Breaking Even, Inc.

How To Get Rid Of Carpet Odors

I Love My Dog But Hate Her Mess

Before I tell my tale of dog odor, let's all take a quick look to the right and remember her cuteness... Alright, here we go.

When Sadie and I first moved in with Sean, things were good. His cat Duncan only took the occasional swipe at Sadie while Mr. Boogs (the other cat) couldn't have cared less. We settled into a routine and everything was just fine...

Until Sadie began urinating (on purpose!) on Sean's area rug. She would walk up to it, assume stance, and go. Shooing her off didn't work. Punishment didn't work. She did it on Sean's rug only, not my rug and not anywhere else.

At first, I thought it was because she's thirteen and a half and maybe was having some bladder control issues. I quickly realized, however, that it was a dominance thing. I moved her dog bed right near where she peed (so she would think twice about it) and made it easier for her to go outside. I also bought her a new bed to put near the door so she has a place to sleep in both corners of the living room. (Dog Whisperer, watch out!) Peeing stopped.

The smell, unfortunately, did not.

Enter the Rug Doctor which your typical renting places like Rentacenter don't even deal with... but your grocery store does. When I called about getting "The Doctah" (as Sean and I referred to him all weekend), the customer service lady informed me he was indeed available and that I needed two forms of identification to rent him. Ok.

We brought home The Doctor (after I signed my name three times and showed my two forms of identification- I had no idea there was so much to renting a rug cleaner). The $40 spent seemed excessive for a 4' by 6' area rug but as far as I was concerned, the big guns needed to be brought in. We passed the rug doctor over that little rug five times and it took us about half an hour. We figured we were golden.

After we brought The Doctor back and spent the day away, we walked into the house... and it reeked, way worse than before. We had to carry the rug out of the house and air the place out before attempting to eat dinner, that's how bad it was.

Sean then proceeded to hose the rug down and let it dry. Twice. Even after drying in the sun for a week, the smell remained.

Then I went to my petstore of choice and wandered around. The Nature's Miracle display caught my eye. The woman who worked there promised it worked or I could bring it back. I paid $10 for the spray bottle.

I emptied the whole thing onto the rug. The smell is much better then it was but still present. I'll get another bottle this weekend. Until then, the rug has been moved to the basement where it can't ruin our dinner.

In total, I will have invested $60 in the cleaning of this rug, which Sean paid $150 for. If a little more Miracle doesn't work, I may have to spring for a new rug.

If anyone has any good cleaning tips, do share, especially if they are cheap. This article from Stretcher.com has lots of solutions but I'd really like to isolate the one that will work best, having already invested lots of time and energy into this... Help!

Why I Don't Have Television

The good news is that I wrote an entire post on this.

The thing is I put it on someone's blog. Peter (he writes for the blog Bible Money Matters) has had some family medical trouble and a fellow blogger (Lynnae at beingfrugal.net) is organizing guest posters to keep his blog going. I put in my efforts for a guest post this morning. Keep him and his family in your thoughts and if you want to guest post, contact Lynnae.

If you want to read why I willingly don't have television, click here. That's right, twice in one day. It can't happen often, folks so enjoy!

Want To Win Cool Movies?

Take Part In This Fun, Easy Contest!

As I mentioned about a month ago, I saw some fabulous films by Julia Radochia. She was kind enough to send me a copy of all her short films to be auctioned off. A few words from Julia: "I've written, directed, edited, produced/co-produced several short films that have been screened in festivals. My partner in filmmaking is Jeremy Ward who has not only helped me produce my films, but has also done sound, composed and performed music, as well as gaffed, ADed, etc. My films are: LIKE HIS FATHER, JIMMY'S HOUSE OF HUGS, SALLY'S DREAM HOUSE, EDDIE'S WINNING DATE, GO FAUX and I JUST WANT TO EAT MY SANDWICH. All have been in festivals, some more than others, with most of them having won at least one award. I'm also working on finishing up my more experimental/musical piece HAPPY AT HOME."

These funny, short films are funny and true to life and you need to get them through Julia if you want them (they are working on distribution). So what I'm saying is these neat films are an exclusive offer, and free to you if you win my little contest. 

In 250 words or less, write about your favorite form of cheap entertainment. It could be a hobby or game or even a website, basically telling us what is this cheap entertainment and why is it fun. Email submissions to nicole@breakingeveninc.com. In the subject line, write "I Want A Hug" (House of Hugs Production Company, get it?). Entries are due May 31.

The winner will have their entry published on this blog (linked to their website, of course) and get the movies in the mail. Good luck!   

Check out the House of Hugs Productions website to learn more about Julia and the movies...

Headed Back To College...

Use Those Networking Opportunities At Your College

When I went to college, I just concentrated on getting through the semester. I fell asleep while studying my chemistry book (talk about sleep lines!) and took what I thought were challenging and interesting classes. I worked as a lifeguard in my hometown in the summers to make book and fun money for the year. I had a couple small campus jobs to supplement the "fun money". My parents paid for my college and told me my job was to study and get the best grades possible. So I did. I thought I was pretty motivated at that point in my life, until yesterday.

