2009 November | You Have More Than You Think

A Pain in My Budget: December 2009

November 30, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 6 Comments

Preparing December’s budget hurt a little bit. But not for reasons that pain most people this time of year. I only exceeded my Black Friday/Cyber Monday budget by about $10. From my findings, it should be pretty clear I made no arrangements to holiday shop for anyone other than Shawanda Greene (that’s me). Every year [...]

Eats for the Week: 11/29/09

November 29, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 4 Comments

Thanksgiving dinner turned out surprisingly well. Although turkey would’ve been great, there’s no way I would’ve been able to finish even a small one before tiring of it. Plus, I don’t have a fryer, and there’s absolutely no other way to prepare a turkey. I said “no other way!!!” If you’ve got nothing against bottom [...]

Black Friday Findings

November 27, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 8 Comments

I woke up around 9:45 this morning. By 10:30 AM, I was dressed and ready to brave the holiday crowds. Normally, I’d be out well before sunrise. With the exception of clothes, everything I wanted could be purchased over the internet. So there was no need to cut my beauty rest short. I’m glad I [...]

Keeping the Thanks in Thanksgiving

November 23, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 5 Comments

With all the talk of Black Friday, it seems we skip right over Thanksgiving and shift our focus sharply to Christmas. We treat Thanksgiving like it’s the opening act for Black Friday. Well, there’s no way I can forget about Thanksgiving. Every year, around this time, I get inexplicably teary eyed about once every other [...]

Eats for the Week: 11/22/09

November 22, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 5 Comments

After all these years, I finally learned how to dice an onion. Judging by the popularity of the video How to Chop an Onion on Clicker, I’m not the only one who’s struggled in this area. Don’t be afraid to watch the video if you’re among those who haven’t mastered this basic culinary skill. There’s [...]

The Intersection of Confucius and the Catwalk

November 21, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 2 Comments

There’s nothing more inspirational and accessible than a good quote. It’s amazing how a combination of words can drive you to act, to feel, to appreciate, to ponder. So simple, yet so powerful. I’ve had quotes totally alter my perspective. We’re talking about a few, seemingly, measly words. That’s crazy! Given the affection I have [...]

Yo Money Yo Problems

November 20, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 10 Comments

Video can be fun. I’m trying it out just to see how it goes over. If you watch the video – and I hope you do- let me know your thoughts, opinions, questions, complaints, and concerns regarding the subject matter. Here’s the description of the video I posted on YouTube: Not a whole lot to [...]

Don’t be a Diva

November 18, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 10 Comments

It’s interesting how moneyless people think so many things are beneath them. They have such high standards. Standards that are in no way representative of their actual financial condition. When we think of divas, we envision an over the top woman decked out in high-end clothing and gaudy jewelry. We think of a haughty shrew who walks [...]

Why Paying Off Student Loan Debt Makes No Sense and Why I Did It

November 16, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 16 Comments

There was a time I swore I’d never pay off student loan debt a second sooner than required. Why would I do something dumb like that? There were so many benefits to keeping it around until 2020. By paying off my student loan, I’d avoid 2.625% of interest on the outstanding balance each year. That’s [...]

Eats for the Week: 11/15/09

November 15, 2009 By Shawanda Greene 5 Comments

Perhaps I was a little overzealous with last week’s menu plan. Who knew a 9″ x 13″ tuna casserole would last so long? Even though I didn’t prepare three of the meals on the previous menu plan, I only ate out once. And that cost me less than $3.50. Not bad, huh? The Swiss Chard [...]