Tag Archives: adulting

Dec18

Car Loans VS Dealership Financing: Which Is Better For You?

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Car Loans VS Dealership Financing: Which Is Better For You?

You usually have two roads to travel down when you want to buy a car:

  • Buy it outright with your own money
  • Seek some sort of financing option

Most people can’t use 100% of their money to buy a car so they go down the financing route, though this also throws a fork in the road:

  • Buy your car using an auto loan
  • Buy your car with dealership financing

Both are very viable options, but which one is better from a personal finance standpoint? Let’s take a closer look at them and see how they compare:

Car Loans Explained:

A car loan is one of the most straightforward auto financing options available. You approach a lender, apply for a loan, and receive enough money to cover the full cost of your purchase. Deposits/down payments are required – and this is usually a secured loan, meaning the car itself is collateral. In essence, if you fail to repay the loan, the lender can repossess your vehicle.

A very simple idea that comes with some massive benefits:

  • You own 100% of the car straight away
  • Car loans tend to come with lower interest rates, making them less costly
  • You gain the flexibility to buy your car from any dealership or brand

There are only a couple of downsides to a car loan, particularly when compared with regular dealership financing. It normally requires more effort to find a suitable lender and apply for your loan – and lenders are strict when it comes to accepting applications. Still, if you’ve got a great credit history, then there’s no need to worry about approval.

Dealership Financing Explained:

With dealership financing, you normally approach a car dealer and buy a vehicle from them, using their financing product. You pay a deposit, and then the dealer charges monthly payments based on the vehicle’s value and how much you already paid. The interesting thing here is that you’re normally locked into a 1-4 year deal. When your term ends, you either pay a balloon payment to own the car or take out a new deal on a new vehicle.

Dealership financing is popular for a couple of key reasons:

  • It’s fast and easy to set up
  • You normally get better deals than buying a car outright with a loan
  • It’s easily accessible
  • You can cycle through brand-new cars every few years

However, the main downside is that you do not own your car. The dealer will retain a majority share of your vehicle unless you pay the balloon payment at the end. This means you lack any flexibility when it comes to modifying your vehicle – and you’re also often forced to go to specific garages for servicing.

Which Is The Better Option Financially?

Speaking from a strictly financial standpoint, car loans are the better choice. You have lower interest rates, gain ownership of the vehicle right away, and have a longer term to split your repayments, making them more manageable. Truthfully, dealership financing only makes sense if you like cars and want to buy a new one every few years.

If you’re on the market for a new car, explore your financial options carefully and don’t rush into a decision you’re not fully comfortable with!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Dec1

Starting A Business Over 50 & Staying Healthy As An Entrepreneur

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Starting A Business Over 50 & Staying Healthy As An Entrepreneur

When most people think of entrepreneurs, they usually envision people in their 20s or 30s. Maybe people in their 40s, too. But, that doesn’t mean starting a business over 50 isn’t a possibility. It could just take a bit of an adjustment. It doesn’t have to be as complicated as you’d think, though. Focusing on a few startup tips should be more than enough to help with this moving forward. Three of these should have a significant impact on your startup’s success, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t help you moving forward:

Leverage Your Experience & Network:

You’ll likely start your business in an industry you’ve spent a significant amount of time in, as it’s where all of your skills will be related to. Your skills are far from the only area your business can benefit from. It can also benefit from your experience and network. You can use these to find opportunities to expand, new clients, and industry events that’ll help your company. Take advantage of this as much as possible from the start to fuel your initial success and kick start everything quickly.

Manage Your Risks:

Starting a business is always a risk, no matter what age you are when you start off. But, that doesn’t mean you should just settle for it being overwhelmingly risky. Implementing risk management strategies should help you minimize this as much as possible. You won’t be able to completely negate all of the risks, but you could avoid some as time goes on. At least, they shouldn’t be as major as you’d think. Proper financial planning is one of the most significant areas to focus on.

