Most of the move went fairly well except for some packing fails: 

1. I absentmindedly packed the moving documentation. In the boxes I was shipping. FAIL.
2.  Discovered that the moving guys grabbed my separated out clothing for my first two days of work and packed it into the wardrobe box. FAIL.
3.  I'd meant to ship my heavy coats so I could pack other stuff in suitcases but didn't pick up the dry cleaning in time. Had to pack both coats in checked luggage, leaving almost no room for anything else.  FAIL.
4. The company never bothered to tell me they'd delayed my shipment by two days for delivery on the day before I start work. FAIL.
5. I've spent more than two hours on the phone with them trying to get copies of my paperwork via email without telling them I plan to use it to file a delayed service claim.  FAIL for wasting time.
6. They contracted with an outside company to expedite delivery on Tuesday instead of Wednesday - that company called me and tells me they won't deliver on Tuesday and won't bring the shipment indoors.  EFF THAT.  I am not carrying 500 lbs of boxes upstairs by myself. Sicced my moving company that's already in the doghouse with me on them.
7.  I had to spend almost $200 on a few essential articles of back-up clothing in case they don't deliver my clothing on time.  See point 2 where my fail COULD have prevented this situation.  The clothes will go back if I don't need them this week. [But they're .. so soft.. and pretty .... ] And btw, the fact that it costs that much for clothing that will fit properly is disgusting.

On the other hand ... 
1.  I have my car, paid for, registered, and gassed up.
2.  I have my first day information.
3.  I have my commute planned for the first two days during which someone volunteered to show me where free parking is.
4.  I managed to be polite over the phone every time with those idiots so they'll never see the claim coming. They can't obstruct me when it's too late.
5.  I did get a sheaf of 40% off regularly priced items at Banana Republic for purchases made on Wednesdays in stores. I'm saving that in hopes that a pair of trouser jeans in my size is still available in-store next week. Using that coupon and a gift card redeemed from my Citi Thank You points would be a great way to save my clothing budget from the cost of an extra pair of good jeans ($90- regular price; sheer insanity).
6.  My claim letter is already written, proofed and awaits final additions should anything else go wrong with my delivery.

I have a guest post up at Consumerism Commentary: Finding a Good Job in a Bad Economy: A Job Hunt Post-Mortem

Be sure to stop by the Carnival of Personal Finance at Four Pillars. I particularly liked Mrs. Nespy's list of 8 Ways to Prepare for the Worst. Getting my "estate plan" together requires more than half-hearted attention which is all I've managed to give it. Despite that, I've managed to gather more than a few insurance policies over the years and just need to finish molding them into a cohesive emergency plan.

Monevator's Earn more money by tackling your mental beliefs is really interesting. I love this line of questioning. I don't have any hang-up myself as I want to save the world and you need money for that.  What I'm specifically willing (or not willing) to sacrifice is a case by case basic, but I don't believe quality of life is equivalent to earning power or take-home income. 

My experience with Peninsula life, and canvassing people who live in the specific area that I've moved to, all said: get your own car. While I could have borrowed a car for most simple runs, that car is a manual transmission and I'm not comfortable enough in it yet to drive without a whole lot of adrenaline-nervosity.  (I don't know about y'all, but the fear of hurting someone else's car is nerve-wracking.)

On bad joint days, I would never be able to handle a manual. They don't happen as frequently as before but when they do, I'm out of commission.  

Stacked with the managerial duties that will call for unpredictable early mornings and late nights, I don't fancy relying exclusively on the three-five transfer public transportation option.  There will be times that it works out, but not always.

Don't get me wrong: I love the lower overall costs of commuting via public transportation and did it for nearly five years in a region that isn't known for good pub trans.  But after creating a whole spreadsheet comparison, I'd either have to add 20-30 minutes of bus time ($) or drive half the round-trip commuting distance just to get to a transit station and add the cost of parking ($$). All told, I'd be spending just as much on transit as my driving commute would cost, and would not be reducing my driving footprint (that's a terrible mix of terminologies).

Outside of the work commute, there are very few things that are within walking distance (less than 2 miles) and even when it is, the skies have been known to open up unexpectedly halfway through. And the wind blows the rain sideways.  I'm a SoCal girl! I'm intrepid but you understand that I don't have the luxury of changing multiple times a day to stay dry. We have to be a bit more life-practical than that.

As for the money.....

The car purchase will cost me $6800 out of pocket and another $900 for registration and sales tax.  The insurance costs $550 per 6 months.

The total cash cost: $8250.

After using the tax money I'd saved and the tax refund ($5575), I owe my emergency fund $2675 and must add $550 every 6 months to my insurance fund.

It's not the most frugal auto choice I could have made but it was a 6-year-old car in as close to mint condition as I've ever seen.  That kind of quality is very hard to find in a used car in my designated age range.

I have a plan in place to recoup my Debt to Self through freelance work. If all goes well, I plan to do so in four months.

Writing about thrift and the essence of making the best of your life reminded me that it's been two years and two months since my grandma died. She couldn't be a physical presence in my childhood but she represented incredible strength and integrity that informed my developing character.

for Postcards is Alli!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated!

Girl Scout: "I think you should buy these cookies, sir!  They are the healthiest!"
Friend: [thinking, are you calling me fat?] "Thanks but I'm buying these for my mom. She doesn't really care about healthy stuff."
Girl Scout's mom: "Oh honey. No one cares about health, that's not the way to sell them."

Girl: "What happened to the toilet paper?"
Boy: "It's not there."
Girl: "You used it up?!?"
Boy: "No, I took it out."
Girl: "What?!?"
Boy: "Look, I can't keep all the stuff you keep adding to the pile...!"
Girl: "But it's just one...!"
Boy: "The point is, if I keep all the stuff you keep stashing in my car..."
Girl: "It's just one roll of toilet paper!!!"
It's true, darlin', ever seen Hoarders?  You don't want to be a Hoarder.

Driving home on good old SoCal freeways the other day, I encountered 4 speed racers (drivers in wee rice rockets frenetically changing lanes at 90 MPH), a dozen bikers one of whom popped a wheelie for half a mile in the fast lane, a car that had accordianed itself against the car in front of it, a fire, and a disabled vehicle/sitting duck right in front of a major interchange.  Talk about a danger zone!

Mrs. Money is having a $100 Giveaway at her blog
.

That's a little misleading. It's just that my sense of reality lags behind .. y'know, reality. It hasn't quite sunk in all the way that I've finally left home. Actually that's not true. It's there, but I've only let myself mourn a little bit at a time. Full scale emotional acceptance will just have to wait - it's too hard to get everything done while fretting about leaving my family, my home, and my workcave. 

I said good-bye (for now) to my dogs who have no inkling at all that this is a huge step. /heart breaks a little/

My hometown friends evidently didn't take me seriously when I said I was starting a job on April 1st in the northerly part of the state as one of them was surprised I'd left already. "What, no good-bye sendoff??"

*tired, grouchy, overwhelmed me says: If you wanted to see me before I left, you should have said so.  The people who cared did say something and we saw each other.  And if you thought I was going to organize my own send-off amidst the gazillion things I had to do?  Chyeah. No.*  So far as most friends and family are concerned, I've quietly slipped out of their midst. 

I made a decision on the car front. More to come ...

I've been actively pursuing freelance leads to supplement my income.  Examples of my work have earned me a quick pass to the front of the line for one job. I hope we can come to an agreement as it would make at least a couple thousand and make up the difference in my spending of late. Wish me luck!

