FUNemployment in Action: California

Published December 3, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

i was never one to have “age goals” – you know the ones: by 16, i’ll have my first kiss; by 20, i’ll buy a car, etc etc.  i’ve only really had 2 in my life: work in nyc by age 25 (done!), work and live in california by age 30 (working on it).  with the latter goal, i knew i’d have to check out the west coast before i made that kind of commitment.  i had been once, when i was 3. so obviously i remember nothing.  i’ve seen the home-videos (well, when i owned a vhs player i saw them), and  i know i went to the san diego zoo and disney land. but the footage doesn’t count as real memories.

so when moomies told me she was going on a conference trip for work to san diego, my response was: so your hotel room is free? if i pay for my flight can i come??  she knew it wasn’t really a question – more of a warning that i was tagging along.  and thus begun my california vacation planning :)

the flights there -

this was a learning experience. i’ve dealt with connecting flights before; however, on my way to san diego, i had 2 connections to go through. fast forward to me running through chicago o’hare airport to make my first connecting flight with 2 minutes to spare. not fun. i do not recommend booking more than 1 connecting flight. instead, book the flight long enough in advance for you to pay it off and be comfortable when traveling. no one wants to start their vacation off in a bad mood because their flight got messed up

hellooo san diego! -

i arrived in san diego the day before moomies did. no, i did not sleep in the airport or on the street upon arrival! a few weeks before my trip, i contacted my friend blair. its much too complicated to explain how we know each other, so let’s just say we met in college for simplicity. i told her i was coming out to cali and would love to see her.  blair immediately said i could spend the weekend with her and we could do activities.  this brings us to our first lesson of traveling – go where your friends are! if you’re actually friends, then they’ll put you up no problem :) do be considerate though, as you are their house-guest. pay your own way, and clean up after yourself. and do things they want to do; in most cases, you’ll be glad you did because it means you’ll stay away from boring tourist attractions and do what the locals do. here are a few photos of my days with blair :)

san diego zoo -

ok, i know i just said staying with a local means you see the cool places the locals go to and not the tourist attractions. well, there are some toursit things one should do depending on the city. when you’re in san diego, you have to go to the zoo – it’s the only zoo in america with a panda. come on people! it’s a panda! the zoo can be expensive, so it’s good to know of ways to save money. (1) ask about the discounts they have. luckily, i heard the person in front of me ask for a AAA discount, and got 10% off their ticket. so, me being a black-AAA card carrying member (pause for your jealousy), did the same, and got 10% off blair’s and mine’s tickets. (2) sneak your own food in. many zoos (like the bronx zoo) let you bring in your own food. the san diego zoo does not. however, they don’t really pat you down. nor did they take away my chips and hummus. keep it small and throw out your trash, and you’re good to go. some favorite zoo photos below :)

beer samplers -

i’m definitely a beer girl.  and i don’t mean water-that-tastes-like-beer (aka coors light. yuck!).  so i always like to try the beers of the area.  a great way to do this is a beer sampler; it lets you try mutliple kinds of local beer (if you’re at the right restaurant for local brews) without having to pay for full beers.  its also a good way to get moomies to lighten up and enjoy her semi-vacation :)

diners, drive ins, and dives -

i am obessesed with this show! i used to watch it all the time, have the cookbook, and even got guy fieri to call my brother before he passed.  it shows you awesome food that locals eat for cheap!  therefore, it was definitely a necessity for me to go to a place if it was nearby. so i packed my Triple-D cookbook up, and whipped out my iPhone and found a mexican place that was close to my mom’s hotel. IT. WAS. DELICIOUS! for about $15 (which was much more than one had to spend – i just had to try everything!) i ate enough to feed 3 grown men lol simply amazing.  the area was a bit sketchy, but it was right by the train and i went during the day lol here’s a photo of the restaurant:

El Indio

sea world san diego -

the other big tourist thing i did was go to sea world.  me and shamu had some serious bonding to do. now, the sea world ticket is expensive. however, it’s made for you to be there the whole day so take advantage.  i got up by 7, was on the train by 8, and the bus by 8:30.  i got there at 9 when they opened, and didn’t leave until 4:30. i went to every single exhibit, saw the whale show and the dolphin show, and treated myself to an experience because its not everyday i get to pet a dolphin. i also learned you can drink at seaworld, so bring on another beer sampler!! :) funny side note – i got triple ID’d while there. apparently not many drink at sea world haha some of my favorite pics:

shamu!

thats a dolphin i'm touching lol

beer sampler for lunch

some other helpful tips for san diego -

here’s something wonderful to know: the public transportation system in san diego is a joke! lol for the train (think subway but not underground) no one collects your ticket, there’s no machine to swipe the ticket through, and the bus driver barely looks at your ticket. so basically, i paid for one all day ticket ($5) and used it for 3 days. altho if the city of san diego reads this, i mightve ruined it for everyone. sorry! the transit system is super easy to figure out and most of what you want to see is right off it. aka there is definitely no need for a car! i took the train and the bus everywhere (with the exception of when i stayed with blair and she drove – remember your manners and give your host gas money! even if you have to hide it somewhere in their house hehe :] ) other toursit places i was by included the gaslamp area, the seaport village, and little italy.  one day i just walked up and down little italy going into the cute shops (a great deal for souvenoirs!!).  i made it a point to ask the shopkeepers where they’d recommend getting gelato.  i also did some research on my walk and found a famous shop (which of course i cant remember the name) and got some gelato from there.  across was a cute park that i could sit and just take in the view. it was perfect.  never be scared to ask locals where they’d eat – it’ll only help you in the end.

