The other week in Boston, a friend and I were discussing whether or not she would dress up for Halloween. I was all for her dressing up, and offered easy and fun, yet fully covered suggestions ranging from the classic nerd outfit to marathoner to ninja.

And then it hit me: I didn’t have a costume or plans!

When I got back to Chicago, I quickly found a hotspot to hit up (the Yelp party) and chose a costume (rhythmic gymnast, as part of a team). And since then, I’ve been spending my nights shopping for and making my costume - freehanding glitter designs with fabric paint and firing up the glue gun to bedazzle my leotard and velour track pants.

Why spend money on something as frivilous as a Halloween costume this year? Why go to the effort to create and decorate a costume? Because for one night, one weekend, you have the chance to leave behind your worries, step into a character and create memories that last a lifetime.

I was reading in the Tribune today a story about the guys who play ghouls in local haunted houses and a Halloween memory came rushing back. When I was in college, a close friend and I volunteered to be ghouls at the Jaycee’s haunted house. We spent the day together, scaring young teens and laughing hysterically. I think I was a girl who shouted “I see dead people” (it was when the Sixth Sense came out) and then he’d come up behind them and scare the pants off them. My friend has since passed away, but I will always have that powerful and happy memory every Halloween. It’s so out of the ordinary that it’s crystal clear in my mind.

As is the time when I visited my first haunted house in grade school with my mom, where I had to reach in a box and touch something spooky. It was cold cooked spaghetti noodles, lumped together, but I thought it was a brain. I was pretty freaked out, but once my mom (and a volunteer) convinced me that it was spaghetti noodles, this former scaredy cat and perrenial “glenda the good witch” I got over it and eventually made visiting haunted houses an annual tradition that would last through college.

More recently, in my adult life, my friends and I have used the evening as a way to bond. While we love to gather and tell stories about the crazy times we had, the opportunity to wear a group costume (whether a basketball team or a table tennis team) is a great way to make new memories. After all, how many nights with your girlfriends can you really say something like, “There I was, singing Bon Jovi karioke dressed as a ninja next to an NFL Ref, when this huge banana walked into the bar …” now THAT’S a story.

So take my advice to heart: grab a friend, make a cheap costume and dress up tonight. Put all your economic fears aside and live on the edge for one night. Burn that costume and everything you embody in it, into your memories. Make it a night that counts, make it a night that lasts and most of all, enjoy yourself!

Tips for making a last minute Halloween costume:

1) Avoid costume stores. Last-minute shopping is no time to waste at a costume store. Go for something easy - grab a plaid shirt at Marshall’s and some snug pants or floor length skirt, pick up some “reading glasses” at Walgreens, affix some tape to the bridge, throw in a pocket-protector and voila! Nerd costume! Or, pick up some short shorts and a head band at Target, grab a running shirt, use magic markers to make number on a white piece of paper and Poof!, you’re a marathoner. How about a poncho from CVS, and some hair gel to mess up your locks? Now you’re a weather forecaster in a hurricane.

2) Don’t spend a lot. The trick is to be creative, but not to spend a lot. I once went to a family party dressed as my uncle (who happens to look like a superfan). It was awesome and all I bought was a Bears t-shirt and a flat-brimmed baseball cap. The rest (including mustache) was made from materials at home. I think I spent about $10 on that costume.

3) Don’t forget the make-up. Make up can increase a costume’s awesomeness in a second. It’s easy, cheap and if you mess up, who cares? It’s washable. My rhythmic gymnast costume, for instance, wouldn’t be nearly as believeable or funny without glitter, bronzer, red lipstick and heavy eyeshadow. Committ to it!

4) Don’t go trashy. I once saw a bartender who was wearing a bra and some body paint. Eww. Don’t stoop that low. Even on halloween, it’s not OK. I don’t even know what her costume was supposed to be, I think she was trying to be a vampire victim. They need shirts, too, you know.