I've had excellent dental care over the years courtesy of employer-sponsored benefits, and then thanks to COBRA, so my dental woes have been routinely resolved.  My parents, however, have had some dental issues I wasn't aware of until recently, and I feel guilty about not providing more thoroughly for them since I discovered all was not fine and dandy in their world of teeth.  It's nothing emergent, but I think my dad may need some fairly major work done and I wanted to budget for that ASAP.

My first thought was to get them insured.  Naturally, right?  It turns out that dental insurance isn't such a great deal.

A quick review of ehealthinsurance.com showed that I might just be better off self-insuring them.


At an annual cost of $444 plus a yearly deductible of $25 for the cheaper of the only two plans available for this zip code, the policy yields a princely benefit of $500 per person. That's not all! They'll offer a grand coinsurance of 0-50% so at times that $500 won't even be participating in payment of the bills.  When it does, it covers no more than 50% of the bill.  Essentially I'm paying for the privilege of a partial, sometimes, discount. 

The math is only marginally better for the "Enhanced" Plan carrying an annual bill of $1032 with a $150 family deductible.  Same lousy excuse for a "coinsurance" and I find myself utterly disgusted. I'd probably be better off saving the cash and sending them to my old (current) dentist with a request for a cash and senior discount.

There's also a reputable School of Dentistry within 50 miles.  An old friend may be able to fill me in on their services or direct me to someone in the know. It's not a convenient drive, but I've heard that they do good work so perhaps on one of the days that he's free of mom, my dad could get his teeth examined. Their online quote ranges from $50-$88 for an initial exam, all necessary x-rays, study models and a treatment plan.  That's a heck of a lot better than my dentist's quote of $60 for an exam and additional $35 per x-ray (usually about 4-6 films taken) for a total of $250 for them to tell us what they're going to do and how much that'll cost.

Lastly, I should check with my dentist friend about a personal referral. He's got relatives in the field, they might be more affordable than the local dentist and worth adding to the list of errands they run out in that area.

I have a lovely set of postcards to give away courtesy of Uprinting which has expanded to postcard printing. You can design and order your print cards online. Y'all have three days to snag this prize!
The specs:


(One entry)  Leave a comment with your name and a valid email address.
                     Tell me anything you like about yourself.

(Five entries)   Follow me and tweet this up to five times 
                     "Win postcards from @RevancheGS: http://bit.ly/biwtBJ RT to win!"

(Two entries)  Blog about this giveaway
                      Link back in a comment to let me know.

(Two entries)  Subscribe to my feed  (If you already subscribe, let me know in a comment)
1. I will select a winner at random using a number generator.
2. My decisions are final.
3. Open to US residents only. Sorry, my non-US resident friends!
4. Giveaway closes 11:59 pm PST, March 27th.

Six months ago, we said goodbye to a very dear friend.

It's tax season, he always thrived during this time of year. 

"Uncle," they called him.  As in, "Uncle, here are my forms, will you do my taxes?"  Or "Uncle, I have a problem, I need your help." 

Through the years .... 

"Uncle, it's good to see you again. [hug] How have you been? Are you ready for another year of Comic-Con? Is there anything we can bring you back?  No? We'll see you for dinner tonight, I'll call when we're on our way home!"

"Uncle, we got you a t-shirt! Thanks for all the fruit you picked out, they were all fantastic for lunch.  We saw so much today, I'll tell you all about it .... "

"Uncle, what were you like as a boss? I'm going to be just like you, never stop working."

Today ...

"Uncle, we miss you. Your oldest is doing so well at his new job. You'd be so proud of him.  You'd shake his hand.  And give him a good pat on the back.  He's taking care of the family just like he promised. It's not easy, you knew it wouldn't be, but you just trust in him.  He can do it.  Youngest is still, well, still the youngest. Still needs a lot of attention, and more now that you're gone.  Youngest always needed someone to fight with and you were a sure thing.  Youngest is a little lost without that anchor now.  We all are. I'm still going to be just like you when I grow up. I just wish I'd taken better notes."   

He's sorely missed.

 Subtitled: So this is what it's like, parenting.


The codependent sibling has struck again.  This time, he's proposing that he move the family to cheaper housing [don't ask me how he thinks it's going to be a) attainable, b) affordable, or c) tolerable as I have done my research on this front already], while he stays at the house with the dogs who wouldn't be allowed in apartment housing, and renovate so that he can sublet to his prospective coworkers.

Leaving aside the costs of moving and maintaining a whole new household, the insanity of depending on him to renovate the house, and the utter lunacy of trusting him with my dog's life and health, it's like he's a newborn babe innocent to all the ways of the world. [A thirty year old newborn.]

He really thinks it's as simple as that summed up statement there.  If I were crazy, foolish, or suicidally inclined, I might be tempted to say, why not? Let HIM take some responsibility for once.  Except I'm not any of those and the second everything fell apart, I'd be asked to take over.  Aw heck no!

This is the guy who hasn't managed to pay $200 in rent once a month on time for more than 6 months.  This is the guy who couldn't keep up with his car payments more than halfway through the term, before abandoning the payments to me.  This is the guy who evidently thinks I'm a moron and will cede to his Big Plan. Based on what? The essence of fairy dust? 

Instead of smacking him upside the head Gibbs-style (ask Mrs. Micah or DebtHater what I mean ;) by that), I listed just a few responsibilities "taking over the house" entailed, off the top of my head:

1. Are you prepared to feed and care for the dogs? Can you feed them on time every day, no excuses? Can you clean their ears, clip their toenails? Can you bathe them twice a month? Can you get your dog fixed? Can you pick up after them every single day?
2. What are you going to do when one of them gets sick?
3. Can you keep every public room in the house clean, vacuuming everything once a week, cleaning the windows once a quarter, washing the floors once a week?
4. Can you wash the dishes after every meal and wash down the kitchen once a week?
5. Can you turn off every unnecessary light in every room?
6. Can you make sure that no faucet, sink or tub in the house or the garage leaks?
7. Can you make sure that the windows are airtight?
8. Can you live without running the heat or the a/c?
9. Can you pay rent in full, every month, on time?
10. Can you pay the water/trash payments in full, every month, on time?
11. Can you pay the gas payments in full, every month, on time?
12. Can you pay the electric payments in full, every month, on time?
13. Can you pay the insurance payments in full, every month, on time?
14. Can you pay for groceries and gas after paying all those expenses without resorting to credit cards, borrowing money, or otherwise using money you haven’t already earned and received?
15. Can you live on what’s left after paying all those expenses without resorting to credit cards, borrowing money, or otherwise using money you haven’t already earned and received?
16. Can you make sure that the subletters pay their rent money to you on time to cover all of the above bills that you cannot handle on your own?
17. Can you make up the difference between $2500-3000 a month if your renters don’t pay you without resorting to credit cards or borrowing money?
18. How long can you subsidize your friends when someone doesn’t pay? You do know that just your living here doesn’t force them to pay?
19. Unless you have a legal written and signed document, you have very little power as a landlord. But the converse is that evicting someone for non-payment is extremely difficult in the state of California. You have to be unpaid for between three to six months before you’re allowed to evict them.
20. Who will be responsible if there’s an emergency?
21. Who is going to be responsible for a lawsuit if one of them or one of their friends gets injured on the property? You will. As the “landlord” you are legally responsible for injuries that occur on the property whether or not you were there to witness it.
22. How are you going to make time to renovate the house while going to school, working and managing finances for renters when you’ve never done the first two while managing your own finances responsibly consistently?

