So, my mom's sister has been fighting breast cancer for the past 3 years and we just found out that she's losing the fight. At her last MRI the doctors found a lesion on her brain. It's inoperable and about the only thing to be done is a fuck-load of radiation and some new drugs. These same doctors have given her the non-prognosis of a month to a year. She's 59. So, yeah, she's probably terminal. About the only thing we can hope for is that what time she has left is not filled with pain and dramatic personality changes. So, I'm putting this out in the ether for prayers, good thoughts, incantations, or whatever else you can think of. Not only for my aunt, but for my mother (who's extremely close to her sister) and the rest of my family.
Fuck cancer, dudes.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Relearning the Thrifty Way
So, I recently discovered that Wells Fargo has a time limit for in-school forbearance on private student loans and that my time of living high on the hog is over. There's nothing like learning you will have a new bill equal to a car payment for the next 12 years of your life to start you thinking of ways to save money. So, here are the steps I have taken to ease the strain on my wallet, some of which have inadvertent benefits to the environment:
1. Packing a lunch: while this is actually increasing my grocery bill, it's been kinder to my waist line and a lesson in will power. I have discovered the wonders of fruit and yogurt and found benefit in the new produce extender bags (Hefty now makes them for half the cost of those "As Seen On TV" ones). Also, I'm washing and reusing sandwich bags, not just for the environment, but because those fuckers are spendy!
2. Actually using leftovers and shopping around for deals, although I have not yet been to Aldi, I discovered that SuperTarget has better produce prices than Cub (especially on seasonal fruit).
3. Making my own cleaning products. Today I made my own all-purpose cleaner with Borax, baking soda, dish soap, and water. It works amazingly well and the next batch will include some lavender essential oil. After the initial purchase of the huge box of borax ($2.99) and baking soda ($0.50), that cleaner is probably a fraction of the cost of some of the fancy shit I've been using and better for my own environment. Here's the recipe I used.
4. Along those lines, I discovered that Borax is not only cheap, but can be used for everything from a laundry booster to deodorizing carpets and whitening porcelain.
5. I also bought a big jug of vinegar for household use. I've always used it to descale my coffee maker (works like a charm and is actually better than that CLR shit), but you can also add it to your homemade cleaner, use it for glass cleaner, disinfecting counter tops, deodorizing your kitchen, as an additive to your rinse cycle to brighten clothes, and even remove deodorant stains on shirts. Here's a list of all the household uses for a $2.50 gallon of white vinegar from the Vinegar Institute (yes, there is actually a Vinegar institute).
6. I also downgraded my cell phone service from a fully wireless PDA phone to just a regular "phone-phone" and took advantage of my 15% corporate discount. By my early calculations I'll have cut that bill in half.
7. Paying my small-balance credit cards off and canceling them. I've got the Best Buy card almost all paid off and now will work towards the one with a $600 balance. I figure, the less bills I have, the more control I'll have over my finances.
8. I'm still saving a portion of my check every month, but am reducing that by $25 for now.
9. There is a possibility that my love of cleaning and organizing may translate into a monthly job for a friend who may let her cleaning lady go. I'm going to do some research on natural house cleaning and may even see if I could make it into a side job. So, if you're looking to have someone clean your house for an event, on a regular basis, or if you're moving and want to ensure getting your whole deposit back, and live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, send me an e-mail.
10. Alexis has turned me on to using beauty bars instead of body wash to cut down on plastic. 4 bars of Dove's Go Fresh Burst with nectarine and white ginger beauty bar is about $5 (cheaper if you use a coupon) and lasts forever. I'm still working on the first bar a month after buying the 4-pack, which, by my calculations, will save me about $20 because I go though a bottle of body wash every month and a half. Also, I discovered Suave's professional line, which works suprizingly well with my hair (I'm using the strengthening type which is a knock off of Redken) and cost $1.92 per bottle on sale at Target.
11. I've also been more concious of my electicity usage (especially after watching a particularly gripping documentary on IFC about the coal mines of West Virginia) as a way to cut my electrical bill. That means keeping the lights to a minimum (I hate sitting in low light) and making sure to turn off my computer and cable tuner before running off to work. However, I don't have time to run around and unplug all the small appliances, so the good people of WV are just going to have to cut me a break on that.
However, there are certain things I just can't skimp on:
Digital cable and internet (I don't go out that much, so this is my main entertainment expense), brand name cat food and litter (you really do get what you pay for), Diet Coke, smoking (seriously, no one wants to be a party to my quiting...it won't be healthy for anyone involved), name brand lotion, and my Sunday paper (hello, COUPONS!).
Anyway, I already feel pretty good about my plan, even though there has been some initial investment for groceries and such, not to mention some of my clothes and shoes are pooping out and need to be replaced, but that's just to be expected (and why Kohl's and Target exist).
What are some of your money-saving tips?
