| Save Karyn | |
| Help her pay off her credit card debt! | |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Daily Buck...
|
||||||
| The daily things I do to make a buck & save a buck! | ||||||
Me & the Brita |
||||||
|
BUCKS FROM WEEK 42... Saturday, April 12, 2003 Today I got home from LA and I got my mail and someone sent me some "Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific" shampoo and conditioner. Remember that? Apparently they only sell it in Asia now, but she sells it through an eBay store. Here's a link: Friday, April 11, 2003 Today I went out to breakfast with my friend to a place called The Griddle in LA. It's really "scene-y". I brought Bev the dog with me, and she sat in her cute little bag under the table while we ate. And guess to who was sitting next to us: Steve from Beverly Hills 90210. Smack dab right next to us. He asked me about Bev the dog in the bag, and I showed him how cute she was. So all during breakfast I tried to not listen to Steve talk to the person he was with, but since he was like one foot away I couldn't help it. And I MIGHT have heard something about a ten-year reunion special for 90210. So, when and if it happens, remember that I told you first. Saving money... that's what this page is about... so how did I save money today? Well, my friend parked his car at a meter that had some time left on it, so I'd say we saved about 25 cents. Thursday, April 10, 2003 Today I had a meeting with the BIG HOLLYWOOD MOVIE COMPANY people who bought the rights to make Save Karyn into a movie and just want to let everyone know that the movie is moving along just fine - and in the meeting I scored a free bottle of water. Wednesday, April 9, 2003 Tonight I went out to dinner to a super-good sushi place in LA called Katsu-ya. The sushi was damn good! Because I went out to eat, I didn't necessarily save money, but I did split a Sapporo beer to cut the cost. While I was there, I saw Wendie Malick who plays Nina on Just Shoot Me. She was with a cute guy and seemed to be having a lovely time. If you happen to be in LA, I suggest you go. And totally get the baked crab roll. Tuesday, April 8, 2003 Today I went to Santa Barbara and Monticello with my friends. I have one thing to say: PURDY. Wow. On the way there we stopped at all these outlet stores and I am happy to report that despit all the great bargains, I did not go shopping crazy. I did however score a great pair of shoes at the BCBG outlet for only $29. Yay! Monday, April 7, 2003 Today I got Bev the dog groomed in LA. I haven;t had her professionally groomed yet because she is just a puppy, but my friend told me that she needed it badly. So I took her to a place in LA called Chateau Marmutt. How cute is that name? Anywho, the grooming cost $40 which is a bargain compared to the $77 price quote I got at a place in New York. Seriously when I heard the $77 price, I thought that if all dog-groomers cost that much, then Bev is going to be one grubby dog. But, alas, Chateau Marmutt proved to be cheaper. And I hear Petco is about $35, so Bev will probably be going there in the future. Sunday, April 6, 2003 Today I flew to Los Angeles using miles! Yep! Free! And I'm staying with a friend in a swanky place for free! Yep! And he made me dinner when I got here! Yep! More free stuff! Yay! But before I leave, I'm going to have to take him to dinner or something to say thank you. It's important to be polite like that. BUCKS FROM WEEK 41... Saturday, April 5, 2003 I go to a laundry mat. Yep. And I do my own laundry with detergent that I buy at the dollar store. It's russian Tide. But I always see people drop off their laundry, and then the lady there does it for them, and then they pick it up. So I decided to try it because I didn't have time to tend to my laundry and I needed it done really badly. So I dropped it up and the lady there was all like, "Pick it up later today," and stuff. So I did, and I bought a $20 bill with me to pay thinking twenty bucks would be more than enough. But it wasn't. It was $25, which is DAMN pricey for laundry. To do all of that myself would have been about $13 or so. So I learned my lesson. I need to plan my time better and not wait until the last minute to do my laundry. Sure my undies were folded all nicely - BUT there was a pair in my laundry basket that wasn't mine. Yuck. I thnk it was a sign from the money angel telling me to do my own laundry. So I'm going to listen. Friday, April 4, 2003 I ran out of perfume. Damn. I was using this perfume called "Creed" and the fragrance was called "Millesime Imperial." It smelled so amazing! A friend bought it for me as a gift and seriously... it's $148 a bottle. OH MUH GAWD. So OBVIOSULY I'm not going to run out and buy a new bottle. I like really clean scents and am not into what I call "department store perfume" - the kind of perfume that all smells alike and makes me sneeze. I like "Comptoir Sud Pacifique" in "Pamplemousse" that you can also get at Bendel's. It's really sweet and smells deelish! And I also actually love "Demeter" scents, which are like $20. But today I waltzed by a Seohora and bought a $3 purse size spray of their vanilla. And it smells good! So since I didn't buy the Creed, I saved $145. And since I didn't buy the Comptoir, I saved $76. And since I didn't buy the Demeter I saved $14.50. I'M A BARAGIN HUNTER! Creed - Millesime Imperial Comptoir Sud Pacifique - Pamplemousse Demeter Pick-Me-Up-Spray - Angel Food Sephora Collection - Vanilla Yellow Thursday, April 3, 2003 Today I got a partial highlight. I haven't had one since December, and the time before that was April. So I totally was due. This