Patti O'Shea's Blog, page 124
January 18, 2015
January 15, 2015
A Type of Organization
I talked on Tuesday about my goal for 2015 being to become better organized. I have another goal for the year, too. Learn how to budget. Everything is so much more expensive in Atlanta than in Minneapolis that I've been pulled tight every month and I've gotten tired of it.
The first thing I did was go find a budget spreadsheet for Excel. There are a lot of choices out there, but I needed one that visually appealed to me and that I'd actually use. I finally did find one I liked, and although it wasn't free, I decided to download it anyway. The cost will be worth it if it can help me work out a monthly plan.
One of the other things I wanted was a sortable Excel check register which also broke out the spending categories so I could see where the money was going. I had a free, non-sortable check register that I already used and liked, so I went back to the site and bought the paid version that offered the features I wanted and needed. I copied and pasted my previous year's register into the new one and had a very interesting pie chart.
This is part of the picture, but just lumping stuff under credit card in the chart wasn't useful. What was I using the credit card for? I also knew I didn't want to go over a certain dollar amount in credit card spending and that meant I needed another spreadsheet.
At first, I thought I would keep track of credit card purchases on the check register, and while that would have worked, it wasn't as optimal as the Excel workbook I found online. This one was free and it was specifically created to manage a project that had a budget. It counted down the money spent. So if I wanted to charge X dollars a month on my credit card for groceries, and X dollars for utilities, and X dollars for something else, I could fill in the dollar amount for each category, then as I itemized what I charged, the spreadsheet tells me how much money I've spent.
You can check out the free expense tracker spreadsheet. (This site also has a lot of other free spreadsheets that can be downloaded. (There are some paid ones, too, so watch.))
So far (knock on wood) this is working for me. Simply keeping track and itemizing everything has me being more mindful. The impulse buy I nearly made at Bath and Bodyworks was stopped in its tracks because I didn't want to have to put it on my spent list. That's an unexpected benefit.
I know there are programs out there other than Excel, but I didn't really like the ones I've looked at and Excel is such a powerful tool that it made more sense to use that--something I already own--than to buy something new and different. I'm only 11 days into my new organized budget/finance year, but I think it's going well.
The first thing I did was go find a budget spreadsheet for Excel. There are a lot of choices out there, but I needed one that visually appealed to me and that I'd actually use. I finally did find one I liked, and although it wasn't free, I decided to download it anyway. The cost will be worth it if it can help me work out a monthly plan.
One of the other things I wanted was a sortable Excel check register which also broke out the spending categories so I could see where the money was going. I had a free, non-sortable check register that I already used and liked, so I went back to the site and bought the paid version that offered the features I wanted and needed. I copied and pasted my previous year's register into the new one and had a very interesting pie chart.
This is part of the picture, but just lumping stuff under credit card in the chart wasn't useful. What was I using the credit card for? I also knew I didn't want to go over a certain dollar amount in credit card spending and that meant I needed another spreadsheet.
At first, I thought I would keep track of credit card purchases on the check register, and while that would have worked, it wasn't as optimal as the Excel workbook I found online. This one was free and it was specifically created to manage a project that had a budget. It counted down the money spent. So if I wanted to charge X dollars a month on my credit card for groceries, and X dollars for utilities, and X dollars for something else, I could fill in the dollar amount for each category, then as I itemized what I charged, the spreadsheet tells me how much money I've spent.
You can check out the free expense tracker spreadsheet. (This site also has a lot of other free spreadsheets that can be downloaded. (There are some paid ones, too, so watch.))
So far (knock on wood) this is working for me. Simply keeping track and itemizing everything has me being more mindful. The impulse buy I nearly made at Bath and Bodyworks was stopped in its tracks because I didn't want to have to put it on my spent list. That's an unexpected benefit.
I know there are programs out there other than Excel, but I didn't really like the ones I've looked at and Excel is such a powerful tool that it made more sense to use that--something I already own--than to buy something new and different. I'm only 11 days into my new organized budget/finance year, but I think it's going well.
