H.A. Larson's Blog, page 38

Basic Financial Fitness: Credit Cards

The humble credit card: a piece of plastic that is a curse or a blessing, depending on who you ask. Credit cards can be divisive, not just for the opinions that surround them, but because of the havoc they can wreak when used improperly. If used improperly, they lead to a mountain of debt, but used properly, can be a useful and handy tool for the budget. Let's talk about credit cards, then, and whether or not you should have one. (If you already have credit cards and use them wisely, this post isn't for you.)
A credit card, in the most basic sense, is a piece of plastic that acts much like a ready-at-the-service loan provider. You use your card in place of cash, check, or debit card to purchase goods and services. It's a loan in that you're borrowing money every time you swipe it, and the idea is that you then pay back (usually in the form of a monthly payment) the principal (amount borrowed) plus interest.
To say that credit cards have been used improperly by many people is an understatement. The average credit card debt per U.S. household in 2017 was $8,177.00.* Meanwhile, the average interest rate on credit cards is 17.4%.** That means that debt will balloon up by $1,422.80 for a total of $9,599.80. But - and this is a big but - if you're not paying that balance in full the amount of interest you end up paying will be more. The reason for this is compound interest . If you're only making monthly payments, you will get a new finance charge (i.e. interest) each month that will charge you interest on top of your interest. 
How much interest you pay monthly - and the resulting new balance - is calculated thusly: 
Annual interest rate (in this example 17.4%) divided by 12 months in a year, so 17.4/12=1.45%. 1.45% is how much you're going to be charged in interest on remaining balances.If you make a $300.00 payment against the original balance of $8,177.00, you'll drop the balance down to $7,877.00. Your bank (for example) charges interest at the end of the month, usually after your payment due date. 1.45% is going to be levied against the $7,877.00. This adds another $114.21 to your balance for a total of $7,991.22.This means that only $185.79 of your $300.00 payment has been applied to the principal balance. Your new balance is now higher than it was after you initially made your payment!Repeat each month.It's no wonder that people with high credit card debt feel like they're drowning...because they are! They're drowning in interest rates, and it will take a long, long time to pay that balance off making monthly payments. This is especially true if one is only making the minimum payment. 
So, after looking at the stark numbers, I'm sure some of you are thinking that you shouldn't acquire or use credit cards. Well, if you're one of those kinds of people that are frugal spenders and excellent savers with lots of money in the bank for any emergency scenario, then, no, you do not necessarily need credit cards. In this day and age, if you are one of those kinds of people, a debit card will get you by just fine. You can rest easy knowing that if you have a problem, you can afford to take care of it with your hard-earned savings.
However, if you are not one of those kinds of people, then credit cards are a great thing to have on hand. What if your car breaks down and you have a costly repair bill? What if said car breaks down while you're far from home, and you need to get a tow, a motel room, and a car repair? What if the place you're living in is destroyed and you find yourself displaced temporarily? What if you work from home and your computer up and quits running for good one day? What if your grandparent on the other side of the country dies, and you need to book a flight? These are all good reasons to whip out a credit card to get you out of your situation.*** In all these cases, if you use your card just for emergencies, then make more than the minimum payment every month, you should have it paid off fairly quickly. 
There are other scenarios where using a card is advantageous. I know people who simply prefer to use a card instead of carrying the cash they already have. They use their card, then pay it off in full each month. This works especially well for people who get cash back on their purchases using their card. They spend what they normally would, pay it off before the billing cycle, and then get their cash back at the end of the year. Now, I know these two ways of using cards exist, but I'm not going to get into the specifics on either one of those. I think these latter ways of using a card is better left to people who have good control of their money and spending habits, and who have extra money in which to spend.
Where people really get into trouble with cards, is by using them to, basically, purchase all kinds of wants. If you're using your cards to buy clothes, decor, to go out with friends, or to purchase groceries****, then only make the minimum payment on said cards, you shouldn't be using cards. Unless it's an emergency situation, you should never use your cards to buy items you should be using your normal income stream to purchase. If you don't have much money left over after bills, you should be saving money until you can afford to buy wants. What you need to do is to adopt a smart money mindset, something I discussed in detail in this blog post.
To sum it up, credit cards can be a blessing or a curse, so choose wisely. If you're new to finances and credit cards, get a basic card with a low credit limit or a secured card.***** Keep it around for emergencies and pay it off as quickly as possible. Not only will you build good credit, but you'll start to learn how to navigate the world of card ownership.



