One of the magazines I subscribe to did a feature article on how to save up to $5,000 a year with their money saving tips. I am always up for saving money in places I wouldn't think to look, so I was pretty excited to see what advice they had to offer. Upon reading the article, I realized this must be for really stupid people who are already too extravagant in their daily lives. I was a bit annoyed since nothing they told me was really earth shattering and nothing I could really use to help save me some money.
Here's a few examples of their money saving tips:
Can't afford those cute shoes? Try talking up the sales associate with how much you love them, but they just aren't in your budget at the moment. See if they would be willing to tell you when they go on sale. Note, this generally only works at high end department stores.
Ok, here's the thing. I don't shop for shoes at high end department stores. Ever since I was told by a rather stupid male salesman, "we generally don't carry that size" even before going to look for them, I have just opted to shop where I can see what sizes they have available and try things on my own. Important to note, I rarely spend more than $75 on any pair of shoes I have. Sometimes this means taking a few trips before I find something I want, but that's ok with me.
On saving on cereal - Use coupons and watch your weekly sales flyer to combine sales with your coupons.
Really? This is like grocery shopping 101. They also quote a box of cereal to be about $6 which I makes me wonder where the hell they are getting their data.
On saving on land lines - Cancel call waiting and caller ID.
Who has a land line these days?
On saving on cell phones - Two ideas, one to check how much you are paying for a texting plan and then how much you are paying for a data plan.
I am not sure how other people's plans work, but our data plans include unlimited texting and we are on the lowest option for both of us (including lowest option for family plan minutes).
On gas - Check to make sure what kind of octane your car really needs and then only use that kind.
*scratches head* Do you really think people are putting in premium gas for the fun of it? And to those who bought cars that require the upper end gasoline, I guess let that be a lesson to you.
On mortgages - Stop paying PMI on your mortgage. If you have invested 20% of the value of your home already, consider cancelling this and saving a bundle.
Well that's all fine and well, but if it's anything like our loan, you have to pay PMI for 5 years regardless of the value ratio you have in your home. And if you are a home owner and forgot about this, well then I guess that's a good thing to point out. Although, PMI is expensive, I don't see how most people would forget the rules which make it go away.
Anywho, the 6 page article goes on like this for everything from general groceries, to savings on the home, cell phones, transportation, etc. You might as well have told people to stop buying high end sports cars and maxing out their credit cards with eating out. I just have a hard time wrapping my brain around who would be wowed by all the article's money saving tips. I mean, I can see a few of them being useful to some people, but by and large, I like to think the average human being has more sense than what they have the article tailored to. It's kind of like why would anyone buy anything full price at large department stores (ie. Macys), or go to Bed Bath and Beyond and pay full price for anything (how many 20% off coupons can one really use?). Maybe someone somewhere is now saving loads of cash and I should just be happy for them. In the meantime, I'll continue doing what I do to save the money I know how to.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Lessons Learned from Pregnancy
As of tomorrow I will officially be at 40 weeks (aka - my due date). During the past 9 months I have learned a thing or three about being pregnant through my experience. I thought it might be educational/humorous to share them with you. Here they are in no particular order:
1. I have acquired a unique ability to seek out public restrooms. Note - Not all are created equal.
2. People will say the stupidest things to you that makes you question their intelligence. I had a lady who stopped by my desk days after I was out with a severe cold and offer me advice on how to get rid of my "pregnancy cough". Even when trying to explain that I had a cold I was getting over she seemed to think that wasn't relevant and that I for sure had this pregnancy cough. For those that are curious, should you ever get this, you should drink onion water. Yes, onion water, whatever the hell that is.
3. Related, people want to comment on your progress. I have heard it all which I take to mean no one really has a clue what's "normal". I have been told, "You shouldn't be that big for 5 months!" Two days later I heard, "Wow, your small!". I was told, "You're bigger than you were yesterday!" as if that makes ANYONE feel better. I have also been told, "You don't look pregnant from behind." The scary thing is these comments have all come from women. I like the positive comments, but what on earth makes a woman think that another woman wants to hear how huge she is really blows my mind. Trust me, she is well aware she is growing, more so than you are.