is what I do... I do my roots every month by myself at home with L'Oreal Preference, and it keeps the color looking OKAY. It's not the greatest, but I'm on a budget! So I got a partial highlight and I went to a new girl at the same old salon, and since she is new, I got 10% off! Kick butt! Wednesday, April 2, 2003 So sometime last week I told you about needing new spring/summer clothes and I got some today! Dude, Macy's rocks! They had this HUGE sale and I got all sorts of cute summer tees for like $10 and stuff. That's really all I wear in the summer. They are like the Abercrombie ones that are really thin - my favorite. So I stocked up. Tuesday, April 1, 2003 I'm going to Los Angeles next week to visit my friend Mark and I used MILES to get my flight for FREE! Miles rock. I will be flying American Airlines and will be leaving Sunday. Elvis is not coming. He doesn't like to leave the house. But I'm still debating whether or not to bring Bev. Monday, March 31, 2003 I did this once before and it worked, so I'll try it again. I have a savings account at this bank called ING Direct. It's an online bank and is totally legit and all. They don't have any minumums and they have NO FEES. Every so often they have a promotion where I can "refer a friend." If the person I refer signs up for a savings account, then they get a $25 sign-up bonus, and I get a $10 referral bonus. I can refer up to 25 friends. BUT I have to send them an email through ING Direct. Isn't that cool? You can close the account after you get the $25 and just take the free money if you want! If you sign up for the account, you have to fund it in order to get your free $25, but all you need to put in is one dollar. So if you have $1 and want a free $25, send me your first and last name and email address. Just think, after you open one up through me, you can refer 25 friends and make $10 from each referral, and so on and so on! Just like the hair commercial! savekaryn@hotmail.com UPDATE: MY 25 ARE ALL FILLED UP! NO MORE MAIL PLEASE! Sunday, March 30, 2003 Today on the way home from Atlantic City, my friend and I got lost in New Jersey. Not bad, but kinda lost. We were looking for Walmart. But we finally found it. The stuff at Walmart in New Jersey is SO MUCH cheaper than it is in New York, so I got some extra toothpaste and deoderant and stuff. I stocked up. Walmart rocks. BUCKS FROM WEEK 40... Saturday, March 29, 2003 Today I went to Atlantic City with my friend. I really felt like I was going to get lucky. But I didn't. When I go gambling, I usually only play the slot machines, but this time I played roulette. It was so fun! Casinos have to make some serious cash. People just pour their money into machines and on tables. It's kind of amazing to watch. Friday, March 28, 2003 Tonight I gave myself a pedicure. It's been nice here, and I pulled out my sandals. So, it's important for the toes to look good. I painted them a nice shade of baby pink. It's pretty. Thursday, March 27, 2003 Today I gave Bev a bath. She is a Yorkie and needs to be groomed, which is expensive - like $50 or so. But I figure I can get her groomed once every TWO months so they can trim her up and stuff, and then give her a bath myself in between to save some money. That's my plan. Wednesday, March 26, 2003 Today I bought some groceries. I have been sick so I bought some tangerines and melon. I went off the Atkins's diet because it made me feel sick. It's nice to eat fruit again. Tuesday, March 25, 2003 Today my friend called me and asked me if I wanted to make $500 bucks. I said sure. She works for this televsion show and they need a cat to wear booties and make a painting. And I'm SURE Elvis would LOVE to do that. So I volunteered him. I'll let you know if it happens and when it's going to air so you can see his big TV debut. Monday, March 24, 2003 Today I woke up a bit sick. Yup. Yuck. So I bought some Walgreen's brand Sudafed called "Wal-phed." It's the same stuff. I saved myself $3! Sunday, March 23, 2003 Okay so like I have no spring clothes. Last year at this time I owed $20,000 so I didn't buy any. So the stuff I have is from two years ago. Call me vain BUT I'M NOT GONNA WEAR IT. Being broke is no excuse to look outdated. I spent exactly $200 on t-shirts and stuff from Old Navy last year but I wore the crap out of all of it. So I need some new stuff. But I can't go spending a million dollars or anything, so I think it's back to Old Navy for me. I'll keep you posted. BUCKS FROM WEEK 39... Saturday, March 22, 2003 Today I bought a box of Girl Scout cookies from a pudgy boy scout. He was helping out his sister. Yep. He looked kind of like the "bigger" kid in Goonies. He seemed like a swell kid, and I bet all that baby fat will just melt off of him when he gets older. He was really personable and really sold me on the cookies. I sure hope they make their quota. Friday, March 21, 2003 Tonight I went out with my neighbor. I was looking for this guy I think is cute who lives in my neighborhood. I didn't find him, and I don't know how he spends his Friday nights. Huh. I need to find out. Thursday, March 20, 2003 Today I threw away some chicken. Throwing away food is not a good thing. But it was bad. Stinky. And I just bought it. So tomorrow I'm going to call the grocery store and tell them that they sold me some bad bird and get my money back. Wednesday, March 19, 2003 Today's Daily Buck is dedicated to our troops! Pray for them! Keep them safe! Tuesday, March 18, 2003 Today I got some coffee in the mail from some nice ladies in New Orleans: Charlotte, Rise & Sara. They said they wanted to "save me from bad coffee" and sent me something