Money, Honey

They say 50% of marriages end in divorce. And the most popular reason is due to money. Before I got married, I thought that was crazy! Why would anyone fight over money? Once you get married, everything is equal. Everything is split down the middle. There is no "mine." Only "ours."

Oh, how young and stupid I was!

Mr. Ho and I rarely argue. When we do, it's usually over the same things:

1. Me nagging him to do stuff around the house
2. Money

The first is pretty obvious. I like the house a certain way. I like things to be put away and not just hidden behind closet doors or drawers. I like things neat, tidy, organized. My friends in high school used to call my mom the Vacuum Lady. I have adopted that moniker and I own it. While I don't vacuum anymore (Mr. Ho does it), I still want it to be done often. We have a shedding monster for a dog and now a little one who is rolling all around it *dies*. I think the man should do the vacuuming, taking out the trash/recycling, and the landscaping. And any other unpleasantries like unclogging the toilet.

I don't have a 9-5 so I do not experience the awful commutes or the terrible bosses. But I've had a job since I was 13-27. I know what it's like to work. And guess what? I now work A LOT more than I used to. I don't have the luxury of a lunch break or talking to my co-workers about nonsense. Not only do I wake up earlier than I used to, I go to bed later. I am on my feet all day long. I am feeding, cleaning, entertaining, and soothing a baby. And on top of that, cooking her meals and our dinner. I also clean the house, run errands, and make sure this house is under control. I know, it sounds fluffy and it sounds easy. But it's not. It's NEVER ENDING. There is always SOMETHING to do. Something that could be washed, polished, folded, put away, scrubbed. When I'm doing dishes, I'm thinking about the bottles I have to clean next. After bottles, it's the kitchen that needs to be tided. After the kitchen, it's the floor that needs swiffering. After the floor, it's the playmat that needs wiping. After the playmat, it's sorting the laundry. Get it? Yeah, I know I'm technically resting by blogging right now, but that's besides the point.

That's why I have to give it up to all the ladies who have a job AND have children. STADIUM STATUS!!!

I'm blessed. Blessed to have a husband who makes a living good enough so I can stay home and raise my child. So as much complaining as I do, I have to remind myself that my situation is a gift. But that doesn't mean I don't want some credit, too!

Which leads me to the next point: MONEY.

Money really is evil. It really is power.

It really is a lot easier to spend money when you're not the one earning it. You don't have the same instinct to guard it because you didn't bust your balls for it. I respect and love my husband for working hard to bring the dough. But sometimes I think because he works for it, it wields a certain level of power. He says I am imagining things and I can spend it in any way I want. And I know I have that choice, but seriously? Could I really just go and buy all the shoes, bags, clothes, jewelry that I want? NO. I don't call Mr. Ho everytime I swipe that debit card. But I still feel the need to discuss or tell him if I'm going to purchase something that is specifically for my enjoyment. I guess in the end, I just have this nagging sense of guilt.

We've come to a temporary solution. We have opened a separate bank account just for me. We discuss what expenses I will incur over the month and we transfer the appropriate funds. This way, I will take note of what and when I spend. And if I do want to make a big purchase, then I can save for it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Call it what it is. It's basically an allowance. But for some reason, this "allowance" makes me feel a lot better.

Let's face it. As much as society has advanced, men and women are still not 100% equal. There are still certain stigmas and prejudices we have to overcome. So if I had to give advice to my single ladies and my daughter, it would be to save your money. When you get married, keep an account (however small) for yourself. As long as you are open and honest about it being there, there shouldn't be a problem. It's just nice to not only have something for yourself, but to have the peace of mind of knowing that you hold a bit of financial power as well.

Don't get me wrong. I'm confident in my marriage and my husband. This is just something that I sometimes think of when I know I'm going to be spending a lot of money. HAHA!

Did You Know...

That on July 8, 2009, 6 seconds after 4:05 AM or PM, it will be 04:05:06 07/08/09?  This won't happen again in our lifetimes.  WITNESS, bitches!

Today, is the first full day that SIL has been gone.  To think that she JUST landed in Australia.  Poor thing.  Mr. Ho is at football practice and I'm just shooting the sh*t.  Oh, my parents learned how to use Skype!  So it will be fun "seeing" them more often.  

I guess I should update on the no-buy.  I guess I didn't pull through.  I bought this one dress that I swore I was going to return, but I loved it SO much that I decided to keep it.  And I bought the Lady Gaga CD - only so I can email the songs to SIL because she's obsessed with her.  Oh, and Mr. Ho bought me 2 American Apparel deep-v tshirts today.  No excuses.  I suck.  I still will try not to purchase too many things, though. 

