Tag Archives: shopping

Finding The Perfect Piece (or I’m Glad I Didn’t Buy Just Anything)

Posted on April 26, 2023 | Comments Off on Finding The Perfect Piece (or I’m Glad I Didn’t Buy Just Anything)

As I’ve said multiple times about getting everything set up in my home, I have a lot of things I still want to get but I’m not rushing into buying things. I want to find the right things and not just get something to have a new item. I’m also more willing to spend a bit more on things since I want to get nice pieces and something that will last. I have been lucky with a few of the things I have gotten that were cheap, but I know that’s not always the case.

I have a few different websites that I look at from time to time to search for what I still want to find. I know things online don’t change that often, but you never know when they will update what they carry and when you might find exactly what you want. It is a bit hard since I don’t know what I want for everything, but it’s usually pretty clear whether something has potential.

One of the categories I’ve been looking at online has been outdoor furniture. I have an outdoor table because it is made from extra material from my kitchen counters placed on top of 2 cheap tables. It’s a nice piece and probably fancier than what I would have bought if I was looking in a store, but I like it. But besides from broken plastic chairs that came with my condo, I didn’t have any seating for my patio. So when I wanted to sit outside, I had to bring a towel with me and sit on top of that. It’s not the worst option, and it’s better than having no outdoor space, but I knew I wanted to find some seating. I had an idea of what I would want, but I also knew that would depend on what I found and the sizes of those pieces.

I was looking at the IKEA website recently and noticed they added a few new outdoor couches and chairs. And I found a set that looked like it could be perfect! It came as a loveseat as well as a chair, and I thought that those 2 could be exactly what I’ve been looking for. A lot of outdoor furniture is wood, and I had been warned that there could be a lot of maintenance with wood and needing to stain it every year. But this set was a metal mesh, so it wouldn’t have that same concern. It was more expensive than the wooden pieces, but not too unreasonable compared to what I had been looking at online.

But I wanted to make sure they were comfortable before buying, even though I knew I could always return it. So I went to the big IKEA with my friend Robert this past weekend to check them out and see if these were what I wanted. And he also had some things he wanted to look at, so it was perfect for us to go together.

We found the loveseat and chair pretty quickly and tested them out. And they were so comfortable! They are very deep, but I have the space on my patio for them (which is one of the advantages of having a patio versus a balcony). I had shown my parents these pieces before I went, and I wanted to send them a photo of how nice they were, but I only got one of the chair. But you can tell how big the chair is and can imagine what two of those side by side would be for the loveseat.

I wanted to measure my patio again before ordering, so I knew that I would be ordering them online when I got home. But I was glad that I confirmed that they were comfortable and I liked how they looked. Robert and I continued with our shopping, but I didn’t get anything other than an Icee when we were done. But he found what he needed so I considered it a very successful outing.

When I got home, I realized that I probably wouldn’t have the space to do both the loveseat and chair. I talked to my parents some more, and we figured that I should just get the loveseat and see how things look. I can always buy the chair another time if I think it would be right. And my parents said that they would buy the loveseat as an early birthday present for me!

I’m so excited to be able to use my patio more this summer. I really didn’t get much use out of it last year, but once I can build the loveseat I can enjoy my evenings and weekends out there just reading and relaxing. And I still want to probably get a few more things for my patio, but just having somewhere to sit other than on the ground is a great start!

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Default ThumbnailFinding The Perfect Gifts (or A Gift A Year In The Making) Default ThumbnailMaking My Friend Try On Wedding Dresses (or I’m So Glad She Found The Perfect Dress!) Default ThumbnailI Feel Like I’m Always Buying Stuff (or Some Small And Big Upgrades) Default ThumbnailReally Seeing What I Need To Buy Now (or I Need To Cut Back On Spending Again) Default ThumbnailStill Finding Little Ways To Upgrade (or Figuring Out What I Want To Save For) Default ThumbnailA Birthday Present For Me And My House (or Thank You Mom And Dad!)