Now I think I'm going to go smack him upside the head.  Honestly!! I have so many more things on my plate to deal with, I don't have time to raise a 30-year-idiot. 

*sigh*

Alright, fine. I'm a liar. I'm still in parenting mode. Because instead of just dismissing him and walking away, I'm giving him rules to abide by if he really wants to prove he's serious about making things right.  I am not sticking around to make him toe the line. Either he does it or he doesn't, I'm not ceding any rights

School:
1. You lay out what your classes are from now until you graduate on a calendar.
2. You calendar when you will be looking for work that’s related to your degree or what comes next after graduation and how you’re going to make it happen.
3. You list out on a spreadsheet what the cost of school is, how much is covered by the government and what you will pay out of pocket for tuition, fees and books.
4. AND you show on a calendar your registration dates and the tuition due dates.
Rent:
1. You continue to work and earn at least $1000 a month.
2. You set out a budget that I approve in which you lay out how much money you’re earning against how much and what you’re spending. That will include a line item for rent, amount and due date set for the same time every month. It is your responsibility to make sure that I receive payment in full, on time.
3. You note your cash and every single item you spend on in the spreadsheet.
4. At the beginning of each month, your first payment is rent, at the end of every month, you post your spreadsheet with receipts.
House:
1. Whatever you think needs work needs to be scheduled to let everyone know what and when you’re doing a project and how long it will take. Renovations inconvenience everyone and you need to reduce that inconvenience as much as possible.

Does anyone want to start laying bets what kind of response my counter-proposal will get? 

"Finite means, and deciding how to spend them, has a delicious tension that infinite means can't supply."
     - From Carla Power's The Pleasure of Pinching Pennies on Oprah.com (thanks to Moneyapolis for the link!)

I can't tell you know much I love that sentiment. The paragraph continues ...

"If the lamp's genie had granted Aladdin limitless wishes instead of just three, where would the fun be in that? The link between thrift and being fully engaged with life's possibilities was recently noted by Barbra Streisand, of all people. Back before she got famous, she had to stretch her $45 clerk's salary all week. "Those were amazing times," she told a talk-show host, "when you have your future ahead of you, and the challenges of making that $45 last, and appreciating every penny.

Spoken like a true multimillionairess, you may scoff. The glamour of making ends meet frays pretty fast when you're worried about losing your house or going without health benefits. There's thrift, and then there's fear, and nobody should confuse the two. But for those fortunate enough not to want for basics, there is a glorious discipline in trying to stretch your money to fit your vision of the world. Like a good workout, or great sex, weighing up how you spend your money recenters you, allowing you to feel the reach and heft of yourself moving through the world."

The distinction made here between thrift and penury is critical -- there was absolutely nothing fun about working 80 hours a week, trying to make decent grades in college, all the while wondering if I was going to bring home enough to pay both the rent and utility bills.  There was nothing glamorous about dropping silent tears over my checkbook, willing the numbers to match up and stay in the black.

But years after that was over, when I graduated and started making a little more money, I made choices for myself.  I started to appreciate what was truly important and why they meant more to me than eating out or buying Stuff. My parents' choices made more sense: buying used clothes; handing clothes down through four cousins; only allowing me to borrow, not buy, books; and helping displaced family with comparative luxuries like take-out food, money and shelter. It took some years before I realized that they were making perfectly acceptable sacrifices for their kids to provide basic necessities to our extended family.

When you have just enough to get by, your choices are your values. Your lifestyle brings out the grit and creativity that usually hides deep in your bones.
My post on buying a car (should I or shun't I?) was included in this week's Carnival of Personal Finance!  'twas rough times out there, the Carnival is overrun by the classic ninja vs. pirates vs. nuns vs. fighting robots vs. real estate agents vs. zombies!

Wait, what?  Yeah... check it out for yourself!

There's no real privacy on the internets, but it's still rather jarring to drop by a website and see the Live Traffic Feed widget broadcasting my location to every other reader.

As an academic notion, it's not a bad thing and most people don't care to track who arrived when and made what comment.  But it's still stopped me from commenting more than a few times when I just can't reconcile having my comment and location on the same page at the same time.  There are quite a few blogs I like out there that have given me pause when I wanted to leave a comment. 

Am I the only one who dislikes being pinpointed this way?

Mrs. Accountability answers the question I've pondered for years: what happens when you write mismatching amounts on a check?

Smithee reviews The New Health Insurance Law and Your Money at Consumerism Commentary.

Red got engaged! Turns out it's a multi-part story with more to come.

Back to packing, now.... 

Deep in the throes of moving and organizing preparations, I keep taking time out to do regular life things.

We had another impromptu sushi dinner last night post-finals. I desperately needed to get out and re-focus my eyeballs after 6 hours of exams. Robin to the rescue!

Speaking of Robin, his promotion came with strings attached; the kind that are designed to make you fail out of the gate because someone else has a pet project/agenda they're determined to push at someone else's expense.  Unbeknownst to that higher-up, Robin has been heavily recruited by another company for years and their offer was still good. He traded that promo-with-strings for a vastly improved commute, better hours and decent money. Kick rocks, senior management!

The renters insurance paperwork came in today and I'm scanning in all 50 pages of it. While I do that with one hand, the other is making calls to find out why the policy coverage summary is incomplete. I'm pretty sure that splitting my attention like this will cause me to drop the ball on *something* but I can't just do nothing else while I want for the Epson to scan one page at a time. 

If I can navigate the shredder out from behind half a dozen packed boxes, I'm going to start shredding that junk mail; I've also just opted the entire family out of receiving prescreened credit card offers using OptOutPrescreen.cpm.

Oh, and I have to do something about those bees. I have no idea what, but there are a LOT of kids in this neighborhood and I would hate for one to go running through that pile of bees, squash some and get stung by all the rest.  If anyone's allergic, that would be a disaster.  I don't want to hurt them either, though, so kill options are not.  Not an option, that is.

Oh! And I have to hunt through the house for my boots. I had an old pair of boots and a helmet somewhere around here and they should really come with me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And of course, keeping up with the blogging world!  Reading and  commenting, dashing off notes, etc.

Couple Money has a Netbook giveaway for their 6-month anniversary!

Michelle lit a fire under my butt with the suggestion to get my renters insurance in order. I hadn't committed to a policy since talking about it in October for a very stupid reason: I was grumpy that my quotes were so high in comparison to everyone else's. That's just nonsense. I'm insuring a 3-bedroom house with two dogs and earthquake insurance in California; clearly I forgot I wasn't comparing apples to apples.

But I've finally just bitten the bullet - I'll be gone soon and won't be here to take care of anything in case of theft, break-ins, etc.


@Funny About Money: Be sure it covers full replacement value...that is, what it would cost to buy new stuff. Unless a policy specifically says that (and check with the agent to be sure what the wording means), the insurer may pay you only what it decides is the used value. And used furniture and clothing isn't worth much, by anyone's reckoning.
--- My policy covers full replacement value. 

