Dancing w/ Debt

Dancing w/ Debt   

Money is so fraught w/ emotion.  Marriages work or don't, families become enemies, and friendships are broken because people fail to get how important are their feelings about money.  It is a rare individual who feels satisfied w/ the amount of money he or she has amassed, and financial matters control so much of our lives: where we go to school, where we live, who we marry, etc.

One of the purposes of this blog is to help you get control of your financial life, but I want to stress that in my opinion, the success of your life does not depend on how much money you make.  Money is a tool.  It's what you do with it that matters,

Travel Time

Travel Time

Yours truly chilling in Jamaica

After the unspeakable Winter many of us in the US have had, I think we all need a little change of scenery. Of course travel can take a big bite out of your budget, but in the new sharing economy there are some surprising ways to save.

At the top of my list is AirBnB.  I like people so I prefer the places where the hosts live at home and give guests an extra room & bathroom.  If you want more privacy, there are tons of listings that lend you the whole home, but at a higher price.

The beauty of AirBnB is that you get to know the host by email before you ever make a reservation. AirBnB takes care of all the finances so there's no awkward negotiating with strangers.  There are other sharing sites like Windu, couchsurfing, HomeAway, etc. depending on the level of privacy you require vs. the cost. Sharing sites have hosts all over the world. There are so many more options than there were just a few years ago, so don't let the imagined high cost of accommodations keep you at home.

CVS quits smoking!

Those of you who have been reading my blog for a while know how much I love CVS.  I buy many of my cosmetic products there, along w/ ALL of my paper goods (paper towels, toilet paper, table napkins, etc.) because their Earth Essentials line is all recycled.  CVS has great weekly sales and when they email a coupon, you can send it to your ExtraCare card so there's no remembering coupons involved.  The CVS Beauty Club pays a $5 reward for every $50 you spend on beauty products.

Battling February Blues

Battling February Blues

I have a friend who says, "February is the 8 weeks between January and March!"  Really, this climate change weather is doing a number on all of us, not just the many of us who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder. (For SAD I recommend a full spectrum light.)

So I have always been grateful that today is my birthday.  First one who guesses my age gets a free subscription to almostfreeny!  My mother's birthday is next week, my cousin Leslie's birthday is later this month and my cousin Mitch was born in a leap year, so we always joked that his birthday came only every 4 years.  I also have a number of friends who were born this month -  Jeff, Robert, Dixie, Jamie, etc.  Even my new NYC Councilman Ben Kallos shares my birthday - Happy Birthday, Ben!

Being the obnoxiously positive person that I am, this gives me a reason to celebrate the month of February despite the inclement weather...and remember the peaceful beauty of new fallen snow...

Walking Cookie is (mostly) a joy in the snow.  She bounces through the fluffy stuff and prefers to do her business on a soft padding of it!  The only problem is the salt, which burns her paws.

Pet shop boots are expensive and Cookie won't wear them, so I have been experimenting w/baby booties bought @ Target $1.25 pair - BOGO half off - attached w/ hair elastics.  So far, so good, but I'd love to hear your money saving salt solutions.  Please sign up to follow this blog and tell me right here, O.K.?

Cash, Credit, Debit 

First, I honestly don't know how I made this happen, but since it is snowing I thought this would be a good visual!

Let's start the year right by getting charge of our finances!

Gratitude & Generosity

Gratitude & Generosity

Me & Cardinal Dolan

Full disclosure:  I am an extremely (almost scandalously) liberal Catholic, a follower of the Jesuits, the thinkers.  The Archbishop of New York, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, is not a Jesuit and I am not a fan, but he said the 7:30pm Mass at my church St. Ignatius Loyola on Sunday and came to the social afterwards, hence the selfie.  

It's very complicated to be a woman and a Catholic.  As a die hard feminist, I disagree w/ the hierarchy on many (female) issues. 

I attended Catholic school in the tumultuous 1960's.  My first grade teacher Sister Joshua was learning to play the guitar and had a Beatles wig she used to wear over her severe black habit! She told us Simon and Garfunkel were prophets! 

Fun Stuff 4 Old Folks!

I know this stuff is going viral, but I have to say as one of the original DIYers, this touches my heart!

life hacks

Great, huh?  Seriously, the OCD in me wants to make use of everything possible to 1)save money, and 2) reduce my carbon footprint.  

Jenna, the 20-something daughter of my close friends the Dorfman-Tandlich's told me about this.  It's called life hacks. Jenna described it as tips to do everything better.  Thanks, Jenna!

So getting back to the saving money and reducing my carbon footprint, I think these go hand-in-hand.  Using energy efficient light bulbs saves the environment and saves you money. Recycling saves the earth and saves you money.  Obviously reducing what you use saves money, space and your sanity.  Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle are my words to live by!

So don't forget this Saturday's Stop & Swap.  GrowNYC is holding this event at Wagner MS from noon to 3pm.  Really free stuff that other people no longer want & a chance to clear out your unwanted items.  It's a win-win-win!