I sat in a room yesterday with fifty to sixty students who gave up one day of their weekend to network with alumni. They had taken summer internships relative to what they wanted to do. They took notes, nodded at what you were saying seeming genuinely interested. They asked thoughtful questions. They knew going in that they might not get job offers; they just wanted to meet us. Five years ago, I wouldn't have been in that room. But I was there yesterday.

BATEScene was set up by Bate's Office of Career Services. I got invited because I have a creative career, both in my "day job" and with this blog. I was part of small group discussions but at the beginning when everyone was listening, we had to give our names, our job titles/companies, and one piece of advice we would give people about to graduate. The good news is I had a two and a half hour drive to think about this.

My friend Michaela always tells me she admires how I always "put myself out there" and I thought about that a lot yesterday. I didn't realize that other people didn't do that. I looked back on how I got a newspaper job, how I met my boyfriend online, how I got someone to publish my first article. No matter how awful the date was or who told me it was too hard to get published, I kept going. When it got to be my turn to speak, I knew what to say.

I encouraged them to internalize what they wanted and tell everyone they knew. I want people to visit this blog for example. It's in my email signature. I published the address to it in my company newsletter. I tell people upon meeting them about it. "Coca Cola didn't become a household name but sending a couple emails then hanging out in its dorm room. Coca Cola told you that it was Coca Cola over and over again until you believed it." I thought this may have been too corny but a few people chuckled. I guess I am a little corny. But persistance pays off.

On the personal finance front, questions of money came up indirectly. In a small group discussion, I encouraged students to start a savings account beginning with their first job. (They were very concerned with liking their first job and how long they should stay at it.) I told them that they should save even $20, whatever they could afford, and have it automatically taken out. I told them that if they ever felt like they wanted to leave their job (or even were faced with a financially difficult situation) that having that cushion would make them feel so much better. "Plus I mean $20. That's lunch. You'll just buy something stupid with it and be happy for five minutes." I kick myself for not starting saving at my last job, which was higher paying than my current one. But what can you do except tell people open to hearing it who are about to enter the same part of their lives.

I not only met some great students but also other people in related fields. I networked, I ate in the new dining hall, I saw my friend Sarah (who got me involved in this). If your college does any networking event like this, whether you are a student or an alum, it's very worthwhile to go. Networking may get you your next job, allow for a travel opportunity, or even get one more person to read your blog. You may also just get to meet interesting people and have a free lunch. You may even be able to help someone out.

My college's networking event was well worth the five hours of driving. And how many things can you say that about?

Image from www.woodworthassociates.com   

What's In Your Wallet?

A Photocopy Of Everything In Your Wallet Can Save Your Butt

When I went to France, I read about all sorts of things I should do to be safe while traveling. Luggage locks, not carrying a lot of cash... I don't remember much of it now (though I do remember compiling quite a paranoid little list). I do remember one thing: "Keep a photocopy of everything in your wallet, (front and back of cards) in your suitcase."

It's easy to misplace a wallet or have it simply "disappear". I made a copy of everything from my credit card to my passport and took one copy in my suitcase and left one copy with my parents. Piece of mind, twice.

I've never had to use my photocopy but should I ever need to cancel a card or simply try to recover missing things, my photocopy is excellent insurance. (That's right, I haven't traveled internationally in years but I still have my photocopy.) If I can't find my library card number or need the phone number to cancel a credit card, it's all in one place.

Do you know what's in your wallet? 

It's My Birthday

I'm taking off today from blogging to celebrate my turning 27. Feel free to use it as an excuse to celebrate!

I'll be back tomorrow for the usual fun. Have a great day.

Photo from istockphoto.

Money For Nothing (Though I Can’t Promise Chicks For Free)

It's ‘Stick It To The Man’ Friday

The theme of this Friday post is “sticking it to the man”. That’s right, there are ways to do it without being publicly humiliated or fired. I also hope that you can share your additional ideas in the comments or by emailing me (I promise to give you props).

Sense to Save had a great post called “Make Installment Payments To Yourself”. The basic idea is, you know how it’s cheaper to pay one lump sum for something like car insurance but you never have the funds up front? She suggests putting the money you would use on a monthly payment into an account with interest. Then you pay the lump sum at the end and get to keep your interest. Way to stick it to the bank, Kacie! They do get to “borrow” your money so why not get something for it.

Moolanomy had a great post last week about making money off credit cards by “Making Money Off Credit Cards” using a similar principle (taking the money out and putting it in an account then paying the credit card back, keeping the interest for yourself). The idea makes me a little nervous so I’d try it with a small amount initially if I could do it at all. But I am all for sticking it to credit card companies.

And Google was abuzz earlier yesterday morning about www.exboyfriendjewelry.com. Guess what that specializes in? That’s right, sell that perfectly good jewelry (or, even better, “gifts that should have been jewelry”)  and get useful cash for useless old gifts. Talk about sticking it to a specific man!

