Disqus - Latest Comments for Meg from All About Appearances

Re: Get Bonus Points from the Easter Bunny with Natural Egg Dyes

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:49:45 -0000

Here's another great page with natural dyes, many including common "weeds" or other wild plants: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html

Check to make sure they're not toxic first, though. I recognize many as safe from some suburban foraging I've done, but there are some there that don't look suitable.

Re: The Seven Stones of Simpler Living

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 10:55:58 -0000

Great post! You captured the essence of simpler living very well!

Another stone might be decluttering, both physically and mentally. For me, it definitely ties in with #6 because clutter stresses me out and I find having an uncluttered space very calming. It also makes activities simpler, from cleaning to partying because there's less stuff to move around. There's less stuff to worry about, too -- less stuff to be damaged or stolen, less stuff that needs to be fixed, etc. And recently, when my husband was talking to our insurance agent about how we no longer have any televisions, she mentioned -- after recovering herself from the shock -- that we should update our home insurance policy.

Re: Pros and Cons of Interest-Only Mortgage Payments

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 17:35:27 -0000

As I understand it, interest-only mortgages are promoted as useful for people who don't plan to keep their homes for a long time, e.g. flippers or people just planning to move in a few years. Since they plan to move before the payments go up, it does sort of make sense. However, a lot of people got stuck with a house they couldn't sell and a mortgage they couldn't afford.

Five years ago, my husband and I got a regular, fixed-rate mortgage on a house that was affordable and are happy we did so -- especially since many of our friends pay more than we for apartments half the size (and we have 1/3 of an acre, too).

I remember a lot of the bad advice we were given, even by smart people close to us with "experience" in these sorts of things. For example: "Buy as much house as you can afford, because your income and house values will only go up." And, likewise, "You can always refinance. Housing always goes up. They aren't making any more land." And there was so much said about building equity and "Your home is your best investment", etc. It seems ridiculous, but lots of people said and believed those things! (And I hope they question them now!)

Re: Your Job as Your Identity? Not For Me, Thanks

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 04:29:13 -0000

Great post! That's certainly something that's been on my mind for some time.

I've also had a lot of interests and talents, which is maybe why I've had a hard time finding my niche until recently. I started as a jazz major (on sax), but after having to withdraw and re-enter college I ended up with a degree in classical studies (mostly focusing on Latin) and Spanish linguistics, with minors in foreign language education and linguistics. After that, I started writing online about style, fashion, saving money, and other topics that really only became interesting to me since graduating. I also started taking performance jazz and singing classes at a local college.

Because I'm working on so many different projects that are hard to describe to the non-tech savvy and maybe also because I'm a stay-at-home wife who's not what I'd call a housewife, I have a hard time describing myself by what I do. Unfortunately for me, though that seems to be the preferred small talk when getting to know people. When I tell people, it usually ends up with, "Must be great not having to work" or "So what do you do [i.e. for a living -- as if I didn't just tell them]?"

In the end, I'm just me -- and that works for me. Fortunately, my husband doesn't really seem to care what I do, so long as it works for me (in that he does care and is very supportive). My husband loves me for me and not what I do -- though he also loves and appreciates how I do stuff, too.

By the way, I'm very interested in the process of things, so that why I love the quote you mentioned from the film.

Re: The Frugal Lifestyle: Are We Missing Out on Life?

Meg from All About Appearances — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:44:59 -0000

@RicketyBridge,

I'm not completely against debt. I know that I should have been smarter in the past about using it, and I'm trying to get down the debt I have, but that doesn't mean that I'd do everything differently if I had the chance and I still value debt as a tool for getting ahead.

But you have to ask yourself if what you're buying is worth not just the initial price, but also the interest you'll pay -- and ask yourself if you're getting in too deep.

I definitely believe in investing in one's career. That doesn't mean to go crazy with it and buy the latest and greatest of everything. You can learn a lot online for free and you don't have to have an expensive work wardrobe so long as fits your needs. But if $1000 is keeping you from making $10,000, then spend the $1000.

There are other times where spending a little can save money in the long run. For example, I love avocados, but the tiny ones here are $1.25 a piece. I've been keeping my eye out for an opportunity to get a free tree, but rather than keep buying avocados, I recently decided to pay about $30 now to get a tree that will produce 2 pound avocados come this summer.

