Pain in the....

Being in pain all the time really sucks.
The end.

Saving Money

Given the current state of our economy and the looming threats of layoff's, job relocations and loss of jobs, it's even more important to save money where we can.  So, I have done a few things to save myself money and I thought I would share them.
1. I clip coupons
2. I use the coupons I clip
3. I match sale ads with said coupons and plan meals/shop accordingly
4.  I buy things I need
And here I will take a moment to express my annoyance with people who say they're "saving money" while spending money on things they don't need.  It's not actually saving money if you're buying 50 boxes of cake mix (even if you got them 50% off).  What are you going to do with that many boxes of cake mix??  Surely, not eat them.  Maybe storing up in your bomb shelter?  Oh wait.  Cake mixes go bad!  What is the deal people?  Just because something is on the clearance rack, marked 75% off, doesn't mean you have to buy it...even if it's it's really cute, a great idea, or something you're sure you can use at some point in your life.  Really.  Especially if you are on a limited income, I really don't want to hear about this so-called "great deal" and then hear you complain about not having any money.  It's not a good deal unless you need it.  Okay, off of soap box now.
5.  For those living in the Phoenix area, and using SRP electricity services, peak times are between 8am and 8pm.  So, do laundry after 8pm.  Don't run your dishwasher and clothes washer at the same time as this pushes you into a high-usage rate.  SRP also offers a single rate program, where you pre-pay for your electric, and you have one rate, with no peak time variances.
6.  Unplug everything you are not using.  I even unplug my hairdryer.  Things that are plugged in use latent energy, even if they are not currently "running".  The biggest culprits are electronics, things like computers, TVs, stereos, etc.  You can purchase surge protectors that have special outlets for electronics, and will shut off power to those outlets when your computer goes into "hibernation".  They cost as little as $20, and may be worth it if you are using multiple electronic devices on the same outlet.
7.  Hang dry your clothes.  The Arizona heat and dry air is great for this.  A whole load of laundry can be dry in a couple of hours.  I bought a couple of cheap drying racks from Walmart (around $10 each), which, between the two, holds a full-size load of laundry.  Not only does it cut your electricity bill, but it saves your clothes.  Drying them breaks down the fabric quicker and increases the fading of colors!  And when it's hot outside, and you're running the dryer, the air conditioner is working overtime to keep things cool!
8.  Wash your clothes in cold water!  It will do the same as above in reducing your electricity (not using the water heater) and will save the fabric on your clothes.  It will also decrease shrinkage!
9.  Hand wash your dishes.  I know this sounds archaic, but it really does save you money.  Now, if I had a large family, and a ton of dishes every night I wouldn't want to wash them by hand.  However, if you have a smaller family, or just 1 or 2 people, washing dishes after every meal, or even once a day by hand is great.  Hey, you can always use your dishwasher for storage!!
10. When it's hot outside, use the microwave to reheat things.  I am not a fan of using the microwave for much of anything, but the oven uses so much electricity, and heats up the house, thus causing the air conditioner to work twice as hard.
11.  Plan your shopping trips with other errands to save on gas.
12.  Turn off the water while you brush your teeth.  Do you really need the water on while you're brushing??
13.  Something my middle school science teacher taught me...Please a canning jar in the toilet tank.  When the water drains from the tank, the water in the jar will stay.  Then when the tank fills back up, you will use a jar's less water ever time!  It actually works, and I made my family do it since middle school.  I still use that trick!
14.  Get a thermostat that you can set schedules for different temperatures.  While you're gone during the day, raise the temperature.  When you're home at night, lower it to a more comfortable temp!
15.  Use curtains!  Windows and doors leak air from both sides.  Using curtains or shades will help keep the direct sun from heating up your space, and will keep all the nice cool air from leaking out so quickly.
16.  Carpool.
17.  Do it yourself!  If you are crafty, and even if you're not, do as much as you can yourself.  Fixing things around the house, making things, or supporting friends who do is a great way to save money!
18.  Goodwill, dollar stores, Craigslist, E-Bay, garage sales and hand-me-downs.  It's amazing what you can find, and the prices your can find them at.  Don't be afraid to haggle a bit.  A dresser from the 90's can be turned into a gem with a little sandpaper and a new coat of stain.  It'll save you tons!  Just be careful about sharing too much information online, or going alone to see something on an online site.  Be smart!
19.  Eat at home.  Eating out is way expensive!  You'd be surprised how much you can save eating in!


