The great debate

I was checking out my Reader today, reading a new PF blog I added yesterday (Well-Heeled, with a Mission) when I came across this post: Musings on unemployment insurance/benefits. This is what it boiled down to: another PF blogger wrote a post about declining to claim unemployment because she was well-off enough to not need it at the time. While this is fine (it’s her prerogative, after all), her tone in writing the post indicated that she felt “above” claiming unemployment. Commenters noted her “elitist” attitude.  I see where she’s coming from though… I initially didn’t want to claim because I thought other people needed it more than I did and I didn’t think I deserved it, but I changed my mind.

Here’s the comment I left on Well-Heeled:

I just read Dog’s post, and I can see both sides of the coin. I, too, recently lost my job (thankfully, I was re-hired about 6 weeks later) and had to decide whether or not I was going to file for unemployment.

I had some money stashed away in a savings account, hoping to use it for a new car, a wedding, or a down payment (at that point, I was just stashing away money for a major purchase), so I wasn’t immediately in need of cash, but I knew how tough the job market was for marketing people, as I had just graduated from college in May. I wasn’t going to take any chances and not be able to pay rent or student loan bills.

At first I felt bad, like I was trying to get my hands on money that other people needed more, but I realized that I worked so that I *could* collect if I lost my job.

And I’ll tell you what: I’m glad I filed when I did (2 days after losing my job) because I didn’t get any money for 6 weeks. Money was starting to get really tight, and now I can breathe a little easier, knowing I had that buffer.

That was really the rundown of my experience making the decision to claim. I finally got my money yesterday, thank God. I was starting to worry! I get my first paycheck tomorrow, too, to I’m back on the road to financial stability.

Whew!

Yay and Nay

Yay

I forgot to pull something out of the freezer before I left for work yesterday, and the BF had the night off, so I grabbed some cocktail shrimp we had in the freezer and was going to make scampi with it. I wasn’t really feeling it thanks to all the pasta I ate last week, so I was super-relieved when the BF suggested we go to LongHorn Steakhouse for dinner. We usually go for a nice occasion (birthday, anniversary, after graduation, etc.) but it was fun to go on a random night. I don’t even know why I bother looking at the menu, since I’ve gotten the same thing just about every time I’ve been there: Flo’s 7 oz. filet with a Caesar salad and loaded baked potato. The BF got the same thing, but had his steak wrapped in bacon. Oh. My. God. It was SO good, like it is every time we go. I have never been disappointed with the meal there– the steak is so tender and flavorful you can’t help but to close your eyes and savor the flavor. My blackberry mojito was excellent– probably the best mojito I’ve had since my cruise a few years ago. I recommend you seek out the nearest LongHorn and go there immediately.

Nay

Since signing up for RedBox alerts, I’ve gotten a promo code every Monday for a free movie. We decided to use the code last night after dinner, and picked up The Wrestler. I was really not a fan. I don’t think the BF liked it much, either, which was too bad. The upside to the movie: I finally figured out what it takes to make a movie the Academy recognizes for Oscar nominations. Don’t make an ending. Just cut to black in the middle of a scene and leave the audience hanging. Same thing happened in There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, and another one that escapes me right now. Let me tell you one thing about this cinematic technique: I. HATE. IT. Want to piss me off? Don’t finish the movie. Ugh.

Link love: PF blogs

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you probably have realized by now that I’m trying to make a big change in my financial health and get rid of my debt. I steal just about all of my ideas from the personal finance blogs in my Google Reader. Check ‘em out!

• Blogging Away Debt
• Bargaineering
• Boston Gal’s Open Wallet
• BrokeAss Gourmet
• Budgets Are Sexy
• Girls Just Wanna Have Funds
• Make Love, Not Debt
• Million Dollar Journey
• Mrs. Micah: Finance for a Freelance Life
• My Dollar Plan
• No Credit Needed
• The Simple Dollar

These are all great sites, and after reading most of them for a while, I feel like I really get to know the writers. It’s a nice feeling! Each deals with different topics about personal finance, so you can pick and choose what you like.

I tend to skip posts about investing, since I’m a ‘fraidy cat and want to focus more on debt reduction and saving than on building wealth.

While I’m on the topic, I should mention that I love using Mint for tracking my spending and calculating my net worth and such. I’ve linked up all my bank accounts, credit cards, and student loans to it so I can see where all my money goes. I’ve turned on a few friends to the site, and they’re loving it, too. I can’t recommend it enough– it might take a little while to get everything set up and running smoothly, but it’s worth it. Tip: write down your security questions for all your financial sites before trying to synch them up with Mint. It makes the process a lot easier.

