It would be nice to have a nearby dental college, but Austin has the next best thing: a research facility that seems to be constantly fine-tuning pain medication for wisdom tooth extraction!
Signing up was surprisingly easy. At a three hour appointment with several other candidates I signed lots of paperwork, had blood drawn, delivered a urine sample, and underwent an x-ray. I met the very friendly doctor who will be performing the procedure and was offered an appointment as early as the next Monday.
Instead I scheduled my surgery for Wednesday, tomorrow. My original plan was to take a cab to the 6:30 a.m. appointment, but now it seems more sensible to save $20 and take the bus. After all, by the time I get home from work it will be close to four in the morning anyway. Rather than attempt to sleep for only two hours, I'll just have an hour to kill before catching the bus. I'll arrive at my appointment too tired to be nervous and can sleep away my day under observation.
The best part? Instead of paying many hundreds of dollars to have my four wisdom teeth removed, I'll be paid $300 for my trouble :D
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Nice to Meet You
Hi! Welcome to my blog :)
Many of you have been reading for a while now, some of you for years. But I thought it might be time to re-introduce myself, for my benefit as much as yours.
My pseudonym is Tread Softly. I stole it from a poem. I've been married to my greatest friend, "Darling," since 2004. We'd love to have children, but it doesn't look like that's happening in our immediate future. In the meantime we live in a house with lots of other cool people, where we share bills and groceries and really low rent in the coolest neighborhood in The United States.
A few years ago it came to my attention that the economy as a whole is entirely dependent on the extreme exploitation of other humans. I am an environmentalist, a feminist, and civil-rights activist, but nothing has ever bothered me like the exploitation of the worker. I was horrified to realize that many of my friends were basically selling themselves into slavery in order to purchase incredibly over-priced goods at absurd interest rates. In fact, many of the goods we purchase are produced over-seas (and often in our own country) by slave labor.
Everything from houses to sandwiches are produced at such inflated prices that many of us feel obligated to use credit to purchase these goods, selling our future to pay for today. Amazingly, my husband and I have found the opposite to be true. By saying "no" to many purchases, we seem to have circumvented the National Catch-22.
The Catch-22 is as follows: the middle class lifestyle requires a college degree, car, cell phone (among other tech toys), and a decent job. Upon graduating (or dropping out of) college, we start making payments. I think it's a modest assumption to guess that the average 25 year-old pays $120/month on student loans, $200 a month on car and related expenses, $20 a month for the phone, and at least $15 a month on clothing and grooming supplies for the white collar job. That comes up to $355 every month - before rent, health insurance, groceries, entertainment, holiday gifts, cleaning supplies, or charitable donations. That's over 4K a year devoted to treading water. That modest estimate assumes you aren't getting particularly nice new clothes or anything but the cheapest haircuts. The average American basically starts out with so much debt she has almost no choice but to put basic living expenses on plastic, perpetuating the vicious cycle. The "catch" is that many of us are told to earn more money to get ourselves out of this mess - which more often than not means purchasing more education, buying nicer clothes, moving to a more expensive city, commuting further, and devoting more precious time to our jobs. The more we work, the less time we have to devote to cooking, caring for our families, cleaning our homes, or even getting adequate sleep - leading to expensive consequences.
Darling and I, like many adults, brought baggage to our marriage. His immigration and my college cost money. Our starting debt, which we started paying a little less than a year after the wedding, cost us about $200 a month. But we were fortunate enough to be very, very poor. We were counting pennies to make rent, but also unwittingly developing habits that would ultimately save us thousands of dollars a year. I took the first jobs I could get, first at a gas station and then a coffee shop - both chosen in part because they were within walking distance to our studio apartment. I actually gave up a freelance position at the newspaper for lack of necessary transportation. I adopted my husband's vegetarian diet and learned to bake, not as a hobby, but because we couldn't afford bread. I worked on a farm for veggies. I bought work clothes at rock-bottom thrift store prices before discovering the ongoing clothing swap among coworkers that kept me decent for the next two years.