So, those are some ideas that I have found to save money.  This is not by any means inclusive, and I'm sure there are more people out there with a lot more ideas of how to save a few here and there, but this is what has worked for me so far.  Here is my SARCASTIC conclusion...

Now that I am saving money I spend all my Sunday afternoons going through the coupons, deciding what items I will actually use, then I visit a couponing website to find out what sales are going on that I can use those coupons on, and where is the best place to buy them.  I then plot out my attack on all of the local stores, deciding the most gas-saving route.  I basically live in a tomb, as all my windows have curtains, and I keep all of the lights off in the rooms I'm not in.  I'm hot during the day, and doing laundry all night.  I make food in my kitchen, but I'm only one person, so I have to eat leftovers for 5 days straight just to get rid of it.  My freezer is stacked full of leftovers from last week that still don't sound appetizing.  My towels are stiff, my hands are destroyed (thanks to the dishwater), and my friends think I'm crazy.  But you know what?  My bills are paid, and sometimes I have a few extra dollars to play with every month!! 

Here's to going crazy trying to save money!! :))))

Birthday & Anniversary...Mixed Feelings

Yet another birthday is approaching for me.  Honestly, I really don't mind.  I didn't mind turning 30, and I don't mind that I'm now turning 33.  Things are a lot different in my life than I thought when I was younger, they would be at this time.  But that's okay with me!  Getting older isn't scary for me at all.  I don't dread it.  I'm not worrisome about wrinkles, gray hair (usually) or cellulite.  My butt keeps getting wider, my face is starting to show slight wrinkles, and my boobs need help standing up straight.  But I'm not stressin' it.  It's all a part of life, and I do what I can to look nice.  Beyond that, I'm not undergoing surgery just to look younger than I am.
Fortunately, that's a problem I usually don't have.  People ALWAYS think I'm younger than I am.  I'm sure this will be nice when I'm 50 and I want to look 40, but for now it means that I get treated as if I'm in my mid-late twenties.  I guess I can't complain.  Like I said, it will be nice later in life.  Thanks Mom and Dad for the good anti-aging genes!!
For the last several years my birthday has always come with a little bit of apprehension, as my birthday lands on the 12th of July, and the anniversary of my accident is on the 15th.  As much as I try to ignore the day, my body always goes through anxiety as soon as the birthday celebrations are over with.  Year after year I go through a little emotional roller coaster as my birthday brings happiness and love, and the accident that has affected my life in so many ways brings anger, sadness and grief.
Most people can understand the anger and sadness part, but the grief is somewhat harder to understand.  To have something as important as your life taken from you, run through the equivalent of a spin cycle on the washing machine, and then spit out like a disgusting hairball, can make anyone go crazy.
If you are lucky (and I do mean lucky) enough to not actually go permanently crazy, you still have times when you face the disappointment of a life now lost to the past.  Things are never quite what they were, and never quite what you wish they could be.  Most of the time, you can wear a smile and make it through one, maybe even several days, of not thinking about the devastating effects of such a traumatic event.  But that one day of the year, that anniversary, or what some people call a "life day", is sometimes just too much to handle.  My prescription...just go with it.
It's okay to grieve.  You've lost a lot.  I've lost a lot.  Recognize it, have a good cry (a really good one), and then remind yourself that you survived for a reason and move on.  Not move on as in forget about it.  Move on, as in carry on with your life in the best way you can.  If you need help, get it.  If you need time alone, take it.  Do whatever you need to to drag yourself (or be dragged) out of the pit of permanent grief.  It's not a place to stay forever.
I say all these things in "you's", but really I'm just saying them to myself, and in the case that someone reads this that needs some encouragement, then for that purpose too.
This year will be the 7th anniversary of my accident, and each year since the 1st has gotten a tad easier.  The anxiety isn't as much, the panic isn't there anymore.  The difficulty driving my car or getting on the highway on that day isn't there.  But some things never totally leave, even if they are lessened by time.  And that is both a curse and a blessing.  The curse is in the grief.  The blessing is in the fact that I still have life, and get to be reminded of it every year.  I guess then, it is fitting that I should celebrate so close to my birthday another year of life that was ALMOST taken from me.  So much to be thankful for...