i head north! -

now when i started to plan this trip, i knew i couldn’t go all the way to the west coast and not hit up vegas! lol so when i started researching flights from san diego to vegas, i realized they all went through LAX. so i figured, well why not just go to LA for the day and then leave for vegas from there :) i reached out to my friend manny whose from LA and lives/works there. he said he’d show me around :) well now i had to get to LA! everyone told me to rent a car because the PCH is amazing. yea, renting a car is mad expensive! so i investigated Amtrak, which travels right up next to the PCH.  For only $25, i went from san diego (the train station was right by my hotel, which took me there for free), to LA.  I was allowed to check my bag for free, and had coffee and breakfast.  the scenery was beautiful! simply amazing trip :)

no manny :( -

unfortunately, manny couldn’t get off work :/ so i grabbed a cab to his job at Sony. this was the most expensive part of my time in LA lol now i understand why everyone told me cabs wouldnt work in LA. thankfully though, because manny is awesome, he handed over the keys to his car for the day. this meant i didn’t have to worry about my luggage and could get around easily. and thus begun my day of cruising around LA by myself. i hit up in-n-out (AMAZING!!!), saw the Hollywood sign (which i accidentally drove up to haha but it was an amazing view of the city), drove down Rodeo Drive, and walked along the pier at Santa Monica. i also got to see the Hollywood walk-of-fame and Chinese theater, as well the Kodak Theater which apparently had been recently renamed to the Dolby Theater.  Tip about these tourist spots – you dont have to actually go in to enjoy them.  i liked just being there and seeing it all. obviously though remember to fill your friend’s gas tank up!! your friends are amazing and help keep things cheap lol so you want to keep them and appreciate them :)

In-N-Out

hollywood walk of fame

santa monica pier

chinese theater

the hollywood sign

VIVA LAS VEGAS!!! -

firstly, i fucking hate LAX. secondly, i fucking hate LAX. my 40 minute flight to vegas was delayed FOUR hours. omg, i wanted to shoot myself.  once i got there though, i was in heaven.  thanks to the casino-rewards cards me and mom have, we receive mail and email offers which usually means free rooms.  thats right – we stayed at the hotel for FREE! the wynn is gorgeous (this was right before prince harry got nasty there lol) i had bought mom tickets to dancing with the stars a few months earlier for mother’s day, so we took in a show. and i signed up for my wynn card, and won a free buffet.  we then earned enough points for a second free buffet.  plus if youre gambling you get to drink for free.  see how many times i used the word free in this part?? so even though i lost all my money lol that was my only big expense. but of course, what happens in vegas stays in vegas. so moving on….. ;)

coming home -

this trip happened to be right before my 25th birthday, so i’m lucky because my mom treated me to my flight back for my birthday.  when i got home, i realized i had accumulated enough credit card points to get $100 back on my adventures. score!

overall, my trip was amazing and i did it all within my budget! if you plan ahead and research, you can go away for a week and not go bankrupt :D

xox

-FP

Funemployment Tips: Random Activity Savings

Published August 2, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

well hello blogger world!  I have not contributed to you in a minute! I know, I know, all the statistics that say how to make blogs successful would call me a failure. what can I say though, i work 5 part-time jobs to afford my fun, so it’s difficult to find time to give posts the proper attention. surprisingly I had today off though, and have a list of things to blog about! (I’ll pause as you scream and shout in excitement)…….ok, back on track.

seeing how I haven’t been that up-to-date with this, I thought I’d jump back in with a clusterf-ck of tips…you know, just some random things to keep in mind to help save money.  my personal favorite is the last one :) it’s definitely the one that exemplifies the princess in me hehe alright, here we go!

Go to the movies on a Tuesday…

It’s surprising how many people find this little tidbit shocking, but it’s cheaper to go to most movie theaters on a Tuesday.  Many theaters show movies all day and night for only $6 on Tuesdays (note: this doesn’t include Director’s Cut or 3D…which, come on, are they really worth 5 bucks more??). Now, I’ve never asked theaters why they do this, but I do have some common sense to figure it out.  Having worked at a mall for several years, I always found Tuesdays to be the slowest day.  I can see how this could be the same for movie theaters: The weekends are busy because everyone is off, and many holidays fall on Mondays and thus extend the weekend. Additionally, when Monday rolls around, people realize they forgot to do X, Y, or Z because they were enjoying the weekend, or they realize that a new week has started and they need things (i.e. groceries, retirement gifts, etc) for the upcoming week.  Businesses and things slow down come Tuesday when people are in full swing at work.  Therefore, by lowering prices, movie theaters hope to make money.

Order out Monday through Wednesday…

Many chain restaurants now have order-out specials on Monday through Wednesday.  Again, I assume the reasoning has to do with the same I explained above.  Even if you’re a family that has a rule of eating home cooked meals during the week, you can order out on the Wednesday, and freeze the food for the weekend.  If you’re going to want it for Saturday anyways, why not pay less and get it in advance.  It’s not the 1700s anymore – with the refrigeration technology of today, the food will be perfectly fine, and your wallet will be happier :)

Use your travel size items…

You know you do it. You take the little, tiny bottles of shampoo and lotion that the hotel provides you for your stay, because you decided to bring the giant bottle of hair wash with you instead.  When you get home, you add the tiny bottle to your collection, vow to bring it with you on your next trip, and then you forget about it the next time you’re packing your bag.  You arrive at the next hotel with your giant bottle of shampoo, and take the tiny bottle from the hotel again, thus repeating the process.  Well, STOP IT! Go into your collection of travel sizes, and start using them! Newsflash, they’re not just for travelling anymore. Shampoo is shampoo, no matter what size bottle it’s in.  And if you’re on a tight budget, using the travel sizes can help you save money on bathroom items for a while.

