One Snarky Chica with Issues

As someone that tries to stick to a budget each month, I like to use coupons when I can. I used to go out every Sunday to get a paper for the coupons. But these days I just stick to getting my coupons online. I do this to prevent myself from falling prey to the seductive lure of coupons.

If you use coupons then I bet you have been a victim of it to. See if this sounds familiar - you get a coupon for something that makes it almost free. You don’t need the item. It is not on your shopping list and probably is not even something that you regularly purchase. But the thought of getting something for a few cents is too strong. So, you buy the item so that you can feel good about getting such a great deal.

But it’s not a deal if you didn’t already need/want it!!

The “get one free” coupons are the worst for me. I can’t help thinking “But I can get TWO for the price of ONE!!” and then before I know it I have two things I don’t need instead of just one.

I was recently reminded of this little weakness when I got a coupon for a restaurant in my email. The coupon was a buy one get one free entree. The minimum cost at this place is $9.00. So, my first thought was - wow, a $9 burger for free!! Nevermind the fact that I am not a huge fan of red meat, especially burgers. I just could not get past the ‘getting something that costs $9 for free’ part of it. The catch was that you had to buy something else to get it for free though.

I’ve been holding onto that coupon since I got it. It expires today. Luckily I realized I would just be getting duped if I used it.  But still - I hate losing out on free food, even if it doesn’t really end up being free

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You know, shopping for a new cell phone can be a real pain. For me, I tend to just go with what ever they are offering up as the free cell phone for signing a contract for a certain length of time. My first cell phone was with Cingular, which is now at&t and it was a motorola phone. And let me tell you, I was not a fan of it. After that contract was up I decided to change cell phone providers. I ruled out Sprint as their coverage map was no good for me. So then I was left to choose between T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. In the end I went with Verizon Wireless. Both companies offered similar coverage but I got a better deal on a cell phone from Verizon Wireless. I do not need all of the bells and whistles on my cell phone, of course I would not turn down one of those new Sprint Instinct phones. But really, besides making a phone call what else do you really need? When I got my latest cell phone I opted for the phone with the camera. And that is pretty much it for me when it comes to cell phone needs. If you need a new cell phone then you will want to check out bestincellphones.com as they have a great selection at great prices. So be sure to check them out today!

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When I first decided to take charge of my health I knew that I needed to develop a fitness regimen that I would stick with. You see, I am not a fan of going to a gym or doing something repetitive like using a treadmill. That is why I looked to yoga and pilates.

I had heard a lot of positive things about them and I had remembered reading that Madonna does both yoga and pilates and she has a great looking body. My initial research led me to believe that pilates was a bit out of my league as an out of shape beginner so I started with some yoga. And after a while I added pilates to my fitness routine.

To the naked eye, yoga and pilates look a lot alike. A lot of the poses are the same. They both focus on breathing and a connection between the mind and body. And they both can deliver up a pretty hardcore workout.

However, there are some differences that I have noticed.

In my experience, it seems that yoga focuses a bit more on flexibility than pilates. And pilates seems to do more work on your core (abs and whatnot) than yoga. After I do my yoga, my body feels great. Whenever I am having lower back pain or basically any back pain, I do about a half hour of yoga and end up feeling much better. However, doing yoga does not leave me feeling particularly toned. But when I do pilates, I do get the sense that my body is toning up. That being said, I sometimes to a ‘cardio yoga’ and a ‘yoga abs’ workout that is more toning.

I think the difference between yoga and pilates is pretty minimal. And I think they work best when you are doing them together as they compliment each other quite nicely. And if you are just starting out, I would suggest doing a little yoga before moving into pilates territory.

If you have a cable subscription that has Exercise on Demand, they have a lot of great yoga and pilates workouts available. And they mention what level they are so that you won’t have to worry about jumping right in with an advanced workout.

Before starting I definitely recommend that you get a good yoga mat. You can get one pretty much any place. I got mine at Wal-Mart. But you can get Yoga Mats at Yogaaccessories.com for a great price - in fact, the one I got at Wal-Mart is on the YogaAccessories.com website for cheaper! The mat that I have is the 3/8″ Aero Rollup Yoga Mat, which is a little thicker than most yoga mats but I love it. You can click on the link (disclosure: affiliate link) above or below to see what they have to offer. They honestly do have really good prices. If you have a Target near you, they sometimes have some good prices on their yoga stuff too.

