Burt’s Bees – Everyone loves the minty scent and menthol tingle that it leaves on your lips. My favorites include the original and the shimmer with just a hint of color and flavor. Burt’s Bee’s offers a whole line of other products that are worth giving a try as well. [ I love the deep conditioners! ] You can purchase Burt’s Bee’s products at most major retailers, i.e. Target, Walmart, Drugstores, etc.

Yankee Candle – I got a mini set of these in my Christmas stocking and now I can’t get enough! Yankee Candle’s brand of chap stick are shaped like little candle jars (so cute!) and they smell just like the candles they represent. French vanilla, Strawberry, Christmas Cookie and Lime were the few that came in my pack and each one is just as delicious as the next! I can’t wait to go buy a few new flavors. You can purchase Yankee Candle product’s at, you guessed it!, Yankee Candle.

Vitamin Water - This is my newest find and its a great one! Glaceau, the creators of Vitamin Water, have dedicated a chap stick line to their water. The chap sticks have the same names and flavors as the waters themselves, which is always a nice surprise. XXX is my favorite flavor as it is a blend of berries and pomegranate. I will use this stick the fastest out of them all I think; I just love the soft moist texture of this gloss. I was able to find my chap stick at Walgreens. This leads me to believe that you should also be able to find them in Walmart, CVS, Target and other major retailers.

Take it slow.
Its impossible for you to make all the changes you want to at one time. If you try to take them all on at once, you are bound to fall back into old habits discouraged. Paying off debts is not an instant fix; its a lengthy process towards a new financially stable. Take a few weeks to monitor your spending to find where your habits lie. Take another few weeks to try and curb your spending and form a budget that will benefit your lifestyle. Once everything is in check, then you can take all of your new found knowledge to begin your debt busting regimen.

Don’t forget to be realistic in your thinking.
Short term goals are extremely beneficial. Once you accomplish these you will have new found confidence in yourself and you will push yourself even harder to accomplish your long term goal of paying off all of your debts. Stop accruing debt first and then begin paying it down. Depending on the extent of your debt situation, it could take a few years to be debt free. Reward yourself every time you achieve one of your goals so that you can encourage yourself to continue. How happy will you be when you can open your credit card statements without a shock, or you can answer the phone without wondering who is on the other end of the 800 #?

Create your own method.
Don’t jump on fads or whatever may be popular at the time. Don’t compare your debts to the success or failure of another person’s plan. You are the only one who knows what is best for you and your family. Visualize your debt free future and what you would like to do with all the additional money at the time. Do you want to invest it? Do you want to go on a dream vacation? Do you want to retire early? It’s amazing what you will be able to do with your income once you aren’t stuck paying out to everyone but yourself.

Simplify and replace old habits.
Pay bills by check; pull cash out and leave your debit and credit cards at home; cut back on your spending. It sounds challenging at first, but as I mentioned in another post it takes 21 days for a new habit to form.

Mistakes will happen, we are only human after all. If you fall short or slip occasionally, just pick it back up and do it all over again. Don’t let small  hindrances deter you from your ultimate goal! Believe in yourself, you will succeed as long as you put your mind to it and follow your budget plan!

*Wants* Anything that you would like to have to increase your quality of life, but you could survive without. Jewelery. Nights Out On The Town. Makeup. Video Games. ETC.

VS.

*Needs* Anything required in order for you to survive. Food. Water. Shelter. Clothing. ETC.

Always set realistic goals for yourself. By setting easier goals for you to accomplish at first, you will keep  yourself from becoming discouraged. For example, if you have a habit for purchasing clothes a little too often, cut back to buying one article of clothing each week and work yourself up until you only buy one piece of clothing per month.

Based on past trends in spending, food seems to consume most families income. It’s the same old story: You spend quite amount of money stocking your refrigerator with healthy delicious foods. After a late night at work, you are too tired to cook anything and decide to just pick something up for dinner.

Did you know that the average family of four can spend up to $50 on just one meal at a fast food restaurant?

So although food is a NEED, eating out and spending a weeks worth of groceries on one meal is not necessary. So the next time you plan to stop and pick some chow for the family at McD’s, ask yourself if making an extra payment on your car note or a cheeseburger is more important to you!

When it comes to making changes about how we spend our money on wants and needs, we need to be patient. Change takes time and it is not always going to be easy. If you family is accustomed to eating out constantly, then cut back to eating at least one meal a day at home and work your way up until you can eat 95% of your meals are at home. Your wallet will inevitably thank you, and so will your waistline!

Just think about how fantastic it will be to enjoy a delicious night out on the town with your spouse knowing that all of your bills are paid and you are debt free! ahh, the sweet feeling of no stress!

Question: If you make approximately $40K a year, what is a reasonable amount of debt for you to have each month?
Answer: You should spend no more than 30% of your take home income each month on housing (rent or mortgage). Additional debts (i.e. credit cards, car payments, etc) should only account for, at maximum, 10% of of your take home income. Using the $40K example above, that means that you should spend no more than $990/mth (approx.) on housing and $330(approx.) on additional debts.

