Oh and!

It was my roommates “Gay Birthday” post your “gay Birthday wishes” for him below!

p.s. he thinks he’s straight!

 I have a room for rent…see the ad HERE and tell me if you think anyone will want to live here….maybe you want to live here? Maybe you know someone that should live here? If so email me!

My mom’s a freaking genius!

So my mom rocks. She is hilalrious, seriously. One thing about her that makes me laugh is she has the worst memory ever! Growing up she had a saying, that she could NEVER remember but always refered to, the saying is: “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without.” Here is how the conversation between the two of us would go.

Mom: Jeff, you don’t need new (insert any item here!)
Jeff: But mooooooooommmmmmmmm I NEEEEEEDDDD it!
Mom: Use it out, wear it up….no wait. Wear it out go without…..no wait. Go without or make do…..Jeff how does that saying go?
Jeff: I don’t want to say it!
Mom: No seriously I can’t remember, how does it go? Wear it thin, make it do or you don’t need it?
Jeff: (In a discouraged voice) Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do wiithout.
Mom: That is it! I can never remember that. I should write it down. Now what did you need?
Jeff: New shoes.
Mom: No.

 I didn’t grasp this whole concept until I was buying my own stuff. There are wise words to live by. I save a lot of money by “using it up and wearing it out.” Except when it comes to cars…I want what I want. Anyway where is this going?

I have decided that this blog has no point, other than to put in a tangible form my insane rantings. So I am giving this blog a point. Saving money and tips on doing so. You can refer to a previous entry to find a few tips I am using to poison my roommates and save money. SO each week I will think of, or dig up some cool money saving technique and add it.

This weeks money saving idea. A cost book. If you are like me you have no idea how much something is supposed to cost at the grocery store. I buy like 20 items on a constant basis and STILL have no idea what I am paying for it. So here is what you do. Make a shopping list like you should be doing and obviously stick to the list and write down in a note book what you bought, the quantity or size, the cost and the store you bought it at. The next time you go shopping shop from your previous list and compare the price. This way you know how much you paid before and can see if you are getting a deal or not! I just learned about this today and it seems like such a no brainer. I always go to the same places because I assume it is cheaper, but don’t actually know.

Anyway, I think this is a good idea, I will try it and report back! And if you do this, tell me how it works for you!

 Peace

Boycott! Party! Presents! (not nessicarily in this order)

So here is the thing. I have a big family, massive. They all started to have kids at about the same time, and keep making more at the same time. Not a big deal you think, until you remember my family is LDS. In LDS culture about every two years, starting at birth big things happen. First there is the baby blessing, then baptisms, then confirmations, then they progress through priesthood, then missions. then weddings and then they make more babies. Still not a huge deal right? Well when I live three hours one way from most of my family it becomes a HUGE deal. For the next few months it will be one event after the next, and I am expected to be there for them all. It starts to cost a lot of money. It gets better though! My family likes to celebrate every birthday, every holiday and every bout with the common cold, with a family dinner. It seems like all I do is block out weekends to go to Salt Lake, Provo, Centerville and Syracuse to do something. It really starts to add up. THEN there are the costs of presents associated with all the birthdays, holidays, and religious mile stones. I told my mom I am getting a very bad ROI. Think about it, I have fifteen nieces/nephews five siblings that are married and two parents. That comes out to 27 gifts to give each year IF I only gave them something on their birthday and ignored Christmas, Mothers Day, Fathers Day and baptisms etc. AND THERE ARE MORE ON THE WAY! I have one birthday and one Christmas. I don’t want to be the cheap uncle, but I am getting SCREWED. Suggestions please.

