How To Implement Changes In Your Spending Habits

                                                        SashaMoniqueTalks

In fall 2014 I promised myself that I would start early and prepare myself for summer 2015 by searching the clearance racks in department stores and discount stores such as; Rainbow Shops and some of the other discount stores in my area.

I was surprised about the nice skirts, dresses, shoes, and tops I was able to find and I was purchasing them for $5.00 or less.  When I got home I would put all these items in a big bag in my closet.  It was fun doing this because I got excited seeing that big bag of clothes grow.  I didn't want to shop for any clothing for the summer or if I would buy anything it would be very little.

I had no idea that I would be able to do this because as I have said a lot of time " I have a shopping addiction".  Even though I spend very little for my purchases, I still love to shop.

The end of the spring I took out my summer clothes and that big bag of summer things that I purchased throughout the winter and I had a lot of nice clothes.

Putting myself on a clothes spending diet really started to work out for me because I learned how to use what I had along with my winter shopping and I was creating even more great clothing combinations.

I went shopping with my sister a few times and I did buy about four things total. and these items could be used for the fall and winter so I saw it as a good opportunity to get ready for the next season.

Usually, I would hit the thrift stores all summer but I didn't this year and I found that I wasn't bogged down by clothes.  I never realized that this would turn into a social experiment for myself but it did.  I felt so happy and I had a lot of things to wear but I wasn't wasting money.  I saved money and I was also able to buy some luxury items.

In September I will start to shop again for the spring and summer and buy just a few winter things.  I have really learned a great lesson and that is; I really didn't need as much stuff as I was buying and once you have a wardrobe, you don't have to replace that wardrobe every year if you buy items that will not go out of style.

My experiment taught me to be thankful for what I already have.

GOLDEN YELLOW. YOU CAN SHINE!

 

 

I am so in love with these outfits. I love how it is paired with the olive green. It makes the yellow really pop.  I see how you could possibly use clothing that you already own, to create this look.

 

You can also step out of the box and pair the olive green with another bright color and it will still work.  The art to styling is to see an item and see all the possibilities presented and you can use one or two of other bright colors to put a new spin on this.

HOW TO GET YOUR MIND RIGHT TO PROGRAM YOURSELF TO START SAVING MONEY

SashaMoniqueTalks Words To Live By:
 
If you are not a person who is used to saving money, it is scary to think about the preparation that goes into changing your mindset.

There is an old saying "Money Draws Money".  I find that this is true because you can use money to create new opportunities for yourself and money equals movement.
If you do not save money or already have money, parts of your life will be stagnate.

You cannot negotiate anything without money.  This is reason when our bills come and we pay it in full things start moving such as; paying that phone bill equals being able to communicate more freely.

Paying your rent equals living in a more secure state of being.  If you do not pay rent then you have to live by someone else rules and this has a crippling effect.

I don't advocate worshipping money.  Money is something we need to use as a tool to make our lives better as well as people we love and care about.


Some Of The Steps That Are Needed To Learn How To Save Are:

1. Cook and eat at home.
2. If you want to buy a big ticket item, save money each month for it, and then you will be able to buy this item without a strain
3. Stay out of the Shopping Mall for a month or two.
4. Combine shopping trips in one to save on Gas each month.
5. Make yourself a small budget each month towards clothing and shop for sales only and stick to your budget.
6. Every time you get your paycheck, put $10.00 or $20.00 away to save and don't touch it

Soon you will see that you have an emergency fund and also money to plan an outing ever so often to enjoy yourself with family or friends.



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Family or Friends will try to make you feel guilty and some may call you a cheapskate.  You will have to ignore this and one day they will admire you and want to do the same thing and you will be able to teach  them the steps and they will never look at money the same way.




                                *TEACH A MAN HOW TO FISH*

What You Can Do If You Suddenly Find Yourself Homeless

In The United States, most of us are just one paycheck away from homelessness.  There are many instances where a lot of people are homeless due to things beyond their control, like fire, loss of a job, domestic violence and illnesses.  If this is happening to you, there is a feeling of shock and great anxiety.

The first thing you can do is get all birth certificates and social security numbers for everyone in your family if possible.  Call family members to see if anyone can take you in.  A lot of times, family members will not be able to take you in but try anyway.  If you are in a situation where no one will take you in, you will have to make yourself a checklist of the different options that I will  set forth.

Call your local Salvation Army to see if there are any programs that will help you with shelters in your local area and check with your local churches to see if they know of shelters that are safe for you and your family.  I know that this is a tough step because no one wants to be in a shelter but this may be your only option.  Salvation Army sometimes will help you with security for another apartment.

