Those Teeny Tiny Steps

Back to the task at hand! Previously I made reference to some in between teeny tiny steps that are involved when trying to get out of debt. Below you will find some obvious and some not so obvious steps you could take to help ensure you’re always making progress.

• Pay Cash – If not for everything, most things. This is something I’ve heard over and over again growing up and it never dawned on me until now sadly. Once the cash is gone, the spending is done.
• Set Goals or a Goal – This is probably the most important because this will be your motivation. When all seems hopeless you need just to remind yourself of the goal you’ve set on the horizon. Whether they be small monthly goals, or big year-long goals, just make them.
• Get Rid of Temptation – You know those robo emails we all get from any company you’ve ever given your email address to? The ones trying to seduce you into shopping online or going into their store for their one of kind sale? Yea, well take the time to unsubscribe from them. This will help eliminate that temptation of “Oh, I’m just looking”. $75 later, it turns out it wasn’t just a look.  I don’t care how great the sale is, the only real deal is not spending the money to begin with.
• Credit Cards – Since we’ve already given them up, we no longer have the capability to spend.  Now, we have to get the balance to zero. Pay off the smaller amounts first. DO NOT neglect your payments on other cards to get the smaller amounts paid off faster. Once you get the lower balances out of the way, you then can use that money to contribute more towards the big boys.
• No Excuses – Stop indulging in just about everything. Your, “Its Friday I can treat myself to lunch”, or dinners, or whatever, cannot be your rationalization anymore. This may work for people not in debt but for someone who lives pay check to check ::cough, cough, myself::  this isn’t going to help the situation.
• Monopoly Money – We are no longer playing with fake money. This is real life and we have to get real about it or were going to end up with the dreaded “do not pass go, do not collect $200” card. Get serious and stop pretending you are going to land on the community chest and receive savior. The only savior here is you.

Im rich bitch! Not really, unless you have Boardwalk and Park Place.

I hope everyone is gettin’ their leap on!

D

Mirror Mirror

My newly hired secretary is doing an awful job but luckily for you I remembered something.  I realized last night I’ve never fully acknowledged what my blog title is referencing. I’ve sort of danced around the subject and if you’ve read most of my posts you could probably put two and two together, but I’ve never completely disclosed why I chose this particular name.  If you’ve read my problem section you know that I have a major shopping problem. I’ve touched base on the issue here, but today you get to find out what it’s all about straight from the horse’s mouth.  I have extremely low self-esteem. I lack any kind of self-confidence and rarely can think positive of myself. I am my biggest critic and judging eyes, meant to do harm, are around every corner. I hide behind my clothes. I trained myself to believe changing my exterior would make people think highly of me.  While I was becoming so enraptured with my outer appearance I began to lose my core. The inner makings that remind you, people like you for who you are not what you wear. This isn’t a cry for help and I don’t want pity because this is a personal battle, one with myself. My mind has become so twisted that the approval I once so longed for, no longer holds any meaning. There’s a kink in my chain that needs fixing and I’m the only one who can fix it. I need to allow myself to be loved by me.  So now you see my title is actually derived from a sad place that once began with the best intentions. I need to become comfortable in my own skin. My title is not meant to be conceited or self-centered. It’s actually the furthest thing from that. It’s my daily reminder that I am pretty even if you’ve already seen me in this outfit because I’m beautiful on the inside.

So True

Start loving yourself

D

And Then I Found $20

My brother told me once that when a story has gone off the deep end and you’ve completely lost everyone’s attention to add, “and then I found $20” to the end, and itll bring it back to life. This has proven to work on numerous occasions but most of the time your audience leaves disappointed anyways because you have to explain how you didn’t actually find $20. You can try to save face by explaining the whole history of “and then I found $20” to anyone who might still be around but chances are all hope will be gone.  Everyone will have either concluded you’re a liar, a horrible story-teller or both. If I had the ability to give you back your time here I would, but I chose the power of invisibility when presented with the options, so these minutes will be lost forever. I hope this was as awkward for everyone else as it was for me and then I found $20.