*Figure courtesy of www.thebalance.com.**I arrived at this figure from a list at www.valuepenguin.com. I added together the six average credit card rates and then divided that number by six to get the overall average rate.***Now, this isn't to say you shouldn't build up an emergency fund because you absolutely should. I've discussed the importance of savings in-depth before. Click here to read more about it.****Yes, even groceries. You have to purchase wisely and buy what you can afford. It's too easy to spend far too much, time and time again, at the grocery store if you're giving yourself license to purchase whatever you want. You can easily find yourself blowing up your normal food allotment to triple or quadruple what you would normally spend. Don't do it! *****There are two types of credit cards: secured and unsecured. Your spending limit on an unsecured card is determined by your credit history and your income, while your spending limit on a secured card is the amount of a deposit you are required to pay. In this second option, your credit line is secure because you're only allowed to spend the amount of money that you deposited in. The only bad thing with secured cards is that there is usually an annual fee. This is a good option for people with bad credit histories or who are just starting out and feel like they need more guidance.

Upcoming Celestial Events

I thought today would be the perfect day to talk about upcoming celestial events. The reason that today is perfect for this? Early tomorrow morning - if you live Stateside - you can see a super rare, very cool, event: a Super Blue Blood Moon . Now, I'm sure you're wondering what the heck a Super Blue Blood Moon is, but, never fear, I'm here to explain.


1. January 31st - Super Blue Blood Moon
A Supermoon occurs when a full moon happens to be closet to Earth on it's orbit, making it appear larger than usual. A Blue Moon is a second full moon in a month. A Blood Moon occurs during a lunar eclipse as the moon will appear red due to the way sunlight then reflects off it. When all three occur at the same time, you get a Super Blue Blood Moon. If you love star stuff, then you absolutely should not miss this event. It's the first time since, yes, 1866 that this event happened last so it's probably the only time you'll ever get the chance. If you want to know the specifics, this article on space.com has all the details.


2. February 15th - New Moon
During a New Moon, it will be on the same side of Earth as the Sun, so will not be seen. This means that the night sky will be quite clear, and viewing objects will be easier. Faint galaxies and star clusters will all be more visible thanks to the New Moon.


3. March 2nd - Full Moon
In contrast to the New Moon, a Full Moon is located on the opposite side of Earth as the Sun, so will be heavily illuminated. The Moon will look robust and bright in the night sky.


4. March 7th - 8th - Parade of Planets
Beginning in late February, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn will appear to align in the sky - best seen around dawn. When March 7 rolls around, for two days, the Moon will join them, paying a visit to each planet. On the 8th, it will sit between Jupiter and Mars.

There you have it: the major celestial events happening through the end of March 2018. I hope you get a chance to see the Super Blue Blood Moon, if nothing else. Happy sky viewing!

For the Love of Good Food

Food. Where would we be without food? Not only do we need food to survive, but we turn food into delicious creations that please the senses. I've always been a fan of food, more than I should really, but over the past few months I've been changing my relationship with it. I eat more mindfully and, as a person who eats a plant-based diet, I eat a lot of fruits and veggies. Recently, two things have happened in my life that has put food squarely into the limelight: Aldi & Bountiful Baskets. 
I've always been a fan of Aldi, but over the past few years, they've made a commitment to carrying better quality food. Their products are now artificial color- and flavor-free. They have an inexpensive, great selection of produce, and a better selection of items in general. 

Capunti pasta with herb pack from Aldi.
Aldi's black label pasta is one of the items they don't always carry, so when I see them I grab them. They are unique shaped pasta with herb packets. Typically, I will cook the pasta along with some kind of protein, make a white sauce using the herb packet, and then toss it all together.


I used that pasta and herb packet - along with some crispy, baked tofu - to make this yummy meal. The broccoli and brussel sprouts also came from Aldi (less than $2 each!) which were roasted in the oven with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Recently, in addition to the plant-based items they already carry, Aldi introduced a limited-time vegan line which I'm hoping they carry full-time in the future.

Some of the Vegan/Vegetarian items that I was able to score for a limited time at Aldi.
 On top of all this good stuff, they built a brand new store, literally, behind my house. It's so easy for me now to grab the inexpensive basic foods that I use and consume.
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I first heard about Bountiful Baskets from my supervisor at work. It's a food co-op where all the money put into it goes back into purchasing an array of fruits and vegetables that are local and in-season when possible. There's the standard basket that is $18.00 every two weeks ($3.00 extra for your first time) and a variety of add-on packs for additional purchase if desired. 
My first time picking up was awesome. I was really impressed with how much I got for my money. Just look at all of it!

Romaine, kale, cabbage, green onion, carrots, grapes, mangos, cranberries, lemons, bananas, and persimmons.
Those orange fruits down at the bottom are persimmons. I've never had them before, but when I opened them up, they smelled and segmented like citrus fruit. I ended up making a jam with them that was pretty tasty.
The next time I ordered from Bountiful Baskets, this is what I got in my standard basket.

