14 Days of Love: Days 4 and 5

I'm doing a series on easy, fun, cheap ways to celebrate Valentine's Day. Click here to read about days 1 through 3. Today I'm covering days 4 and 5.

Day Four: Do something you hate
Now, take this with a grain of salt, I'm not recommending doing anything that makes you scared, uncomfortable or uneasy but an easy way to show someone that you care is to do something solely because it makes them happy. I enjoy a clean house, today is my day off and I've already put away laundry, done multiple loads of dishes, swept, vacuumed (you get my drift). My boyfriend is not a cleaner. Frankly, he's pretty sloppy. I will admit that there are times that it drives me crazy, there's nothing worse than feeling like your mate's personal maid. So, on the days that I come home and see that he's done the dishes, put away his clothes or done ANYTHING to clean up it makes my little black heart swell with love. My guy enjoys documentaries and art films while I enjoy action packed blockbusters so we make sure to go to both. Go on a hike, go to a museum just do something to celebrate your partners interests and likes.

Day Five: Make a mix tape (or a mix cd or play list for you hipsters)
I will never stop loving mix tapes. I know that technology is old and dated and frankly impractical but it is seriously the most romantic thing a fella can do (at least for me). Now I'm not saying that a mix cd has no love but it doesn't even take close to the amount of time and effort a good mix tape requires. Don't even get me started on an iPod playlist. That's just a few clicks you lazy bastards. Maybe I'm biased because the first guy I ever loved used to make me the most amazing mix tapes filled with artists I still love. I still have these tapes 10 years later (my love for them lasted a lot longer than my love for that guy).  A Valentine's mix tape has to have a love theme or share some romantic significance for you and your partner. Here are a few of my favorite love songs (please don't judge my love for pop-punk):

Click Links for the youtube videos!

The Avett Brothers: Live and Die

Alkaline Trio: Clavicle

The Ataris: I Wont's Spend Another Night Alone
***you thought I was kidding about really enjoying music that was only vaguely good 10 years ago, jokes on you****

Blink 182: I'm Lost Without You

The Beach Boys: God Only Knows

The Honorary Title: Cut Short

A New Found Glory: Connected

A New Found Glory: Too Good To Be

The Lumineers: Stubborn Love

The Cure: Love Song

Court Yard Hounds: See You in the Spring

Plain White Ts: 1 2 3 4

Sam Cooke: Wonderful World (I think this is one of my favorite love songs ever, so classic)

Keane: Somewhere Only We Know

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Maps


Also, I thought I had a ton of love songs for this list but after going through all my records, the internet, my ipod, etc I realize I just have a fairly long list of songs about how incredibly sad you can be after breakups. Seriously. I had to google love songs because apparently my music taste is 50% upbeat music to run to and 50% songs to listen to when you're on the edge of suicide after failed love. I should probably look into that because it doesn't seem healthy.

More Attempts at Pinterest

OKAY. So I'm back from bum-outs-ville and I'm feeling so much better. Honestly, that brief period of sadness did me a world of good. I realized that almost every protagonist in feel good movies goes through some sort of down swing before they realize their true potential. I'm not saying that I have everything figured out (I doubt I ever will) but I'm definitely realizing what is important to me and what I want out of life.

This post is dedicated to my first attempts at self lead crafting. My grandmother is a crafting God and when I was a child she taught/ helped me with all sorts of projects. However, I'm 26 and it's been a few years since I broke out a glue gun. But you gotta start somewhere, right?

First thing first, my attempt at a sea shell souvenir frame!

My boyfriend and I went to the coast a month or so ago and I wanted a cheesy souvenir to remember the trip by. Unfortunately, cheesy souvenirs can cost a pretty penny. While strolling the beach I collected some shells and when I got home I figured I could hot glue them to a frame that displayed one of my beach pictures. 

I ended up picking up a couple of super cheap frames from Ikea that had a beach-y feel to them. They were around $3 bucks a pop.

