EngineerWoman

I am so DONE

2009-12-02T10:20:00.004-05:00

I've been done for one (1) week. :) I'm so happy! I've been playing Foo Fighters nonstop loudly in my car (you know, "DONE, DONE, ON TO THE NEXT ONE, DONE, DONE AND I'M ON TO THE NEXT ONE....")

However, I started feeling sick Monday. Go figure--it's probably because I kept telling myself all October and November that I couldn't get sick, repeating it over and over in my head. Then when I was done I stopped, so I got sick. Haha. It's just a cold though, thank heavens.

ANYWAY. Now onto the list of fun stuff to do with my free time now:

Reading (been reading almost every day now! Yay!)
Cooking (cooked last night even though I felt crappy)
Crocheting (have to find all my crocheting supplies, which will happen AFTER we finish dealing with the mold issues in our house).
Decorating (frugally, but still want to decorate the house. It feels very impersonal now, and we finally know what colors we want to paint stuff).
Drawing (I'd like to teach myself how to draw)
Painting (same)
CLEANING (yes I count this as fun because I HATE having a messy house)

And that's just the beginning. Watch out world!

What I Wish I Could E-mail to My Professor

2009-10-21T09:13:00.003-04:00

Apparently, you thought my emails were asking for "special treatment." I think we both may have misunderstood each other.

For the hw solutions, I meant for the entire class. I know others have asked you this before, and for whatever reason you always refuse, but I had thought I'd give it a shot on behalf of THE ENTIRE CLASS. It's really difficult to study one's homework for the test when you have no idea if any of it is correct or not because it isn't actually graded. And it would save you some time to just make a solution and hand it out rather than to spend an hour with every person who has questions, which has to be at least 15.

For the handout, I was there that day. I wasn't absent and expecting you to deal with what I missed; I WAS THERE. I didn't see anyone with a handout, and it never made it over to my part of the room, and you said something about emailing it, so I assumed that you hadn't handed it out in class. Next time I will be sure to interrupt class and make a big deal out of it while you are trying to teach, instead of trying to be polite. And when I emailed you could have just said, I handed it out in class, you must not have gotten one…rather than assuming that I wasn't there.

For the office hours, if wanting to meet outside of your scheduled office hours is "special treatment," then I and every other student I know get said "special treatment" from every other professor I have ever had--they are willing to compromise to find a mutually agreeable time for both parties. As it turns out, during lunch will work for me--I will simply take a late lunch today and come down there to ask about homeworks 4 and 5, since I have no idea if they are right or not because they aren't actually graded. Thank you for offering hours outside of after class.

As for the repeated emails, I was freaking out because the homework was due and you wouldn't even respond to a simple request to email a handout that either because the people in our class are morons and didn't pass it around, or because there just weren't enough of, I didn't receive in class. It would have taken you less than 30 seconds, because you already emailed it to the people in Savannah. Personally I think that is very immature, but so is being so passive-aggressive about this whole thing as to say everything that you wanted to say to ME in front of the whole class so that there was no way that I could respond, clarify, or defend myself. (You know, that rant about people asking for "special treatment" and sending you too many ridiculous emails and all that).

You are not the only one who doesn't have time for this shit. I have been doing this for three years while I work a full time job. I just want to do well in your class and learn from it, but you are making that extremely difficult with your immature passive-aggressive bullshit.

P.S. All of your superiors will be receiving an email from me after I graduate from this hell hole. You are hands down the WORST professor I've ever had...and I've been in school for EIGHT. YEARS.

Sorry for the Hiatus

2009-10-13T10:56:00.002-04:00

I just can't. I feel like I'm clawing my way to graduation; hanging on by fingernails. Plus, I'm not myself, and haven't been, REALLY, for almost three years. I'm usually happy, chill, fun...NOT anxious, cranky, stressed, tired.

I will get there. One month, 28 days.

Slogging Through

2009-09-16T10:02:00.004-04:00

I'm almost done. I'm almost done. This I repeat to myself EVERY DAY because I still really despise school. It doesn't help that the professor this time is one of the worst I've ever had--I learn more from the book than from him, and going to class is pointless other than to brownnose. Which I hate. But I go anyway, because I can do ANYTHING for 2 more months, three and a half more weeks.

But OH MY GOD I can't wait for life to begin again. I can't wait to come home and feel like it's okay to clean my house, okay to do laundry, okay to cook--because there's not anything in the world that I SHOULD do, and I can just do what needs to be done and what I want to do.

Part of me wants to sell the house (we owe 183k, it's worth around 230k--CONSERVATIVELY, and if you take out the realtor fees and capital gains, we'd have around 35,000 bucks. Consider that Zillow and our realtor--also our friend--think that we could get 240k even in this market, and wow that is a lot of money)...and then get a cheap RV or trailer for the back of a truck and travel around working at state parks for a few years. Haha. Probably not going to happen, but it's fun to dream, right?

Here's to hunkering down and not looking up till I'm done. And I am SO very grateful that it is almost DONE.

And by the way, I am going to wear a Georgia Bulldogs T-shirt under my graduation robe. That is how much I dislike my school. Amen. ;) (And no, I will not be blatant about it...it will just be there, and I will know it, and it will make me happy because that is the place that is closest to my heart. Yes, I'm cheesy, why do you ask?)

Over and out.

Reunion

2009-07-27T14:33:00.003-04:00

So I just went to my first high school reunion. (Seven year...they couldn't get it together enough to have a five year. lol).

And I actually had fun!

I suck at posting lately, and I know this. I think everything is just going to be on hiatus for a few months while I finish school--it's taking EVERY OUNCE of willpower I have to do my job well and do my homework well.

And yes, I still struggle with the whole frugality thing, but I am also still doing Dave Ramsey's plan and almost have one credit card gone. Wish me luck!

Style, or lack thereof

2009-07-16T13:07:00.003-04:00

I used to be stylish. I had cute clothes that fit well, cute shoes, and accessories. I think I still HAVE most of those things...but most days I feel I just look kind of "blah".

I don't want "blah," I want sophisticated with a little bit of edge. For my clothes, for my house, even for my accessories!

I think a lack of time, money, and definitely a lack of prioritizing have made me slowly become "blah."

I'd like to start wearing more skirts--my legs are the one thing that I actually like about myself. I'd also like these shoes. Dear lord, would I love those shoes...

Here they are on the lovely CJane. Aren't they AWESOME??

Random Thoughts

2009-06-03T09:45:00.003-04:00

I've been more spendy lately. I broke down and bought clothes in Savannah (me, mom, and sister went for Memorial Day weekend). And I've been eating out more, and I got some "stuff" in Savannah too (2 pairs of shoes, a quilt, and some kitchen towels).

I think it's because I'm unhappy on some level: I feel fat, I never get to spend time at HOME because we're going back and forth to Carrollton on the weekends, and during the week I work or go to school long hours. So I spend, and am temporarily happier, but then I just feel guilty for spending money that I either don't have or shouldn't be spending.

Monday, Mom came up to hang out and spend the night. She provided the impetus to start putting away the piles (and piles and piles) of folded laundry that I hadn't put up in probably a month or two. It was during this that I realized I have WAY too many clothes (not the first time I've realized this). But I wear almost all of them, at least those that we put up, because they were washed and in order to have been washed, I had to WEAR them. But I still have too many clothes. I think I may bag stuff up and let it sit for 6 months or so, and if I don't miss it then I'll give it away. I have tried going through the closet and each time I do get rid of stuff, but not much. Maybe the bag it for six months approach will be better.

And the crux of the whole spendy thing is, it doesn't make me feel better long term, because then I just have MORE clutter. For example, kitchen towels....I probably have 20. I really only need 5 or so, MAYBE 10 if I wait a long time to do laundry. I think I will freecycle the ones that don't match anymore instead of being such a pack rat.

Then the question becomes, when the hell am I going to do this?? (Because we will be gone all the damned time this summer). Sigh. It's an uphill battle and I'm losing.

Summer

2009-05-26T10:37:00.003-04:00

I used to love summer...long days lounging by the pool, hanging out with friends, babysitting my favorite kids ever, washing my car every week...