Absurdly nice weather

The weather people tell me it’s going to be seriously nice out for the next couple of days.

Proof:

To honor the lovely weather, I’ve decided to share what I have for plans so far with you all. Enjoy.

Friday

Jeans and Bagel Fridays in the office, so it’s automatically a good day. A coworker and I have decided to take a walk from our office near the Children’s Museum up to the Common after a lunchtime conference call. It’s a nice long walk, so we’ll have time to enjoy the weather while not shirking our work duties (very important, you know!).

The BF doesn’t have to work Friday night (score!!!) so maybe we’ll figure out some nice outdoor activity to engage in before it gets dark and cold. Maybe a walk around the Lake? And I’m thinking Chinese food would be good, since we haven’t had it in a while. Probably watching some more episodes of CSI: when we finally quit the outdoors.

Saturday

I told my mom I’d help her get some serious cleaning done to get ready for the open house she’s having next weekend. I’m going to try to finagle an outside job, maybe even conning her into cleaning her car (not house-related, but welcome all the same). I plan to wear a bathing suit and soak up as much sun as humanly possible. The BF has to work at 2, so he’ll come over and help in the morning then head to work. I’ll help Mum as long as she needs it, then maybe figure out a place to hang up our hammock at our apartment and read for a bit in the yard. If nothing else, I’m stealing my beach chair from Mum’s house and setting it up. Then shower and change, eat, and head to The Greatest Bar with old roomie and her BF for some fun. I’ll probably offer up my DD services, since it’s his sister’s birthday, and they should have fun!

Sunday

Whatever sunbathing I didn’t get in on Saturday will be accomplished on Sunday, potentially with a double lap around the Lake for good measure. After all, I told the BF I’d run the last 10 miles of the Boston Marathon with him next year, and I should probably get started with that. He has to work at 1, so I’ll have the rest of the day to myself to figure out what’s good.

Note: I should probably add my plans for tonight, even though the weather’s crappy.

• Pop pizza in the oven
• Eat
• BF goes to work at 7
• Change into workout clothes, grab book & water
• I go to Marshall’s & TJ Maxx shortly thereafter
• Start quest for adorable but inexpensive bikini (pinup style preferred, of course, since it’s my latest obsession)
• Realize my quest is basically doomed to failure because I’m cheap and love food too much
• Go to gym and read
• Come home and watch The Office or CSI: if I get back in time (the gym might be skipped… who knows?)
• Sleeeeeeeeeeeep

Reminiscing

This morning, I decided to listen to the mix the BF had in The Jeep when we went on our first date just about 5 years ago. The whole time we were driving to Richardson’s in Middleton (for mini golf and ice cream, of course!) I kept saying “Oh my God, I LOVE this song! And this one! This is a great mix!” And now listening to it again, even after 5 years (of constant listening, mind you), I still think it’s a great mix. Plus, it has SO many happy memories associated with it, since it was in The Jeep for just about the whole summer.

Here it is, since I know you’re dying to know:

• “Amber,” 311
• “Satellite,” Dave Matthews Band
• “My Hero,” Foo Fighters
• “So Much More,” Switchfoot
• “Dammit,” Blink-182
• “Wish You Were Here,” Incubus
• “Space Between,” Dave Matthews Band
• “The Middle,” Jimmy Eat World
• “Pardon Me,” Incubus
• “Paranoid,” Green Day
• “It’s Been a While,” Seether
• “Can’t Stop,” Red Hot Chili Peppers
• “The Scientist,” Coldplay
• “Behind Blue Eyes,” Limp Bizkit (not my usual favorite, but a good remake)
• “Gravedigger,” Dave Matthews Band
• “Your Body is a Wonderland (acoustic),” John Mayer
• “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” Green Day
• “Clocks,” Coldplay
• “Hotel California,” The Eagles

Dear colleagues…

I realize that it’s weird to you that I’ve returned to the company after being laid off just over a month ago. Trust me, I think it’s weird, too. I’m sitting at my same desk, with the same people, working on the same computer (with nothing deleted), but learning how to do different work.

And I’m grateful, very grateful, that I have a job again. And that I was only out of work for about 5 weeks.This isn’t the issue.

The issue is when you say something like “oh, it’s just like you were on vacation!”

I’ll be the first to admit that I was almost relieved when the day came and I had to leave. I had been trying to find a way out for some time, but wanted it to be on my own terms. I was determined to look at it as a blessing in disguise, that being laid off from a job I didn’t find fulfilling, interesting, or any of the other characteristics I was hoping for would allow me to find something so much better. I’ll admit that for the first week, I tried to take advantage of not working as much as I could.