Smile with your kid’s box at the movies…

This one is my favorite (and totally why I’m a princess lol).  Back to the movies – after you’ve bought your $6 movie ticket on Tuesday, head to the concession stand and order the kid’s box.  You’ll get a kid’s sized popcorn, small bag of candy (your choice between swedish fish and m&ms), and a kid’s sized soda, all in a convenient little box with handle or tray.  It’ll cost your about $7 (which would’ve bought 1 medium popcorn), AND helps those of you watching your weight or counting calories by giving you a little treat in the right, small portion! I know, you can also sneak food into the movie (which believe me, I’ve done…and not just candy, but Ranch 1 and Subway), or not eat at all.  But sometimes, it’s nice to have that old-school, at-the-movies feel and not break the piggy bank.

well, I hope for my first post back from my 4 month hiatus, you learned a bit and probably laughed a lot at my idiocy. I’ll try to not go MIA like that again…I’m sure you were all worried ;)

xox FP

FUNemployment in Action @ Atlantic City

Published April 23, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

This past weekend I made a trip to Jersey with a few close friends.  Because their birthdays are right by Christmas, I gave them a joint birthday/Christmas gift – a Medieval Times show and a hotel room on me in Atlantic City!

 

Medieval Times -

A lot of people I know like material things as gifts.  Not me!  I prefer to travel and go on adventures.  Hence why I gave them a trip instead of something they may or may not use.  Medieval Times is awesome!  They always have a special going on, so if you’re paying full price for the show, you’re an idiot (lol just teasing…but seriously).  For Christmas, they offered gift packs of 2, 3, or 4.  The pack includes a reduced rate to the show (and, of course, you have to use it by a certain date.  Which was fine for us, since the expiration date fell within the travelling weekend.  If the offer they have doesn’t fall in your date range, just wait a few weeks and a new offer will be available).  For those of you who have never had the opportunity to attend a Medieval Times show, you are transported into the 1400s, when kings and knights and princesses ruled the world!

Before the show, you are privy to “knighting ceremonies” (aka birthday people whose parents paid extra to have their kid knighted), beverages to imbibe (for an extra fee of course), a walk through the torture dungeon (a mere $2 extra…worth it to see what an actual chastity belt was like), and the Royal Announcer.  During the show, you EAT!  We got soup, half a chicken, a spare rib, garlic bread, potatoes, and apple pie for dessert.  Soda, water and coffee all included.  ALL of that for only about $35 per person.  No where else do you get dinner and a show for that low of a price! 

Even the beer was more reasonable than we anticipated (at only $7.50 per beer, instead of the $10 we figured it would be).  As you’re stuffing your face and drinking some ale, your knight is fighting to be the best – jousting, swords, strobe light…it’s all very entertaining.

 

The best part – this realm of history is only about 30 minutes outside of NYC.  And if you’re with friends (because why would you go alone?), you can split the cost of gas AND fill back up in Jersey, where gas was about 50 cents less than it was in NY.

 

 

         

 

Atlantic City -

Alright, there’s really no way around this one: you need money to go to a casino.  However, to stay on budget, only bring what you’re willing to lose.  It’s called gambling for a reason – you’re risky your money and aren’t guaranteed to win.  Therefore, if you can only afford to lose $50, only bring $50 with you.  There’s other ways to save your money when in a casino-city though.

1.  The hotels are nice, I’ll admit it.  I’d love to always stay at Harrah’s.  But, I don’t want to spend $400 to stay there on a Saturday night.  So think hard about how long you’re going to be in your actual hotel room.  I knew my friends and I weren’t going clubbing, so there was no need to have to always go back to the room to change, get ready, or fix ourselves a drink.  I also knew that one friend wasn’t a big gambler, and would like to explore the Boardwalk.  Therefore, staying close to the Boardwalk was important.  Many say to stay on the Boardwalk because AC isn’t so safe.  Well, I say stick to the buddy system, and you’ll be fine walking a block off the Boardwalk.  After considering all that, I knew we’d be in the room to sleep and possibly shower the next morning.  And I was correct – we spent approximately 9 hours in the room, and 7 of them were spent sleeping.  True, the hotels with the casinos are fancy and charming; but for this trip, they just weren’t worth an extra $200.

2.  While you’re in a casino, there are cocktail waitresses walking around yelling “beer, soda, cocktails”.  Many gambling novices don’t realize that as long as you’re gambling, these drinks are free (just remember to tip!).  That’s right – free alcohol, as long as you’re at a machine or table.  It’s actually genius on the casinos’ part – let’s get everyone drunk so they play half as well and lose more money, which goes to us.  I recommend sitting at a penny machine with a low minimum bet when you’re really just looking for a drink – this means you’re gambling less in hopes of seeing the passing cocktail waitress with your vodka-club approaching.

