Something I learned about myself yesterday
I apparently really dig the smell of diluted bleach. Or rather, the smell of an apartment that has been cleaned with diluted bleach. One of the side effects of having a lot of lovely people I want to spend time with was that my apartment was pretty low on the list of priorities and as such the shower was staging a coup, and the cat hair situation was becoming particularly heinous. (The transition from winter to spring is a rough time for cat owners.)
Things were scrubbed, dusted, mopped, wiped down, and disinfected and everything smells so much better, not flowery, not sweet, but CLEAN. (Biggest fear in life: coming home to an apartment that smells strongly of loneliness and cats). I even did about half of the laundry. I could do a deeper clean, clean the oven, organize the closet (I haaaaaaaate my closets), I don't know, scrub the baseboards with a toothbrush or something, but I'm just not that crazy yet.
I spent the time I was scrubbing thinking about a new approach to my finances.
I went to renew my lease yesterday and it turns out my apartment might be raising my rent ever so slightly. Now this is sort of a good thing because it might help continue to weed out some of the riff-raff. One of the reasons I want to stay is I really do think that my neighborhood will continue to gentrify thanks to the it's proximity to the Domain (the brand new, super duper fancy shopping mall/apartments/office space complex in town). There's also a Metro Rail station close by which I hope will attract eco-conscious hipsters. Nothing can change that the part of town I live in is still semi-industrial, but hey, could be worse.
On the other hand, this is yet ANOTHER expense that has increased while my prospects of getting a raise are still frustratingly vague. I've been pretty clear with my boss that I'm not going to labor silently in hopes that they'll suddenly decide I should get a raise. Basically, if April 1st doesn't come with a definitive answer, I'm looking for another job. (Uuuuuuuuuugh, I hate looking for jobs. SOMEONE EMPLOY ME, PLEASE!)
But just saying, "I'm gonna look for another job," is not the same as having a guaranteed budget. I know that there are bills I could reduce. Switching my cell phone to a pay by the minute perhaps, changing internet providers, looking for an even lower rent apartment. Every little bit helps, $20 a month is $240 a year, etc. But I'm SUCH a creature of habit. I know how to work with everything I already have.
I think that's always going to be what stands between me and true money sense, I just never care enough to really put the effort in.
And I'm not in dire straights by any means, the bills are paid, my credit card debt is being reduced slowly but surely every month, but I could be a lot more responsible with my money. I could also, I don't know, be SAVING money.
One thing that I do need to scale back is the shopping excursions. I am determined to get a new spring wardrobe because I am SO SICK of everything I own after two years, but that doesn't mean I have to start from scratch (much as I would like to). I've got three dresses, two pairs of sandals, a top, and a pair of jeans. I really need like three tops, two skirts, and a new cardigan after this. And I don't exactly need them RIGHT NOW, you know?
I'm thinking I should go through my wardrobe again and really pare it down to what I really want, so that I stop walking into my closet to face the wall of unwanted shirts and convincing myself I hate everything I own. That'll also help me get an idea of what it is I really need to buy.
Anyway, I know this is boring. I'm sorry for any lurkers I might have because I feel like I spend so much time talking about fandom on my twitter, aim, and social gatherings with the Jonas Ladies that I forget to talk about it here.
Fannish agenda for today:
- a Joe related picspam highlighting how fucking adorable he's been lately. (His little flat feet! His suspiciously smooth tummy! His Exercise O-Faces, and his I Don't Like Paparazzi Pout!)
- at least 17 more sentences of fic
- comment/reply to comments
- contemplate how Rob Hoffman can be so terrible and yet so awesome.
Things were scrubbed, dusted, mopped, wiped down, and disinfected and everything smells so much better, not flowery, not sweet, but CLEAN. (Biggest fear in life: coming home to an apartment that smells strongly of loneliness and cats). I even did about half of the laundry. I could do a deeper clean, clean the oven, organize the closet (I haaaaaaaate my closets), I don't know, scrub the baseboards with a toothbrush or something, but I'm just not that crazy yet.
I spent the time I was scrubbing thinking about a new approach to my finances.
I went to renew my lease yesterday and it turns out my apartment might be raising my rent ever so slightly. Now this is sort of a good thing because it might help continue to weed out some of the riff-raff. One of the reasons I want to stay is I really do think that my neighborhood will continue to gentrify thanks to the it's proximity to the Domain (the brand new, super duper fancy shopping mall/apartments/office space complex in town). There's also a Metro Rail station close by which I hope will attract eco-conscious hipsters. Nothing can change that the part of town I live in is still semi-industrial, but hey, could be worse.
On the other hand, this is yet ANOTHER expense that has increased while my prospects of getting a raise are still frustratingly vague. I've been pretty clear with my boss that I'm not going to labor silently in hopes that they'll suddenly decide I should get a raise. Basically, if April 1st doesn't come with a definitive answer, I'm looking for another job. (Uuuuuuuuuugh, I hate looking for jobs. SOMEONE EMPLOY ME, PLEASE!)
But just saying, "I'm gonna look for another job," is not the same as having a guaranteed budget. I know that there are bills I could reduce. Switching my cell phone to a pay by the minute perhaps, changing internet providers, looking for an even lower rent apartment. Every little bit helps, $20 a month is $240 a year, etc. But I'm SUCH a creature of habit. I know how to work with everything I already have.
I think that's always going to be what stands between me and true money sense, I just never care enough to really put the effort in.
And I'm not in dire straights by any means, the bills are paid, my credit card debt is being reduced slowly but surely every month, but I could be a lot more responsible with my money. I could also, I don't know, be SAVING money.
One thing that I do need to scale back is the shopping excursions. I am determined to get a new spring wardrobe because I am SO SICK of everything I own after two years, but that doesn't mean I have to start from scratch (much as I would like to). I've got three dresses, two pairs of sandals, a top, and a pair of jeans. I really need like three tops, two skirts, and a new cardigan after this. And I don't exactly need them RIGHT NOW, you know?
I'm thinking I should go through my wardrobe again and really pare it down to what I really want, so that I stop walking into my closet to face the wall of unwanted shirts and convincing myself I hate everything I own. That'll also help me get an idea of what it is I really need to buy.
Anyway, I know this is boring. I'm sorry for any lurkers I might have because I feel like I spend so much time talking about fandom on my twitter, aim, and social gatherings with the Jonas Ladies that I forget to talk about it here.
Fannish agenda for today:
- a Joe related picspam highlighting how fucking adorable he's been lately. (His little flat feet! His suspiciously smooth tummy! His Exercise O-Faces, and his I Don't Like Paparazzi Pout!)
- at least 17 more sentences of fic
- comment/reply to comments
- contemplate how Rob Hoffman can be so terrible and yet so awesome.