Along Came Sari

This morning as I was bolting out the door to go to work, I heard a pretty pathetic "MEOW." I looked around, went back inside and did a headcount to make sure the Three Stooges hadn't escaped. All clear. I went back outside and proceeded to play "Marco Polo" with my mysterious feline friend. I found Sari in a four-foot hole, cut out for access to the neighbors basement. The hole should be covered by a grate, but Sari was so skinny, she probably would have fallen through regardless.

As soon as she saw me, Sari meowed like crazy, as if to say, "GET ME OUT OF HERE!" And so, I jumped into this hole and picked her up without too much thought for my own safety.

A wave of sadness overtook me as I realized Sari weighed about 3 pounds. I could feel her bones protruding through her matted fur. I feared this cat had been abandoned or lost for a long time and had been without food and water. Thankfully, Sari had a tag with her name and a phone number. I immediately called the number and left a message.

At this point I was becoming late for work. I didn't care. If you know anything about me, animals hold a very special place in my heart. They are innocent creatures who rely on us to take care of them. They can't yell or curse you or put you in a bad mood (for long). Therefore, work could wait.

I retrieved some water and let Sari drink while I pulled out my laptop for some internet research. I was able to find some information, and with that, I put Sari in a cat crate and put her in the bathroom so that I wouldn't miss work entirely. Once I got to work, I was able to hunt down the owner and her address, all from just a phone number. Sari's mom lived less than a block away.

During lunch, I came home to check on Sari. I also taped a note on Sari's mom's door, or so I hoped. And then I waited. As it approached 6 p.m. without hearing anything, I started coming to grips with the fact that Sari would have to be dropped off at a shelter. A lost cat + three Libyan cats + one furry Schnauzer = potential disaster. I gave Sari some soft food and let her rest.

At about 7:30 p.m. I got the call I'd been waiting on. My note worked! Sari's mom had moved a few days before and Sari took the opportunity to explore. When I said Sari looked to be in bad shape, I was told the cat is 18 years old! What a trooper. Mom would be over in about an hour to come get Sari.

Sari is now with her mom and, of course, she was so gracious. Her grandma even called to thank me!

This situation has made me realize I would really love to work with animals. I'm not sure in what capacity, but I think the Universe put Sari in my path for a reason.

I'm so glad this story had a happy ending. Experiences like these help me "keep on keepin' on."

Logic ≠ Negativity

Almost daily, I am chided for being "negative." When I am asked for my opinion and give it, I normally encounter frowns or the dreaded stink eye. The reactions I receive probably have more to do with the tone I use instead of what I'm actually saying, but for fun, I'd like to analyze a bit further.

You see my friends, I have been blessed with the gift of "Logic." Or maybe I'm cursed.

Logic, also known as "reason" and "sound judgement," can be a foreign concept to many. Most people want nothing to do with reasonableness. They want to pull the covers over their eyes and just do what they're told, even if it makes no logical sense. For example: while reviewing a case at work, I emailed my boss and told him I didn't think said case was worth our time. I was instantly accused of being negative.

I fail to identify any negativity on my part after I  logically evaluate the facts I am given and think things through to the very end. Just because I am not always agreeable does not mean my opinions matter less.

I base all of my decisions on logic instead of emotion. This part of my personality causes me the most grief with other people.

Logic has driven me to quit my job sometime this year. Working for a company that doesn't entertain much logic in their business practices makes little, if any, sense to me. I am not a valued employee and therefore cannot value the company I work for.

I have been asked why I haven't started looking for another job yet. Searching for another job is quite labor intensive, requiring a lot of time, focus, and determination. I don't want to waste my precious free time and focus on another job I'll end up hating within a month. I am not determined to keep doing what I am doing now. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. I don't feel I'm being negative about my employment; I am being realistic. My situation will not change unless I change it, by moving on.

Logically, it's time to create something of my own. I'm not sure what this "something" is, but I trust the Universe will reveal itself over time, when I completely open myself up for all opportunities.

Lesson #1: Not Everything Works Out As Planned

"You didn't think it would work out perfectly, did you?" SO asked me after I concluded my fifteenth rant about my tenants. "No. I figured the water heater would go out or maybe the washer would break, but I did NOT expect them to cause me this much anxiety," I exclaimed.

I'm going on three months of having people rent my house. They have only paid their rent on time once, when they handed me the check right after signing the lease. They brought three pit bulls into my 850 sq. ft. house. The lease states "NO PETS." After their third rent check bounced, I asked my property management company to draw up eviction papers*. I do not have the time or the money to deal with these problems.

To say it's been quite a challenging transition into my new life would be an understatement. I've felt a cloud of negative energy surround me ever since I moved into the new apartment. I don't feel like anything has settled and it bothers me. I've been cursed with a Type A personality and unfinished business, or the unknown, is like fingernails on a chalkboard.

