Pretty in Pink

Fall is a time of change, so I'm changing the look of Southern Diva Words of Wisdom! I'm playing around with the new pink color, and hope to be making some major tweaks in the upcoming weeks. I'm open for any suggestions or help....I'm definitely not a techie! This is kinda like telling me to build myself a car so I can go to town when I would just as soon ride a bike or catch the bus :)

Another Southern Diva

I've been following one of my fave bloggers on Twitter. Check out http://TheSingleWoman.net/. This Nashville Diva tells it like it is with funny, true perspectives on life, men, singlehood and lots more. She would have done my Aunt Rene proud. Aunt Rene was a southern diva who was just a few years (okay, decades) ahead of time.

Kindle Fire!!

I'm treating myself to this for Christmas! I can't live without my trusty K2...truly one of the best things ever invented. The Kindle Fire promises to be a big step up. I'm excited about color! I had been debating whether or not I wanted a Nook, and I'm glad I put off buying one. Basic Kindles are now becoming way more affordable. Much as I love paper books, in the future I see myself buying fewer of them, unless it's a photo-rich book or a coffee-table book I want to display. Look at all the weight I'll save when I travel. I vote for the Nobel Peace Prize to go to its creator.

I'm Always the Brokest the Day Before Payday

Only this week, I've gotten an early start!! How is it that 15 years ago, I made half what I do now, and managed a car payment, a higher mortgage payment, and still did just fine? Fast forward to present times, and the mortgage is lower, the car is paid for (thank God), but...hmmm....where does all my money go?? Money talks, allright. Mine is always saying "bye bye." I noticed my sneaky trash pickup service raised their quarterly rate by almost $7 this billing cycle! Didn't bother to tell anyone, either. Maybe they thought I wouldn't notice. Trust me, I track every penny. I'm online every day balancing my checkbook and searching for any bank errors in my favor.

Then there's the wonderful health insurance. I now pay $246.00 a month. Less than two years ago I paid $168.00 and griped about it. It's never good when you get those official-looking letters from your insurance company or cable company. They always start with, "As you know the cost of providing our services to you in these economic times....bla bla bla." Stop reading  and save the time. That's their way of trying to soften the blow of another price increase.

You know one way companies could save a LOT of money, and pass those savings along to you and me?? I do all my banking online. Why do they waste trees, postage, ink and printing costs to mail me those stupid flyers every month or so telling me that they respect my privacy?? I freakin' hope so!! You shouldn't feel the need to reassure me of that all the time. I just see that as more corporate waste that I'm getting to pay for. Yet these same companies moan and whine about their expenses. Big corporations waste thousands of dollars a year on printing stuff that everyone throws away without reading. What happened to common sense? You have these people with fancy job titles making big money thinking of stupid ways to spend the company's money that ends up costing us consumers in the end. I have a keen eye for corporate waste and excess, and I see it every day when I go into a business or store. Look around your work place. Do you see things they could save money on, without cutting your pay or not giving you yearly raises? I bet you do.

Saving on Electricity

Check this out for tons of ideas on how to not faint when the power bill comes: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/

I've just glanced over it, but looks like there is a lot of good advice there. I remember when I was a kid, my aunt would complain about her outrageous power bill. I think it was all of $16 back then. You can't even run a refrigerator for a month on that. I cringe at work when people talk about power bills that run more than my house payment! If that happened to me, I'd be living naked under the bridge near work. That's a scary thought!!

Free Books!!!

This is so cool! Paperback Swap (see link on left) lets you list your unwanted books and swap for ones you want. I've only been on there a few days and have already ordered a book and sent one out. The books are free;  you just pay shipping by media mail, which is much less than the cost of a paperback. Great way to save money, save trees and do the "green thing." Check it out!

The Help....Another Must Read

I've wanted to read this book, but now I want to read it even more. There was a great interview yesterday in the Birmingham News with a lady from Montgomery who is slated to play in the movie. Her mother was a real-life housekeeper to white people in the 70's and 80's. Even as late as the 1980's, the discrimination she faced was unreal. I felt like I was reading something from 100 years ago as I read how some of her employers treated her. Back then, the African-Americans who were hired help to the whites couldn't exactly easily file a discrimination lawsuit. How would they prove it? The interview just whetted my desire to read the book and see the movie even more. Hopefully Friday's payday will see a few things on my Amazon wish list come off the wish list and land in my shopping cart!! If anyone has read it yet, let me know what you think.