January 13, 2015
Organization 101
I'm not the most organized person in the world. I like things neat and clean--definitely uncluttered--but even so, I sometimes have trouble finding things. When I lived in the condo and had almost all of my furniture up in Minnesota, I learned how valuable boxes and bins can be, but I still had (and have) no real system. Because I know this is a shortcoming for me, I started pinning images to articles about organizing on Pinterest. (Organization Tips Board)
Some of these articles I pinned for my parents who definitely need to declutter. A lot of them, though, I pinned for myself. The problem? I've only read a few of them. I'm hoping for osmosis.
I have made some progress. I've bought some awesome decorative boxes with lids for my closet and instead of having my purses lined up on the shelves, I've put them inside. I bought more bins that I planned to use in my linen closet, but they weren't working out quite right there. Two might work in my office, but I'm still mulling over the other two.
Before I moved from Minnesota to Georgia, I got rid of a lot of excess stuff, but I didn't have time to go through all of it. One of my goals for this year is to shed more things as I organize. Of course, finding time to do all this is hard. Between working full time and writing and real life, time is limited. I'm determined, though, that I get my office put away before summer. That room is still in chaos from the move and it's so bad that I can't even walk in there without getting stressed. Blech.
Some of these articles I pinned for my parents who definitely need to declutter. A lot of them, though, I pinned for myself. The problem? I've only read a few of them. I'm hoping for osmosis.
I have made some progress. I've bought some awesome decorative boxes with lids for my closet and instead of having my purses lined up on the shelves, I've put them inside. I bought more bins that I planned to use in my linen closet, but they weren't working out quite right there. Two might work in my office, but I'm still mulling over the other two.
Before I moved from Minnesota to Georgia, I got rid of a lot of excess stuff, but I didn't have time to go through all of it. One of my goals for this year is to shed more things as I organize. Of course, finding time to do all this is hard. Between working full time and writing and real life, time is limited. I'm determined, though, that I get my office put away before summer. That room is still in chaos from the move and it's so bad that I can't even walk in there without getting stressed. Blech.
January 11, 2015
How Much Water Should I Drink a Day?
I guess I'm not the only one who was wondering about this. It's one of the most asked questions on Google.
January 8, 2015
Elsa
I've finally seen the movie Frozen. I know, I'm probably the last one in the world, but what can I say? I won't review the movie except to say I liked it, but I doubt I'll watch it again. What I did want to talk about was the character of Elsa, the older sister.
Online, there are articles that talk about how Elsa was originally supposed to be the villain, but that she was rewritten after the song Let It Go showed that her character couldn't be a bad guy. I'm really glad Disney made that decision, to redo the plot and find a different antagonist for the story. For me, Elsa was the most interesting part of the movie.
Anna was supposed to be the heroine, and I suppose strictly speaking, she is, but I found her uninteresting and naive. I also don't think she was a strong enough character to carry the movie. Elsa is the stronger of the two and without the foundation of their relationship, the story would have been very one dimensional.
As you might guess, I consider Elsa to be the real heroine of the movie. She had a talent that she hid away and repressed, fearful of what she might accidentally do. And at her coronation, the worst does happen. For me, the movie is about her coming to terms with who she is.
Elsa is complex with competing wishes. She wishes to be herself, but she also wishes to conceal her talent. She wishes to be part of her sister's life, but she must keep herself distant to protect Anna. Elsa has concerns about becoming queen, but she knows she must step into that role. She wants to be connected to others, but in being herself, she separates herself from the world.
I did like Anna as a supporting character. :-) And despite everything, that is how I see her--in a supporting role. I liked how she steadfastly believed in her sister and fought on despite all odds. Also, I liked how she matured over the course of the film.
If any movie cried out for a sequel, it's Frozen. I'd love to see Elsa get her happy ending and find true love because she needs it more than Anna did. It would also be interesting to watch her overcome her ingrained inclination to distance herself from others. Despite the ending of the movie, this isn't something anyone can overcome quickly, not as many years as she let fear hold sway.
