Cheapskate?

I'm a firm believer in simpler ways to do nearly everything. I also know in order to be successful, I must find a need and go after it.

What is the need in today's times?
You can't deny that everyone is looking for a way to spend less money. Everyone, including the wealthy, is cutting back on something. Of course, the amount of "wealth" you have to start out, determines what category of "cheapskate" you fall in.

My situation may be worse than yours yet better than someone else's. Either way, aren’t we all looking for a better, less complicated way of doing things?

Running away from it all…
I have threatened to run away to the hills where I would have a garden and a farm. I wouldn't have to pay for electricity or water or any other "overhead" because I would have well water and kerosene lanterns. My family and I would have all day to harvest the garden and tend to the cows and chickens; this is how I would feed my family. Of course, every now and then, we have to find a way to pay for things like sugar, coffee and the keronsene for those lanterns.

Now that I have jumped back to reality, I know I would NOT be truly happy living like The Little House on the Prairie. The truth is the world is as it is. Technology is here to stay, and we all have to work for provisions that used to be free (like water). Our world is not like the old days, we have made things simpler yet more complicated, faster and more attainable. Unfortunately, those things are far from free.

Money Answers Everything
We all need money to do practically everything; my life would be better (in some ways) with more money. I feel that I have learned some very important lessons concerning finances, therefore, I must guard every penny with my life. I am learning how to be greedy with money. We all work hard for it, so why not give away as little as possible?

Aren't we all guilty of spending money because it's easier to eat out rather than prepare a meal at home? First, you have to buy the food and cook the food, and then the mess has to be cleaned up after eating. Of course, we could all hire servants, maids and butlers. Now there's a thought!

Learn to dream.
If you don't learn to live within your means and be happy about it, you will never be anything more than what you are now. Consider it a test. Maybe your current situation is fine with you. If not, where do you want to be? Sure, you may have nice things, and you may travel, but there's always more. Anything you desire is within your reach, if you truly want it. You may have to work harder to get there, and you may get lucky and have it handed to you. How well you handle money (or whatever has been handed to you) will determine how long you keep it or how much it will grow.

Think of it like this: If you shoot for the moon, you may just reach the stars. But if you only shoot for the stars, you may only reach the clouds.

If you owe then you’re in debt.
What I’m talking about is paying for most of what you have with some sort of credit. Good for you if you have good or excellent credit. But, if you really think about it, that “thing” that you’re paying for is not truly yours until it’s paid off. What if you lost your job tomorrow? Would you be able to make those payments? Probably not.

I realize there are some situations where credit is necessary. Know the difference and be honest with yourself.

Save, save, save.
If you’re not saving money, you should start. Start out small! It's like riding up a hill, once you get to the top you must start down the bottom, where your goal actually is. Of course, you could spend all your life trying to climb or you could spend your life sitting at the peak of the mountain. If you choose to keep going, you finally pick up speed as you get closer to your destination. Double time, then triple time, then it will happen so fast you can't keep up. And when you get there, it's easy street. Nice, flat ground, no more climbing!

The Plan
What if I had started this plan when I was 20 years old? Look at how much farther ahead I would be. And can you imagine how much more I would actually have to work with. I would probably have my money market account, which would be doubling every year by now. Five thousand would be 10 thousand, which would be 20 thousand and so on.

Obviously, I didn’t start early, so now I have to work harder. It's going to take more sacrifices now than when I was 20!

I have made financial mistakes in the past, and I continue to make mistakes. Therefore, I am far from perfect. However, I have learned a few things from my mistakes; thank goodness it’s not too late.

Thanks for reading.
If you haven't already done so, be sure to follow me for more tips and rants

Blog This

Why is it that I every time I lay down at night I think about things to blog about? I try to keep the ideas in my brain, but by morning, the good stuff is mostly lost. The last thing I want to do while I’m trying to rest is think. I certainly don’t want to take a notebook and pen to bed with me. Not only do I NOT want to think, but I don’t want to write by hand. I won't even start to complain about how bad carpal tunnel pain is when writing by hand. I probably wouldn't even be able to read what I wrote anyway.

I make everything more complicated than necessary, which is true in my blogging. I'll be honest, I'm having trouble getting this thing going.

What's slowing me down besides life in general? It’s just me, plain and simple. When faced with a problem, I know to look deep within myself to find answers to problems. I may not start out feeling that way, but that's where I usually end up.

I can’t say what my long term goal with blogging is because I honestly don’t know. Right now, I want to have fun with what I write, but most of all, I want to learn a few things along the way.

If you know me from Facebook, you may think I am a Facebook whore. Facebook is a great socializing tool, but can be a real time waster with the gazillion apps and other time wasters on there. To tell you the truth, it can be addicting.

I try not to be too annoying. I post links to videos, comment on other posts, and basically just socialize. On a side note, I don’t let everyone know about every thought I have or every time I use the bathroom. I post various things on Facebook to keep my "face" “fresh”.