@The Lost Goat: Make sure the plan covers your comic books ... I have to get riders to cover my firearms, because they are not considered general household items. Expensive collectible things like firearms, jewelry, and stamps generally require riders (read: more money) if they are valued past a certain amount.
--- A comic book rider will cost something like $15/$500 increment, well worth it. The interesting detail about the rider is that if a loss occurs just to the books, I don't have to pay a deductible. They would simply pay out the claim in the amount insured.  


I've increased my required monthly contribution amounts to the Insurance Fund accordingly to make sure that I'm covered this time next year when the renewals come up.  When I get the chance - honestly, probably in a month or so, I'll rate-review again just in case another company had better rates.  I don't get a multi-policy discount anyway so there's no real reason to be loyal to a single company if I can find comparable value and better rates elsewhere.

Does anyone have a safe deposit box for their important documents?
 
Now that I'm going to be more or less a denizen of California as a whole, and not just local to one or the other region, I feel even more nomadic than when I was just traveling during unemployment.  I want to have a secure location to keep my birth certificate, passport, Social Security card, and eventually my will. (The will is still under construction.)  It seems a little pretentious to rent out a safe deposit box for just those documents, though, and as though a fireproof, waterproof safe might be a better long term choice.


Until I called the bank, I had no idea the boxes were so expensive, so I'm a bit put off by it. I'd love to hear some arguments for or against the whole idea.  Or alternative solutions I've not yet considered, even.

I was catching up on my Consumerism Commentary when something Flexo said held my attention: "I believe there are several stages to becoming financially secure or independent. There may be a time where it makes sense to save every cent possible...... I had to survive without a car (relying on friends and public transportation), eliminate cable television, and share an apartment with three roommates. Now that I’m earning more than what I need for basic expenses and long-term saving and investing, I don’t have to be as tight. I willingly give up some income in order to buy myself more convenience."

Earlier this evening, while discussing the car hunt and the various finds under inspection, a friend asked me, "Do you really need a car? Public transportation won't cut it?"

My initial answer was a glib "no, public transportation doesn't quite cut it."  Reading Flexo's comment above pulled me up short, though. Is that true? Do I really need a car to supplement public transportation or am I taking the easy way out and spending more money I can't actually afford for convenience?  *note: Flexo can afford to expand his spending horizons. I don't mean to imply that he's taking the easy way out.*

Since the search began, the budget grew to more than I'd wanted to spend because my requirements haven't been met. If I'm spending enough to dip into the emergency fund, job or no, the decision has to be sound so I returned to the drawing board to rehash my reasons and evaluate their premises.


1.  Because of the Big Lie and the need to transport my personal effects, I needed a long-term car. A one-way rental is too expensive, a round-trip rental is a waste of time and I'd need to fly back.
 -- Since relocation was successfully negotiated, I should be able to afford to ship personal effects and fly.
 Evaluation: Don't need a car. 

2.  Driving would be easier due to potentially abnormal working hours.
--  I haven't experienced rush hour in the metro areas yet so I can't speak to that, but parking costs between free (minimal street parking) to $20/day depending on the various lots.  On average, $7/day, $140/month. 
Meanwhile, commuting options exist, though inconvenient.  The morning commute would require some combination of two buses and 1 rail system with a minimal amount of walking on both ends ($6.50 - 9.30/day) and travel time of 30 minutes.  If the location changes as promised, the new commute requires some combination of two buses and 2-3 rail systems with a minimal amount of walking on both ends ($7-9.30/day) and a travel time of 1.5 hours.
Evaluation:  The cost could actually be equal, given the trade-off between commute time/transfers and the wear and tear on the vehicle. 

3.  I'm choosing to find housing in more suburban areas for more affordability which also lends itself to free parking/no zoned parking.
 --  If I chose to live in the more urban area, I'd likely be in walking or biking distance of most nearby businesses such as restaurants or groceries, entertainment and shopping.  But not #4.
Evaluation: I need more data.

4.  My preferences for entertainment are far-flung and while potentially cheap or free, require that I be able to reach them somehow.
 --  I could always hole up in the room with a stack of books and become a hermit.  I'm kind of kidding. The reality is that my preference for entertainment is rarely to go out. I prefer to spend quality time with friends or animals. While that can be low-key, it can only happen if you're mobile.
Evaluation: At first I thought: I spent several years being a hermit in the name of saving money and paying down debt.  But my social network won't be strong enough to rely on friends for transportation.

5.  I need to be independently mobile.
-- I need to keep costs to a minimum.
Evaluation: No car.

That last part is really a tosser, though, because I have to be honest - I rated the anti #5 argument higher because I'm afraid to stop being being hardcore, down to the bone, slasher frugal.  I've lived that way for years. Now that I have two (or 1.5 households) to pay for my instincts scream at me to stay that way.

Meanwhile, a competing sense of self(ishness) says that I'm old enough to be on my own and do what I want, and what I want is to be independently mobile.  Is my desire to Stop Sharing so strong that I'd pay the cost of another car?

Let's face it, a car will cost a lot of money for someone who won't be making serious bucks.

First, there's the fixed cost of purchase.  Let's say I go wild and plunk down $10k.  A little more than half of that was my tax refund and money saved for two years just in case I had to pay taxes.  So a little less than that comes out of the emergency fund.

Then we tack on a conservative $1000 for insurance annually.  We also have the costs of maintenance and repairs which are typically budgeted around $1500/year.  Remember now, that's not just for the new car, that's also for my old car which I remain responsible for.  So the insurance and maintenance budget has doubled.  Then of course, we have fuel, and since I live in CA we have fuel + $$.  Conservatively we'll call it $100/month, with say, $70/mo for parking assuming I cannot always get parking for free.

Can I afford an annual Convenience Fee of $4540, while replenishing a $5000 hole in the emergency fund?
Probably.

Well, unemployment already did a number on them so I honestly haven't set any, but probably not.


I'll be honest, I didn't see the math playing out this way. I was pretty sure it'd come very firmly down on the side of public transportation.  Tolls (for driving) and fare increases (for commuting) were not factored in as they're not predictable. In truth, even with the car, I'd likely be doing some pub transportation once I figured out that traffic and parking vagaries so these numbers (and the difference in cost) remain soft. With any luck that would bring the daily amount down on average by half. 

At the end of the day, after running the numbers, it's partly a math and partly an emotional decision. If I'm willing to take the initial $5k+ hit to my net worth on the math side, then my emotional side argues for the buy as well.

I am, in essence, the personification of Newton's Law.  When "at rest," I tend to stay "at rest." When I'm limited to sharing a vehicle on someone else's schedule, I have been categorically a shut-in working on my projects indoors from dusk to dawn and back again, without a break. I leave on the spur of the moment and if that's not possible then I just don't bother.

Historically then, my sense of stability and productivity is found in part in my ability to go about my business at will, without wondering if the car's been taken by the shared individual, without having to cut short my errands or reschedule to accommodate someone else's schedule.  It is, I'll admit, kind of ridiculous.  But that's how I function and that's what I have to work around.  And it's kind of more ridiculous to refuse to make a purchase that is mathematically acceptable simply because I don't want to backslide on my monthly numbers.

Note: the calculations for the car are based purely on the commute numbers, but clearly the car will be handy for longer road trips that are tentatively planned for later in the year.  Increased usage would increase cost but it's the function of the car to be used.

Now that I'll be moving out, several things have to happen.
Moving Budget:
I successfully negotiated for a relocation allowance. They will either pay the service provider directly or reimburse me for all reasonable relocation related costs that include direct moving expenses (moving of household goods, storage, travel expenses during the actual relocation, and temporary housing). It's a shame I can't apply those funds towards anything else! It's generous enough that I can afford to use movers instead of packing up a car and driving up the coast, though.