3.  Take advantage of the other things AC has to offer besides the casino.  Unfortunately for us, we had horrible weather.  We did, however, get to walk around The Pier – 3 stories of shopping, complete with an awesome view of the water.  It gives your wallet a break from the slots, and a chance to take in the other things AC has to offer.  And don’t forget the Boardwalk shops – better yet, don’t forget the Boardwalk food!  For $6, I had a corn dog AND a taco.  Plus, drinks are allowed outside of the casino as long as it’s in a plastic cup (I think…I might’ve made that last part up), so no need to buy one with your food.

 

4.  Sign up for the Rewards Cards when you go to the casinos.  Sometimes (usually if you gamble enough) you get free rooms or free entrance to the buffets.  More importantly (because it happens more frequently), you get cheaper parking at the hotels you belong to, and room rates are reduced if both you and your travel companions have membership cards.  Simply put, they help you save a few bucks!

 

Even though I lost money, I managed to only spend the cash I brought, and never once hit up an ATM or used my credit card (except for the hotel room, but I have points saved up and get $100 back for that :]), so I consider this mini-vaca a win!!

 

xox FP

 

Funemployment Tips: Plan Ahead

Published April 9, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

i know, it’s been awhile.  i’ve been busy working long hours to pay for an upcoming trip…San Diego, LA and Vegas!!  i am so unbelievably excited i can’t even begin to type it out.  you may be asking, how the f-ck can this girl go on a trip across the country without a full-time job?  haha you must be reading this for the first time then:

  1. Plan Ahead - vacations are expensive.  you either need to fly or drive, then there’s the hotel, food costs, and activities.  it all adds up fast.  therefore, i recommend planning ahead – the sooner you start booking your flights and hotel, the more time you give yourself to pay the costs.  for example, my vacation isn’t until the end of june.  however, i’ve already got my flight to San Diego and to Vegas booked.  all i need to book is my flight home to new york, but i can hold off a few weeks while i pay down the costs of the other flights.  because i have given myself over 2 months, i have time to purchase everything i’ll need in baby steps.
  2. Rewards Cards - guess how much my hotel room in Vegas is costing me.  go ahead…what, you said $50 a night?  nope, lower.  Z. E. R. O!  that’s right, i am staying at the Wynn in Vegas for free.  how?  and no, it’s not because my mom decided to come and is paying for it.  it’s because of the beauty of rewards cards.  both mom and i have them for the major casinos we go to.  and one of her hotels offered 2 nights free in Vegas.  that’s fine with me…puts an extra $100 towards my gambling fund.
  3. Flash Sale Sites - start checking the Groupons and LivingSocials of the internet now.  i want to go to the zoo in San Diego, and there’s a LivingSocial deal for half off. perfect!!
  4. Study Flight Prices - its so stupid they do this, but flight prices literally change from day-to-day.  about a week before you want to book your flight, i recommend going on a site like priceline literally every day and seeing how the prices fluctuate throughout the week.  that way you can book on the cheapest day.  you can also fly stand-by, which i’ve never actually done, but i believe can save you money.  just be prepared to wait around at the airport a lot (i’d recommend only doing stand-by on the way home lol).
  5. Combine Destinations - so this whole vacation started because mom was going to a conference in San Diego, so score, free hotel room courtesy of mom’s job.  but then i thought, how can i go all the way to the west coast and not go to Vegas, my absolute favorite place on earth.  so i combined the trips.  then i remembered i have a friend in LA, so i decided to throw that in there since the train from San Diego to LA is only about $35.  7 days in 3 cities – not bad :)

if you give yourself enough time, and do you research, you can plan an awesome trip on your budget :)

xox FP

Funemployment Tips: Focus Groups and Mall Surveys

Published March 19, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

yes, i know, you’re thinking she’s got to be kidding, what a waste of time. but there are focus groups and mall surveys that can be worth it.  i once walked out of a focus group with $125 AND $25 worth of free skin care, all for about 90 minutes of my time. the key is to find the right kind of focus group and mall survey to spend your time on.

 

  • if someone approaches you in a mall, and tells you about a survey that will pay you anything less than $10 for more than 10 minutes of your time, walk away…its not worth it
  • the longer a focus group is, the more it pays.  therefore, if someone tells you it will only pay you $50 for 3 hours, walk away…its not worth it
  • additionally, if the focus group requires people considered at the “higher end” of the employee spectrum (aka CEOs, Directors, Managers, etc), it will pay a hellof a lot more.  for these, i’d say if it pays less than a few hundred, walk away…its not worth it
  • be wary of surveys and groups that require extra “homework”.  many only pay you for the time you were there (i.e. $100 for the 2 hours) but then ask you for additional time at home, which might be upwards of another 2 hours.  therefore, you’re really only making $25 per hour (2 at the group + 2 HW = 4 hours) instead of $50 per hour (the 2 hours at the group). unless they tell you they’re paying you for the extra time, walk away…its not worth it.

 

if you stay away from scams, focus groups can be worth it.  i recommend getting in contact with someone legitimate, who sets up people with focus groups for a living.  they’ll not only get you into the highest paying groups, they usually have several different companies you can sign up for. and since many companies consider you ineligible for a few months after you’ve done a group for them, it’s good to have several companies to rotate between.

 

thanks to just 3 focus groups in the past year, i’ve made an extra $350 for only about 3 hours of my time.  not too shabby!

 

xox FP

Funemployment Tips: Get your Medical Records Before your Doc Retires!

