Out With The Old

I've got spring fever. I'm cleaning out closets, organizing cabinets, and rearranging, obsessively. You all know about the ugly couch, aka "The Pink Panther" .... And yes, unfortunately, it's still with us.


Despite numerous hours spent searching for the perfect chocolate leather sofa and matching love seat, I haven't found "the one." I'm skeptical to buy something online, because I want to be give it the "but test" before purchasing. Also, because my roommate and I are both short, we don't want any furniture that when we sit down , our feet won't touch the floor.

This past weekend, Memorial Day sales GALORE, would have been the perfect time to purchase furniture; however, A was out of town and she didn't trust me I didn't want to make the decision myself. So what did I do instead? I redid our bathroom. It went from a sleek and modern black and white powder room to a page out of the Pottery Barn catalog. Yes, I know that store is overpriced and I could buy knock offs at Tarzhay, but the Manhattanite in me took over. I bought a shower curtain, towels, rugs, baskets, and decorative soaps. Yes, you read that correctly- decorative soaps. Ahh, what was I thinking?

Although redoing the bathroom was fun, if not a drain on my wallet, I just need to buy a couch. It will be much cheaper than redoing every other room in the aparment to compensate for the ugly "Pink Panther."

Any suggestions on buying furniture??

Thrifty In the CIty

Just about every blog that I stalk read has been posting on ways to save money. And let's face it, with the state of the economy, it's a good idea. Here's my two cents...

One of the greatest gifts my parents gave me was instilling me with a strong work ethic, emphasizing that money doesn't grow on trees (at least not in our backyard). I received an allowance, but only when I did chores. My parents had this " Three Can System." I got $15.00 a week, but I had to divide it three ways (spending, savings, special). At the end of every month I had to put the "savings" into my bank account and was given a choice about the "special." Some months I chose to add it to my spending money, but other months I put it in the bank to earn the interest and get "free money" (i.e. interest). I was so used to this savings method, that when I got my first job, I didn't bat an eye at putting my pay checks in the bank. I made great tip money, so I used that as my spending and gas money (back in the day when gas was $0.99/gallon) ::sigh::

Flash forward to college. Not going to lie, I went to college with kids who came from money. I swear, some of them had mobiles of dollar bills hanging over their cribs as babies. I'll never forget the day I was shopping in Rittenhouse Square and one of my friends whipped out mommy and daddy's AMEX to pay her $200 charge at J.Crew. I mean, yes, I too had one of my parents credit cards but it was for things like groceries, plane tickets home, etc. I came from a modest background. My parents both worked and my sister and I never wanted for anything, but we didn't live beyond our means. My parents didn't bat an eye at footing my tuition bill (all $200,000) of it, but they weren't about to pay for frivolous, spur of the moment shopping sprees. I worked on campus in student services and babysat all though college to earn my spending money. Yes, it sucked when I saw my bank account getting down to single digits by the end of school year, but I had a summer of work to replenish my account. It was a good system that I had worked out. In college, in addition to my parents credit card for necessities, I got my own credit card to build credit. I didn't charge much to it, but I always paid it off in full at the end of every month. I got countless offers in the mail from companies each trying to offer the biggest and best rewards with 0% interest on balance transfers, but I politely shredded each and every one of them.

Then I graduated from college. Suddenly, I was a grown up and found myself moving to one of the most expensive cities...New York City! When I got my job offer, I was tickled pink with my starting salary. Trust me, it was WAY more than most of my friends would be making with the exception of a few investment bankers. My enthusiasm started to dwindle when I realized that I'd be spending upwards of $22,000 a year on rent. Add to that food, travel, and fun oh yeah and all of this AFTER taxes! Suddenly felt more like a popper than a princess.

Even though all this overwhelmed me, my childhood habit of saving persevered. I set up both a savings account and an IRA, and after my 3rd month of work I started putting money into both accounts. Our hospital doesn't have a 401k, we have a 403b which they don't match, because they invest into their own plan for each employee, so that’s why I choose the individual IRA. I set up a budget and tried my best to stick to it. It took a while to figure out how much was reasonable to budget, but all my time and efforts paid off. I made lists of the foods that I ate frequently and went around to all of the little markets in my neighborhood to compare prices. I made an excel spreadsheet (yes, I'm that anal) and figured out where I could get what for the cheapest price. Thankfully, anything and everything that I could possibly ever need is within walking distance or only a few subway stops away. I cannot express how thankful I am not have to fret over gas prices. My price comparison experiment proved interesting. I found out that it's cheaper to buy fresh organic produce at the local farmers market than it was to buy regular produce from the mass chain grocery stores. I also quickly realized that buying coffee on the run, as metropolitan as it may seem, is completely UNeconomical.