called "Community Coffee" that is made in New Orleans. They told me that people from Southern Louisiana only drink Community Coffee. So I opened the package and brewed some up, and they are correct! It tasted nummy good! If you'd like to order yourself some Communtiy Coffee, click below. And no, I'm not getting paid from the company to put up a link. www.communitycoffee.com Monday, March 17, 2003 Happy St. Patrick's Day! I sure hope everyone drank a nice green beer today. Except children. Children shouldn't drink beer. Anywho, today I'd like to tel you all about my cousin. She's really purdy and is getting married in September. So she bought this wedding dress, and then she went on a diet and lost a bunch of weight. So now she's a bombshell, but her dress doesn't fit her. It would be too expensive for her to alter it, and the dress would lose its shape anyway, so she got a new dress and asked me to sell the old one on eBay for her. So take a look... My Cousin's Wedding Dress She paid $900 for this dress. It has never been worn or altered or anything, so I'm looking for a buyer! So help a nice girl's cousin out. You see, one should not be punished for losing weight. And being out $900 because of losing weight is NOT GOOD! So if you know anyone getting married, let them know about this dress. Sunday, March 16, 2003 Today was so nice outside! Beautiful! I took Bev the dog for a nice walk. Elvis the cat stayed home because he's not big on leaving the house. Bev isn't real sure what to do on a leash yet. She kind of doesn't get the concept of going for a "walk." The first time I took her out she went for a "carry" and the second time I took her out she went for a "stand." She just kind of stood there and didn't know what to do. But today she did good. She didn't walk A LOT, but she DID walk. I got some meaty sirloin doggie treats to help her along. Anywho, taking a walk on a nice day is one of my favorite things to do. And it's FREE! FREE! Yay! BUCKS FROM WEEK 38... Saturday, March 15, 2003 Today I didn't mean to, but I saved a dollar. This is what happened: I was out with my friend at some cutesy new place that just opened on Smith Street in Brooklyn, and I gave the bartender a $20 bill for two drinks that cost $9. For change, she gave me a ten and a one, not a five and six singles. Being a former waitress, I will tell you that this is not a smart move. So for a tip I gave her just the one. I would have left her two if she gave me more singles. So I didn't mean to, but I saved a dollar. Later in the evening, my friend ordered another round and she did the same thing to him. That lady could have been making a lot more money if she just gave people more singles. Friday, March 14, 2003 Today I did my taxes. Yuck. The accountant came right over to my house. I didn't make a lot of money last year. AND I had to pay. Everyone keeps asking me, so here is the lowdown: I don't have to pay taxes on the $13,000 that people gave me. It is considered a gift. An AP reporter who wrote a story on my website even confirmed that with the IRS. But I DO have to pay taxes on my eBay sales, and then obvious income tax on my jobs. And since I claimed that I had nine dependants at my last job so I'd get a bigger paycheck, I had to pay. But I needed the money more then than I do now. I'm not loaded or anything right now, but I don't $20,000 anymore. Thursday, March 13, 2003 Today I went to go do laundry and I accidentally left a nice blue blanket on a chair. Oops. Later in the evening when I realized my mistake, I thought for sure that it would be gone and I'd have buy a new one. However, when I went back to check, I was delighted to find that it was still there! Yay! Honest people go to the laundry mat on Atlantic Avenue between Smith and Hoyt. And if you live in the area, I suggest you go there too! Wednesday, March 12, 2003 Today I bought a fire extinguisher. I've always wanted one. I'm going to put it in the front closet. I spent $22. But if it puts out a potentially deadly fire one day, then it will be worth it. And you know, I'm back on the Atikins diet, and have cookin' up lots of bacon lately - and we all know how dangerous bacon grease can be. Tuesday, March 11, 2003 Today my new dog Bev chewed a hole in my roommate's fancy white chair. Oops. Damn Bev! She's a chewer. She also ate my curling iron cord and my blow dryer cord - they weren't plugged in. AND she also eats my shoe laces and steals Elvis's toys and chews them up too. And she passes gas that smells like potato chips, but that has nothing to do with chewing. Back to the chair... You can see it in the background of the picture on the Daily mE-Mail page. It's really fancy and leather. Someone once sent me an email asking me if it was a toilet. It's not - it's a chair. I had to buy some leather/pleather fixer. I'm hoping it will work. Monday, March 10, 2003 Today I walked several blocks in the COLD with no gloves on because I didn't have any money for the bus. Yesterday was like a perfect Spring day, but today was FREEZING. I hate that. Anywho, I didn't have a Metrocard and I didn't have any change, so I walked. Sunday, March 9, 2003 Today I used a credit I had at a pet store to buy some food and wee wee pads for Bev. Wee wee pads are like diapers that you put on the floor for your dog to go potty on. I'm going to train her to use a litter box. They make them now. Puppy litter boxes. It's just easier. And if you were a dog, would you want to go potty outside all the time? I wouldn't. It gets cold out there, and everyone is always staring at you. How awkward. So Bev is going to have her very own litter box. BUCKS FROM WEEK 