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Finding Fun In Regular Errands (or Having A Friend Tag Along Makes Things More Interesting)

Posted on December 6, 2022 | Comments Off on Finding Fun In Regular Errands (or Having A Friend Tag Along Makes Things More Interesting)

I saw something on social media a few months ago about how someone was going to start suggesting doing mundane errands with friends as hangouts instead of going to do something like get dinner or drinks. I didn’t think too much about it at the time. Still, I did remember seeing how many people commented about being single and missing the companionship of a significant other when doing things like grocery shopping and how they used to feel more like outings than errands. Because I usually do my errands at random times or without much planning ahead of time, I didn’t think about trying to do something like that.

But a friend of mine had mentioned wanting to go to Costco and they didn’t have a Costco card. I have one and I go every few months or so. I don’t usually get food items at Costco unless I’m getting something special, but I like to see what other goods they have there. I have gotten a lot of random and cool things for my place like storage baskets, dishes, and kitchen gadgets. So I made sure that I let my friend know when I was planning on going to Costco again so they could come with me.

We ended up going this past weekend after I was done with work, and I have to admit that the idea on social media about having friends come to do errands was right. It was one of the more fun times I’ve gone to Costco. I had a few things on my list, but I usually also make a loop through the store to see if there is anything else that I like because there are always new items in stock. I normally go through the store the same way each time, just because it makes sense for me to go in that order. And my friend and I were just having fun looking at all the random stuff we kept finding.

I was showing them some things that I had purchased before, like my new dishes since they were still selling those. And in the cookware area, we saw they were selling a set of dutch ovens for a pretty good price. I did need a dutch oven, but I didn’t need two. So my friend suggested we buy the set and we could each take one. That was perfect and I never would have been able to do that if I had gone shopping alone. We also ended up splitting up some food things that we saw since neither of us needed the full amount and things had individual servings.

And it was nice to have someone to show things I was looking at and get a second opinion. There was a blanket I had seen online that I thought would be nice for my couch, and I was able to show them and they helped me decide what color would be best. When I saw something I wasn’t expecting to find, like some really nice fleece PJs, they also could give an opinion on the impulse purchases.

And since they hadn’t been to Costco before, it was fun showing them around and having them be excited about what we found. We found a really cool Harry Potter cookbook in the book section and a Lego advent calendar in the holiday section. Both of those were things they wouldn’t have found at other stores but they were perfect things to get on their shopping outing with me.

Even though I was going through the store with a friend, I wasn’t there much longer than when I go alone. I think that normally, I spend a lot of time looking at stuff and trying to decide if I want them since I don’t have a friend there as a sounding board. So the extra time we spend having fun was balanced with the time I saved not having to make decisions on my own. And it was seriously so much more fun than when I go alone.

I know that I can’t do this with all my boring errands since I can’t plan when I might have to do them, but it did remind me that I could spend time with my friends doing things that don’t feel as extravagant. And that there are ways to have more fun with the things I have to do when I have the opportunity. And I think unless going to Costco in the future is a spur-of-the-moment decision, I’m going to keep trying to find friends to go with me to make it more of an adventure than an errand.

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A Busy Building Weekend (or Having My Parents Help Me Continue To Put My Place Together)

Posted on October 26, 2022 | Comments Off on A Busy Building Weekend (or Having My Parents Help Me Continue To Put My Place Together)

My parents have been able to come to LA a couple of times since we bought the condo. They hadn’t seen it before it was officially ours, which was a little odd, but they had been on Facetime with me a lot so they had an idea of what it looked like. Plus they trusted the realtor we used and looked into all the inspection details so things weren’t a big surprise for them. They also were here before the remodel started so we could finalize details such as the stone and tile we would use. They came down during the remodel to ensure things were working the way they should. And then they were here when things were technically done and I had moved in, but that was before the floors had to be redone. So they have seen my home in all different stages.

As I have gotten new things, I have shared photos or videos with them so they have been aware of the changes I’ve continued to make. But they hadn’t been able to see the place in person since right after I moved in (which was the time we found my new couch). They usually have planned their visits down here around the time they would be seeing my brother, but they had a trip to Santa Barbara earlier this where it didn’t make sense for my parents to see me because they could only be here on weekdays. I work all day, so I knew if I really wanted to see them it would have to be a weekend. So they planned a weekend in LA and then planned to see my brother around that. And we had a pretty busy weekend.