Now I kind of am at odds with summer, because I am missing it even as I am in it. I have to work all day in my (too-hot) work clothes, I do homework in the evenings with no time to wash my car (plus the drought won't allow that anyway), and my weekends will be spent traveling back and forth to family stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, miss them terribly, and enjoy spending time with them. HOWEVER. This summer, we will have MAYBE one weekend in Atlanta. ONE. WEEKEND. Every single other weekend, at least one day of it will be spent in Carrollton and a couple of them will be ALL weekend. Sigh. There goes any concept of a relaxing summer.

Just for shits and giggles, here is our (abbreviated) schedule for the summer:

This weekend: (May 30/31): EABF in East Atlanta, and then nephews' birthday party Saturday in Carrollton, RELAX on Sunday. (Where RELAX really means catch up on cooking, grocery shopping, laundry, and cleaning).

Next weekend (June 6/7): Caleb's cousin's wedding celebration Saturday (they are getting married at the courthouse beforehand), shop for bridesmaid dresses with a friend on Sunday from 2 pm till ? somewhere not at home (probably Town Center)...I'm also supposed to be helping some friends paint their house Sunday in Paulding County but can't do both.

June 13/14: Liz and Mary and Evan (Aunts and Uncle) will be here; they will be at Jim and Barbara's lakehouse on Saturday IN WEDOWEE, ALABAMA. We will help some friends move that morning in Carrollton/Paulding County and then probably go because otherwise we won't see Liz and Evan again till October. Sunday, either nothing or painting if painting gets moved to that weekend instead. UPDATE: Caleb has to work Sunday so we will either both be in Carrollton or he will be in Carrollton that day.

June 20/21: STAY IN ATLANTA, YAY! Terri and Jesse's wedding Saturday afternoon, go out to dinner with them afterwards. Nothing Sunday (aka catch up on housework that we haven't been doing because we haven't been there for two weeks). (It's Fathers Day on Sunday but we will be celebrating with them when we see them BEFORE then so that we can eke out one measly weekend at our freaking HOUSE).

June 27/28: already be in Daytona (drive down June 26, Friday)

July 5/6: Saturday we will be driving back from Daytona, Sunday nothing

July 11/12: Saturday nothing (really catching up on housework per the usual), Sunday, Jennifer's party thing in Carrollton. (It's actually a shower, but she wants it to be more of a couples come and hang out thing). Note that I have to plan this sometime between now and then.

July 18/19: I will be gone at least Saturday night for Jennifer's bachelorette party...either all weekend in Charleston or just Saturday night/Sunday in ATL or Athens.

July 25th: Jennifer's wedding and my class reunion, both in Carrollton.

I feel overtraveled, overexerted, and like the laundry is piling up already. Sigh.

I Caved

2009-05-04T12:45:00.002-04:00

I am now actually, REALLY, completely following Dave Ramsey's plan. I quit contributions to my 401(k) as of the paycheck I will receive on Friday and all of that money (somewhere between 200 and 300 dollars/month) will go to credit card debt. I'm sick of having stupid bills that I wouldn't have if I just paid it off.

I have roughly 8 grand in credit card debt (3 grand from appliances when we bought the house, the rest is mostly tuition). My interest rates are between 9 and 13 percent. I'm ready to knock it OUT.

I will update monthly-ish on progress with that. I might even make little graphs and stuff.

An Aside

2009-04-28T10:54:00.001-04:00

Also, there was a spider crawling on my leg this morning as I was backing out of the driveway (I had just moved some plants, I think that's when it made its move onto me) and I FREAKED OUT. I did at least remember to put the handbrake on before I shoved the door open and thumped him off of me. (Yes I screamed a little). Unfortunately I shoved the door open onto the corner of our brick flower bed, and there is a tiny (thank God it's small!) dent and nick in it. But you know what? It was worth it not to have the spider TOUCH MY SKIN. THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OKAY.

Result of My Upbringing

2009-04-28T10:37:00.003-04:00

As the youngest, I despise feeling left out. I'm not sure why this trait manifested itself so strongly, but it did.

Unfortunately for the last year and a half, I've felt left out of my own life. That's the best way I can describe it. I STILL feel like I'm waiting for the best part of my life--the part in which I don't have school, I get to enjoy time with Caleb, I get to have a clean house and occasionally add to its decor...to cook at will, even deciding on a whim to attempt a long elaborate recipe on a weekday--without having to worry about how it will affect my homework time.

I know I chose this, but damn, sometimes it sucks.

Come December, I will be hosting a PARTAY to end all parties. Start planning your cute outfits now!

Also, I'm thinking about having a "shopping party" sometime in the near future...where I invite a bunch of women over, we all go through our closets beforehand and bring decent clothing that we either can't or don't wear anymore, and shop through each other's piles...do you think it would work better with many or few? I think many, just because most of my friends and I are so different in sizes. But then it might get chaotic. Share your thoughts, I'm interested to know if any of you have done something like this, and logistically how it might work.

I Need Encouragement

2009-04-24T09:28:00.011-04:00

At the funeral the other day, one of my...uncles? First cousins once removed? Something like that. Anyway, he was talking about Aunt Boe (and, by default, Uncle Posie, since they functioned as a unit--in a good way) and how she and Uncle Posie always, always, encouraged ALL of us kids. Every single one of us, through three generations, felt special (three of the uncles got up and each claimed to be Aunt Boe's favorite, and I thought I was her favorite, and I'm pretty sure my cousin thought she was her favorite, too). She and Uncle Posie had that magical quality of making everyone feel elevated--favorited, even--and encouraged. Even when I was small, they would ask about school and tell me how proud they were of me and how awesome I was...and it wasn't until that moment, the moment that Clayton stood there and said all this (he was talking about himself, but we ALL got that from them), that I realized how sorely I've missed that kind of encouragement, love, and devotion. Yes, I get it from Caleb (my husband. I got tired of referring to him as the husband). Yes, I occasionally get it from my parents, but mostly people just don't talk about school around me because by now they all know how much I hate it at the moment.

Maybe it was just easier to believe the encouragement when I was a kid--I had much higher self esteem then. Now, I feel like I don't--can't--give 100% to anything because I'm so split between work, school, house, family, friends, etc. So I constantly beat myself up mentally about how I could have done that better or I could have spent more time on this. And I feel fat, but that's another post altogether.

It's weird how two of the major things that I used to base my self-esteem on have fallen so far. I wonder if that's why it has taken such a big hit? I no longer make straight A's (in fact, I'll be lucky to finish my master's with a 3.0 overall), and I'm not skinny anymore (and as a result I no longer even feel like myself, nor do I feel pretty). I don't like looking cute in outfits anymore, because none of them fit right, and the cute stuff I used to wear no longer looks good on me. Plus I can't spend money on clothes. I wonder if it all, deep down, boils down to a money issue? A weight issue? Or whether I'm just using so much willpower on work and school and keeping the house not disgusting that I have none left for my body or dressing to look cute or making sure I have straight A's?

I guess, if nothing else, I'll find out in December when I just have work to worry about. I think I will focus on my body and my wardrobe (not buying stuff, just putting it together better and taking more time to look cute) first, then on making my house look like me. I want to paint (burnt orange in the bathroom), build a banquette for the elliptical table in the dining room, get the furniture arranged just right, put pictures up, unpack the office...you get the picture. I just have to find a way to do that frugally. Hello Salvation Army/thrift stores in hoity neighborhoods! I'm getting excited about it already. I will post PLENTY of before and after pictures. For now, here are the "before" pictures of the house (before we moved in--it's not that clean or spacious looking now, that's for sure!)

This is the guest bath that I want to paint burnt orange. What do you think? Caleb is worried that it will be too dark and guests would get annoyed with the darkness while putting on makeup...but over the sink (which would be in the far right of the picture but is cut off) there is a light fixture with THREE 60 watt bulbs. We only have two in there now, and it's plenty bright).