Spending Less 101 and Mommy Gets Paid both have online coupon codes regularly for free or reduced price items. I applied for a free Elle Décor subscription by taking a survey and I used a code to get 80% off business cards at Vistaprint. (Too bad they aren’t coming in for my networking event on Sunday.) Getting free stuff is kind of like sticking it to some big company, right?

A snarkier post, yes, but it is Friday and sometimes, it is nice to have a little power over something that is much more powerful than any individual person. So why not stick it to the man this Friday? And do let us know how it went!

Image from www.allposters.com ...this Google Image search was so right on with the first image it returned!

In Praise Of Edamame Salad

I make most everything from scratch but I do go to the deli for one thing.

Last night, my usual deli woman was already reaching for it as I walked up to the counter.

"One pound edamame salad." She clearly already knew and smiled.

"You know, I've been telling people about you." she said "I tell people there is this woman who always gets this, says it's a good source of protein. And then they buy it."

I had no idea I had such sway at the grocery store.

So edamame salad from the Hannaford deli is my secret. When I get home, I sometimes add black beans or corn to increase the volume. I like that it's filled with protein and keeps me eating low on the food chain. In a Google search, I saw it listed as a South Beach diet and a Mediterranean food so it much be pretty nutritious.

I found a recipe that looks a lot like it here if you don't have a deli in your area that makes it. Eat it alone, eat it with pasta or rice... all I can say is yum. I can also promise that you won't feel hungry an hour later after eating some of this. Did I mention I've lost 10 pounds on my quest toward weight loss? Clearly, I am a person to be listened to when it comes to deli salads.

So check your local deli for edamame salad. Tell Heather I sent you!

Photo: Edamame salad plays a supporting role to pasta and cherry tomatoes in this quick supper. Add grated parm or some spinach for a walk on the wild side.   

A Theoretical Birthday

Today would have been my dad's birthday. He would have been 52 years old. I would have been calling him about the time that I am writing this. We would talk for approximately two minutes. I would have asked him what he was going to do special for the day. He probably would have said he was going to work though he would come home early and my mom probably would have cooked him a nice dinner, like steak or a roast chicken. He would ask me how I was and I would say I wish I could have been there for his birthday. I would have meant it. We'd have joked a bit longer and then I would have hung up the phone and gone about my day, probably calling again later in the evening to see how his birthday turned out.

Instead, I have to create a new ritual around his birthday, now that this is my dad's "theoretical" birthday. A couple people have asked me if I'm doing anything special for the day. I think I've decided I should maybe take the day to do things that he would have done. Little things done consciously so that I'll remember him.

The white wine is chilling now (though I can't bring myself to drink it with ice cubes). I'll pick up a Snickers bar today to put in the freezer at work. I'll put on my "Life Is Good" t-shirt and sweatpants when I get home from and maybe grill on the back deck. I'll sneak Sadie a good size chunk of food while I'm cooking. I'll have the chilled Snickers bar/white wine combo for dessert. I'll watch some Harrison Ford movie that he would have liked or maybe just put on some rock music from the 70s. At the end of the day, I'll lean back and think of how lucky I am. Because that's what he really thought, and because I am so happy that I got gratitude and a positive outlook from him.

That's how he felt about life, and that's how he felt about money. He believed in being generous and enjoying simple pleasures that don't cost a fortune. So I'm going to take time to salute that today as my daily thought on personal finance.

Tomorrow, back to personal finance completely but for now, this is all I can think about. I hope you understand and have gotten the very smallest of somethings out of this post. Happy Birthday, Dad!   

Free Business Workshop Series

I don't have a self improvement category on this blog because I think (or at least hope!) the vien of self improvement runs throughout. I think if you are reading this, you either appreciate my quest towards self improvement or you constantly work towards self improvement yourself.

My friend Jessica told me about a series of seminars being given at our local community college called The Basics Of Starting A Business. This morning is the last morning but the three week course has forced me to learn more about the business behind writing.

Now I may have three bachelors degrees but I have never taken a business course. (Though, don't get me wrong, a geology major and being able to speak French together have been pretty fun at parties, and have collectively gotten me where I am.)  I have not been implicated in my family's hardware business. In short, no knowledge and not much experience in business.

I have, however, always enjoyed jobs where I could set my own goals and schedule. In those environments, I have worked hard and really thrived. Also I've always wanted to write and be paid for it. Launching a part-time freelance business seems like a logical thing for me to be doing. I figured a free seminar may help keep me on track and working towards really doing this.

The class is being given by Women, Work, and Community, though even if this organization isn't in your area, you should try local community colleges and business women's organizations for possible resources like this. The series of three seminars and three hours at a time and have forced me to do things like finally buy a shorter domain name (Read more about the changeover to Breaking Even, Inc. here.) and figure out how much I should charge people for my work (if you're a freelance writer, here's a good collection of links I happened upon about how much to charge).

Essentially, the course is forcing me to write a business plan. It is also forcing me to meet other people in the area starting their own businesses that I would have not otherwise met. I know I could go online and find a web page on it but having to have homework done is making me finally put things on paper.