Balance Health & Ambition:

When you’re starting your business, you’ll be quite busy, but you shouldn’t push yourself too hard and neglect your health. Make sure you look after yourself so you can stay healthy while running your business. This could help you in more ways than one. If you notice any hearing loss during business meetings, for example, hearing aids could help make sure communication isn’t an issue. The same could be said for more than a few other health and lifestyle aids.

Starting a business over 50 feels like an uphill battle at the best of times. But, this is usually the case no matter what age you are. It’s just a matter of making sure you’re taking the right approach for you and your business!

Featured Image By: Caden Norcott from Unsplash

Nov18

Finding Balance In How We Play

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Finding Balance In How We Play

Everybody needs time to switch off. For some, it’s exercise or cooking; for others, it’s gardening, reading, or spending time with friends. Play, in any form, gives your mind a break from the structure of daily life. It doesn’t have to be competitive or loud; it just has to be something that’s going to allow you to relax and recharge. Lately, people are rediscovering how play fits into adulthood. It’s no longer something to outgrow; it’s something to bring back in a different way:

Making Space for Leisure:

Setting aside time for play, even if it’s just small moments during the week, can make a big difference in how you handle stress in your life. It means meeting new friends online for shared hobbies. Reliable game server hosting has made it possible to stay connected even when you’re apart. You can turn short sessions into something that’s more personal. But gaming does not mean you have to spend hours on a computer; it could be a puzzle app on your phone, a trivia night with family, or a quick card game after dinner. The goal isn’t to be performing; it’s to be present.

The Joy of Slower Play:

Not every kind of play comes through a screen. Many people are finding comfort in things like tabletop gaming, board games, dice games, and anything that gets people around the table. There’s something refreshing about slowing down, laughing, and focusing on something really simple together. These moments don’t rely on technology or trends, and they remind us that a connection doesn’t always need to be from something like Wi-Fi. Sitting down with others, sharing a snack, and working towards a small goal are all kinds of breaks that bring balance to a busy life.

Small Habits Make a Difference:

You don’t need hours of free time in order to enjoy yourself; brief instances of play can help you reset your focus. Try putting aside some time one evening a week for something light and fun. It might be a simple game, a work project, or a creative project. The key is to be consistent. The more often you give yourself space to unwind, the easier it is to become separate from work and rest. You’ll find yourself feeling calmer, clearer, and better able to focus on what matters when it matters.

You are allowed to take time for yourself to do something that is just purely fun and doesn’t have a reason. Whether you are building something online with friends or shuffling cards on a table, you’re giving yourself permission to take a pause. That’s not a waste of time; that is something that helps you to have balance in your life!

Featured Image By: David Bartus

May7

A Car Repair Cautionary Tale

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A Car Repair Cautionary Tale

Hello!! My car, AKA the Little Red Love Machine, is my little pride and joy. She is basically me in car form and I worked very hard to be able to buy my dream car. It is so important to me to make sure she is running in the best, safest way possible and I always stay up to date on regular maintenance. I began going to a shop down the street from me for oil changes and have had a positive experience every time. Except for the last time…

After my last oil change, I was informed that my car needed some extra work and that the price was going to be steep – the bare minimum being around $1340. YIKES! Right away, my feelers went up because what they were recommending was something that I had gotten done before and for way cheaper. Rather than commit to anything right away, I called another repair shop I go to on occasion and got a quote from them. The price just on the phone? $960. That was much more like it! Better yet, when I took my car to get fixed, the true price when they called me was $820. That was even more like it and over five hundred dollars less than the original quote!

While I was doing the happy dance for a repair that was even less than anticipated, I was a bit peeved. Did the people at the first repair shop think I was stupid or something? In fact, after they high balled me, I got a text from one of the team members saying I could get a free oil change if I wrote a review and I’m pretty sure they knew I had their number lol. (And, no: I did not write the review as temping as a free oil change is!)

This is why I decided to share my cautionary tale. If you are getting a major repair on anything done and the price seems way too high, get a second quote from a different source. Hell, get a few! If the prices are similar across the board, then that’s okay. However, you might find yourself in a situation similar to mine and will be so glad that you called around. This might seem like a no brainer but it is definitely worth the reminder so that you can continue to get the most bang for your buck and find professionals that are trustworthy. You couldn’t pay me to go to the original shop I went to again!