Are you listening, Disney? Please do Elsa's story and don't make it a simple, easy one. This is too complex a character to do sweetness and light version of her falling in love.
Online, there are articles that talk about how Elsa was originally supposed to be the villain, but that she was rewritten after the song Let It Go showed that her character couldn't be a bad guy. I'm really glad Disney made that decision, to redo the plot and find a different antagonist for the story. For me, Elsa was the most interesting part of the movie.
Anna was supposed to be the heroine, and I suppose strictly speaking, she is, but I found her uninteresting and naive. I also don't think she was a strong enough character to carry the movie. Elsa is the stronger of the two and without the foundation of their relationship, the story would have been very one dimensional.
As you might guess, I consider Elsa to be the real heroine of the movie. She had a talent that she hid away and repressed, fearful of what she might accidentally do. And at her coronation, the worst does happen. For me, the movie is about her coming to terms with who she is.
Elsa is complex with competing wishes. She wishes to be herself, but she also wishes to conceal her talent. She wishes to be part of her sister's life, but she must keep herself distant to protect Anna. Elsa has concerns about becoming queen, but she knows she must step into that role. She wants to be connected to others, but in being herself, she separates herself from the world.
I did like Anna as a supporting character. :-) And despite everything, that is how I see her--in a supporting role. I liked how she steadfastly believed in her sister and fought on despite all odds. Also, I liked how she matured over the course of the film.
If any movie cried out for a sequel, it's Frozen. I'd love to see Elsa get her happy ending and find true love because she needs it more than Anna did. It would also be interesting to watch her overcome her ingrained inclination to distance herself from others. Despite the ending of the movie, this isn't something anyone can overcome quickly, not as many years as she let fear hold sway.
Are you listening, Disney? Please do Elsa's story and don't make it a simple, easy one. This is too complex a character to do sweetness and light version of her falling in love.
January 6, 2015
Tiny Houses
Recently, I saw an episode of House Hunters on HGTV about a woman in Los Angeles searching for a tiny house. I mean like really tiny. She had $70,000 to spend for both house and land and her real estate agent had about $35k to $40k earmarked for the land, so the house had to be around $35k.
There were no pre-existing homes that they looked at. What they did was go to manufacturers and check out what they had available. Stop number one was a yurt. Seriously. A YURT! And the house hunter said she didn't want her kitchen or bathroom indoors, she wanted them outside so she could use the space for other things. Outside. Her kitchen and bathroom outside, but with real plumbing.
The model yurt she looked at had a bunch of upgrades--like real windows and doors. The standard yurt comes with flaps only. The model also had a bamboo floor and wasn't half bad although certainly not something I'd choose to live in.
Stop 2 was a house made from earth and concrete and looked like a Hobbit house or something a fairy would live in. It had a separate pod for the bathroom and kitchen and bedroom. The house hunter found the bedroom pod claustrophobic and there wasn't room for a lofted bed. Oh, and she'd have to build the house herself after paying $1600 for the class on how to do it. There was another cost for the plans and yet another cost for the kit to use.
Stop 3 was a tiny house on wheels. This space was much more liveable than the first two, IMO. There was a loft, a bathroom and a shower and the house could be moved if you wanted. It was seriously small, but nice enough that you could use it as a camper or something.
After seeing all three options, I said to the TV: She's going to pick the yurt. And sure enough, she did. She bought a used yurt--as if the new ones weren't bad enough--and she had flaps. No windows. No doors. The property she bought had a corrugated building (mostly open to the world) that she was going to add a bathroom and kitchen to because she really meant it when she said she didn't want it in her house.
The thing I kept thinking of besides the size was what about security? Do you really want to chance some person just showing up and deciding to spend the night there whether you like it or not? Do you really want to chance someone coming by and stealing all your stuff? I just couldn't imagine living like that, especially after the show was broadcast and it's open knowledge she's living out there alone in an unsecured tent/yurt. Yikes!