This is the dining room. Right now we have a small round table in there, a huge white beautiful Ikea elliptical table (it's the Gidea, if you must know), a chifferobe (which is currently being used as extra kitchen storage because we don't have enough cabinets for all our gadgets), two chairs, and three barstools. I want to build a banquette on the right hand wall in the picture with (hidden, modern) storage drawers in the bottom/sides of it. That way the dining room would be opened up and we'd have more room for the chifferobe and for people to mingle. Not to mention the extra storage (Eventually the small round table and 2 chairs will go back to their owner, which means there's even more need to build the banquette--that's five people able to sit which they can't do after the chairs go away, and we cannot afford chairs right now. I need to do some serious thrift store shopping for chairs, because they are RIDICULOUSLY expensive! Anyone have three stylish chairs they want to get rid of that fit the color scheme or can be recovered?) Other than that, I'm not sure if I want to paint in here or not...I really like the greenish-yellowish-happy color that is in there. Below is a drawing of what it would look like with the banquette in there:

This is a picture of the living room. Currently there is an apple-green, retro, super cool sofa coming out from the wall between the door and the windows with its back to us. I like that arrangement; it helps define the "entry" as such and divides the room from the entry and kitchen without restricting sight lines or conversations. For the "color scheme" in the living/dining rooms and kitchen, I'm thinking of the wall color, apple green, orange (not neon) dark brown, and a tiny bit of white (a la the table, throw pillows, etc).

This is the master bedroom. Our headboard is centered on the left wall in front of the window (Sound weird? I agreed, but we had it on the wall directly in front of us in the picture at first, and it just didn't work. Surprisingly, it looks decent in front of the window). The furniture in there is sparse, with a nightstand on the left side of the bed (but not right next to it), a tiny table on the right side, a white floor lamp from Ikea in the corner we see here, a short dresser across from the bed, and a tall chest of drawers (or if you're from the South, a "chester drawers.") on the non-window wall we are looking at, centered. Sounds like a lot...maybe it isn't sparse? We don't have a rug or anything in here; I like it without one. We have a painting on the wall above the short dresser, and our duvet is apple green with white print. I can't decide if this room is DONE or not. I think in order to decide, I should take a picture of it when it is clean and then determine what, if anything, is missing.

This is the master bath. I want to paint it but I'm not sure what color yet (green? yellow? white?). I haven't been struck by inspiration for it yet; I have a shower curtain that I love that is (guess what?) apple green with white and off white flower outlines on it (looks more abstract than flowery; I'm not really a flower kinda girl). We also have six black 1 ft cubes in there, eventually they will be floor to ceiling but we might paint them dark brown first. Ooh, I just had a thought! We could put shelves on the wall that would be to our right in the picture, similar to the ones I had in the office in Athens! Like an idiot I never took a picture of those, but I have the design sketched out somewhere. Also, that light-colored panel on the end of the cabinet is horrid. We have to find a dark colored one, or paint it, or something. It drives me nuts.

As for the office and the guest bedroom, they will have to wait--the office has all our unpacked boxes still in it, and the guest bedroom looks ok, but has all the stuff we want to sell at a garage sale in it. Caleb gets to be in charge of the decorating scheme for the office; I think he wants to paint it a grayish blue color. I think that sounds lovely.

I can't wait to be the decorating queen among my friends again. Everyone used to come into the house in Athens and go, "Ooh! I love the kitchen!" (or the office, or my bedroom or whatever). My bedroom was freaking awesome. I painted it deep purple and had sort of a moroccan theme, and it actually worked. (My mom was horrified at the purple before we got any furniture in there and said, "You HAVE to paint it a lighter color when we sell the house!" but then after I got everything in there, she loved it). Plus I could sleep late because the room wasn't bright, a very unexpected and welcome benefit. Hmm. Maybe in light of that, I should paint the master bedroom chocolate brown?

What are your favorite past decorating ideas? Or ideas that you want to incorporate into your future abode? Please share!

Musings

2009-04-21T10:27:00.005-04:00

Since I've become aware of the fact that one has to spend less than one makes, I've been making (small) strides to improve my spending habits. I'm doing well in some ways and really crappily in others:

Doing Well:
-I have $1500 in a high-interest savings account with HSBC.
-I generally spend less than I make in a month, with the only exceptions being when I pay for car insurance and/or tuition, which I try to save for in other months.
-I have not purchased any clothing items since last August, with the exception of that one $12 pair of leggings that would transform a sundress into fall/winter wearable (remember, I live in Georgia and "winter" is more like fall elsewhere).
-I pay $50 extra on my car payment every month and am attempting to snowball my credit card debt. (And none of my credit card debt is above 11% interest--one is 0%, one is 9%, and one is 11%).

Doing Crappily:
-I only have $1500 in my HSBC account, and car insurance and tuition are coming up this summer. I have an extra grand in my secondary checking account and can use that, but really don't want to. (But it beats using savings!)
-My credit card debt has increased in the last year because I keep putting tuition on them. My work reimburses half, but the other half is still on there. We also put all the appliances that we needed when we bought the house on credit cards.
-I still WANT to shop for clothing and house stuff just as badly as I used to, even though intellectually I know that I don't NEED any more "stuff." I just really enjoy the act of shopping, and the way new things look in my house. I am going to have to find a more sustainable way to enjoy shopping in the future when I have a little extra money--maybe thrift stores combined with a "one in, one out" policy? How do you prevent clutter from building up?

On a non-financial note, I have 1 week and three days left in this semester, and I'm not hyperventilating. I'm a little stressed, but I think I can get everything done that I need to in the time that I have. And I only have 1 final (in one of my classes, we have a project instead).

Then I get a week off before the summer semester starts, and I will only be taking one class this summer--Timber and Masonry, both of which I've had a little of before and both of which I enjoy, especially from an aesthetic point of view. I must say, if I ever get to be really picky and CHOOSE what projects I work on, I'd choose residential coastal engineering.

Since husband and I want to live on the coast someday, I've been thinking a lot about how I'd build a house were I to ever be able to afford building my own beach house. I've come to the conclusion that I'd likely design it with straight up reinforced concrete, but instead of using steel (because it corrodes so easily if any water gets in), I'd use FRP or carbon fiber reinforcement. Slightly more brittle, sure, but it would NEVER corrode, which is a huge problem with reinforced/prestressed concrete structures in coastal environments.

Sometimes I can't wait for the rest of my life (READ: GETTING OUT OF SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND HAVING TIME TO CARE ABOUT WHAT MY HOUSE LOOKS LIKE AND WHAT I EAT). But I only have EIGHT MONTHS LEFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EIGHT MONTHS.

EIGHT.

(8--a ONE DIGIT number)

MONTHS.

Till I can have a LIFE again. I am so excited.

Internet, Tentatively

2009-04-02T13:33:00.001-04:00

I have internet on my phone! And on my computer through the Bluetooth!

That's one thing out of the way. Thank heavens. Now on to the next 99384778324 things.

What a Week

2009-04-02T09:04:00.003-04:00

Monday: Feel coughy (not a word, I know, but I'm using it anyway) and crappy, raining, etc. Go to work anyway.

Also I was worried that my rear wheels weren't on good enough after having changed my rear brakes Sunday, so that was in the back of my mind all day Monday.

Tuesday: Feel even worse, come to work anyway again, change T-Mobile plan to get unlimited internet so I can use my phone as modem for new laptop (netbook, $400, small enough to fit in my purse), and internet won't work. Decide to give it a day or so. Mom calls, says my great-aunt (who was more like a grandmother because she lived so close to us and I spend a lot of time over there as a kid) isn't doing well at all. She has had Alzheimer's since I was about 16 (so nine years) and she hasn't known anyone for at least the last five. She can't speak, and she broke her hip in the nursing home about six years ago and they wouldn't fix it so she could walk again because they thought she wouldn't last much longer. So for the last six years, she has been unable to speak, walk, feed herself, or use the restroom (really, if there were a God, and he were merciful, he would not have let that happen). So intellectually, I have known that she's been "gone" for a very long time...I am convinced that she is no longer "in there" which I guess if one has to get Alzheimer's, at least eventually, mercifully (in a sick and twisted sort of way) you are unaware of what is happening to you. So I thought I had dealt with it long ago, and processed that she was gone...and then my mom called and told me that and was hit with the realization that, no, I have not processed it, and no, I am not okay with it EVEN THOUGH I know that it would be the most merciful thing for her. I miss her, I miss Uncle Posie (her husband and my surrogate grandpa who was a little crazy, hilariously funny, and very inventive), and I'd give anything to have one more day with them both. So anyway. I had to leave the office for a bit and go cry in my car. And I need to, again, but have shoved it down into the recesses of my mind because I can't give it the time I need to right now, and anyway, there will be a funeral for that I guess.