4. You get to know your doctor(s) and staff very well, especially towards the end when you are in there every single week. Hopefully you like them and it's convenient to your work/home.
5. Having cravings is partly something you always have and partly pregnancy related. I mean I crave things on a routine basis, but rarely do I allow myself to give into those because otherwise I would be in very poor health. However, I will say, there were a few things I craved that I couldn't get out of my head like fried chicken, breakfast sandwiches, and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Those kinds of cravings I would call pregnancy related and you kind of allow yourself to give into them because otherwise you will go insane. But now I "crave" ice cream and some sweets, but nothing like before where I couldn't shake it. I think I have fallen into the "I am pregnant and I don't care, I want it. " mode, which is not dissimilar to my routine cravings I had before I was pregnant. Of course I tell myself at 8/9 months pregnant, I've earned the right to have something I want.
6. Sonograms are pretty darn nifty.
7. There is WAAAAAY too much literature on pregnancy. We have about 20 books or so in our living room that are all about pregnancy and the first year. I have read a total of zero of them. I get weekly updates from BabyCenter and I am good to go. This is perhaps because I don't have a long attention span. Also, during pregnancy, your body is kind of on auto pilot. It's not like you have to concentrate properly to make a baby. You just need to remember certain things like taking vitamins, not getting drunk and laying off the street drugs. Sure there are other things you probably need to know, but again, short snippets from BabyCenter and some advice from friends was all I needed.
8. Pregnant people (who are like me) don't want to be touched. I didn't want to be touched when I wasn't pregnant and not much changed during the last 9 months. Related, I was asked if someone could bring in a stethoscope to listen to the baby. Umm, what? No.
9. Everyone and their brother wants to know if you plan to breastfeed as if it's any of their business. Some exclusions to the people who can ask are close friends and family. However, I have had total strangers ask me and I really don't understand why they are even asking. For one, I think it's completely rude to assume it should be public knowledge and that every woman on the planet wants to share their choice/talk about it. For another, I think it's a very personal choice and it's every woman's right to choose what works for her without judgement from complete strangers. There will be judgement no matter what is chosen, so just leave it alone.
10. There are a crap ton of decisions to be made during the course of pregnancy. One of the most stressful is possibly what kind of care you plan to have for your baby after they are born. Some sources will tell you you should have been looking before you got pregnant so you can get on waiting lists for "reputable" places. Other places can make you feel like if you aren't spending 30% of your income on your child's care, you must wish them a hard life. I would say educate yourself and be honest with your expectations. At 9 months old, I am just hoping the day care feeds him, cleans him, and returns him to us in the same state we left them in. If you are hoping for a genius by the age of 2, perhaps you need to plan a bit more than us.
11. Learning to ask for help and letting other people do things for me has been hard. I am so independent it's been a real learning curve. Of course the further you are in pregnancy the less you are able to do just by your physical limitations. I am still holding out on tying my own shoes. Thank god for long arms and stairs to sit on when I put my shoes of for the day. Some people are better at this than I am, and kudos to them.
12. I miss my adult beverages, not for the getting buzzed and happy feeling (although that's quite nice sometimes after a real shitty day), but just for the variety. I dislike drinking soda a lot and I am so tired of fruit juices and water. Lemonade and iced tea have been helpful, but I just want to be able to have a glass of wine with pasta.
13. When you are pregnant and people ask you how you are doing, they generally mean it.
14. I am a back sleeper and can't wait until I can just lay down and not worry about cutting off blood flow to my body/baby. Side sleeping is going ok, but my ears hurt more than anything and I feel like they are constantly in need of cleaning. I am not sure if it's just the side sleeping that's triggering so much ear wax or if it's more hormones, but yuck! Also trying to get out of bed is a challenge during the later stages of pregnancy, especially if you are swapping sides each time you get up to pee.