My parents brought some stuff down for me this time, including a new bark planter for me to put in my backyard.

I had bark planters at my old place, but they were really old and brittle so it was time for an upgrade. And my dad was able to make me this one and then they found a little stand with wheels so I can move it around (it’s too heavy to really lift and move). My dad also helped me out and planted the new plants I bought in it, so hopefully, I will be able to keep those plants alive.

We also had a trip to Ikea. My parents hadn’t been to Ikea before, so I figured it would be fun to go in person instead of me just ordering some things I was looking at online and having them shipped. Plus, there were a few things I was undecided on and wanted to see in person before I decided what to buy. On my list for this trip was a new vanity for my room, some storage for my bathroom, and a big full-length mirror.

I was successful in finding a new vanity, but it actually wasn’t the one I expected to get. When we looked at them in person, I found one that I liked more and that I think fit into my room better. The storage thing I was looking at for my bathroom was the right thing so I got that too. But the mirrors just weren’t the right thing for what I needed, so I’ll have to find something at another store.

Because of how Ikea is set up, we spent a while walking around and looking at the different areas and what things might work for me or inspire an idea. And while we were walking around, I found a cabinet that I had been looking at for a while but hadn’t gotten. I wanted some more shoe storage and something near my entryway to have a place to display things and just to ground the space. So I showed my parents what I had been looking at and they agreed it would be perfect as well. I wasn’t sure about the color since I had originally looked at the white one, but we decided something a little darker would be nice and a good contrast against the paint color.

When we got home from Ikea, we had a list of things to get through. There were a few other tasks I wanted some help with, like hanging some art that I hadn’t put up yet. But most of our afternoon and evening was filled with building the new cabinet and vanity. And I have to say after the cabinet was done that it was exactly the right thing to put in that space.

I haven’t put all my shoes away yet and I might use one of the drawers for something else, but it really fills in the space that you see when you walk in the door and I love that it’s really shallow so it doesn’t block my hallway too much. It really was the perfect thing for that space and I’m so glad that I got it!

Because my parents were only here for the weekend and we had a lot of things to get done, we didn’t do much else while they were here. But that’s ok since I knew this visit would be one that was spent doing a lot of random work. We didn’t get everything done that we wanted to, but a lot was accomplished. And I know the next time that they are here, I’ll have more things for us to put together and to make my home feel even more complete.

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This Is A Lot Of Stuff Coming Together (or Another Post About Budgeting And Spending)

Posted on October 21, 2022 | Comments Off on This Is A Lot Of Stuff Coming Together (or Another Post About Budgeting And Spending)

I just wrote about how there are things I’ve been buying for my new place and how I need to make sure I don’t buy too much. I did mention how I wanted to be careful about what I spend because I could see how things could get out of control. And because I’m trying to buy quality products, those tend to be more expensive. I know that buying something that costs a bit more will be worth it in the long run because things will last longer, but it’s tempting to buy something cheaper just to save some money.

I also have written quite a bit about budgeting and how I’ve gotten out of my habit of using different budgeting apps. I do still need to figure out what will work for me because I’m not sure if any apps I’ve used before will be the right thing. I might just have to do something really basic like using a spreadsheet or even handwriting stuff. I just haven’t felt as motivated because I’ve been in a better financial spot than I was in the past and I haven’t had to worry about affording things the way I have in the past.

But I think those things combined have really come to a head this month. I have had some new recurring expenses to deal with that I think I’m still getting used to. I also had to pay my property taxes and I decided to pay for the full year at once instead of splitting it into 2 payments. I also have a few other big expenses this month such as my homeowner insurance that I haven’t paid for. All of that plus my shopping has made my expenses this month significantly higher than normal. But because I’m not doing my usual budgeting work, I don’t think I was aware of how much higher it was until I had to log into my bank and I saw the numbers in front of me.