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Just a few days ago I was talking about how I get distracted and have problems getting things done. Then I read about how fitness guru Jorge Cruise calls this your “Loser Zone.”

He went on to define a Loser Zone as a zone where you spend a significant amount of time where you do something that produces no significant improvement in your life. For me that is things like getting caught up playing a “quick” game online that ends up taking a half hour. I also have far too many blogs in my reader. In fact, I spent four hours on Sunday going through my reader. When I realized how long I had been sitting at the computer doing that I got pretty frustrated.

As you can see, I have not yet implemented the whole schedule thing for my days. Or the idea of using a simple kitchen timer to limit time spent doing things. If I was using the kitchen time technique I suspect I would have wasted four hours reading blogs - most of which need purged from my reader as they only have the occasional article that interests me.

Now that I think about it, my Google Reader is my largest Loser Zone. What is your loser zone?

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I have been wanting to make the move from a PC to a Mac for some time now. I have been hesitant though because of the price of a Mac. So, for the past six months I have been watching prices on Macs.

Recently I discovered that Amazon was offering a $75 rebate on a MacBook as well as offering it at about $5.00 cheaper than the retail price. And they also offer the AppleCare Protection Plan at a cost of $50 less than at the Apple Store. So, I decided to get my sexy new MacBook from Amazon.

Using a trick I learned from Slick Deals, I added the AppleCare Protection Plan to my list of items that I own and got rid of everything else. As a result the MacBook magically appeared in my GoldBox at a 5% discount. Woo hoo! I ended up getting the MacBook and AppleCare at a cost lower than the student discount from the Apple Store.

So, I was pretty stoked about the deal I got. However, if I had waited a few weeks I could have gotten an even better one!

Here is the deal that MacMall is running:

SAVE up to $100! The new MacBook now up to 2.4GHz starts at $1019 + FREE Parallels 3.0, Printer and Shipping after Rebate(s) Also get a free carrying case and free shipping.

Yeah, good deal, huh? So, I could have gotten a great price AND free Parallels, free Printer and the free carrying case. Bummer. If you are shopping for a Mac this sale at MacMall is still going on. You get the freebies with the purchase of pretty much any Mac. Check their site for details at the link above if you are interested. And if you can get an education discount, the Apple Store is now running their back to school special where you can get a free iPod with purchase of a computer.

The moral of the story is that looking for a discount really pays off. But you should not jump on the sale just because there is a discount. Wait around and you might find something even better.

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If you have been around here a while then you probably already know this. Especially after the past week or so.

I am terrible when it comes to time management.

I like to make lists. So, I have all these lists of things that need to be done each day. But then I waste time by re-writing the lists on a pretty much daily basis. I’m thinking it might be a little OC of me, but I can’t help it. The worst part is when the lists don’t really change and I am just re-writing it out of habit or something.

I think that part of the problem for me is that I do not have a set schedule.

When I was working a “real” job I had more of a set schedule. You know, I had to get up at a certain time because I had to leave by a certain time to be the traffic so that I could be at work by 8am. I took a break at 10am, I took a lunch hour at 1pm, I took another break around 3pm and then I left for the day at 4:30pm. Then it was drive home, make coffee, workout, drink coffee, shower, piddle online and catch up on blog posts, make and eat dinner, read or do whatever to wind down and then in bed by a certain time to make sure that I could get up by the time I needed to the next day.

Working from home means that I end up doing things like laundry, cleaning and going to the grocery store during my “work time.” Then at night I get distracted by my other half and end up accomplishing pretty much nothing.

So, what can people like me do to become a time management ninja? Here are the things I plan on doing, so feel free to implement these time management tips as you see fit:

1. Recognize time wasters and distractions during “work time” and try to minimize them.
2. Make lists online instead of on paper so that when I want to make new lists I can copy & paste instead of wasting time re-writing.
3. Prioritize three things I want to accomplish each day.
4. Work on creating a schedule that I can stick to.
5. Organize my workspace to minimize distractions and create a more efficient workspace.
6. Use a kitchen time to limit the amount of time I spend on tasks, as well as on things like checking my email or Google Reader.
7. Don’t put things off!
8. Remember to take breaks.