Now for the boycott. I have decided to boycott several places. 1) Utah County 2) Clear Channel Radio 3) Fast Food Restaurants

Now for the reasons. Utah County: I will never purchase any good or service in that county. If you listened to KVNU’s For the People on Thursday or Friday you heard Stephen Graham. I can’t go over every detail of his interview and point out the plethora of flaws, so I encourage you to go to their website (you can find their link on my blog) and listen to the interview. What does this have to do with Utah County? Well until the media caught on to the message that Stephen was going to give, Utah County School District was more than happy to have him come talk to the PTSA. It wasn’t until they went under-fire for this PTSA meeting did they cancel it. I strongly encourage everyone to listen to this interview. If you are cool with homosexuals, listening to this will just confirm you are smart. If you are anti-gay you have the chance to actually hear what the thoughts you think sound like when vocalized. This guy honestly sounds insane and clearly does not live his religion (Yes, I am assuming he is LDS…sorry.) The LDS church leaders have preached tolerance, Stephen believes in discrimination. The LDS church preaches “love thy neighbor,” Stephen believes in “love thy neighbor” IF they look, act and share my values. Again, Utah County School District was fine with this meeting until they were found out…I will never spend a dollar in that County again.

Clear Channel Radio. So I have no problems with “big business.” I believe in the idea that a person can work hard and keep growing his business as big as he wants. I don’t think there should be a limit on the dollars someone can make. I believe that are alternative voices, they may not be as loud, but they are out there (KVNU’s For the People comes to mind.) ANYWAY here is why I wont be listening to Clear Channel anymore. I have a friend “Sauerkraut” she works for a Clear Channel competitor, X-96 and Movin 100.7. On St. Patrick’s day her station (Moovin) was doing a remote broadcast from a very popular bar in SLC. Their time was from 8-10pm. This particular bar, being smart, decided to hit different demographics at the same time, and purchased a remote broadcast from 97.1 ZHT from 9-11pm. There was an hour of overlap, neither radio station knew this going in. Well, when the “a-Holes” from ZHT get there they throw a huge fit, oh and I need to mention I used to work with these people and they are “A-holes,” “A-holes” that are also bumping uglies and she is VERY married. Anyway the ZHT people decide they don’t want competitors there and run into the Movin 100.7 SUV with their van. They intentionally drove their van into the competitors Mercedes! They thought no one was watching, but a lot of people did see, including the owner of the bar. Then the ZHT people decided to be bigger “A-holes” and mess with the equipment of the competitor. This isn’t the first time either. A few years back these same people loosened the lug nuts on one of “Sauerkraut’s” company cars causing the wheel to come off on the freeway. When Moovin called the program director at ZHT and told them what happened at the remote, he simply said something to the effect of “that sucks.” Look I have no problem with competition. If you want to look better, or stand out compared to competition BE better, don’t act like thugs. The owner of this bar saw the whole thing happen and pulled all their ads for the year. So here is who I wont be listening to 97.1, 99.5, KOSY, The River, AM 570, and 94.1.

Fast Food Restaurant’s: Because they kill you.

If you have read this far…you are invited to a party at my house! April 12 @ 8:00 pm-ish.  Theme? I have no idea. Let’s make it a contest…suggest ideas and the winner gets a present from me! I have no idea what the present is, but it will be cool. WE COULD CAUCUS!!! Oh and I missed the caucus and want to be a delegate…think it’s too late? (Democratic Delegate)

I think that is all.

Peace

HELP HELP HELP HELP

Riley needs your votes, he can’t lose to that douche-bag Dave! VOTE FOR RILEY HERE. PLEASE vote for him, he is so embarassed, but he needs to win. Forward the link to everyone you know, post this on craigslist, put this on your blog…..JUST VOTE and GET OTHERS TO VOTE!!!

Who are you voting for? RILEY RILEY RILEY RILEY RILEY RILEY RILEY

Peace

Stuff, just stuff

Hello peeps…no, your eyes are not deceiving you, I am updating my blog. So where to begin? The start? Ok!

 Well I bought a Mustang, sold the Focus, painted my bedroom, went on a cruise still work to many hours at jobs I don’t love, still taking to many credits in a major I don’t love and I am sleepy all the time. Now for the rest of the story.