Go to class, discover that I could have been taking Management for Engineers instead of Finite Element Methods (read: EASY A instead of possible D), come back to work, still worried about wheels. Decide to meet some friends for dinner. Before dinner, decide to go to other friend's house and check wheels. Pull up in driveway, and he freaks out because something looks wrong with my rotors. Discover that rotors are wrong size, hurry up to take old ones to be turned (call the people I got them from and leave a civil but angry message), cancel dinner, come back and get car off ground, wheels off, calipers off...and discover a leak in the seal of one of my caliper pistons (new caliper, $300...or rebuild kit, $25 and EIGHT HOURS TO REBUILD). Grapple with the realization that I won't be driving my car for a few (possibly several) days. Go pick up turned rotors, leave car and borrow friend's (he has five). Get dinner at 9:30, (STILL FEEL LIKE HOLY HELL), FINALLY go home and go to bed.

Wednesday: Feel even worse than on Tuesday (are you sensing a pattern here?), go to work anyway. Raining, and that's a problem because the loaner car leaks a little, drip...drip....drip onto my left shoulder (I had been warned that that was an issue so wasn't TOO awful). People that shipped rotors call and declare that their website isn't at all misleading (even though I chose MY make and model and somehow it jumped makes and models while I was clicking on things in MY MAKE AND MODEL'S BRAKE CATEGORY such that I ended up with 02-03 WRX rotors). Get angry and hang up on them. Post on WRXAtlanta forums about how the people who sent me the wrong rotors won't take them back (not even for a partial refund) even though they have LESS THAN FIFTY MILES ON THEM and I ordered them AFTER CHOOSING MY CAR'S MAKE AND MODEL AND THEY WERE WRONG. People agree with me, and one guy offers me a great deal on new ones that actually fit. And hopefully I have hurt their business, because there are 2500 members of WRX Atlanta. Plan to post it on NAISOC (North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club) forums as well. Go to bank to deposit $2200 check (refund from old escrow account) and it isn't in my purse because it was in my car and when I moved cars I took everything in the house. Call T-Mobile b/c internet still won't work and they try some stuff and then tell me to wait another day because nothing they have done fixes it. (At this point, it is only around 11:00 am). Go to class, feel stupid and behind, come back. Having issues with a project at work; it's not as easy as it looked. VERY FRUSTRATED AT THIS POINT. Email people about work problem, leave. Had enough. Go home, eat, take Nyquil, and accidentally crash before planned, miss hubby's phone call. Wake up at 1 am because of thunder, pee, text him to tell him I'm ok. Back to bed.

Thursday: Wake up feeling EVEN WORSE. (WONDERING HOW MUCH FUCKING LONGER THIS CAN CONTINUE). Cough a lot, rattles, hurts, but NOTHING comes up. I am hating life right about now. Get dressed, come to work. Get out of car at work and realize my entire ass is SOAKING WET because it rained all night and that drip, drip, drip had been dripping right onto the seat. Put saran wrap on the door to try and not let it get any wetter since I have to go to class and back again today. Also it is hot and humid IN THE FUCKING BUILDING so I am sweaty and hot on top of having a wet ass. That brings me to now. I am thoroughly pissed off, hot, sweaty, wet-assed, and feeling like HOLY HELL. I can't stop coughing and NOTHING WILL COME UP. And to top it all off, I STILL CAN'T GET ON THE DAMNED INTERNET WITH MY PHONE. So I get to look forward to calling inept customer service people to deal with yet another problem. And look! It's only 9:38! I can't wait to see what the rest of the day and week brings!

Don't piss me off or I'll punch you. Amen.

Exclamation Point

2009-03-25T19:14:00.002-04:00

The beach house fund now has $150.00 in it!

Random Stuff with Links

2009-03-25T19:00:00.004-04:00

Live in Atlanta? Want to "do stuff" but need to save money? There's a pretty awesome new website: Atlanta on the Cheap. After perusing it, I bookmarked it, and you might want to too. Free IMAX, cheap art, cheap show tickets and stuff. I was actually pretty impressed. The little box to the right of the blog posts has TONS of stuff in it.

Also, if you're into poring over loooong lists of completely random stuff in search of that perfect....forklift, exam table, laptop, or truck chassis? The (Atlanta) airport surplus website is here. You can bid on stuff and view it before buying. Interesting, if nothing else!

THIS is the coolest lamp ever. I totally want to make one (WITHOUT the fruit--my cats would probably hang themselves accidentally...the spastoids...).

And finally, someday I'm going to use this to plan a food-based road trip all over the entire US. It's a website that showcases "The most memorable local eateries along the highways and back roads of America." Sounds AWESOME. Also, yes, I do plan on making myself lose 50 pounds before starting this road trip and gaining it all back during, why do you ask?

Beach and Cars

2009-03-18T17:55:00.005-04:00

I want to live at the beach someday. Husband and I decided that this is not just a pipe dream and that we are going to try with everything we have to live at the beach within ten years(we were discussing it at Amelia Island this weekend).

So I opened another savings account that will be called Beach House Fund. When husband gets a job after finishing school, we need to save $2500+ per month in order to move to the beach within ten years. Hopefully as the years go by we can save more than that because my income should increase at least a little.

However. I also want:
-Sway bars
-An exhaust system
-A short-throw shifter
-Eventually, new wheels
-etc....

So I have to decide if my car is going to be the main splurge in my life between now and then, or if I even have the money for that--all of it will have to go for the beach house for a while. I also have to decide if that takes precedence over other things that I like spending money on (home decorating, food, clothes). Of course, this is all with the understanding that I will do none of these things until I/we pay off consumer debt and fund a 6-month emergency fund and max out retirement savings. However, if large groups of my adoring friends and fans want to get together and buy me stuff that I want but won't buy for myself, you can start with these:

-front sway bar

-rear sway bar

My birthday is September 30. No autographs, but you can come watch me at autocross anytime!

I crack myself up.

Anyway, I apparently have some serious thinking to do about my priorities for money, and where my car fits into that relative to other things. Autocross (and fun cars in general) can either be a cheap hobby or a really, really expensive hobby. I have to decide if the fun is worth the payoff. I think for the swaybars and short shifter, eventually, it will be. Not sure about the other stuff.

I think it is a matter of stress relief, for me. Autocross is GREAT for stress relief...but it is very short term, whereas LIVING AT THE BEACH would be great stress relief ALL THE TIME. I need to balance my short term stress relief needs with the eventual long term stress relief of the beach. But I don't think I'll ever give up Autocross. I love it too much.

Hey, if any of you women ever want to learn how to work on your car, let me know! I'm decent at it, and love it, and would love to show you/teach you.

And finally, here's a tidbit from the Concours d'Elegance from this weekend. I love this little car, and would like to at least drive it someday.

Autocross!

2009-03-13T11:13:00.005-04:00

I lessened my tire pressures somewhat from previous runs (41 psi front, 45 psi rear) and really liked the way they responded. I may need to increase the front a little though, and do 45 psi all around--i got a bit of scuffing on the sidewalls, but I think it was because of my half-spinout. Grin.

My first run, from a time perspective, was awful. 82 seconds-ish. BUT, it was smooth and I stayed on course.

Second run, much better, but half-spinout caused time to be 75 seconds.

Third and fourth run, got down to 69 seconds, which was pretty good for me. I was only a few seconds behind the really good people (still way behind the PRO classes, but that's ok).

Most importantly, I relieved a lot of stress, had a TON of fun, and cleaned out my adrenal system. Haha. Here are pics:

One poor guy didn't torque his lugnuts enough and lost a wheel and most of his studs...it was bad. But he had a good sense of humor about it at least.

Made it, this time

2009-03-11T16:35:00.003-04:00

Work calmed down a bit. Also we are going to the beach this weekend (staying at a free condo!)

Now I just have to get through this semester of school...plodding through. Need to NOT procrastinate on the huge project. :/

I can take a summer class! So one in summer, one in fall and I'm DONE. DONE, DONE, ON TO THE NEXT ONE, --actually, no, more like on to the relaxation and house cleaning and cooking and having a life again. T-minus 9.5 months and counting!!!

Also I am eagerly awaiting our tax refund (= = instant 4 month emergency fund) and my graduation in December and Caleb's graduation (May 2010 ish, or maybe August or Dec 2010) and having a full-time husband. That will be weird. And awesome. It'll be like a spend-the-night party every night! Yay! (That's my goal at least, to make sure that we try to have as much fun as if I were in eighth grade again and getting to spend an entire week with my BFF or something. At least half the time). For the first time since I started grad school, I am excited about my life again. (Never mind the fact that I am excited about life AFTER December; I'm just really amazed that I have ANY excitement at all). There IS a light at the end of the tunnel, and the sheer blackness has been replaced by a medium shade of gray. Just gotta keep plugging.