37... Saturday, March 8, 2003 Tonight I went out to meet some friends for a some drinks. There were lots of cute boys there, but no one in particular struck my fancy. Damn! But I did score one free drink and shared a cab home with a friend, so I came out about $12 ahead. Friday, March 7, 2003 Tonight I went to a movie and ate some popcorn and Reese's Pieces. Together. They rock together. I highly suggest you try it next time you go to the theatre. I didn't eat dinner because I full from eating so much popcorn. And Reese's. I saw Chicago. And it was really good. I'm from Chicago, but I'm not a dancer or a singer. I've never shot anyone or been in jail either. But if I was in jail, I'd hire that Billy Flynn to represent me. Thursday, March 6, 2003 Today I ate some old bacon that was in the freezer. Bacon is good. I fried it up in the microwave. Wednesday, March 5, 2003 Today I went to the grocery store to buy some grub. I haven't been in quite a while and have been getting most of my food fro the corner store. The corner store can be quite pricey - especially since it changed hands and started carrying vegetables. Anywho, i got tons of food for forty bucks. It'll feed me for weeks. So, the moral of today's storty is don't do all of your shopping at corner stores and quick marts. Because the prices there are jacked up. And you get more bang for your buck at grocery stores. Corner stores should only be used during emergencies and late night snack attacks. That's it. Tuesday, March 4, 2003 Today I got a massage. Yup. A nice long one. And I'm not going to sit here and tell you that someone gave it to me as a gift, because I paid it for myself. Yup. I SPENT money. But this is why I choose to talk about it in my daily buck: Every so often you need to treat yourself. It's good for your health. My back was SO tight and tense that it was unhealthy. And I feel one hundred times better today! I had all sorts of stress in my back and after my massage it was all gone. Ahhhh. So, I'm not saying get one every week, but you should get one every once in awhile. One more thing... make sure you tip, because not tipping in order to save money is CHEAP! Monday, March 3, 2003 Hi! Today I bought a shower liner from the dollar store for - you guessed it! One dollar. Yup. My old one was grody. And it was cheaper just to get a new one than clean the old one. And easier. I like things that are easy. BUCKS FROM WEEK 36... THERE IS A GUEST BUCKER THIS WEEK! PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING EMAIL I RECEIVED... Dear Karyn: I was watching Letterman last week, and I was surprised to see John McEnroe hosting for him since Dave was out (with shingles -- ew, I'm not sure I'd want people know about that -- not that there's anything wrong with it, but it sounds icky). I have an unhealthy obsession with McEnroe every September, whenever he commentates for the US Open, but that's not really the point. Anywho, this got me to thinking about your absences from your site, and I had the great idea that maybe you could have guest hosts for The Daily Buck, Weekly Update, or even Weekly mE-Mail segments whenever you're not able to do the work. For example, if I were the guest economizer, my diary entries for the week of February 23 would look like this: Sunday, February 23, 2003 Since Karyn is writing her book, I am the Guest Economizer of the Week! Yay me! I am not in debt, but I am always looking to save a few bucks, so I can spend a few extra bucks somewhere else. So, how I did that today was by using the $5 coupon I got in those Valu-coupons you get in the mail to buy bagels at the H&H factory. For those of you outside New York, let me tell you, H&H are the best bagels ever. Their main store is two blocks from my apartment, but the coupon was only valid at the factory, which is out by the highway -- a long haul, and it is cold out, but I get $5 off a dozen bagels. Anyway, I had two coupons, and I got 26 bagels for $12. And I gave a dollar to the homeless guy who was hanging out in the store. I felt bad walking out of there with two big bags of bagels when he was just trying to get some change so he could buy one, you know? Save a little, spend a little. When I got home, I cut the bagels in half and froze them -- and now I can have half a bagel for breakfast every day (don't want to overdo the carbs). That's 52 yummy breakfasts for $12! Monday, February 24, 2003 What's Karyn up to? How the hell should I know? Anyway, I saved money today by taking my leftover pasta experiment from last night's dinner to work for lunch. I didn't love it, but by lunchtime, I'm not all that picky about my food, so I ate it up and saved money by not going out! And I didn't waste food, which is a good thing. Tuesday, February 25, 2003 Karyn who? Right, back to talking about me. I have a confession to make -- I belong to an overpriced, swanky gym. And I'm a total gym rat. So, today, I planned to go to a yoga class at the gym after work, and I stuck to that plan, even though some friends from work wanted to go out for drinks. Saved all kinds of money and potential shame. Wednesday, February 26, 2003 As we all know, Karyn loves designer clothes and bags. Me, not so much. My real weakness (besides concert tickets) is food. Love restaurants, but try not to go out too much. But, I was tired of leftovers from home for lunch, so I decided to go out and get something to eat. So, I went to the Pakistani Tea House, a great Indian steam table joint near my office, and I got my order to go, since the always give you too much food for lunch, and I always eat it all if I sit in the restaurant, and then I fall asleep