I hope you take advantage of free education opportunities where you live. (Not that I'm biased or anything but a good place to start is your local paper's community calendar.) Many free cultural and learning opportunities probably exist that you never even knew about. Keep learning always; your mind (and perhaps eventually your wallet) will thank you.

Want New Books And Movies?

We All Do— But A Swap Website May Make More Sense

Who doesn't love the feeling of a fresh new book? It's pretty tempting to pay $8.95 for that shiny new paperback you won't get around to reading for awhile, isn't it? Or listening to that new CD at the store makes you want to buy it on the spot, right?

It really can be convincing to buy new media to consume. This weekend while we were shopping, my sister paused at the books in a store. "Do we need any books?" she asked and we all paused before saying "no", even though books were not on our lists.

In addition to temptation for new media, you've probably been doing some spring cleaning and have found books, CDs, etc. to get rid of, making it even more ridiculous to buy new. May I suggest the win-win situation of a swap website?

At PaperBackSwap, an email address and valid USPS address will get you registered and when you put ten books on the swap, the website gives you two free credits to order other books. I searched for five books (a few obscure, a few more popular paperbacks) and only one that I wanted were available. Like any used book store, this site may or may not have what you want but at over 2 million books alone (they also have a CD and DVD swap) it's worth a shot.

Free From Broke posted a review of Swaptree last week, which sounds very similar to PaperBackSwap only you can also trade video games as well. (Use the link off Free From Broke to get free shipping on your first trade!) Swaptree is a smaller site, though I haven't learned the cultures of either site enough to know what kind of books, CDs, etc. they tend to have. If it's like any garage sale I've been to, there's probably a bunch of romance novels and a George Michael CD or two at the very least.

Both sites are searchable by multiple fields (title of book or ISBN number for example) and both include printable labels so all you have to do is stick the package in the mailbox.

These sites are free but you do have to pay postage, which is usually a lower rate if you go with the USPS's media mail rate. (I sent my sister a book awhile back for about $1.50, though Swaptree promises a maximum of $2.50 for anything.) You can buy envelopes or cleverly wrap things in layers of scrap paper and packaging tape. Not that I've ever done that of course...

If you've used either of these sites before, do comment below. Because there's nothing I love more then free things I like and a way to get rid of things I don't without throwing them away. Happy Swapping!

Image from: community.bates.edu  

Jump, Jive, and Wail

How Dressing For A 1920s Theme Party Won't Break The Bank

My birthday is coming up next weekend. When Sean asked me what I wanted, I initially thought "groovy piece of jewelry". When I thought about it more though, I realized that an experience would be more fun.

I love to dress up, eat good food, listen to live music, and dance. The Annual Chef's Gala happens to fall on my birthday (next Saturday) and incorporates all of these things. In addition, most of the money goes toward a digital mammography unit at the local hospital. I emailed Sean the web address and all he had to do is fill out a form online with his credit card number. I think giving him a very specific gift idea was a relief to him and now, I get to do something fun on my birthday.

One of the most exciting parts about the Chef's Gala is the fact that it's themed. I appreciate a good theme and this year, it's the 1920s, the decade that I always say I would have loved to live in.

The problem is at $85/ticket and the fact that it's a cash bar, I feel like I don't want to spend a lot of money on an outfit. I've heard that other ladies are buying vintage designer stuff but I don't want to spend a lot of money on a dress. Granted, there is eBay but after scrolling through pages of dresses and wondering if M/L would fit me, I decided that eBay was not what I wanted to do.

I've been passively looking through local thrift stores but that's probably what everyone else has been doing too because there was nothing to be found.

I've since decided to make a dress I have work and use accessories, hair, and make-up to make me look more like a 20s fashonista.

The dress is a black slip dress (well sort of) with lots of lace. It's definitely cut straight up and down and falls below the knee, which is very period. I had another dress that I was going to just add fringe to flapper-style but I wasn't so ambitious and decided to make the slip dress work, especially since I've only got to wear it a couple of times.

After reading this article about dressing for the 20s, I decided a strong of fake pearls and some comfy dancing flats would update my dress. Sean decided he wanted a fedora with his double breasted suit so I went on a mission yesterday.

My mom and my sister are visiting for a long weekend and I found my needed items at Kohls with their help(for $20 total). What was harder to find was Sean's fedora, which I looked for in the stores we went in. After Sean joined us for supper, Sean and I went off in search of his hat. We had no luck at department stores or Burlington Coat Factory. We found some fedoras very surprisingly at the mall in Spencer Gifts, which is a kind of "joke store" to those of you who haven't been there. None of the available hats matched the suit or fit Sean. We ended up finding one at TJ Maxx ($7) only by chance but I couldn't believe it. Don't men wear hats anymore?

I think I'm set for my night on the town now. I will post pictures next week when we're all dressed up. Meanwhile, have you been to any great theme parties lately? If so, how did you make your wardrobe work?   

5 Tips On How To Waste Less Energy

A Salute To Earth Week

Today, it's all about energy use, or lack of use more specifically, and how you can cut back on energy use painlessly and save cash. This will give me a chance to use that list of links I've collected and get your ideas.

