About sixteen years ago, I met him for the first time. My trainwreck sibling brought home this adorable puppy he had no business adopting because he had not one thing in his life that wasn’t a mess. I was furious at my sibling – he didn’t even take care of himself, how could he drag
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June 20, 2009
I really hate hearing Garmin pipe up when you make an executive decision that does not follow the GPS exactly. No matter where you go or what you do, it just won’t adjust to the new route. It forces you to wait while it recalculates and brings you around in a circle to follow the original directions.
But that has little to do with this post. It’s just that I keep hearing that faintly obnoxious voice when I realize that I’ve got to recalculate my savings plan.
My perusal of JD’s post on How to Handle a Windfall followed right on the heels of .. yes, recalculating. Earlier this week, I’d had a little meeting with my notepad and pen, wherein a divvying up of expected monies was set on lined paper. I wanted to make sure that every penny had its place and the best way I know how to stretch a windfall/irregular income’s impact on my financial life is to make a plan.
It’s just as simple as me, a pen, paper, and calculator. First, I sketched out my existing holdings using my handy dandy Snapshot as a starting point.
Next, a list of expected income. Normally, I treat each piece of income as an individual transaction which means that I take out a cut for regular expenses, savings, and another expense fund from each check. The problem with this method is that I have to pick my favorite child. Savings already got a lion’s share because that fund makes me happiest when it grows. After expenses and savings, who gets an infusion of cash?
That’s where things get a little haphazard. No budgeting by the Force for me, it’s budgeting by feel. Priorities, after the first two ironclads, tend to shift according to what was most recently raided. My instinct usually goes straight for the recently wounded, and tops that up first.This causes a bit of churn in higher-activity accounts, leaving less-frequently tapped accounts languishing. For example, I spend out of the insurance fund twice a year, while the travel and car maintenance funds give it up 3 or 4 times a year. Somewhere in there, I needed a great big chunk for taxes. By the time I was through, savings had 33% of the pot, expenses a paltry 10%, taxes another 33%, car maintenance and insurance split the 24% left over, while house and insurance funds were entirely out in the cold.
Not at all masterful. And I subconsciously knew this because each night, I’d take out the notepad and look it over again. And each time, it just didn’t look right. [Or feel right.]
Recalculating:
Projecting that there might be trouble with the timing of one check, I ran two new lists. One with three checks, and one with four checks.
From both columns, I took 25% off the top for taxes.
Then I took 40% of the net for savings.
The remaining 60% (of net) was divided equally between the travel, insurance and auto maintenance funds.
Once again, the house gets neglected but I have a good reason this time. Once money is in the House fund, it’s never coming back out until I buy a house. Right now, it’s more important for me to have available cash flow in the areas there will definitely be spending in the next six or so months. So you see? Logical, clean, simple. I can use these ratios in the future for any irregular income without having to agonize over which should get more.
Well worth hearing that aggravatingly measured voice in my head.
June 19, 2009
Tofu Parmigiana
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1/4 cup(s) plain dry breadcrumbs
* 1 teaspoon(s) Italian seasoning
* 1 package(s) (14-ounce) firm or extra-firm water-packed tofu, rinsed
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) garlic powder
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
* 2 teaspoon(s) (plus 1 tablespoon) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 8 ounce(s) white mushrooms, thinly sliced
* 1/4 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
* 3/4 cup(s) prepared marinara sauce
* 1/2 cup(s) shredded part-skim mozzarella
* 2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh basil
Directions
1. Combine breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning in a shallow dish. Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 steaks and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides of the tofu with garlic powder and salt and then dredge in the breadcrumb mixture.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook until they release their juices and begin to brown, 4 minutes more. Transfer to a bowl.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the tofu steaks and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn over and sprinkle with Parmesan. Spoon the mushroom mixture over the tofu, pour marinara over the mushrooms and scatter mozzarella on top. Cover and cook until the sauce is hot and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.
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I love tofu in any form, so this replacement for the usual chicken or eggplant is ingenious! I realize people think that tofu doesn’t have taste, but it takes on the flavor of whatever sauce it’s in, so it works quite well here.
But those mushrooms are right out. There’s no possible need for them. [Yes, I hate mushrooms. They taste and smell like medicine. Except button mushrooms which are tiny and cute, which means they taste cute.]
What should I substitute for mushrooms?
As I look this over, this recipe doesn’t seem as appealing as those you can find at Kevin’s Closet Cooking. I like the idea, but the execution leaves something to be desired.
Speaking of executions, we’re losing all our files today. The ax is slowly descending … they’d better leave me with internet access!
