Saving Money Can be Fun, Who Knew?

Did you know that trying to not spend money could actually be fun?! Thanks to a few savvy friends and their ideas/new hobbies, my eyes have been opened to a whole new world of saving in our not so ideal economy. If you would’ve told me one month ago that I’d be a coupon clipper I would’ve laughed at you, but now I LOVE it. And I mean, almost in a sad way, love it. I realized last night as I drifted off to sleep counting down the days until the grocery stores unveil their new weekly deals (which comes out every Wednesday) that I am quite possibly a saving junkie. Side note…if you hear me discuss or see me post anything about registering for a coupon workshop, or catch me in a “Couponing is my life t-shirt” please intervene immediately! That would just be disturbing.

Thanks to my Coupon Guru’s instructions, I’ve fallen in love the site www.southernsavers.com. This woman saves me at least $32.00 a grocery trip and at times has helped me save 60% off my grocery bill! Who doesn’t love saving money, especially right now?! Plus it’s almost become a game to see if I can beat the store and save more than I spend. I’ve seriously left stores feeling like I just won the lottery and when everyone is trying to do more with less right now, I’ll take a high like that any day. Look out BiLo, I’ve got some manufacturer’s coupons and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.

Last but not least, is my love for the new found style swap party. One of my friends hosted about 11 of us girls over for wine, cheese, brownies (hello, where do I sign?), and a style exchange night. Each girl brings gently used clothing and accessories that they no longer wear and trades them in for tickets. For example, I brought 32 items and received 32 tickets to “shop” with that evening. After we all perused the “boutique” and wrote down our top pics, we settled in for the swap rounds. Each person drew a number and was able to select their favorite item when their turn came around. This went on for three rounds (numbers were drawn each round to even the playing field), with a final open swap session following where you got to grab anything you loved that was still up for grabs. It was seriously one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever seen. What still had tags but never fit me just right, fit someone next to me like a glove. Why not share that with the girl who can rock it while also getting your hands on some really cute stuff yourself?! Plus if you do it right, like our Diva friend did, you don’t even feel like your swapping but instead feel as though you’re in an intimate little boutique shopping with wine and good friends and everything is FREE. Yet again, hello, where do I sign?

Retail therapy has always been one of my favorite pick me ups but the spend hangover can easily knock you right back down to where you started. Free-tail therapy however is the new black and looks great on everyone. Indulge yourself. You know you want too!

The FAIR is Here!

As I always do this time of year, here are my top 10 reasons why I am super pumped about going to my happy place in 2 days…aka…the Coastal Carolina Fair:

10. FREE PASSES AND RIDE PASSES! Thank you Mr. Schupp for saving me almost $50!
9. The faint smell of fair food is slowly wafting towards my house, I swear.
8. AC/DC. Enough said.
7. Nothing says “livin on the edge” like having a dirt caked under your finger nails, breath-wrecking of vodka Carnie lock your humble life into a ride that was most likely built in 1976. Oh Dear Lord.
6. Yay for petting zoo’s and baby pigs.
5. The bright lights of the Ladson Fair Grounds just make me smile.
4. Laughing while eating an elephant ear and having powder sugar explode all over your face.
3. Having my stomach drop to my knees on the Giant Drop and the Pirate Ship!!!! (Seriously my heart rate just went up 2 notches simply typing that sentence)
2. Hanging out with friends and realizing that your life is pretty darn fantastic based on the appearances of the average fair go-er. Mean, but so true and you know it.
1. Getting to be a kid again for 3 hours! Smiles from ear to ear, mirrors that make me look like I’m 187lbs and 3 feet tall, and laughing until it hurts.

Oh, Facebook...

Although Facebook has opened up a world of connections to long lost friends, family members, etc… it has also opened up the opportunity to see into lives that we might not really want to see into but are not stronger enough to look away from.

Exhibit A: I should not be able to see my exes’ wedding photos no matter how long ago we broke up. I am not strong enough to not look and therefore spend 20 minutes critiquing the bride’s dress, flower selection, whether or not he’s gained weight, etc… I definitely have better things to do like change the ink in my pens and count the cracks in my driveway.