Published March 3, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

Well, this is a tip I wish someone had told me so I could have avoided writing the $76 check I just angrily stuffed into an envelope.  Apparently, your medical records are hot commodities!  And if you’re like me, and have to see about 4 doctors annually to maintain different levels in your blood/thyroid/insulin/whatever, then you have a fairly intensive medical record.

 

I have seen an endocrinologist since I was 15 and gained 20 pounds in a year, reaching my highest weight of 180.  I was always heavy, but this was ahugegain for me in only a year.  My family and I discovered my thyroid was under-functioning, my insulin wasn’t properly working, and my ovaries were out of whack.  In summary, my endocrine system hated me.  And thus began my relationship with…well, we’ll call her Dr. Scary, since most people were scared of her.  (If she said jump, you pulled out the trampoline!)

 

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for having Dr. Scary take care of me!  She controlled my endocrine and hormone levels, and thanks to her discoveries (and the fact that I was scared shitless if she found out I wasn’t following my diet and exercising) I did lose close to 60 pounds!

 

When I was away at college, it became hard to see her as much as she wished I did, so as long as I had medicine, I slowly lost touch with her.  When I started my new job (with new benefits), I changed doctors.  Little did I know, Dr. Scary did not send my new doctor my records like I thought she did.  So when I had to change doctors a second time, no one had my records from Dr. Scary.  And we’re talking about years of records!  I started seeing her in 2002 and stopped in about 2009.

 

So now, 3 years later, I really do need those records.  There are notes, the different levels of medicine I was on, ultrasounds…so I contacted Dr. Scary, and learned she was no longer practicing.  She informed me she could send me copies of my records, but it would cost me money: $20 processing and 70 cents per page  Okay, it’s my health, I’ll pay (expecting a maximum of $40).  Boy, was I fucking wrong!  I just wrote a check for 76 DOLLARS AND 70 CENTS.  $76.70!!  I could go out for a month on that!  I could ride the train 11 times for that!  I have to work an 8 hour day just to pay for my own medical records!

 

The shittiest part – it’s totally legal!  Believe me, I checked.  According to this link, your doctor is allowed to do this: http://www.health.ny.gov/publications/1443/.  It’s times like this I’m all for small-government.  Get away from my paycheck!

 

So, I discovered a new tip – get your records before your doctor retires!  Most doctors will send your records to another physician and could charge your insurance instead of you.  Or, they’ll send electronic records and you don’t pay.  Also, if you can, go to doctors that are all in the same practice.  For example, now, my gyno, endocrinologist, and dermatologist are all in one practice, so they all have access to my records from one another.  It’ll save you time and a ton of money!  And money’s important when you have a pub crawl to plan for next weekend ;)

 

xox FP

Don’t Piss Off the Princess: Round 2

Published February 27, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

Be warned: this has absolutely nothing to do with fun or saving money.  It just pissed me off when I read it.  Oh, and I’m angry enough to curse.  A lot.

One of my New Year’s resolutions (yea, remember those things you promised to do 2 months ago?? no?? it’s okay, I’m not mad about that)…anyhow, one of them was to read the paper every day.  Which, I’ve been okay about.  The news is depressing; it’s usually all bad things and just is a debbie downer.  Every once in a while though, an article just pisses me off!  Here is the link to today’s article:

 

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20120226/WIRE/120229627

 

In summary, an 86-year-old WWII vet was attacked, got his legs broken, car stolen, and had to crawl to help as people walked the fuck by him and looked the other way.  ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME???  Is that what we as a society has come to?  Someone is beaten, and we see them dragging themselves across the street, but we do nothing??  That is absolutely horrendous, and I am ashamed of every person who did not stop to offer help.

I understand we’re all busy people; we work multiple jobs, we have kids to take care of and errands to run.  But come on – this is just despicable!  Sure, there are times when someone sketches me out so I don’t want to help them, but I do my very best to help someone and society whenever I can.  Just last night, after working 13 hours, I took time to pull over and call 9-1-1 to inform them that a giant tarp had come loose at the construction site of a bridge, and created a potentially dangerous situation for drivers.  Now, sure, a dozen other people might have done the same thing.  But how the hell would I really know?  And how could I feel okay with myself if I didn’t call and then learned an accident did happen?

People – we need to STOP being mean to one another.  We need to STOP not caring about each other.  We’ve become so numb to everything, that we’ve lost our ability to empathize.

 

Okay, that was my rant of the night.  Back to fun!

 

xox FP

Funemployment Tips: Stay Legal

Published February 20, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

Funemployment isn’t only about having fun; it’s also about affording to have fun!  Some people think they have to eat off the dollar menu or shop at a thrift store to save a few bucks.  Most people don’t realize another way they can save money: don’t do anything illegal!

Obey the Speed Limit:

I’ll admit it, I have a heavy foot.  Why drive at 30 mph when 60 saves so much time, right?  Well, not exactly.  I discovered this tidbit during my drive up to one of my jobs in Albany.  Speeding usually only saves me a few minutes, which is only valuable when my bladder is involved.  On my last drive to Albany, I passed 6 cop cars waiting to pull speeders over.  Last time I got a speeding ticket [2007, thank you very much! :) ], it cost me about $150.  With the recession, inflation, and the government’s love of taxing Americans, I’m guessing that ticket price has gone up to about $250 nowadays.  TWO HUNDRED FIFTY F-CKING DOLLARS!!  I can go on a nice, eventful, long weekend adventure for 250 bucks!  If each of those 6 cops pulled me over, I’d be paying $1500 in speeding tickets!  Hell. No.  I’d rather drive a little slower than give the state 2 months’ pay.

