Unemployment Ambivalence

by a.b.

I had the strangest moment today. My cell phone rang, and the Caller I.D. was a number I didn't know. On the line was a very pleasant woman responding to a resume I had sent, offering me a job interview, which I promptly scheduled. Some might think that this would instantly cue the Hallelujah chorus while I did cartwheels around the apartment complex, but I just felt nauseous.

I've been unemployed since we moved to Portland. My husband was offered full time work here, and we jumped at the opportunity because we both experience better health here. For me, it was difficult to opt to be unemployed. It has been argued that I could've stayed in Las Vegas while my husband worked in Portland, and we did that for two weeks to orchestrate the move. The people that were around me then can verify that no one, and I mean no one, not Mother Teresa herself, could put up with me for any length of time without my husband. I get a little cranky.

Unemployment is really not what most people think it is. I've had people tell me how lucky I am that I get to sit home and be paid to "do nothing." Nothing? I compulsively search craigslist every twenty minutes. I get to look at how unqualified I am to re-enter the professional workforce because I haven't answered a phone in the workplace in three years. With unemployment hovering at a desperate 12%, I'm competing with people who are so ridiculously overqualified for positions that employers can almost request master's degrees for secretaries now. I sit at home and find myself becoming more irrelevant with each passing day. I get paid unemployment to be ignored.

So one would think that this an interview would be wonderful? It's scary to get the call, when you haven't had one in weeks, to think, "Hey, I might have a chance, as long as I don't jam my whole leg in my mouth." I still have room to epicly fail, and then I'm still on unemployment. The nausea in my stomach came from the greatest question. Would you rather be ignored or told you're inadequate?


Photo Courtesy of Kristopher Avila

http://www.flickr.com/photos/krisavilaphoto/ / CC BY 2.0

The Price of Being Unprepared

by a.b.

If you've been watching the news, you might've heard we're going through a bit of heat wave here in Portland. In fact, we almost hit an all-time high, never before seen in Portland, temperature record. For a town that boasts a pretty temperate climate, that's a big deal; most places (including my apartment) don't have air conditioning.

So please excuse my absence, I had heat stroke on Monday, and only now feel aware of my surroundings.

When I went to Wal-mart on Sunday, the air conditioning and fan sections were wastelands. People had actually pried up part of the metal shelving trying to grab the display models. Same story at Target. There pretty much isn't an air conditioner to be had in the city.

People in desperate circumstances have used the opportunity to sell any air conditioners they had at a premium. The evening news reported people selling air conditioners that sell for $100 at Wal-mart, for $250 on craigslist. With a 12% unemployment rate, and people trying to pay their rent, I can't say I blame them.

I am kicking myself because I saw this coming for a while. My husband and I had been looking at air conditioners on craigslist for a month prior. I would like to think it wasn't pure laziness that kept us from jumping on a good deal, but I doubt it.

We almost paid a hefty price for being unprepared: my health. Luckily, we have some great friends who allowed me and the FrugalPup to come and spend the day at their house. It worked out well for them too, as I was able to watch their dog for them.

There are so many areas in our life where we can pay by being unprepared. If you don't have a place to put your receipts, you might lose out on being able to return your goods. If you don't have an emergency kit, you might be in dire straights in a natural disaster. If you don't have a financial management system, you might be in dire straights in a personal disaster.

This month I'm going to make a concerted effort to put together an emergency kit on a budget. There's too high a cost to being unprepared.


Photo Courtesy Of faeryboots

http://www.flickr.com/photos/faeryboots/ / CC BY 2.0

Why the "Snowball" Is Good Math, Not Just Good Mental

by a.b.

edit: I apparently replaced snowball with snowflake. My bad, I blame the heatstroke. All two gaffs have been fixed.

Dave Ramsey's debt snowball plan while hailed for it's ability to get people to pay off their debt, has earned no awards for mathematical sense....until today.