There were no pre-existing homes that they looked at. What they did was go to manufacturers and check out what they had available. Stop number one was a yurt. Seriously. A YURT! And the house hunter said she didn't want her kitchen or bathroom indoors, she wanted them outside so she could use the space for other things. Outside. Her kitchen and bathroom outside, but with real plumbing.
The model yurt she looked at had a bunch of upgrades--like real windows and doors. The standard yurt comes with flaps only. The model also had a bamboo floor and wasn't half bad although certainly not something I'd choose to live in.
Stop 2 was a house made from earth and concrete and looked like a Hobbit house or something a fairy would live in. It had a separate pod for the bathroom and kitchen and bedroom. The house hunter found the bedroom pod claustrophobic and there wasn't room for a lofted bed. Oh, and she'd have to build the house herself after paying $1600 for the class on how to do it. There was another cost for the plans and yet another cost for the kit to use.
Stop 3 was a tiny house on wheels. This space was much more liveable than the first two, IMO. There was a loft, a bathroom and a shower and the house could be moved if you wanted. It was seriously small, but nice enough that you could use it as a camper or something.
After seeing all three options, I said to the TV: She's going to pick the yurt. And sure enough, she did. She bought a used yurt--as if the new ones weren't bad enough--and she had flaps. No windows. No doors. The property she bought had a corrugated building (mostly open to the world) that she was going to add a bathroom and kitchen to because she really meant it when she said she didn't want it in her house.
The thing I kept thinking of besides the size was what about security? Do you really want to chance some person just showing up and deciding to spend the night there whether you like it or not? Do you really want to chance someone coming by and stealing all your stuff? I just couldn't imagine living like that, especially after the show was broadcast and it's open knowledge she's living out there alone in an unsecured tent/yurt. Yikes!
January 4, 2015
January 1, 2015
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! May 2015 be peaceful and bring you joy.
December 30, 2014
Shut Down Argh!
I mentioned recently that I tried to clean my laptop, but was unable to do so because I stripped a screw and couldn't get the case off. I paid for that.
Usually, I write on my MacBook rather than my Windows laptop, but I was feeling lazy and started working on an overview for a series idea I have. I was making some good progress when my laptop shut itself down. It's a measure to protect the computer and keep it from overheating bad enough to cause damage, but I hadn't saved in a while. I ended up losing about 1/3 of a page, which isn't much, but it's hard to grab those words back.
This isn't what my laptop normally does in an overheat situation either. Normally, it goes into hibernation. I give it some time to cool off, wake it up, do a save, and then shut down. Not this time. this time it just said, I'm done and shut off. Gah!
I used to be really good about hitting control-S all the time because I used to have a dog that would walk under my computer desk and brush the plug just enough to make make the computer flicker. It wasn't enough to cause the system to reboot or turn off, but it did jettison anything that was unsaved. Control-S became a constant friend. Clearly, I've gotten lax about that in the time since she died.
Because it was overview stuff, it's not the end of the world that it got lost. If this were story, I'd be much more upset, but still I'll never find the exact way I said it the first time.
Usually, I write on my MacBook rather than my Windows laptop, but I was feeling lazy and started working on an overview for a series idea I have. I was making some good progress when my laptop shut itself down. It's a measure to protect the computer and keep it from overheating bad enough to cause damage, but I hadn't saved in a while. I ended up losing about 1/3 of a page, which isn't much, but it's hard to grab those words back.
This isn't what my laptop normally does in an overheat situation either. Normally, it goes into hibernation. I give it some time to cool off, wake it up, do a save, and then shut down. Not this time. this time it just said, I'm done and shut off. Gah!
I used to be really good about hitting control-S all the time because I used to have a dog that would walk under my computer desk and brush the plug just enough to make make the computer flicker. It wasn't enough to cause the system to reboot or turn off, but it did jettison anything that was unsaved. Control-S became a constant friend. Clearly, I've gotten lax about that in the time since she died.
Because it was overview stuff, it's not the end of the world that it got lost. If this were story, I'd be much more upset, but still I'll never find the exact way I said it the first time.