ARRRRRGH

2009-02-25T08:56:00.003-05:00

My job is killing me.

Short version: everyone thought it would be a good idea if EVERYONE put in extra hours every week. (So we could bid more jobs at a slightly cheaper price, procuring more work and earning more money but paying everyone the same)....but then our sales people thought it would be a good idea to make promises that may or may not be possible to keep, and my team's "extra hours" have doubled/tripled depending on which person you are on our team. I am severely lacking in sleep and homework time (and time to cook, clean, do laundry, fix my car, wash my car, etc). So I've been spending more money on food since I have no time to make any, I'm never home, my house needs cleaning, I have no clothes to wear (except that wonderful hubby did enough laundry to get me through this week), my test grade suffered, I'm tired all the time, and still I get bitched at because it's never enough. I want to move to Europe sometimes. Fuck capitalism.

It's been so bad I broke out the Alanis Morissette CD and have been scream-singing at every opportunity. I am ANGRY.

However, there is an autocross this weekend, and I cannot WAIT. Sweet stress relief, here I come. My car is getting new spark plugs and some other 60k stuff on Saturday, so it will be feeling wonderful come Sunday morning. I haven't decided if I'll blast Foo Fighters (the usual autocross music) or Alanis on Sunday....hahahahaha.

Hearing and its Discontents

2009-01-14T18:30:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I wonder if I hear things the way everyone else does, even with my hearing aids. Once, I made someone wear one of my hearing aids and asked if it sounded different than normal hearing, and of course the answer was yes. Granted, this is probably because I hear worst at high frequencies and thus the aids turn up the sounds on those more than low ones, hence to a normal hearing person, they would sound pretty atrocious. I have enough “real” hearing to be able to listen to my radio in my car at a medium high volume (sans hearing aids) and actually hear it. And headphones (for which I remove the aids) sound basically the same as music from a radio with the hearing aids in. But I still wonder if I process the sound in the same way, if it sounds different to hearing people, and if I'm missing some wonderful sounds, or if other people are missing wonderful sounds--maybe the things that sound like pure heaven to me are just sounds to others...I will never know. The only time it really irritates me is when I am not wearing my hearing aids and desperately want to hear what someone is saying (swimming and immediately upon waking or showering).

There are, however, numerous advantages.

Anytime I don't want to hear something, I simply press a button and the hearing aids "go dark" while also acting as earplugs. This is very beneficial when it comes to sirens, squealing brakes, unruly children, etc. It also greatly reduces the urge to smack said children, which is good considering they aren't mine and I’m usually in public and don’t even know the kids.

When I press the button once, it goes to "telephone" mode, during which I can talk on a (land) line without having to remove them. I don't usually use it for phone conversations (I can hear well on phones and usually just take one out); HOWEVER, I recently discovered that with them on this setting, they pick up various electromagnetic (I'm assuming it's EM, anyway) noise, and I can hear motors and equipment--even if they are fairly far away. It's neat. Random thought: I wonder if, because of their electrical nature, they'd be wiped out in the event of large EM radiation or nuclear radiation? Maybe I should avoid the power plants....

I sleep REALLY WELL. I don't hear the bus going by every ten minutes or the loud cars or the rumblings of my elephant-like cats. I love sleep, so this is also a very good thing, unless I'm home alone and afraid of robbers (which, of course, is even worse now with the second break-in). Then I'm faced with the choice of leaving them in and sleeping like crap or taking them out and not hearing the potential thieves breaking in. I choose sleep and potential thieves most of the time, though I keep various weaponry and my handy alarm key fob with panic button basically under me while I sleep if the hubby isn’t there. Just in case.

My ears are never cold. In fact, I didn't realize how cold one's ears could get until I (for whatever unknown reason) was outside in the winter without the aids. I hightailed it back inside and put them in and was warmed. Whew.

Nothing is ever too loud. Most new digital hearing aids have compression built in, which is a fancy term for not transmitting loud noises beyond a certain loudness (i.e. they don't just magnify noise linearly. Yes I'm a dork). At first, this was bad, because the "loudness tolerance" for this particular brand was set extremely low, and anytime there was anything even resembling noise I would hear them actually masking it. It drove me nuts. So we adjusted some stuff and now they're great! *Note: this feature comes in extreme handy at concerts--my mom and sister's ears rang for three days after the last one and mine didn't at all.

The drawbacks, though...they are plentiful as well. 22 years with them has produced some doozies.

Somehow I always run out of batteries when on a trip somewhere when I'm not driving. This means I have to ask our hostess or whoever is driving to hightail it to a drugstore or Wal Mart ASAP, politely. But desperately. Because otherwise I WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR ANYTHING.

Once, I flushed BOTH of them down the toilet accidentally. Don't ask. I dropped one into the (clean, empty) toilet once, too, prompting my mother to disallow them from the bathroom forevermore. Probably a smart policy given my...well...let’s just euphemistically say, “tendency toward blonde moments.”

Another time, I forgot them at home when going to school and my mom had to bring them to me. I was in kindergarten and had been wearing them for two years at that point. I'm still not sure how one manages to leave the house without being able to hear...

At a friend's house after a sleepover in fourth grade, we were playing with water guns. You guessed it, friend scored a direct hit to the ear and it wouldn't work anymore! I freaked, my mom arrived later to pick me up and instructed me to hold it in front of the A/C vent for a while and it was good as new. I think I thought that my friend did it on purpose (even though most of my friends didn't even know I had hearing aids, and if they did, probably wouldn’t have realized that water + hearing aids = very bad. And that was the very first time I had spent any time at that person’s house…she probably forgot they were even there). Apparently I was a little conspiracy theorist or something.

Still another time, my mom's cat decided that earwax was her absolute most favorite thing in the entire world, and I woke up and found that one of my “ears” was missing. It took my parents and me an hour of frantic we’re-gonna-be-late-for-school! searching to find it (on the floor, in the back of the closet)...and when I picked it up I realized it had been licked clean. GROSS. To this day I cannot leave them out at my parents' house or the cat will take them.

So there. Everything you never wanted to ask your friends who have hearing aids, in one (rather lengthy) post!

Smells

2009-01-14T17:49:00.004-05:00

The new year came in with a vengeance--I had a week and a half off work, and then class and work both started up again on the fifth. I'm still trying to recover.

Anyway.

So I'm sitting in class last week (maybe the third day of class?) and all of a sudden, I'm sneezing. And I'm afraid I can't stop. During a lull, I am conscious enough to realize that I think it's the girl's perfume who is sitting beside me. Yikes. I inch to the left in my chair, hoping to escape the nostril-tingling fumes. No dice. I sneeze. My nose runs. My eyes water. Everyone else in the room is doing an EXCELLENT job of not noticing, including the professor, who is very carefully not looking at me. Or anyone, actually. Finally, I just turn my head. Ahhhhhhh, sweet relief. Eventually I inch far enough away to stop sneezing. I hope she didn't think she smelled bad...I have no idea how it actually smelled, only that it invaded my nose like an explosion of those little things you blow off dandelions in the summer. Fired into the nostrils via jet stream. That's never happened to me before. I hope it doesn't become a common occurence-- "Oh, hi, Mrs. X, it's nice to meet you!" (lean in for handshake, perfume causes nostril tingling, and Mrs. X now has snot all over her.....hmmm...this could be problematic).

So I resolve that I can't sit beside this girl anymore. Which in and of itself is problematic because she is the girlfriend of a friend of mine, and I don't want her to think I don't like her. But there are plenty of other seats, right?

Fast forward five days, same class. I get there late and have to take the remaining seat near the front. It's next to a guy I don't know. As soon as I sit down, I almost gag. My brain is going, "BODY ODOR BODY ODOR BODY ODOR BODY ODOR YOU HAVE TO MOVE. NOW, WOMAN!" I (stealthily, and without expressing the panic I feel, I hope) glance around and realize unless I want to cause a semi-major disruption, I can't change seats. So I practice the inching away technique some more and breathe through my mouth. (Seriously, people, it was the sour sweaty BO that you only get from BOTH exercising rigorously AND not showering for a few days). Then I sort of do this weird head tilt thing to aim my nostrils to my left while pretending I'm just trying to understand the professor (same one as before) better. I resolve not to sit next to this guy anymore either.