at my desk in the afternoon. Anyway, I ate half of my lunch for lunch, and then will bring the rest in tomorrow for lunch. Saved at least $5, since I don't have any lunch food in the fridge and won't have time to get any tonight. Thursday, February 27, 2003 I felt guilty about not having time to go to the grocery store, since the best way to economize is to cook at home. So, after I went out last night, I stopped at my local grocery store, and they had all kinds of things that were half off, since it was almost closing time!!! The bread rolls, the rotisserie chicken, sushi, and tons of other stuff. I scooped up all kinds of great stuff for my meals for the rest of the week, and saved oodles of cash since everything was half off, and I wouldn't be going out for those meals. Score! The only downside is that you have to go grocery shopping at midnight. Friday, February 28, 2003 I have friends in from out of town, for the weekend. You might think it's not economical, since you go out a lot when friends are in town, but since I am a nice host -- you get your own set of keys, nice couch/sheets, clean apartment, my sparkling company, etc., people who stay with me often take me out and/or bring me nice things. So, I got a free dinner tonight at a really nice restaurant. So excited. I love economizing!!!!! Saturday, March 1, 2003 Happy March everyone! So, I mentioned my concert ticket obsession. One way to economize when buying the overpriced concert tickets is to go to the venue, which is what I did when I got my Bruce Springsteen tickets!!! Yeah!!! I saved over $20 in Ticketmaster fees, got great seats, and met some interesting people in line, though many were professional ticket buyers, if you know what I mean. I think they hire homeless people to stand in line all night to get tickets. I don't know how I feel about that. One the one hand, I think it's terrible that real fans have to pay so much for scalped tickets. On the other hand, I guess it's good that homeless people are getting paid for something that they would have to do anyway. But I don't buy from or sell to scalpers, since I think it's bad concert ticket karma. So, I saved money and my soul by going and waiting in line. Go me! So, I guess the point of my dispatches has been that it's always good to save a little along the way so you can enjoy the things you really want to do and throw a little extra cash that way!!! Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!!!! Well, thanks to all of you for listening, and keep on savin' Anyway, Karyn, keep me in mind whenever you need a guest host. I promise it won't end up as one of those Jay Leno/David Letterman feuds. Take care, AR BUCKS FROM WEEK 35... Wednesday, February 19, 2003 I got the most lovely light blue scarf in the mail today from the girl who runs www.savekristin.com. She said she knitted it herself! Thanks! She seems to have a lot of eBay auctions going on at the current time, so go to her site to check them out! Tuesday, February 18, 2003 Today my roommate needed to shovel a portion of the backyard so his dog could have a place to go "potty," but we don't have a shovel. He tried to use the broom to "sweep" two feet of snow away, but soon realized that he needed something a little more powerful. So he borrowed the neighbor's shovel. A shovel is something that should be shared. Monday, February 17, 2003 HOLY SHIKEYS HAVE YOU SEEN THE SNOW?! Even though I work from home, I declared today a snow day! Yep! Just like when I was little! Even though I would have stayed home anyway, I stayed home! Later in the day, I did venture out for a bit to check out the hood. And I saw someone cross-country skiing. In Brooklyn. Seriously. That guy was lucky someone didn't knock him out and steal his skiis... Anywho, sicne almost every store was closed I didn't spend any money. Nope. Not one red cent. PS - Happy President's Day! Sunday, February 16, 2003 Today I bought Bev the new dog some toys at the dollar store. I told you they have EVERYTHING there. I'm not trying to be a cheap mom or anything, buy my roommate's dog destroys everything anyway, so there's no use spending good money on the nice stuff. BUCKS FROM WEEK 34... Friday, February 14, 2003 HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! There are several ways to save money on Valentine's Day. Here are five... 1 - Don't buy your loved one chocolate. If he/she asks where they are, then just say, "Honey I wasn't gonna say anything, but do you really think you need them?" Amount saved = $10. ($30 if you buy the good stuff.) 2 - Steal flowers from your neighbor's yard instead of buying them at the florist. Amount saved $100. (Only if your neighbor has roses though. If they have marigolds then you might want to re-think this money-saving option.) 3 - Skip the dinner out and make something together at home - perhaps love? Ha ha ha! It's sounds so very "kama sutra." Amount saved = $150. Years added to life = limitless if done properly. 4 - Break up with your boyfriend/girlfriend the day before Valentine's Day and then get back together with them a couple days later. Not only will you not have to buy them a gift, but the makeup sex will be great too! (If it's not, then you might want to re-think getting back together with them.) Note: This technique also works well on other major holidays such as Christmas, birthdays and anniversaries. 