When I was a little girl, I used to turn off lights in the house. I had just read the book "50 Simple Things Kids Can Do To Save The Earth" and that was my take home message: little things can add up to a lot. Turning off a light in a room no one was using seemed simple, so I began doing it. There was some complaining that I turned off the lights on people when they were still in the room but when the electric bill came in, the critics were silenced.

"You saved us $75 in electricity this month!" my mom told me. And here all I wanted to do was save the Earth! When I found out you could save money, too, there was no stopping me.

Here are a few quick fixes for you:

1) Try not to use your clothes dryer. It's quite a little energy hog. My friend Susan told me if you turn on your dryer and look at your electric meter, it's nuts. And I believe her. Plus I found from Idealbite that the average dryer costs $135/year to run. Try a rack or the clothesline. As The Maine Life mentioned earlier this week, National Hanging Out Day is April 19!

2) Set up your computer for success. The Simple Dollar had a great post this week about how you can set up your computer to use less energy. Savings by doing all these things add up to $350 and prevent three and a half tons of CO2 emissions.

3) Phantom loads on electronics should be curbed. They result from things that are plugged in but not being used and can also be avoided by unpluging unused electronics or buying a powerstrip that turns itself off (see Idealbite if the latter is of interest). The amount of energy used by phantom loads is estimated to be about 75% by Efficiency Maine. So take 75% of your electric bill and that's what you could potentially save!

4) Get a programmable thermostat. It's going to sound so nerdy but I asked for a programmable thermostat for Christmas. I have often forgotten to turn down the heat as I leave the house in the winter so having something do it for me makes so much sense. Sure it's $50 but you can save $150 a year and that's with last year's energy prices. This could also work for those who live in places where air conditioning is more a problem.

5) Take a look at your hot water tank. If you turn down the temperature just a couple degrees on the hot water tank (will you really notice the difference betweek 130 degrees F and 120 degrees F?) and insulate your hot water pipes with foam. I couldn't find an amount on how much this would save but it's probably worth the 5-10 minutes it takes (and $5 in foam for the pipes).

In my travels, I also found a neat Virtual Energy Audit you can do in your own home. I haven't taken it yet but it takes 30 minutes and an electric bill to complete. It can target specific ways you can save money at your home. You can also usually borrow meters from your local library and test the electricity used in your devices yourself. (I'm thinking a kid or a certain scientific-minded boyfriend would love this little experiment.)

There's plenty of ways to painlessly save energy and money; kick it off this Earth Week!

Picture from http://www.darnnews.blogspot.com 

Some Updates At Breaking Even

You may have noticed some recent (though minor) changes on this site. I'd like to explain.

First of all, I've successfully purchased a new domain: breakingeveninc.com. A friend has helped me make it so when you type in breakingeveninc.com, you will get to a page which talks about my freelancing (though to get to the blog, just click on the link). You will notice in the header that the blog is now titled "Breaking Even, Inc." to go with the new, easy-to-remember web address.

Breaking Even, Inc. is still a personal finance blog with a personality. The free content of the Breaking Even, Inc. blog gives people not only a reason to visit this site daily but also gives me a reason to write everyday about a fun and fascinating topic. Breaking Even, Inc. in addition to being a blog is also now a site where my freelance communciations work will be anchored. Check out the Breaking Even, Inc. Communications link to the left to learn more about what I can do!

Besides a slightly changed name and a web-based communications business (as if that wasn't enough, right?), I'm also now part of the BlogHer ads network. This means I may actually generate funds to break even on the costs associated with this blog. I hope you don't mind a little advertising. Just think of it as good things for your friend Nicole. And if you want to click on the ad, feel free but certainly don't feel obligated.

So Breaking Even, Inc. is still Breaking Even, just a little bigger and better. And I hope you think so, too.

How Is This A Green Product?

A Salute To Earth Week

Whenever I think of certifications or guarentees, I tend to that scene from "Tommy Boy" when in a longish and crazy tirade, he explains that a company-issued guarentee is just a "guarenteed piece of..." Clearly, I'm a little skeptical of certifications.

Smart Money had a good post last week about how to really tell a green product. A few things to keep in mind.

1) Do your homework about the company. Greenbiz allows you to search their site, though a search for Target left a lot of "target" entries, too.

2) Decode the label. Consumer Reports has a search tool where you can decode your own label. Also some certifications are worth more than others. Smart Money breaks down the green certifications that acutally mean something including EnergyStar, Fair Trade Certified, and USDA Organic. Ideal Bite also has some tips related to other green certifications. (Though I would recommend searching by specific product type you are looking for; they have lots of recommendations and some are quite affordable.)

3) Not everything is obvious. I found out last night that the enchillada sauce I bought was made by Unilever. Meanwhile, the Master Logger Certification program is a highly successful program you probably have never heard of. Green certified loggers perform sustainable wood harvesting and are regularly evaluated to maintain certification. There are likely programs like this in most any industry.

