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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Thoughts, Pics, and other things

 I purchased the top seen here from HSN on sale. I got it at the end of the season and it has white beads on it. I'm sure it was meant for summer and got it with the thought of keeping it till next year. When purchasing things from the internet, I take a chance on not getting things that totally fulfill my needs. However, this time it worked out for the best. The top is heavier than I would wear in the summer and it feels great in cool weather. In the black/white combo it works for me for winter.
And the Avon ring goes very well with it.
 I've worn this top before and remain in love with the colors but the jewelry is my add to this outfit.

These earrings are actually Avon also. They are sort of art deco and I fell in love with them. I'm fortunate to be able to get Avon for a good price. But even so, the Avon things I have are notoriously well made and last forever.

Enough about that. I am one of the 99 %. I am retired and trying to make it on not a lot of money. I have a significant other who actually pays the majority of the bills around here but I would love to feel more secure. He has been laid off for lack of business from his company more than once. It's scary. I have been looking for ways to cut back on my expenses. So I first checked on my Medicare insurance supplements. I have switched to another company and to a different sort of policy. I am saving a fairly large amount of money beginning the first of next year. So I got really proud of myself and began to check on Auto insurance. There are so many ads on TV claiming huge savings and I thought I ought to check it out. Turns out I can save over $22 a month starting Dec 5. So I went with it because when I get my income up a bit I can get a really good policy on my home too. I've been worrying about property taxes and had to come up with some back payments since the house is not financed. I can do the monthly stuff most of the time but the big intermittent stuff floors me.

One of the problems with the above is the fact that I got messages from the time I was a child that I couldn't handle money. And for the most part they were right. After the divorce and loss of my mother, the messages went away. But I had no messages to put in their place. I think there are all sorts of negative messages given to us all the time. I plan to address this problem as if affects my life in this blog.

First. Because of the messages that I couldn't handle money, I haven't even tried. I was totally pleased with the fact that I could have my bills automatically deducted from checking. That meant I wouldn't be late. Good move. It also meant I could avoid facing facts about how much money was going out and where it went. Just take it out. I don't know and what I don't know won't hurt me. Really? That is how I thought. Messages cause a lot of grief.

Not to be left out, I always wanted to be pretty. I thought that because I saw that the only really well known women of my day were movie stars and they were really pretty. I am so glad that I didn't have to read the messages that are out there now. For instance, Who wore it better?. Who cares? If a celeb wore the dress and felt she looked nice shouldn't that be enough? How about the wedding things on TV? Who spent more? I saw where KK said her wedding would be bigger and better than the royal wedding was. Why? Why does the wedding have to be compared to another wedding? Why does how much is spent have to matter so much? Why, in this world of starving people does spending millions on a wedding have so much appeal?

I am seeing parents constantly telling their children that they are the best. That isn't possible. It just isn't. Real people may be simply wonderful at something but there is rarely a person who is really good at something that doesn't eventually find someone better at it. Why must we live in a society where we teach our children that if they are good at something they are really better people than others are? This can cause a child to either give up if they are not the best or to really believe they are better than other people and in turn give negative messages to others. I am talking about this because of one phrase I got from my Mom in the fifth grade when I brought home all A's except for one A-. She said, "Why wasn't that one an A too? Are you stupid?" I am 66. I remember that message as if it were yesterday. So I shall begin to harp occasionally on the messages we give our children and others around us. I am a firm believer in enhancing a child's belief in himself but with some realism thrown in. I certainly could have used a dose of it.

Lastly, I have to say that I am a quitter. Because of some of the negative messages I have received, I am not willing to try difficult things. Such as the money management. I turned some of that over to others who are knowledgeable about money. That was a good decision on my part. But I didn't see it as handling money wisely. I am now reassessing that thought and I think that was how any reasonable but not knowledgeable person would do it. If I need help with something I go to someone who is good at what I need help with. And I am a quitter because some things just look overwhelming. If cleanout of my home is such a big job, I don't even know where to start. I need to paint, clean carpets. I need to get rid of rooms full of things I don't need. Huge job. HUGE. So I've decided that as a Christmas gift to myself and my honey, I am going to spend 30 to 45 minutes a day cleaning something. Anything. Every day till Christmas.              Can't hurt.

2 comments:

Amber said...

So many things to say! First off I love the earrings you are wearing with that blue top. (ps that light blue color looks amazing on you) Secondly, money management is something I think most people have a hard time with. I was just talking to my father in law and he was telling me about how he doesnt invest his money because he just cant understand it and he feels like the people at the bank who are supposed to help someone like him are really just trying to take his money without fully explaining the process. Its a real shame. I am kinda the same way though. My husband works in finance so he really handles that area. He tries to explain it to me but it just goes over my head. Now if you need to know how to add volume to your hair or what shoes to wear with an outfit...well I'm your girl :)

Ofelia said...

Judy, I love all the earrings and I also love the black and white outfit that you are wearing.
You hair looks great too!
Regarding the money situation, well I have a masters degree and I work in the education field and I'm still struggling with so many expenses and the high cost of living here in South Florida.
I tried to always keep everything in perspective and understand that there are always others that are in worse shape than me. I'm also mostly an optimistic person however being the sole provider of my family can leave me overwhelm and exhausted at times.