Mondays are evil

D

Wanted: Mental Secretary

I am now accepting applications for a mental secretary. Some of my best ideas come to me right as I’m beginning to fall asleep and can you guess what happens then? Yea, I fall asleep and they’re gone forever since I have the retention span of a fish. You might be wondering what would your job consists of. Well, you would sit in my brain as I doze off to the land of nod and jot down all my amazing ideas so I’m able to share all the gloriousness with you guys!  If you haven’t mastered the capability to occupy someones mind then Id allow you to sit in my room and I’ll just mumble out everything that is popping into my head. Please see yourself to the door after I’ve fallen asleep. All qualifying applicants should email me their resume’s, stating all previous brain possessions, to sunnyd10121@gmail.com.

Im the human version of Dory

Only SERIOUS applicants please

D

What To Do

Here’s a list some hypothetical situations where I have given you what would appear to be the logical solution. I’m doing this for a multitude of reasons, this can be used as a learning experience for all, it’s snowing ,its Friday, I’m bored, I have N’sync in my head, whichever it may be you’re going to enjoy it because let’s face it you probably have nothing better to be doing anyways. Yes for run-on sentences!

Situation 1

Your significant other watches Jersey Shore.

What to do: Calmly explain that by watching this show they are supporting terrorism and you have no choice but to report them to the government.

What NOT to do: Start watching the awful show with them. I’ll report both of you.

Side Note: do not judge, what would pop into your head after writing “situation”? I’m doomed, I know.

Situation 2

You decide you want to start dieting.

What to do:  Educate yourself on several different diets and find the one that best suits your needs and lifestyle.

What NOT to do: Choose the most expensive form of dieting while trying to get out of debt.

Situation 3

Your family is going on vacation to your favorite spot in the whole world and you can’t afford to go.

What to do: Write down the pros and cons, also listing the repercussions of several more added years of debt.

What NOT to do: Crumple up, chew, and swallow the cons and book the trip anyways, out of sight out of mind.

Side Note: you could also try crying.

Situation 4

You’re in severe debt.

What to do: Assess your debt level, live on a budget, stop spending, and reevaluate your life..

What NOT to do: Start a blog, debt does not clear up fast enough to make for interesting reading material.

Situation 5

You’re lost in the woods.

What to do: Moss grows on the north side trees, there’s always civilization north, so walk north. This is only applies if you’re in the northern hemisphere. If you’re in the southern, you can’t be helped.

What NOT to do: Run into a bear, unless it’s Smoky the Bear, then just go back and put out your campfire.

Side Note: If the moss thing doesn’t work, blame Hollywood, not me.

Again these are just hypothetical and in no way reflect real life situations.  It’s a slow day in the news room folks, my apologies.  Hopefully overnight I’ll have won the lotto or something. Until then spend wisely and keep to the plan, no over indulging this weekend or getting lost in the woods. I’ll leave you with the lyrics from a song I was fortunate enough to stumble upon while reading another bloggers blog.

“Tired of lyin’ to myself, tryin’ to buy what can’t be bought.
It’s not livin’ that you’re doin’ if it feels like dyin’.”
-Old Before Your Time by Ray LaMontagne.

Happy Frizzle Day

D

When You Wish Upon A Star

Objective, aim, ambition, purpose, target, aspiration, all these words can be used to describe one word, goal. If you’re still not convinced you have a problem or that you’re debt isn’t that serious by now then you’re a lost cause. No, not really, but you do need a reality check.  You have to want something greater from life than just what is presented in front of you.  For those of you who don’t know me personally, I love Hawaii, particularly Maui. I’ve been privileged enough to have traveled there several times and it holds a piece of my heart. This is the only place I’ve been to though, outside of the standard American family vacations, Disneyland, Wisconsin Dells, Washington DC, etc.  So who’s to say I may not love somewhere else? I am a HUGE believer in trying everything once. After that you’re considered an expert in my book and can officially state you hate it but until then you have no just reasoning to say you dislike anything. Just my philosophy, ya don’t have to agree.  So here I am filing up the WWW with my nonsense, gibberish, and ramblings. Hoping, wishing, this will all amount to something because my dream, my goal is to explore the world. I want to know I have tried everything before I settle into “forever”. This isn’t for everyone, I understand that. No two people are alike but we are alike in that we all have something that drives us. Find that calling, and remember there’s something much greater than having the latest trends or coolest gadgets. Think of something you’ve always wanted to do but never could imagine doing and reach for it. This is the one chance at life we got why not make it great?