I have the same avatar on every site I belong to. It may take awhile to get established this way, but it’s a start! You know the saying: You tell your friends and they will tell their friends and so on.

I have included Life Lessons as one of my links on Facebook. I have also listed it as my first link. I think most people are in a hurry, so if someone does check me out further, they are bound to just click on the first link and nothing more. So, I need to make it worth their while. The idea is, my friends will be so “taken in” that they will be compelled to read on. And, eventually, they will be addicted to my blog, which in turn, creates more followers.

Now, I know that there are other ways to attract readers (which I’m working on). But by the time this happens, I will have (hopefully) found a blogging style that really draws some curiosity which creates more followers for me. You see, I’m not too worried about that end yet, as I know I haven’t that much to offer anyone right now.

Eventually, I will have Twitter going to full capacity. Twitter, at first, seemed like another time waster to me. I saw that there was some sort of potential to be more than meets the eye, but I didn’t have anything of importance to offer there either. No emminent tornadoes to report or pedophile on the loose.

For the time, I am just going to use Twitter like I use Facebook. To drive traffic here, to my blog, by allowing people to get to know me.

Perhaps nighttime is the only time I can actually hear myself think. The time that I do have to blog is filled with interruptions and, to be honest, pure chaos.

I’ve become selfish with my “me” time. I force myself to do whatever I want for however long I want. That might mean something as simple as taking a really long bath or even blogging. You wouldn’t like me if I didn’t take that kind of time; I would even like myself.

Although, I can’t do everything I want, I have to choose what I want most at that moment, and usually sleep wins the vote. In order for me to have some quality time, I either have to get a babysitter (which I fortunately have whenever I need one) or I have to get up early or stay up late.

Finally, I have decided to look deep within myself and give you a side rarely seen (not even on Facebook). I have been struggling with what to write because I didn't think I had anything of value to offer. Do you really want to read the story of a boy, a golfball, a golfclub and a patio door? How about the guy who sings (badly) to himself as he rides his bicycle while picking up empty soda cans?? That may be what you get for now, until I can totally unleash that deeper side of me.

I've got a few things I'm working on right now, which will be revealed in bits and pieces over the next few months.

For those of you that are currently following me, show me some love and let me know what you think and thank you for hanging in there. Stick it out, I promise you will like what you're going to see. I am learning new things, so something good has to happen, right? And, for those of you just "lurking", follow me if you don't want to miss anything coming up.

More to come!

Time To Groove

Let's switch gears for a few. I've been on a negative kick lately. The economy sucks and my lack of income is not helping. I won't go into the details now- what I prefer to do is relax, think positive, and fill my head with happy thoughts.

I love music. The right music helps me relax; which is what I need to do very badly right now. No, don't feel sorry for me. I'm taking some time off. Fun, fun and more fun!

I started this day off with music, which is oddly soothing, yet motivating for me. When I say motivating, I'm not talking about inspiration. I'm talking about having the drive to avoid laziness.

I truly love bands or artists that can actually "re-make" an old favorite. To find a band that has performed a song as well, if not better than the original, is rare and difficult to do.

These next two songs are bad to the bone, in my opinion.

First, we have The Who with Behind Blue Eyes. It's not really the words in this song that capture me. It's the sound. The vocals.

Check it out, see what you think.




Cool, huh? Now, check out this next video with Limp Bizkit (Heard Break Stuff?) doing their version of the same song. The only thing this song has in common with The Who's version, is the lyrics. Whatever it is, I can't get enough of it. Check it out for yourself.



By the way, feel free to let me know what you think. And, be honest, I can take it. But if I were to guess, I'll bet you add them both to your playlist.

Be sure to check out my inspiration.

See you back here in a few days.

Just Get Over It!

Nobody really knew about the hell she had already been through, among a host of more hell, yet to come...

These things are what has shaped who she is today.

Some would let these demons rule; she found it best to set it all aside, stay absorbed in music and live as though nothing ever happened.

As if these "things" were voodoo, not a word was ever spoken. Didn't you realize that she was practically dead on the inside? Why didn't you stop the screaming long enough to realize this?

No matter, things find a way to surface in other ways.

Withdrawn, quiet, and almost unnoticed, the question was, "Is she shy?" Nobody realized she was hiding behind a wall she did not create.

A series of teenage rebellions led to more wrong turns. Should she blame her parents? Should she blame herself? Why was she in such a hurry to grow up?

Fast forward...

Adversity taught her to look within. Often, she asked herself questions like, "How am I responsible for this situation" and "What can I do to change this?"

She learned to break the chains that held her down for so long. Despite a thousand misfortunes and even more excuses, she knew she was the only one in control of her fate.

She is stronger now and can handle just about any trial or setback.

When life hands you lemons do you make lemonaid or drink tequila shots?

