Long Time Coming...

*Stands in Superhero pose, steps nervously onto the stage, approaches mic and clears throat*


It's been a while. The last time I was here I was finishing a cleanse and attempting online dating. So much has changed. My life looks different and I am not sure where it will go or if I like it.

Stay tuned, I will update you soon...

Until Next Time,

Peace & Blessings...

Adventures in Online Dating - Being Inconsiderate

After the holidays I thought I would try the online dating thing again. Part of me thinks this is a big waste of money and the other part of me remembers the man I had a connection with and thinks that it is possible.

The hopeless romantic in me is still alive.

And then...I got a message that warranted a response. It was clever, witty and made me laugh. I returned his message and enjoyed the conversation. The messages turned to texts and the texts turned into phone calls. I must admit that I was not wowed by him but it was a good conversation. (red flag, right?)

After a few calls we decided to meet. I suggested that we meet after he had taken care of a few things that morning. He insisted that we meet for breakfast. Everything seemed okay until that day. The morning came and I went through my normal routine. Around 11 am when I had not heard from him I decided to make myself breakfast. Around noon I decided to take the fur baby to the park to enjoy the beautiful day. There was no way I would waste a gorgeous day waiting on someone I had never laid eyes on.

After packing up the car with hiking equipment and starting on our journey my phone buzzed. It was after 1pm and I received a text....yeah, a text saying something like "Guess breakfast is out, huh?"

Needless to say it did not end well. My response was something along the lines of that was on you and his insisting that he was getting things together so we could meet soon. Soon is obviously up for interpretation because hours later it never arrived. I don't believe in texts so it was over for me when he didn't answer his phone. Why be inconsiderate? If you have plans then say, "I am not available. I have plans that evening." My response would have been, "Okay, no problem." After texts back and forth that evening our communication ended with a text from him, "No worries."

No worries indeed. The idea someone could think a text message hours after you insisted on meeting someone is appropriate is beyond my scope of reasoning. For a first date? I just have to laugh and shake my head. I guess I am old fashioned that way. I believe in letting someone know when plans go south, so that person can make other plans if needed. It is just being considerate of the other person's time. Because we all only have 24 hours in a day and their time is just as important as my own.

Have I heard from him since? Nope!

Do I think he will call or text? Nope!

My friends have a bet on how many weeks it will take before he contacts me again, because they always come back, right?

In this case, let us hope not.

Until Next Time,

Peace & Blessings...

Paying off Debt (Part Four)...Simple Ways to Save Money

By the time I was serious about paying off my debt I had already cut my cable bill, cell phone bill and nixed the home phone. I fixed my meals at home and eating at restaurants became a treat. In short, I had already shaved the luxuries out of my life.

Saving money does not always equal the bare bones of life. Sometimes you can save money without changing your quality of life. Here are a few ways I found to save a few dollars that are not complicated.

Watching Television/Movies:

There is an app that rewards you for watching television with gift cards. It might sound a little too good to be true but I have used it for over a year. There are a few small catches to the app as it has evolved over the years. The gift cards are posted at variable times but for someone who loves television why not get paid to watch?

Online Shopping:

There are a few ways to save money while shopping online that are easy and efficient. Let's start with the search engines:

• One of the first sites I visit when I shop online is ebates. They offer rebates for shopping online by sending checks quarterly. Yes, they actually send checks in the mail. I have used this site for at least two years. There is also an app for people who shop via their cell phone or tablet. It is only one extra step before shopping at your store of choice.
• Shopping portals are another way to save money. They list coupons for various sites. This site will list rebates offered for various portals from the store you are making your purchase.

Searching the Web:

• Swagbucks is a web site that credits you with "swagbucks" that can be used to purchase gift cards. You sign into the web site and use their search function. Periodically, they credit you with swagbucks. Bonus: they post swagcodes to social media that you can enter for various swagbucks throughout the day. Another Bonus: the site also offers coupons for printing that credits your swagbucks account when you use them at stores. It turns into a great two for one deal. 

Discounted Gift Cards:

• This site is great for discount gift cards. Gift cards are delivered to your account within 24 hours. In my experience gift cards are usually delivered within two hours. If you sign up for the newsletter you will receive notifications of gift card sales which offers an additional 5% off of the sale price. 

Every penny adds up. Think about it this way, you can buy a discount gift card for 5% off and then use the shopping portal for an additional 3% cash back and it could save you a few dollars (if you were already planning to make that purchase). Remember, you can also earn free gift cards with the search engines/apps that can be used on the shopping portals to earn a percentage for cash back on the gift card you earned for free! 

Just a few ways that I save a few dollars here and there that eventually add up. Questions? Post them in the comments and I will be happy to respond.

 

Until Next Time,

Peace & Blessings...