I’m fine and I have the money to cover what I need to cover, but I’ve realized that what I felt like I had saved up wasn’t as high as it used to be. I know that paying the property taxes was a lot of this (which is almost like paying a year of rent at one time), but it was also some of the things I bought this month that I might not have thought as much about. I used to be a lot better about comparing prices for things that I buy and being willing to buy from different places if it will save me enough. I don’t drive around and waste gas to buy stuff, but if something is cheaper at CVS than on Amazon, I would drive those few minutes to get it even though ordering from Amazon is easier. I’ve gotten lazy with buying stuff and just buying things wherever it’s convenient. I know that saving a few dollars here and there won’t make a huge difference, but it will make some difference.

I think this was the reality check that I needed. Even though I knew my expenses were higher than normal, I don’t think I knew exactly how much more it was. And it really made me start thinking about what I really need versus what I want and can wait for. And I want to be more aware of the random things I get because $20 might not seem like a lot but if I have 5 random $20 purchases a month, that’s $100. I don’t think I’m buying frivolous stuff that I didn’t need, but I do know that I have been buying stuff that I could have waited a bit longer for.

Of course, I’m saying all this before I do some furniture shopping with my parents. I know there’s a good chance I’ll be spending more than I would like this weekend because we are looking for some bigger items that I haven’t been able to get yet. But I’m also really thinking about what I really need at this time and what I might be able to spread out purchases over time. For example, I know we will be looking at patio furniture, but maybe I could just get one thing that I want, and then at a later date, I can buy something else to go with it. I’m not sure if that will end up happening, especially since I’m looking at sets of things. But at least I can be a bit more mindful of what I’m getting.

And as I’ve said multiple times already, I need to find a new way to do some budget planning and this was another gut check that I really need to start trying new systems even if they only last a month or two because I don’t want to be this unaware of my spending again. I’m lucky now that it’s not going to cause me any issues, but if this happens again I don’t know if my financial situation will be the same. And I know what it was like before and I don’t want to repeat that situation.

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I Feel Like I’m Always Buying Stuff (or Some Small And Big Upgrades)

Posted on October 20, 2022 | Comments Off on I Feel Like I’m Always Buying Stuff (or Some Small And Big Upgrades)

When I moved, there were obviously a lot of things I needed to buy. I tried to limit what I bought and wanted to find ways to repurpose what I already owned, but I found out that wasn’t always working for me. I would have loved to have not bought as much as I did, but also I know that the things I got made my place feel more like home and less like an unsettled space. For example, I loved my old couch but it felt so weird in my new living room and it always made it feel unfinished because there was so much extra space. Getting a couch that fits the space really made a difference. And even though there are other things I would like to upgrade, if they are usable and fit the space, I’m trying to wait to get them unless I find an amazing deal. I know I have spent a lot of money in the past few months, and I need to slow that down.

But there are 2 categories of things that I feel like I’m still buying a bit of. First are things that I didn’t have in the old place that I wanted for the new one. And the other are things that are cheap improvements or upgrades (although those can add up and be a lot of money if I get too many of them). I’m still not trying to rush into any purchases, even if they are cheap ones, because I know that’s a waste. But I’ve gotten a few more new things this past week that are helping to bring my place even more together.

There are a lot of things I have wanted to get for my guest room/office. The biggest one will be the bookcase murphy bed that I will get eventually. I thought I would get that before the end of this year, but I think it will be pushed back until next year. I have decided to hire someone to put it together, and I need to find a good handyman who will do that and make sure I budget for that as well. I also think that I would like to get a new desk eventually, but I’m in no rush to replace the one I have now. It’s just something on my mind whenever I’m looking online or at different stores to get ideas. But one thing I knew I wanted to try to find soon for that room was some additional seating. I like the idea of also making the room feel like a den or reading area since the bed I will put in there will mainly be a bookcase and only rarely used as a bed. I found a style of chair that I liked, but the chairs were pretty pricey so I wasn’t sure when I would get them. And I wanted to get two chairs just to make things look balanced, so that added to the cost.