1. Packing a lunch: while this is actually increasing my grocery bill, it's been kinder to my waist line and a lesson in will power. I have discovered the wonders of fruit and yogurt and found benefit in the new produce extender bags (Hefty now makes them for half the cost of those "As Seen On TV" ones). Also, I'm washing and reusing sandwich bags, not just for the environment, but because those fuckers are spendy!
2. Actually using leftovers and shopping around for deals, although I have not yet been to Aldi, I discovered that SuperTarget has better produce prices than Cub (especially on seasonal fruit).
3. Making my own cleaning products. Today I made my own all-purpose cleaner with Borax, baking soda, dish soap, and water. It works amazingly well and the next batch will include some lavender essential oil. After the initial purchase of the huge box of borax ($2.99) and baking soda ($0.50), that cleaner is probably a fraction of the cost of some of the fancy shit I've been using and better for my own environment. Here's the recipe I used.
4. Along those lines, I discovered that Borax is not only cheap, but can be used for everything from a laundry booster to deodorizing carpets and whitening porcelain.
5. I also bought a big jug of vinegar for household use. I've always used it to descale my coffee maker (works like a charm and is actually better than that CLR shit), but you can also add it to your homemade cleaner, use it for glass cleaner, disinfecting counter tops, deodorizing your kitchen, as an additive to your rinse cycle to brighten clothes, and even remove deodorant stains on shirts. Here's a list of all the household uses for a $2.50 gallon of white vinegar from the Vinegar Institute (yes, there is actually a Vinegar institute).
6. I also downgraded my cell phone service from a fully wireless PDA phone to just a regular "phone-phone" and took advantage of my 15% corporate discount. By my early calculations I'll have cut that bill in half.
7. Paying my small-balance credit cards off and canceling them. I've got the Best Buy card almost all paid off and now will work towards the one with a $600 balance. I figure, the less bills I have, the more control I'll have over my finances.
8. I'm still saving a portion of my check every month, but am reducing that by $25 for now.
9. There is a possibility that my love of cleaning and organizing may translate into a monthly job for a friend who may let her cleaning lady go. I'm going to do some research on natural house cleaning and may even see if I could make it into a side job. So, if you're looking to have someone clean your house for an event, on a regular basis, or if you're moving and want to ensure getting your whole deposit back, and live in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, send me an e-mail.
10. Alexis has turned me on to using beauty bars instead of body wash to cut down on plastic. 4 bars of Dove's Go Fresh Burst with nectarine and white ginger beauty bar is about $5 (cheaper if you use a coupon) and lasts forever. I'm still working on the first bar a month after buying the 4-pack, which, by my calculations, will save me about $20 because I go though a bottle of body wash every month and a half. Also, I discovered Suave's professional line, which works suprizingly well with my hair (I'm using the strengthening type which is a knock off of Redken) and cost $1.92 per bottle on sale at Target.
11. I've also been more concious of my electicity usage (especially after watching a particularly gripping documentary on IFC about the coal mines of West Virginia) as a way to cut my electrical bill. That means keeping the lights to a minimum (I hate sitting in low light) and making sure to turn off my computer and cable tuner before running off to work. However, I don't have time to run around and unplug all the small appliances, so the good people of WV are just going to have to cut me a break on that.
However, there are certain things I just can't skimp on:
Digital cable and internet (I don't go out that much, so this is my main entertainment expense), brand name cat food and litter (you really do get what you pay for), Diet Coke, smoking (seriously, no one wants to be a party to my quiting...it won't be healthy for anyone involved), name brand lotion, and my Sunday paper (hello, COUPONS!).
Anyway, I already feel pretty good about my plan, even though there has been some initial investment for groceries and such, not to mention some of my clothes and shoes are pooping out and need to be replaced, but that's just to be expected (and why Kohl's and Target exist).
What are some of your money-saving tips?
Monday, June 01, 2009
Donut Fries
If there is a God, he lives and works in San Jose. Please bear witness to the GREATEST invention in deep fried pastries since the doughnut hole:
These, my lovelies, are donut fries (!!) with raspberry jelly and Bavarian Cream dipping sauces. I can only hope they're actually fried in lard, and not that pussified transfat free vegetable oil. They can only be found (as far as I've searched) at Psycho Donuts in San Jose, CA. Sigh...why couldn't some beautiful bastard in Minneapolis/St. Paul have thought of this? Or at least some enterprising fair food vendor? I think these could be the only thing that could drag my lazy, afraid-of-flying, cheap ass to California. Fuck the beach, I want some donut fries!