We never purchased a car, we barely purchased clothing and didn't pay for haircuts. While many of my friends moved to D.C. and started house hunting, we stayed in a small apartments in our affordable town. I got periodic raises at the coffee shop and we started sending more and more money to our debtors as well as building a decent savings account. When Darling got a retail position (a far cry from his previous experience with the British Council and years of International banking), his part-time, minimum wage paycheck improved our lifestyle by leaps and bounds. We could afford to eat out occasionally, purchase organic treats from the local health food store, go to movies, and pay for a two-week road trip to and from Texas. All without the assistance of credit!
We eventually financed a move to Texas, and soon after I started the 20 Year Challenge to prove that an average couple could achieve the trappings of the American dream without falling into the associated traps.
It hasn't always been easy, that's a fact, and the route isn't always clear. This Summer we're gearing up for a major undertaking: we're going to purchase a diesel vehicle, make our own bio-diesel (can't be harder than cheese), and camp out at my Mom's while we build her a retirement home on her property. In the meantime I have to scrounge up as much money as possible waiting tables and my husband has to master the grueling physics, electromechanical, and solar-thermal courses he's taking at the community college in between kitchen shifts at a nearby cafe.
Sometimes I feel lonely, or even crazy, because many of my friends are just not "into" this stuff. Friends who comment and maintain their own alternative lifestyle blogs keep me steady and dedicated: I'm not alone. Other people care, if not about worker or consumer rights, about the environment, about health and fitness, about the freedom to make informed choices.
I write not so much to encourage others, but to find encouragement in the form of comments and friendships. You have all been so great to me. Maybe I'll inspire some other nut to push herself to the next level, to face her own challenges, to question the status qou. In the meantime, I'm grateful I have online friends who do that for me.
Many of you have been reading for a while now, some of you for years. But I thought it might be time to re-introduce myself, for my benefit as much as yours.
My pseudonym is Tread Softly. I stole it from a poem. I've been married to my greatest friend, "Darling," since 2004. We'd love to have children, but it doesn't look like that's happening in our immediate future. In the meantime we live in a house with lots of other cool people, where we share bills and groceries and really low rent in the coolest neighborhood in The United States.
A few years ago it came to my attention that the economy as a whole is entirely dependent on the extreme exploitation of other humans. I am an environmentalist, a feminist, and civil-rights activist, but nothing has ever bothered me like the exploitation of the worker. I was horrified to realize that many of my friends were basically selling themselves into slavery in order to purchase incredibly over-priced goods at absurd interest rates. In fact, many of the goods we purchase are produced over-seas (and often in our own country) by slave labor.
Everything from houses to sandwiches are produced at such inflated prices that many of us feel obligated to use credit to purchase these goods, selling our future to pay for today. Amazingly, my husband and I have found the opposite to be true. By saying "no" to many purchases, we seem to have circumvented the National Catch-22.
The Catch-22 is as follows: the middle class lifestyle requires a college degree, car, cell phone (among other tech toys), and a decent job. Upon graduating (or dropping out of) college, we start making payments. I think it's a modest assumption to guess that the average 25 year-old pays $120/month on student loans, $200 a month on car and related expenses, $20 a month for the phone, and at least $15 a month on clothing and grooming supplies for the white collar job. That comes up to $355 every month - before rent, health insurance, groceries, entertainment, holiday gifts, cleaning supplies, or charitable donations. That's over 4K a year devoted to treading water. That modest estimate assumes you aren't getting particularly nice new clothes or anything but the cheapest haircuts. The average American basically starts out with so much debt she has almost no choice but to put basic living expenses on plastic, perpetuating the vicious cycle. The "catch" is that many of us are told to earn more money to get ourselves out of this mess - which more often than not means purchasing more education, buying nicer clothes, moving to a more expensive city, commuting further, and devoting more precious time to our jobs. The more we work, the less time we have to devote to cooking, caring for our families, cleaning our homes, or even getting adequate sleep - leading to expensive consequences.