Movers:
They relieve the hours-of-driving headache, replaced by the Why-won't-you-answer-my-calls? headache. It took a solid week for one of three companies to respond to me. Lame lame lame. An appraisal appointment has been scheduled to determine a quote for my stuff.

Packing:
I've begun splitting some boxes into "stays" and "goes."  After all, I've got to maintain the illusion I just travel a lot for work and still live at home and wield authority. Thanks to the Staples Rewards rebate offer from earlier this year, I'm set for bankers' boxes in case I opt out of full-service movers.  The concern there is that they likely won't take responsibility for anything broken or damaged during the move unless they pack it. On the other hand, it's probably just easier for me to organize and pack everything.  Decisions, decisions.
Transportation: 
My car's likely to stay here with my parents. They need, and I need to know they've got, a reliable car with all the driving to adult day care and to medical appointments.  But in two weeks, I've got to be outta here, getting ready to start my new gig. More than ever, I need to conclude my search for the new used car.  Mostly because I hate the whole process, though.

In the meantime, 511.org may become my new best friend as I learn to navigate public transportation up north. Sorry Sigalert, we'll still see each other when Friend calls for the daily traffic update.

Life:
I know it sounded melodramatic when I said I'd be leaving my hometown and friends, but the budget's tight enough that I don't think I can afford to travel back all that often. Not so often that I'm going to be able to have sushi nights with Robin, random comic shop stops, go hang out at Surrogate Family's house.  My family's basic needs are more important than my hanging about with old friends, so if it comes down to a bill or charging a flight, you know what I'm going to choose.

Records:
My medical life has been rather extensive, especially over the past five years, so while I'm still covered by COBRA, I have to sign some records release forms to transfer all of those records to my new doctor whoever that may be.  I'm hating that idea because my specialist doctor and my dentist is extremely responsive and helpful and I know how difficult it is to find a good health care practitioner with whom you can form a rapport. 

Shopping:
Ugh, more unsubsidized spending.  Behind me, the entirety of my professional "wardrobe" hulks in an assorted mass. There's no beauty in that functional group, and desperately needs a fashionable mind to shape something of it.  Honestly, a few minor additions would likely be sufficient to last the next six or more months, but what those will be remain to be seen.  I wouldn't be so anxious about it if the advice recently tendered to always dress better than my staff weren't so true.  Certainly competence and professionalism go a long way, but we all know how crucial first impressions and visual impressions are to forming an opinion.  I'm going to need better clothes and even better make up to offset my superficial youthfulness and properly command the attention of an established team.

On the make-up front, I finally bow to my mom's years of scoldings, "Wear some make-up!  At least try!" [insert teenaged groan]  To be fair, there were days I wouldn't have been happy to be seen with me, had I seen me before leaving the house.  But I digress.  A good friend has been generously sharing her expertise and we created a list of the most basic cosmetics to form my First Time Ever make up kit.  [insert more whining] More about that later.

Destination:
Now that I've moved past the notion that I could possibly afford my own place, I've come to accept that shared housing is in my future. Since living in more suburban neighborhoods doesn't cut me off entirely from public transit, I'm much more open to that option.  Besides, I don't need to live in the more urban areas for access, I'm too old to party and will be too poor to go out! ;)

Experienced Movers (by which I mean anyone but me):
Have I forgotten anything? Does anyone have moving company recommendations?

I got the job.

<-- Congratulatory cake and root beer. 

I'm kind of sad that I didn't make it out to the East Coast like I'd originally hoped to when starting this journey because I've got so many awesome friends and blogger friends out there (so many, can't link to all!), I'd yearned to take on the East Coast, and I'm a little envious of the crowd that populates the DC Blogger Happy Hour.  But those are maybe not the best criteria on which to be gauging a relocation for a job, especially considering the HCOL and lack of jobs that were as interested in me.

And that's not in the least meant to be a slight against my West Coast blogger friends (again, too many to list) because they are darn awesome too!  We're just so much more spread out over here that Happy Hours don't actually happen.  

Oh, "what about the job" you ask?  Right, the job.  I've been hired to a full time position for a non-profit in the colder, more northerly half of California.  It's going to kick my butt while giving me a chance to really learn and show what I've learned in more adverse conditions. I'll officially be in charge of people and telling them how to do their jobs better. [It's in the job description. Really. Don't worry, I don't plan to be obnoxious about it.]

More importantly(?), years after I defiantly made up my mind to do so, I'm finally moving out.

In light of recent developments with the family, I can't cut the money cord so this poses some new budgetary challenges. I'll be salaried for the first time so that's made budgeting easier but affording life harder.

I've powwowed with Excel and calculated to a fare-thee-well my family's expenses, my projected expenses against my probable take-home pay. It's not unemployment but it's no great shakes after all's said and done. My savings will be a long time regenerating, and I'm definitely living on a broke student budget for at least another year.  At that point, if I've done my job, they'll be throwing the money at me. ;) Just kiddin', there are no guarantees there.  I'll also need to spend some or the better part of my 3 weeks of vacation doing freelance work.  

The interview was a heck of a thing but not nearly as bad as what I'd braced myself for, only 6.5 hours, not 8.5!)  I did negotiate though I'm not surprised that I didn't get everything I wanted.  I did my research, took into consideration the market and the fact that I didn't have competing offers versus continued unemployment, presented a case in a friendly but firm voice, and let the die fall where they might.

They fell on the patch of felt marked, "this is our best offer," and I took it.

I'm pretty nervous excited terrified nervous. I have mood swings.

I have two weeks to put my life in boxes and ship it out, I have two weeks to fully automate my family's financials, I have two weeks to see and hug everyone one last time before I fill out a change of address and walk out of the town I grew up in.

The logistics are frustrating but I'll get a handle on them. (It only took a week to get any moving company to return my calls!  Hello! Are we or are we not in a recession? Isn't cash-money what you want?)

I'm still working on that other part where I'm really truly moving out, except not really telling my family it's a real move because I can't trust my brother to act right if he knows I'm absent.  I'm all kinds of conflicted about that.  I need to be able to come home to a non-wrecked home and a set of live (and as healthy as possible under the circumstances) parents. I don't see that happening should the sibling realize that he essentially has no parole officer.

But I've got a job.  I've got a job.

P.S. Days of the week, like Mondays, are going to have to mean something again! 

Of many possible Sunday scenarios, this was one of the good ones.

The old gang plus spouses met up for lunch but we preloaded with the cutest cake ever before we went out.   Lunch was at an Italian restaurant that turned out to be Mexican food.  We're must be aging - our memories of where and when restaurants are on which corners are sorta hazy. The little one had a ball throwing her chicken, rice and beans on the floor - she's normally much better about eating her food instead of playing with it but she didn't approve of the chicken today. I fully approved of my enchiladas, and their guacamole was delicious!

Lunch was followed by an hour of basking in the backyard sun.  We had a good long gossip, catching up on everyone's lives: work, school, family, and health.  A group of five seems to be the perfect number for these kinds of conversations. 

We tentatively made plans for our next meet-up in a few weeks, probably a backyard BBQ since the weather is absolutely gorgeous, and headed out to the mall.  Since I only returned a top to H&M, I made it out of there without spending. Score! 

