Speaking of money and not having any...

My new lamp. $9.99 at Ikea.

This is a great website, as featured in this CNN story. I couldn't do it, but the idea is fascinating.

Wherein I tell a secret

I’m about $600 away from paying off a credit card that has haunted me since 2006. I kid you not, I’ve been trying to pay this stupid thing off for what feels like forever. I’ve gotten close a couple other times during the last few years, but unemployment happened, more than once, and I found myself racking up the balance to keep myself afloat. But I can see the finish line now and that is a good feeling.

Let me just say, I’m not one of those people who have severe credit card problems. I don’t use them (anymore) and don’t even keep them in my wallet. The average household has approximately $15,000 in credit card debt, which is pretty astonishing in and of itself. I’m nowhere near this, but the credit card debt I have accumulated has been my own personal demon, weighing down my self-worth in a cloud of shame and regret. In the times I have been unemployed, my debt caused me serious anxiety. Those bills come like clockwork and they don’t care that you have been laid off twice in the last year. It significantly affected my health, even causing me to lose quite a bit of weight from the worry, which in normal circumstances I’d be thrilled. But dropping lb’s because I’m wretched with anxiety is no fun – no matter how small my dress size gets.

The point in talking about this is to write down a goal of mine that I truly feel is attainable now. I want to be completely out of debt by 2012. I can do it. Debt is such a restraining force and it’s no wonder we (us Mormons) are counseled to avoid it completely. I really can’t wait to be free of it. In doing so, I’m making a public list of expenses I will work on cutting out or significantly decreasing in the next year:

1. Eating Out – bring my lunch to work or go home and eat.

2. Netflix – I don’t even use it that often.

3. Gas – Consolidate trips and walk to work (when the weather gets warmer)

4. Clothes – Avoid Target

5. ProActive – Don’t judge, this stuff is good. But I don’t have acne and it’s way more expensive than those commercials make you think!

6. Hair Appointments – Go longer between appointments.

If I can just work on these 6 things, I know I would save myself quite a bit of money. Saving has never been a strong suit of mine, so this will definitely be a challenge. But it will be worth it what I can finally make that last stupid payment and get the satisfaction of knowing these credit card companies won’t be taking one more dime of my money!

Things that must go...

1. Turning left when there is no center left turn lane. Drive 2100 South between 1300 and 900 East during lunchtime and you will know what I’m talking about. See those double yellow lines? That means you can’t turn. So STOP BACKING UP TRAFFIC FOR DAYS and MOVE.

2. Taking a picture of you and your meal. You know the ones, where they hold up their plate, slightly angled and flash a proud smile. I find this weird. And let’s be honest. You’re at Applebee’s. Enough said.

3. Winter. In general.

4. Realebrities. Because these people are famous for nothing.

5. Brad Womack, aka The Bachelor. Not only did he already get his shot, he’s got to be the most awkward, personality-deficient Bachelor EVER. P.S. Emily will not win and thus be invited back as the next Bachelorette. I’m calling that right now.

6. "Strategic goals", “Just calling to touch base”, “Thinking outside the box”, and “All on the same page.”

7. Red Bull Cola. Don’t ask me under what circumstances I was forced to drink one, but I did. And it was horrible.

8. Did I mention winter?

9. Guys whose entire approach in communication is via text message. Or Facebook. If you don’t have the guts to talk to me on the phone, or GASP! face-to-face, don’t bother.

10. Words With Friends only giving me vowels. WTF…or more like AEI.