Sunday, February 23, 2014

Angry Young & Poor

I've been thinking a lot about debt lately.

Sometimes I wish I could say, "the hell with it! I'm opening up another credit card." It's been tempting. I already have so much debt, so what's wrong with a little more? I'll deal with it later. I'd love to go crazy and be able to eat and pay my bills each month.

What keeps me grounded is this: Buying things is like fleeting sexual expeditions. I'm all for the pleasure, but a fling three years ago means nothing to me now. In conclusion of this analogy, the uplifting feeling of spending money is only temporary.

In any case, my generation deals with more than $20,000 worth of college loan debt alone. I feel like I'll have debt the rest of my life.

There's a great website that has tips on living frugally. It's called AndThenWeSaved.com. I've read a lot of her articles and she seems legit. Here's a lovely post on making easy meals on a budget: 98 Cheap and Easy Foods for Under 5 Bucks.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

The Top 10 Lessons I've Learned Since Graduating College

10. You can't survive on cereal alone.

9. Wash your dishes right after you use them. There's hardly any scrubbing involved. It takes way less time than you think it will.

8. Constipation is one of the worst feelings ever. Eat fiber or else.

7. Pricks and jerks actually exist in the real world. Whether they are an acquaintance or coworker, treat them as if they were having a bad day. There is a reason why that person is a prick to begin with.

6. Your metabolism is going to start slowing down. You'll notice. The trick is to find an active hobby like dancing or rock climbing so it doesn't feel like exercise. Also, more people exercise than you originally thought.

5. Deal with responsibilities head on. Problems get worse with time.

4. Not making a choice counts as making a choice.

3. Customize solutions for situations that you regularly encounter. For example, I feel better the second I start writing. It'll be a rough start, but it's sure to work.

2. Time is a limited resource, even if it doesn't feel that way. If you spend it all on playing the Sims 3, you're going have a bad time.

1. It takes a true effort to maintain friendships and make new ones. In school you were thrown together and easily fell into becomes friends. It's not like that anymore. Your acquaintances have no way of knowing you want to be friends with them. Invite them out, talk to them, and schedule group activities in advance.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Fill-in-the-Blanks: Narrowing Down Your Job Search

Retail's busiest time is during the holidays. For the past 4 months, I have worked as a pseudo part-timer for 35 to 40 hours a week. Now that the holidays are over, I'm looking at about 15 to 18 hours a week. Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew that this was going to happen, but I didn't prepare for it as well as I should have.

I have to kick my career into gear. Ideally, I'd like to have a full-time entry-level job, but I may have to settle for a second part-time job to pay the bills. Not having a reliable source of income is making me nervous. I'd like to eventually do freelance work on the side, so I should practice staying calm in moments such as this. Perhaps you would like to join me in figuring out what I should do. If you see a connection that I don't, let me know. Fresh eyes are always helpful.

*Deep breath*

Okay, first off, I need to narrow down my job search. Hard work speaks for itself, so I just need to get my foot in the door.

I would like:
1. a creative learning environment
2. variety of tasks
3. mid- to fast-pace

I would be okay with:
1. working in a cubicle
2. working from the ground up

I would not like:
1. constant supervision
2. retail or food

What skills/qualities do I have?
1. self-starter
2. hard-worker
      -is able to streamline tasks without error
3. passionate and creative
4. strong command of language
5. abstract thinker
6. Proficient in Word, Excel, FileMaker Pro
7. 85wpm with 100% accuracy

What interests do I have?
1. interior design
2. online articles (favorite websites: apartmenttherapy.com and thoughtcatalog.com)
3. drawing/painting
4. writing/reading
5. talking to people

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Style Happens When You Least Expect It

This morning was a bit of a blur. I nuzzled my pillows until my roommate woke me up to bring her to work. I practically fell out of bed to put a jacket on. I zombied my way to the bathroom and downstairs to the car. Thank God my sunglasses were in the glove-box, because there was no way I was walking back upstairs to find them.

I'll admit, it was 11:30 in the morning. I hadn't been inebriated the night before and there wasn't too much going on, but I was still drowsy and driving (which is almost as bad as drinking and driving... Don't do it, kids). After dropping the roommate off, I went to the grocery store to pick up a few things.

I fumbled with the red plastic baskets. There was a cool chick walking towards me. As she walked past, she nodded her head and said, "Hey, I like your style."

She seemed meaningful, but I mostly pity people who wear pajamas in public, especially when it's past noon. Maybe it's because they usually pair an obnoxious blue sweater and white PJ bottoms with snoopy all over them. My unintentional 'style' of the day was Punk-Rock Grocery. I was (and still am) wearing a black t-shirt, black jacket, black shoes, and red and black plaid flannel pants. My hair was in a ruckus from tossing and turning last night, and I'm sure I had an air of "I don't care."

Style happens when you least expect it. I certainly didn't plan Punk-Rock Grocery. My favorite outfits over the years had been thrown together when I only had a few seconds to get ready. In my experience, over-thinking your style is disastrous. When I take my time planning an outfit, I'll second guess myself. I'll fret over the image I'm trying to portray. Even worse, like most Americans, I have too many choices. My closet is full of pieces I never wear but feel too guilty to get rid of.

I love to express myself through clothing, but it's frustrating. My solution? Limit your choices, don't over-think it, and channel whatever energy you have at the time. Style is something that shouldn't be stressed over, it should come effortlessly. Next time you go out, give yourself 5 minutes to get ready. That includes hair, make-up, clothes-- you should be walking out the door in 5 minutes or less. Put a timer on. You'll be surprised at how easily your natural style shines through.