Don’t Do Drugs:

I was never into pot.  I’ll admit to having tried it, but it was never my thing.  Neither were heavier drugs.  To each their own though, so I am friends with some pot heads.  Hey, as long as you’re functional and weed isn’t consuming your every waking day, I keep my mouth shut.  I do have to speak up though when I see people spending their money on drugs when they can’t even afford their rent or food for the month.  If you’re at this point, please get yourself some help!  And if you don’t, then don’t complain about being broke!  If you stopped spending a grand on pot each month, you could live in a nicer apartment and eat more than spam for every meal!  [This can lead into the whole "drug tests for people on welfare" debate, but I don't like politics, so let's change subjects before it goes there :) ]

On a side note: although cigarettes are legal, they are a very expensive way of giving yourself cancer and lung problems!  There are organizations to help you quit (and therefore save you $10 a day for you pack-a-day smokers).  But if you are THAT reluctant to stop, I’ll give you a little tip: mom pays $2 a pack.  How?  Her and her friends take turns driving out to the Native American reservations on Long Island.  There, a carton of cigarettes costs them $20 each, plus $5 to $10 for gas.  $30 definitely beats the $80 a carton the pharmacy wants!

Bone in a Bed:

Yes, I mean exactly what that says: Bone in a Bed.  We’ve all been there – you meet this awesome guy (or girl), but they live with their parents, and you live with yours, so the only place to get intimate is the car…or field…or bar bathroom.  I know, romantic right?  Also, totally illegal.  Although you might think the world wants to see your naked booty riding some guy when you walk into the stall to pee, the law disagrees.  Unless you’re on the set of a porno, keep the clothes on until you make it into the house.  It’ll be less embarrassing for your mother to walk in on you with a guy than her having to bail you out of jail for doing it in the library.

Hold Your Alcohol:

Flasks are a beautiful thing.  They allow you to transport your favorite alcoholic libation wherever you go [although it is illegal to bring your own liquor into a bar.  So, even though this whole post is on not doing illegal things, flasks are the exception :)].  However, if you’re going to go shot-for-shot with the 6’5, 300-pound linebacker [and you're only 5'1, 130-pounds like me], you better be able to hold your alcohol.  Being sent to the hospital for alcohol poisoning can run an insured-person hundreds of dollars.  If you don’t have insurance, you’re looking into the thousands range.  Even if you don’t get to the alcohol-poisoning-stage, you can still be arrested for public intoxication.  This will cost you a hefty fine, and probably some jail time or bail money.  And let’s not even start on DUI – seriously, this can cost you the ultimate price: your life!  Therefore, if you want to kick back a few drinks (and are over 21) then go ahead; just make sure you don’t pull a Snooki (yes, I made a Jersey Shore reference.  They’re such messes lol)

There are a lot of other illegal activities people do that I won’t get into here (prostitution, selling kidneys on the black market, bestiality)…the main conclusion is: don’t do anything where the police can get involved.  When they’re on the job, they’re not a good time [although I've been told when they're off the job, they know how to party!!].  If you don’t risk breaking the law, then you don’t risk your cash and can use it for much funner (I know, not a real word) things, like concerts and bobsledding!

xox FP

FUNemployment in Action @ Lake Placid

Published February 9, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

Every time a birthday comes around, my mother rolls her eyes and sighs, “When do we stop the huge celebrations for the birthdays?”   Well, if you have absolutely ridiculous friends like mine, the answer is: NEVER!!  For my friend Erickooo’s 25th birthday this year, we took a road trip to Lake Placid.  Driving to destinations instead of flying automatically helps save money: instead of paying expensive air fares, multiple people can chip in for gas money and take turns driving.

 HIGH GORGE FALLS – Our first stop was at the frozen waterfalls.  For $15 you’re given ice cleats so you can walk along the waterfalls that have frozen over.  (They also have snowshoeing for an extra $13, but there wasn’t enough snow.)  You can take your time walking, so you don’t have to rush.  And the views are just spectacular!  There are information panels surrounding the walk, so you also get a chance to learn (good for kids, okay for adults lol).

JAMAICAN BOBSLED REPRESENT – Yes, I actually walked around the town in this outfit.  And proudly might I add!  That hat cost me $1, the scarf and gloves were a gift, I got the insanely thick sweatshirt on-sale for $7, and my sexy pink snowpants are from the kid’s section for $20.  I managed to stay super warm (and super stylish) for under thirty bucks!!

DOGSLED RIDE ON ICE – If the ice is thick enough, you can take a dogsled ride across the lake for $10 a person.  Now, I originally thought it was $5 a person, so was weary when the dogsled dude said $10.  But, then again, when the hell am I gonna get to get pulled across ice by dogs?  So $10 it was.  I was actually able to make a fairly funny video during the ride, but I have absolutely no idea how to post it on here.  Anyone know?? :)

HOSTEL – I know, wtf, a hostel??  Don’t worry, it was nothing like the creepy movie where people kill for fun!  The Hostel-experience was actually quite pleasant.  For $30 per person per night, you stay in bunk beds (that did have nice sheets but I’m paranoid and brought a sleeping bag), and have easy access to 3 bathrooms, full kitchen, about 50 different games, and 100 books to read.  Everyone was friendly and the owners were way relaxed (our names were on a dry erase board as our “check in” – see below).  Our room had 2 bunk beds, so we shared the room with another girl one night (she was literally there for 8 hours to sleep and we only saw her once).

