero. And... he's rather co-dependent. He called her... which wasn't necessary, if you ask me. The right way to deal with that, is to let the client see the transformation, and then present the bill. Her entire rental unit has been remodelled. It's already rented. The value of it has been increased; and it looks amazing. Focus on the positives, boys.

Anyway...

I ate a discounted day old bakery honey wheat bagel with whipped cream cheese that had exceeded it's "best by" date for dinner. The bagel wasn't pre-sliced. As I was slicing my bagel I remembered some big stink being made about the number of people who cut their hands while slicing bagels. It wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done, but it did require a little patience. So, as I was cutting it, I was trying to determine if the 40% off sticker price was worth the risk of losing a finger, or severing a major artery. For me, the difference of sliced, versus unsliced, did not outweigh the savings. But, if I were a pressed-for-time-soccer-mom-of-four; I'd probably go for the more expensive already-sliced, risk free bagels. When it comes to saving money, you have to consider more than the pricetag. A trip to the emergency room for a bleeding and begrudged bagel-cutter costs a lot more than buying sliced bagels.

After an unexpected nap, perhaps induced by my possibly poisonous cream cheese, I hopped online for a few games of Scrabble. I've been playing against a friend of mine from Chicago who is also hiding from the cold. Our local news said that the temperature in Chicago today was colder than it was in North Pole, Alaska!

Mid-game, we both decided that it was time to grab a snack. I decided on chips and salsa. Seemed a good choice considering I have two Ziploc bags of chips, and salsa is always tasty. I sat down in bed... began crunching on my first chip... and... spilled salsa! Somehow, a small amount of salsa managed to splatter on my floor, bed skirt, new flannel sheets, and over sized down- alternative, doesn't-really-fit-in-my-washing-machine comforter. Shit!

My Scrabble pal allowed me to cease worrying about the turn timer and tend to my great salsa incident. I decided to take the sheets and bed skirt off first, since they were mainly white and I wanted them to stay that way. After sticking the sheets and bed skirt into the washing machine, I tended to the comforter. My washing machine was already occupied with the other linen victims of my bedroom snacking, so I had to rinse off the salsa from my comforter... in the shower! It's also THE coldest night we have had this winter... so I had to not only remake the bed with another set of flannel sheets, I had to dig out another blanket from the back of the linen closet.

Believing my great salsa incident had been handled, I sat back down in my less cozy bed to return to my Scrabble game. As I reached for another chip, I noticed that I had salsa on my sweatshirt too! UGH! Thankfully, my online Scrabble opponent was very patient as I stripped myself of my soiled sweatshirt and reached for a clean one.

What?! I have no more clean sweatshirts! When does my eating-in-bed punishment end?! It's cold as could be and I am down one down comforter, and the shelter of a sweatshirt.

And, again, I'm up past my now non-existent bedtime, in the midst of a salsa-induced laundry marathon. I'll have to find a way to sleep without the extra warmth of my sweatshirt and comforter, as well as without the comfort of knowing the property owner will be seeing the remodel with a positive mindset.

Refurbishing Hardware

Just wanted to pass along a little trick I learned:

If you need to, or wish to refurbish paint covered hardware, simply place it in a crockpot full of water on the high setting for a few hours. Once the water has reached a boiling level, turn off the crockpot and safely remove the hardware with tongs. Gently rub off the paint using a steel wool pad.

This method is much more cost-effective, environmentally friendly and personally safe, compared to the use of corrosive chemicals. I've used both methods, and will now only use this one.

Humbug? Bah!

So this Christmas is a little grim financially... what are ya gonna do? As much as I would love to shower friends, family, and strangers with gifts, I just can't afford to. I've gotten some much needed emotional support from some very selfless people this year, and I would love to reward them with a cool gizmo, flowers, or a great book; but this year, my sincere gratitude will have to suffice. That's the natural cycle of things: the fortunate give to the less fortunate. Fortunately, I've usually been on the more fortunate side of things, so this is very new to me.

But I couldn't forget my grandparents, mother, or brother! And I have a couple younger cousins that I couldn't ignore either! Luckily, I scored some clearanced three-packs of photo frames at Hobby Lobby. They were $8.16 each, making the frames a mere $2.72 individually. I used my printer to produce copies of a photo of me in my graduation cap and gown and put them in the frames for the grandparents, as well as framing copies of a picture of my grandparents kissing on their 45th wedding anniversary for their daughters. Sometimes the sentimental gifts are those that are most appreciated, and I'm betting on that this year.

I truly can't afford to spend ANY money, but again, there were those I could not forget. I also printed some photos from our family reunion and placed them inside family Christmas cards to add a sense of "gift" giving. It's hard when you want so badly to return the kindness and generosity people have shown you and you just don't have the means. UGH! Hopefully everyone knows how much I love and appreciate them and next holiday season I'll be in a better place financially.

Gas and Electric Savings

Let's face it, money is tight for just about all of us these days. Due to a fore-warned 40% spike in our local gas supplier fees... I went scurrying to my local Lowe's for a broken budget fix. I purchased a small, and easily portable, programmable electric ceramic heater space heater, and a larger, oil-filled radiator-type electric heater on casters. Both were purchased for around $35.

Warning: this money saving plan requires warm blankets and clothing!


Close off any vents and rooms that do not need to be heated.

Unplug EVERYTHING that does not have to be plugged in. Bonus: you'll get in a little exercise bending over to plug things back in. Only keep things plugged in while they are in use. Making this a habit will save you money on your electric bill year round, and ensure less damage in the event of a power surge.

Keep throw blankets accessible in your living room.

Set your thermostat at 60-62.

Use the larger radiator style heater to keep your most occupied rooms tolerable during the day. Ideally, place it near enough to the thermostat to prevent your more expensive gas furnace from running. (This style of electric heater uses the least amount of electricity.)

At night, turn off the radiator heater, and UNPLUG it. The furnace will kick-on, as needed to prevent frostbite while you sleep.

If your bedroom is absolutely too cold to tolerate, use your portable ceramic heater to bring it to a tolerable temperature, and then climb under your layers of blankets. (The model I purchased has time, temperature, and fan speed settings.)

In the morning, plug in the radiator style heater and turn it on. Use the small ceramic heater to quickly warm up your bathroom for your morning shower. By the time you get out, you'll have forgotten how frickin' cold it was.


My first cold weather heating bill was $23! My electric bill showed no increase. Granted, I am usually wearing wool knee length socks, sweats, a tank top, long sleeve t-shirt, and hooded sweatshirt... and this is not very "sexy." However, the monetary savings, and potential economic meltdown survival, are well worth the private humiliation.

My purchases:

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=259120-63981-HC-0104S&lpage=none

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=42164-63981-HO-301&lpage=none