Smells like summer.

Oh yes. I am brewing Green Mountain's coconut coffee in my office as we speak! Smells like summer!

Love it.

Save a buck, you're in luck.

I am not a thrifty person. I don't count my pennies the way I should. But, I've recently come to the conclusion that I need to be more disciplined about how I spend money (um see previous post on Bally's debacle where I didn't even realize they'd be charging me for months).

I'm also not rich. I make enough money that I am not living paycheck to paycheck; but, not enough that I don't feel the pinch sometimes. So, I've made, and am in the process of making, a few changes to my "way of budgeting"-which isn't really a way at all-and thought I'd share. While I'll never be the coupon guru that Sean is (or Jana is learning to be), there are some easy ways to shave a few bucks off the monthly budget. Here's what I'm doing-remember I'm not perfect and can't go from paying no attention to my budget to being a freak about it overnight.

Lizzie's Baby Steps to Budgeting

1. Stop buying bagged lettuce. This tip came from my sister. In my quest to get thin before the beach, I've been eating a lot of salads. I usually buy bagged lettuce because it's already cut and cleaned. It's also super expensive. Last weekend I purchased a head of romaine and a head of red lettuce leaves (do not buy iceberg-what is the point? No nutrition!) for $1.97 total. I have had salads every day this week and still have enough lettuce for 3 more salads. I washed and cut it all on Monday afternoon. Salad bags are usually on sale for 2/$4 or 2/$5. I would need 4-5 bags to equate this amount of lettuce. You do the math.

2. Buy bags of apples instead of giant ones individually. Again, I eat a lot of produce during the week which gets expensive. A bag of smaller (properly portioned!) apples is way cheaper than buying 4 nearly 1lb. apples. Now they have nearly ever variety of apple available in the bags-it's worth it and they last a long time.

3. Pack your lunch. Working downtown it's very easy to slip into the habit of buying lunch every day. But even a salad at ingredients will cost me $6-$8 dollars depending on what's in it. This is kind of a "duh" one.

4. Buy cans of pop. I went through a period where I'd buy a Sprite Zero from the vending machine almost daily. That is $1/day. Yikes. I have shifted to buying 12 packs of the pop I like (currently Fresca and Diet Ice Tea with Lemon are in the rotation). Even if you are paying $3 for a 12-pack it's WAY cheaper than hitting up the vending machine for a carbonated afternoon beverage. I know-this is so obvious, but I had to start somewhere!

5. Sell stuff. I have some designer bags/purses and clothes that have never been used or worn. And some that are very gently used. If I haven't worn or used it in the last 6 months, odds are I never will again. I put some items on eBay last night and already sold one! I am ashamed at the amount of stuff that I have that I can list as "new with tags." The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? Even if it sells for $5, it's out of my closet and money in my pocket.

6. Online coupons. I wouldn't be honest with myself if I said I would clip coupons and get a huge binder and do all that business every week. I'd just end up buying stuff I don't need. BUT, there are three websites where you can load coupons right onto your Kroger Plus Card. I mean, why wouldn't you? It's easy and ridiculous not to. The websites are:
cellfire.com
shortcuts.com
http://www.pgesaver.com/Sites/PG_eSAVER/Page/HomePage
All you have to do is enter your card number or phone number and click to add coupons. Um, it could not be easier.

7. Do not ever pay for online shipping. Check dealcatcher.com or run a simple google search like "Jcrew free shipping code" and 9 times out of 10 you will find one. I haven't paid for shipping in a long time.

8. Use cash. I just started this one this week. Um, this makes a HUGE difference. I can swipe my debit card like nobody's business, but I hate shelling out $20 for anything. I must get more diligent about using cash if I really want to save money.

9. Plan ahead. I have a long list of furniture I want to buy in July for my new place. Instead of doing what I usually would do (go out and buy it all at once and panic that I have no money), I'm going to plan and do things now so that I easily have the funds available then. And, when I'm going out to eat or for drinks, I need to set limits on what I will get and stick to it.

10. Make goals. There are budgeting techniques I need to master-like using cash more and actually monitoring my accounts to see what is going out and in. I will actually need help figuring out how to do my budget (i.e. how much cash should I allot for groceries and gas, etc.). My goal is to figure out how to do this over the summer so by the time fall rolls around I am a budgeting machine! We'll see. ;)

a bad equation

Strawberry chip Graeter's (delicious by the way) + slow-grilled Ribs + lots of wine + buttery corn on the cob + hot fudge sundae from Mr. Freeze (!) + amazing warm cinnamon vanilla bagel from Barry's (smothered in butter of course) = pretty good chance I gained back the 4 lbs I lost last week in 3 days this weekend.

Grrrrreat. And the beach is right around the corner. I'm pretty sure I heard my bikini laughing at me when I looked at it this morning.

But what a fantastic weekend!

C'est chique.

I know it might not be stylish, but I think it'd be sweet if they started making suits with elbow patches. I noticed my black suit jacket is wearing pretty thin in the elbows because I sit kind of propped up all day.