The only slight downside to the Hostel: we were on a completely different time schedule than everyone else.  We stayed out late and slept in; everyone else was asleep by 10PM and up at 6AM.  So it was hard to be social with everyone else when we were going as they were coming.  Still, the weekend wasn’t about being friends with our Hostel bed-mates so it didn’t matter in the end.

SNOW TUBING – If you’re not into snowboarding or skiing, or can’t afford it, then snow tubing is a great option.  For $9, you can tube for an hour (although no one was checking our tickets so I’m sure we could’ve done this for more than an hour).  We did it at night, which made it more fun under the moonlight.  You can also link together for more laughs.  Only downside: you have to walk back up after you go down.  This got tough after the first few times :)

 BOBSLEDDING – This was the big splurge of the weekend.  For $80, you get to go down an actual bobsled track in an actual bobsled.  A driver and a brakeman go with you, and you pretty much curse and scream the whole way down.  Afterwards, they give you a tshirt, bobsledding certificate, pin, drawstring bag, and a photo of you with the bobsled (remind to post that later :]).  Since you only go down once, the $80 isn’t really all that worth it.  But how many people do you know that can say they’ve gone bobsledding??  LOL the 45 seconds meant working an extra 8 hours, but once-in-a-lifetime opportunities are worth it.  Plus, an 80-year-old went the day before, so I had to do it if they could!!

PICNIC IN THE CAR – Another good thing about staying at the Hostel was the kitchen!  To save money, we brought up all the food we’d need for breakfast, lunch, snacks and drinks.  In total, it cost about $30 per person for a whole weekend’s worth of food.  Had we eaten out for all those meals (3 breakfasts, 3 lunches, snacks and drinks), it would’ve cost over $30 per person PER DAY!!  By bringing the food, we saved more than $60 each.

OLYMPIC CENTER – A good thing about touristy places is that they are almost always focused around a central building.  Lake Placid was home of the 1932 and 1980 Olympic Games, and therefore has a huge Olympic Center that is free to enter.  We were able to walk around the ice arenas and witness a part of history.  One thing I noticed that I thought was funny: the 1932 arena could probably hold about 100 people.  I guess not many spectators travelled for the games back in 1932.

They definitely wised up for the 1980′s game; that arena could hold thousands!  We were also fortunate enough to come across the ice skating competition for the Empire Winter Games being held that weekend.  We got to relax for an hour and watch the skaters compete, all for free!  The Olympic Center also had the speed-skating track outside, but the hours opened to the public didn’t coincide with our schedule LOL

ICE BUILDINGS AND ALIENS – At one point, we were at a lost as what to do.  It was too early for dinner, but we didn’t want to just hang out at the Hostel.  In situations like this, just be spontaneous and drive!  GPS systems are awesome with giving you suggestions.  We used ours to drive the 10 minutes to Saranac Lake, where we discovered it was the winter carnival and a HUGE ice castle with an alien theme had been built.  Sometimes, it’s fun to act like a kid again and enjoy things like this.  So we pulled over, climbed the UFO, sat at the Alien-meeting, and went through the escape tunnel.  All it cost us was the gas to get there!  When it doubt, use the GPS for ideas or drive around on your own :)

FULL MOON PARTY – Once a month, one of the Inns in Lake Placid hosts the Full Moon Party.  For $15 (or $30 if you need to rent equipment), you cross-country ski or snow shoe along lamp-lit trails from bonfire-to-bonfire.  At each bonfire is a keg, hot dogs, hot cocoa, and marshmallows.  Skiing starts at 7:30 and goes til midnight; afterwards, you head into the Inn for live music and drinks.  I learned that I absolutely suck at skiing LOL I can manage the flat surfaces but the downhill made me fall twice (not gonna lie, I walked most of the way and carried by skis haha).  I also learned that real skiers have some serious BO issues after they ski for 4 hours and then crowd into a bar LOL

TOBOGGAN – Think of a bobsled, going down only one hill, and shooting you out onto a frozen lake.  For only $5 per person, and $5 for a sled (so $20 total for all you non math people LOL), you can go down on the toboggan sled an unlimited amount of times.  Being in front scared the sh*t out of me!!  Unfortunately, the friction caused us to rip our snowpants a little bit :(   In all fairness, they do have signs warning of this.  However, I wish they gave some pointers as to how to try to avoid it.

A tiny rip in my snowpants isn’t going to make me get rid of them though!  Unless you’re an avid skier/snowboarder, and wear snowpants on a daily basis, you can fix tiny slashes like this – and if you don’t know how to snow, just ask someone to help you with it LOL something this small isn’t worth buying a new pair over, especially when you’re on a budget!