Life can be a party, if you allow it. You can stay buried under your past and all that you've been through or you can rise above and break free. You can step out of your bubble and do your own thing.

Do you have negativity holding you back? What are your fears? Are you afraid what people will think? Are you afraid of change? All you need are the tools, and only you can obtain them. It doesn't matter that "this is the way it is"; why does it have to stay that way?

Find your obstacle and knock it down! Quit living in the past, you never know what "might have been", so get over it!

This May Be Your Last Day

Why do you wander mindlessly like a bunch of rodents? Wandering left, right, and back and forth again through the maze called life?

Forgotten dreams, wasted days...

Twenty years has literally faded away and much has happened. The road traveled was curvy, straight, then curvy, and now it is finally straight again. I may not have lived my dreams (yet), but I have learned the hard way where I need to go. Thankfully, my number wasn't drawn before I could make things right.

Not to say that I wasn't living or having a blast. I just got a little "sidetracked".

Will anyone remember me when I'm dead? Who will come to my funeral and what will they say about my life? Why do I ponder the end so much? Am I really on the top of the hill, headed over the hill? I feel I may be "half way there", so while I can still go to the bathroom on my own, feed myself, and function with only mild aches/pains I'm going to live my dreams.

Quit following someone else's footprints! Get up and make a change! Get up, get out and do whatever you want. Take a risk!! What are you waiting for? Who cares what everyone else thinks! Live like tomorrow is your last day ever...

See you at the top!

Hispanic or not?

I would say I am at least 50% American Indian, 25% Spanish (not Mexican!), and the rest pure, Arkansas white. That being said, would I qualify as being a
Latina or Hispanic?
My real, born last name was Lopez. Call me CLo why don't you.

Why did I have a different name in school then? Let's just say I wanted to be part of my new family. My mom divorced my dad when I was very young and remarried a few years later. In an effort to "fit in" my mom and step-dad gave me the opportunity to use their much longer, weirder name for school purposes. My baby brother was gone (and had been for a few years) plus I had a new sister on the way. That being said, I would have been the only Lopez in the house. Sigh, divorce is extremely complicated!

Looking back, I wish I would not have made this choice! I am not even sure how (legally) I got away with using this name at school! Not to mention the added confusion, which I did not need. It's not like my future wasn't full of, yet, three more last names! We shall not go into that right now, hell, it's no wonder I have been struggling to find myself.

So back to my history. I suppose calling myself Latina or Hispanic would serve it's purposes for whatever fringe benefits might be out there for someone of that background.

Wouldn't it be kind of like someone who is half white, half negro? I mean, seriously, then would that person be black or white? There again, it depends on what that person would be trying to achieve. In reality, if being black affords more than being white, obviously, it would be smarter for someone to say they are black. In another situation, if it's better to be white that day, then white it is.

There is my dilemma. There are many forms that list choices for race, on which I always stop and think. Do I check the box that says
Hispanic?
Technically, I am more American Indian than anything else, so do I check the box that says American Indian? It's not like I found my tribe and belong to it, afterall, doing so would really have tremendous benefits if I chose to seek it out. I look white, with the exception of brown hair and the ability to tan in the summer. And the muted freckles (which I hate, by the way). So, what gives? I could use any race selection to whatever extent necessary, but should I?

We shall see what happens. I recently enrolled at a university, and, yes, I checked Hispanic this time. I am not sure what good it will do. Maybe I will get first priority since the Hispanic community seems to be overtaking everything around here.

I don't get it

Let me start by saying I am tired of sugar coating things and have decided it's best if I just tell things like they are from now on.

There's this slutty person (I can't call her a lady because she is hardly that) who thinks she is the total sh*t. Actually, I think she might smell like sh*t, but that's beside the point. What she has is nothing spectacular it's just that she gives it freely; that is why she's in such "demand".

Which brings me to something else... If a piece of a** is literally everywhere, then why would ANY guy trade cigarettes for a blow job?

Ok, so I tend to get sidetracked. Where was I? Oh yeah, stinky, Greek, Ho.
This chick obviously cannot feel the cold wind blowing on her a** crack. It's not just a little crack showing, it's something like five inches. I swear it's big enough to set a soda can in. And, the reason I stare is because I can't help but wonder how long is that crack? I mean, that must be one long a** and there is nothing fancy about it, let me tell you. Her a** makes raw hamburger meat look attractive.

I guess it's just a great big advertisement saying "Hey! I'll suck you off for cigarettes!!" And she swings both ways, which means she will munch some carpet for meth, too.

You see, this is one ugly, nasty biotch. She drives a piece of sh*t car, lives in her mother's piece of sh*t apartment, dresses like a piece of sh*t, and has pieces of sh*t for friends. Come to think of it, that's putting it nicely-an actual piece of sh*t would be pi**ed for putting it in the same category.

Now, I have to go erase my memory and vomit because these thoughts are making me feel like blowing chunks.