5 - Explain to your loved one that you don't believe in made-up greeting-card holidays. And if they are completely dependent on you, then use the following scare tactic: "If you don't know how much I love you and need a stupid holiday for me to show you, then I don't know if I want to be in this relationship." This should pretty much shut them up. So there you have it! Five Valentine's Day money-saving tips from Karyn. Don't say I never gave you anything. BUCKS FROM WEEK 33... Saturday, February 8, 2003 Today I had a coffee date with a guy who liked to spell out his name out when he talked about himself. For example, he'd say something like, "My friend asked me to go bowling, and I told him no because the R-O-D was tired." (I didn't tell him about my website, so he's not reading this or anything.) But anyway, he kept doing it and it kind of bugged. So then I started thikning about the "spell-the-name" game, and realized that you can only really do it with three-letter names. "The J-O-E" or "The B-O-B" for example. It doesn't have the same flow with names that have more than three letters. "The K-A-R-Y-N" or "The N-A-O-M-I" just don't sound right. But anyway, "The R-O-D" wasn't really my type, but I scored some coffee and a muffin, and I learned the "spell-the-name" game and plan to implement it into my daily conversation. Friday, February 7, 2003 The cat barfed on one of my pillows today. That little bugger hasn't upchucked since Christmas time, and I thought things were really looking up for him in the throw-up department. But - good planning saved my pillow. If you are a regular reader of the Daily Buck, then you will remember when my gay friend Mark made me buy new pillows because he said mine were gross. Well, he also made me buy PILLOW COVERS to protect the pillows. So, kudos to my gay friend Mark! Because you made me splurge on the covers, my pillows were saved from cat throw-up! Thursday, February 6, 2003 I am sad to announce that my local corner deli changed hands. Sam the owner sold it and hightailed it outta Brooklyn. He moved the family to Florida. Personally, I'd rather be in Brooklyn than Florida, but that's just me. Sam selling the store doesn't really affect me making or saving a buck. But when I was DIRT POOR and had a buck in my pocket, Sam would give me sandwiches for free and tell me I could pay him later. I was like the Hamburgler. Except they were turkey sandwiches not hamburgers. It was kind of like a line of credit if you think about it. I don't know the new people very well yet, and I'm not sure if they would give me sandwiches on credit if I were to end up in the poorhouse again. But hopefully, with my new found thriftiness, that won't happen. Wednesday, February 5, 2003 Today I scored on some christmas cards that I found at Barnes & Noble. They were $1!!!! One freaking dollar! For like a box of twenty! Even the fancy MOMA (Museum of Modern Art for all the slow pokes out there) ones were a buck. Here's the cost per person for a box of twenty cards at one dollar... I'm sending holiday cheer around for a nickel a person. Actually 42 cents a person with postage. BUT - if another person lives in the household that I send the card to, then it's actually 21 cents a person. And if they have a child living there or an uncle who just won't move out, then it's 14 cents a person. Even if the child can't read, they can still look at the pretty picture on the front. So I encourage you to hit your local Barnes & Noble to see if the cards are on sale there too. Plan early to spread cheap holiday cheer next year! Tuesday, February 4, 2003 Today I passed up a really cool couch. My roommate and I were at this antique store and they had this really cool mod couch on sale for $1,200, which is pretty damn cheap for the kind of couch it was. I wanted it SO BADLY and looked at the door and saw that they take Discover, which is the only credit card that I still have that's open. But then I thought, "Do I really need a couch?" And the answer is no. I don't need one at all. I already have one. So I passed on the couch and saved myself $1,200. The old Karyn would have bought the couch because it was such a great deal. I frequently bought things that I didn't need because they were on sale. But not the new Karyn! Monday, February 3, 2003 Today I decided to finish painting a picture that I started a while ago. If I see a really cool painting in a book or maagzine or something, I like to buy a canvas and recreate it for myself. It's fun and cheap, because you all know how much artwork, especially paintings can cost. So, if you are at all artistic, I encourage you to find a picture of something that you like, and try to recreate it yourself. Buy cheap brushes, a pre-stetched canvas, and acrylic paints (not oil, because they are more expensive and more difficult to use) and give it a whirl. Good luck and happy painting! Sunday, February 2, 2003 Today I realized that I finally stopped typing and writing "2002" when I date things. I don't know the exact day the "2003" became a habit, because on Monday, January 13th, I was still having a problem with that. So it was sometime from that date until today. BUCKS FROM WEEK 32... Saturday, February 1, 2003 Tonight I had a horrible nightmare about having big eyebrows. Mine were really big and over grown. The hairs from my eyebrows went down to the base of my my eyelashes and my tweezers wouldn't work. So today when I woke up I found my tweezers to make sure they weren't broken, and groomed my brows for a while to make sure they looked nice. Friday, January 31, 2003 Tonight I rented the movie "Barbershop." Ice Cube rules. I live by a barber shop called "Kendel's Barbershop." There is a guy inside who works there and I assume he's Kendel. He has a big afro and I like it. I'm happy that the afro has been making a come back in recent years. If I had curly hair, I'd have an afro. When I was little