June 18, 2009
Gnocchi with Zucchini Ribbons and Parsley Brown Butter
[Image and Recipe courtesy of Delish.com]
Ingredients
* 1 pound(s) fresh or frozen gnocchi
* 2 tablespoon(s) butter
* 2 medium shallots, chopped
* 1 pound(s) zucchini (about 3 small), very thinly sliced lengthwise
* 1 pound(s) cherry tomatoes, halved
* 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
* 1/4 teaspoon(s) grated nutmeg
* Freshly ground pepper, to taste
* 1/2 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh parsley
Directions
1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions until they float, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the butter is beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add shallots and zucchini and cook, stirring often, until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cherry tomatoes, salt, nutmeg and pepper and continue cooking, stirring often, until the tomatoes are just starting to break down, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan and parsley. Add gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
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We are 8 business days from the Final Check. Now that we’ve reached the single digits, my mood has perked up despite the uncertainty of the days ahead, and my sense of calm is alarming. Or it would be alarming if I were alarmable. Have I found a little bit of Zen? Let’s not question it, we might scare it away. As long as we’re here in the Happy Zone, I’m going to share and revel in that which also makes me happy: FOOD.
Each day, I’m going to post a new recipe to try during my probable period of unemployment because food pictures are wonderful, now and forever. You know it’s true.
The above recipe is going to require a relocation to BFF’s house where she has all kinds of lovely kitchen equipment. There’s nothing else for it, folks, only a 3.5 hour drive to a friend’s kitchen so that the pretty zucchini ribbons can be made will do. That and because cooking for an audience, and visiting a dragon nephew would make this cookery a Trifecta Win. Just because I’m not working doesn’t mean I can’t multi-task!
June 16, 2009
As previously alluded to, my future state of employment remains uncertain, the couple few things in the hopper remain hopping.
In the meantime, I’ve blocked off two chunks of time in July for travel: New York City and San Diego!
New York, for a week: This is a completely spontaneous trip spawned of determination (details later) and a need to have plans. It’s completely unbudgeted but I’m using a free flight voucher and crashing with friends to keep costs down to food and more food. Maybe even drinks!
I’ve got potential flights picked out and some consideration was given to staying in a hotel for a couple of nights because my friends with whom I’m bunking for most of the stay are way down south, far away from city action. Thus far, this has not panned out as my Hilton Honors points are nigh on useless in New York, a Category 5 and 6 hotel town, for more than a single night’s stay. I’ve been collecting those dratted points since 2001 and still haven’t accumulated enough for a respectable stay in the Big Apple. No go on the Marriot and Starwood fronts, either, I haven’t concentrated on accumulating points from them.
Oh well, I might try to grab a cheapie hotel deal for somewhere in the neighborhood of $80/night, or I might just suck it up and not spend on a hotel at all.
Shockingly (or not), I don’t plan to do any shopping. Just a lot of sightseeing, eating, and walking around getting to know New York. I should have some freelance work on the boil by then, and if so, I’ll take my lappy to Central Park for a nice day of work or two.
Couple hundred dollars should do it, right? Depends, if I can meet up with a longtime friend on the East Coast, I might need to take a train ride and spend a little more. It’ll be worth it, though.
San Diego: Comic Con, of course! And this year, I’m giving myself a whole day off before and after the 4.5 day pilgrimage. Ahhh, such luxury!
California, misc: At some point, I need to spend some more time with my dragon-nephew before he gets too big for me to tote around.
June 15, 2009
Overspending at the pump: $50. Oww-www!! Gas was $2.95-2.97 this weekend, up about 20-25 cents from 10 days ago. True to form, I didn’t need my car, or to fill up, until after it made the stag-like leap to nearly-unaffordable heights. C’mon folks, about to be unemployed here, can the rising prices be abated even just a little??
I did bring it upon myself, though, making myself available to chaffeur out of towner friends and then visiting Housebound Friend on Crutches 50 miles away all in the same weekend. And there was the bach’ette party that I completely skipped since it both required much more spending on the drinks and clubs, and was located in the desert, 60 miles in the opposite direction. Honestly, I was so tired by Sunday night that I couldn’t remember what day it was, never mind when and where the party was!
Saving at the (Red)box: In an almost laughable attempt to save money, we skipped renting from Blockbuster and the local shop, opting for the Redbox at the grocery store and a free rental coupon emailed to my phone. Savings? $1.08.