And maybe it would carry over to items like sweaters? Almost all the sweaters I wear to work are nearly worn in the elbows. What the heck!

What do you think-stylish or sick?

(This was the only picture I could find of a woman with a jacket with elbow patches. I'm thinking they are sick, not stylish. Too bad!)

Scuzzbag out of jail.

Well it seems Michael Vick gets to leave prison today to serve out the rest of his 23 month sentence confined to his million dollar mansion. Tough life.

This man literally makes me sick. Debates are going around whether he should be permitted back into the NFL. Do these people realize what he has done? He's electrocuted dogs. He participated in hanging dogs and shooting them. We're not talking about swatting Fido with a newspaper because he won't stop barking. We're talking about torture.

I'll tell you this-I will not support the NFL if they welcome him back into their sport. I will not buy Steelers' t-shirts or pay for expensive cable to watch their games. It's WRONG. And it's a shame our laws don't protect domesticated animals (treating them as personal property like a DVD player, rather than like the living creatures they are).

Bleh. I never should've opened up cnn.com today. Michael Vick leaves a sick taste in my mouth.

In more positive news, you should watch the tv series Dogtown on National Geographic. They work on rehabilitating dogs of all kinds, but mostly of dogs engaged in the horrible world of dogfighting.

Sun.

It's a busy week and I don't have much to write about. I just wish I were outside enjoying this fantasticly perfect weather instead of inside staring at a computer screen.

Oh the beach is so close I can almost taste it! I am scheduling a massage to be performed in a gazebo overlooking the water-jealous?? :-)

Read the fine print.

I learned a valuable lesson this weekend. A lesson that, as an attorney, I should already know. You see, nearly three years ago, when I was still living in Dayton, I signed a contract for a membership with a Bally Total Fitness. The contract was for two years. When I moved to Cincinnati in 2007, I couldn't cancel the membership because there was another location within 25 miles (I think it was something like 19 miles away-SWEET!). I understood and continued paying every month through the end of the contract. The contract ended this past December of 2008.

Or so I thought.

Over the weekend, I visited my sister and came across a piece of mail delivered to me at her house from good old Bally's advising that I needed to get a new debit card on file because my old one expired. Strange, I thought. Then I did a little investigating on my bank account and discovered that each month since January, Bally's has been withdrawing $14.99 (half of my original monthly rate) despite the fact that my contract expired in December of 2008. The only reason it didn't charge me for April was because my card number had changed.

Irate, I called this morning to find out what the heck was going on. After 95 minutes on hold (I am not kidding, I literally had to go through 4 automated prompts to sit on hold for 95 minutes), I finally got through to a gentleman who sounded anything but American. I'm pretty sure Bally's outsources its customer service.

I explained the situation and said two things: 1. I want to cancel this contract immediately and 2. I want to be refunded the 14.99 you've charged my account three times. He then had the nerve to ask me why I wanted to cancel and if I wanted to possibly transfer my membership to a family member or friend. Why yes, your customer service is so helpful and your company is so non-deceptive, I'd love to rope one of my friends into the same kind of horrid contract.

Finally, after 20 minutes of explaining that "to cancel" really means "to cancel" as in FOREVER, he said my account was cancelled, but that unfortunately he could not refund me the $60 Bally's stole.

And here is where the lesson is learned. Apparently, the contract states in little bitty print that if you do not cancel with 60 days notice (wow), you are charged on a monthly basis until you do cancel. Nice. So, I signed the contract and I'm bound-fine I get it. I'm just glad to be out of that mess.

So, we should all read what we sign. Every word. Be it a car loan, mortgage, a lease, or a freaking gym membership. It's your money. And while I have a few choice words for Bally's (which will be going in a letter to their customer service department), ultimately, I am the one responsible for not knowing to what I was agreeing before I signed the document.

I guess I learned two lessons, the second being to keep better track of my bank account. Yikes.

Perfection

I've found it. The latte has too much milk in it. The cappuccino is too frothy. The regular cup of coffee is not strong enough some mornings (like today).

Enter-Cafe Americano. Espresso + water + shot of sugar free hazelnut syrup = deliciousness, without the stomach ache that comes with all that milk in a latte.

Love it. And it's way cheaper than a latte, too! The perfect drink when one feels like indulging in a caffeinated treat.

Two questions

1. Do you have suggestions on how to stop a dog from barking at thunder other than holding her in your arms-this tends to be problematic when trying to take a shower, for example? If not, do you happen to know of a dog trainer who works miracles and would do private lessons?

2. Do you know where I can find a wind-proof umbrella that is a substantial size (as far as coverage is concerned) but not super heavy (i.e. big golf umbrella)?

Ok, so that sounds more like three questions.

Did you get your copy yet?

I keep seeing this face all over downtown and think to myself-hey, I think I know that guy.

I think I'm immune.

If I were to get swine flu, I'm pretty sure I would've picked it up this morning on the elevator at the Hamilton County Courthouse crammed back in the corner behind 17 people in an elevator that comfortably holds 4. And I'm guessing about 13 of them didn't shower this morning, and another 3 didn't shower this month.