While you may not want to conduct a research project every time you buy something, it is certainly worth doing occasionally to see what's out there. Try buying green products if you can, especially in the coming week. If you find something interesting, please comment so we can all learn something new!

Photo: A northern Maine scene as captured by the blog author.

Your Complete Guide To Composting

Salute To Earth Week

This weekend, a compost was started in the backyard. So far, it doesn't stink. Of course, it's only three days old.

Composting is basically a natural process of decay that you can use to eliminate trash and create useable soil for your gardening projects. Decay will happen whether you make it happen or not but there are things you can do to help speed up the process. Composting has the added benefit of saving me money because our local trash service charges by the bag and since thirty percent of most household trash is compostable, it makes sense to at least attempt. My mom bought us a compost bin (it's big and black and has a locking lid) for Christmas and now that spring has come, it is set up in the back yard next to our tiny wood shed.   

If composting interests you, you don't need a fancy compost bin to try it out. The Savy Gardener tells you how. if you live in Maine, you should take advantage of the free services of your local UMaine Cooperative Extension (most other states have similar services so check it out). The CO has all kinds of free information about how to do anything remotely hands-on in relation to flora and fauna.

The one thing I may recommend you purchase is a composting pail. Not only will you not want to go out to your pile everytime you've found something compostable (unless you are easily excited), you will also not appreciate your organic matter decaying early in your kitchen. The special compost pails also have filters in them to keep them from smelling. (You could also just try a container you already have first and if you find it smelly, get the pail.) 

Since I have been worried that this somehow won't work for me, I am keeping this article today about how to kick-start a compost that is happening too slowly in reserve just in case.

If you are still unconvinced, you should check out the list of things you can compost. Fur, Kleenex, tea bags... I took the list and distilled it into a one page list I could post on the fridge near our pail. You can download it below if you want a one page list as well.

Like with other projects I've done, I'll keep you posted on the progress of this one.

Download what_can_you_compost.doc

Buying Local

A Salute To Earth Week

Yesterday, I spent the day at the Comic Arts Laugh Festival in Belfast, Maine which is about a 45 minute drive. More specifically, I watched a bunch of independent movies.

We got to the theater and the sign said “Independent Movies- 4 hours”. “Can you handle this?” I asked Sean, indicating the sign. He said he could so we bought tickets ($4 each), only to be refunded a few minutes later.

“It’s going to be free.” said Mike, the Festival organizer. “We don’t mind paying!” I said, and meant it. Sean and I were in the process of buying a large popcorn and a drink. Mike handed Sean the money back and I took the refund and handed it to the concession lady in a bizarre exchange of funds. So far, “today is my treat” had only come out to $6.50 and the gas to come to Belfast.

What followed was a series of interesting films I wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

Sean’s favorite was the Mensher Brothers film “He’s My Dad.” (See the trailer here.) The trailer doesn’t do the movie justice; it is very funny and inappropriate. A girl knocks on the convict’s door (which we later find out is her father), and after a bizarre exchange he says something to the effect of “So you’re a minor knocking at my door and I’m a newly released convict wearing no pants (he’s in a bathrobe) and you want to come in? Sure, I don’t see the harm in that.” The dialogue was deadpan and the movie closed with an original score father/kid duet “He’s My Dad” that made us chuckle through the credits. “…a penitentiary grad, he’s my dad…”

“We wanted the audience to immediately know the girl was in no danger (referring to the beginning scene of the movie). That wouldn’t have been funny.” One of the brothers said after the showing. Oh, did I mention all the filmmakers were there?

My favorite movies were by House of Hugs Productions which is run by Julia Radochia. They were all funny and true to life and told an interesting story in a short amount of time. These are all features I really appreciate in a movie. “I Just Want To Eat My Sandwich” is her latest film that has gotten the most acclaim. This poor woman keeps trying to eat her sandwich in her windowless cubicle when people keep interrupting to ask her questions. As someone who eats at my desk so I can blog, I understand this. I get interrupted about work stuff almost constantly. To be honest, I really liked all of them. I may ask Julia about how to go about buying a DVD.

The festival closed with a movie called “Tire Tracks” about the burning rubber subculture in Deer Isle/Stonington, Maine. I guess it was featured in The New York Times before I started reading it. I’ve seen the tracks myself but I live half an hour away and had no idea of what it all really meant.

So what does this long post have to do with Earth Week? By providing support to small and local businesses (like a local festival at a local theater), you are help keeping money in your economy and you’re probably actually helping someone (or some people) make a living rather than padding some rich guy’s wallet. Also this means that theoretically less resources are being transported, which is always really hard on the planet. So buy local, not only things but entertainment. You’re helping keep it close to you by supporting it and helping the environment by using resources close at hand rather than trucking them in.

Homemade Cleaners

A Salute To Earth Week

Unless you live under a rock, it's pretty hard to miss the fact that Earth Day is coming up. (And if you do live under a rock, well, I guess it doesn't matter because clearly you are one with the Earth.) Some of you may know my tendency to recycle and the fact that I was once president of my high school's Environmental Club (lovingly called the Tree Club). I love the earth and this week, I want to tackle topics about loving the earth and saving money. Because I think you can do your part without buying a set of $300 bamboo sheets. Today's topic: homemade cleaners.