As a math major, I have previously taken issue in comments and forums with Dave Ramsey's debt repayment plan. Even Mr. Ramsey will admit the math doesn't jive. According to his debt repayment plan, you line your debts up by balance, smallest to largest, and pay off the smallest one first. Until last week this irked me. While I understand the mental component, I've always believed that if giving into your compulsions and needs is what got you into this mess, why do the same thing to get you out? Emotional spending cannot be fixed by emotional debt repayment. Seriously, if you have a $5000 balance at 15%, why are you focusing on paying off a $1000 balance that's sitting at 3%? That's when I had the epiphany.

When you snowflake giving priority to the smallest balance, it frees up your credit cards faster, giving you flexibility to potentially pay off your bills faster. How?

Balance Transfers. The faster you have those cards open up, the easier it is to take advantage of balance transfers to reduce the interest rates you're paying. You can't maneuver your money well if you're sitting with balances on all your cards, waiting to pay off that large balance, high interest debt. Open up your credit lines for better flexibility. Make sure you factor the balance transfer fee in, though. Transferring a 12% balance to a 9% card doesn't make sense if there's a 3% fee.

Direct Negotiation. You can request a lower fixed interest rate in order to transfer a balance, or to stay with the current card. For example, you can call and say Bank A has offered me a balance transfer at 6%. I've been a loyal credit card user for x amount of years. Can you match it? (If no) would you be willing to match 9% (the rate plus balance transfer)?

The number one Modern Tightwad rule is "Don't Ask, Don't Get," so ask! I do understand, however, that with today's economic climate, the financial industry is clamping down on credit. I would recommend starting negotiation regarding your next balance with the companies right before you make your final payment on your previous balance. Hopefully, this starts a good process and mitigates them closing your account.

So Dave Ramsey had it right, but maybe not for the reasons everyone assumed. If you can pay these small balances off and utilize your open credit lines to keep your interest rates low, you can pay less debt.


Photo Courtesy of Andres Rueda

http://www.flickr.com/photos/andresrueda/ / CC BY-ND 2.0

Saving Money With A Leftovers Meal Plan

by a.b.

Having a meal plan that takes leftovers into consideration allows you to cook less, throw out less food, and therefore save money.

Granted, my husband and I are not picky eaters, with minimal dietary consideration, and it's just the two of us, but let me give you a glimpse into what a week looks like for us.

Breakfasts: Generic Malt-O-Meal Cereal: 2 bags @$4.99 per month & $2 in milk per week

Lunches: Salami: $10 every month, peanut butter: $6 every other month, jelly: $3 every month sourdough bread: $3 every other week, seasonal fruits & veggies: varies

Day 1: Chicken Alfredo with sauteed zucchini $5.50
2 Boneless Hormone/Anti-biotic free Chx Breast $3
2 Zucchini $1.25
1/2 box Fettucini 50 cents
Classico Alfredo Sauce 75 cents

Day 2: Chicken Quesadillas Add'l. $2.30
Flour Tortillas 50 cents
Cheese $1
Chopped Leftover Chicken Zero
Salsa 30 cents
Sour Cream 50 cents

Day 3: Chopped Salad Add'l. $2.80
1 Head Romaine Lettuce 50 cents
Salami 50 cents
Remaining Chopped Chicken Zero
Cheese 50 cents
Tomato $1
Hardboiled Egg 30 cents
Balsamic Vinegar Negligible
Olive Oil Negligible
Salt Negligible
Pepper Negligible

Day 4: Homemade Egg McMuffin Add'l. $3.85 + fruit
Poached Egg 60 cents
Bacon Bits $1
Cheese 75 cents
English Muffin $1.50
Fruit Variable

Day 5:Pulled Pork Add'l. $11.49
BBQ Pork
Pork $8
BBQ Sauce $1.49
Beer $1
Peppercorns Negligible
Cucumber Salad $1

Day 6: Breakfast Burrito $4.10
Eggs $1.50
Bacon Bits $1
Leftover Shredded Pork Zero
Cheese 50 cents
Flour Tortillas 50 cents
Salsa 30 cents
Sour Cream 30 cents

Day 7: Happy Hour $15 @ Gustav's or Pulled Pork Sandwiches Add'l. Zero

This week's food costs us about $40-65, including a night out if we want. We are both moderately active and require high amounts of protein, but we balance it with fresh fruits and veggies (farmer's market when possible!).