My Insides are Churning

I can do it.  I can do it.  I can do it.  

Oh, how I wish I could get off this no buy.  I really want a pair of folded cut-offs and a beautiful chiffon floral dress.  Like these:

 

Some gladiator sandals would be wonderful, too.  Look at these little girl sandals at Nordstrom.  If I weren't on a no-buy, these babies would be in my cart ASAP - size 3M.

And I'm also really wanting a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses.

Just a Tuesday Afternoon

Lucky readers, I am posting a second entry.  The article was too long to include in the mish-mash of this awesome entry.

Last week, Mr. Ho and I got vaccinations for our upcoming trip to Hong Kong + Beijing.  Luckily, most of ours were up-to-date.  Those damn shots hurt like a b*tch.  Mr. Ho took it like a man but I took it like a wuss.  But, I did go to yoga right after, which may have not been the best idea because my arms were pretty wobbly.  I really love yoga, though.  I feel so centered and relaxed afterwards.  Also, there are the cutest old people in my class.  I especially love the old men who try really hard to get into their poses.  There is definitely a soft spot in my heart for old men, but for some reason, not old ladies.  

Update on the no-buy:  I haven't bought anything for myself.  I am not coveting anything at the moment though, so it's been easy.  As long as I can stay away from the mall or my kryptonite - Forever 21 - I think it'll be a breeze.  I haven't renewed my magazine subscriptions either, so there is even less temptation.  The only magazine that is being delivered to me is Real Simple, which I absolutely love.  Some of my dinner recipes for the week came from the magazine - spiced braised beef with sweet potatoes, halibut with sauteed radicchio.  I also made korean chicken soup yesterday and will be making spaghetti carbonara on Thursday.  Yum.  

Our weekend was pretty tame, nothing too crazy.  I finally watched Twilight and I think I laughed through most of it.  It was just so melodramatic and kind of crushed the image I had in my head.  I love the Twilight saga and just seeing these actors writhe in pain when talking about taking a walk in the woods, was just too much.  Not sure if this is old news, but the author is putting out a new version of Twilight called Midnight Sun, which is Edward's point-of-view of what happened in Twilight.  Here's a link to a partial draft if you are interested:  http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/pdf/midnightsun_partial_draft4.pdf

Oh, we also watched Role Models, which I thought was hilarious.  Kiss my anthia!

That's all for now.  

A Dream Come True

Dear Readers,

Remember when I posted a public prayer to God lamenting why, oh why, there were no hot shoes in my size?  Well, prayer works, people.  No matter how shallow or superficial the topic may be!  

Let me reveal why I am strictly following a USA no-buy policy:

  

The first pair are the YSL Tribute Slingbacks and the second are the Christian Louboutin Madame Claude Leopard Patents.  ALL IN MY SIZE 4!!  Yes, both are pricey and if you want to know the price, you can google it.  Anyway, I keep chanting my girl, Miss JChae's mantra - price per wear!  So far, I haven't worn either, thus it doesn't apply.   

They are both so BEAUTIFUL -- very versatile and will be easy to wear.  I've always loved an all-black ensemble with a pair of hot leopard shoes.  I'm lucky Mr. Ho is so supportive of my shopping habits.  

I hope all of you, my dearest readers, can find some way to do your civic duty to stimulate the economy.  And then go on a sudden no-buy because you're scared to total your receipts.

Till next time,

Mrs. Ho

Sunday/Monday Mash-Up

I am officially on a no-buy for six months.  That means no clothes, shoes, accessories, make-up until SEPTEMBER 2009.  Do you know how hard this is going to be for me?  Because I am that girl who has to buy something new for every occasion - be it dinner, a birthday party, a trip, or just because.  I really despise wearing the same occasion outfit twice.  I'll wear the same sweatpants around the house for a week or the same t-shirt and jeans to run out to the grocery store for a month.  But if the occasion is deemed somewhat special, I like the outfit to make one appearance and one only.

However, we are going to Hong Kong/Beijing and there is no way I am not buying anything while I'm there!  So, I'll just extend it till the end of September, practically October.  The official rule is I am under a USA no-buy.  International purchases are my only loophole.  

Y - are you with me??

I will reveal why I am placing myself under these horrible conditions in about 5-7 days.

One of my current favorite songs on the radio is Ain't I remix by Yung LA and Y's man T.I.  But every time I hear it, I feel conflicted because it is just so grammatically incorrect.  Granted, my grammar is not perfect, but come on. Didn't these boys learn that ain't ain't a word?  But I guess "aren't I" or "am I not" just don't have the same ring to it.  