I am pleased to report that the Little Red Love Machine is back in excellent condition and my savings speak for themselves. You can’t beat that!

Do you have a story similar to mine? How much money did you end up saving by getting additional quotes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan19

Moving Right Along

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Moving Right Along

Howdy!! One of the comments that I get several times a week from the people I see and talk to frequently is: “I don’t know how you manage everything”. I have three jobs that keep me very busy, but I like to think that I have my juggling act down to a science. This isn’t something that happened overnight, rather something that has been perfected over time as I have been self employed for over a decade. It can be a delicate dance when you have a crazy schedule to keep your head above water. However, once you have it down, you can do that dance backwards and with your eyes closed! Here is what helps me:

I love my jobs:

The most important thing is to love what you do for a living and I certainly do! I love working with people with special needs, I love my blog, and I love being a social media manager. If I was absolutely miserable in any of these positions, I wouldn’t dedicate so much time to them. It makes me feel good to be a boss lady, but boss ladies know when to take a step back. As soon as I start feeling like something isn’t a good fit, I make immediate plans to change it and follow through until that is accomplished. It’s what keeps my work exciting and makes each day a joy rather than a chore.

It’s all in the timing:

Of course, time management is the next most important step to making a hectic schedule work. Through trial and error, I created a schedule that allows for me to complete every single task and be done when I return home so I can enjoy my evening with Johnny. Making a perfect schedule for yourself is like assembling a puzzle and once you get the pieces right, there is nothing that you can’t do. For a long while, I would still work a bit once I got home for the day no matter how badly I wanted to sink into the couch. The last step in my master schedule was eliminating this and I feel even more capable because I’m using my evenings for what they were intended for – relaxing!

Listen to yourself:

No one knows you better than you and rather than push yourself, you need to listen to yourself. I can’t tell you how many times I avoided taking breaks or simply a day off and it did me no favors. It made me resentful, exhausted, and overwhelmed. Honestly, this is one of the major things I still need to work on but I am getting better at it. You can only push yourself so much until you break so don’t let yourself get to that point. If something is feeling off, don’t just brush it aside because it’s your mind and body sending you a message. Listen to it because burnout is a very real thing and you have all of the tools to prevent it.

Go with the flow:

It’s no secret that my schedule is god lol. I have to admit, that I do tend to get a little panicky when my day isn’t moving as it should. This is why I am really making an effort to implement a go with the flow attitude. Being high-strung all day is exhausting and I always have to make a conscious effort to remind myself that things might not go accordingly to plan no matter how much you plan. While I do still experience some anxiety during a not to the T day, it has decreased substantially as I have to remind myself that even the most well thought out schedule needs some wiggle room.

I am well aware that there are still things that I need to work on when it comes to my work week. Keeping all of the above at the forefront of my mind helps me and I hope it does the same for you!

Do you follow the same schedule every day? How do you improve your work flow? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec19

Working With Mental Illness

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Working With Mental Illness

Hello!! It is no secret that your girl suffers from her fair share of mental illness. I have PTSD and depression and it can be exhausting to deal with. And, unfortunately, the adulting world doesn’t stand still despite difficult days that feature a “flare up”. I work hard to continue improving upon my situation, but I also use a few pro tips that I have cultivated over the years to make thing easier on myself. With these tools, my days feel more tolerable and I am able to achieve success in my jobs. Let’s discuss:

Have A Schedule:

In terms of my mental illness, my schedule means everything to me. My schedule brings me a lot of comfort because even if the day goes a little haywire, I still have a general idea of what is going to happen next. I try to go to bed, wake up, eat, and take breaks at the same time every day and not only do I keep things running like a fine tuned machine, but I feel less anxiety throughout the work day. Of course, on the weekend, I revel in not having anything to do. But, Monday through Friday – my schedule is god.