Other ways I take advantage of leftovers is junk soup (throwing everything in the veggie drawer, a leftover protein, and rice, barley, or noodles into a pot with stock and/or water and/or tomato juice), or adding chopped meat to a rice pilaf with some veggies. I got tired of throwing money down my garbage disposal. How do you save money on food?

Save Money On A Gym Membership: Gym-onomics

by a.b.

For many years, I was the gym advocate. I went to the gym and worked out every day for two hours. Even when I stopped going and let the gym keep pulling money out of my account, I kept towing the party line.

I went to the gym for one reason: the rowing machine. Overall, I didn't like the atmosphere. It smelled funny, inevitably someone forgot to wipe down the equipment they just dripped all over, and I didn't like the way people would look at each other. It was far from a supportive environment.

Now, I know better. I currently work out at home with my Playstation2 and a game called "Yourself Fitness." (Later, this game became "myfitness coach" for the wii.) It has a personal trainer that gives me moderate amounts of guilt, tracks my progress, and utilizes the equipment I have at home.

Craigslist and garage sales are excellent places to pick up used gym equipment, including machines and free weights, most of which are unused. Fall is the best time to start searching; people buy a lot of equipment to get in shape for the summer, but get tired of tripping over it for three months and put it up for sale.

Another thing that worked exceptionally well for me, was taking PE classes at the local community college. I took jazz dance, kickboxing, swimming and self-defense. Whether your hobby is archery or ballroom dance, there is usually a class that will peak your interest, and you can take the class for "no credit." Some campuses will even give you access to the athletic weight/workout room with your student ID.

In addition, if you're close to a campus with bleachers or a stadium, most of my kickboxing class took place doing squats and kicks up and down those stairs. Cost: free. Although it does help to have a cranky ex-navy officer screaming at you to move you up those stairs.

Currently, I would have to shoot myself if I got a gym membership; there's a fitness room included in our rent that has treadmills, ellipticals, and circuit weights. No stairmaster? There are three flights of stairs outside my apartment door. Why would I pay to share a sweaty machine when there are evil steps three feet away that no one thinks to use?

My old gym membership cost me $39/month + initiation fee. When I get the urge to ignore my own advice I start thinking about what else I could do with almost $500/year. If you compound that $500 annually at a meager 2% interest, you'd have $6200 after 10 years! At 8%, $8900! How much do you think your creativity could be worth?


Green: Working out at home or driving to a closer location reduces car smog. Recycling exercise equipment is earth-friendly too!

Couples: Haven't you seen The Mirror Has Two Faces? The couple that sweats together... well, watch the movie.

Kid-Friendly: While some gyms have daycare, I prefer the commercial for the Wii-fit with the little girl doing yoga. I used to do aerobics at home with my mom, and I know families that had a regular exercise routine together seemed to stay healthier as a group.

Photo Courtesy of LollyKnit

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lollyknit/ / CC BY 2.0

Fast & Easy Chicken Soup

by a.b.

This is a really easy quick soup for when you want healthy, and frugal, but need fast.

Roast whole chicken (usually $6 at Safeway)
Random veggies from your fridge or freezer
Chicken stock or water w/boullion
2 Hand-fulls of rice (or more depending on how much broth/veggies you have)

Put the stock or water/boullion in the pot.
Chop and add veggies.
Pull chicken off bone and add to soup.
Add rice.
Bring to boil.
Serve when rice is tender.

Now one could argue that it's just as easy to serve the rotisserie chicken and vegetables. But by turning it into a soup it goes quite a bit further.