Guest Post:
I have a guest post over at Mr. Credit Card's site on creating my own interest-free debt consolidation plan for my parents.

Giveaway:
Fabulously Broke has a fantastic new giveaway for 2 Kohl's and 2 Best Buy gift cards (valued at $25/each).

Coupons and Deals:
Gymboree: $20 off $75 or more purchase online through April 6th, 2010.  (This might be a one-time use code)
Code: 11H0B0H0CZ92312

E.L.F.: $1.98 shipping with a $15 order ($4 savings)
Code: SHIP4198
Don't forget to use Fatwallet to get 4% cash back!

Free GOGO in-flight internet session: I have one code good for a free in-flight session available on all AirTran Airways and Virgin America flights, and select Air Canada, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines flights. Alaska Airlines, Continental Airlines, and US Airways coming in 2010.
Expires on 03/31/10 -- first one to email me for the code gets it!

This is a guest post by Mr. Credit Card of www.askmrcreditcard.com, a website on credit card offers and deals. Today, he and Mrs. Credit Card present a checklist of recommended working attire for men and women.  

The dress code for a workplace is invariably different across cultures and industries. A lucky few can go to work in t-shirts and shorts, some in t-shirts and jeans, while some offices have a strict business-suit only dress code. Below, we outline what we consider the professional wardrobe basics for men and women.

More than just making a good first impression, you want to feel comfortable and confident. How do you build a business wardrobe without breaking the bank or getting a migraine? Here's how.

Before we start, I want to highlight the importance of finding a style that suits you best. Some department stores, like Nordstrom, have personal shoppers who can help you find the right styles and color palette and advise you on how to accessorize. Having a good start on your working wardrobe will eliminate a lot of unnecessary anxiety and stress especially if you are starting your first or a new job. It will also help you to limit unnecessary spending.

First and foremost, you'll need a few "anchor" pieces as the designers call it. The key to a good business wardrobe is the ability to interchange the anchor pieces while keeping the Dressed for Success look fresh. Quality, cost and neutrality should be considered when shopping for anchor pieces. Always choose classic styles for anchor pieces.


Women's Professional Wear

1. Matching suit -Black, dark gray and dark blue are very acceptable colors for any business environment. A matching set of jacket and skirt or pant suit is usually more expensive. It costs even more if you tailor them to fit. Look out for sales and stores that provide free alterations. A well-tailored business suit is worth the investment.

2. Basic black skirt - Make sure it falls just at or below the knee line. Choose a straight cut or A-line skirt so that it is less noticeable if you wear it often.

3. Basic Black Jacket - A jacket should not be baggy or have oversized shoulder pads. i.e. it should fit you well. The sleeves should drop just past your lowest wrist bones when your arms are straight down by your side. The jacket length should be lower than the top of your hipbone.

4. Additional jacket, dress pants and skirts - After you picked out a basic black jacket, select additional jackets, dress pants and skirts that will interchange well with each other. Consider 2 more colors like tan, brown, gray, navy blue and white but keep the colors muted. All these colors go well together.

5. Dress blouses - Choosing dress blouses is the fun part. It'll help to pull your whole wardrobe together. The blouse can be patterned with stripes or colored. If you are wearing a tan jacket and navy blue skirt, the blouse can have a shade of blue. Consider buying a few whites in different styles, traditional, cuffed sleeves or flared collars and work towards 7 to 10 piece rotation.

6. Shoes and stockings - The general rule of thumb is to keep colors the same from waist down. You want to match your shoes and stocking colors to the skirt or slacks. The only exception is green and bright pink. No patterned or fish net stockings with your business suits. (You get the idea.) Stilettos are meant for parties and the runway, not for the office. Keep sexy boots and "super fancy" shoes for other more appropriate occasions. Also, avoid chunky heels and flat-soled shoes. Basic pumps and sling backs (closed toes) are good choices and preferably made of leather for comfort and style.

One useful tip I learned over the years is if you are trying to find a jacket that matches your tan pants, make sure you wear it to the store when shopping. Also, wear the undergarments that you will be wearing when you dress for business. You want to be sure if you'll like the effect.

7. Jewelry - As a rule of thumb, it's better to wear no jewelry than to wear too much jewelry. Save up for a nice set of costume jewelry or real jewelry. A matching set of pearls earrings and necklace (single or double strands), even matching bracelets is both practical and stylish. Sterling silver is another good choice for jewelry as it matches with many different styles of outfits. However, no "noisy" and "big" jewelry. Necklaces should not dangle between cleavages. Definitely no facial piercing.

8. Accessories - Generally speaking, you want to match purse color with shoe color. Luckily, black matches almost everything so it will be great for you to own a black pair of dress shoes and purse. Keep the purse small so you can find things. If you need a briefcase, choose a practical and small one in neutral color. Never substitute it with a book bag, backpack or a shopping bag. Somehow, digital "manly" diver watches are also not very compatible with professional wardrobes.

9. Hair, Nails, Make-up and Perfume - Always maintain a neat and conservative style with hair off the face. Reserve shocking hair colors for Halloween parties.

Nails should be clean, trimmed or sculpted. No bright and shocking colors and definitely no nail art or nail jewelry.

Have you heard that "no make up is just as bad as too much make up"? Yes, you heard right. Keep it simple and appropriate. Smoky eyes are for nights out.

To summarize, here's what you'll need for a women's working wardrobe:

* One matching jacket and skirt suit
* One matching jacket and pant suit
* Black skirt
* Black jacket
* Black dress pants
* Additional skirts
* Additional jacket
* Additional dress pants
* Button up dress blouses
* Shoes and Stockings


Men's Professional Wear

1. Suits - Obviously, this is the bread and butter of a man's wardrobe. My suggestion would be to get 2 suits. Suits should be worn every other day. I suggest getting dark colors. Dark gray and dark blue would suit most folks. Whether you buy an off the rack suit or have it tailor made really depends on your body type. If you have a body that is "average", then perhaps an off the rack suit and slightly altered will do. If not, get a local tailor who is reputable and have a couple of suits made. Depending on where you live, a good suit made by a tailor would cost about $500 (or more!)

2. Shirts - For me, I prefer to get 10 dress shirts. This allows you to wear 5 during the week, send them to be laundered over the weekend, and still have 5 ready for the following week. Choose plain colors - white and blue with some variations are the best. For shirts, I'd prefer 100% cotton as it looks better and feels more comfortable. For dress shirts, I do not see the need to go high end. Shirts from places like LandsEnd would work perfectly. To make them more stylish, having your initials on the sleeves or pocket look nice and makes it unique as well.

3. Cuff Links - I have a couple of shirts that need to have cuff links. I find them quite stylish. I have about 3 to 5 pairs of cuff links to go with them. Like ties, I get new ones once in a while.

4. Ties - Ties are where I would invest a little money. Ties make a great impression. I would strive for about 5 ties (a different tie each day). Buy ties with designs that will last. Plain blue or black ties will always work. A couple of ties with repeated patterns should also be included. Avoid polyester.

5. Shoes - I'd say for most, one good pair will do. You can spend as much as you want but I think the most important thing is comfort and it obviously has to be good looking and high quality. I have owned Ferragamos, Pradas and Cole Hann before. On average, I wear my shoes for at least 8 years. Good shoes do last, so do not be afraid to pay for something you can wear for a long time.