We watched a bunch of movies these past few days.  Here is a quick rundown:

Slumdog Millionaire - Loved it!

Revolutionary Road - Hated it!

No Country for Old Men - Loved it!

Hamlet 2 - Liked it.

Penelope - Loved it!

Man.  Ashley from Rock of Love Bus got kicked off.  She always had the best lines.  Some of her best quotes include:

I'm here for Bret.  I'm not here for you.  I want a cheeseburger.

People puke and they poop their pants.  I'll puke on your mom.  Your mom loves it.

If you wanna date a rock star, you better get used to falling off a stage, b*tch.

To all my ladies - if you are looking for a quick pick-me-up for your complexion, I have the solution for you.  An aspirin mask!  I just did it on Friday and LOVED it!  All you need is some aspirin (you can buy this brand called BC and they sell aspirin in powder form).  I only used two packets because I wanted to make sure I wasn't too sensitive to it.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of water, 1 teaspoon of honey, mix it up and spread it all over your face.  Leave it on for about 15 minutes and wash off.  I felt like my skin had a really nice glow to it.  DO IT!

And, if you need an at-home dye job, you should ask my sister-in-law.  She was so damn thorough.  I was totally impressed!  Yes, I colored my hair from a box.  We're in a recession, people!  

The end.  Time for bed.  Goodnight, friends.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

Last week, I had a really disgusting dream.  I had to go number 2 really, really bad, but someone was occupying the toilet.  I tried to hold it, but it slipped out and I caught it with my hands.  I then ran to the sink to clean up.

The next morning, I told my mother about this dream and I figured she would tell me the usual - that my dreams are ridiculous.  Instead, I was told to go buy a lotto ticket.

If you touch poop in any way in your dreams, it's good luck.  With your hands, or if you're covered in it, or even if you slip on it - it's all good things.  It doesn't even have to be your own poop.

So, I bought a Mega Millions ticket.  And I won!  I am now $7 richer!  

Dreams do come true.

Lots of Births Today

Today is a big day for birthdays!

HAPPY 18th, HANA!

HAPPY 27th, DHUANG!

HAPPY 27th, FITZ!  

(And if I've missed your birthday in the past, I apologize.  I decided to give out birthday shout-outs after my brother's big day...)

It must be a day of miracles.  I woke up at 730 AM!  I don't know if it was 100% natural because I woke up to the sounds of my poor doggie puking.  I hate dog puking - it's constant heaving until this nasty froth comes out.  

So, I've been uber productive already - made dinner in the slow-cooker, tidied up, and not to mention, blogged!  Now I'm off to run some errands, where I will try not to spend that much money.  Mr. Ho and I reviewed our bank statement and 95% of the transactions were all ME!  Guilty as charged.  

Embarrassment of Riches

One of my regular routines at the gym is the Stairmaster, which I love to use when I'm feeling lazy because it is slow-paced but gets your heart racing.  Usually, I'm drenched by the time I'm finished.  I love reading tabloids or fashion magazines while I'm going at it, but last week, I read an article in Newsweek on luxury shame.  

Nowadays, it's all about being a Recessionista versus a Fashionista.  Even the rich are trying to hide their wealth, downsizing, downgrading and downturning everywhere you look.  Posh Spice told a tabloid that she shops at Claire's - clearly, the biggest lie of the year!!  Are you surprised with the sh*t economy?  In my opinion, it was bound to happen.  I'm bummed that it happened - who doesn't love the good life?  But the bubble was getting way too big and it was ready to pop.  There was way too much bling and money being thrown out the window with the assumption that it would always be there tomorrow.  

Now that it's time to change, what are you doing to save that last penny?  I try to do my part.  Here are my five money-saving ways:

1.  I use a flashlight around the house - no lights, low electricity bill. 

2.  I flush the toilet after four uses.  No matter what pleasantries I drop into it.

3.  I wear my gym socks and sports bra for two weeks before washing.  

4.  Meal scraps are dumped into a pot for a delicious hodge-podge soup at the end of the week.

5.  I'm collecting my hair to turn into a nice sweater.  I'll use Rocky's fur to make a cute design in the center!

Just kidding.  I hope you actually didn't think I would do those things.  

Even if you are buying your Christmas gifts at the .99 Cent Store this year, let's still be grateful for all the blessings we have in this life.  I'm mentally gifting you with champagne wishes and caviar dreams.  You're welcome.