Then today, I get to class (late, again--well, late enough to not have much seat choice) and have to sit beside him again. I instinctively hold my breath. But then I (reluctantly, while breathing through my mouth) sit down and take a tentative whiff. Apparently, he has showered, though not recently, recently enough to not reek. I breathe a (small) sigh of relief and resolve to be very, very early to that class from now on.

Is there a "Supersmellers Anonymous?" Because I totally need that. This is just a small sample of what my poor poor nose goes through on a fairly regular basis. Based on this, I have decided when I get pregnant (in five or maybe ten years), I'm going to just have to hole up at home, not cook bacon, not wear perfume, not poop or have to smell it, and have something that still smells good to my pregnant, odor-revulsed selfnext to me at all times so that if I catch a whiff of something untoward, I can just smother my face with the smelly-good thing and NOT PUKE.

However, I would venture to guess that because I smell what most people don't (or smell it long before they do) I'm a supertaster and therefore food tastes better to me than most people. Which is good if you are my taste buds, but bad if you are my weight. Bad with the good, though, right?

I Need a Constant Reminder

2008-12-22T08:57:00.002-05:00

Whenever I want to spend money, which is pretty often, I get this weird feeling--I get excited, soon followed by guilt over spending (especially now, with our budget stretched to the breaking point), then I have an internal argument over whether to actually do it or not. I usually have about a 50/50 chance of spending or not.

But I read this today: "You don't cut out things that you value," Rob said. "The most important thing (about spending money) is can you remember it? I vividly remember those trips years later." (from an interesting article on MSN Money). And it stuck...I am going to add this to my repertoire of things to say to myself when I think I want something. Because usually, purchases aren't memorable. Yay another step to Financial Independence!! Or something. We still have an astronomically long way to go, but I'm chugging along.

Awkward Question

2008-12-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

A detective from the Police Department called me today, to ask if I could think of any reasons why I'd been burglarized twice in as many months...I said no.....

Because, how do I say, well, it's probably because I'm white (living in a very much non-white neighborhood) and because my house is the only rehabbed one on my block...?

And I don't have anyone home all day like most of my neighbors (they are either retired or have parents living with them or something)...

Argh.

I Live in the Ghetto

2008-12-16T08:48:00.001-05:00

Got broken into. Again.

Creep factor: I only just OPENED the donated laptop on Thursday night for about ten minutes, and then stowed it away again (NOT in front of any windows).

Creep factor #2: It's possible they knew 1) there was only a glass break sensor on the master bedroom window, no contact sensor and 2) we didn't have the motion sensors on because we don't know if the cats will set it off--because the window was carefully (and quietly, I assume) pried open, and they left using the same window rather than walking out a door.

(Of course, it is possible that all those things are pure coincidence and I'm not really being spied on, but geez).

I am so angry. I feel violated. All my shit was rifled through. Again, the laptop was the only thing taken. But ugh. They were much more thorough this time--drawers opened and rifled through, mattress moved, stuff in the closet thrown around...however, they didn't really make that much of a mess though because my house is SO messy right now. Which is both sad and funny.

Anyway. Back to work.

More Saving Tips from the 30-Day Challenge

2008-12-10T12:02:00.002-05:00

Tip #25: Earn more money using your God-given skills.

Basically, use the skills you have either freelancing, being a tutor, babysitting, whatever. Just DO it instead of thinking that you can't. I will try to tutor...I'm great at math and good with kids, and I like the "aha!" moments...Ramit suggests looking on Craigslist for tutors needed. I'll do that in a minute while still on lunch break!

Tip #26: Gardener? Cleaning lady? DIY instead.

We don't have any of these services...I guess the closest thing that might apply is that I sometimes get my car washed and vacuumed at one of the cheap $20 places. But that's because a) I have very little time and I'm so anal it takes me about six hours to get my car the way I want it and b) I live in Atlanta and WE CAN'T USE WATER RIGHT NOW. I may sneak and do it anyway.
OOH! I know what applies! Shaving my cat! I use a groomer! I think I might get husband to help me with that this weekend. She needs it and it's $45 bucks and I think we might be able to do it ourselves....

Tip #27: Use barriers to prevent yourself from spending money.

(i.e., remove yourself from shopping related email lists, force yourself to eat the food in the fridge before it goes bad, etc.)

I get e-mails from Overstock, Target, Banana Republic, Gap, Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel...those are just the ones I can think of offhand. I don't even usually look at them, so why not just unsubscribe, period? That's a GREAT idea. Off to check my e-mail and start unsubscribing!

Safe to Dream

2008-12-10T11:51:00.002-05:00

I think, now that the light at the end of the school tunnel is finally visible, my "dreaming" mode has kicked into gear.

I want to learn calligraphy and drawing. If there are no summer classes offered, I will take a calligraphy class, and maybe a drawing class too.

I want to clean and decorate my house. This will be a continual balancing act between not spending much money, but making my space the way I want it.

I want to cook something most days. I have TONS of recipes waiting that I want to try. (Pioneer Woman's recipes so far have all been foolproof and DELICIOUS).

I want to walk for exercise most days, and have time to hang out in the village that I moved to be near and love so much but don't get to see much of lately.

I think I have to limit myself to just a few at a time though. But I absolutely cannot wait until my life is my own again. The feeling is delicious even now.

Life, Oh Life

2008-12-02T18:37:00.003-05:00

I am almost done with this semester! Yay! Then only TWO MORE TO GO!

And I get profit share on Friday, which will go toward tuition and car insurance. (Won't cover all of them, but is a nice reprieve from paying for them lol). Sure beats having to use savings!

I cannot WAIT for school to be done this semester. It's so nice to be able to do whatever I want in the evenings...it makes me feel like cooking and cleaning and reading and stuff, unlike when I'm in school and I just come home and do homework and crash.

I also did a focus group for Focus Pointe Global (They pay for you to talk about your opinion! How perfect is that for me??) a couple weeks ago and got $100 for a 1.5 hour discussion. I have another one on Thursday that is going to net $75 for another 1.5 hour session. This freaking rocks. I've registered with a couple other focus group sites too, but so far haven't gotten to participate in anything yet.

I'm trying to think of ways to boost my income (other than asking for a raise...can't do that till April when the formal annual salary review happens)...so far all I've thought of is babysitting, dog walking, and making freezable meals for busy people to eat during the week. Haven't actually DONE anything about any of them though, because I feel so strapped for time right now. And most people want babysitters on weekends, which is the only time I have to spend with hubby (Seriously. THE ONLY TIME. I don't see him at all during the week, because he's in another town). If I did the meals thing, I'd have no idea how much to charge and what to put on the "menu". Just mulling stuff over right now.

Also, hubby and I discussed the future, and it has me all excited. (We both agree that after we've lived in the city for some years, we will move somewhere a bit more remote...like in the mountains somewhere). So I started daydreaming about the big (but not extravagantly so) mountain house we'll have, where our families will all (maybe?) come stay for thanksgiving or Christmas, and I'll drink coffee on the porch every morning and admire the scenery, and we'll hike and the blue ridge parkway will be RIGHT THERE for me to go drive on whenever I want, and we'll have a family centric life and I'll cook a lot and basically, it will rock. We will also have friends come visit for getaway weekends a few times a year--well, ok, I will....hubby may want to run screaming when he reads that sentence, but if he does he can go camp with the guys that weekend. And we'll have a garden and a fainting goat. Well, the fainting goat is a maybe, but we both think that'd be a great way to a) have goat cheese, b) not have to cut grass, and c) be entertained whenever the goat faints.

Um, also, I might want to teach high school math at whatever time we decided to move to the boonies. Amen.

More Tips

2008-12-02T18:33:00.003-05:00

Tip #23: Go Cash-Only for 15 to 30 days.

I've been meaning to do this and haven't yet. (Because my paycheck is direct deposit and getting to the bank is kind of a pain in the ass for me, and I use a debit card for everything and track it anyway)...BUT. I need to do this. I want to do this. I know it will help me THINK even more about every penny I spend. I think I'm afraid I'll run out of money halfway through. But I get paid on Friday. I will take out enough to pay everything for an entire month (except bills I pay online already) and DO IT. Stay tuned!

