Amandoo’s Handle of Realitumtum

Christmas this year was all over the place, up, down, in, out, odd, awesome, exhausting, and fun. I really enjoyed seeing my cute nieces:

I also enjoyed fighting with my family (for the most part, some of it was not cool)

Most of all, I was happy we kept Christmas low-key and didn’t go crazy spending money none of us had. I got some random gifts and shopped at places like target and the evil big w. I really enjoyed watching my nieces open their gifts:

(video and or pictures will be here. that was another tough part of christmas at home- no internet. can you believe that?!)

Again, the highlight was the children:

And there was other family bonding. Yes indeed. Some so special I couldn’t (or rather wouldn’t) even begin to explain it on a public blog such as this. I got someone a demotivation poster and also got one for myself. One of their phrases I really like is: “Never before have so many people with so little to say said so much to so few” So true, my blog included! I wanted to get one for my dad but wasn’t sure if he would think it was funny or insulting.

I have lots more to say, of little importance, so I’ll save it for a near-future blog. What I can say though, is, I survived Christmas chez moi. It was not easy, but it was a good growing experience. What I mean to say is, well, there were rough times. And my mom brought up that she’d heard that there is a spike in depression, suicide, and visits to therapists, after the holidays- due to all the family drama/stress brought up. My bro pointed out the flipside- maybe it’s people going back to work, sad that the holidays are over, who miss their family.

I think I’ll be feeling a little of both, but will get my therapy through blogging for whom? For me, for you, perhaps for no one.

sometimes when i have trouble getting a ride to pick up or drop off my car i wonder about this. i guess i’ve had some trouble, and thought about this situation, because i’ve had to put my car in the shop so many times

i guess if someone really doesn’t have someone to take them and/or give them rides and/or lend their car, then it would be tough. i guess it would be more tough if you really didn’t have any family or friends to do this favor. if you don’t have family and friends, you don’t have much. i guess some completely introverted hermits might disagree, but i guess that’s the bigger issue at hand- there would be numerous instances where it would be sad if you had no friends or family.

i guess people might rent cars temporarily, or bike, or get a new car. i think i need to get a new car. don’t have the money right now, but at least i might be able to get a good deal. probably at least.

these are my thoughts, and now i am tired. good evening.

I know I’ve been writing blogs about saving money, and I am depressed and bewildered by how much my student loan payment has increased, but not matter what I do, I could never bring myself to do this:

Don’t know if these awesome recycling ideas are a joke or not. It is a German site, and some ideas are awesome, but this one just makes me gag so bad. I hate the smell of dish gloves, and don’t even want to imagine the lingering taste inside, that would taint your salad ever-so-slightly.

I’d rather just make it in a bowl and pour it myself. Maybe it’s a portion control thing, but I’d rather be fat than eat dressing from a rubber glove tip pourer.

Here are some random tips I’ve come up with to save money on coffee, both in my personal life, and based on watching people spends hundreds of dollars a month at Starbucks.

If there’s any hope:

1) Give it up - Stop the addiction, and you won’t have to pay for it anymore! Your best bet here is getting more sleep, and a more regular schedule.

For those of us who could never dream of such a thing:

2) Stop buying quad venti soy vanilla lattes at Starbucks - they are a great coffee establishment, and I will admit that more of my favorite coffee drinks come from there than from other establishments (I love a good mom and pop latte, but only if it’s high quality espresso!). But they’re expensive! I’m often a soy drinker, and that adds another 40some cents onto your drink. So switch it up- try other places, or switch to regular coffee instead of lattes. Try an Americano- that’s a good caffeine boost for less money!

3) Use more of your own stuff from home - Buy a bottle of your favorite flavor of sweetener and add it yourself. I know it’s not likely for some people who might think that sounds ludicrous, but it could work for you (and it could save you another 30some cents off your order). Get coffee and add warm milk at your house to make a delicious cafe au lait (aka cafe con leche in Spanish-speaking countries)

4) A tried and true money saver (again using simple home supply) - Get a cheap hot coffee and (you can even just get a small or medium because you’d be surprised how it spreads out when you…) make iced coffee/latte-like things at home. I get a hot coffee and come home, pour some into a cup of ice and add my milk. Then you have a few more cups. So my next tip is:

5) Don’t buy iced coffee. Make it yourself - But please don’t go into Starbucks, order a small hot coffee, ask for a large cup of ice, and do it right in front of them. That’s an insult and it is rude. I know I always felt insulted, like they didn’t think we’d notice or catch on. Bonus tip- If you get some hot coffee that tastes not so good, making it iced will help the taste. Seriously!

6) Speaking of making things yourself! Make your own coffee - This is an obvious way to save money. I know some people don’t have the know-how or the time, but that’s just what they think! This could save you hundreds, possibly even thousands of dollars a year- no joke. So splurge on a nicer coffee machine or even an espresso machine (they are not that hard to use. anyone can learn) and make it at home. And then you have complete control over your drink!