When I was doing some online searching the other day, I was looking at the chair I was thinking I would get and decided to try to see what else was recommended if I was considering that chair. And the store suggested almost the same chair, but this one came as a pair. It was the same price as the single chair I had been looking at, so basically, each chair was half the cost. I decided that was worth it and I didn’t mind the differences, so I ordered them. And I got them and put them together the other day.

They weren’t as easy to put together as I thought they would be because the instructions were missing some steps. So when I put the first one together, it took a few tries to get everything right. But the second chair was much easier to do and now I have some nice seating that I can use in that room or in my living room if I need more chairs. And I think once I get more stuff in that room, it won’t look as stark and bare. But that will come in time.

I’m also getting ready for my family to visit me this weekend and part of what we will be doing is working on my backyard. I needed to go get some plants for a planter my dad is bringing for me, and I decided to get that plus see what other plants looked interesting. I don’t have the best track record of keeping plants alive, but at least they aren’t too expensive so if they don’t make it I didn’t waste too much money. But I only wanted to get one additional plant since I wanted to see how I did with taking care of it. I looked around the garden area of Home Depot and ended up finding these peppers that looked cool. I won’t eat these peppers, but at least I think they will add some color to my patio.

I hope I can keep these alive, but if I can’t, at least they will be nice for a month or so. But I’m really going to try to take care of them and I did get some of those watering globes so I can make sure that they are getting the right amount of water. I know that I probably over or underwater plants I have, so regulating that should help me not kill them.

I’m sure there will be more things and upgrades I buy in the near future. I know I’ll be doing some shopping when my parents are here, and those are things I have planned for. But I also know that if there are inexpensive things that I see that I know will improve my space, I will probably also be getting unplanned things too.

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Still Finding Little Ways To Upgrade (or Figuring Out What I Want To Save For)

Posted on August 26, 2022 | Comments Off on Still Finding Little Ways To Upgrade (or Figuring Out What I Want To Save For)

At the start of the pandemic, I bought a lot of new things. I think a lot of people did that, probably because there wasn’t a lot to do when everyone was staying home and a lot of people were out of work. Some of the things I bought were things I needed because I was staying home, such as stuff to work out at home. And some things I bought because I wanted to upgrade the place I was living in. I got things to organize my kitchen better, new decorations because I was bored looking at the same walls all the time, and other little upgrades of things that I didn’t need but wanted.

And when I moved, I didn’t take all of those upgraded things with me since many things were bought specifically for my old place. I didn’t need any of the kitchen organizers I got because I have 4 or 5 times the storage space in my kitchen and the organizers I’m looking at are different dimensions. I upgraded my curtains and bedding, and those wouldn’t fit into my new room. I did bring all my workout stuff with me, but they are currently in my closet since I’m not using them.

But there have been some things on my list that I wanted to upgrade for a while that I never got around to at the beginning of the pandemic. And when I found out about a year ago that I would need to find a new place, I stopped focusing on finding those things since I wanted to see what my living situation would be like. Most of these things I put on hold were for my kitchen. I’ve been wanting to get new dishes and new pots and pans for quite a while. But I also didn’t want to just get anything and not make sure it was the right thing or something I loved. I also had wanted to get new silverware, but I lucked out and found a new set that I loved right when I was planning on moving, so I didn’t bring my old ones with me in the move and just had the new ones. But I haven’t been as lucky with everything I wanted to find.

And now, I’m feeling much more settled and I have a better idea of the things I need and want. It’s probably better that I didn’t get things before I moved because I can plan out better. For example, there are some baking pans and dishes I was looking at before, and I found a new set just the other day that would fit in much better into my space that I never would have gotten at my old place because there would have been no room to store them. If I’m looking at pots and pans, I can take the measurements of my drawers and find a set that will fit in perfectly. For the dishes I will eventually buy, I can find a set that goes along with the colors of my condo instead of what colors I had at my old place. I think when I finally get some of these new things, it will feel like a big refresh of the space and I know it will be a huge upgrade since some of the things I have now aren’t in the best condition.