15. Overall pregnancy hasn't been that bad. Some people complain to complain about these kinds of things. Sure it's no bed of roses and no, I wasn't incapacitated by morning sickness, but I did have a baby sit on my sciatic nerve for about a month or so, so there is always something that makes your situation unique. There are no two pregnancies alike. I think if you are willing to admit some things are beyond your control and roll with it, you'll be better off in the end. Besides, it's not like it lasts forever (thank the heavens!).
1. I have acquired a unique ability to seek out public restrooms. Note - Not all are created equal.
2. People will say the stupidest things to you that makes you question their intelligence. I had a lady who stopped by my desk days after I was out with a severe cold and offer me advice on how to get rid of my "pregnancy cough". Even when trying to explain that I had a cold I was getting over she seemed to think that wasn't relevant and that I for sure had this pregnancy cough. For those that are curious, should you ever get this, you should drink onion water. Yes, onion water, whatever the hell that is.
3. Related, people want to comment on your progress. I have heard it all which I take to mean no one really has a clue what's "normal". I have been told, "You shouldn't be that big for 5 months!" Two days later I heard, "Wow, your small!". I was told, "You're bigger than you were yesterday!" as if that makes ANYONE feel better. I have also been told, "You don't look pregnant from behind." The scary thing is these comments have all come from women. I like the positive comments, but what on earth makes a woman think that another woman wants to hear how huge she is really blows my mind. Trust me, she is well aware she is growing, more so than you are.
4. You get to know your doctor(s) and staff very well, especially towards the end when you are in there every single week. Hopefully you like them and it's convenient to your work/home.
5. Having cravings is partly something you always have and partly pregnancy related. I mean I crave things on a routine basis, but rarely do I allow myself to give into those because otherwise I would be in very poor health. However, I will say, there were a few things I craved that I couldn't get out of my head like fried chicken, breakfast sandwiches, and Kraft Mac & Cheese. Those kinds of cravings I would call pregnancy related and you kind of allow yourself to give into them because otherwise you will go insane. But now I "crave" ice cream and some sweets, but nothing like before where I couldn't shake it. I think I have fallen into the "I am pregnant and I don't care, I want it. " mode, which is not dissimilar to my routine cravings I had before I was pregnant. Of course I tell myself at 8/9 months pregnant, I've earned the right to have something I want.
6. Sonograms are pretty darn nifty.
7. There is WAAAAAY too much literature on pregnancy. We have about 20 books or so in our living room that are all about pregnancy and the first year. I have read a total of zero of them. I get weekly updates from BabyCenter and I am good to go. This is perhaps because I don't have a long attention span. Also, during pregnancy, your body is kind of on auto pilot. It's not like you have to concentrate properly to make a baby. You just need to remember certain things like taking vitamins, not getting drunk and laying off the street drugs. Sure there are other things you probably need to know, but again, short snippets from BabyCenter and some advice from friends was all I needed.
8. Pregnant people (who are like me) don't want to be touched. I didn't want to be touched when I wasn't pregnant and not much changed during the last 9 months. Related, I was asked if someone could bring in a stethoscope to listen to the baby. Umm, what? No.
9. Everyone and their brother wants to know if you plan to breastfeed as if it's any of their business. Some exclusions to the people who can ask are close friends and family. However, I have had total strangers ask me and I really don't understand why they are even asking. For one, I think it's completely rude to assume it should be public knowledge and that every woman on the planet wants to share their choice/talk about it. For another, I think it's a very personal choice and it's every woman's right to choose what works for her without judgement from complete strangers. There will be judgement no matter what is chosen, so just leave it alone.
