Wicked Wallet

From the New York Times:

“For the most part, though, cheap blouses look just that. Nearly every store has some version of the stock-tied, lantern-sleeved or Victorian frilled blouse, but I hate to think how all that drippy polyester crepe will look on sale racks next season. This is one item where it’s worth trading up, especially since a blouse with a great pair of trousers or a slinky gold sequined skirt, like Proenza Schouler’s ($850), can make such a statement. The creamy silk crepe blouses shown by Mr. Jacobs and Oscar de la Renta, with a slightly asymmetrical tie, look best. There are more affordable variations by Doo.Ri, Thakoon and Sari Gueron, from $495 to $695.“

It reminds me of my more consumerist days (may I never go back!) when I GOBBLED fashion magazines and savored any moments I could spend at Sax Fifth or Barneys or at Tiffany & Co. while traveling. At age 18 I was offered a wicked cool internship at CosmoGirl magazine, I didn’t do it and it’s probably a good thing or I might just being calling all my fashonista girlfriends and saying things like, “OHMYGOSH Shan! Did you hear that Sari Gueron’s silk crepe blouse is 3% off right now? Buy! Buy! Buy!” Oh well, this article demonstrates consumerism at it’s best, I suppose.

Today I updated my ING accounts after realizing that I had six different monthly withdrawals to fund the several accounts that I keep there. So after consolidating and reallocating, I now have two simple monthly $80 withdrawals from my primary checking, which are funneled into a single ING account, where the fund trickle down to my little accounts (slush, travel, big events, health, etc. funds). I feel much better.

Oh my lands. I love this coat! I fell in love with it for the first time on a shopping trip with the girls in Montana. I didn’t buy it because I was feeling cheap (grrrrr….) and didn’t realize how quickly Tulle brand coats (which are actually pretty affordable at about $100 and they’re just real sharp) sell out. We’re talking October-ish, and they make one production and that’s it for the season. I called all over this country last winter searching for one but to no avail. LAST MONTH at a discount place in Seattle (the wedding) I found one. One. My size (well I could use one size smaller but with sweaters it’s fine). $24.99. I nearly, and I’m not joking, passed out. And I love it. Covet it even. Thank you to the very nice INCREDIBLE DEAL angels!

Oh my gosh. I have NO IDEA where this month (this year) has gone. So let’s just say:

1) I’m sooo very, very glad that I’ve automated most of my finances because honestly, I haven’t sat down with my money (well I guess my bank statements since I actually don’t ever see very much of my money) in quite awhile. That’s definitley on the priority list when I get home from this trip.

2) I worked for my old catering company at a local street fair a couple weeks ago and that was the money for my D.C. trip (for every four random jobs I work, I allow myself a whole paycheck just for travel). Since four days of this trip will be spent doing business for my work, we’re covered there as far as the hotel and daily food expenses go. The other four days will be spent hanging out with some of my best friends in D.C.: Dest, Cher, Al. I’ll also be staying on their floors, so cheers to that because that means this trip should be pretty reasonable. I’ll report on costs later.

I’m just taking this right from an article I read in the New York Times a few days ago:

Google’s age: 10
Microsoft’s age: 33

Google’s revenue in the last 4 quarters: $19.6 billion
Microsoft’s revenue in the last 4 quarters: $60.4 billion

Microsoft’s revenue at age 10: $140 million
($279 million in today’s dollars)

Google’s revenue per hour in the last 4 quarters: $2.2 million
Microsoft’s revenue per hour in the last 4 quarters: $6.9 million

Google net income in the last 4 quarters: $4.85 billion
Microsoft’s net income in the last 4 quarters: $17.6 billion

Google employees, as of June 30th: 19,604
Microsoft employees, as of May 31st: 89,809

Google’s revenue per employee: $1 million
Microsoft revenue per employee: $672,000

Market value of Google: $142 billion
Market value of Microsoft: $241 billion

Number of tech companies with a market value larger than Google’s: 3 (Microsoft, I.B.M. and Apple, in that order)

Worldwide searches on Google in July: 48.7 billion
Worldwide searches on Microsoft in July: 2.3 billion

Worldwide searches per hour on Google in July: 65 million
Worldwide searches per hour on Microsoft in July: 3.1 million

MeritAid.com. I highly recommend it!

I worked last weekend at my old stomping grounds–where I lived and worked through all of my high school and college years. I used to hate that place. But now I love it–it’s my thinking spot. Where I always spend time when making big decisions. And where I go when I’ve needed quick tuition, Europe backpacking, eek-I’m-broke-after-a-year-and-a-half-in-South-America cash. In other words, that place has become my second home, and T & D, the owners, like parents to me. Anyway, D called and asked me to go up this past weekend to help out around the place.

I’ve been back a few days and for this post just counted the wad of cash I have floating around. I worked 30 hours for my three-day weekend.  I’m not sure what my hourly paycheck will be (I usually get paid pretty generously due to so many years there). I made $455 in cash (though somehow I spent $45 of it on “stuff” in three days) from hostessing and waiting tables. D also slipped me $100 to help split my expenses in getting up there, plus a little bonus for the effort. All in all, it was a pretty lucrative weekend.

And that cash?

Grad school applications!

The paycheck I’m putting toward a winter car–something cheap just for the couple of months I can’t ride Sam, my scooter.

So here’s what this post comes down to. Sometimes I get wild and costly ideas. If September happened to be declared, at least on Tara’s personal calendar, “figure out the next chapter in life month”, then it’s a strong possibility that a little teensy mustard seed of an idea that I had to apply to a couple other grad programs has blossomed into a wild orchard of uncontrollable growth. The world is full of amazing opportunities! I’ve spent this week pruning, weeding, and trying to tame the beast, which resulted in a “narrowed” list of eight academically exciting programs for which I’m stoked to apply for.

I was accepted to a great one for this year (which is why I moved here), but out of state tuition is ridiculous (like my friends at great East Coast schools were paying right about what I was for one semester of out-of-state tuition!) and it takes two years to establish residency. So I figure, in the meantime, I may as well see if there’s something I could 1) start sooner and 2) that’s in a warmer climate.

Now for the application fees. See my Montana post on how I’m going to pay for that.

When I bought Sam the Scooter, my boss and her husband (both riders and instructors in their spare time) strongly encouraged me to take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) basic riders course. I promised and promptly signed up for the $184 class. How worth is it? Given that, according to official stats stats, of the 25,000 who signed up for the class only three have died in motorcycle accidents, I’d have to say it’s pretty invaluable. And the great news? I passed and am officially endorsed to ride a motorcycle! I can’t wait to pay off this debt and start my bike fund!

I’m so excited for my trip this weekend! I scored a free ticket voucher on one of my last trips (for volunteering for the next flight) and knew it would come in handy to cover the recently steep flights to Atlanta (about $450).

Best of all, I decided to stay an extra day to take advantage of the holiday and called up United to change my flight. Ironically, if you PAID for a flight you have to pay $150 to change it, but since I used the free voucher the fee was waived. Now that’s a great deal. Combine that with my car rental of $15 per day (used a coupon code; I always Google coupon codes for the rental company with the lowest published rates), well $49 with taxes and insurance (I get the insurance just in case), and I feel like I’m doing pretty well.