I read with fascination a post at The Simple Dollar about making laundry detergent. There's video to watch and you can really go through and understand the whole process before doing anything. Being Frugal and Make Stuff both have homemade cleaner recipes that seem to work well. Depending on what ingredients you use and if you have a membership to a warehouse club or not, you may spend equal or less money making your own cleaners versus buying them.

Meanwhile, Sean and I are still using a bunch of cleaners that came with the house and some I already had when I moved in. Due to having animals that lick the floor and an environmentalist (that's me) now living here, we are phasing out the chemical stuff that came with the house and phasing in natural cleaners I brought with me. I may make some at some point, should we ever run out. Though I'm doubting that'll happen for at least a year.

Please make sure when you are making cleaners that you understand possible chemical reactions that could happen. I know a someone who once cleaned a dorm fridge with bleach then ammonia, throwing the paper towels in the same garbage can. That produces noxious fumes, folks. And he was a chemistry major. Even if you mix them yourself, chemical reactions are still chemical reactions. Understand what you're doing before you become a mad scientist about it.

Look this coming week for other environmental and money saving posts!

Photo from http://www.blogs.move.com 

How To Not Spend A Gajillion Dollars At The Drugstore

I have friends who are real drugstore junkies. A new lipstick here, a crazy nail color there...it really allows even the budget conscious to take the phrase "Buy a little something nice for yourself" seriously. But there is a reason that the phrase "lipstick indicator" exists. It is often a symptom of us trying to cover up a problem, something to the effect of "If I look good enough, bad things won't happen to me", which makes no sense if you've never been in a really difficult situation and perfect sense if you have.

I was at the local drugstore buying cold medicine yesterday. I specifically went for a kind my mom used to get us when we were kids but apparently it had codeine in is so they don't sell it over the counter anymore. (We were high! That's why we felt good after taking it!) I was looking at a row of sub-par medication when it occured to me it had been months since I had been in a drugstore. Sure, I've read they are good for food deals but I looked around and felt so tempted by the bottles of potions, the pots of cream, the glossy colors. I bought just my cold medicine and left.

I have $75 a month budgeted for personal care, including haircuts and drug store items. I often come in under budget in this area though because I don't buy drug store stuff that often. Here's how I do it though I'd love to hear some other tips on this one:

1) DIY Tinted moisturizer- I wear Clinique. It's the right shade and as a friend once said when I asked her "It looks like you aren't wearing anything". Just as a foundation should be. It seems ridiculous that it's only SPF 15 and that the thicker foundation and thinner tinted moisturizer cost almost the same. So I take my favorite SPF 30 facial sunblock (under $5) and mix in a little Clinique foundation and poof, my own tinted moisturizer with better protection then the foundation.

2) Two lipsticks- I have one for day and one for night. I bought a four pack of lipsticks at Marshalls a couple months ago for $1.50. Two of the four were flattering colors. All set for six months, though I do plan on going paraben free once they run out.

3) Mineral Makeup- Sometimes alone or in combination with the foundation, I wear bareMinerals makeup. One kit has lasted me over six months. I canceled my "membership" upon recieving my first shipment.

4) Pick a bodywash or other item that the person you live with will be uninterested in "borrowing" when they run out of their own. In my case, Skin So Soft (from Avon) and Pomegranite Pizazz (from Method) bodywashes are just girly enough that Sean will never use them and therefor be forced to get his own. 

5) Shower less or don't wash your hair every time you do. Not showering daily is actually better for your skin and hair anyway. It also means though that you use less product over time. (Additional bonus is I get to sleep in for an extra 20 minutes.) I swear no one even knows the difference.

6) Only go in drugstores when you are so stuffed up that you can't think. :^)

Any more I'm forgetting? How do you stay beautiful, anyway? 

Book Review: Emily Post's Etiquette

When my mother bought me an etiquette book four years ago the Christmas after I graduated from college, I couldn't have been more insulted. Raised in a family where thank you notes had to be written and us kids always left a note on the counter if we were going somewhere, why did I need a book to tell me to be nice to people?

I took out Emily Post's Etiquette a few days ago in an effort to figure out support group etiquette (I'll make a long story short: there is none). I then began perusing the book, looking for money-related manners. There was no one section on the subject but tips about handling money matters (who pays on dates, how much to spend on a wedding gift) were peppered throughout the book, with a very comprehensive index so you can find them all.

In short, the Golden Rule of Money (my wording) from this book is that finances are never to be discussed outside of very close family. (Maybe that's why there is quite a powerful group of personal finance bloggers online; it's almost voyeuristic to be reading about someone else's money!) I must have read the Golden Rule of Money awhile ago because if you've met me in a social situation the last few years, my initial question is not what you do for work but something along the lines of "So what do you do for fun around here?" or "Are you originally from this area?" Often what people do for work will tell you little interesting about them anyway.