When it comes to family, you may want to make sooner than later. I hate to be a pessimist, but I've lost a lot of loved ones unexpectedly. You never know how long you have. And while that doesn't mean that you should go all out and spend half the year traveling the globe, it may be well worth it to cut back in other areas so that you can afford to spend more time with family and friends.

Re: The Frugal Lifestyle: Are We Missing Out on Life?

Meg from All About Appearances — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:54:10 -0000

I don't think that being frugal means cutting back on everything just to be frugal. Being frugal for me is about spending with priorities in mind. For example, it may mean cutting out daily fast food trips so that I can occasionally eat out at a really nice restaurant with my husband. My husband and I have made a lot of small cuts, and as a result we're finally getting the debt down while still being to make upgrades to our home which mean a lot more to us than the extra cable channels, the overprices paper towels, or the gym membership we rarely used.

When you stop buying every "cool" thing that you come across, you may be surprised that you can actually afford those things that really mean something to you -- which may be the sports car or awesome vacation.

Re: Your Food Pantry: An Essential Part of Your Emergency Fund

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 22:01:23 -0000

Dana,

6 months worth of food doesn't take up all that much room at all if you're storing basic items like rice, beans, flour, sugar, salt, etc. (instead of canned soup and boxes of mac & cheese). While I don't stockpile food per se, I do tend to buy some things in bulk from Sams like flour and sugar and they last 6 months at least! And I always have plenty of rice and dried beans on hand. In fact, though our fridge and freezer are pretty bare right now, I bet we could last well over a month, maybe two on what we have in our very pitifully small cabinets.

Of course, you'd want some more variety, but seasonings don't take up much space and an herb garden is a great help with that if you have any room outside.

I wouldn't live off of just beans, rice, and things like home-baked breads by choice, but if things get bad then it you bet I'd be happy to have those things -- along with a good knowledge of edible wild plants, which is something that I've actually enjoyed developing!

Re: Your Food Pantry: An Essential Part of Your Emergency Fund

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:23:07 -0000

Hi Dong,

The problem with just saving money is that food prices could go soaring due to shortages or just general inflation.

I think Flexo makes a really good point about stocking up. I certainly don't have 6 month's worth of food saved up either, but it might be a nice to feel that secure and I'm considering getting some staples in bulk.

While I like fresh food, it might not be a bad idea to stock up on dried goods like garbanzo beans, green peas, flour, sugar, yeast, etc. Also, if the sky does start falling, having a garden wouldn't be a bad idea.

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:06:23 -0000

Helen,

If you don't mind... How much do you spend on the accountant each year? I'm just curious because we've never had one. It sounds nice to have one, though fortunately we've been able to get things under control ourselves.

Actually, I think my husband and I enjoy some of our money talk (so long as we're making progress, that is, lol). It's brought us closer together because we're talking about our common goals and working on problems together.

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 12:20:31 -0000

Well said, HD! I think that's exactly what Ginger and I are trying to say!

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:35:04 -0000

Also, there's more to "clicking" and "chemistry" than looks. That might work for the first few minutes, but there are many things that can be huge turn-offs, like not leaving a tip when the service was great, or constantly asking for money because they really couldn't afford the huge t.v. they just bought.

Personally, a great mind and a great heart are bigger turn-ons for me -- and they tend to last a lot longer than good looks.

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 13:28:15 -0000

Llama Money,

Like Ginger said, good looks and smooth talk is definitely a dime a dozen. I've met more than a few of them that turned out to be abusive to their girlfriends/wives. Bottom line, chemistry isn't everything, either -- especially when you're talking about a lifelong commitment. And while being bad with money might not sound like "abuse", at some levels it can be -- and it can also be an early sign of an abuser.

Of course, there are nice looking guys that are nice and have a financial plan. I'm married to one.

But if I were looking for a partner again...

All else being equal, I'd prefer the guy that knew that credit cards weren't "free money" and didn't spend every penny he brought in. And in fact, a guy like that would easily beat out better looking guys that don't think about their financial future at all.

As for your earlier comment, I do think that society (at least in the U.S.) does expect the guy to be the primary breadwinner and handle the finances. That does seem unfair considering that women can do the job just as well -- and often do. Whatever society expects, though, I think women should make sure that they educate themselves about finances.

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:18:05 -0000

You're very welcome, Ginger! It still surprises me how much some people try to read between the lines for something that's just not there -- and miss the point as a result.