There were a few issues that still bothered me though. #1-the cost of toilet paper, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, etc; #2-the inability to buy in bulk due to location; #3-the inability to by in bulk due to space/storage limitation; #4-a lack of coupons.

Although strange, I am a 24 year old who cuts coupons-usually for things like laundry detergent, toilet paper, personal products, etc. Theoretically, it's a good way to save money; however, coupons only come out in the Sunday newspaper. The Sunday new paper costs $4.00. Most weeks the savings I'd accrue would only be about $3-$4, thus it doesn't really make sense to pay for my coupons, especially because I wouldn't otherwise buy the paper. I read it online in my continued effort to be more "green."

Okay, so what about buying in bulk? I can say this, with certainty, because I did the research. For items that I use on a daily basis- toilet paper, paper towels, soy milk, peanut butter, rice cakes, tea bags, coffee, shampoo/conditioner, the bulk cost is about 50% less than buying the individual items, at least at city prices. But did I mention that there isn't a Costo/BJ's/Sam's Club in a reasonable distance from here? Oh yeah, there isn't even a T@rget close by. Grrrrrr. Thus I have to rely on visits from my parents to bring me these essentials. Which brings me to the issue of storage. What to do? Buddy up! My friend N and I split the bulk items. So we get the savings of buying in bulk, without having to fret over the storage!

Now some of you may be aghast that I list paper towels as a necessity, but the nurse in me must object. Hand towels are DIRTY, nasty breeding grounds for germs. Don't believe me? Read this Okay, so what if I changed the towels every day. Well by the end of the week, I'd have 7 towels from the kitchen and 7 towels from the bathroom- that's a load of laundry. The cost of laundry is $2.00 to wash ad $2.00 to dry. Paper towels, at $1.07 per roll x2 rolls per week, is by far a cheaper and cleaner option for a household of two.

Finally, I still have the same one credit card from college. Every week I a lot myself $50.00 for "free spending" (this includes meal out and cabs/transportation) and I take this money out in cash. All other spending (i.e. groceries, gym membership) I put on my credit card to track exactly where, when, and what I'm spending money on. I pay off my bill in full at the end of every month. My credit card has great reward options. In fact, I was able to get my roundtrip ticket to Seattle for free, plus still have more than 1/3 of my rewards left over.

This post has been all over the place. But I hope that it has given you some perspective on how I live thriftily in the city.

Won't You Be Are You My Neighbor?

I live in a building with approximately 60 apartments but only one elevator. Given that there about as many studios as there are two bedrooms, plus a few three and four bedroom apartments, there are about 100 people living in my building. So what I want to know is why I only ever see the same people in the elevator. It's not like I'm a hermit and never go out. I'm in and out of my aparmtnet at all hours of the day (and night). I've worked different shifts (day and night)...but I swear I only see the same 20 people. When I posed this question to my roomate, who has lived here longer than me, she agreed with me. She did offer that maybe people take the stairs, but I quickly pointed out to her that I, too, frequently take the stairs (um, one elevator for 10 floors= a long wait and I'm just not that patient).
Maybe this would have been more appropriate at the beginning of this entry, but I began to deeply ponder this subject when two days in a row I let the building's door close in the face of my "neighbors" (mind you I have never seen them before). It was quite embarrassing.

Apartment culture is different from that of a neighborhood. People don't come knocking on your door to bring casseroles or freash baked cookies. In fact, unless you are really chummy with the people moving out, you may not ever notice that the apartment has changed owners.

What about you? Have you moved to a place ad wondered who your neighbors are?