Darling and I, like many adults, brought baggage to our marriage. His immigration and my college cost money. Our starting debt, which we started paying a little less than a year after the wedding, cost us about $200 a month. But we were fortunate enough to be very, very poor. We were counting pennies to make rent, but also unwittingly developing habits that would ultimately save us thousands of dollars a year. I took the first jobs I could get, first at a gas station and then a coffee shop - both chosen in part because they were within walking distance to our studio apartment. I actually gave up a freelance position at the newspaper for lack of necessary transportation. I adopted my husband's vegetarian diet and learned to bake, not as a hobby, but because we couldn't afford bread. I worked on a farm for veggies. I bought work clothes at rock-bottom thrift store prices before discovering the ongoing clothing swap among coworkers that kept me decent for the next two years.
We never purchased a car, we barely purchased clothing and didn't pay for haircuts. While many of my friends moved to D.C. and started house hunting, we stayed in a small apartments in our affordable town. I got periodic raises at the coffee shop and we started sending more and more money to our debtors as well as building a decent savings account. When Darling got a retail position (a far cry from his previous experience with the British Council and years of International banking), his part-time, minimum wage paycheck improved our lifestyle by leaps and bounds. We could afford to eat out occasionally, purchase organic treats from the local health food store, go to movies, and pay for a two-week road trip to and from Texas. All without the assistance of credit!
We eventually financed a move to Texas, and soon after I started the 20 Year Challenge to prove that an average couple could achieve the trappings of the American dream without falling into the associated traps.
It hasn't always been easy, that's a fact, and the route isn't always clear. This Summer we're gearing up for a major undertaking: we're going to purchase a diesel vehicle, make our own bio-diesel (can't be harder than cheese), and camp out at my Mom's while we build her a retirement home on her property. In the meantime I have to scrounge up as much money as possible waiting tables and my husband has to master the grueling physics, electromechanical, and solar-thermal courses he's taking at the community college in between kitchen shifts at a nearby cafe.
Sometimes I feel lonely, or even crazy, because many of my friends are just not "into" this stuff. Friends who comment and maintain their own alternative lifestyle blogs keep me steady and dedicated: I'm not alone. Other people care, if not about worker or consumer rights, about the environment, about health and fitness, about the freedom to make informed choices.
I write not so much to encourage others, but to find encouragement in the form of comments and friendships. You have all been so great to me. Maybe I'll inspire some other nut to push herself to the next level, to face her own challenges, to question the status qou. In the meantime, I'm grateful I have online friends who do that for me.
Monday, February 15, 2010
New Job, Old Budget
I got a job last week and I'm back to serving. I'm not sure how long I'll be doing it, but the time has come to stock some funds away, purchase some sort of vehicle, and prepare for this Summer and the life that follows.
I recreated my old graph to track everything. I know money tracking is a the key to financial success, and I've always enjoyed using this tool in the past, but whenever money matters get murky it gets abandoned. In the past, the spreadsheet had columns for savings and debt as well as income and expenses. Since the money for both of these priorities is now automatically deducted from my checking account, I'm just going to call those both expenses and subtract them from the total at the start of every month.
To the side of the spreadsheet Darling and I will write our priority list. This was the very first budgeting tool that worked for us when we finally had enough cash to do so. First we brainstorm. Because this tool was developed when we weren't sure if we had enough money to pay every bill, every single purchase - including groceries and rent - was once assigned a priority. These days we'll focus on slightly larger goals since our food is covered by the co-op. Darling and I will first talk about what we'd like on the list, then we'll flip a coin. Whoever wins the coin flip gets to choose the first priority. Then we'll take turns assigning priorities until we feel the list is large enough.
