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Yearly Archives: 2011
Thinking about consignment …
The battle against STUFF continues in my household. Today, the war is being raged on my closet. And as I look through my clothes and relive the stories that are associated with most of the items, I am once again confronted by a truth: Damn, I have a lot of clothes. And I fall into that majority of the population who has a huge, overstuffed closet but wear only 10% of the items, 99% of the time. Now don’t get … Continue reading
Posted in Minimalism
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Power to the people! BoA drops debit card fee
Will 2011 be the year of the “backpedal?” First, Netflix tries to deflect the backlash of splitting its streaming and mail service but “undoing” said changes. And now … Bank of America drops their proposed $5 debit card fee and other banks are following suit. This likely won’t pave the way towards world peace, but it’s nice to hear that companies are actually listening to their consumers.
Posted in Random!
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Got candy?
I don’t have kids and since we have more ornery teenagers than cute princess and vampire types in the neighborhood, we keep our lights off on Halloween. (Bah humbug, I know … I also know that my cat likes to launch himself at people.) However, I came across this suggestion on one of my friend’s Facebook feeds today to take your kids’ (or yours – no judgement if you are in your 30s and go trick-or-treating) candy to dentists who … Continue reading
Posted in Random!
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What won’t you cut out of your budget?
I’ve been on a minimalism kick lately. You wouldn’t know that to look around my home office, or my home in general, but really – I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about minimalism. Maybe the key word in that last sentiment is “thinking.” Faith Janes posted a piece recently that talks about “Experiments in Simplicity.” Let’s face it – it’s not going to take a single weekend to declutter over four years worth of stuff. (And that’s only the … Continue reading
Posted in Debt Reduction, Good Reading, Minimalism
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Frugal thinking: Preparing for busy days and preventing bad decisions
I’m hugely in favor of having a work-life balance … emphasis on the LIFE part of things. But this past week (and weekend), work ended up trumping fun things like sitting around in my jammies and doing nothing, as well as, necessary things like – oh, grocery shopping for the week, laundry and on Monday/Tuesday – showering. Luckily, I have a wee bit of breathing room before things get crazy again. Which, that will actually be this afternoon, but armed … Continue reading
Posted in Everyday Living
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Why you cannot take “stuff” too seriously …
I had to make a confession to my husband today … pre-shared checking account days and pre-new job with great salary days, I spent a ridiculous amount of money on what I now use as my laptop bag. I actually got two purses from one of those stupid home parties and paid over $100 for both of them. But the laptop bag usually retailed at about $130 and … well. That’s a lot of money. It’s a lot of money … Continue reading
Posted in Debt Reduction, Everyday Living, Random!
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How to freeze cilantro … and why you would want to
My husband and I were driving down to our class reunion this past weekend and right as we crossed the state line from Minnesota to Iowa, I asked him a very serious question. “Honey, do you think I’m odd?” To my husband’s credit, he only paused for a moment before replying: “Well, yes, but in every good way.” What sprung this line of thinking was my thought process regarding a dinner party we were going to be hosting on Sunday. … Continue reading
Dear Me …
The Guardian recently posted an article called “Dear Me: Celebrity Letters to Their Younger Selves.” It was an adorable read with letters ranging from one of my childhood heroes (Stephen King) to amazing actors such as Gene Hackman. Given the professional accomplishments of these celebrities, it was a hoot to read what they had to say to their younger selves … what pitfalls to avoid and mostly, to remain kind to themselves. This past weekend, my husband and I went … Continue reading
Posted in Debt Reduction, Everyday Living, Good Reading
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Thoughts on minimalism
I am not a minimalist. For those who know me personally, who have visited my house or have seen the interior of my car (two jackets, favorite sweater, pair of jeans, a bag full of shoes destined for the Goodwill and a broken personal scale) … you likely think that my interest in minimalism is a little bit … hmmm, ironic? But minimalism has been on my mind a lot lately. That’s been partly influenced by the recent purchase of … Continue reading
Posted in Minimalism
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So long, farewell Netflix
Well, I did it … I finally cancelled my Netflix membership. No – it really has nothing to do with the price increase. I detailed some of my thoughts about Netflix’s price hike here. My decision has a lot to do with something I reference in that article I wrote in late July … that DVD that I referenced having since June? Up until I hit the “cancel” button on my account, it was still unopened and sitting on top … Continue reading
Posted in Debt Reduction, Everyday Living
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