Still, the day after I was laid off, I sent an e-mail to all my friends and family asking for their help in my job search. Two days after being laid off, I went and filed for unemployment. Every single day I wasn’t working, I was scouring the web, looking for open jobs that matched my abilites and experience (very few are out there right now), applying for any job that seemed remotely close, and tracking every single one of my job-related movements. I worked part-time. I had to dip into my savings to make ends meet, something I was sincerely trying to avoid. I was worried that I wouldn’t find a job for months– what would I do? I only had enough savings to maybe cover two months. I was better off than a lot of people, but that’s small comfort when you’re in it yourself.

I don’t mean to sound bitter, though I know I do. I realize that to you, I had a nice break from work for a while and fooled around with some part-time jobs just to get out of the house. It’s not true, and it pains me to think about what would have happened had I not gotten the opportunity to come back.

So, please, if for nothing else than helping me maintain some sanity, don’t tell me it was just like taking a vacation. I’m fine with you asking how it feels to be back, how I like the work so far, and even how I was when I was gone. I’m not unwilling to talk about my experience (which is why I blog, naturally), but please don’t diminish it.

Thanks,

Leah

Cheap thrills

Not those kinds.

I’m talking about good, cheap ways to entertain yourself. Music, movies, and other fun things to do. I’m not so good with coming up with free thrills, but there you have it.

Check out this post over at My Dollar Plan extolling the virtues of redbox. I don’t have a Netflix account myself, though I’ve been thinking about it, but I can tell you that I am a HUGE redbox fan. The fact that it’s at the Stop & Shop near me that also houses my bank and a Starbucks makes it a no-brainer for us. I just signed up here for e-mail and text alerts with coupons for free movies on Mondays. Why not have Movie Mondays, where you get a free movie, make a pizza together with this recipe from BrokeAssGourmet, and ease into your workweek? Better yet, pair said pizza with a home-brewed beer. I’ll get into that later.

For those of us in the Boston area, we have the luck to be near Newbury Comics. Their tagline, “for a wicked good time,” totally fits. The beauty of Newbury Comics is that not only do they have all the best music available in the CD or vinyl format (I still like having something physical for my music… call me crazy), but they also have tons of movies and TV series on DVD, fun gifts, and comics (though not really my cup of tea). Best of all, Newbury Comics also pays cash for used CDs and DVDs, allowing you to cash in the stuff you’re not using anymore. They then turn around and sell the highest-quality used goods for steep discounts, allowing those of us who haven’t quite gotten around to buying Season 3 of CSI just yet for a whole lot cheaper than new.

Brew your own beer. Sure, it requires a little bit of startup cash for all the brewing equipment, but once you’re good to go, you just have to buy ingredients. The BF got me the starter kit for Christmas, so I was good there, but I had to pick up a brewpot myself, which was a little steep. We kept our beer bottles for a few months in anticipation of our first batch, then we were able to wash them all and recycle them for our own beer. I can’t vouch for the quality of the beer itself, since it depends on a LOT of factors (as I’ve recenly found out), but there are a ton of people out there doing it successfully. Just look at Jim Koch– one day, he’s brewing beer in his kitchen, the next he’s the founder and CEO of the largest American brewery (Sam Adams– and I know it’s by far not the most-drunk beer in America, but it’s still an American company, unlike Bud and Coors, thankyouverymuch). I go to the Beer & Wine Hobby Shop in Woburn, MA for all my goods. It’s a local store, the personnel are very knowledgeable and helpful, and they have just about everything you need. My next kit, a Summer Honey Wheat, cost about $50 total. It makes roughly 5 gallons of beer, translating to 50 bottles, so I will have my own beer for $1 a bottle. Most microbreweries charge in the neighborhood of $8 per six-pack around here, so it’s a deal. Plus, it’s tons of fun and a great conversation starter.

One of the things I really enjoy to do, and savor the fact that it’s free, is go to the beach at night during the summer. There’s rarely anyone else there, the moon is shining high in the sky, and it’s the perfect time to relax, chat, and just enjoy the evening. My favorite spot is Singing Beach in Manchester-by-the-Sea. Normally, it’s resident-only parking near the beach and very few parking spots for non-residents, but after sunset, you can park in the top lot for free. Some beaches don’t allow people to be there after dark, so keep an eye out for posted signs.

PF Confessions

Bless me, personal finance bloggers, for I have sinned. This is my first time at confession.