5) Don’t go creepy. We once saw a group of grown men wearing diapers, pacifiers and baby bonnets. Were they hoping to meet women? I hope not. Nothing screams “stay away” like a guy who can’t grow up. Plus it’s just creepy to see grown men in diapers.

6) Use those old bridesmaid dresses! 80’s prom queen! Miss America! Carrie! Drag queen! The possibilities are really endless. Trust me on this one.

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Does it seem as if the entire world has gone budgeting crazy? Everywhere I turn, every personal finance guru is urging caution: follow a budget, increase your savings, live within your means, pay off your debts, eat out less.

I have a few thoughts on this:
1) The message is getting across…with mixed results. I read retail is tanking right now, and household savings are up. Smart for the millions worried about loosing their jobs or struggling to make mortgage payments, but not good for those who work in retail. It’s crazy how unintended effects can happen even when people have the best of intentions.

2) With so many experts talking budgeting, it’s hard for me personally to feel inspired to write about budgeting. I actually feel budget-fatigued. Not in the sense that I don’t want to follow a budget, but more that I am tired of reading about the same theme: Entertain on a Dime! Dressin’ for Recession! Smart Shopping Strategies! Ugh. Familiar territory, right?

So what’s a budgeting babe to do when feeling frustrated and uninspired about personal finance? I’ve gone back to basics to try and learn a little more about some new topics, I’ve started thinking about the cause of my frustration and I’ve started to spend time on some new creative outlets. After all, the point of having a budget isn’t to stress more about how you’re spending and saving money; it’s to free up your anxiety about being broke so you can live a more fulfilling and enjoyable life.

++++ Back to basics. I’m reading two books about personal finance, but not about the usual stuff. It’s slow-going, but I’m reading a book about the economy called “Common Cents,” which is more of an Econ 101 book, and I’m actually getting past the first few chapters of “Home Buying for Dummies,” because hey, eventually my downpayment fund is going to be spent.

++++ Thinking about causes. You know, I honestly thought I would be further ahead by now. I wanted to buy a place in July 08, but I didn’t. I wanted to buy a place in April 09, but now it’s looking like that’s not smart idea either. I continue to save, but not to see the results. While my accounts are looking good, it’s not reflected in my daily life. I’m still living like an entry level employee, and socking away money every month. Only it’s not enough. After 4 years of savings, the financial crisis has put the breaks on my spending plans.

I’m not going to go out and spend my downpayment or anything drastic like that. But I’ve got to come up with a way to feel like I’m growing in my life without moving to the next step I’ve been working towards just yet.

++++ Creative development. This weekend, I ran the wardrobe and make-up on my brother’s movie set for his art school project, and coordinated a dance scene under his direction. Working on the set, seeing his creative vision come to life and being a part of it, was totally fun and tapped into an area of interest I had forgotten. I was tired when it was done, but I felt creatively refreshed. I realized that life can’t be all seriousness, cubicles, numbers, fluorescent lighting and finances. I personally need to live in color and explore interests outside of the daily grid in order to have a distraction every now and again. And it doesn’t have to be expensive.

Speaking of creative pursuits, I’m off to go work on my weekend wardrobe and bedazzle my Halloween costume; I’ll be sporting a sequined rhythmic gymnast outfit at Friday’s Yelp Party and can’t wait to see how it turns out.

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A few weeks ago, my friends and I threw a fabulous pirate-themed 30th birthday party for my besty, Miss K, a tiny - yet fiesty - brunette with a quick wit and a penchant for tap dancing and shoe stealing. She’s the greatest, so we went all out and threw her a reasonably priced, all you can drink gathering at a popular dive bar in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood. (OK, maybe not ALL out. But we did purchase a pirate pinata and had hats, swords, eye patches and name tags of famous pirates to wear. Mine was “The Dread Pirate Roberts.” The bar tender didn’t get it.)

The party went swimmingly, until about three hours into the “all you can drink” wristband deal, when the bar manager brought the bill over. We were expecting to see a charge of $150 plus food, because that’s what my friend S agreed to when she booked the room. Instead, the charge was $300 plus food. “Crap,” we thought; we were screwed.