Tip #24: Save 40% on your commute.

We are supposed to carpool or work from home to attain this one. I know of only one person in the office who lives anywhere close to me...I will email and see if they are interested in carpooling. No one here works from home, really, so I don't feel comfortable asking about that. (Plus, I'd need a company laptop because of the software required, and I don't have one of those).

Oh! And Exciting News!

2008-11-26T15:54:00.000-05:00

I got my car insurance renewal notice today....and....

The coming six months is $200 cheaper than my last six months! (Because I turned 25, got married, and lost a couple tickets off the old record all in the last six months). That's even more cheap than I'd dared hope! I'm so excited!

More 30 Day Challenge

2008-11-26T15:50:00.001-05:00

Tip # 21: Save thousands by pre-paying your debt.

Ramit says to pay more than the minimum on debt even if it's just a little. I already do this on my credit cards, but today I set up an automatic house payment with my Chase account--and I added $20 toward principle for each payment. (Don't laugh. It's all I could do at the moment).

Tip #22: Review Progress.

It's going ok. A lot of this stuff I'm already doing though, but it does give me a little boost when I see how far I've come from even just a year ago, and definitely from a couple years ago. Go me!

Have a great Thanksgiving, everyone!

Go to Sally's Blog!

2008-11-25T17:00:00.004-05:00

She's giving away a framed picture of her own or her husband's!

They're all so beautiful. I had a hard time choosing one (you have to pick which one you want if you win), but I eventually chose Melrose Abbey, one of Dan's photos. See below:

Way Behind, But Stil Chugging Along

2008-11-25T15:24:00.003-05:00

First, the new tips:

#11: Never pay full retail for clothes/eyeglasses again.

My clothes buying moratorium is taking care of this. In the last three months, I have spent exactly 12.51 on clothing/eyeglasses, and don't plan to spend any more till August.

#12: Save on eating out with Restaurant.com.

I already do this, AND I only buy when they are 80% off, so a $25 gift certificate is only $2

#13: Negotiate Car Insurance.

I usually check a bunch of different insurance companies online every six months or so, and have negotiated my rate down by about $200 every six months, but when your record looks like mine there's only so much you can do. However, I will try this again soon (because I am close to when my insurance would renew) because I'll be 25, married, and only have 2 tickets on my 3 year record as of December 20th-ish. I will use the phone as suggested in this tip and see if it helps any. Stay tuned!

#14: Use self-persuasion to share how much I've saved so far.

-Not eating out for lunch for the last two weeks (blew week 1, but did good 2 weeks): $20 saved, will be $30 at end of month.

-Thermostat temp redux: assumed 10% of heating costs, so $8 saved.

-Sell something on e-bay (I used Craigslist): $20 earned.

-Tell friends: $0, but accountability, which is good.

-Optimize cell phone bill: $5 saved, unless I go over texting, but so far so good.

-Gas price hedge fund: $20 has been transferred into savings ($10 per week), by end of month it will be $30.

-No spending day each week: $0 saved because I don't normally spend on Wednesdays anyway, but it makes me more conscious of spending, so good tip anyway.

-Cut subscriptions: $0 saved. I have no subscriptions.

-Only buy new if you will get rid of old: $0 saved, but more conscious of buying things in general, and giving old stuff if decent to people who need it.

-Use rewards programs: $0 saved, but only because I rarely buy stuff anymore. I need to keep this in mind if/when we travel again.

-Don't pay retail for clothes/eyeglasses: Technically, the tip didn't save me anything since I'd already been not buying clothes for three months, BUT if you count those three months and take the average I spent on clothing in the 17 months prior to that, by not buying clothes (except the leggings) I saved about $112 per month for three months, minus the leggings, for a total of 323.49. Pretty good! And when I'm allowed to shop for clothes again, I'm going to try thrift stores. :)

-Use Restaurant.com gift certificates bought at 80% off:
This (and having a kitchen) has helped me go from an all-time high (living by myself in the apartment) of (oh my lord this is staggering).....get ready.....$376.50 last July to between $30 and $50 a month now. (ASIDE: OH MY GOD I SPENT THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY SIX DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS ON EATING OUT--JUST EATING OUT, NOT GROCERIES TOO, OF WHICH I PURCHASED AS WELL--IN ONE MONTH. ONE. MONTH). Wow. How far I have come. Just wow. Average this year, before the house, was about $200 per month (remember, I didn't cook, and didn't buy many groceries. But yeah, that is still A LOT). So for argument's sake, we'll say I saved $150 by eating out less and getting GC's from Restaurant.com.

-Car insurance: Since I do this every so often and it's saved me about $200 / six months, I will call that $33 saved this month.

So total, I have saved $375.49 (I only counted one month's worth of the clothing savings in there) this month. Pretty good, no?

Tip #15: Forget going to a bar - ask people over for dinner!

Doing that with friends now instead of meeting places, usually. It has saved lots of time AND money. And it's easier to talk at home on the couch than in a crowded noisy dining room. I need to work on not cooking elaborate stuff that causes me to stress out though. :/

Tip #16: Cancel any large purchases this month.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.....oops. Sorry. I know I'm not supposed to be laughing at the money-saving tips, but....um....all the large purchases in our house are canceled for at least the rest of the year. We got the alarm system--much needed--but it blew our budget and cut into savings, so we are holding out on anything else. Including replacing the laptop that was stolen (especially since kind, wonderful friends gave us one that will at least get me through homework!).

Tip #17: Buy generic for stuff you don't care about.

I do this with body wash, paper towels, kleenex, peanut butter, milk (though I do care, but it tastes fine)...but I could probably do more. I will keep that in mind next time I'm at the store.

Tip #18: No Christmas gifts this year:
Our families are pretty inexpensive as far as Christmas goes, and I just can't see not giving gifts to our neices and nephews, who a) wouldn't understand and b) are just as happy with inexpensive gifts. We will opt out of adult name drawing (my side of the family) and the dirty santa game (his side) if necessary, but since we are already sparse with the giving and I am ok with who we do give to, we will keep doing Christmas. It just might be smaller than normal this year. And I think we are giving each other gifts of TIME, not things.

Tip #19 (paraphrased): Use online shopping to save money on name brand clothes, organic food, etc.

This tip just made me want to buy stuff that I wouldn't have normally...but for things I already buy this might be a good deal. Just have to watch myself and not buy stuff just because it's cute and on sale.

Tip #20: Change the date of Christmas

The gist of this is do Christmas earlier (or later) depending on when it's cheaper to fly. I don't have to fly, so this does not apply to me. I guess we could be REALLY cheap and do Christmas a couple days after the actual date, shopping the day after and saving money, but really. That's a bit too much, to me.

On to other stuff:

I think buying the house was my wake up call. I LOVE our house, I love coming home to it every day, I love the wood floors, I love the kitchen and cooking, I love that my cats are happy, that I have a bedroom separate from everything else, that I can have people over and they have somewhere to sleep, that I can host gatherings and have dinner parties, that I HAVE A CHRISTMAS TREE (free from freecycle! it rocks!) and could decorate...

But most of all, I love that it forced a monumental shift in the way I spend money and think about money. I don't really miss eating out or never being home. Husband and I went out to eat on Friday night and it was insanely good because it was such a treat, BUT it was much saltier than I remembered and much greasier, and my stomach felt strange the next day (only mildly, but still). I also think I am healthier now. I lost weight from being sick (not much, but a little)--but even aside from that, I feel better, I eat better, and I'm not gaining weight anymore (which I had started doing over the summer from all the restaurant food). Also, my quality of life is SO much better--it's like night and day. Home is once again a place of solace rather than being depressing. I also don't miss spending lots of money on clothes and stuff--I have PLENTY, probably too much, clothing as it is, and not room for it all anyway. (Still weeding out).

So yay house. So far so good.

School is, however, NOT so good. I'm not doing badly (I don't think) but I HATE it. With every fiber of my being. It's stupid and pointless and not as important to me anymore what with a house and a marriage and a job, but I'm going to finish now because I only have two semesters left. I do at least like my job and engineering, which means the degree will actually help. I think I'll be glad that I have it when I finally finish. I'm becoming very, very good at just not thinking about it (...like when I started. I decided to apply, got in, and simply refused to question the decision again until I get done...maybe not always the best philosophy, but my usual way, and in this case it will work out).