Photo Courtesy of Roland

http://www.flickr.com/photos/roland/ / CC BY 2.0

Don't Get Suckered By Supplements Part 2: Making the Purchase

by a.b.

So after you've figured out which supplements you need, that still leaves you at the store standing in front of a wall of pills. I would advise getting your supplements from someplace reliable, usually not a big box chain store. If you can source the ingredients (know where they came from) you're better off. One way to tell if it's a good product is the inactive ingredients: the more junk in the hidden listings, the worse it is.

This is how I came to stand in Trader Joe's staring blankly at three bottles of Vitamin "B" and two bottles of "calcium." For me, the calcium was a no-brainer. One had zinc (which I'm allergic to) while the other did not. The "B" complexes were a little bit trickier; the dreaded math came in to play.

First I look at the price and number of tablets. Bottle "Q" was $9.99 for 120 tablets. Bottle "R" was $5.99 for 100 tablets. Bottle "S" was $3.99 for 100 tablets. Each bottle required only 1 tablet per day (This is one of the ways they get you. If you have to take four a day, that eats through a bottle pretty quickly.).

Now you figure out the actual differences. The difference between "S' and "R" was that "R" was exactly twice the dosage of "S." However, "S" was already more than the needed daily allowance as is, and I want to boost my system, not tax it. Bottle "R" was put back on the shelf. "Q" and "S" even had identical numbers, except "Q" also contained choline and PABA. I did a quick internet search on my phone to find out what in the world choline and PABA even were. Personally, I didn't feel these two small substances were worth a double investment in vitamins, so I went with Bottle "S."

Even though I went with "S," I was initially drawn to "Q." It was a nice big bottle and said charming words like "complete" on it. Such nice, comforting words. Even, "R" had nice round numbers on it that made it seem like the better choice. In the end, it was the humble, inexpensive little "S" that met my needs, pocketbook and otherwise.

In the end, I've been on my "B" and calcium for almost two weeks. My headaches are better and I've had some significant energy improvement. Best of all, I know I didn't get suckered by the supplements in my cabinet.

Don't Get Suckered By Supplements Part 1: What do you really need?

By a.b.

As I get a bit older, I've noticed that my body doesn't seem to pick up on everything as fast as it used to. I remember being a kid, eating a piece of fresh fruit and almost instantaneously having enough energy to run a marathon. Now, I instantaneously have enough energy to get off the couch and throw the peel/core away. Enter the world of vitamins and supplements.

Anyone who's been to a Whole Foods knows that there are enough vitamins, minerals, supplements, etc. to cover any potential dietary imbalance, and simultaneously create a black hole in your checkbook that cosmologists would kill to study. Honestly, I didn't realize my entire system had spiraled into a chaotic collapse rendering it unable to take a single nutrient from a piece of food. Although (as you can probably tell) I'm not big on taking anything I don't have to, even I had to admit the time had come for me to start supplementing my dietary intake. Apparently beer didn't count anymore.

So where should you start? Obviously the first advice I give is: "If you're looking at a lifestyle change, particularly if you have any health conditions, you should consult a doctor." Since I was unable to do so (no health insurance and no desire to sit for four hours in a room full of sick people to come up with a vitamin regimen), I'm also going to tell you what I did.

First, I looked at what my doctor looks at - my family medical history. I have a family history of Parkinson's, stroke, cancer, migraine and osteoporosis. Next, I looked at the likelihood I will fall into the same categories based on lifestyle choices or symptoms I have. I get migraines and have had some minor neurological concerns. I did not smoke two - three packs a day like those who got lung cancer, but with three women in my family developing osteoporosis after menopause, that should be a serious concern on my list.

I then went to one of my favorite books: Prescription for Nutritional Healing. You can look up the issue, i.e. migraines, Parkinson's, neuropathy, and it offers dietary suggestions to improve your condition. I look for supplements that were the greatest common denominators, they appeared to improve as many of the issues as possible. For example, I found out that a vitamin B complex would improve both neural, stress, and migraine issues. Finding that (essentially) one vitamin could help symptoms I was experiencing almost across the board was a pretty good indicator of a deficiency.