So what about the book in general? To be honest, I think more people could stand to skim through it. It's pretty thick but does cover a lot of ground. I think in general many younger people (my age group included) need to learn a little more about cell phone etiquette in particular. I have mentally written off people for taking calls while out with me or talking loudly in line at the grocery store. But that's not to say I don't have my faults. Everytime I pick up the book, I learn something new, too. I actually use it as a reference more than I thought I would. If I recieved it as a gift now, I would be much more grateful.

Knowing manners allows you to place value on thoughtful actions and gestures and not necessarily throw money at a problem. (Inappropriately expensive gifts, for example, are a liability in the manners world, not your ticket to the top.) I may not exude fine breeding but I can be thrown in with fancy people (or very unfancy people) and feel confident of my actions. Who knows how many connections simple manners can get you, how many jobs or raises or other compensation will eventually come your way because you exude politeness? I can say with confidence that it's gotten me places.

Speaking of money, the book itself is fairly thrifty. At at less than $30, it makes an appropriate gift for mostly anyone.    

Budget, Interrupted

How A Grocery Budget Can Effect Your Relationship

Looking at last month's budget, I am struck by how off I was. Groceries were almost $250 off my budget. What kind of personal finance blogger am I? To be fair, eating out spending for me was one meal out, meaning I was eating more food at home. (Other things that threw me off: stuff for the dog, my spontaneous weekend trip to Boston, and the fact that I paid to have my taxes done, which I wasn't going to do initially.)

To get the full picture, fuel spending was half what it usually is and I didn't have to buy any gifts last month (I budget $150 a month for that and if you think of birthdays, weddings, and holiday giving really isn't much).

The grocery overspend made Sean wonder, too. Then I showed him some information in the blogosphere. Apparently, in times of trouble, food companies may not increase prices but decrease volumes as a way of saving money instead (CNN Money). I am also intrigued by putting a teenager on a grocery budget, which to me makes sense if your older children are always putting things in your cart(Debt-Free Revolution). Sean admits to wanting to impulse buy and I hate to act like Mean Mommy and say "no" to him just adding stuff randomly to the cart. He's agreed to sticking to the list with no whining and I've proposed that we don't go to the grocery store this week to get a jump start on saving money this month. So far, so good.

This strict budget has been a way to make us both accountable (for shared expenses) and has kept me honest. I think it's important for couples to be on the same page financially, even if it is something silly like groceries. The Simple Dollar had a great post on how to talk to your partner about money: The First Money Talk: The When and How of a Conversation Every Couple Needs to Have. Both Sean and I have regular conversations about money coming in and going out so we both have an idea what the other is dealing with. Do other people do this as well?

Photo: Homemade food: Inexpensive, yummy, and nutritious!

Hi My Name Is Nicole And I'm In A Support Group

It's coming up on six months since my dad died. (If you'd like to be brought up to speed, the paper covered it better than I could at the time (with a creepy headline though) here.)

So far, my way of dealing with this is throwing myself into work, writing, going to the gym... basically everything but dealing with it. My mom, likely sensing this, sent me a book called "I Wasn't Ready To Say Goodbye." I get a huge lump in my throat just looking at the front cover, which is a picture of a calm lake. When your loved one has drowned, these sort of pictures can really set you off. Especially when you are a certified lifeguard. And swam in college. And were on the Masters swim team until Novembter. (Clearly, I seem to have some issues with water.) Reading Chapter One is as close as I've come to doing something to deal with this. Though now I'm beginning to take step two...

I joined a support group at the local hospice last week. I thought hospices just dealt with people who were dying and their families but they also have programming for after the fact, too. I'm thinking of this is sort of "free counseling", time that I allot myself every week to think of my father and to have my feelings about his death evolve in some way.

I was really nervous about going initially. I mean, what are the manners for support groups? Going though was a real relief. The main point that was driven home is that our culture doesn't deal well with death. We sweep it under the rug so we aren't very supportive of people who are going through loss (most jobs, including mine, don't seem to have bereavement leave for example). It's really quite isolating, which is one way it helps to be with other people going through this. I get it! I was really dreading the first meeting the whole day before it but this week, I'm ready.

If you are going through anything like this, I urge you to seek out the resources in your area. They are often free and not only include support groups but counseling and general guidance that friends and family may not be in a position to help you with (though don't worry Mom, I'll eventually get through that book!). In Ellsworth it's the Hospice of Hancock County. It's important for your mental, physical, and financial health to be dealing with anything keeping you from happiness.

So now I can admit it. My name is Nicole, I lost my dad, and I'm in a support group. Anything you should be admitting to yourself?    

Sick Day

I guess everyone is entitled to a sick day. Mine involves a case of laryngitis and a splitting headache. (Trying to tell the dog firmly to get away from the cat's food might have put my voice over the edge.) I'm going back to bed and depending how it goes, I might drag my butt into work for the afternoon. Hope your day is better than mine.

And I thought laryngitis was just a dumb go-to plotline for sitcoms or an excuse for a pop star's inability to perform. Who knew.

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