I held my breath on the ride up to the fifth floor. I hope that was enough to ward off those germs.

Optimism

It’s the only way I can live my life: to embrace the possibilities, instead of fear the realities.

-Michael J. Fox

I've been meaning to purchase Michael J. Fox's new book since it came out earlier this year for several reasons, one of which is because my Dad has been diagnosed with some similar neurological symptoms-though not yet to the severity of Fox's. He is an inspiring man and I continue to be shocked by the high amount of optimism with which he lives his life.

Admittedly, I am generally a realistic/pessimistic person. I fear change and disruption of the way I think my life should pan out. Which is silly-I know. Fear shouldn't control me or my decisions, etc. But, somehow it does. It's something I'm always aware of and wishing I could fix. To live without fear, to really believe that I do not need to fear what realities may or may not transpire in my life because God is with me, a la Isaiah 41:10.

Anyway, that's definitely something I always am working on and praying about. So naturally I am inspired by people who have a generally positive, brave outlook on life. Especially when they have enormous obstacles to overcome and live with.

If you aren't going to go out and read the book, he's doing a special on television highlighting optimists all over the world. A summary of the story can be found here.

Optimism doesn’t mean being in denial. It’s not Pollyannish. It allows for the fact that things are tough. There can be tough optimism: an acceptance of obstacles, with a willingness to fight through them.

Michael J. Fox

That kind of day.

The kind of stressful day that includes lots of google image searching for "cairn terrier puppies." Love them.

*I have no idea why part of his head got chopped off when I uploaded this pic, but I don't have time to fix it. Sigh.

Ok, I remember now.

I try to workout 6 days a week, taking one day off during the work week. Don't get me wrong-this isn't intense Biggest-Loser style workouts, but usually a 30 or 40 minute run.

I used to always take Fridays off, but recently I started taking Thursday mornings off. This morning I thought, why do I do that? So I decided to get back on the Friday morning off schedule and headed out for a run.

Oh-now I remember why I don't like running on Thursday mornings-IT'S TRASH DAY. My entire run I'm smelling Monday's chicken dinner and Tuesday's Cinco de Mayo fiesta rotting away in your garbage can. It is gross, especially with how humid it is. The stench just sort of sits in the air. And to make matters worse, usually the dump truck is either right behind me, or right in front of me-which obviously provides no relief.

Siiiiiiiick.

Scrumptious

It's Cinco de Mayo! And I have no idea if I spelled that right. I took 5 years of French and 2 years of Latin, so my Spanish knowledge is nada. Hey, how about that-two Spanish words already in my post, perfect!

Ok, here is a delicious way to celebrate this holiday-my take on Mexican 7 Layer Dip.

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Sour Cream (I use reduced fat, NOT fat free)
1/2 Cup Cream Cheese, softened (I use 1/3 less fat, NOT fat free)
1 Cup Refried Beans
1 Cup Salsa (I use chunky so the dip is not too runny)
1 Cup Shredded Lettuce (You can buy this is in a bag by the bagged lettuce)
1 Cup Shredded Cheese (I use the Mexican blend, duh-it's a Mexican dip.)
2-3 sliced Scallions
1/4 Cup black olives, sliced optional (Sick. I only put these on half if my sister or Dad will be eating, otherwise those nasties are left off the dip)
1 Tablespoon taco seasoning

Mix sour cream and cream cheese in small bowl. Stir in taco seasoning and mix well. Spread into bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Next, spread refried beans on top of sour cream mixture. Then spread salsa on top of refried beans. Sprinkle lettuce over salsa and then the cheese over the lettuce. Sprinkle scallions over the top, and if desired finish topping with the black olives (gross!). In case you are counting, the olives and scallions constitute one layer, not two. Let chill in refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

Grab a bag of Tostidos GOLD tortilla chips (these do not break!) and dig in. Just make sure you share because it'd be easy to eat this whole dip yourself. This is not a good idea considering bikini season is right around the corner.

The trifecta of chick flicks.

Yesterday I got home from the gym and flipped on the tv while I drank my delicious large McDonald's coffee (our coffeemaker is broken). I turned it on just as Cocktail was beginning. Fabulous! I settled in and watched the entire movie, only to realize Pride and Prejudice was immediately to follow! Perfect. I put some laundry in (so I could feel semi-productive) and settled back on the couch. After finishing P&P (and my laundry), Legends of the Fall immediately followed. Incredible!

However, I didn't finish that movie. I left to go over to Steve's...to watch another movie.

He he...what a fantasticly lazy Sunday!

(And Jana, I cannot believe you have not seen Cocktail. It seems sinful.)

Oh dear.

Every morning at work, I brew 2 cups of coffee in my pretty little Keurig. I keep K-cups in my office, but have my official "stash" at my apartment. Well, imagine my disappointment upon realizing that I only had ONE K-cup left at work. I do have one decaf K-cup that came with my machine as a sample, but seriously? Decaf?

Well I brewed the first cup around 9:30a.m. and I need my second cup! I'm currently brewing the decaf cup. Let's see if I can trick myself into thinking it is real coffee.

I am doubting it.