In the end I decided on a vitamin B complex and a calcium supplement.

Why didn't I just get a multi-vitamin? First, I'm allergic to zinc which is in many multi-vitamins and I just get cranky when my throat closes up. Secondly, I don't think it's a proper use of my money to purchase a "shotgun supplement" because my body will "pee out what it doesn't use." Lastly, not all vitamins are good for you. If you have an abundance of certain vitamins in your system, taking more can cause an overdose with complications to your kidneys and/or liver to start. Hence the best advice is still: see a doctor or nutritionist first.

So now that we're hopefully not ingesting the entire supplement display at the natural foods store, how do we go about choosing your vitamins? Guess you'll have to come back tomorrow.


Photo Courtesy of Clean Wal-mart

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cleanwalmart/ / CC BY 2.0

Smart Money Gets Health Store Smart

Apparently even Smart Money knew it was time to focus on Health & Wellness with their article: 10 Things Health Food Stores Won't Tell You.

1. "'Organic' isn't just another word for 'healthy'...."
Organic supposedly stands for non-altered or modified, free of synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, etc. For meats it means no anti-biotics or hormones and organic feed. It is also an expensive certification standard dictated by the USDA. Up until recently, Dr. Bronner's soaps were not certified as organic even though they were some of the most environmentally friendly you could use. The cost was prohibitive. Don't forget to support local farmers that don't use nasties, but can't afford the pretty badge.

2. ".... but the label's standards are constantly under fire."
You didn't think the chemical lobbyists or some of the farming alliance want you to have your spotted, pesticide-free fruit did you? In all fairness some of the politics comes down to legitimate issues. An organic farm must have been pesticide free for a certain amount of time. So what does a farmer do when Safeway doesn't want his apples that would only be deemed perfect by Mother Nature, but they aren't natural enough for the hippies?

3. "Some of our products aren't as eco-friendly as they sound."
Really? So when Tide came out with their Pure Essentials line and claimed they were naturally-inspired they didn't have to have anything really natural in them? It's called greenwashing - making your product sound greener or more natural than it really is. Read the ingredients. If it looks almost the same as it's predecessor, it's been re-scented and repackaged and they're hoping you won't know the difference.

4. "Health food doesn't have to eat up your entire paycheck."
With farmer's markets, co-ops, and Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) natural food does not have to cost an arm and a leg, or even your firstborn.

5. "Our supplements are a mystery wrapped in an enigma."
Don't get me started on the vitamin and supplement industry. Oh wait, that's tomorrow's article.

6. "Taking our advice may be hazardous to your health."
If you think of a health food store employee as what they are, a retail store employee, maybe you'll at least double check the advice they give you.

7. "Enhanced foods can be too much of a good thing."
I think this is kind of self-explanatory.

8. "Think there's no junk food here? Think again."
You can find fried and sugared junk food just as easily in the health food store. You didn't think just because chocolate candy was by the register at the co-op it was now good for you? Whoops.

9. "We may undo the benefits of organics."
If the grocer prepares your food, but isn't organic, your food is no longer organic. Sorry, but true.

10. "Organic shampoo? Don't waste your money."
This one actually took me by surprise. Apparently water is organic, and shampoo is 70% water and....well, you get the picture.

Pork Chili Verde

This is another crockpot meal I found on Miserly Moms, and made my own.

1 lb. pork stew meat (If boneless pork chops are less expensive, I chop that into stew meat.)
1/2 - 1 white or yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic
1 jar of salsa verde (more if you like)
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all in crockpot on low for 8 hours.

This can be served with rice, on tortillas, with sour cream, cheese, tomato, cilantro; you're really only limited by your imagination. My step-dad loves it with his eggs in the morning. I put a small container's worth in the refrigerator and freeze the rest for future meals. Best of all, if you get the pork on sale, the entire meal costs around $5.