How could this happen? We went over the details in our head. Initially, after talking with dive bar owners at several other places in the city, we selected this one because S had a close friend who knew the owner and could get us a good deal for the party. We put down a $150 deposit to hold the room, which would be kept if we didn’t get 40 people to buy a $30 wristband.

Only now the owner was saying that we had to purchase all the wristbands that we didn’t sell up to 40. There were a couple more details that aren’t important enough to note, but bottom line, the owner wanted $300 and we were only prepared to pay $150. We were convinced it wasn’t a miscommunication: as S said, “Why would I have booked this bar if it wasn’t the best deal? We talked to so many other places.”

S and I wondered to each other whether we should just make it easy and pay the extra $150. After all, it was only $75 extra for each of us. We resigned ourselves to being angry and paying the bill, but asked our lawyer friend (LC) for her opinion first.

“What does the contract say?” LC asked us. S said that she never signed a contract. I thought that was weird, given that I plan a lot of events and you NEVER book an event without a contract. LC said that was ridiculous. So she summoned up the owner, brought us into a staircase/hallway setting (very intimidating) and told him we were only paying $150 and advised him to start using contracts. And it worked. We paid our $150, signed the bill and took our party elsewhere.

Granted, we had to agree to not come back to the bar, but given the lame-ness of the owner, we were OK with that. I doubt we’ll miss it.

What did I learn? Well, here are a few tips for your next party:
1) Don’t book without signing a contract. The written document should have all the specifics of your payment detailed on the page. There should be no ambiguity as to what you’re responsible for covering.

2) Stick to your guns (or swords) when negotiating. S and I were ready to fold, but LC had a few tricks up her sleeve. For instance, she knew that if she said, “We’ll pay $150 now and I’ll give you my card to discuss the rest of the bill on Monday,” that he wouldn’t follow up. She knew that it takes $200 to file the paperwork (or something like that), and that the money in question was only $150… legal follow-up would cost the bar more than not.

3) If you have two people planning the same party, make sure one of you is the consistent point of contact for any particular venor. Otherwise, your lines could get crossed and you might miss out on little details (like contracts).

4) If the bar kicks you out because of their contracting shortcomings, don’t be salty. There’s another one right down the street, and they’ll let you whack a pirate-pinata using a red stilleto heel to rain down candy all over their floor, much to the delight of all the other patrons. And really, that’s way more fun than standing around haggling over the bill, anyway.

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Hello from Boston! I’m here on business, staying at a posh hotel near Boston Commons. Remember how I used to be all nervous about staying at fancy hotels because I felt I could essentially be a member of the wait staff? I’m not saying those days are behind me, but gosh, a girl could get used to this.

I just got sidetracked by a hat store on the way to a site check and ended up spending $35 dollars on two hats. I’m slightly conflicted because 1) I did not need the hats, and yet 2) Hats are very practical because they keep your head warm in the cold winter months. At any rate, I adore the hats and I got them on sale, so I’m keeping them. Besides, I just got this fantastically existential Steve Martin quote printed on the side of my Starbucks coffee cup (yes, I swore off expensive lattes in favor of home-brewed java, but I’m so dragging and away from home so I excused it this time) that I’m now pondering. Here’s the quote:

“If you’ve got a dollar and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you’ve got seventy-nine cents left. But if you’ve got seventeen grand and you spend twenty-nine cents on a loaf of bread, you’ve still got seventeen grand. There’s a math lesson for you.”

Indeed, Mr. Martin. Budgeting babes, feel free to ponder with me. I suppose the value of money really is relative based on what you personally think about it and where your finances sit. Let’s all remember that the next time we pass by the hat shop, OK? In college, $35 for two hats would have seemed expensive, but today it’s cheap. I need to try to keep my college budget mentality in order to help me curb spending in the here and now.

Here’s one way I’m making up for it: I was considering indulging by getting a manicure for the meeting I’m attending, but instead I’m going to do my own nails tonight using the supplies I brought with me from home. That’s how I roll: spend a buck, save a buck. Choose one or the other. Not both.