I also suspected that there might be a gender split when it comes to attitudes... though it's hard to tell.

Obviously, I'm a gal. For those that don't know me and my blog, I'm a young married woman, married now for over 6 years. Our finances are far from perfect, but I look around and realize how fortunate I am to be married to a guy who does have a healthy and admirable work ethic, who does has similar financial goals, who understands the basics, and who isn't a complete spendthrift. I would hate to be married to a guy that put our future in jeopardy with poor financial planning or obsessive overspending.

That said, we've been working more on communication lately so that we can work together to improve our financial situation. No matter who plugs in the numbers, it takes both people working together to make things work.

Again, I highly recommend talking about finances in depth before getting married.

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 18:31:01 -0000

Adfecto,

I don't understand what this has to do with DINKS... Maybe I missed something, but I didn't read anything in this post that said that the goal was DINKS, just as she didn't say that women should be SAHMs or guys should be SAHDs. The point, as I read it, was that women should at least consider a guy's money skills as part of the package.

While people can certainly balance each other out, there are limits. In the end, if they don't have complementary goals, there's going to be trouble. And if either of them isn't wise about their money, there's going to be trouble. I've seen it happen time and time again: one person is a big spender, the other watches in horror as their hard-earned money disappears into debt. They don't balance each other -- one sucks the other dry! And yes, in some cases, one person is far too miserly and makes the other person miserable. That doesn't work any better.

Bottom line, I don't think anyone should get married before at least knowing where their partner stands when it comes to finances, and considering how that will work with their own ideas about money. (Not that it can't work out if they disagree, but compromises may be necessary.)

Re: Smart Women Marry for Money, and Here’s Why

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 16:44:52 -0000

Great post!

First off, to the other readers, I don't think she ever so much as implied that money is the most important factor when dating. Maybe you can't choose who you fall in love with, but love alone isn't enough -- I've known lots of women in bad relationships who love their partners, but that doesn't mean that they should stay with them.

Nor did she say that women should worry about the guy's money skills but neglect their own. There is plenty of info on that topic elsewhere.

Nor do I take her article to say that you should only look for rich guys. There are many rich people who have awful money skills and blow it all, while there are plenty of poor people who do remarkably well with what they have.

Nor is someone type-A just because they work hard and take care of their money.

So, yes, I definitely agree that you should consider how a man treats money. Is it the most important factor? No -- but it can be very telling when it comes to other aspects of his personality. Plus, if a guy sucks at handling money now, he's not going to change overnight (and maybe not at all).

Re: Giveaway: Free Sumo Lounge Omni Chair

Meg from All About Appearances — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 14:45:34 -0000

My house looks like a frat house do to all the mismatched, freebie furniture. There's the wooden tables from my mom, the futon from Freecycle, the recliners from my mother-in-law, the couch from a friend, two bean bag chairs that my mom gave us for a wedding present... In short, the sumo lounge would fit in perfectly.

Re: 10 things to tell a graduating high school senior

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:15:40 -0000

I dunno, I majored in Spanish AND Latin and things turned out alright ;D

Great advice! To that I add, get a job or internship of some sort as soon as possible -- though be careful not to overdo it, since classes will have to come first so long as their are things like transcripts. Use the experience to figure out what you want to DO and not just what you want to STUDY, because college ends before you know it and things that are interesting to learn about for a few years may not be what you want to do for a few decades (as I learned from my senior teaching practicum). Plus, the other big benefit is that you'll actually have something to put on your resume when you graduate.

And speaking to both high school and college graduates, if you're looking to start working, do NOT wait till after graduation to start looking. I know some very smart, well-educated people who found the job market a lot tougher than they expected. It can take months, if not years, to find a good job. Start networking early. Work on your resume. Intern where you want to work later if possible. Start inquiring about jobs months ahead of time. Otherwise, you'll find yourself competing with most other graduates at the same time, and find out that many companies will take weeks or months to make a decision. Don't wait for one company to make their decision, look elsewhere and everywhere in the meantime.

Re: The Cambrian Explosion

Meg from All About Appearances — Thu, 22 May 2008 02:51:33 -0000

Definitely!

This year I "discovered" that:
* convenience food isn't convenient
* 'just' buying something usually takes more time than fixing or making something myself
* there are plenty of free ways to entertain myself without going shopping
* simple living is remarkably simple
* being frugal can be really fun, especially when I feel clever
* keeping track of account balances each week is also surprisingly fun
* I can help save the planet while spending less
* fresh food tastes way better than stuff with lots of preservatives
* and going to the gym isn't nearly as fun as gardening and going for walks with my husband and other friends.