Best Salad Ever

After a great run yesterday morning and a few hours of studying, I was restless and decided to run some errands. I figured I'd head downtown to run a few errands. So I walk to the xxth street subway stop, swipe through the turnstile, ad then hear: "Due to someone needing medical attention at xxth, all local 6 downtown bound trains are halted. We are sorry for the inconvenience." Aww, gee thanks.
I walked out and asked the man at the ticket counter if there was another way for me to go downtown. I told him that I needed to get to Union Square. After he rolling his eyes and letting out a big sigh (uh, isn't this your job jacka$$???) he said, "Well, you need to take the local 6 train uptown one stop. Transfer to the 4 or 5 express, and then take it downtown to Union Square."

45 minutes later I made it down to the UnionSquare Farmers Market. My top priority was picking up a birthday treat for my dad (he's obsessed with this chunky orange marmalade from Beth's Farm Kitchen) but of course, this particular stand is only there on Friday and Saturday.

Not wanting to waste the trip (and what it a travel adventure it was), I perused the fruit and veggie stands. I went a little overboard and bought way more produce than I could comfortably carry home. By the time I arrived home, I had worked up an appetite from carrying the heavy bags. I immediatly got to work chopping, slicing, and dicing....

-baby spinach
-1 baby zuchini, diced
-2 medium carrots, grated
-1/4 avocado, diced
-1/4 baked sweet potato, cubed
-1/2 cup cherry tomatos, chopped
-1 small cucumber, halved and seeded
-1/2 cup jicama, chopped
-1 cup blanched broccoil, chopped
-1/2 cup white mushrooms,chopped
-1/4 cup purple onion, finey diced
-1/4 cup corn
-1/2 Fuji apple chopped

*I tossed in some dry roasted edamame for a little crunch
and dressed it with some sesame miso dressing.

Although I didn't get what I set out to buy, I was able to make the best of the day and now have a yummy salad for lunches and dinners this week. And on that note, I'm off to work.

It's The Little Things I Miss

This past weekend I went "home" for the first time in over six months! It's not that I don't love my family, but we all live such busy lives time seems to escape us. However, that is no excuse.

A part of the issue is me. I have never transitioned well and I need to feel settled. I always used to feel torn when I went "home." There was so much to do, so many people to see, I felt like I was tying up loose ends. But this time was different. As much as I hesitate to write this, I wasn't stressed because didn't feel like I was going home as an absentee member of my family. I knew I was going home as a beloved guest. I was going back to my hometown, but I wasn't torn up over doing it all.

Yes, Massachusetts is where I grew up, it's where my family lives, it's a place that will always be comforting and familiar, but now it's not my home. I haven't really lived there since 2003. They say home is where the heart is... my heart is in New York. It's where my job, my social life, and my friends live. I've built a new life for my self here. I feel truly blessed, I have the best of both worlds. An exciting city life, with a supportive, loving suburban family who welcomes me back as a guest with no expectations of permanence.

My mom had tears in her eyes when she picked me up at the train station.
My dad squeezed me and held an embrace when I first saw him.
My sister (the child who loathes family dinners) and I talked non stop for two hours over dinner Friday night.
My puppy dog whimpered and jumped onto my lap when he saw me.
We laughed, as a family, more than we have laughed in a long time.
And then my trip was over. Back to New York, back to reality.

My parents never thought I'd become a city girl, but they have shared in my joy as I've grown to love it. And they are the first to admit that they love the perks that come along with their oldest daughter living in the Big Apple.

To be fair, though, there are a few things that city life doesn't afford me. I captured them on film, and figured I'd share them with all of you....


Our golden retriever, Tyler...isn't he handsome?


All that greenery and landscaping my dad prides himself on...





Basking in the sun! (Without all the smog and urban noise)


What about you? What are the things that you miss about "home"?

I made his day

Last night I had plans to go and see Pineapple Express with G, J, M, E, and others at 9 p.m. G was going to meet me before hand at 7:15 and then head out for drinks and meet up with the rest of the crew to see the movie. G's express train got stuck on the tracks, so he didn't get here until 8. No biggie.