Exhibit B: It’s down right depressing seeing how many people I went to high school and college with who are getting divorced already. How does this happen at 28, 29, and 30 year old?! And with the option of “went from being married to single” on FB, it makes it just so simple and final. Now I know there is a lot that leads up to the “single” status change on FB, but for those of us who are not privy to any closeness to said relationship, it almost makes it appear as nonchalant as so and so just “became a fan of Jello Pudding Cups”. So sad and slightly discouraging.

Exhibit C: Farmville updates= annoying. Enough said here.

Oh, Facebook…some days I love to hate you.

Jam Bands...Ugh

Jam Bands and I are not friends. Don’t get me wrong, I love live music and I often love the songs at the beginning of a jam session, however I DO NOT, and I repeat, do not love to listen to a 20 minute song. It’s all a bit excessive if you ask me. Especially when it’s 50 degrees and raining.

Although this past weekend was nothing compared to my dreaded time at a Widespread Panic concert, I knew I was in trouble when half of the band stopped playing, grabbed a beer and light up their cigarettes. We, along with the rest of the band, proceeded to then watch the 2 musicians jam out for about 15 minutes repeatedly at the end of almost every song. No thank you. Next song please.

When I saw the first hippie twirl ensue, that should’ve been my cue that we were in for a long one.

Goodbye

So my best friend is moving to DC tomorrow. Decision made, check. Going away parties held, check. Movers on their way to DC with her belongings, check. Final goodbye said to best friend, no. Why? Simply because I don’t want to say it. In my mind, if I put it off then it isn’t really happening until the said goodbye is, well, said I guess.

When I do have moments when I am a bit sad, I hear from myself and those around me “she’ll still be your best friend” or “now you have an excuse to go and visit DC”. I agree with those statements and know all of those things beyond a shadow of a doubt. BUT what I am sad about (and I only let myself be sad when she’s not around because I AM really excited for her and this stage in her life, so please know I am not crying all the time and saying “poor me”) is just simply not having her here. With us. In Charleston.

She and I have always joked that if we weren’t both girls we’d be perfect for each other and make a great married couple. We love almost all of the same things, and the things that I dislike, she usually loves so that when we go out to eat we can trade her onions for my tomatoes, and so on. She’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a sister as we’ve not only been friends, but also roommates and lived together thus spending a LOT of time together. All in all, I’m just going to miss her presence, her love for country music and attending countless concerts together, our trips to the Fair together, road trips, shopping with stops for pretzels and fountain cokes, etc…

I guess goodbye is inevitable, but it doesn’t make it any easier.

DietTribe?

So, I'm seriously considering gaining roughly 150 pounds and asking 4 of my best girlfriends to join me in this binge fest as well, all so that I can be a member of the Diet Tribe on Lifetime. Why on earth would I want to do that you ask?

Insert Exhibit O (O stands for the ONLY exhibit and ONLY reason for said interest in weight gain and working out via DietTribe):

Meet Jessie, the trainer...




I'll take 2 please.

DietTribe, don't mind if I do!

Consider me "Daughtry" because I am definitely over it!

I try not to use this blog as a ranting forum however it's going to be just that for the next 3 minutes. Over the last few months my life has been in a somewhat controlled (and yet sometimes uncontrolled) disarray. This is why:
1. One of my best friends decided to move to DC. YAY for her (and I say that 110% genuinely because I am so happy for her and want this for her). SAD for me. Where I go, she usually goes and vice versa. Now what? I miss her already.
2. Work has been crazy. Football is upon us which means some weekend duty (not complaining, love my job). Blitzing='s stress. AND my calling staff is about 70% brand new which means lots of learning curves and lots of hands on situations. Again, love what I do but it's been a lot of stuff at once and I hate feeling like I can't be good at anything because I'm just trying to accomplish everything.
3. Home life has been less than ideal. It's no one's fault, it is what it is.
4. Have I mentioned my BF is moving???
5. Lots of my friends are having their first child, announcing their second, or announcing their first. YIKES. I am 30 and no where near that. Am I behind? Duh. Do I need to panic? Not sure.
6. My dog has fleas and not just fleas, but ones of the Gremlin nature. THEY WONT DIE. I don't get it. He's on flea prevention meds, always has been. Yet they are on him in full force. I treated the house relentlessly. And when I bathe him in the flea bath, they multiply! Vets say it's the worst flea season they've seen. Great, no get them out of my house. Now, please.
7. People just blindside me. I never see things coming and am always bewildered by actions and words. Enough said on this one.

Okay, deep breathe. I feel a little better. But just a little.