6. Belt - For me, I would say just getting a couple of belts (in case you lose one!) will do. I would suggest a black one with a gold or silver buckle.

7. Socks - I have 10 pairs of socks (different shades of grey and black) so that I can wear 5 in a week, and even if I forget to put it in the laundry, I still have another 5 pairs for the following week. I try to get slightly different designs so I will not get confused when they come out of the dryer.

8. Men's Accessories - Unlike women, men have it easy here. A couple of cuff links (if you are into that), and a simple dress watch will do. Heck, even a sports watch is acceptable.


Black Tie Wardrobe

One more thing, you would also need to be prepared for a black tie event. For men, that means a tuxedo. For women, it means an elegant dress. You could be invited to a colleague's wedding or a company events.  Have at least one item ready for such occasions to avoid panic shopping.


Some ways to save money on your working wardrobe

Shop at Outlets - There are amazing deals at the outlets for designer labels and the choices abundant. Plan to go in January and July when the sales are going on and you get additional discount off already low outlet prices.

Use Credit Card Shopping Portals - Some credit cards have shopping portals that allow you to earn very good rebates. For example, Discover Cards' shopping portal has merchant partners like LandsEnd.com where you can earn 5% rebates when you shop for your men's shirt. At the very least, use a cash back credit card to earn some cash rebates or an airline miles credit card to earn frequent flyer miles.

Make use of friends who work in department stores - Department stores like Macy's and Bloomingdale's have sales all the time. At certain times of the year, they offer additional discounts and even allow staff discounts on top of that. We got a Denali North Face jacket for my son at $30, a great savings from the MSRP of $89! You can buy that Donald Trump tie, new wallet, watch, etc. for a lot less. Treat your friend(s) to a nice dinner or a Starbuck's Gift card with the money you saved!

We hope you have enjoyed this post. Please share any wardrobe ideas you have.

I can't recall how I happened across this Haven of Food Genius, but I had to try making these fantastic Pies in Jars by Our Best Bites. 

My process was not nearly as cute as theirs, but the formula was about the same....



This was a pretty frugal treat. I bought two pounds of Granny Smiths, was able to skip the lemon as they were superpowered and never browned after peeling, slicing or dicing = $3.95.  Butter was $2, a jar of cinnamon was another $2.  Other than that, I just needed flour, brown sugar, white sugar, and salt, all of which were in the pantry.

Using the following two suggested recipes from Our Best Bites as guides, I ended up with nine jars of apple pies, and two small pie-like tart things.


Pastry: yields 3 jars worth
1 1/4c. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c.+ 1 Tbsp. butter-flavored shortening
Ice water (probably about 1/4 c.)


Apple Pie: yielded 9 jars worth
6 cups peeled, sliced Granny Smith apples (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 Tbsp. butter, chopped
   *I just did a butter wash and sprinkled sugar on the crust.  Also dribbled some of the butter through the vents.

If you don't factor in the manual labor, at a dollar a jar plus the cost of foodstuffs, this could potentially be a great frugal holiday gift. Since they're made for freezing and baking in the jars, they could be made well ahead of time in batches.  

The spending has begun. Or will have begun .. when I find the right car to spend it on.  Well, as far as my bank is concerned, the money's out the door.  It's time to replace my parents' car. Or my dad's, rather, since he's the only one capable of driving now.

I withdrew a great stack of cash in hopes that the first used car I looked at would be
A) in great shape,
B) a bargain,
C) failing a bargain, at least a good price within Kelly Blue Book and Edmund's TMV ranges.
D) Failing that, I was heading to the nearest or best comic shop to make it rain!  Just ... kidding ....

It wasn't highly likely, but I wanted the cash ready to go if I really truly hit the jackpot first time out. It didn't happen, so we're back to the drawing board. As a novice used car buyer, I've enlisted the aid of two friends experienced both in buying used cars and buying successfully from Craigslist.

It's amazing how awfully skimpy the majority of listings on Craigslist are, I often wonder if those people still manage to unload their cars or if they're just skipped over in favor of a meatier entry? 

I'm looking for a used sedan or similar vehicle with good gas mileage, reliable engineering, solid specs (nothing flashy), up to ten years old, sale by private owner (preferably first or second owners), low mileage (as low as you can reasonably get), as close to $5000 as possible.  From the looks of things, most cars in that price range are salvage titles which aren't necessarily dealbreakers, but I am hoping for a clean title.  It'd be great if the car was dog friendly (easy to clean/control dog furrage, comfortable for a medium-large dog). 

So far, we've met with a guy who absolutely refused to budge more than $100 on his listed sale price of $7900 on the basis of his recent $2000 investment in the car maintenance. Never mind that the "upgrades" were necessary to bring it up to the "Excellent" condition category of KBB in the first place, which was only $5500.  He was determined to recoup his out of pocket costs and wouldn't even let us test drive unless we agreed to the price. 

Another guy sounded like he was barely out of his teens, knew nothing about the maintenance records, and was pretty sure it might have had some fender damage but couldn't swear to it. Apparently his dad held all that information.  In any case, I think that one's a salvage so I'd have to check that more closely and verify that any damage was cosmetic or not structural.

The last two options on the list had cars with decent mileage for the age of the cars, but weren't available for inspection until the end of the week.  We'll see if any of those pan out or if we find better listings as we go along. 

My goal is to get this done before the end of the month so I can move on with my life!
_______________________

Edit: Right now, I can't decide if it's a good or bad thing to have connections with folks at car manufacturers. They can give you incredible rundowns on the cars they'd recommend or warn you from, but then that causes decision paralysis.  Evidently, this isn't an official recall yet, but 04-07 Accords have an issue with unpredictable and expensive (when it happens) transmission failures. Just because it's not officially recalled doesn't mean that it's not a potential problem, nor does it mean that it's widespread enough that I could calculate the risk we're taking looking at them. But it's frustrating as all get out.

No, I'm not getting ready for any major life change personally.  It's just that I'm failing to stay abreast of the tsunami of friends, friends of friends, and family friends getting pregnant and inviting me to every single baby shower, ever.  Similar to the previous decade's "We're engaged (and we want you in the wedding)!" the watchphrase of the 2010s bodes well to be "We're expecting!"

Then, inevitably, the baby shower. Most of them are thrown together clutches of women from separate circles of the mom-to-be's life who are mostly there to compare gifts.  I hate the cutesy games that always include a huge diaper pin or the ones where uttering the word "baby" is greeted with hoots and tallied throughout the afternoon.  And the cooing. The cooing. I hate baby showers. I know, I'm a monster.

I love babies, I love showers, I even like baby clothes, and I'm very happy for the expecting.  But let's face it, your run of the mill baby shower is just awful.

And when you consider the outrageous cost of all things New Baby people register for, everyone else's life events can easily run roughshod over your unsuspecting budget. You understand I love gift-giving, but I love good gift-giving.  Lacking the yarn wrangling skills (which aren't cheap) of Mapgirl and Mrs. Micah, I trend towards more practical gifts like clothing in a variety of sizes, plenty of bibs, feeding-related equipment, lotions and potions galore. You simply cannot compile a good baby gift using conventional methods and get out the door for under $100-200.  And you know I'm not a get out the door gifter.

If we were only doing this dance once a year, I'd shut up and go along with it, but my cohort numbers at least 20 individuals, and I'm very very close with at least half of them which means I'm on the guest list for their friends and family. This decade, inclusivity will cost more than I can bear unless I "Adapt, Overcome and Improvise!"  [Points to whoever recognizes which Eastwood movie that's from.]