10. There are a crap ton of decisions to be made during the course of pregnancy. One of the most stressful is possibly what kind of care you plan to have for your baby after they are born. Some sources will tell you you should have been looking before you got pregnant so you can get on waiting lists for "reputable" places. Other places can make you feel like if you aren't spending 30% of your income on your child's care, you must wish them a hard life. I would say educate yourself and be honest with your expectations. At 9 months old, I am just hoping the day care feeds him, cleans him, and returns him to us in the same state we left them in. If you are hoping for a genius by the age of 2, perhaps you need to plan a bit more than us.
11. Learning to ask for help and letting other people do things for me has been hard. I am so independent it's been a real learning curve. Of course the further you are in pregnancy the less you are able to do just by your physical limitations. I am still holding out on tying my own shoes. Thank god for long arms and stairs to sit on when I put my shoes of for the day. Some people are better at this than I am, and kudos to them.
12. I miss my adult beverages, not for the getting buzzed and happy feeling (although that's quite nice sometimes after a real shitty day), but just for the variety. I dislike drinking soda a lot and I am so tired of fruit juices and water. Lemonade and iced tea have been helpful, but I just want to be able to have a glass of wine with pasta.
13. When you are pregnant and people ask you how you are doing, they generally mean it.
14. I am a back sleeper and can't wait until I can just lay down and not worry about cutting off blood flow to my body/baby. Side sleeping is going ok, but my ears hurt more than anything and I feel like they are constantly in need of cleaning. I am not sure if it's just the side sleeping that's triggering so much ear wax or if it's more hormones, but yuck! Also trying to get out of bed is a challenge during the later stages of pregnancy, especially if you are swapping sides each time you get up to pee.
15. Overall pregnancy hasn't been that bad. Some people complain to complain about these kinds of things. Sure it's no bed of roses and no, I wasn't incapacitated by morning sickness, but I did have a baby sit on my sciatic nerve for about a month or so, so there is always something that makes your situation unique. There are no two pregnancies alike. I think if you are willing to admit some things are beyond your control and roll with it, you'll be better off in the end. Besides, it's not like it lasts forever (thank the heavens!).
Friday, April 13, 2012
Twiglet's Nursery
The making of Twiglet's nursery has been a bit of a journey. We already had the room picked that we would convert when the time came, so that part was already determined. The hard part was waiting until we found out what we were having and THEN getting together a game plan. I think it's very easy to just do what everyone else is doing, order a room in a bag, and call it a day. Unfortunately this is not how I work. For one, it costs too much to do it that way and for another, it lacks personality and creativity (for me).
In keeping with the "theme" of the rest of our house, we decided to kind of do a coastal/sea theme. I didn't want 100% under the sea because I didn't like that, but I did want sea turtles and whales to be a part of the room. We settled on painting the room a shade of blue that's in a lot of the rest of the house and adding some stripes. That was the starting point I had and then things kind of came together one piece at a time. We knew what we were going to use for the dresser (my old craft dresser which was a kids dresser that was being put to the dumpster by a stupid rich lady years ago, so I stole it and have been using it ever since). We just needed to repaint it and find some knobs for it. I had never bothered putting knobs on the entire time I was using it, but I thought it might be nice to get some now. :) Etsy turned out to be extremely useful for that project. There was also a kitchen cart I had from IKEA that it nice and open and would be perfect for a changing station, so that was also taken care of. My parents had decided they want to buy the crib, so that was a huge purchase off our minds. Rob's parents purchased the glider and so all the major pieces of furniture were covered. My sister surprised me with hand drawn pictures of sea creatures to hang on the walls. Absolutely love them! The letters were paper mache` ones from the craft store we painted to match the room. The starfish idea came later in the process. And all of the fabric was purchased from fabric.com (using coupon codes of course). For roughly $250 we trans formed the room into a cute baby boy's nursery.
So here's what we started with:
And this was the progress that was made along the way:
And here is the finished product:
Now all we have left to do is add Twiglet and we will be complete!