I'm sure I could have done this project better or more professionally. My plan of attack was just to glue beads and shells on the frames until I ran out of space or beads. If you look really closely you can see a few strands of hair like glue from my hot glue gun. I didn't create a beautiful piece of art but I did make a cute little frame that will always remind me of a fun trip. Also, it does look better from a distance and surrounded by other frames.

I posted a few weeks ago about some homemade sugar scrub. It was seriously so easy! I made two mason jars full of scrub for $0! I had all of the ingredients for the scrub (brown sugar, white sugar, oil) and I had some mason jars and ribbon laying around my house. And the labels I used? They came with my crock pot. So easy.

A few weeks ago on Pinterest I saw a recipe for Cheesy Quinoa cakes. I could have sworn I pinned them on my DIY I Want to Try but alas I'm not seeing them. Either way, they were incredibly easy to make and so delicious. The recipe can be found on Spoon, Fork, Bacon:

Their picture is so much better than mine (did you notice how my dvd remote is photo bombing my cakes?)

Trust me, if I call a recipe easy, it's easy. Plus it's super cheap, all I had to go out and buy was lemons for the aioli and green onions (both were less than $1). I made them for Girls night and for my boyfriend and they were a hit. Plus, its the kind of recipe you can easily modify with success. 

March 2012 Link Roundup

I just want to roll in a pile of money......and then use it to pay off my student loans

So I wanted to start a new feature where I gathered news articles, hot topics, and current trends about savings, debt, and money in one easy post. Not only will this save time and stress in trying to keep up to date with everything, hopefully some great advice can be gathered and spread :)

In "You've Got to be Fucking Kidding Me/Rich People are Bastards" News

Banker Complains his $350, 000 bonus isn't enough This banker has the audacity to complain about being cash strapped and possibly not being able to afford private school, multiple homes, and fancy home renovations. SHUT THE FUCK UP. I buy dollar store toothpaste you do not know the meaning of poor or broke or strapped for cash. The article discusses how the poor can't understand the stress of the rick. Puh-lease. This banker is fretting over whether he might have to pull his kids from private school. I fret over weather I can turn on the heater when I'm freezing my ass off in my apartment.

Rich Woman Enslaves Illegal Immigrant for 6 Years: This woman lived in a mega mansion. MEGA. Helicopter pads, gold gilded ceilings, 35 rooms, etc, etc and she can't bare the idea of paying the woman who is raising her children a minimum wage. The mansion has 35 rooms and she forced this human being to live in a closet (granted it was probably a fairly large closet but still)!! Then she had the audacity to try to convince the woman's son to lie so she won't get in big trouble. I hope the illegal immigrant only identified as V.M. gets a hefty pay day and can live happily while rich whitey gets what she deserves in prison.

In "Oh, So I Just Suck at the Internet" News

Man Makes $10,000 off of Ebay Now I've mentioned in a few posts about trying to sell items on Ebay (if not please visit my store and buy my things so I can eat!). But, at the most, I've made $100 bucks. This dude makes thousands. THOUSANDS (why do I keep shouting?!?!). While, at first, this article just made me feel pathetic it also offered up some great tips on how to up your business on Ebay. The tip about using your smart phone while at thrift stores to check to see if an item is selling is great and I would have never thought about even looking into sports jerseys. As of right now, selling is sort of low on my list of priorities but it's something that I can always fall back on.

In "Saving Money the Old Fashion Way" News

Wash Your Hair Less!!: I have a ton of hair and it costs so much time and effort to up keep it. I started saving money by switching from expensive salons to beauty schools and I've gone a step further by decreasing how often I wash my hair. I usually wash my hair every other day, I've been dying my hair for years and I need the extra oil. However, now I try to go every two days or 3 times a week. Some people can go longer however, I'm in the process of growing my natural hair out and it's far greasier than the dried out dyed out I'm used to dealing with. Now, I know what you're thinking, walking around with greasy hair is gross, unprofessional, and unattractive. Yes, that is all true. BUTTTTT, there is a product that saves the day. Dry Shampoo. It is the most glorious invention ever. Just a few sprays and oily hair is transformed and appears clean looking. TRESemme just came out with a new line of dry shampoos and conditions. For less then $3 bucks you can improve your hairs health, save time on washing your hair, and save money on expensive shampoos and conditions.