Microscopic savings led to more spending: Tricksy! Those Redboxes are inside grocery stores! And they had those Walker shortbread cookies I so love on sale for less than $4 a box. Mmhmm, ten dollars of groceries later, the brilliance of grocery store + Redbox’s marketing plan was another little thorn in my side. Grawr!
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In other news, this LA Times “
Girls’ Guide to Comic Con 2009” is simultaneously patronizing and frou-frou Entertainment Weekly Lite. Wait, those are the same.
I’m not a rabid fan, but I am a fan and reader enough of comics to see that the reviews of possible reasons for “female fandemonium” are based on Hollywoodisms. For example, why girls might swoon over the upcoming Whiteout?
Alex O’Loughlin for ‘Whiteout’
What more do you need than the hunkiest Aussie to ever play the undead … alive and in the flesh? And as long as he uses his real accent, he can talk all about this murder mystery set in Antarctica. Male lead Gabriel Macht isn’t too shabby either.
Really? Aussie Alex and Gorgeous Gabe?? That’s why gals should be intrigued by Whiteout?
Lemme tell you a little something about Whiteout, the comic. It’s a great cop story written by Greg Rucka, illustrated by Steve Lieber, about a woman named Carrie Stetko. She’s the protagonist of the tale, a U.S. Marshal deeply troubled by her past, who has been exiled to Antarctica and become a rare female year-round resident. The story opens as the peace of her retreat is shattered by murders, and a deeper mystery, which she has to investigate amidst suspicions that there is far more to these murders than simple homicide.
Can’t speak for the movie, or the acting, but I can say that the original story is an excellent read, and, if they actually write the script well, a strong, intelligent, complex female lead would be a great reason to be excited about seeing the promotion for this at Con.
NOT because of two possibly passibly pretty faces.
And, how webcomics facilitate learning. Or making of connections: Today’s Questionable Content is both funny, and led me to research the Bechdel Test. Which led me to this post about women in film that totally reflects the attitude I ranted about above.
June 11, 2009
Here’s a new one on me. I slipped on scheduling my Chase credit card payment due to a number of excuses that just don’t matter. The due date was the 9th, and it wasn’t until a day later that I realized that I couldn’t remember paying the bill! I went back and forth with myself, checking banking and bill pay records to make sure it wasn’t just a glitch in my mental matrix.
*ugh* Nope, no record of paying it.
I quickly hopped online, made the necessary transfers to my checking account, and paid the bill, all the while, kicking myself and muttering under my breath about fools being parted from their planners.
In the follow-up phone call to the company to check the potential late fee and finance charge damage, I recalled that the balance due had never showed up in Yodlee. [Full disclosure, I’d been mucking about with my Chase account online and had signed on a number of times in the last two weeks so I knew the due date, it just got lost amidst the meetings, conference calls, and job applications.] I mentioned that I didn’t recall seeing any minimum payment amount listed online, was that just a glitch?
The customer service rep said that for some accounts, they weren’t requiring a minimum payment and that meant there’d be no late fee. [That’s really odd.] He also said that there would only be finance charges for the time elapsed between the due and payment dates, but he was sure that it’d be waived because of my activity history.
Chase was roundly berated earlier this year for charging $10 monthly service fees, and had to refund millions, but I had no idea that this other practice of not charging minimums even existed. Of course, the rep said not to count on it because he didn’t know what the rules were regulating the exceptions. That just makes me think he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.
Has anyone else seen this before? Heard of it?
June 9, 2009
It’s June 9th.
I still haven’t gotten feedback or follow-up from the place I really really want to hear from, and I have a couple anemic freelance options to consider.
One is a lock but it’s just a favor for a family friend, a one-off deal that I could probably complete in a solid week.
The other is something I really don’t want because it’s going to a huge mess to navigate (workload + politics — TONS of politics) but it may come down to that or unemployment. I’d rather put off the latter for a while longer if there’s a solid financial advantage to making this commitment. We’re in talks this week. A very “we’ll see” situation.
I’ve done my best to keep maintain Zen-mode since the end of last month but it’s slipping from my grasp like a wiggly water toy you play with at the Discovery Channel Store.
The delicate fabric of that calm is revealed when those closest to me ask the most innocent questions about my plans or job situation. It feels something like a vise of atmospheric pressure closing in, reminding me that I still haven’t got my life ordered properly and by the way, young lady, what do you intend to do with your life when you grow up? I’m not sure which movie character menacingly delivers that line, but I’m properly chastised/chagrined every time.
No answer, I’m afraid. But I’ll repair the bastions of calm and move along my day. Trying not to fret too much about the terrifying maw of a completely unscheduled life after a date three weeks into the future.
Strange. Writing about it is rather calming.