AUSABLE CHASM – I’m being honest when I say that sometimes, you just have to put the GPS away and let your sense of adventure take over!!  By choosing random lefts & rights, we realized we were near Ausable, where another frozen waterfalls and caves were located.  For $5 we got to walk by 2 different waterfalls.  (For $20 we could’ve done the guided, hour-long cave tour, but we were just too exhausted for it LOL).  The views were magnificent, and a perfect way to end the road trip.  Ironically, we ended just as we started LOL well, kinda……

SUPERBOWL – I’m not a huge football fan, but I do enjoy the eating and drinking aspect of the Superbowl.  We didn’t rush back for the game, but we did end up returning just in time.  When you’re on a budget and not that into football, it’s just not worth going to a bar to watch the game.  Especially when you have so much beer and peanut butter vodka (mmm reese’s martinis) to drink and an awesome host family that offer to make food for you.  Save your money and host Superbowl at your home or someone’s house!  You’ll have fun and not pay $6 for a beer worth $2.50!

WINE TASTINGS (NOT PHOTOED) – Apparently, I’m missing photos from the wine tastings.  Wine stores in touristy cities will usually always have a wine tasting.  For $5, you can taste 6 different wines; Lake Placid was unique because if you brought your glass down the road to the other wine store, you got to taste 6 more for only ONE dollar.  So for $6, I got to taste 12 different wines AND got a souvenir glass.  This is a perfect way to relax in the afternoon!!

This was my first major FUNemployment of 2012.  For all you skeptics out there, I may not have a full-time job, but I picked up a ton of extra shifts at my part-time gigs to afford this, even if it meant getting up at 5AM on a Saturday.  Plus, I remained money conscience and avoided souvenirs and fancy dinners.  Instead, my souvenirs came with my outings (i.e. bobsledding package) and I ate the $8 chili instead of the $15 burger.  Keep a budget in mind, work hard, and you can be funemployed too!!

xox FP

Funemployment Tips: Children’s Clothes

Published January 23, 2012 by Funemployment Princess

UPDATE: I received a mean comment on this post that I did not approve but I will address.  First, I said if your child is wearing size 18 there might be a chance they are unhealthy.  I myself weighed 160 pounds when I was only 14, and I was unhealthy (I had thyroid problems, insulin problems, and PCOS).  Believe me, I did not write it to be mean and am completely against bullying!  I honestly just meant, your child might have an actual medical problem, so take them to the doctor to be safe.  Second, I do NOT receive unemployment benefits.  I work 4 part time jobs to make ends meet (with almost 300 applications out there for a full time job), and am very grateful my mother lets me live at home.  Therefore, your tax dollars don’t go to me at all!  :)

If you don’t already think I’m crazy, then you definitely will after you read this tip: I shop in the kids’ department!  To quote the book I’m currently reading, Seriously…I’m Not Kidding (it’s Ellen DeGeneres – I highly recommend it!).  I know, I know, you think this concept is ridiculous and a little stupid.  But if are short enough to (like me :]) or thin enough to, I highly recommend you give it a try.  Here’s why: Kids’ clothes cost sooo much less than adult clothes!!

I discovered this last week, when I was at LL Bean.  I’m going on winter adventures soon (you know, the usual: tubing, skiing, bobsledding…) and am in need of some serious winter gear, since apparently Lake Placid is freezing at about -20 right now.  Whenever I’ve gone snowboarding before, I usually borrow equipment from friends or their brothers.  Since that isn’t really an option this time around, I had to finally give in and get my own stuff.  Have you ever shopped at LL Bean before?  Or have you ever bought snow gear before?  That shit is expensive!!  Thankfully, since January is already considered post-season in the clothing stores, a lot of the equipment is on sale.  So instead of paying $100 for women’s snow pants, I can pay $70.  Not a huge savings, even with the 2 coupons mom gave me.  So instead, I went wandering into the kids’ section, and discovered that kids’ sizes go all the way up to 18!!  Now, I don’t support childhood obesity (and if your child is wearing size 18, I recommend they see a doctor because it’s not healthy.  I should know, I was in size 16 pants when I was 13 and I had lots of medical problems and unhealthy eating habits!!), but I do support cheaper clothing.  And those size 18 kids snow pants were on sale for $35!  With my coupons, I paid only 20 bucks!!  Plus, they’re pink, my favorite color :)

This new discovery was purely brilliant!!  And it didn’t stop there…I went to Kohl’s and got myself girls’ ski gloves for $4 cheaper than women’s, and boys’ sport shirts (the ones that supposedly keep you warm and dry during activities) that were on clearance for $5.60 each.

Just when you think that’s the nuttiest thing ever, BOOM: I also fit into kids’ size shoes!!!  Yupp, I got myself a pair of snow boots from the Kohl’s’ kids’ section!!  Hey, $30 for kids’ size 5 boots is a better deal than $45 for women’s size 8.  (I did, however, end up returning them since Target had a better deal on women’s boots…$10 on clearance).

There is definitely one thing NOT to buy in the kids’ department: kids’ underwear or girls’ bras – this just pedophile-ish!!  (Unless, of course, you’re doing the naughty-school-girl look in the privacy of your own bedroom.  Then, one pair is okay…hmm I hope my family skips that sentence!)

For all you skeptics out there, just give it a try.  Next time you’re in a department store, wander into the kids’ section and see what size they go up to.  The larger they go, the more chance you’ll fit into the clothes.  Take an item both kids and adults wear, like a plain white t-shirt, and compare the kid-price with the adult-price.  Chances are, the kid-price will be anywhere from $5 to $15+ less than the adult-price.  If the kid’s size fits and no one can tell it’s actually meant for a child, why not save yourself the money and buy the kid-size?  That way, you can put your savings towards your funemployment!  Trust me, this tip will pay off in the end!

xox FP

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