Eat Something:

Between the medication I’m on and the light buzz of butterflies that is constantly fluttering around in my stomach, my appetite is sometimes not there. I used to follow the rule of not eating if I’m not hungry, but that rule sucks because a few hours later I feel miserable and starving. If you aren’t feeling hungry at your normal mealtimes, try to have just a little something anyways. A light snack can help stimulate your appetite so you can work your way up to a proper meal. Your body and mind need the fuel from food, so eat!

Go Easy On Yourself:

The anxious mind might be telling you to work, work, work, and god help you if you stop: Even if you are feeling off. If you are having a bad day, be gentle with yourself. Give yourself permission to take breaks, self soothe, and return to the task at hand with a clearer head. There’s no gold star for pushing yourself through mental turmoil until you reach a breaking point. Listen to what your mind and body are telling you and respond accordingly. It can also be helpful to talk to yourself like you’re talking to a best friend. You would never tell your BFF that their need for a mental health break isn’t valid.

Avoid People Pleasing:

From one people pleaser to another, there comes a point when you have got to put yourself first. I have personally found that I tend to feel very resentful when I am catering to everyone other than me and that is a terrible way to feel. Part of looking out for you comes with saying “no” to what you don’t want to do – whatever reason that might be. You also have to be firm with your no because that establishes boundaries. This is not to say that you should just not help anyone ever. But, if you feel like you are spiraling and taking on way too much, you need to provide some leniency to your schedule.

Like anyone who is dealing with mental illness on top of all that adulting entails, I have my good and bad days. However, my days definitely feel more stable with the above advice!

Do you give yourself mental health breaks? How do you prioritize your mental health? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Dec16

The Art Of The Side Hustle

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The Art Of The Side Hustle

Hello!! I like to consider myself the Queen of the Side Hustle. For as long as I can remember, I have always been working a multitude of jobs in a variety of different fields. It keeps my life interesting and it makes the work days fun because I am almost always doing something that I enjoy. Over the years, I have accumulated several pro tips that I still utilize to this day. Let’s discuss some of them further and see where your side hustle can take you:

Patience Is A Virtue:

Good things take time and this definitely applies to your side hustle. Chances are high that you are not going to have a lucrative business over night no matter how awesome it would be! If you are chomping at the bit to quit your day job, hold off and keep doing your best. Use your downtime to really focus on your hustle and don’t make decisions for it lightly. It could end up costing you precious time and money. Slow and steady is the way to go when your hustle is growing.

Spread The Word:

Once you have a business model, website, and services that you are one thousand percent happy with, start spreading the word! The last thing you want is to start advertising if you are still working out the kinks as it can doom your business from the jump. Every customer can be a repeat customer if they are satisfied. Use social media, community bulletins, and good old fashioned word of mouth marketing. Encourage your friends and family to review and recommend you too. People are creating new businesses all of the time so adjust your marketing strategy to keep your hustle front and center. And remember, the worst someone can do is say no, so it’s always, always worth mentioning your hustle whenever and wherever you can!

Keep Your Chin Up:

It is so easy to be discouraged when your hustle isn’t taking off the way you want it to. Always keep your chin up and look on the bright side because you will never know where your hustle can take you if you throw in the towel when things are tough. Rather than get bogged down with where your business is lacking, celebrate victories instead! Every order or appointment booked is a HUGE success because people chose you instead of looking elsewhere. A small victory is better than no victory so don’t be too hard on yourself. And, when you achieve your goals, you will be thanking yourself for sticking with it.

Manage Your Time Wisely:

One job is exhausting as is so manage your time wisely when it comes to your hustle and know when to call it a day. This is honestly something that I need to remind myself constantly because there is always something to do between my various hustles. My new rule of thumb is that as soon as I get home for the day, I am done working. You deserve to relax and nothing is worth your own peace of mind. As your hustle grows, you can evaluate where you can cut back on your day job. Until then, allow yourself the rest you need because anything less can make you feel resentful of your new project.

Remember…

The whole point of a side hustle is to do something you enjoy, make a little extra scratch, and have fun. Look at this as a new adventure instead of a full fledged business because businesses are subject to fail. Adventures are just that: An adventure and you don’t know where it will take you. And, sometimes during adventures, you need to make adjustments. If your hustle isn’t doing what you want it to do, change your model up! There is no rule stating you can’t and it could make all the difference. If inspiration strikes, go for it and see where your adventure leads you next!