Photo Courtesy of uLe @ Dortmund's

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ule/ / CC BY 2.0

The Mistakes Or Assumptions We Make About Eating Healthy

As I sit here eating a honey bran muffin and drinking some greenish-brown sludge that looks like an entrance exam to the next season of Survivor, I can't help but think of the mistaken assumptions we make about eating and our health, and how they end up keeping us sick.

Falsehood #1: Green sludge is gross. This green sludge is, in fact, Green Plant, a juice from Trader Joe's. I have avoided drinking this, and any other grass colored beverage for years. Even an ingratiation to wheat grass juice at Jamba Juice, couldn't change my mind. When I finally gave in because I felt so run down and desperate, I was also surprised. Although I have stated this lesson many times, I fell victim to it: Until you've tried it, the taste is only in your mind (where it's most likely worse than reality).
Falsehood #2: If it isn't fried in butter, it doesn't taste as good. Although I'm a little girl from California I love southern home cooking, especially soul food. It is truly comforting. I was a "butter believer" (even secretly, deep down) until I went to Lindo Michoacan in Las Vegas, NV. It was the best mexican food I've ever had...and it's all cooked in olive oil.

Falsehood #3: It takes too much time/money to prepare healthy meals and snacks ahead. I maintain we have simply forgotten how little time it takes. I'm pretty sure you can make an excellent, far healthier burger than McDonald's, at home. 1...2...3....go! Your spouse drives for a burger. You pull the burger patties out of the freezer, turn on the grill, cut fresh tomato, and onions. By the time, your significant other gets out of a drive through rush hour, you have a better burger waiting at home. It probably didn't even cost as much. Oh, you don't have buns? Toast bread for a patty melt.

Simple and frugal tips for at home can include:

• Pre-chop a bag of carrots or celery. Stave off the munchies with fresh vegetables and ranch dressing.
• Keep granola bars around that you'll actually eat. Nutritional snacks you won't eat waste your pocketbook and cabinet space.
  
• Try new things to find what you like in small portions, that way you don't feel like you have to eat the five pound Costco bag you despise.
  
• Meals don't have to be complicated to be healthy. Have a sandwich night, or a chopped salad. You don't win home cook of the year by exhausting yourself and making meals drudgery.... for everyone.
  
• Whole grains don't taste bad, but they may taste bland without assistance. I add a little chicken broth. I know some people add boullion, but MSG and I don't get along.
• Get fresh fruits and vegetables when they're in season, hopefully from local or farmer's markets and they will taste spectacular. I had someone tell me they didn't like vegetables once, only to find out they had never had them outside of a can.
• Make your own lemonade. It is cheaper to squeeze a couple lemons into a pitcher and fill it with water and sugar, than it is to buy it. It also alerts you to the real amounts going into your body.
  

The biggest falsehood I encounter is the concept of bad foods among those with zero real dietary issues. It's like WebMD and google exploded on seemingly healthy, normal people, restricting their diets further than the cardiologist they're twenty years away from would dare. Yes, sodium is bad, in excess. Coffee is bad, in excess; I've also used it beneficially as a vaso-dilator when having a migraine. Unless you are on a doctor-regulated diet, you should ask yourself how much of your food opinions are based simply on things you've been told? And don't get me started on Atkins. The thought process behind eliminating a vital part of a diet so that people can temporarily lose weight and potentially incur a host of other problems makes me wretchedly angry. Diets like Atkins work for some people, but there is only one thing that works well for all people...eating a proportionate, balanced diet that includes the nutrients we need.

I know everyone was waiting for a healthy "Hail Mary" in frugal dieting, but it doesn't exist. Granted, I don't like canned food except for an emergency food stash (in case of earthquakes or zombie attack). I don't like genetically modified foods. I don't like foods that are overpackaged, overprocessed, overtransported, and their nutritional value under-utilized. I don't feel I get what I pay for, and I can tell my body doesn't get what it needs.