Romaine, apples, cabbage, butternut squash, kiwi, avocado, potatoes, mangos, bananas, green peppers, and cucumber.
It was another beauty of food. While many apples and bananas were eaten, the kiwi and mangos weren't quite ripe yet. After they both ripened, we made a fruit salad with the leftover bananas, leftover apples, and all the mangos & kiwi. We put a nice amount of agave nectar on it, mixed it in, and ate on it for a few days. We had never tried kiwi before, and we all think it tastes similar to a Granny Smith apple.

Yummy fruit salad!
In addition to the standard basket, I also purchased the Soup Pack add-on. 

Carrots, leeks, celery, green lentils, onion, parsley, kale, potatoes, and an herb pack of fresh thyme & bay leaf.
Nature Girl and I chopped up everything but the potatoes and put it in a ziplock baggie. I mean, I had a soup pack so I was going to make soup! The next evening, I did just that. We used every ingredient then added some veggie stock, coconut milk, and other seasonings. It was amazing and reminded me of my Grandma's Awful Soup! (It was named the "Awful Soup" because you'd each so much of that awful soup that it'd make you sick!)

Delicious veggie soup from our Soup Pack with a lovely slice of warmed focaccia bread.

I have to say, getting in on Bountiful Baskets was a fantastic idea. You get different fruits and vegetables each time, so you don't get stuck (like I find myself often) buying and eating the same fruits and veggies all the time. The add-ons are cheaper than the standard basket and also vary depending on what's available. If you feed a family, you should really get in on this co-op. They are nationwide, so finding a location near you should be doable for most people in the States. Head over to their website to find out more info: Bountiful Baskets.
Incidentally, when I found myself wondering what to do with all the cranberries and extra fruit from my first basket, I made schnapps:


Waste not, want not! They'll be ready in March and I'm a bit excited to see how it turns out. I will let you know. Until then, happy eating. 

Ipsy's December Glam Bag

I've decided that I'll do another Ipsy Glam Bag post. I'm not sure if I'll revive this series on a regular basis or not, but we'll see. Anyway, here's what my Glam Bag contained for the month of December. The theme for December, fittingly, was "Snow Globe".



1. First Aid Beauty - face cleanser
I love it when Ipsy sends me facial cleansers. If you wear makeup, cleaning your face is imperative! One can never have enough face cleanser, and ever since I picked up those face cleaning pads from the DT, my face routine got even better.



2. Ofra - liquid lipstick
This liquid lipstick is called Ipsy Unzipped - fittingly - and is in a familiar shade. This is the one area of product that Ipsy gets wrong for me. They send me what basically amounts to this shade of color lipstick frequently. I have sooo many of these, and they're not really my favorite color. Personally, I would be much happier if they sent different colors instead of relying on the same palette all the time.



3. Trestique - eyebrow pencil
I've gotten a handful of trestique products from Ipsy, but this is the first eyebrow pencil. In the shade of Americano, it's got that unique triangle shape that I've gotten before, but this one is the same size as the rest of their products.



4. Pixi by Petra - eyeshadow duo
This duo is called Orchid Ornament, and comes in two of my favorite shades. I love purples and pinks, especially if they are shimmery, and this duo fits the bill. I wore it for my anniversary a few weeks ago, and I really liked it. Better blend out that purple really good though!



5. Smashbox - gel liner
The color is called Fishnet, but it's black as night. I received a similar one to this awhile back and I had already used it up, so I was happy to receive another. This is great for smoking out your upper lid and I suspect it would work well on the waterline, but I haven't tested it there yet.
And there you have it, another month, another Glam Bag. I hope you enjoyed this peek into my Ipsy subscription. As always, if you're interested in getting this sub for yourself, head over to their website. If you click here, you can use me as a referral! I get bonus points to get bonus product, so sign up today!

A Winter's Reprieve

Winter has truly been upon us over the past month. With some of the coldest temps on record and plenty of snow mixed with occasional ice, it's not been the most agreeable weather to get out and about in. It's been nice in some ways, as it's afforded me a chance to get caught up on work and things around the house. The last week or so, however, I'm starting to feel a bit of cabin fever, so when the temperature climbed up to nearly 50 degrees F the other day, I knew I had to get out. I ran a few errands and then drove around with my camera.



In one of the most northern parts of my city, there's a road that leads from one of the main streets to a quiet, residential neighborhood. It stands out in particular for its tree-covered road. While it will look gorgeous and full by the beginning of Summer, it looks beautiful now.