OK, enough for that short ponder-ific break. Back to work.

Read more of my travel adventures here.

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Here’s a question. I’m currently putting 10% of my salary into my 401k. Given how craptacular the stock market is doing right now, and that my fund is actually going down instead of up and hasn’t made any money this year - has actually been steadily losing money - would it make sense to lower my contribution to 5% until the storm has passed? I mean, I won’t be taking anything out that’s already in the account but right now it seems like I’m literally throwing my money away.

OK, I already know the answer is an emphatic “LEAVE IT IN!” but seriously, if I can put another 5% of my salary into a savings account while my 401k is tanking, why wouldn’t I? I’d bump it back up to 10% when things start looking up…

Enlighten me and give me some confidence, smarty pants-ies!

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Hey gang,

Today I added a new Web site to the “Best Web Sites” page of the blog. It’s called Savvy Sugar and it takes a similar approach to finances for fun-loving ladies. Good to see more folks getting in the game!

Be sure to check out all my favorite fiscally fun sites here. And be sure to let me know if I’m missing your favorites.

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Wow. Just how deep does this thing go? The Wall Street Journal says:

“The relentless slide in home prices has left nearly one in six U.S. homeowners owing more on a mortgage than the home is worth, raising the possibility of a rise in defaults — the very misfortune that touched off the credit crisis last year.”

Read it here.


… and ignore this —>

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OK, I clearly paid too much for B’s post-surgery DVD selections, LOL! You guys were kind enough to point out that recent TV seasons were available much cheaper on Netflix and also pointed out that the library is a great resource for videos and DVDs. And I thank you for that! Blockbuster isn’t the way to go, I guess. As someone who rarely rents movies, can you forgive me?

This discussion is a great example of how, for those of us living on a budget, clearly even the smallest things matter. Here are a few small things I do to keep costs down:

- In my building, I shopped around for the cheaper cup of coffee between Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, McDonald’s and the winner, Au Bon Pain… they even give a discount if you bring your own cup. Woo-hoo! (OK, bringing your own cup is way cheaper, but I don’t wake up early enough in the morning to make it.)

- Pay all my bills on time so I don’t pay late fees

- We don’t keep a land line, only cell phones

- We started buying cat litter at the grocery store because the same brand is cheaper than the pet stores

- We buy our Clif/Luna Bars by the case at Whole Foods b/c you get a 10% discount on all purchases by the case

- Do my own manis, pedis(and they’re fab, thank you)and brow waxing

- Stay home at least one weekend per month to avoid spending at bars/restaurants (plus, it’s good for the soul and sleep schedule)

- Use coupons!

- Resist the urge to buy a new work bag, even though I look ridiculous carrying a backpack because my old bag killed my back

- Keep a bottle at my desk for water, instead of buying bottled water

- Rearrange my furniture at home instead of buying new stuff! (I think it helps get the chi flowing.)

What small things do you do to cut spending in your daily and monthly routines?

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I’m feeling uninspired today… probably has to do with last night’s Cubs game… so I thought I’d share a few high/low points of my week. Here goes:

Monday
12 a.m.: B nearly passes out in the shower for no reason, ends up lying on his bed seeing stars. Thankfully he’s OK, but we definitely did not go to the emergency room to have him checked out because we’re cheap. Instead, I checked his vital signs - heartbeat, breathing rate, eyes, color/complexion, temperature - all seems normal and he decides to call the doctor in the morning. His biggest complaint is that he didn’t get to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. Still, I’m worried enough to delay my flight to Philly from Monday evening to Tuesday morning. I wish trips to the ER weren’t so expensive. I spend the rest of the night tossing and turning, and get about three hours of sleep. Then I’m extremely grumpy at work all day, and take to drinking lots of coffee to compensate. Arg.

Tuesday
5:15 a.m.: I’m in a towncar riding to the airport. Another night of no sleep. Thankfully today’s coffees will be on my expense account. Another double shot soy latte, please.