Most of us are fortunate enough that some aspects of our health is a choice. We owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to make the right ones, including choosing the most nutritious food possible, regardless of our fears and pre-conceived notions.



Photo Courtesy of Tawheed Manzoor

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tawheedmanzoor/ / CC BY 2.0

Good Health Should Not Be Expensive

For the past two weeks, I'd been feeling under the weather, and not a "little tired," more "kill me now." I hadn't been able to shake the feeling. So I asked the question I'd been avoiding: Why?

1. Since we were still in the process of moving apartments, I hadn't been cooking; we've been relying on frozen foods and fast food to supply our nutrition. While we try to be smart about this (i.e. Subway, Salads), it's still not optimal.

2. I dislocated my kneecap (don't worry it happens...lifestyles of the young and decrepit) so I haven't been doing my morning jog with the puppy. I haven't even been stretching though, either.

3. I haven't taken any vitamins unless I'm sick in about six years.

The main thing that gets between most of us and our health, is cost. Good food can be expensive. Gym memberships are both expensive and uncomfortable. I want to sweat and get all nasty when I work out, not worry about watching my butt for random weirdos. Don't get me started on all of the supplements out there! I have a family member that was spending $200 a month on vitamins and supplements. That's my car payment!

There are great ways to limit, or even eliminate the high cost of staying healthy. Some financial output may be necessary, but amortized over a hopefully long life, is worth it. Over the next couple weeks, MT will be focusing on changing your health, while on a budget. Recipes, tips, and a new format will be released. Thank you for your readership.

Photo Courtesy of Ingorr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ingorrr/ / CC BY 2.0

Man Plans, God Laughs

I've always loved this expression, but I don't think I fully experienced it until this past week. It seemed like everything culminated in one lousy week where the fates laughed at me until they peed.

First, I pressed the wrong button when filing my weekly unemployment claim, and almost lost all of my unemployment. Then it took two days on hold to try and correct it.

Second, I received a phone call from the people who will be driving up the remainder of our belongings to say that they might be postponing their trip....indefinitely.

Next, I finally got my letter from the Oregon Board of Massage Therapists informing me that I was 40 hours short of their requirements. This wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for summer session starting last week, potentially putting it into next year for me to be licensed and working again. (It's not that I'm not grateful for unemployment, but I didn't want to have to apply in the first place, and I don't want to start going insane looking at the same four walls.)

Lastly, my husband's car completely died when the timing belt broke. We felt lucky that it happened 100 feet from our door and not on the freeway five minutes previous. After spending $360 to have the timing belt replaced, we found out a valve was bent. The cost to rebuild the valves? $1500...for a $2000 car. It runs, but just well enough to get it back home, not for around town driving.

So how are we doing? Not too bad overall. I am, of course, responding to the universe laughing at me with more plans. The unemployment matter was handled. I've made arrangements to receive the most important of our belongings via postal service if necessary, although it appears the people may be coming after all. I can contact my massage school to see if they will verify additional training, which would be acceptable by the Board. Otherwise, I'm continuing to look for work and patiently waiting.

The worst blow was the car. It is a substantial loss to my husband's independence, and while we do have a second car, it is an SUV and gets much less gas mileage. We are considering four options right now:
1) Sell the car to a salvage yard.
2) Sell the car as a project car to a private party. (At $700, it would still be a great deal for someone.)
3) Donate the car to charity.
4) Let it wait until the registration comes due in November, and try to save up the money to repair it.

I think we're leaning towards #4, because if that doesn't work, we can still choose from the first three options. In addition, we might decide to purchase something else with the repair money.

The proudest part of everything that's been going on, was we didn't have to put the timing belt repair on credit card. We paid cash for an emergency car repair for the first time in five years, possibly for the first time ever.

I think I'm handling everything quite well. Now I'm just waiting for the universe to laugh again.


Photo Courtesy of traveling.lunas

Addicted To The Sound Of The Price Scanner

When is a shopping spree not a shopping spree? When is it a shopping addiction?