I recreated my old graph to track everything. I know money tracking is a the key to financial success, and I've always enjoyed using this tool in the past, but whenever money matters get murky it gets abandoned. In the past, the spreadsheet had columns for savings and debt as well as income and expenses. Since the money for both of these priorities is now automatically deducted from my checking account, I'm just going to call those both expenses and subtract them from the total at the start of every month.
To the side of the spreadsheet Darling and I will write our priority list. This was the very first budgeting tool that worked for us when we finally had enough cash to do so. First we brainstorm. Because this tool was developed when we weren't sure if we had enough money to pay every bill, every single purchase - including groceries and rent - was once assigned a priority. These days we'll focus on slightly larger goals since our food is covered by the co-op. Darling and I will first talk about what we'd like on the list, then we'll flip a coin. Whoever wins the coin flip gets to choose the first priority. Then we'll take turns assigning priorities until we feel the list is large enough.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Out of The Blogger Closet
Today was awkward, to say the least. After developing a headache on Sunday that turned into a full-blown migraine yesterday, this morning I woke up groggy and weak. I downed some granola (not as good as home-made) and checked on the sourdough (letting it rise overnight is doing the trick) and rushed for the bus for my interview.
The Austin Metro is far from perfect, but as good as public transport goes in Texas - if not the South as a whole. That's no consolation when one bus is leaving as you approach the stop ten minutes early. It's also not consoling when the next bloody bus (at the other stop, which you've run to) comes on time but doesn't freaking stop! Long story - and an equally long speed walk - short, I was late to my Wheatsville interview like a freaking noob.
If that wasn't bad enough, I was totally caught off guard when one of my interviewees asked - right after I talked about the bakery - "do ya'll have a blog?" I thought she was asking if the bakery had a blog. She took my look of confusion as a "no," then went on to say that someone who had an interview today mentioned it in her blog. Having absolutely no idea how to say, "oops, when you asked if I had a blog, I didn't realize you were asking about my blog," without further incriminating myself, I just kept my mouth shut and went on with the interview. Which seemed to go well enough. But having started it with a bad impression and following up immediately with a rather ridiculous lie...well, I won't get my hopes up :/
Anyways, I'm sorry for lying to you, Beth and Myra, and thanks for reading, Wheatsville buddy. I've never had anyone in 'real life' know about The Challenge (besides disinterested friends and family), and being outed this morning was both disconcerting and nice. And strange. I didn't mean to react so strangely, but it was so unexpected!
Just so you know, I love the idea of having Austin readers. Austinites are some of my favorite folks. And since you guys know me so well, it would be awesome to know you better. Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at purple _ c _ kittie @ yahoo.com (no spaces, of course). We should totally have coffee. And if anyone's stopping into town (Hi Beany), that goes for you too.
The Austin Metro is far from perfect, but as good as public transport goes in Texas - if not the South as a whole. That's no consolation when one bus is leaving as you approach the stop ten minutes early. It's also not consoling when the next bloody bus (at the other stop, which you've run to) comes on time but doesn't freaking stop! Long story - and an equally long speed walk - short, I was late to my Wheatsville interview like a freaking noob.
If that wasn't bad enough, I was totally caught off guard when one of my interviewees asked - right after I talked about the bakery - "do ya'll have a blog?" I thought she was asking if the bakery had a blog. She took my look of confusion as a "no," then went on to say that someone who had an interview today mentioned it in her blog. Having absolutely no idea how to say, "oops, when you asked if I had a blog, I didn't realize you were asking about my blog," without further incriminating myself, I just kept my mouth shut and went on with the interview. Which seemed to go well enough. But having started it with a bad impression and following up immediately with a rather ridiculous lie...well, I won't get my hopes up :/
Anyways, I'm sorry for lying to you, Beth and Myra, and thanks for reading, Wheatsville buddy. I've never had anyone in 'real life' know about The Challenge (besides disinterested friends and family), and being outed this morning was both disconcerting and nice. And strange. I didn't mean to react so strangely, but it was so unexpected!