In keeping with the "theme" of the rest of our house, we decided to kind of do a coastal/sea theme. I didn't want 100% under the sea because I didn't like that, but I did want sea turtles and whales to be a part of the room. We settled on painting the room a shade of blue that's in a lot of the rest of the house and adding some stripes. That was the starting point I had and then things kind of came together one piece at a time. We knew what we were going to use for the dresser (my old craft dresser which was a kids dresser that was being put to the dumpster by a stupid rich lady years ago, so I stole it and have been using it ever since). We just needed to repaint it and find some knobs for it. I had never bothered putting knobs on the entire time I was using it, but I thought it might be nice to get some now. :) Etsy turned out to be extremely useful for that project. There was also a kitchen cart I had from IKEA that it nice and open and would be perfect for a changing station, so that was also taken care of. My parents had decided they want to buy the crib, so that was a huge purchase off our minds. Rob's parents purchased the glider and so all the major pieces of furniture were covered. My sister surprised me with hand drawn pictures of sea creatures to hang on the walls. Absolutely love them! The letters were paper mache` ones from the craft store we painted to match the room. The starfish idea came later in the process. And all of the fabric was purchased from fabric.com (using coupon codes of course). For roughly $250 we trans formed the room into a cute baby boy's nursery.
So here's what we started with:
And this was the progress that was made along the way:
 |
| Gallon of Behr paint - $34 |
 |
| Accent paint - Had dark blue, $17 for quart of the green (Behr) |
 |
| Re-purposed dresser getting a new coat of paint |
 |
| Art work from my sister - free, Frames - $8 each with coupons from Michaels |
 | ||
Bed skirt fabric -
|
 |
| Curtain Lining and fabric - Premier Prints Coral White/Chartreuse $57 with enough left over for an accent pillow case (yet to be made) |
And here is the finished product:
 |
| Starfish - $3 each with coupons from Michaels, picture hanger backs were hot glued onto the back to hang them in the wall. |
 |
| Book Sling fabric - Turtles Green/Blue ($12 for 1.5 yards, way more than was needed, saving extra for quilting project), Curtain hardware - $4.50 (used coupon), dowel rods - $3 |
 |
| Paper Mache` letters - $2 each |
 |
| Knobs from Etsy $22 |
 |
| Lamps - free from Rob's parents, new lamp shade ($10) and socket ($4) |
 |
| Mortimer!! |
Now all we have left to do is add Twiglet and we will be complete!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Crock Pot Wisdom
When I first moved out on my own and got my "real" job, my parents had told me what the value of a crock pot was. You can set it up in the morning and come back to a hot meal with very little prep time. Sounds good to me! I bought one at random back in 2004 (read cheap) and I have been using it every since loving the set it and forget it feature which cooks food for as long as you tell it to and then goes to warm to keep it happy while you get around to eating.
I made a crock pot meal for my sister and brother-in-law when they were here helping paint the nursery in January. I had never made the meal before, but the directions had mentioned that I would have liquid left over in the pot when I was done and this was not the case for me. In fact everything looked like it had been overdone a bit. My sister had liked the recipe enough she tried it when she got home and confirmed some suspicions I had been starting to have about my crock pot. She told me hers turned out different and had liquid leftover and that she suspect my crock pot was running hot. This wasn't the first time I had thought this, but I kind of figured crock pots never "went bad". There were a few other meals I had made that had what looked like hot spots in the pot when the meal was done, but I just thought, "oh it's being quirky".
I have finally conceded that my crock pot was broken and decided to replace it. The beauty of crock pots is that they are relatively cheap for a kitchen appliance, so for me, it's a matter of admitting mine is junk and throwing it out. I wouldn't want anyone else using this piece of junk which is really too bad. But it doesn't cook things properly, so who on earth would want that? Here, have my broken stuff!
Being the spend thrift that I am, I started my search on Amazon, which in my experience usually has some of the better prices for almost everything. Not to mention a healthy mix of reviews for whatever you are looking for. So I plugged in "crock pot" and started to read. What surprised me was reading about the crock pot I owned.