Here's a shot of the same road, but coming from the other direction.



I drove farther north, out of the city, and into the Ponca Hills. Here you can see a pond nestled in a valley. The skies were so clear that I could literally see for miles. The Sun was warm on my face, and the air was calm, making for a peaceful, serene moment.



Here's a random shot I took from an intersection. It's interesting because the plane trails in the upper left-hand corner align perfectly with the stop lights, and you can see the massive radio towers that dominate the sky in this part of the city.
It felt good for my mental health to be out and about outside again. It reminds me of how I really need to start purchasing heavy gear for Winter hiking. I think I will make that a goal for this year. If I purchase everything piece by piece, I should have it all by next Winter.
Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
-H.A.

The Latest from the Write Life

Good morning! I got over eight hours of sleep last night so, combine that with a cup of coffee, and I'm feeling pretty good today. I didn't get much sleep on Monday night which meant that last night I was feeling pretty tired. Since I had a meeting at 9 p.m., I thought I would take a quick power nap - something I've done many times before. Instead, I slept for a few hours, waking up well after the meeting was over, so I went back to bed. At least I'm rested, right? 
As you all know, I've put my latest book endeavor Vanished on the shelf for awhile. This was mainly due to my hectic schedule that began early last year. After I finished The Box , I decided to start Vanished , but hold off on writing it in a dedicated fashion until after a big event I'm helping coordinate is over in May. Well, being a writer means writing calls you, not the other way around, so I've been called back to my storytelling. 
Instead of Vanished , I'm back to working on a series of three books that I already had pretty well sketched out. One of the characters from The Box inspired the idea for the series, and, recently, my mind starting thinking about that series in earnest. I'm back to writing again, and it feels good to be back in the saddle. Depending on how it goes over the next few months, I'll be releasing the details as I progress farther.
Speaking of writing, have you signed up for my newsletter yet? It is soon time to release the second of four newsletter installments of my short story "The Scream". There's still time to get the first installment if you sign up by Friday! The sign-up box is in the right-hand corner of this site.
Last, but not least, have you checked out my Patreon yet? If not, click on the Patreon menu up top for more details. I'm releasing "The Scream" there as well, so this is yet another way to read it!  Get it while it's hot.
Have a great week.
-H.A.

Dollar Tree Haul

Oh, how I love the Dollar Tree. I'm pretty sure I've said that exact same thing on this blog before, but it's true. You can buy things you need and things you don't need for a mere dollar. I live in a city where there are several DTs, and this makes me happy. Some locations have different items than others, and since many of their products are a one-time deal, it's always good to go check out other DTs when possible. After the holidays, I headed to another location instead of my local DT, and here's what I scored.



Oh. Em. Gee. I love thin mints, and I love orange creme, so when I saw these babies I grabbed the box and read the label. They are accidentally vegan so into my cart they went. Let me say, these are delicious. (As you can see, I didn't even wait to open them.)



This is one of those items that must not have been selling very well, so it ended up at the DT. Since I talked about doing more exercise at home when getting out isn't possible, I figured I would grab this. Besides, I can't lose for $1.00.



I found these microfiber facial pads, and since I get sample-sized face cleaners from Ipsy often, I figured these would be great to use with them. They are! I really like my new face routine in the shower. It's quick, easy, and really helps deep-clean my skin. The other item is silicone wine caps. Most of the time, getting a cork back into an opened bottle of wine is tricky. Well, not this time! 



Here's a better view of what they look like. Just pop this on your wine bottle when you're done, and it will help keep your wine fresh until the next time you imbibe.



This was a fun find that got me excited. They had about 4 or 5 different varieties of product sets, sold individually. This one is Lemon Verbena & Mint, and I purchased the bath soap, facial wipes, body cream, and body oil. They also had a hand soap and a bath salts for each type, but I decided against those.



I also bought the Lavender & Chamomile set. Here you see the facial wipes and body oil.



Here is the bath soap and body cream. I might give one set away as a gift, but I might keep it...who knows? 



The last two items I grabbed were some lens cleander spray with wiping cloth; and coconut lip balm. I recently fell in love with lens cleaner - especially if it has the cleaning cloth. It cleans glasses so well, and since I wear them every day, keeping them clean is a necessity. The lip balm is always a good purchase, particularly in the winter when skin is dry from the air. I put one in my car as I ran out of the one I always keep in my glove box.
And there you have it: my latest Dollar Tree haul. I hope you enjoyed a glimpse of what a few dollars can get you. Have a great weekend my friends.