6 Ingredients You Don't Really Have to Buy: I love this article. I tend to eat the same thing so I have only basic ingredients in my house. Now instead of fretting and feeling the need to run to the store if I don't have something I can just whip it up in my kitchen. Also, subbing plain yogurt for sour cream is heaven on your waist line.

6 Simple Changes that can Help You Save $2,997 a year on Groceries: I really like this article because it points out how small changes can add up to big results. Something as simple as cutting out meat a few nights a week can reduce spending (as well as improve the environment and your figure!). This article touts the wonders of the slow cooker which I feel that I have mentioned more than a few times on this blog. Best investment and so easy to use.

Myths About Car Repairs That Cost You Money: I love this article because I don't really now much about cars and it's nice to have an easy to use guide on car repairs. I don't know jack shit about engines or transmissions but I can just add a few thousand miles in between oil changes. That's more than easy since I often suffer from extreme laziness. It's insane how we become so convinced that there are things we have to do (wash our hair every day or be dirty, change oil every 3,000 miles or hurt the car, etc) that are simply ploys to get us to spend and waste more.

In life news I'm going on vacation at the end of the month!!! Woo-hooooo!!! My boo is in desperate need of a vacation (he's been working 6 days a week for a while now) and wanted to hit up the beach. Because I've obviously died and gone to heaven he wants to take me along. He's rented us a cabin on the beach. Whose life am I living right now?? My main worry is obviously spending too much so I'm coming up with great tips and ideas to save money on vacation. Until then I'm hitting the gym to get my bod beach and bikini ready.

Ways to keep it cheap/save money while grocery shopping

Ever since rough money times hit I've been searching for the best ways to save money. I've found some great tips which led me to easy life changes and I've honestly seen real savings. I've also found some awful tips that, while I'm sure save money, seem like such a pain in the ass that it's just not worth it. So, because I care deeply for you my dear internet peeps I've compiled my top 8 ways to save money while grocery shopping that are easy and require basically zero effort.

Saving money on food

This chick knows what's up

1. Buy bulk meat and freeze: Due to the fact that I have a history of not playing well with others I live alone. I know I could save tons of money by having a roommate but honestly, living alone rocks. BUT that isn't the point of this tip. The point is that even though I live alone I can still save money by buying certain items in bulk. At H.E.B. (my grocery store of choice, apparently they're only in Texas? I feel sorry for non-Texans because H.E.B. rocks) they have family packs of chicken which contain around 12 thighs for around $5-$6 dollars. I buy one of these packs around twice a month and I'm set for meat. As soon as I get home I open up the giant pack and separate the pieces into different Tupperware containers (I used to use zip lock baggies but I hated wasting them, with Tupperware I don't hurt the environment AND I save on having to re-buy zip lock bags). I store everything in the freezer until I'm ready to eat. I've done this with ground hamburger, ground turkey, and sausage. It’s incredibly easy and I always have something to cook with (which means no extra trips to the store which I HATE).



2. Only buy vegetables that you will use that week: I used to have a really bad habit of just buying way too much stuff and not shopping smart. In one trip I’d buy 3 tomatoes, a package of mushrooms, fresh green beans, lettuce, onions, squash, etc. While this kind of shopping makes for a healthy diet it also makes for a trashcan full of rotten vegetables. Again, because I live alone, there’s just no reasonable way I can eat all of those vegetables before they go bad. Now I try to plan out what I want and buy accordingly; by buying only for what I know I’m going to eat I’m saving so much money AND guilt because I’m not tossing away un-used food.