Just so you know, I love the idea of having Austin readers. Austinites are some of my favorite folks. And since you guys know me so well, it would be awesome to know you better. Feel free to leave a comment or e-mail me at purple _ c _ kittie @ yahoo.com (no spaces, of course). We should totally have coffee. And if anyone's stopping into town (Hi Beany), that goes for you too.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
The Hunt
It's kinda quite around here...
The phone's certainly not ringing, I can tell you that much.
Being unemployed doesn't mean I have a lot of time on my hands. In fact, just the opposite.
The first few days of my job hunt were great, most likely because I was OUT there. I made a round up South First and down South Congress, which are likely the trendiest streets in Austin right now. I dropped resumes and completed applications at coffee shops, restaurants, one bakery, and a few bars. Every manager who happened to glance at my resume had encouraging words to say, one even promised to give a call back if his most recently hired employees didn't work out. A few told me to come back in a couple of days to talk.
Day three I started making return trips and branched out a little, going so far as to pick up a lead on Burnet and dropping off an application at Wheatsville. A handful of managers smiled "thanks but no thanks," this time, many had just finished hiring for South by Southwest. By day four the drizzle and chill that had pervaded my entire hunt had turned into cold rain, so I limited my activity to two second-interviews. Yesterday I arranged an interview for next Tuesday with Wheatsville over the phone and spent the day at the house.
Today I spent the day at home with Darling. He just left for the second part of his double, so a housemate is going to drop me off at a nearby bar so I can do some searching this evening. 7 pm is pretty late to be slinging resumes, but there are a few places that don't have managers available until after dark.
The phone's certainly not ringing, I can tell you that much.
Being unemployed doesn't mean I have a lot of time on my hands. In fact, just the opposite.
The first few days of my job hunt were great, most likely because I was OUT there. I made a round up South First and down South Congress, which are likely the trendiest streets in Austin right now. I dropped resumes and completed applications at coffee shops, restaurants, one bakery, and a few bars. Every manager who happened to glance at my resume had encouraging words to say, one even promised to give a call back if his most recently hired employees didn't work out. A few told me to come back in a couple of days to talk.
Day three I started making return trips and branched out a little, going so far as to pick up a lead on Burnet and dropping off an application at Wheatsville. A handful of managers smiled "thanks but no thanks," this time, many had just finished hiring for South by Southwest. By day four the drizzle and chill that had pervaded my entire hunt had turned into cold rain, so I limited my activity to two second-interviews. Yesterday I arranged an interview for next Tuesday with Wheatsville over the phone and spent the day at the house.
Today I spent the day at home with Darling. He just left for the second part of his double, so a housemate is going to drop me off at a nearby bar so I can do some searching this evening. 7 pm is pretty late to be slinging resumes, but there are a few places that don't have managers available until after dark.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
February 2010 Net Worth
It's day three of job hunting, and I'm still feeling great about it. After months of disappointment and boredom it's awesome to have people look at my resume and application and tell me how qualified I am! It's just a matter of walking into the right place at the right time, which may have already happened.
What I'm not super-excited about is checking out my net worth...
We currently have $3,181.74 in assets, a drop of $1581.27. Which is a pretty impressive drop.
Our debt dropped a less impressive $489.97 to $1,2743.61.
This gives us a net worth of -$9,561.87.
It's nice to still have such a low net worth, and I can't wait to have a good-paying job soon so we can keep this number above -$10,000.
The first $200 I earn at my next job is totally going to my brother to pay off my debt to him :)
What I'm not super-excited about is checking out my net worth...
We currently have $3,181.74 in assets, a drop of $1581.27. Which is a pretty impressive drop.
Our debt dropped a less impressive $489.97 to $1,2743.61.
This gives us a net worth of -$9,561.87.
It's nice to still have such a low net worth, and I can't wait to have a good-paying job soon so we can keep this number above -$10,000.
The first $200 I earn at my next job is totally going to my brother to pay off my debt to him :)
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