So I love tax time. Tax time rules because I overpay my taxes all year long to get sweet refund checks, this year was no exception. I got a massive refund and went crazy! I bought all new summer clothes, a digital camera, bought new furniture for my bedroom and finally got around to painting my bedroom. I hate painting because when you think you are done, you aren’t. I ended up sleeping on the couch for a week while I waited for paint to dry, re-taped walls, touched up paint overlap and waited for more pain to dry, but in the end it looks AMAZING. All I need to do is put in a different light, change my outlets, put up new closet doors, install a new window and put in new window treatments and that room is finished, except for the new carpet I need….see how nothing ever is complete?

So I love my new furniture. It is a small black desk, a small black nightstand and a small black bookcase which go well with my black platform bed….anyone see a pattern here? AND I bought a really cool black chair for the desk….and a cool lamp. I might take some pics and post them….I just love my room so much right now. If the Bridge reads this I need her to brave the cat dander and come over and look at a wall….I want a cool contemporary black and white photo for my wall…think she will help me? The walls are two tone, the top half is a cream color with an off white chair rail going around the room with a blue/green bottom half. I am really impressed with how it turned out. OH and while I was doing this my AWESOME roommate painted all the doors in the house. It is the small stuff that I always neglect to do, so it was nice to have him paint the doors for me.

So then I made a bad decision and bought a mustang. This car is FAST and unreliable. I think the main issue was it sat for so long and the peeps who owned it before me didn’t believe in regular maintenance, but the price was right and I needed a change. So I put in new gears in the rearend, a new alternator, serpentine belt and a K&N air filter. I still need to fix some suspension parts, put in a new master cylinder and do some paint, and did I mention I need to get new tires for it….see how nothing is ever complete.

Then I went on a cruise. It was 7 days and was DIRT CHEAP, the cruise was less than $500. It left from San Diego and went to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. I am not a big fan of Mexico, but I loved having one week with no cell phone, no real internet and my biggest decision was the Chinese buffet or the Hamburger Buffet. I loved it. I literally sat on the deck for HOURS just enjoying the sun. I will do a cruise again for sure, hopefully this summer.

Now for the crappy part. I spent half my tax refund and am saving the other half and I am still poor, so I came home to work, school, work and homework….then I sleep and start over the next day. It gets really old, but I think this is a character building time of my life. I have a VERY aggressive plan to get to where I want to go financially, but I am so impatient. I want it all now! NOW! NOW!!!! I am seriously learning so much about patience, from what I have said it sounds like I don’t know the meaning of restraint, but believe me if you knew the pennies I pinch year round you would be surprised…here are a few of my money saving tips.

1) I don’t own any tupperware/gladware or other plastic storage containers….I use empty yogurt containers.
2) I spend less than $2 a day on food. I skip breakfast and lunch and eat a Totinos pizza or a Quesodilla for dinner…If I feel like going a bit crazy I will even drink a glass of milk.
3) I never buy small garbage can liners for the bathroom, laundry room and bedroom. I only use old grocery sacks. The same for when I pick up dog crap, I just put it in a sack.
4) I always steal all the shampoo and soap I can from hotels and put them in the big shampoo bottle at home.
5) I don’t know if my furnace can go above 65 degrees since that is where it is set.
6) My roommate put plastic in the windows to conserve heat.
7) I only wash clothes in cold water.
I only call people after 9, and rarely answer the phone if I know the person calling is not with AT&T. My rollover is INSANE, I am going to lower my plan again.
9) I don’t have cable and don’t plan on getting it.
10) Don’t tell my roommates but I secretly turn the fridge up once a week…until someone dies of Trichinosis I assume the food is still good.

I think that is most all of my frugality…..oh except for this last one and it is kind of embarrassing….I cut the bottom of the vacuum bag open and empty the contents then staple it back together until the bag is so destroyed it wont take a staple…at that point I just trim it a bit and staple higher. STOP JUDGING ME!

Oh and I won $800 on the nickel machines in Mesquite…now you can judge me.

Ok look for pics on my picture page, and I will try to update this damn blog more often so there will be less of these huge posts.

Peace