Inspired by Styro, I started thinking about this list.
Things that I should probably care about but don't:
Budgeting - which explains why my finances are always a mess. Ryan and I make decent money, so we tend to just spend when we want on what we want and not think about it, and then are flabbergasted when it's the end of the month and we're piss-ass broke. I'm adding 'budgeting' to my Things To Do in 2008 list, because I am fairly sure that we could buy a Carribbean island for what we spend on bagels every year.
Coupons - see above. Which is strange, because when we get those Val Packs and neighborhood coupon magazines, I ALWAYS look through them. "Ooh, save 30% at the beauty supply" and then I clip the coupon and promptly lose it. My brain has a very small window of time to remember such things. Right now if you opened my wallet, you will probably see tons of these coupons that expired last August.
Paying Bills on Time - I learned early on in my Broke as a Joke years that utility companies are a lot nicer than people give them credit for. And yeah, I am a total scumbag for not paying right away, but the reality is that I am stupid and I FORGET sometimes. But for most utilities and such, there isn't a late fee unless you haven't paid in several months (like maybe 5 months), and even then it's managable ($7 or whatever is worth it if you have to wait until payday to send a check). In some of our tighter times, I have even asked for extensions on our bill and never been told no. When you think about it, utilities want to get paid. So it's better for them to make you a deal and let you pay 4 days late or whatever, rather than not get anything at all. One time I asked for a few extra days, just so that my paycheck would clear, and they gave me 6 weeks. I still paid as soon as I had the money, but it was so reassuring to know that even if shit hit the fan and I had to wait an entire pay cycle again, I'd still have electricity. [note: this does not work with debts, like credit cards ALTHOUGH one time I did have to ask my Credit Union for an extension on my car loan and they let me skip a month and extend my loan for an extra month. But I think that's because I use a tiny local credit union, so they have a more vested interest in your happiness and want you to succeed and they're just plain nice.]
Makeup - I actually NEED make up, like all the time, but I hate messing with it. Between the fact that it irritates my skin and it just takes too dang long, I rarely want to be bothered with it. Lately, if I put on some eyeliner, you're lucky. But I love it on everyone else. I could totally nerd out over fashion magazines with fantastic makeup design, but do I want to wake up an extra 20 minutes early every day so that I can have smoky eyes? No. I also feel like some sort of failure to the female race because I do not own ANY expensive beauty products. I have a few things from Sephora that were gifts, but I don't have a single $30 lipgloss. And I don't really care, except lip stuff has become the new pissing contest among girls, and I obviously can't compete.
Expensive purses - Ryan will tell you (while rolling his eyes) that I have TOO MANY PURSES which is true. And I don't think any of them cost over $20. Because I am a cheapskate. Well, that's not entirely true. I would probably spend $100 on a decent purse if it had everything that I want/need, but I have never found that to be the case. I am ok with a less-than-100%-functional handbag that is the latest trend in lime green leather if it's $14 at Target. But I am not ok with a $400 classic Coach bag if it doesn't sit on my shoulder right. No fashion trend is going to change my mind. So, yeah, again it's the pissing contest thing. Everyone (especially at work) is all involved over who has the best purse and how much it cost and blah blah blah and I'm still perfectly pleased with the one I bought for $5 at H&M last year. It's got the perfect strap that doesn't cause 'shopping shoulder', holds all my stuff, and best of all it was FIVE DOLLARS.
Things That I Care About That No One Else Does:
Feet - I have a long, tortured history of messed up toenails and improperly fit shoes that has formed my current trend of 'comfort over fashion'. I was lucky to have learned at a young-ish age how to cut my own nails to keep them from being so bad. In fact, a podiatrist once told me that he thinks its hilarious that in public school they teach you everything about sexuality and even how to apply a condom, but no one ever shows you how to cut your nails - or use Q-tips, for that matter. That 99% of the cases he sees of ingrown toenails are caused by them being cut too short and/or too ragged. That it's a simple thing to learn, but no one ever really shows you how. Although I didn't learn about the joys of orthotics until I was in my 20's which is a BRILLIANT thing. Back then I had an HMO and even with all the red-tape and co-pays it probably cost me about $100 to have custom-made arch supports that have changed my life. Everything is better from my head to my feet, thanks to having the right bumps inside my shoes.
Manners - I'm not saying that I ain't a gossip BUT I will tell you that every time I relay any of your stories, I always defer to as few details as possible and make you out in the best light. And when this has to do with work-related stuff I either decline to gossip OR I defuse the conversations. It's amazing how many people at work are so childish and catty - and just plain stupid. I would say "I'm full" rather than "OMG, she makes THE WOSRT cookies!" which is, sadly, a real story. And anyway, when did being polite go out of style? That peeves me. Say please and thank you to your waiter. Is it really so hard?
Being Real - This blog is pretty much exactly how I am. Take it or leave it, it's me. I'm sometimes a braggart, mostly an idiot, proudly a friend, defiantly nerdy. I hate when people aren't true to themselves - and not just online - because they're so caught up in their own drama. Not to say that being shy or demure are bad things, but (today especially) I am really over people who think that they're better than they are, more important than they have the right to be.
Grammar & Spelling - I wanted to marry Lynne Truss when I read "Eats, Shoots & Leaves". I understand that on an individual level not everyone has perfect spelling (and certainly I am TOO COOL to be bothered with spellcheck), but nothing deep fries my turkey like an executive pulling in a multi-million dollar salary who can't type. Or even just general idiots who send me shit mail that sounds like LOLcat-speak.