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If you do any shopping on the web at all I hope that you know it is pretty easy to save some money. Promo Codes is how you do that. And with CouponNinja it is even easier than before! Thanks to Coupon Ninja you can get some totally free coupon codes for all of your fave merchants so that you can save money when shopping on the web. So before you make that purchase be sure to check out their site first!

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I do not do a whole lot of shopping. I have been in full debt reduction mode for so long now that just the mere thought of parting with my money for things that I do not need sends a shiver down my spine.  However, I used to shop quite a lot. It was not uncommon for me to go out at least once a month and drop a few hundred dollars at the mall.  Thankfully that is no longer the case!

When I am out shopping these days it is usually for a gift for someone else. And it seems that more and more places are changing their return policies so that it is rather difficult to return stuff. Typically, I shop for Christmas presents for people through out the year. This past year was the last time that I will be doing that. I got stuck with something that cost $40 and could not be returned or exchanged as the receipt had expired.

Now, let me say that I completely understand a firm policy on returning seasonal items. However, if the store is still selling what I want to return and I have a receipt then I should be able to return it. I think this whole “expired receipt” thing is crap. And it does change where I shop.

I used to get most of my clothes at NY & Company at the mall. Their receipts used to proudly exclaim “no sales ever final” or something like that at the bottom. Now they do the expired receipts thing. And from what I have been reading on sites like Slick Deals, you pretty much can’t return anything to Target without a receipt. Even if it is from a wedding registry!

And while it is not exactly return policy, when I grocery shop I choose the store that gives me my item for free if I get over charged. And I always get overcharged for something. If I have to bring it to your attention or bring back my receipt then you best give me something for the trouble you caused me. Sadly my fave grocery store just gives you the difference. And they never update the price as I have gotten over charged for the same thing three different times.

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Ah stress. You know, stress seems to be one of those things that no matter how hard we try to keep things going the way that we want them to that stress always seems to manage to creep back into our lives. And managing stress is something that can prove to be a bit challenging at times. And then you can end up getting stressed about the fact that you are stressed and cannot make it go away. That means that you end up all double stressed and that is fun for no one. That is where a little something called AbsoluteCalm comes into play. You see, this AbsoluteCalm is described as a “feel good Nutraceutical to help calm the mind and relax the body without making you sleepy” and that is just what it does. With the help of AbsoluteCalm you can overcome those stressful moments that keep you from having fun and getting a good night’s sleep, among other things. It is natural and safe so be sure to look into it and see if it is a good product for you to try today!

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I don’t think anyone would disagree with me when I say that the economy here in the US is looking a bit rough right now. I can only imagine how it looks if you have the misfortune of job hunting in this economy. Job hunting is never a pleasant task and having to do so in such a poor economy is even worse.

With a bad economy, it does not take much to realize that finding a job is going to be a bit more difficult. Sure, you might find one but it might not pay what you are expecting. Or maybe the only job you might be able to find is in retail when you have a degree in accounting.

Personally, I have been making money online since March after becoming unemployed. I would hate to be looking for a job right now. I am planning a move out of state in the middle of the summer. That means that I will more than likely be looking for a job after I move as sure income is better than maybe income when you are getting settle some place new. I have actually already started looking. And guess what? A lot of places have hiring freezes in effect right now. Of course, if I want to work the cash register at a Bed, Bath & Beyond then they are hiring. There are also A/P and A/R jobs that normally pay at least $15 an hour that are paying around $10 an hour. Now, I suspect that some of these companies are actually hurting and have lowered the wages. But I also suspect that some are taking advantage of the economy to not pay people what they are worth.

So that makes me wonder. If you take a job in this poor economy for less than you would normally take the same job for - what do you do when the economy gets better? Your boss is not going to just up your salary to be more inline with reality when the economy gets better.

To me that means one thing.

If you are looking for a job during a poor economy, any job that you take should be a temporary “for you” position (but don’t tell them that). That means, do not plan on staying there once the economy rights itself as you will likely be able to see an increase in pay some place else.

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