My own history with shopping is not without remorse and, well, issues. Let's put it this way: Nordstrom's would call me to remind me that they were having their Half-Yearly sale and they hoped to see me there. Instead of taking that for the wake-up call it should have been, I turned it into a joke, "You know you have a shopping problem when Nordstrom's is calling you." But I really did have a problem.

What's the difference between a little over the top shopping, and a real disease? According to WebMD, there are some key factors to determine a shopping addiction:
(Editor's personal notes in italics)

1. Spending over budget. This implies there was a budget to begin with. Any really great shopping addict knows you can't go over a budget you don't/won't have.

2. Compulsive buying. According to Ruth Engs, EdD, a professor of applied health sciences at Indiana University, this is where someone will go out to buy a pair of shoes, and come home with 10. Embarassingly enough, I would go out intending to buy a shirt or pair of shoes, and come home with half a dozen of the same item. Not even multiple colors or different styles, the exact same item. I would think, it's so comfortable and with my luck they won't make it anymore, or there might be a total cease and desist on manufacturing black t-shirts and I'll be out of luck! No one said I was rational.

3. It's a chronic problem. In other words, not just a Christmas binge. I would shop at least once a week, and I couldn't pass by Nordstrom's Rack without stopping. I bought gifts for people that I thought might be in their size because I couldn't pass up a great deal. They would sit in bags with the tags on them, and I would discover them in piles as I cleaned my room.

4. Hiding the problem. Seems self-explanatory, right? The bags of clothes that I discovered in my room, I couldn't even bring myself to list on ebay or craigslist; that would've created an accounting, a list of the money I spent, and I wasn't willing to look at it. I just transferred the items from the bags to trash bags and dropped them off at the local Goodwill, and then I would throw out my charity receipts because I didn't need them for my taxes and I didn't want to think about donating $2000 worth of clothes and other items.

5. A vicious circle. Engs further brings out that debt isn't an indicator of the problem, as some get into the vicious circle of shopping and returning, creating a continuous downward spiral. Wish that had been me. I couldn't seem to return anything if my life depended on it.

6. Impaired relationships. Like any addiction, there comes a point where family and friends (that choose not to enable) say, "No more!" Oddly enough, much of my shopping addiction came from trying to repair already damaged relationships with gifts and things. One might surmise that I was continuing a cycle of showing family members you love them with posessions, and one would be correct.

7. Clear consequences. The difference between a choice and an addiction is when the compulsion interferes with your daily life, when it creates consequences that you don't want, but feel unable to avoid. I have credit card debt, still...from shopping five to seven years ago. The real unfortunate part is that these consequences aren't relegated to us (back to impaired relationships). I feel very fortunate that my husband recognizes that my mistakes were before our relationship and doesn't judge me on them.

WebMD also goes on to talk about warning signs. Simply put, if you shop to feel better, you have a problem. If you go into withdrawal without it, you have a problem. If you have to lie or hide it,* you have a problem.

If you have a shopping problem, find help. There's therapy, 12 step programs. Anything's better than waking up seven years later with a credit card hangover and the taste of shame in your mouth.

I can proudly say I have much better shopping habits today. I did buy a baby gift last year that I wasn't able to send, but that was because by the time I got the address, the rugrat had outgrown what I bought for him (Now I know toys instead of clothes). I know that I'm not able to take advantage of all of the frugal things out there, because I don't want to start buying "good deals" and stocking up again; it was getting too close to hoarding for my taste. I'm not perfect, it's still definitely a one shopping trip at a time, but last week I looked at the clearance rack at Target, found something I could've bought, but thought, "It's not in the budget, and I don't need it anyway." Victory.


Photo by Allan Ferguson

I Have To Share How Excited I Am

Yesterday, we were pulling out of our parking spot, talking about dinner, and my husband says, "Of course! I'm the King of Frugal!" I love this man more every day, and now he even talks thrifty to me. It's enough to make a gal swoon.

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