Of course, everything costs money, and if I’m going to invest in nice things that will cost more than if I just got something cheap that I didn’t care about. But I don’t want just buy whatever I can find on sale or for cheap. Even though some of the things I have now aren’t perfect, I can manage. Some of my dishes are chipped and can’t go through the dishwasher, so I just handwash those items and put the rest in the dishwasher. It’s not perfect, but it works. And it is giving me time to save up so I can get some very nice things and continue to upgrade my amazing home.

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Being Pushed Into Splurging On Myself (or Time For A New Computer)

Posted on March 3, 2022 | Comments Off on Being Pushed Into Splurging On Myself (or Time For A New Computer)

It feels like it wasn’t that long ago that I was buying a new laptop. But it was about 5 1/2 years ago now that I bought the laptop I have now. And I use it a lot every day. I work my jobs from my computer, and that can require having a lot of different windows open at once. I know I could probably do things on two screens to be a little less hectic, but I’ve gotten used to how I do things.

But as we all know, technology doesn’t last forever. And my laptop has been having issues for a little while now. It started with a few software issues, but everything was something I could find a way to work around. It might involve a few extra steps to do things like using my printer, but it wasn’t that bad and I could manage it. Then, the keys on my keyboard started to break. It’s been almost a year since I started having keyboard issues, but most of them were able to be fixed. But I couldn’t fix everything so there are 2 keys that are not technically attached anymore but I can still type if I’m careful. I also have a second keyboard I can use as a backup, but I prefer not to use it. And for the past few weeks, my computer has started to freeze as I work. I know it’s a memory issue and I’m trying to do too much. But I also need to do all of that in order to work.

I had told myself originally that I was going to get a new laptop when they were released. But when the new MacBook Pros came out, it was while I was in the middle of a lot of stuff with the condo and my focus wasn’t on spending money on other things. And the past few months, I have just told myself I would get a new laptop soon, but I could keep waiting on it. But this week, things started to get really bad with my computer freezing and how often I had to restart things. So I had to just accept the fact that I needed to spend some money to fix this.

Fortunately, I had the money saved for a new laptop so I had the luxury of being able to do this. Computers are not cheap, but I do get a lot of use out of them and I know having a computer that isn’t having all these issues will make my life easier. I did ask a few friends who work with Apple or in technology to make sure I was picking the best laptop for my needs. I had one friend recommend upgrading one thing since I work so much on my computer, but I was pretty close with what I was thinking I would buy. And earlier this week, I bought my new laptop.

Because I am upgrading the base laptop, I can’t just go to the store to buy it. I ordered it online and will be having it shipped to my house. It is nice that I work from home and it will be easy for me to make sure I’m here when it’s delivered since I will need to sign for it. I could have picked it up in the store after it was ready, but the pickup date was later than the delivery options and I would prefer not to have to go to a shopping center if I can help it.

It will be delivered in about 2-3 weeks (according to the timeline right now) and I know I will still have to deal with the issues with my current laptop until it’s here. But I do feel better knowing that I will be using technology that works very soon. And I think it will be nice to have it all set up before I move because I don’t need to add any additional stress to moving and I know I will have to figure out setting up things in my new place quickly so I can work.

Yes, this is a big splurge and it’s expensive, but I know it will be worth it. And if you break down the cost with how long I typically keep my laptops, it’s cheaper per month than a lot of streaming services that I use. So it’s just the shock of the upfront cost that is making me feel a bit anxious. But I know that once it’s here and I’m using a super fast computer, I will feel so much better about this and I will probably not think much about how much I just spent on a single purchase.

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Putting Off A Planned Purchase (or I Don’t Know Why I’m Waiting)

Posted on December 23, 2021 | Comments Off on Putting Off A Planned Purchase (or I Don’t Know Why I’m Waiting)

I’ve been saying I wanted to get a new computer for several months now. And there are a few reasons why I want to do this. First, my computer is starting to really slow down and have trouble with all the different things I need to do for work. It’s not a super old computer, but it’s 6 years old which isn’t that new either. And I know I probably use my computer more than many people, so getting a new one every 5-6 years doesn’t seem too bad to me.