The 4 Things You Need To Do To Get Out Of Debt:

* Pay Attention -> Look at your income and monitor every expense. Before you swipe your debit card, contemplate if the purchase is a WANT or a NEED. If it is a NEED, is it possible to get the purchase somewhere else at a better price? Do you really need the high quality version at this time?

Simple Trick: Pay for as much as you can by personal check. Paying by check allows you to have exact records of everything you purchased so that you may look back and see exactly what you spent most of your money on.

* Be Disciplined -> Stick to your budgeted plan. Try to pay more than the minimum on your credit cards and be sure to pay your bills on time. It takes 21 days for a new intention to become a habit! Even after that point, it is still very important to stick to your plan.

Simple Trick: Instead of carrying around your debit card, carry only what you designate as your cash allowance each week.

*Craft A Plan -> Grab a sheet of paper and a pencil and put your goals and budget on paper. Having an exact write up and plan of how you want to pay off your debts and get back on track will motivate you and let you track your progress.

Simple Trick: Put your budget on a conspicous place so that you constantly glance at it. If it’s in a place you walk past frequently you have a constant reminder of your goals.

*Do It -> What good is a well thought out plan with no follow through? Follow your plans to the best of your abilities and adjust them as you go if need be.

Simple Trick: Each time you prepare to write a check for a payment, remind yourself of one of your main goals and decide if the purchase is a necessity.

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Make sure that your family (those living with you) understand what you are doing. It will make your life just a bit easier knowing that your family understands that you are cutting back on spending. If your spouse is not 100% committed with you on your debt free goals, it will inevitably cause you to fail. You and your spouse must make all the money decisions together and in an effort to reduce your combined debt.

Its also a great idea to have some close friends jump on the band wagon with you. Having a “buddy system” with close friends has been shown to help people accomplish their goals more efficiently!  You could also get in touch with some local groups in your area.

Debtors Anonymous Groups
To find a FREE meeting in your area
www.debtorsanonymous.org or write to
P.O. Box 920888 Needham, MA 02492-0009
(781)453-2743/(781)453-2745

In an effort to help change my lifestyle and assist many others who have the same goals for this year, I’m going to begin a series on getting out of and/or drastically reducing debt. ?Based on the information that I will be researching through books, mentors and counselors, I am going to discuss the information here on my blog.  I would love active participation from my readers!

Whether you are in debt or not, please stick around and get advice or even give advice to those who need it.
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“I consider myself out of debt when…?”

First off, Congratulations in accepting the fact that you have a debt problem and you wan’t to overcome it!

I will consider myself out of debt once the only payments I owe are for “good” debts. I consider mortgage payments, car payments and/or insurance as good debts. What does being debt free mean to you? Will it be when you only have “good” debts to pay? When you don’t know anything to anyone? Defining this question starts building a great foundation for your debt free journey.

Before you begin you also need to consider and identify the reasons you got into debt in the first place. Is it due to you living beyond your means? Is it due to a job layoff, a divorce or a time of emotional distress? By identifying the reasons you are in the place you are  today, you can do your best to prevent the situation from reoccurring. I am in the situations I am today because I was living beyond my means, I was infatuated with material possessions and my addiction overtook my wallet.
And lastly, What are the reasons you want to be debt free?
- I want to own a nice house for my family.
- I want to be able to own reliable vehicles.
- I want to have money available in case of an emergency.
- I want to be able to provide for my future children.
- I want to be stress free

House, Mondays @ 8 p.m. Fox
If you haven’t heard of it, crawl out from under your rock. This show has been a hit for a few seasons now and although they are doing pretty much the same thing in every episode, I still really enjoy this show. Step 1: Someone gets sick. Step 2: House’s team can’t figure out what it is and treat the patient for a million other things that make it worse. Step 3: House fantasizes about his boss and has an epiphany. Step 4: Patient is cured. I enjoy seeing how each medical mystery evolves and I always like to find out exactly what the patient had all along. The first season was definitely the strongest, but I still enjoy my House episode each week.
Eye Candy Alert = Dr. House (Hugh Laurie) & Thirteen (Olivia Wilde)

How I Met Your Mother, Mondays @ 8 p.m. on CBS
Another show that has prospered through a few seasons that I cannot get enough of! Barney Stinson a.k.a. Neil Patrick Harris dominates the show for me and I can’t stop laughing. I love how this show is broken up into all these mini episodes of hilariousness that eventually will form the path to character Teds, wife..and the quoted “mother” hinted at in the title of the show. The one liners are the best (It’s going to be LEGEN..wait for it..DARY!, Challenge Accepted, etc”) and the cast will have you laughing after just a few minutes.
Eye Candy Alert = Marshall Erickson (Jason Segel) & Robin Scherbatsky (Cobie Smulders)

Accidentally On Purpose, Mondays @ 8:30 p.m. on CBS
This is one of my new found favorites. This show was released in this fall lineup and its hilarious! Billie a.k.a Dharma from “Dharma & Greg” a.k.a Jenna Elfman,  breaks up with her rich, gorgeous boss when he wont commit and has a backup rendezvous with a 22 yr old at the bar, Zack a.k.a Jon Foster a.k.a yum!. She in turn, gets pregnant from said rendezvous and things go crazy from there. The jokes are hilarious, the cast is gorgeous, and although the story is lacking an in depth plot, I’m so entertained!
Eye Candy Alert = Billie (Jenna Elfman) & Zack (Jon Foster)

Big Bang Theory, Mondays @ 9 p.m. on CBS
CBS is really killing it right now with their Monday lineup! Two and a Half Men comes on just before Big Bang, and although I enjoy that show from time to time its not on my top list. Big Bang Theory is all about a group of 20 something astrophysicists and their misadventures. Sheldon a.k.a Jim Parsons is my favorite character of the show, he is the smartest of them all and is hilarious without even trying. Half of the things they talk about, I don’t understand, but I bust out laughing every time I hear them sing “Soft Kitty” (google it!). I’ve gotten a few family members really hooked on this show.
Eye Candy Alert = Penny (Kaley Cuoco)

Trauma, Mondays @ 9 p.m. on NBC
This show is more serious than the few previous shows, but I enjoy it all the same. This shows is another medical melodrama but focuses on paramedics rather than doctors. A few of the cast members are good looking and I do enjoy the show pretty frequently. An episode never ends without something blowing up or some crazy thing happening. I will say this, the more you watch it the more you will get into it.
Eye Candy Alert = Glen (Taylor Kinney) & Nancy (Anastasia Griffith)

V, Tuesdays @ 8 p.m. on ABC
A remake of the 80’s series, V focuses on an alien race come to Earth in “peace”. The “visitors” as they are called show up to Earth and offer humans healing methods in peace in exchange for the use of a few resources. Little do we now, that although the v’s look like normal people, they are really lizard hybrid things that want to eat us all. Who knew? This show is a sci-fi action series that can be quite interesting. The story is slow at first, but give it a try for a few episodes.

Mercy, Wednesdays @ 8 p.m. on NBC
This is my absolute favorite show right now. The shows focuses on a few employees at Mercy Hospital and their lives. The major premise is that character Veronica, just returned from serving as a nurse in Iraq. A place where she met a handsome Doctor, Chris, with whom she has an affair with. She returns home to her husband Mike, who in the past has cheated and tries to fix their marriage. Doctor Chris shows up in hopes to win Veronica’s love like he did in Iraq and things go crazy. Let me point out that although this is a major happening in the show, there are a million other little mini stories going on (affairs, love, death, emergencies, babies, crazy!). I think that is why I love this show so much. There is so much going on that you just can’t look away!
Eye Candy Alert =Chloe (Michelle Trachtenburg), Sonia (Jamie Lee Kirschner), Chris (James Tupper) & Mike (Diego Klattenhoff)

Criminal Minds, Wednesdays @ 9 p.m. on CBS
If you haven’t seen an episode yet, you are really missing out. Criminal Minds follows the Behavorial Analysis Unit of the FBI as they track serial killers. Each episode is a different case, with underlying stories of big bad serial killers in the background of course. The plot lines are suspenseful, action packed and although each episode focuses on a serial killer, each episode feels different. The cast has a lot of familiar faces, which I’m sure you would recognize. Reed and Garcia are my favorite characters.
Eye Candy Alert = Derek Morgan (Shemar Moore),  Aaron Hotchner (Thomas Gibson) & J.J. Jareau (A.J. Cook)

A few other shows to watch for (their schedules change):

Warehouse 13
Secret Life of An American Teenager
The Office
My Name is Earl
Everybody Hates Chris

#mbgeekout has happened twice already and I’ve been the lone female accompanying the nerd herd. I’m in need of some female companionship at these gatherings! No programming languages or expertise required!
Its just good conversations, food, beer, networking and friends!

Please check out MBGeekOut.com for more info.

JOIN ME!

The Next Geek Out:
Friday, December 11th, 2009 @ Mello Mushroom (21st ave, Next to Broadway at the Beach) 7 p.m.-ish.

The concept developed by Golden Hook is simple. You can custom design your own winter hat on their site and they will create and send it to you. The entire process is customizable.

- You choose the style.
- You choose the fabric.
- You choose all the colors.
- You choose the GRANDMA. That’s right. I said the Grandma.
[photo courtesy of Golden Hook]
Golden Hook provides you with an online tool to customize your hat and then gives your photos and descriptions of all of their knitters, all older grandmothers, to choose who you would like to knit your hat.  The hats start at about $60 ( FYI: the site prices in Euros) and the shipping differs depending on where abouts they are sending the hat (they are sending them from France after all).

I’ve seen alot of items with a USB twist.
Whether it be USB drives that look like humping dogs, USB fans, USB chargers, USB belts, etc there are tons of items to choose from.

The USB jewelry lines are awesome.
Many jewelry designers have tapped into the geek chic market and added USB devices to different styles of jewelry.
Necklaces, cuff links, bracelets..I’m waiting for someone to invent  USB earrings, now that would be a feat. USB jewelry is fully functional as a high fashion piece or a modern tool!!

While the more designer sterling silver bracelets and necklaces are not currently available in stores, I did find some nice examples of USB watches on ThinkGeek here.