I'm back! Finally!

2008-11-17T10:42:00.002-05:00

I was really sick most of last week and spent lots of time in my bed.

Anyway, on to the newest tips and what I've done (or not) about them, and updates:

Tip #7: Have a "No-Spend" day once a week.

I have decided Wednesdays will be my "no-spend" days...and as an added bonus, being sick all week meant I didn't spend much money or use much gas! So I got a jump-start on this one.

Tip #8: Get rid of monthly subscriptions and go "a la carte" for a month.

Unfortunately, the only monthly subscriptions I have are necessary: cell phone (I have no land line, and I already pared down my cell phone service. And husband and I are going to cancel our individual plans and get together on a plan soon, which will save even more), power bill, water bill. I have no cable, no internet, no magazines, etc.

Tip #9: Only buy something new when replacing something old.

I bought brown leggings this weekend (I know, I know, I wasn't supposed to buy any clothes for a year...but they were on sale for $12.51, and by buying them I have made a summer dress winter-wearable). My mom also got me a sweater. So tonight I will go home and get rid of two things from my closet/drawers. I'm thinking of one sweater that isn't very flattering, and either a pair of pants or a skirt that I don't wear/fit into.

Tip #10: Use rewards from your credit card, job, memberships, etc to get discounts.

I will have to see if any of my credit cards or memberships give me discounts on something I would buy anyway. If so, yay! Money saved! If not, I just won't spend the money. But with Christmas coming up, hopefully I'll get discounts on presents I have to buy. :)

Tip #6: Gas Hedge Fund

2008-11-06T14:29:00.004-05:00

Basically, because gas is a little cheaper now, Ramit suggests creating your own little gas "hedge" fund, saving the money that you would have been spending on gas a few months ago. So I started transferring $10 a week into my savings account (fill-ups are around $50 for me now, and at their highest they were $60, and I usually fill up once a week).

Yay saving money!

You should participate.

And tip #5: Optimize your cell phone bill.

I'd already gotten rid of internet on my phone, but I went online and changed my text plan from unlimited to 1000 per month, since I used 953 the month prior. We'll see if that helps. It was a $5 savings!

What If?

2008-11-06T14:22:00.005-05:00

Sometimes I play "What If?" in my head...

What if I was given the opportunity to move anywhere and had enough money such that I could hire a private jet to visit loved ones? (Well, ok, and husband and I would have to have another property in the middle of nowhere to preserve his sanity).

I'd buy a gritty loft in a high rise in downtown Chicago. Like this one:

I had a visceral reaction to this picture for some reason, and REALLY wanted to live there.

Just a random thought from the day.

What are your what ifs?

Babies

2008-11-05T12:55:00.004-05:00

The time is closer than it ever has been. Now I see cute kids and it's like a punch in the gut and the scene in front of me is replaced with me and my kid and my husband and I want it so much I could stop taking the pills RIGHT NOW.

But I will wait. Need to wait so we both can finish school and so we can at least have some amount of savings.

But oh, I crave a child with him. Right now.

Feeling introspective today, I guess

2008-11-05T12:53:00.002-05:00

Read this.

I like it when it starts as a punch in the throat and morphs into comforting and a little bit routine...

Which love do you prefer?

I Am A Dork, Officially

2008-11-05T12:46:00.003-05:00

But this is freaking awesome.

The "Save $1000 in 30 Days" Challenge

2008-11-05T10:36:00.002-05:00

So I'm participating in this. Here's how I'm doing so far:

Tip #1: Pack lunches for the rest of the week.

I blew it two days ago (yes, Monday, two days after the tip was given)....BUT. I pack lunches nearly every day, and the reason I went out with co-workers yesterday was threefold: one of my BFF's in the office has been out for three weeks doing site walks and he was FINALLY back, and we got a new engineer Monday and he came out to eat with us, AND it was one of the regular lunchers' birthday. Since I only eat lunch out twice or three times a month at most, I decided that it was ok. I just won't do it anymore this month. :)

Tip #2: Turn your thermostat down 3 degrees.

Done. It's now on 66 instead of 71 (I went a little overboard the first night, and found it wasn't that bad and left it there).

Tip #3: Sell something on Ebay.

Listed a chest of drawers and a stand mixer on Craigslist yesterday. So far, no takers, but may list other stuff tomorrow.

Tip #4: Involve your friends.

I'm telling everyone I know that I'm doing this, and they can all check my progress here. I'm trying to get hubby to do it too. :) (He's already much more frugal than I am, so he's already off to a great start!).

Those are all the tips so far. More updates to come!

The Last Two Weeks

2008-10-30T15:00:00.003-04:00

Monday, the 20th: plumber visits, discovers that the reason for the puddle of water in the corner of our tub is a VERY SLOW LEAK...which means that EVERYTHING between the drip (at the handle for turning on water) and the corner of the shower is wet behind the wall. Now we have mildew and a hole in our bathroom wall, which requires that the bathroom door be kept shut because otherwise the cats REALLY NEED to be IN the hole, and that's just not okay with me. Which also means the bathroom is usually FREEZING in the middle of the night when I have to pee, or first thing in the morning when I get up. Also there was a bug in there this morning. It looked evil.

Thursday, the 23rd: I arrive home at 2 am after leaving at 5:30 am to cram some more for my 8:05 am test and working (from after class at 11:30 am) until 1:30 am to discover my bedroom window shattered, glass all over my floor, my cat missing, and me not knowing if burglars were still in house. I hightailed it out to my car and called 911. Long story short: friends came over, police arrived, no one in house, laptop (four-year-old, not very good laptop) stolen, friends waited with me till hubby got there. Cat was just hiding (understandably!) .We had to clean up the broken glass/board the window that night because it was the FIRST rainy, cold night of the season. Asshat burglars. I'm STILL mad.

Monday the 27th: We get alarm system that evening, but they weren't able to fully install, EVEN after staying until 1:30 AM.

Tuesday the 28th: I wake up feeling like hell. Stay home from work, alarm guy comes and finishes. Have cool new keyfobs for alarm. But HAVE to go to a lecture that night because desperately need the extra credit.

Wednesday the 29th: Alarm goes off at 9:45 am. Monitoring people call, I freak, they call cops, I call a friend to go look and I get home in a record 10 minutes. Nothing. False alarm. Doors set it off and they are all still shut. I'm pissed, go back to work. 5:30 pm, alarm goes off again. I tell them not to call police. Another friend goes and checks it out--nothing wrong. I'm still feeling shitty, feeling ragged out from two adrenaline rushes in the same day, and am still RIDICULOUSLY stressed about work. NOT A GOOD DAY. On the way home at 6:15, it goes off AGAIN. I tell them not to call cops again, because I'm only 5 minutes away. Get home, nothing. Sigh very loudly, call alarm people. They tell me they'll be out the next day at 11:30 am (which means I have to come home after class, but I sometimes do anyway, so that's ok).

Thursday (today) the 30th: go home after class, wait till 12, no one shows up. Call them and haul ASS back to work because guess what? I STILL have that huge project to do! I think something must be wrong though, I am worried about the alarm guy. He's been very prompt and/or calls ahead up till now, so I hope it's not anything serious but am afraid it might be. Am planning on having someone fix it tonight hopefully. :(

And I'm supposed to be cleaning/unpacking/organizing the house and getting stuff ready for the Halloween party we're having on Saturday. Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight. The house looks worse now than it did on Monday.

Side note: I got all engineer on burglar's asses and have been researching security products. Now I now want this and this. Plus I think one of my friends is giving me the dummy security cameras that came free with his real ones. HAHAHAHA that strikes me as really funny for some reason.

Bring it on, burglars. Also I thought about staking out the house (pretending to leave and leaving a tempting fake laptop lying in front of the window) but I don't think the police would be willing to expend that much time and effort. :(

Me

2008-10-22T14:00:00.001-04:00

I am part city girl engineer, part small-town redneck. I eat deer meat. I can fix my own car. I'm also a little lacking in common sense sometimes (read: ditzy) even though I am (supposedly) smart. I am idealistic and somewhat liberal, but I strongly believe in the right to bear arms. I am not fat nor thin, though I have been both at points in my life. This is my space to vent. Topics will be completely random. Enjoy.