7) When all of this fails, think of moderation! - If you spend $3/day on coffee, that’s over $1,000 a year. If you’re drinking lattes or those sugary mochas and frappuccinos regularly, you are asking for some serious cash flow problems. Try to just get a regular coffee some days, or go for 2 or 3 days without your latte. Switch it up people, otherwise you’ll have to keep coughing it up!

it’s hard when i think my life is going well, and then seemingly insurmountable things come up and ruin that feeling. i’m not talking about normal things. but then again, i guess terrible or really difficult stuff happens to everyone. i mean, i guess i’m happy to have overcome some of my roots from the:

but it still ain’t easy. relatives getting really sick is not something that happens often, and always sucks. and then there are those 2 other huge things. i guess both of them will eventually get better. and one of them i can already see as a “blessing in disguise” type thing, but it doesn’t make me feel better. at all.

my question today is this- how do i make more friends? i love people because they’re funny. but i don’t have time to go find them. and most of mine seem to be gone. maybe i’m not making enough effort. it’s hard when i barely have any time.

call me! bye.

Fresh Cut Salads YES!!! Watch this video four (hundred) times!!!! It’s crazy, fun, thrilling, and a little scandalous!

Fresh Cut Salads - I Can’t Stop This Feeling

And then this humor:

cat found best of craigslist posting

is was yes!

Sometimes I buy things I don’t need. Sometimes I spend way more than I should. This is tragically over-common in America. Tonight I really wanted to go and buy some stuff. Maybe some clothes at Old Navy, a piece of furniture or cuptainer for my apartment at Bed, Bath, and Beyond- stuff I do not need.

I told a friend, which felt mostly good, besides being a wee bit embarrassing. It’s the truth, though, and I’ve really started to think about saving over spending, and how I can moving on paying off all this debt (some credit card and monstrous student loans mostly).

They suggested that instead of going out and spending, I read up on money-saving blogs.

It is feeling wonderful, and I found myself going from page to page and link after link of great information. I even found a good sight that has a site “The Simple Dollar” that has a 31-day plan to fix your finances (it costs $2 to download, which I can totally respect, so as I get around to really making this happen, when I find $2 I have clearly saved, I will purchase it)

Here are some of my favorite tips I found:

1) The most obvious- getting out of debt first - come up with a plan that focuses on paying off debt efficiently so you can get to saving. This plan must be strategical, involving GOALS, and REASON FOR PAYING OFF PROCESS (for instance if you are going to pay off a credit card, which one first and why).

2) Think before you buy- Sometimes I just get the “urge to splurge” and there are certainly reasons behind it. Recently a friend “froze” my credit cards for me. I told my family about this and they were like- “What! How did they have the power to do that?!” And I realized they thought I was saying froze in a legal way, but it was very literal- he took my cards and put them in a container with water in the freezer. That way, if I want to use them, I have to wait several hours for them to thaw. This has really helped me cut back on spending. So often I just want to buy something that I definitely do not need.

3) Be happier about not spending- use rewards (that are of little or no financial cost) and re-focus. I like the idea of making posters or pictures of what you are saving for around your house and even their simple suggestion of keeping up your personal appearance. When they showered, shaved, and put on some cologne they felt life to be much more manageable. I like that idea and have also felt that way after simply showering (which is sort of odd to me). Similarly, I like earning more in pleasant ways (even though my full-time job is more than full-time), and I am thinking of ways to trade and barter instead of buying things I need- freecycle!

4) CUT YOUR FOOD SPENDING! This is a huge one for me, and I really like the beans and rice blog I found. I have cut back on dining out and it’s made a difference. At this age (mid-20’s) it’s so easy to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars a month on food. I do love to eat healthily and organic, and spending at Whole Foods can equal Whole Paycheck. Limiting eating out, and shopping at several different stores for different things has really helped. Getting a food budget and sticking to it, as well as eating more rice, beans, and vegetable dishes could really help.

5) JUST DO IT. Take a look at this awesome job this blogger did on sprucing up an old wood table. Amazing! There are so many good ideas out there. I have to start adding more to my life and enjoying the process.

One I can think of is making Christmas gifts for people. Because I didn’t go shopping on Black Friday, I really wanted to buy gifts for people today, and I am in a tight situation. Instead, I could really start implementing some of these tips, and perhaps make some soap? Print out my own pictures and make gifts with those? Crocheting? Lots of good ideas.

Blogging is a really fun and free activity that makes me feel better. Organizing my digital photos is also a good idea.

I am a saver! (I do have an ING direct savings account which I love, but right now there is not enough in there to make me happy). Day by day. I started off tonight on the right foot, by not going and shopping for no reason, fueled by false values.

Take that, excessive consumption monster! Reminds me of when we interviewed people at college for a project for an environmental science class and only 3 out of like 50 people said anything about thinking about the environmental impact on all the shopping and wrapping involved during the holidays.

you would be surprised how little money i have even though i have a job that pays me decently. i guess life is just very expensive. and maybe i don’t get paid enough. i definitely think i don’t.

but i did go to houston. and it was good. very good indeed.

and i bought a ticket to go home to detroit. and it will be great.

you know why? because staying around here would be a tad depressing and counterproductive. sure i might do a few things, but i would barely be able to relax.

that said, i’m sure i would enjoy cleaning my house, going through stuff, and getting to know the new town where i live better, but i also have family out there.

cute nieces i need to see!

i will add pictures to this blog to make it more interesting. when i have time. which will be never, now that my vacation is over and i was sick and am still and am working ever-so-hard again.

but i insist that you do try and go somewhere to get away. it’s just so necessary.

i might not suggest flying, but i had to. and it was aight. besides the delay on the way home.

finally, i hated writing papers and luckily as a french teacher i do not have to make my students write research papers.