(via This is Why You're Fat)
These, my lovelies, are donut fries (!!) with raspberry jelly and Bavarian Cream dipping sauces. I can only hope they're actually fried in lard, and not that pussified transfat free vegetable oil. They can only be found (as far as I've searched) at Psycho Donuts in San Jose, CA. Sigh...why couldn't some beautiful bastard in Minneapolis/St. Paul have thought of this? Or at least some enterprising fair food vendor? I think these could be the only thing that could drag my lazy, afraid-of-flying, cheap ass to California. Fuck the beach, I want some donut fries!(via This is Why You're Fat)
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Apartment Living
So, I was doing some laundry before going out to a friend's party, and what should I find waiting for me on top of the dryer? This little masterpiece of passive-aggressiveness:
Now, I'm pretty sure I know who wrote this, and let's just say, after my living here for 6 years to her one and a half, I can tell her a thing or two about "consideration for neighbors." I've had one neighbor who would throw pot parties with the guy next door while her kids ran wild through the building, one lady who smoked crack in her apartment ALL DAY, people who spill detergent all over the machines and the FLOOR and just leave it there, and one (just recently) who harbored a predatory offender with outstanding warrants. I've endured jackasses breaking the locks on the security door, propping the back security door all night, shit heads who were siphoning gas (not from me), and one fuckstick who balanced an entire couch on top of the dumpster, making it impossible to throw your trash into it.
Not to mention, I take issue with her assertion that one dryer will make the ENTIRE FUCKING BUILDING warm. Really? I highly fucking doubt that. Did she go door to door taking measurements? Furthermore, if it's such a goddamn issue for you, why should I be the one to call the landlord (as you can see from my response)? Why don't you pick up the phone yourself and tell the landlord to fix the problem you have invented, instead of being such a fucking passive-aggressive busy-body who writes three paragraph notes and leaves them in the laundry room.
And yeah, I know it's pretty P-A to leave that response and then bitch about it on my blog, but since I don't really know who wrote it, nor did that person just knock on my door and ask me about it, so I have to vent about it here on the internet.
God, I hate some people.
Now, I'm pretty sure I know who wrote this, and let's just say, after my living here for 6 years to her one and a half, I can tell her a thing or two about "consideration for neighbors." I've had one neighbor who would throw pot parties with the guy next door while her kids ran wild through the building, one lady who smoked crack in her apartment ALL DAY, people who spill detergent all over the machines and the FLOOR and just leave it there, and one (just recently) who harbored a predatory offender with outstanding warrants. I've endured jackasses breaking the locks on the security door, propping the back security door all night, shit heads who were siphoning gas (not from me), and one fuckstick who balanced an entire couch on top of the dumpster, making it impossible to throw your trash into it.
Not to mention, I take issue with her assertion that one dryer will make the ENTIRE FUCKING BUILDING warm. Really? I highly fucking doubt that. Did she go door to door taking measurements? Furthermore, if it's such a goddamn issue for you, why should I be the one to call the landlord (as you can see from my response)? Why don't you pick up the phone yourself and tell the landlord to fix the problem you have invented, instead of being such a fucking passive-aggressive busy-body who writes three paragraph notes and leaves them in the laundry room.
And yeah, I know it's pretty P-A to leave that response and then bitch about it on my blog, but since I don't really know who wrote it, nor did that person just knock on my door and ask me about it, so I have to vent about it here on the internet.
God, I hate some people.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Pass The Bedpan...
Check out this little tumblr blog about hospital food.
I gotta say, the best thing to come out of Dietary when I was in the hospital for two months was the meals I was fed through a tube in my arm.
Oh, and the tapioca pudding...seriously, every once in a while I get such a jones for that tapioca, I consider asking someone to run over my foot just to get admitted.
I gotta say, the best thing to come out of Dietary when I was in the hospital for two months was the meals I was fed through a tube in my arm.
Oh, and the tapioca pudding...seriously, every once in a while I get such a jones for that tapioca, I consider asking someone to run over my foot just to get admitted.
Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?
Hi, my name is Aliecat and I'm a banana waster.
Well, not really a waster, per se, rather I buy more bananas than I'll probably eat just so I can make banana bread. Every time I make it, I try a different recipe, hoping I'll hit on one that's close to my grandpa's (which I'll never get because I swear he just makes it up as he goes along). Anyway, I found this recipe on the Food Network site and decided I'd give it a try, using my neglected muffin tin.
Here's how they look:
...with honey drizzled on
They taste pretty damn good. It's close to Grandpa Skip's banana bread, but not as dense, thanks to the muffin tins. Anyway, I'm bringing them to work because I know I'll eat them all myself if they stay here.
Oh, and my apartment smells FUCKING AWESOME.
Well, not really a waster, per se, rather I buy more bananas than I'll probably eat just so I can make banana bread. Every time I make it, I try a different recipe, hoping I'll hit on one that's close to my grandpa's (which I'll never get because I swear he just makes it up as he goes along). Anyway, I found this recipe on the Food Network site and decided I'd give it a try, using my neglected muffin tin.
Here's how they look:
...with honey drizzled on
They taste pretty damn good. It's close to Grandpa Skip's banana bread, but not as dense, thanks to the muffin tins. Anyway, I'm bringing them to work because I know I'll eat them all myself if they stay here.
Oh, and my apartment smells FUCKING AWESOME.
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Keep on Truckin'
If you every want to feel empowered, just drive around a 1 Ton truck for a few hours and move something very heavy.
Now, excuse me while I scratch my balls for a while.
Now, excuse me while I scratch my balls for a while.
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