"I'll bet a lot of you folks don't believe that, about a wish comin' true, do ya? Well, I didn't, either. Of course, I'm just a cricket singing my way from hearth to hearth, but let me tell you what made me change my mind."

Next stop Africa

D

P.S. Do not take this as me telling you to get all crazy planning trips you can’t afford and going all willy-nilly tapping into your savings. This is me telling you to stop spending so you can plan for something more than the tragedy of being seen in the same outfit twice.

Reflection

A large part of this process I’m finding is reflection. I get the opportunity to look back on years of spending flippantly. Years I wouldn’t trade for the world because they are some of the best memories I have to date but I get to reflect on how childish I was. I never imagined myself growing up. I always figured I was going to have this mentality of the only thing of importance is the here and now. Which I still do believe in, but I’m beginning to understand that you can’t let the “here and nows” affect the future. I’m in a stalemate, I want to start my life but I can’t because I was so naive. Naive into thinking my actions then wouldn’t affect my life now. Naive because I always saw myself as being in control, I’d be able to pay my bills off when I wanted to.  If I could go back to the me then Id slap some sense into me. Now don’t look at this as regret because I live my life with no regrets. Well there are a few but that’s life. Every mistake is an opportunity learned. Every “I wish I hadn’t done that” moment has made us who we are today. So no, I don’t regret my past, but I do wish I wouldn’t have been so stubborn. I wish the old me wasn’t so selfish that for a moment I would’ve thought about what the future me would have liked. Try to use this mind-set the next time you want to make a purchase, or go on a trip you can’t afford. What is the future you going to want? I can tell you for damn sure I’d  much rather have a place of my own now than my cute matching outfits then.

Yes, I am feeling better 🙂

D

Guess Who…

…still feels like shit? If you guessed me you’re wrong. Just kidding, you’re right. That was mean but that’s the kind of mood I’m in. When I feel like shit everyone around me must suffer so prepare to feel my wrath!!!! ::cricket noises:: Okay that’s all I got because I have about zero strength and brain power. If there’s a doctor in the building please come diagnosis me and no, mentally ill is not the answer.

This is me.... as an evil cute kitty

I’ll try to be better tomorrow

D

Valuable Useless Information

Whoever said you can’t have fun and educate yourself at the same time was wrong! If you’re wise you would stop reading here. When trying to decipher this information understand this all happened at some point over the weekend with one or more of these variables involved, sleep deprivation, wine, and drugs. Legal OTC drugs, relax. Also, I’m very sick right now, so this weekend is playing back  like a scene from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

The things I learned this weekend that should be taught in school

• Humans still cannot fly, we had one try to and it did not work out so well
• Contrary to popular belief, the Bill of Rights was not written in 1964. Sorry to be the one to burst that bubble for you
• Chicago has a red light district! Say what? I know!
• Excedrin has caffeine and by caffeine I mean crack, someone please alert the government
• Google has virtually no employees
• After some scientific calculations it has been concluded Rambo is 163 years old
• You shouldn’t play games with the game owners because they cheat
• Bidets are intimidating and make for awesome conversations
• The Rock is still alive

The things I learned about myself this weekend

• I can read Egyptian hieroglyphics. I expect to be contacted by Indiana Jones any moment now.
• I should stick to blogging (pronounced blahging)
• I need to update my world map in my head because apparently it doesn’t look like this anymore

If your head hurts from all of that I tried to warn you. Tomorrow is a new day and maybe my brain will have found its way home.

Someone come take care of me

D

Out of Office

To my dearest readers, I will be on a mini vacation for the next 3 days so you will have to continue about your daily lives without my witty charming posts. Some of you may have jumped to conclusions here, “well how is she going on vacation when she’s trying to save money?” Three words, my loving boyfriend. 🙂 He knows I am trying to change and apparently has a money tree growing in his backyard so it all works out for me. Yay for being awesome! I am leaving for the great state of cheese and playoff chokers with some of my dearest friends to tear it up on some fresh pow. My previous self was wise and purchased a snowboard, boots, hats, goggles, gloves, snow pants, and jackets all in anticipation of me going Olympic gold on the slopes. I’ve gone twice in 3 years 😐 EXCELLENT purchases Diane, you are a genius. When I’m moving into my hut these will be the first items I auction on Ebay. Until then you can find me on the bunny hills.

Tearin’ It Up

D