Meanwhile, my husband discovered that it takes less time to stay organized than it does to find what he needs when he isn't organized -- or go out and buy something because he can't find it.

Re: I’m looking for an awesome concealer:

Meg from All About Appearances — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:27:30 -0000

I have been really impressed with Prescriptive's Flawless Skin concealer. I don't think it has mineral oil, but you'd have to check.

When I started running out of my more expensive makeup items, I tried a lot of drugstore brands and replaced most things but I ended up having to get more of the concealer because nothing came anywhere close. My husband has been impressed with its coverage, too, as he's seen some of the thing that I've covered with it. I even used it to cover a previous roommate's hickies so her mom wouldn't see them (she was a bit overprotective).

Re: The World’s Worst Money Mistake

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 10:45:01 -0000

Oh, goodness... my husband and I have made a few. The worst, though, would have to be not keeping track of our account balances. It's easy to make wrong estimations when you have multiple credit, checking, & saving accounts and don't make a point of checking them together and totaling them up. When we finely did do that, we were shocked out how bad off we were. I mean, we knew it wasn't good, but we didn't think it was half as bad as it was.

Since then, we've started tracking our accounts TOGETHER on a spreadsheet weekly, and then recently biweekly (after each paycheck). Since we started doing this we've turned things around and are making better and better progress.

Re: 5 Reasons Not to Worry About Unemployment

Meg from All About Appearances — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 12:01:23 -0000

That's a lot of ifs!

Re: 5 Reasons Not to Worry About Unemployment

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:13:48 -0000

Monica, I do agree that those are good ideas. But sometimes there are things outside of one's control. Not everyone can afford unemployment insurance. Not everyone has the time or even just the know how to make another viable stream of income -- or the initial capital which many things take. And no matter how much people are willing to work, there just aren't enough jobs right now for everyone. I don't say this to discourage people from trying, and I do think attitude is very important. However, I've watched as some highly motivated, hard working, creative people have looked and looked and looked for a job or at least some way to make money. One friend in particular comes to mind who has never had a problem finding work before because she's always been willing to go out and do whatever it took. Her resume is a mile long and spans quite a few different fields -- including some that aren't known for being suitable for women. She's well-networked, smart and streetsmart, and very determined. As you can tell, I have great respect for her -- and that is really saying something. But she's about to be kicked out of her apartment because she can't pay the rent. I look at her case and think, "My god! If she can't find a job in this area, who can?!" So, while what you say above sounds good and maybe is the pep talk some need, I think it sounds a bit like "blame the victim" and that isn't useful -- or very compassionate to those who really are doing everything they can figure out to do right now and still are having a rough time.

Re: 5 Reasons Not to Worry About Unemployment

Meg from All About Appearances — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:16:14 -0000

Thanks, Monica!

Re: Hyper-local Gainesville

Meg from All About Appearances — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 16:06:03 -0000

Did anything ever come of your idea? I think a site like that would be awesome!

Re: Do You Buy Fair Trade?

Meg from All About Appearances — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:14:34 -0000

Sometimes. I focus more on buying local than fair trade, but I often choose fair trade when I buy chocolate or coffee.

Re: Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

Meg from All About Appearances — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:33:02 -0000

My husband and I use cloth napkins at home most of the time and love them. I never need more than one during a meal and we can often use napkins for days without washing unless they do get messy. Then when they're ready to be washed we wash them with our clothes -- which usually wouldn't make a full load otherwise.

Plus, it's great not to have to go buy napkins frequently and deal with all the packaging (and cost).

We do occasionally use paper towels still, but usually for the big greasy or otherwise nasty messes that we don't want to put in our laundry.

Re: Do You Buy Fair Trade?

Meg from All About Appearances — Thu, 07 May 2009 16:14:34 -0000

Sometimes. I focus more on buying local than fair trade, but I often choose fair trade when I buy chocolate or coffee.

Re: Are Paper Napkins More Environmentally Friendly?

Meg from All About Appearances — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:33:02 -0000

Plus, it's great not to have to go buy napkins frequently and deal with all the packaging (and cost).

We do occasionally use paper towels still, but usually for the big greasy or otherwise nasty messes that we don't want to put in our laundry.