3. Frozen and canned goods: Frozen and canned goods seem to have a bad rap but if you shop smart they can be tasty and save-y (don’t judge me on my lame rhyming skills). I love a diet full of veggies but a diet full of veggies can get pretty expensive. Things like canned corn and canned tomatoes last forever and honestly taste good. Sometime s when a large quantity of berries is about to go bad H.E.B. has insane sales (raspberries and blueberries for $0.98 a package!!!!!). When that happens I buy around 4 packages and either take them to Girls Night for a healthy snack or throw them in my freezer to later add to protein shakes or homemade ice cream. I’ll also buy sugar free fruit cups or cans. I always have fruit in my place but I don’t have to worry about it rotting. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had some store bought frozen broccoli that tasted like death but there are lovely canned and frozen products out there that taste just as good as fresh.


4. Buy bulk rice, beans, and pasta: A can of black beans is around $1.29 while a bag of black beans in $0.99. A can of black beans has around two servings (or one if you’re a fatty like me) while a bag of beans can make MANY, MANY, MANY servings. Yes, a can of black beans is much easier to cook but it’s honestly not that big of a hassle to remember to soak a pot of beans overnight. I have two bags of black beans, one bag of rice ,and one insanely big bag of noodles from my Mom’s place and I can live off of this stuff for the next month or maybe two EASILY.

5. Compare price per ounce: Most store labels have a small section where they list how much the item costs per ounce. What looks like a deal honestly may not be. I recently purchased some conditioner and while I spent around 10 minutes in the hair care area I ended up finding a conditioner that’s good for my hair but was a good deal per ounce. Let me give you an example: one conditioner is $4.99 while the other is $6.99. Taken at face value the first conditioner looks like the better deal, right? However, on closer inspection the first bottle contains 5.5 ounces of conditioner while the second bottle contains 10 ounces. For only $2 more you get nearly DOUBLE the amount of product. This can be applied to almost any product in the store (cheese, sauces, dips, etc).

I feel bad for other states that aren't fortunate enough to have Combo Locos

6. Combo loco: So H.E.B. has this promotional deal called Combo Loco where they have insane savings. It’s usually something like: buy one package of H.E.B. brand sausage and get a free pack of tortillas, salsa, and chips!!!! Sometimes the combinations that are promoted don’t apply to my lifestyle (I try not to have soda in the house….unless it’s coke zero for boozey time) but all I have to do is check the front of the store for the listed deals. Getting free food rocks and it only takes around 5 seconds of my life to check out the deals. I’m not sure if other states/stores offer this kind of buy one get one free deal but I hope they do because it’s pretty neat.


7. Coupons: I get exhausted watching coupon shows. It just seems like so much work for not a big pay off. The idea of spending my time clipping away seems like Hell. However, there are ways that coupons can help out without ruining/wasting your life. Again, at H.E.B. (has my love for this store been expressed enough????) they have an area at the front of the store which is just a wall of coupons. All I have to do is stop by before I start shopping and check out if there’s a coupon for anything I want. Sometimes there is and sometimes there’s not but it’s not out of my way at all. Also, a good portion of the times they have coupons posted throughout the store near the sale items. Just the other day I was able to get Silk brand soy milk with a coupon and it made it cheaper than the store brand. While checking out most stores have promotions where coupons will print out with your receipt based on the products you’ve already purchased. It’s easy to just tuck those away in your purse and store them for the next time you have to go grocery shopping.

So freakin' amazing

8. CROCK POT/cook in bulk: If you don’t have a crock pot GO OUT AND BUY ONE!!!!! It has been the best investment of my life. I purchased a fairly large crock pot for $29.99 and it has truly changed the way I eat (my Lord, I sound like an infomercial). Let’s talk about why crock pots rock everything: 1) they cook food for you while you sleep 2) big, hearty, healthy recipes 3) easy as shit. Best recipe: turn the crock pot on, put in some chicken, black beans, can of Mexican style tomatoes, some onions, and some broth or water. Let it cook over night. In the morning scope out the chicken bones, add more liquid and add rice. In 30 minutes you have an awesome stew like thing or taco filling thing. When I’m eating at home I just scoop it into corn tortillas and when I take it for work I just fill up a Tupperware container and it’s perfectly delicious on its own.