It was rated 2 stars and had 185 reviews. Most of the ones I read mentioned cooking food too hot. Amazing what other people had also found with this stupid crock pot.
Anywho, I moved on in my research and ended up with a Hamilton Beach one that has a programmable feature and has generally been rated very well. After finding it on Amazon, I checked good old Bed Bath and Beyond to see what they had for a price. It was the same as Amazon, but I could use a 20% off coupon, so we made the trip on Monday to pick it up. Saved myself $10 doing it that way and got it instantly. Tonight, I made the same crock pot meal to test it out and see how it did. I'll be damned if it didn't turn out like it was supposed to according to the recipe. I am really happy with it and am glad we bought it!
Recipe from tonight's meal if you are interested.
Slow Cooker Chicken
6 bone-in chicken thighs skin removed (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1 large onion diced
2 medium carrots chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened apple huice
1 garlic glove
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dried apricots chopped
Couscous
Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the onions and carrots in the bottom on the crock pot and then place the chicken on top of them. In a small bowl, combine the apple juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, shred chicken with two forks and remove bones. Add apricots and chicken back to the crock pot to warm. Make couscous and serve over the couscous.
It's tasty and easy to make!
I made a crock pot meal for my sister and brother-in-law when they were here helping paint the nursery in January. I had never made the meal before, but the directions had mentioned that I would have liquid left over in the pot when I was done and this was not the case for me. In fact everything looked like it had been overdone a bit. My sister had liked the recipe enough she tried it when she got home and confirmed some suspicions I had been starting to have about my crock pot. She told me hers turned out different and had liquid leftover and that she suspect my crock pot was running hot. This wasn't the first time I had thought this, but I kind of figured crock pots never "went bad". There were a few other meals I had made that had what looked like hot spots in the pot when the meal was done, but I just thought, "oh it's being quirky".
I have finally conceded that my crock pot was broken and decided to replace it. The beauty of crock pots is that they are relatively cheap for a kitchen appliance, so for me, it's a matter of admitting mine is junk and throwing it out. I wouldn't want anyone else using this piece of junk which is really too bad. But it doesn't cook things properly, so who on earth would want that? Here, have my broken stuff!
Being the spend thrift that I am, I started my search on Amazon, which in my experience usually has some of the better prices for almost everything. Not to mention a healthy mix of reviews for whatever you are looking for. So I plugged in "crock pot" and started to read. What surprised me was reading about the crock pot I owned.
It was rated 2 stars and had 185 reviews. Most of the ones I read mentioned cooking food too hot. Amazing what other people had also found with this stupid crock pot.
Anywho, I moved on in my research and ended up with a Hamilton Beach one that has a programmable feature and has generally been rated very well. After finding it on Amazon, I checked good old Bed Bath and Beyond to see what they had for a price. It was the same as Amazon, but I could use a 20% off coupon, so we made the trip on Monday to pick it up. Saved myself $10 doing it that way and got it instantly. Tonight, I made the same crock pot meal to test it out and see how it did. I'll be damned if it didn't turn out like it was supposed to according to the recipe. I am really happy with it and am glad we bought it!
Recipe from tonight's meal if you are interested.
Slow Cooker Chicken
6 bone-in chicken thighs skin removed (about 2 1/4 pounds)
1 large onion diced
2 medium carrots chopped
3/4 cup unsweetened apple huice
1 garlic glove
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dried apricots chopped
Couscous
Spray the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place the onions and carrots in the bottom on the crock pot and then place the chicken on top of them. In a small bowl, combine the apple juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and cinnamon. Pour over the chicken and vegetables. Cook on low for 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from crock pot, shred chicken with two forks and remove bones. Add apricots and chicken back to the crock pot to warm. Make couscous and serve over the couscous.
It's tasty and easy to make!
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