Holiday Indulgences

The holidays got me, they truly did. As I sit here, a few weeks removed from the tidal wave that was Thanksgiving and Christmas, I have to admit something: I gained back a few pounds. It's so frustrating when you're working on getting healthier and staying on track and you let something like the holidays derail you. 
Now, I didn't gain back a ton of weight, but it's enough to make me feel like I've failed. I worked so hard to lose the weight I did, and here I am backsliding. I can, once again, feel myself slipping back into those bad habits that gained me the weight the first time around. 
The Teen and I joined a gym right after Christmas, but since my husband now works a part-time job most evenings, I don't have access to a vehicle but a couple of days a week. Also, with the weather now cold and icky, walking to work is not an option. So, not only am I slipping back into bad food habits, but I'm not exercising anymore. And I can feel it. All of it.
So, I'm going to take control of the situation before it escalates, and here's my plan:
1. Go to the gym when I can.2. Quit doing the food cheats.3. Get back into healthy snacking.4. Do exercise videos at home when that's my only option.
It's like I talked about when I first got back on the wagon: I can either sit around and cry about it, or I can do something about it. I'm going to choose the latter. I'll keep you updated on my progress. I'm going to achieve my ultimate goal one way or another! How do you stay on track? I'd love to know, so leave me a comment.

Ipsy's November Glam Bag

I've had a few requests recently, asking if I could start doing the monthly Glam Bags again, so I'm obliging. Now, I'm not saying I'll do these every month like I used to, but I might. I kinda missed doing these. At any rate, let's check out November's Glam Bag! Here's the monthly card that tells subscribers about the theme, along with the five items I received.



#1: Colourpop Ultra Satin Lip in Calypso
This is one of those liquid lipcolors that dries into a matte. I tried it once, but I get so many of the same color type from ipsy (which truthfully isn't my favorite color to use) that I don't use them much.



#2: Skyn Iceland's Berry Lip Fix with Wintered Red Algae
This is a lip balm that smells like berry but tingles on the lips. I put this on every morning after I've put on my makeup, especially now that Winter is in full swing and everything on my body is DRY!




#3: Tarte's Deluxe Amazonian Clay in Quirky
This is a beautiful blush that goes on cleanly. I use this one quite a bit, and what a pretty design!



#4: Crown Brush's C141 Small Chisel Brush
I use this brush to apply the above blush. Very nice.



#5: Naked Cosmetics Mica-Loose Powder in Mother Nature #6
I received another loose powder from Naked before, but that one is a light, bright color. This one is in a dark purple with greenish highlights. I used this one night when I was going out by dabbing it on my final eyelid color. It would neat mixed into some gloss for the lips as well.
So, there you have it! Another ipsy from me. I didn't get a chance to post this this past weekend as we went out of town to visit family. I'll be posting again in a few days so I can get back on schedule! Until then, have a great week.

What We Leave Behind

A new year is once again upon us, and, like many people, I'm contemplating the year that was. It was a good year, possibly one of my best, even if it did have its share of dark clouds.

I turned forty-five right before 2017 began, and so began another Five Year Shift. I got more intimately involved with an organization I feel strongly about, as well as becoming a founding member of another organization that I have high hopes for. I traveled by taking a wonderful family vacation to the mountains, as well as a couple of weekend getaways. I explored the numerous places of beauty and wonder that make my home an amazing place.I spent quality time with the people I care most about.I finished & published my book The Box .I lived life with more purpose, meaning, and adventure.
While I enjoyed every bit of these things, it's the first and last ones that resonate with me the most. I really feel that 2017 was the year when my life finally hit its stride. Never in my whole life have I felt more confident, engaged, unafraid, mindful, independent, and sure of myself than I have this past year. My 25-year-old self would be in awe of who I've become. I've truly come unto myself. I'm doing things that I would have never imagined myself doing, let alone imagined that they would have been possible. I still march to the beat of my own drummer, but I'm in charge of my own life and my own destiny. It's been a wonderful year in plenty of ways.

That's not to say that 2017 was all sunshine and roses. It was also filled with some of the hardest moments I've ever had to face. Personal struggles within myself and with someone very close to me cast a long shadow over me. The loss of a friend to suicide and my best friend's dad to heart issues hit me hard. Watching my oldest child make poor choices as he navigates the world of being somewhere between a kid and an adult have made my heart heavy. My ebook publisher, Pronoun, shut down. It's been a tough year in plenty of ways as well.

But, as C.S. Lewis said, "There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind." And he's right. There is a newness about the dawn of another year that gives a sense of hope, and a promise that this year will be better than the last. While I'm smart enough to know that there will still be the occasional dark cloud, I'm wise enough to understand that I can expand upon the greatness of last year as I look forward to 2018.

I'm optimistic, and I hope you are too.