Your side hustle has all of the potential in the world to be successful. Enjoy the process, don’t rush it, and if at first you don’t succeed: Try and try again!

Do you have a side hustle? Whose side hustle do you love to support? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Nov11

Take It Easier

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Take It Easier

Hello!! The recent election and upcoming holiday season has definitely been causing stress to many, myself included. This time of year often feels like a whirlwind – between wrapping up the calendar year strong at work, shopping for holiday gifts, adjusting to the time change, and attempting to squeeze time in for yourself too. It’s a lot. In fact, I was literally just thinking about how overwhelmed I feel which inspired this post. I came to the conclusion that I need to at least try to Take It Easier and am utilizing the following methods:

There are only 24 hours in a day:

One thing that I really struggle with is making time for every single other person and exclude myself. I spend so much time in my own head mentally trying to rearrange my calendar to accommodate to everyone and so be it if I fall by the wayside. The biggest change I have been trying to make is reminding myself constantly that there are only 24 hours in the day. I can’t create more time no matter how much mental Tetris I play with my schedule. With this reminder, I think I have been a lot better about saying no to extra shifts or demands that I am too exhausted to meet. This has been difficult because I am a complete and total people pleaser but I can only do so much and that is okay.

Still give your all:

I saw a quote on Facebook that I really liked. It went something or other like this: “If you only had 50% to give today, you still gave it your all”. I’m paraphrasing, but you get the point. Some days, it is just impossible to be firing at 100%. It’s human, so normal, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up about it. As long as you are doing the absolute best you can regardless of being at 100% or not, you still did your best that day – even if you weren’t feeling it.

Utilize your breaks:

I don’t know about all of you, but I am very guilty of eating breakfast or lunch while working. Sometimes it’s a necessary evil and you can’t do anything about it. However, if you can, you should utilize your breaks every day because that is what they’re intended for – giving yourself a break. As often as I can throughout the week, I give myself twenty minutes for breakfast and for lunch. During that time, I will watch an episode of Degrassi and get back at it afterwards. I always return to work feeling refreshed from having a little breather. Remember that some days, you might need to give yourself more breaks if you are feeling burnt out and that’s okay too. For example, if I have a particularly long day at the computer, I will break a few times to do some Tai Chi and work out the kinks from sitting in an uncomfortable chair lol.

Facing negativity:

When you stop spreading yourself so thin, you might face negativity from the people who benefited from it. In the past handful of weeks alone, I have certainly had several guilt trips and it has sucked. I legit felt SO bad about it to the point of almost adding things back into my schedule and running myself ragged. Don’t do this!! If you succumb to guilt trips, you are going to be right back where you started. It might be hard, but be firm when you say no. It will leave no possibility for interpretation and will introduce people to whatever new normal you are trying to create for yourself. If you are getting any guff from anyone, then they might not have your best interests at heart. And, remember, you never, ever have to justify or explain when you’re doing what’s best for you.

I have been trying to decrease my stress and increase time for me these past few weeks and it has been really… stressful lol. The hardest part has definitely been the guilt trips. As I adjust to my new normal, I will continue to use my new mantras and mindset and keep moving forward. It’s the best thing for me and that’s the best!

Would you consider yourself to be a people pleaser? What changes have you made in your life to decrease stress? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug18

Decision Making 101

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Decision Making 101

Howdy!! I don’t know about all of you, but I have a very difficult time making decisions. I stress, ruminate, and let anxiety build up until I just keep doing the same thing without making any changes. It’s understandable – any kind of change can be scary and I find a lot of comfort in the same old, same old. This past week, however, I had to make some really big work related decisions and it sucked lol. I am pleased to report that I made it through on the other side. I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t still feeling some residual stress about it, but I know that I will feel much better in time. These are some of the things that helped me as I made choices and maybe they will help you too:

Deep Breaths:

If you’re like me and simply the thought of major changes puts you into a tailspin, then first and foremost, you need to chill. Sound decisions can’t be made when you are in distress so try and relax. Take deep breaths, sip a cup of tea, or have a hot shower. Whatever you need to do to put you in a calmer state of mind. Then, you can revisit the decision that needs made when you are feeling less frazzled.