Also, my keyboard is really starting to break. I have needed to replace multiple keys so far. I’m glad I found a site I can order new keys from and it’s not too expensive, but spending $20 for each key replacement adds up when you replace a lot of them. Right now, I have 4 keys that are broken and aren’t fully attached to my computer. I do have an external keyboard I can use when it’s really bad, but it’s not my favorite and I’m not used to typing on it so I have a lot of errors.

If things weren’t running slowly and if my keyboard was fully functional, I still might be looking at getting a new computer for an upgrade, but I think I would be less serious about it than I am now. I was waiting for the newest computers to come out before buying one, and the most recent MacBook Pros did come out earlier this year. I was slowly saving up money from each paycheck so I would have the money to buy it when I was ready, and I do have the money now. But for some reason, I’ve been very hesitant to go and get it.

I think some of my hesitation is about going to the store to get a new computer. I’m still avoiding most stores and public places to stay safe and I know this time of year the Apple store would be very crowded. I do know that there is an option to ship a computer to me, but for some reason I keep telling myself that I will just go to the store so that would be faster. But if I had ordered it online when I originally thought that, I would have had the computer several weeks ago. Also, even though things aren’t great with my computer, they aren’t horrible either. I could wait a bit longer and just push through the issues I’ve been having. But there is no reason for me to do that to myself.

But I think one of the biggest reasons I’m hesitating is because it is a lot of money and I am worried to spend it if I might need it for something else. For a while, I had money in a savings account that felt like a bit of security for me. If for some reason I lost my job or had a crazy expense, that money was my cushion to be ok. But I put all that money into the condo, so I don’t have that anymore. I know I need to redo my budget and make a new plan to start building up some emergency savings, but I wanted to wait until I was moved into the condo so I didn’t have double the expenses. But maybe for peace of mind, I just need to do it so I can feel ok about spending money on what is honestly a business expense for me.

I do know I need to get a new computer soon, and I know I will buy it in the somewhat near future. I just don’t know exactly when I’ll be doing it because I want to feel better about spending that money before I do it. But I also know that when I do and I have the new computer at home, it’s going to be awesome and I’ll probably be wondering why I didn’t do it sooner.

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Tired Of Online Shopping (or There Aren’t A Ton Of Great Options For Me)

Posted on July 15, 2021 | Comments Off on Tired Of Online Shopping (or There Aren’t A Ton Of Great Options For Me)

Ever since I’ve been an adult, I’ve done some of my shopping online. Sometimes the store I want to order from isn’t near me or the local one doesn’t have something in stock. Sometimes the store is online only. And sometimes it’s just about convenience and I’d rather order online than go to a store. I’ve done this for so many things in my life. I can’t think of much that I use that I haven’t bought online at one point or another.

And I went from doing some of my shopping online to all of my shopping online when the pandemic hit. Anything I needed could be ordered online and delivered to me. I didn’t love doing this, but it felt like the safer thing for me to do. And the few places I did go in person to were limited to grocery stores and drug stores. Nothing interesting or exciting, only places to get things I needed. That doesn’t mean I haven’t bought a lot of fun things over the past year and a half. It’s just that everything else has been purchased online. And I’m really starting to feel over it.

I recently found some new bedding I wanted to get for my room. My comforter has been torn for a bit and I was excited to have something new. I took my time to look at a few different places and did price comparisons and looked at reviews. Even though I knew I could return something, I’d rather not do that so I wanted to pick the right thing the first time. And when I got it, it was nothing like what I thought I got. The color was wrong (I ordered something that was supposed to be green and this was more of a yellow) and the fabric was very thin and not soft at all. If I had bought this in a store in person, I wouldn’t have gotten it because I would have known right away that it was wrong. But online, I had no clue until it arrived.

I know that returning things isn’t a huge deal and it’s actually easier now than it used to be. When returning stuff to Amazon, you don’t need a box or anything. You print out a return slip and take the item and the slip to the UPS store and they handle everything else. So that is nice to do, but I’d prefer to not have to do that at all and have the items be right.