my mom once gave me a home perm and she used rollers that were too small. It kind of looked like I had an afro for a while after that. But I didn't like it so much then. But if that happened to me today, I'd embrace that friz. Afros are cool. Thursday, January 30, 2003 Tonight I saw "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" with a friend at the Brooklyn Heights Pavillion. The theater was closer to her apartment than mine, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays movies there are only $5. So the extra walk saved me $4.50! Wednesday, January 29, 2003 How cool is this? My roommate bought an 8-track player and last night we danced to Kool & The Gang. Oh it was nice I tell ya! There's nothing like the muffled sound of an 8-track tape. Seriosuly. It reminds me of being a little girl. So, afterward I went on eBay and bid on a Bee Gees 8-track tape too. And I won! So if any of you have old 8-track tapes sitting at home in a box somewhere, you should sell them on eBay and you'll make some extra dough. I'm telling you it's the latest thing - people will buy them. And you may just make the day of two silly fools like us. Tuesday, January 28, 2003 Tonight I gave myself a pedicure. Even though it's ZERO outside and isn't exactly sandal weather, I like my feet to still stay pretty. And soft. And I put BRIGHT PINK nail polish on them to remind myself of Spring! Because in just a few months, it will be here! Yay for Spring! Monday, January 27, 2003 Today I jammed extra whites into the washer to save $1.50. You know how sometimes when you do laundry you have a little bit more than a load, but not much? Well, that's what happened to me today. I had just a bit too much. Just a bit. But instead of paying $1.50 for an extra washer, I decided to cram it all in one and make it fit. $1.50 may not be much, but all the other washers were taken, so that may have also influenced my decision to cram it all into one. And my clothes are just as clean as they would be if I split the load into two. The moral of the story is that you never can put too many whites in one washer. Well maybe you can, but a little bit extra won't hurt. Sunday, January 26, 2003 Today I went to go buy some more L'Oreal Preference to color my own hair like always. Wait - I'm going to be honest... I broke down and got my hair professionally done last month. I HAD to. It had been ages. But this month I went back to doing my roots by myself like I have been for the past year. And the lady behind the counter at the drug store let me use her "frequent buyer" card to buy my L'Oreal for 1/2 off! It was only $4.50! Now that's a bargain! BUCKS FROM WEEK 31... Saturday, January 25, 2003 Today I was watching a TV show about stars of the 80s. And I just want to let everyone know that Samantha from Gimmie a Break is doing just fine. And Jennifer from Family Ties is the lead singer of a rock band. She died her hair black and looks completely different. Check it out... Tina Yothers as a Musician Friday, January 24, 2003 Today I was working out and met a guy who was doing the "Body for Life" workout too. He was really friendly and I think he likes me. Kidding. When I was little, I would write in a diary. And on a recent trip home I found that diary and read it. And in the diary, every time that I wrote about liking a boy, I would write, "And I think he likes me too." According to my diary every boy liked me. But I don't know if they really did, or if I just thought they did. But I'd like to think that they really did. Just like the boy at the gym. Thursday, January 23, 2003 Today I got a new cell phone. I changed plans to T-Mobile, even though the Cathrine Zeta Jones commercials BUG, because they air every five minutes. It's les expensive than what I had before. I use my cell phone all the time. In fact, I use it more than my home phone because I get free long distance. My roommate and I are even considering cancelling the home phone all together. Then I'd save even more money! Wednesday, January 22, 2003 Today I went to the book store and bought book called "A Beginner's Guide to Short-Term Trading." It's a book about how to trade stocks on the internet. I want to give that a try. Every time I tell someone that I want to do that say "No!" and then always relay a story to me about someone who lost all their retirement money or something trying to trade online. But you see, I don't have any retirement money. And I've already made a promise to myself that I am going to put a limit on how much I try to trade. So wish me luck! I'll keep you posted! Tuesday, January 21, 2003 I'm gonna be honest. It's FREEZING here, so I haven't really left the house. And because I haven't left the house, I didn't spend any money. Let me tell you, if I had a winnebago like Warren Schmidt, I'd be outta here. Cruisin' to warmer weather. Monday, January 20, 2003 Happy MLK Day! Today I saw a matinee of "About Schmdit" with my friend. I saved $4! Warren Schmidt sure had a bad-ass winnebago. I want one of those. Sunday, January 19, 2003 Today I went to Macy's because I needed some new workout gear. I passed up the full-price puma nike stuff, and went straight to the sweatsuits that were on SALE! And I got pants for $7 and a jacket to match for $7! Now that's a bargain! BUCKS FROM WEEK 30... Saturday, January 18, 2003 Today I saw the most disgusting thing ever. My roommate and I were walking to the store and on one small stretch of road, there were three dead rats. They had been run over and were all smushed up. I almost stepped on one and it was so GRODY! It was HUGE! It was about a foot long and seriosuly the size of a my cat. So, I