Pros & Cons:

The most common way to make choices is to weigh the pros and cons and there is a reason for it – it is always effective. Grab a pen and paper, pull up a notepad on your phone, or type on the computer and start thinking about the good and bad that could come with each option. It will be so helpful to see your thoughts right in front of you rather than let them swirl around your head. Your initial pros and cons might be subject to change so don’t make a split decision immediately. Give it a day or two, revisit it, and see if anything or nothing needs reevaluated.

Think About You:

There is a high chance that whatever you are struggling to decide might effect other people. This can throw a huge monkey wrench in the process because, of course, we don’t want choices to negatively impact others. This is where I have the most difficult time and often just resort to doing the same thing. However, you need to think about yourself. Sometimes, what’s best for you isn’t best for the people that it might effect and that’s okay. Yes, you read that right: It’s okay. Doing for you isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary if you want to keep moving forward in a positive trajectory.

Go With Your Gut:

Maybe you have weighed your pros and cons and are still nowhere closer to a decision. If that is the case, think about your gut, heart, and mind. This is what it ultimately boiled down to as I made my work related choice. I knew exactly what I wanted and I had a hard time working up the nerve to just do it. Listen to yourself and what your body is telling you. The answers you need are all there so don’t swamp yourself down with the “what ifs” or you might end up getting stuck. I admit that I was stuck for over a month until I was able to do what I needed to do for me. All it did was cause me more stress as the situation festered in my head and that could have been easily avoided. Changes take time, though, and if you need extra time that is totally fine but it might make making the choice even harder if you drag it out.

I feel good about the decision I made because I know it will be good for me, even if it doesn’t feel that way right now. I also feel like I have a better grasp on making choices for the next time a situation arises – hopefully!

How do you make decisions? What is something you struggle with? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug16

Just Get The Plushie!

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Just Get The Plushie!

Hello!! Right now is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is cooling down and that means spooky season is basically already here lol finally! A majority of stores already have their Halloween collections out, including TJMaxx. On my break during work, I made a quick visit to TJs to pick up a few Back To School prezzies for my niece. And, of course, I had to peep their Halloween decor too! Unfortunately, their selection wasn’t anything to sneeze at and I was disappointed to have not found a spooky themed snow globe as per my yearly tradition. However, I did find the most adorable plushie so check out my new pal:

IMG_8898IMG_8900

^^^ Lol at the close up shot!

Johnny and I are plushie people and have countless stuffies that we like to snuggle up with when we are watching TV or retiring for the night. As soon as I saw the candy corn plush at TJ’s, I knew it was coming home with me because 1) Johnny would love it too. And 2) We have a corn dog plushie that Johnny won for me at the county fair last year and it would be funny to have two corn related stuffed animals. My parents also happened to be at the store running errands and when I showed my dad Mr. Candy Corn, he said something to the likes of “you’re just pissing your money away”. All I have to say to that is…

If you are an adult – just buy the plushie!

Lol, yes you heard me. Buy the damn plushie and enjoy your treat. I feel like people my age (Thirty somethings) are very in touch with their inner child and it is okay to spoil yourself with purchases like a stuffed animal. We are in tune to the “treat yourself” culture and if that treat puts a smile on your face and doesn’t break your bank, then go for it! It’s no secret that the times we are living in are totally whacky and people are stressed and scared. Items like a plushie bring comfort and it’s not surprising that I know so many people in mine and Johnny’s age group that gravitate towards them. It’s not weird and it’s not a stupid purchase. Rather, it’s something little that you can do for yourself and, most importantly, who cares what anyone else has to say about it. I sure don’t!

Johnny and I adore the new addition to our plushie collection and I didn’t put the candy corn stuffie down from the moment I brought it home. It was a twelve dollar investment and worth every penny and then some. Pissing money away? I think not!

What is one of your go to treat yourself purchases? What is something you collect? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah