A few entries back, I mentioned that I tended to use a separate savings account when I’m saving for big purchases. I started doing this a few years back, when I was still living check to check, because the way most bank accounts set up their online access makes it WAY too easy to transfer money back and forth between your checking and savings. This is, of course, a good and convenient thing if you have a need to dip into your savings on a frequent/spur of the moment basis, but I find I’m much more successful when it comes to long-term savings if I use the “out of sight, out of mind” technique.
The way I do this is by starting a completely separate savings account, completely unattached to my primary checking account. This way, withdrawing any money from the special account becomes enough of a hassle that I won’t impulsively withdraw some of my nest egg because I really want a new video game or something. Also, because of my forgetful nature, having an account that isn’t in my face every time that I log into my main checking account’s online control panel means that I’m somewhat likely to completely forget about the money I’ve tucked away until I’ve saved up enough for whatever my original purpose was, or I’m in dire straits and really need the extra cash.
This works pretty well for me, but like I said, a lot of it relies on the way I shop and think and my ability to forget things that aren’t in my face (which is a blessing AND a curse). What sort of tricks do you employ to help with your finances?
There seems to be a recent trend (or at least, I’ve recently noticed, it’s entirely possible that it’s a more long-standing phenomenon) towards precious stones and metals being used in acne products. Most of it seems to center around something called “ions”, which I previously only really associated with chemistry and hair-dryers and… Tales Of The Abyss, I guess.
I think the two biggest examples that stuck out in my brain are the Asso Gold Cleansing Bar (what an awful name), that retails for $125 per bar (though I’ve found it for $24 online, here) and has 24k gold particles in it. The makers claim that the pricey soap is really big in Asia for its ability to “kill acne at the source”. Who knows if there’s any truth to those claims - personally, I’m curious as to how EXACTLY gold is supposed to heal acne - but hey, if it works, it works.
The other product that caught me off-guard was a toner by MAC Cosmetics called “Charged Water”, that’s supposed to be “infused with ions from diamonds” or something. It only retails for $19, so I guess it’s not a terrible choice if you want to try this trend of precious ions in your skincare, but to be honest - if the toner works at all, I’d be more apt to credit the fact that it has green tea in it. I use a green tea based cleanser and LOVE it.
If you see any other crazy skincare products pop up with super-pricey ingredients, please hit me up and let me know about them… I’m completely fascinated by this whole trend.
Lately, the television in our living room has been giving warning signs of an impending collapse. The picture has been going slightly blurry at times, and the speakers emit a low whine if the volume is turned up higher than normal. In other words, it’s time that I begin shopping around for a new big-screen television.
I’m particularly envious of my friend’s large (almost wall-sized, really) plasma TV that she recently got - unfortunately, she bought it at a local electronics store on impulse and will probably be making payments on it for years to come, which isn’t really my style. I’d rather do some research, get an idea about the price range of the size/type of television I’m interested in, and start a separate savings account just for squirreling money away for the “new, nice TV” fund.
Does anyone have any particular brands that they recommend, or, conversely, recommend that I stay AWAY from? To be honest, this will be the first television that I really invest in - most of the televisions that we have in our house are older, inherited from parents when they upgraded their TVs, or just cheap $100-200 things we got at Target for dorm rooms past. So any ideas or ratings are very welcome!
Although I remain childless - and plan on staying that way probably forever - a good amount of my friends have kids in the 2-6 year old range. One of my closer friends from high school actually has a little girl about to begin kindergarten next month! It’s amazing how fast time flies.
Anyhow, point being, this kind of rules for me because while I’m not into the idea of ever having my own children, I’ve always liked helping my friends shop for toys for their kids -most likely because one of my favorite things (if not THE favorite thing) about gift-giving is the reaction, and children are naturally more honest and enthusiastic about whatever you’ve picked out for them.
One of my favorite places to help my friends e-shop for their kids is definitely the Buy.com toys section. They’ve got just about anything that you (or your child, niece, grandkids, toy-collecting adult friend, whatever) could possibly want!
One of my absolute favorite topics to read about (or think about, or talk about, or… you get the picture) would definitely have to be skincare. I’ve always had rather, shall we say, temperamental skin, and products that work wonders for me one day will somehow stop working for me in a few months, forcing me to be on the constant lookout for new products, supplements, and skincare regimes to try and whip my oily-yet-sensitive skin into shape.
After looking around the web in search of the current best acne treatment, I found this website - getacnetreatments.com - that is definite bookmark-worthy if you’re at all interested in shopping online for skincare. They have brutally honest reviews & descriptions of every brand out there, from Proactiv to Murad, and they keep records of not only each product’s retail price, but also the best price to be found via eBay or other webstores. All in all, VERY helpful, and worth a read if you’re looking for to-the-point, concise reviews and price listings on skincare products.