The point of this post is to demonstrate that changing your life is not going to be easy. Not everything works out as planned. Everything will be thrown at you, including the kitchen sink. People will piss you off and break you down. You might question if you've made the right decision.

What's getting me through is knowing I have a date circled on my calendar. All of this BS will be worth it. Until then, excuse me if I'm a little high strung.

*I've held off evicting the tenants, for now. They've remedied all issues and if they're late on rent again,  it's on like Donkey Kong.

How I Saved $10,000 in One Year

Since opening my travel savings account in December 2010, I have been able to stash away $10,000. When I first started saving, I didn't have a particular goal in mind other than to save as much as I could. As I watched the number get higher and higher, it became an obsession of sorts to find more ways to add every "free" penny I had into savings.

*DISCLAIMER*
I have been making $32,000 per year for the past three years, plus occasional bonuses.

Before I started renting my house out, I spent approximately $21,000 (mortgage, utilities, food, gas, student loans, and everything else) per year and the rest has been put into savings. How do I do it?

1. Cut unnecessary expenses. No cable, limited brand name items, cook my own meals, buy groceries at Aldi, get cheap haircuts, use products until they are gone, cut back significantly on drinking booze. I no longer buy books or CD's; I use the library. I bring my lunch to work every day. I shop the clearance racks for clothing. I wear shoes until they are five years old. You get the idea.
2. Budget billing. Most of my bills are the same each month, allowing me to plan my budget. To cut some utility bills, I keep the thermostat high in the summer (80) and low in the winter (66).
3. I don't participate in a bunch of gifting. I prefer to make or bake instead of purchasing items for a celebration.
4. I try to limit my entertainment expenses as much as I can. Dear friends, please don't roll your eyes when I tell you I can't make it to a certain event that will cost me money. I would love to hang out with you while partaking in free, or nearly free, activities! 
5. I try a bit of vegetable gardening in the spring and summer to save money on groceries. Homegrown food tastes better anyway.
6. Once it warms up in the spring, I will attempt to ride my bike to work everyday instead of driving 3 miles. Being environmentally friendly is in, right?

Yes, I have chosen a frugal lifestyle and some people don't like it. Guests commonly complain about how cold it is in my house. Friends get miffed when I don't want to pay a cover to get into a bar. Co-workers used to question why I never wanted to go out for lunch. 

At this point, it has gotten very hard for me to justify any extra spending. I'm not trying to offend anyone, I'm doing what I think is in my best interest: saving up as much as I can so that I can quit my job, travel, and be happy. If I stick with my frugalness until my departure, I should have about $20,000 in the bank, enough to keep me afloat for at least a year. A little inconvenience now will help me significantly in the future.

I'm well on my way....

What's Holding You Back From Your Dream?

Before I came to the realization that I need to completely change my lifestyle, I was bogged down by superfluous junk. I was living in a "smog" of sorts.

Beijing Smog

 This proverbial smog manifested itself in the following:

• Buying a house at the age of 23;
• Filling above-mentioned house with stuff, crap, junk, etc.;
• Jumping from shitty job to shitty job to keep with above-mentioned house, bills, and junk;
• Attending Graduate school for promotional potential and accumulating additional debt;
• Listening to peers who touted the joys of working their way up the corporate ladder.

After five full years in the corporate world, I realized nothing on this list had been contributing to my happiness and well-being. I started questioning the status quo and the American Dream. Why do I have to wait until I'm close to 70 years old to start enjoying my life? What if I don't make it until I'm 70? What if I don't make it until I'm 30?

It's one thing to question what you're doing with your life, but it's another to act on those questions. So many people are doing the same thing everyday: 9-5 job, come home too exhausted to interact with your family, friends, etc., spend the weekends running errands you don't have time to deal with during the week, rinse, repeat. Hey! At least the bills are paid! Just another week closer to retirement. It can be very difficult to break the cycle, especially when society tells you it's what you're supposed to be doing. Life sucks, deal with it.

I allowed bills and other responsibilities to take over my life, as I'm sure a lot of you have. In order to break the cycle, I started small. First, I went through my closet and got rid of several boxes of clothing I didn't need. A few months later, I did it again. As more time went on, I began to see things throughout my entire house that I didn't want anymore. A few months back, I realized I didn't need the house either. I sold a bunch of furniture and rented my house out while I took on a house sitting gig. And now I have a date set for the ultimate escape.

I have to be honest, I never thought at age 23 that I would eventually rid myself of most everything I worked so hard for. At first, people labeled me "crazy" for moving forward with my dream. The labels have since evolved into "weird" and "Wow, I'm curious!"

I'm not advocating that everyone just up and quit their job to join the circus (if you want to join the circus, I will support you). What I ask everyone to do is examine what's going on in your life. Do you enjoy your life? How much? 25%? Less? 

Find something to be proud of. Start a hobby. Create your own business. Do something that makes you feel alive.

What's holding you back from your dream?