A big tip is to call your local Catholic Church  because they are known for helping people in a crisis and they will help you sometimes before some of these other programs will or they can tell you what to do and who to contact.

 If you have lost your job please contact your local Social Services Department in your town and make an appointment to get assistance, they can also help you with security for another apartment and help you with finding another job.

When you are in this situation you will have to do a lot of running around because one program may not have the funds to help you at this time so please be prepared to go to more than one place.

Below I am listing agencies that you can contact to see if they can be of assistance to you:

• To find help with emergency housing and help with utilities call 211 or go to their website at: 

http://www.211.org/services/housing-and-utilities. You can go on the same website if you need to find out where to get food.

• To get information regarding jobs and job training:

http://www.goodwill.org/find-jobs-and-services/get-training/

• To find help with food and shelter, you can go to this page and put in your zip code and it will provide you with the address and phone number where you can get help.

http://catholiccharitiesusa.org/

• Information on how to get low cost home phone or wireless service:

http://www.att.com/gen/general?pid=22888

• To see if you qualify for Safelink Wireless:

https://www.safelinkwireless.com/Enrollment/Safelink/en/NewPublic/index.html

• To see if you qualify for Assurance Wireless:

http://www.assurancewireless.com/Public/Welcome.aspx


I hope that these tips are helpful and remember to not be ashamed to ask for help when you need it.  Soon you will be back on your feet and don't forget to help the next person who is in a desperate situation. 

Please share this information with people who may need it.

BEAUTIFUL BLUE COVER UP AND BEACH WEAR.

This cover up is so pretty to me.  I just love the patterns!

These Are Cute Looks

I saw these looks at the Mall and I love the bright colors and the prints.  I would never have thought of pairing the jacket with the dress, but, they made it work.

The retailers are getting ready for fall,so, they are showing on their displays how you can wear your summer items but just add a jacket to make it work for the beginning of the fall season.

  I like the green tank with the printed pants and you could add a shorter length jean jacket without a hood to make it look sporty.

The Good And The Bad Of Online Dating

In my past I used online dating sites and I went on 1 date and I decided to do this post after speaking to a very good friend of mines concerning this subject.  I will give you my thoughts regarding the good and bad of online dating.

The Good Of Online Dating:

• You are able to chat with someone any day or night.  There are no restrictions based on time  and you can access people from all over the world.
• Find people who share the same interest.
• See people of different ages, you may be interested in
• Do a search of people from your zip code.
• Search for people who have the same spiritual beliefs.
• Look for people who are interested in a long term relationship or not.
• Find someone who fit your specific height requirements.
• Look for someone with or without children.

The Bad Of Online Dating:

• Gold diggers.
• People who are married and lie and say that they aren't.
• Scam Artist
• Men looking for a Women to take care of them and vice versus and Mommas Boy's.
• You can run into people running from the law or serial killers and rapist.
• People who lie about their profession.
• Lying and saying that they don't have children when they do.
• Sometimes they lie about the City or State they live in.
• Thinking you are desperate and taking you for granted such as: Not remembering your birthday or anything that is special to you.
• Men who are serial daters and not really looking for a real relationship

So, I will tell you a little about my experience dating online.  I went on a well known site years ago and I started to search and I was contacted by a Man and we spent a while chatting online and he then wanted to take me out.   We set up a place to meet and we went out and had a great time.  He was not my type, but, I figured this was a good way to meet someone and form a friendship.

Every weekend we spent time going out to dinner and movies and this was such a nice time, but, as time passed I noticed that he started taking me for granted and he was not concerned about things that was important to me.

We decided to keep our relationship as friendship only and we have remained this way.

My advice is to not take online dating to serious and just use it as a tool to meet new people.  You have to be very careful because there are people looking to use and abuse Women who are vulnerable and I would not introduce a person to children until you have dated them for a very long time.

Online dating is not safe because you don't know if you are really chatting with the same person on the picture and you could be inviting trauma into your life.

On the other hand, I have heard some really good stories about people meeting online and are now married but, you have to take your time and not rush into anything.

This was my one and only experience with online dating and I am not sure whether I would ever try it again.

Tips For You Ladies:

• Do not let a Man pick you up from your home.
• Do not let him meet your children.
• Don't give out personal information.
• Never let this person know where you work or have your work number.
• Trust your gut feelings.
• Never give your money to anyone.
• Have extra money tucked away to get home from your date.
• Let a family member know where you are going.
• Be careful dating someone who lives in another state or country.
• If it sounds like they are lying, they are!