So how do I graciously deal?  The same way I dealt with bridesmaiding: be creative and plan far in advance.

Stage 1:  Baby clothes can cost more than my personal annual clothing budget, so I've signed up for Gymboree's rewards program wherein I'm showered with coupons and sales notices.  Twice a year, they have their Semi-Annual sale where clothes are marked down 50-70%, and combined with coupons and outlet stores, I'll stock up on clothing for both genders.

Stage 2:  Baby-related stuff, being unlimited to any season, doesn't go on sale the way Christmas, Valentine's Day or other annual holiday stuff does.  So wrapping paper, bags, and tissue paper will be purchased in neutrals and well in advance of any shower invitation.  Baskets are a great wrapping aid, and are usually most affordable when found at resale shops like Big Lots, Tuesday Morning or Ross and Marshalls. 

Stage 3:  My closest friends know that I'm at least financially nerdy, so I'm issuing a declaration that all gifts post-baby shower will be something toward their education. And then I'm either contributing towards the school fund or giving a modest cash gift.

Note: I buy clothing in mostly larger sizes the kids can grow into since most gifts are onesies for 6 months and under. I target 18 months and older and try to find them for $5 or less.



[Image: m_bartosch/FreeDigitalPhotos.net]
My post on Job Hunting: is it a Bad Romance? was included in this week's Carnival of Personal Finance.

SVB of The Digerati Life featured my guest post yesterday:  How To Remove Spyware, Malware or Any Computer Virus?

Flexo is running an Extreme Finance Package Giveaway sponsored by Intuit!

A common side effect of nomadism is that you've got to have online management down to a science.  And that's not usually a problem since I switched to Paperless Statements and Online Bill Payments eons ago.  It is a problem when accounts just don't show up at all!

My Chase Business checking, which I'll admit was opened 60% for the account bonus and 40% for the actual account, disappeared from the Accounts page and I couldn't say when I last saw it.  This occurred to me when I was triple-checking my documents in preparation for dealing with income taxes.  There was a small payment made through that account and for the life of me, I couldn't find the electronic record of the transaction or the account.

Two phone calls and 20 minutes later, I discovered that instead of imposing monthly inactivity fees, Chase just closes these accounts without activity after 45 days! 

Well then.  I suppose it's better than having to argue my way out of another fee (for my failure to read fine print, it seems), but no mention was made of this when I first opened the account and I had specifically asked about any inactivity or minimum balance penalties. 

This isn't a major imposition for me since I got my opening bonus and didn't end up needing the account as much as I thought, but be careful!   

Read your fine print, and make sure you know what's going to happen to your bank accounts, credit cards, and other financial accounts when they're over or under utilized.

I'm not the only one this has happened to, ChiTown of Windy City Blues lost her checking account as well.

The winner of the PearBudget Giveaway is ..... 
#9 Mrs. Money!

Congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated! I'm looking forward to the next round of giveaways.

I had to double-check the publication date on this article after I read it through the first time.  Though some of the information about how Millenials work and play is still valid, does this advice to employers on how to woo new Millenial grads, whose market this clearly is, still make sense?  

......Shake your head if you wish, but this Millennial generation listens to their parents, and so have learned the lessons inflicted upon their parents. Both generations have learned that employers have little to no loyalty to their employees so they respond by showing little to no loyalty back. We may grumble and complain about Millennials being job hoppers, but let's be honest: most of us would lay them off the first chance we got if our profits took a substantial downturn. They know that and act accordingly. If they are not treated well and offered the opportunities that the employer across the street is willing to offer them, then they will leave you before you have the opportunity to lay them off. So treat them like we should have been treating our employees all along.

Considering the recession, the astounding number of long-term unemployed, and the difficulty in getting a callback for one of dozens of deployed resumes even in a targeted search, this concluding paragraph to employers is at best misleading for current job seekers who might happen across it:

The Millennial generation is probably the most sought after, highly skilled, ready to hit the ground running generation ever to enter our workforce. We are counting on them despite their vastly smaller numbers to replace the productivity of the massive Baby Boomer generation. I believe that they stand an excellent chance of doing so because of the tools and talents they possess. But should they fail, I believe it will be due to the failure of Gen X'ers and Baby Boomers to adapt to the very different needs and wants of this remarkable generation.

It's the employer's prerogative to cater to the young'uns?  Coming out of the recession or not, employment is a lagging indicator and has a long ways yet to recover.  In the meantime, I'm pretty sure any employers reading this would simply nod while reaching for the next 4,000 resumes electronically stacked for their two positions currently open.

eemusings: I just called my phone/internet company to get a late fee waived (Post office effed up and didn't process my payment till after the bill due date...), which I assumed I would get slapped with. But apparently it's all gravy. Woohoo!

@Tabitha2cute: My son went on class field trip to the library and needed a replacement card. He couldn't get one w/o an ID (which he didn't have) so his teacher had to check books out for him. I went after school to the same library. Unhappily so--and it was visible on my face. I told the librarian what happened and that I wanted to purchase a replacement card. When I asked how much it was, he said he wanted me to leave much happier than I got there so he was waiving the fee. I then took my card out to pay the late fees.  When I asked how much they were, he said "you no longer have late fees." I smiled and thanked him. I left MUCH happier.

Mike, our own Personal Finance Ninja: shared his own Step by Step Directions on How to Get a Bank Fee or Charge Waived




Credit limit goof:  I'd switched out credit cards for regular use some time ago.  Well, I feel especially inept and dumb about this little screw-up. I knew this least-used card only had a $500 limit, as opposed to the $20K limit of my other Citi cards. BUT, since I wasn't using the cards much and in the midst of dealing with one malady after the other, I completely forgot to call and request for a transfer of a credit limit from a retired card. Three swipes at the dentist and pharmacy later -- $39 over credit limit fee.  Because I went $5 over.  AUGH.

The second I discovered the charge, I was on the phone. No love. Was cut off by the system twice after holding for 20 minutes. Sighed.  Resolved to take my lumps because really, that was my own stupidity in forgetting to call and forgetting to monitor the spending.

Tried again the next day. The very nice CSR noted that I'd had a medical issue, waived the fee, and requested a credit limit change which went through in two business days. Whew. I felt particularly idiotic after that gaffe.

Until then, my vow of Don't Jinx Yourself pretty much means I'm keeping mum on a lot of fronts. 

Lights have been dimmed in my corner of the 'net lately.  There are a number of possible changes that I'm not at liberty to discuss yet so I've mostly just been toiling away at my projects.

Meanwhile, check out .... 

The Eagle Cam at The Nature Conservancy in California

Shawanda talks about how Friends Don't Make Friends Overspend for their weddings. The cost of weddings, especially the ones that require out of state travel, ramps up so easily these days I feel like we really have to opt out or add a whole new category in the budget. [For the record, I'm still drooling over a friend's upcoming wedding in Greece that I likely shouldn't attend.  But, Greece!]

Taking Charge is hosting this week's Carnival of Personal Finance #264.  Did you know that this month is International Expect Success Month?  I can drink to that.

Abby at I Pick Up Pennies has a site redesign and blog giveaway!

Congratulate fellow blogger Brian Scheur of My Next Buck on his new job and Plutus Award nominations.  

And lastly, be sure to vote for your favorite bloggers in the Plutus Awards!