didn't have much of an appetite after that, and therefore bought less groceries. So the dead rats somehoe saved me money. Friday, January 17, 2003 This week I'm full of free fun! Check out this website: www.hellomynameisscott.com. It's so funny! Thursday, January 16, 2003 Today I went to the post office to mail something because the USPS is cheaper than UPS. And I was delighted to see that they remodeled the whole place! It looked so pretty! But there was a really long line, which is fine with me because what was I gonna do about it? Nothin' but wait, like everyone else. But you know what bugs me? It bugs me when people are really irritated when the line is long, so they complain about it out loud, just looking for more people to chime in and agree with them. They complain to the left, they complain to the right, they complain to the people in front of them, they complain to the people behind them. Nobody is happy when the line is long. But most people are patient, and wait their turn. But not this joker today. He didn't want to wait his turn. No, he had to be Mr. Big Mouth and yell that the workers weren't moving fast enough. And I was standing behind him, so when he was looking for people to take his side, he looked to me. For a while I ignored him, until he started talking directly to me alone, asking me if I agreed. I didn't want to say yes, because then I would have been one of those people too, but I didn't want to say no, because then he would have gotten mad at me. And I don't want a person like that mad at me. So I just shook my head and said, "Whatcha gonna do?" Some people need to NOT BE SO ANGRY. It was line. I feel the same way about angry drivers too. Cuz let's be honest, red lights are a fact of life. So are traffic jams. So to all you angry people out there: Let the anger go! Wash it right outta your hair and smile! Wednesday, January 15, 2003 So I'm about to share with you some free fun! Okay, before you click on the link below, look at it. Do you see where the words "Johan" and "McGillicutty" are? You can take them out and put whatever name you want in there. And then send the link to your friends with their name in it. www.Johan.McGillicutty.youaremyfriend.com. Isn't it cool? Just type it in your browser with your friends name in it and it will work for them too! Spred the word! Share the joy! Tell people what great friends they are to you! PS - Johan McGillicutty (pronounced YO-han) is Elvis the Buch Cat's evil alter ego. Tuesday, January 14, 2003 Today I opted to buy the cheap Walgreen's Brand of Contact Lens Cleaner. The Renu was like $8 and the Walgreen's was only $4. So I saved $4! Monday, January 13, 2003 I did it again. I typed 2002 and had to go back and change it to 2003. Damn! Okay, so today I decided that I am going to pursue my buying and selling of designer goods on eBay. I tested it out last week and sold two pairs of shoes and a purse, and it was pretty successful. I made a small profit. So today I bought three more pairs of shoes and they will be listed shortly. They are brand new, inworn designer shoes at discount prices. So please check out my auctions, tell all your friends too, and bid away! Sunday, January 12, 2003 I wonder when I'm going to stop writing 2002 everywhere? Every January it's the same thing. All my checks have 2002 written in the date section, and then I try to turn the 2 into a 3 and pretend that I didn't make the mistake. I keep noticing when I do it, but I never notice the point when I stop doing it, and writing the current year just becomes natural. This has nothing to do with saving money, I was just wondering... BUCKS FROM WEEK 29... Saturday, January 11, 2003 Today I treated myself to big fat steak for dinner. It was damn good and it was an investment in my health according to Dr. Atkins. So it was worth every penny I spent on it. It didn't cost that much though, because it was just one steak. Friday, January 10, 2003 Today I browsed around the book store for hours. I really like the book store and tend to get carried away when I go. At one point I had about five books in my hands. But then I said to myself, "Karyn, are you really going to read all of these books?" The answer was no. Well, maybe I would have read all the books, but not at once. So I ended up getting just one. Well, two, but i gave one to my roommate. I bought him a book called Thursday, January 9, 2003 Okay, so I might have said that one of my New Year's Resolution wasn't to exercise more/eat less, but it was. It is every year, just like tons of people accross the country. So I saw Dr. Atkins on Larry King a couple days ago, and started listening to how it is now medically proven that his diet is healthy or something like that, so in addition to doing my Wednesday, January 8, 2003 Today I discovered a website called StartSampling.com Waiting for my Tide, Karyn Tuesday, January 7, 2003 Today I got all my tax stuff ready to send to my accountant. Did you know that if you itemize your taxes you usually end up paying less? If you don't already do so, I highly suggest you look into it. Monday, January 6, 2003 Today I tried to return a bottle of Hydroxycut to the store I bought it from. It made me CRAZY$@!@$% I took it and thought I was insane. Seriously. Don't buy Hydroxycut. But I didn't have my receipt, so they wouldn't take it back. Sunday, January 5, 2003 Today I bought some Russian Tide at the dollar store. I wouldn't know it were Russian if it weren't for the "Made in Russia" sticker on the top, so thanks to whoever put those on. And let's be honest - Tide is Tide. Russians need to keep their clothes clean too. |
||||||
|
|
|||||
|