I didn’t have an emergency fund before I got laid off, but I did have some savings set aside that I could dip into in case of an emergency. I had cashed in my savings bonds in December and put all the money into an ING Orange Savings account (let me know if you want a referral code!) where it could accrue some nice interest.

I was ok money-wise for about a month of my unemployment. I know what you’re thinking: but you’ve only been unemployed a month! Didn’t you get any severance pay? Yes, and yes, I answer you. I was only unemployed a month, and I did get some severance pay. But I still had bills to pay, groceries to buy, and a joint account to contribute to.

By the end of the month, I had to dip into said ING account. I needed $700+ to pay for taxes, and that wasn’t in my checking account. I needed $1000 to contribute to the joint account for rent and utility bills. Now my savings are seriously damaged.

I had to use my credit cards, too. Just before getting laid off, I paid $500 to each one, which I mentioned here, and was feeling pretty good. I regretted this decision when I realized another $1000 in my pocket would have been nice over the past month. I did my best to hold off, but as my checking account balance dwindled, and I still had things I had to buy (my train passes to get into work have been the biggest culprits, but wanting to do Easter baskets for mum, dad, and the BF didn’t help, either), so out came the card.

As penance, though, I have decided to freeze my spending as much as I can for the time being, at least until I get paid at the end of the month (just missed the payroll cutoff for this week) and put all of my unemployment money (if I ever get any *note to self: call the dang DUA*) back into my savings account to boost it back up.

I have also decided to change around my direct deposit allocations. $50 per month will go to a local savings bank, where I have a checking account, and pretty much just sit there as an emergency fund (since ING takes a few days). $100 will go to ING to my savings account. I plan to use this account for major purchases and/or events, which may include a new car, a wedding (not up to me on the timeline for that particular event), or a down payment on a house. This account might be split into three distinct areas for said major purchases/events, but that’s pending a discussion with the BF when both our finances rebound a bit. The rest of my check will go straight to my checking account for bill paying and discretionary cash.

And once I’ve evened out a bit more (read: after the end of this month, once all my bills are paid for the time being and I’m earning a steady paycheck again), I’ll get my debt snowball crackin’ in earnest. I still want both my credit cards paid off ASAP and would like to clear out some of my smaller student loans shortly thereafter.

Wind, the bathroom, and big news!

So I’m sitting at my desk in our apartment, and the window in front of me keeps rattling. It’s an old house, so lots of things rattle and groan on a fairly regular basis, but this seemed a little weird. I thought it was the dumb neighbors driving like Andretti up and down their driveway again (I’m thinking this is their favorite hobby) or just sitting in the driveway, letting their giant SUV idle for 20 or so minutes. I opened the blinds, and to my surprise, it’s not the neighbors. It’s the wind, rattling all the windows and the vent to the dryer. But it’s sunny and warm, so I’m not complaining.

Speaking of the dryer, it’s fixed and up to code! Woooooohoooooo! Finally! The bathroom saga is coming to a close, or so we think. The dryer is finally up and running, so that’s out of the way. Evidently, the plumber (the third to come over) is coming back to “decomission” the existing bathroom eventually, and is installing a something-or-other to push more hot water to the heat in the bathroom, but that doesn’t have to be done until it gets cold again (there isn’t much by way of heat in there). I asked the landlord about the mirror (there still isn’t one, preventing me from doing my makeup and hair in the bathroom instead of the bedroom), and she said she was going down to the glass shop today to figure out what the deal is. I’m hoping that goes in pretty quickly, and then the BF and I will buy some baskets for the shelves we have in there and finally organize all the stuff we’ve been stashing all over the place. We’ll put the linens in the bathroom, then we’ll put what little booze we have (beer in the fridge, of course) in the little built-in cupboard we’ve been storing the linens in. Whew!

And, finally, I have some big news. I got a call from my old company, and they said they want me back! It’s a different position with a different boss, and at this point, I’m 98% sure I’m going to take it. I’m probably going in to meet with a few people on Monday about the position (subbing fell through for that day) and make my final decision then. I’ll be going back on April 13! Sayonara, unemployment! Interestingly, I’ll likely receive my first unemployment check the week I start working again. A friend of mine, who was unemployed earlier this year for a while, said his check took 6 weeks, and there we go. It was a month ago yesterday that I was laid off, and it’ll be 6 weeks when I start back up. Go figure.

Look! I blogged somewhere else!

So I’ve mentioned that I’ve been working with Rachel for a few weeks now, and I got to post an entry on her blog introducing myself and talking about one of the weddings she shot. Check it out!

I’m so glad the bride saw it and left a comment… it made me happy!