So Zack and I are not at the best right now. Its not that we are fighting. We just… arent completely in sync. He doesnt deal well with us being broke. Not that I do, I just know that there isnt much other option. I told him that if he can find a better option out there, if there is something some where that will make him happy then by all means he should go out there and find it or do it, or whatever it is. I dont want to imagine my world with out him, but if hes not happy then I have to let him go find something else. I dont even know whats going on inside his head. This my dears is one of the casualties of poverty. 

Most divorces are over money. Its sad. But it is what it is. I love him. I hope that he loves me the way that he says he does. But who knows. 

We have a cat named Raul. Raul needs to be neutered very badly. We currently do not have the funds to have it done at a private vets office. The SPCA will do it very cheap but only if we can prove that he has had all his vaccinations. He has. But we can not prove it. So…. where did that leave me? With google. Most cities have discounted spay and neuter programs through private practices. Google it. Find the numbers for your city. They are out there. 

Lets talk about some real things here for a minute. You may not know this, but I am not just your everyday run of the mill stripper/blogger/modern American homemaker. I went to college. Thats right. Im educated, mother fuckers. Guess what I am currently doing with my expensive education? Nothing. Because I hate practicing in my field of study. It was great to learn, not where I want to spend the next forty years. I WANT to go to beauty school {like we have covered I am vain} but I can not secure the loan. Here is a heart breaker for some of you adults who put off schooling or may want to go back to school; Salliemae isnt handing out money the way she was ten years ago. I know its sad. Like its our fault the economy crashed? So… here are some things I am learning in the process of trying to get into a field I want to work in. 

1. You need to make friends with your parents because chances are their credit scores are better than yours. 

2. Private colleges are easy to get into because all they care about is your money. 

3. Not all careers require an accredited education. 

Let me school you a little on some things that I have recently learned. In my area there are two very prominent beauty schools. Paul Mitchell and Aveda. Both cost almost twenty thousand dollars for a full cosmetology degree. They are accredited. To go “full time” you have to put forty hours of work in a week. This does not leave much time for work so you will need to take out enough loan money to pay for some of your living expenses as well. Once you graduate from Aveda or PM with 1200 hours of practical study you go and take your state board exam and get licensed.  Then you start paying Salliemae back the massive amount of money that you borrowed from them. We also have a bunch of very small schools here in my town. I found one that is run by Vietnamese people. It has primarily Vietnamese students. It charges 3,500 dollars for a full cosmetology program. Once you graduate with your 1200 hours, you go and take your state board exam and get licensed. 

Are we keeping up here people? More expensive, does not mean better. It can mean better… but it can also mean just more expensive. 

One of my driving points on anything here, kids, is do your research. Dont just trust the person that you are talking to from the school you looked into first. There are other ways around it. 

Ladies…we have to give up the nail salon. Its fifty bucks every two weeks that just isnt reasonable. I am still not great with my fingernails, but I am learning. Go to walmart buy a shell pink polish and a white french polish and a clear coat. Learn to do your own toes. You will suck at it for a while, and it will take practice, but you can do it. You want some advice? Buy a cheap set of press ons and hold them to your nail to get a really straight line. No one is going to know. No one gets close enough to your feet to even look that deeply. Put your blow dryer on low with medium heat and dry them quickly so they stay thick looking. It works. 

Here is the one that killed me. It took me months to let go of. My waxist. My eye brows. I hate the way my face looks when my eye brows arent done, and I hate tweezing. Guess what? I tweeze them anyway. Saves fifteen dollars every two weeks. 

Not everyone has this option. I know. You have to have a skill or a trade that is valuable to someone who also has a skill/ trade/ good that you want, but it is possible. 

I have a girlfriend who is a stylist in a salon. She is fabulous. I can not afford her prices. My boyfriend is a tattoo artist, and she is a tattoo collector. She can not afford his prices. She does my hair, a full cut and color and he gives her a tattoo for the equivalent price.  She also cuts his hair. We hang out, order pizza and trade services. It works for both of us. Might you know of any people who could save you money?

When searching ebay always hit the button on the left side of the screen that says free shipping. Its worth it.

My entire life I have watched my parents stress and suffer over providing an adequate Christmas without going into debt over it. They never succeeded. My mom is a horrible gift giver by nature. I believe she genetically inherited this trait from her mother. She spends a lot of money they cant afford on things that we dont want or need. She tries and we love her. She is however, and excellent scavenger. She is great at yard sales and thirfting. 

I am a very enthusiastic gift giver. I like giving gifts. I REALLY like giving gifts that I know that people will like. I am also in the worse financial year of my career. So to my fanily I proposed this. Second hand gifts. Clearanced to all hell gifts. Gifts that cost me a fraction of what they would in the store. Over the course of this blog I will write up things I have found for both my home, and to be gifted. 

Two blue matching candle holders .25 each {Salvation Army}

Two red matching candle holders .25 each {Salvation Army}

Two brandy glasses that say “The Pussycat” for my Lesbian sister and her fiance 1 dollar for the pair {Salvation Army}

4 shot glasses .40 each {Salvation Army} 

I plan on putting these in my brother and sister/ their partners stockings with tiny bottles of their favorite alcohol. 

A tshirt that says BTW for my sister brand new bought on a clearance rack for 1 cent, after the purchase of bathing suit top that I needed for myself.  {Wet Seal}

A hoodie originally from Forever 21 with tags $2 {Yard Sale}

A book on Hawaii where my parents will be traveling $2 {Borders Clearance}

A book on why not to date musicians for my sister in law $1 {Borders Clearance}

A book on tattoo culture with temporary tattoos for my niece $4 {Boarders Clearance}

A strapless American Eagle dress {used} $3 GoodWill

2 Pocket watch necklaces $5 although I had four fifty in my paypal account that I had forgotten about {so free} {Ebay}

12 multicolored eye liner pencils $2 {Ebay}

And this is just where I am at right now guys, its about to get even crazier in the coming months as I attempt to stock pile. I will keep you posted both on gifts and things for my own home.