It’s even more frustrating with clothes. I look at the size charts and take my measurements to make sure I’m ordering the right size, but that’s not always enough. The fit of items can vary so much. And sometimes, I do end up ordering multiple sizes so I can test them out and return what doesn’t work. Even if I felt comfortable going into stores, I still have to order so much online. Some stores that sell plus-sized clothing only sell it online and not in their stores. And there are a lot of stores that are only online. So trying things on isn’t an option for me. I’m really trying to find new things for my wardrobe, but so far everything I’ve ordered online this month has been returned. I do try to see if I could do some alterations and make the items work, but that isn’t always easy or cheap. It would be so nice if I could just find things that fit me, but I haven’t had any luck. I haven’t given up yet, but it’s hard to feel excited about getting new things when lately everything I get goes back.

I’m trying to be a bit more adventurous with the stores I shop at. I see things online and seek out where they got them and I have discovered new stores I didn’t know about before. Most of the time, I still have to order online, but at least I’m not just shopping at the same places over and over again. And I know that eventually, I’ll have some luck and some new things that I can wear on the random adventures I have now going out of my house and feel awesome and comfortable.

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Being Organized and Stylish (or Working On Getting Into A Post-Pandemic Life)

Posted on July 1, 2021 | Comments Off on Being Organized and Stylish (or Working On Getting Into A Post-Pandemic Life)

Happy July! 2021 is officially half over! And half my monthly challenges for the year are done as well. I haven’t done really well with my monthly challenges, but it’s also been a tough first half of the year for me. Things are getting better for me, so hopefully the challenges will as well. But I also have been picking challenges that I know might take me longer than just a month.

For June, I had a challenge to work on organizing my desk. This was a project that I have been putting off for a while and I knew it needed to be done. My desk has been very messy for a long time and I got lazy with keeping it organized when my work life was in flux. I was storing a lot of paperwork that I might need or used to need and wasn’t too worried about keeping my workspace clean and easy to find everything. But as I started to work more and more, the piles were making my workspace cluttered and I wasted time looking for things.

While this challenge can’t be considered complete, I have made a lot of steps in the right direction and have more work I plan on doing. I have to do a big overhaul of my filing cabinet and storage and it takes time to go through everything I have in there and decide what to keep. I also have been working on scanning paperwork that I want to keep but don’t need the originals. This is a big project and I knew that going into it, but I’m seeing lots of progress and I know it will continue to be worked on. Hopefully soon, I’ll have the nice and clean workspace that I dream of.

And for July, my challenge is all about being out and about in the world again. I tend to wear a lot of comfortable clothes. When working at home, you don’t need to dress cute and I would prefer to be comfortable. And when I wasn’t going out for anything, staying in comfortable clothes all the time became the norm. But as I am going out and doing things more and more, I want to find ways to feel cute and stylish again.

This doesn’t necessarily mean I need to buy a ton of new clothes. I will buy a few new things, but I’m working on being a bit picky and making sure they are really what I want. But I have plenty of clothes that I could wear, I just am out of the habit of putting together outfits. And I want to take more risks with style a bit. For a long time, I dressed to hide my body. I don’t know if that made me think I was hiding my size and shape or it was just a lack of confidence. But I’ve realized that there’s no point in me doing that. I want to feel cute and if someone sees what I really look like then they do. A good example of a risk (that seems like a very nothing risk) I took recently with clothes was tucking in a flowy shirt with jeans. In the past, I would let it stay flowy over my stomach and feel ok that you couldn’t see anything. But it also made me look bigger than I really am. So I did a French tuck in the front so it was still flowy but you could see my shape. I won’t say I was completely comfortable with it, but it felt good to not feel like I’m in shapeless clothes and I tried to feel more confident. But I think the more I do this, the easier it will be for me.

So hopefully this month, I will work on finding new favorite outfits in my closet and finding ways to feel more stylish. I know this is superficial, but finding some more confidence is important to me. And I think being confident can lead to other positive things in my life.

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