6:30 p.m.: Eating a Philly cheese steak in Philly. Heaven.

11:00 p.m.: At the hotel bar with a big group. I forget that I’ve only slept about 8 of the last 48 hours.





Wednesday
6:45 a.m.: My alarm clock reminds me that it’s 5:45 my time. My face is puffy, my eyes are bloodshot and I’m pretty sure everyone I’m traveling with thinks I’m hung over. If only there were a face cream that could clear up “sheer exhaustion.” I would buy it in a heartbeat, I don’t care the cost.

I get into Chicago around 8 p.m. and pass out on my couch around 9 p.m., listening to the Cubs get thumped.

Thursday
9:30 a.m.: I wake up two hours late. My head hurts and I’m convinced I’m getting sick. I go buy a new multivitamin and a B-Complex with vitamin C and zinc to ward off any cold. I start drinking tea instead of coffee. I wonder if getting back to the gym would help any of this, but going to the gym would mean even less sleep. I curse my schedule a bit, then get super thankful that I have a job in this economy. Sprinting from the train to the office when you’re 2 hours late counts as exercise, right?

7:00 p.m.: I meet up with friends to see Weezer in concert. At this point, I totally don’t want to go, but I’ve already paid $60 for my ticket and I’m holding tickets for two friends who are VERY excited to see Angels and Airwaves. B and I reluctantly head to the stadium… thankfully the show doesn’t suck and we manage to enjoy ourselves, despite the couple inappropriately making out in my personal space… (Can you imagine? Rivers Cuomo as an aphrodisiac?)

11:00 p.m.: I try to stay up to watch my Cubs, but they’re getting crushed and I’m tired so I pass out on the couch for a second night straight. I’m pretty sure my couch arms have mascara stains on them by now.

Friday
11:00 a.m.: At the eye doctor, I learn I don’t need new glasses. Sweet! Unfortunately I get a prescription for some hard-core eye drops that cost $40/month so I can try wearing contacts yet again. Darn. And I get an appointment for a follow-up to make sure the drops are working and get a “contact fitting,” which is billed separately from the eye exam.

Saturday
3:00 a.m.: I wake up with an intense headache that lasts all day. Does this mean the vitamins I bought for $20 aren’t working?

2:00 p.m.: I get out of bed… ouch. Head still hurts.

5:00 p.m.: I drive into the city by myself for the first time. This means I pump gas for the first time. But I can’t get the gas to pump and have to ask the guy inside to come out and help, and he tells me I have to press some lever to make the pump work. Score: Gas station - 1, me - 0. Typical. I drive into the city extremely afraid of getting carjacked, because my mother and aunt have convinced me that Cermak Ave. is no place for a single lady to be driving alone; this despite the fact that we all grew up walking and driving down Cermak Ave. and many other places that are “not safe for single ladies,” and that I take the el through the same neighborhoods every day. Sheesh.

9:00 p.m.: I drive home on the expressway from the city (woo-hoo!) but I take my brother with me in case I get carjacked on the expressway. (Seriously, what is wrong with me!? I go EVERYWHERE by myself on the train.) We watch the Cubs lose. Boo.

Sunday
12:00 p.m.: I wake up and watch the Bears kill the Lions. FINALLY, some good sports news. Also, I learn how to poach an egg and successfully make breakfast instead of eating out at a diner. That’s saving some pennies!

2:00 p.m.: We go to Whole Foods for corn dogs and end up spending $150 on groceries. We also spend nearly $40 at Blockbuster on TV series for B - he’s having surgery tomorrow and will be on the couch for about a week. I pick up two prescriptions, which total $60 and swipe my credit card in dismay as I realize that this will be a monthly cost for me. Stupid dry eyes.

5:00 p.m.: Still tired, having spent loads of money today, I have the incredible urge to shop. It’s fall and I want new pants and sweaters, a new bag for work and new shoes to wear during my daily commute. I blog instead. Hopefully the urge will pass.


What’d you do this week?

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