We went to the Stumble Inn and got a quick drink. Of course, it was raining cats and dogs, so we copped out and took a cab to the theater. The cab ride was quick (from 76th to 32nd) and cheap ($7.10). I whipped out my wallet and handed the cabby a $10 and asked for a $1.00 back. G and I walked into the theater but didn't see any of our friends. G called them; they were already inside. Oh well, we waited in line to get tickets. Just as we were about to walk up to the counter, I looked up and saw SOLD OUT SHOWS: Pineapple Express 9:00. Ugh, okay. Now what? Oh well, could have been worse,. G called J and told him the situation, I think J felt bad, but we made the best of it. We bought tickets to the 10:15 show, went around the corner, got a few more drinks, and then came back to see the movie. I'm not complaining...after the last month of G's traveling and my work schedule, a little extra 1 on 1 time was fine with me.

The 10:15 show wasn't crowded at all, I guess everyone opted for the earlier viewing. We settled in and the movie rolled. Don't get me wring, there were a few good one liners, but for the most part the movie was a lot of violence and monotonous antics surrounding getting high and smoking weed pineapple express. The movie was LONG, well over 2 hours, but the company was good, so it all worked out. G and I came home, watched the Olympics and fell asleep only to be woken up by the alarm at 6:45 so G could make his early morning T time with the boys.

After he left, I fell back asleep until 10:30. After an amazing workout, I headed to St@rbucks for a soy milk latte (yum!). I pulled out my wallet to pay and did a double take. Where is the $20 that I took out of the ATM the day before? I see the $10, but the 20 is gonzo. Oh no I can't believe it. Yup, in my haste to pay the cabbie the night before, in the dark no less, I handed him the $20, for a $7.10 fare and only asked for $1.00 back. No wonder he pulled away so fast. Oh well, guess I made his day.

Why I Love New York

Last night was the first Friday night I've had off, aside from my vacation, since January 1st. I know, great social life, hunh?!?

I wound up on the lower east side at this really homey, eclectic (odd combination, right) Italian place. My friend and I met around 9 and the place was packed. The bar is on the left side of the restaurant and some really narrow tables on the right...the only way to make it to the back was to squeeze through this approximately 18 inch wide opening...thank god I skipped lunch, haha. We made out way to the back, put in our name, were told the wait was 35 minutes. Hey, not bad for a Friday night. We grabbed drinks and sat outside on the patio to wait. 45 minutes later, they called us, literally. This place takes your cell phone number!

We squeezed back through the 18 inch passage way and were taken through this small doorway to another part of the restaurant. Equally crowded, as the open kitchen took up more than 1/2 of the space. looking around, I was ratter bewildered as to where we would be seated, can we say full house? But because this city never ceases to amaze me, out host sat us at the bar/counter looking into the kitchen. Talk about a first class seat! The sights and smells were more than enough to offset that fact that were sharing this amazing view with 2 other people resulting in each of us with about 8 inches of personal space. Food was great, service was great, all in all a good way to spend a Friday night.

Only draw back to the night was our location. It's a haul from the UES to the LES...a 35 minute bus ride or a 20 minute subway ride plus a walk. I took the bus down, and figured I'd take the subway home. I get onto the packed 6 train and hold on for dear life...all the while thinking, AMEN that I have some purell in my purse. After 42nd Street the train cleared out. As I'm sitting there I look straight, to be met by an angry stare from a crazed woman dressed all in white; I look to the left to be glared back at by a thuggish guy all decked out in lots of gold bling; I look to the right and suddenly feel uncomfortable as this Mexican is looking me up and down. That's when I decided that I'd just look down at people's feet. After about 2 minutes of sizing up every one's shoes, I was already bored. And that's when I looked up and started reading all the advertisements: "Phoenix University", "Viagra: The Little Blue Pill", "Learn English in Comforts of your home" (wait, why is that sign written in Enlgihs???), "Depression and Anxiety Study", etc, etc. That's when it hit me. They don't put up all these ads to get a point across, they do it to help people like me feel less awkward. Sweet!
My night was topped off when I walked up to my building behind this guy and girl. They sort of paused outside the door, like they were hesitating. Thinking maybe they lost their keys in a drunken stupor, or that they were looking for a certain apartment to buzz, I asked, "Do you need to be let in?". Then with a straight face the guy looks right at me and says, "Nope, We're just waiting for you tro pass so we can make out for a while." I chuckled and thought, "you're a good man pal, a good man."

And with that, I entered the building tucked my little self into bed, all the while thinking...this is why I love New York.