Hitting 25 years of age, last year, really put things into perspective for me. I’m at a point where I want to step up my finance management game. I’m not a reckless spender BUT I can do better; there is always room for improvement. I consider myself a visual person. In order for me to achieve a goal, I have to see it in front of me. That could be drawing up an actual “map” to get where I need to go. A couple of the people I follow on Twitter were talking about a money management service called Mint.com. I was curious about what they were tweeting so I went to the site.

When I got to the site, I took a little tour and even watched the video about how it works. Seems simple enough. Then, I decided to sign up. Anything that helps one to manage his or her money sounds like a good idea to me; I have plenty of short-term goals (a couple of trips and paying off a credit card) and some long-term (improving my credit score, having an emergency fund, saving for a home) that I would like to actually accomplish. I’m going to give this service a spin. I truly hope to change my budgeting habits. I may actually start a new blog just to make it easier to document my progress. Buckle. Up. Kids. We’re about to pull out of the station!

For some reason, people think just because they can’t see or will never see whomever they’re chatting with means it isn’t real life. Sorry for the bad news, buddy but as long as there’s a REAL person on the other end of the conversation, it’s real life. Just the other day, I saw something retweeted by someone I follow saying, “I wouldn’t tweet anything I wouldn’t say in real life.” Dude. Twitter is real life. What I’ve noticed is some reason since one can log off, that in itself means Twitter is some type of fantasy world. I do recognize that there are quite a few people who use Twitter to mislead others into believing they’re something they aren’t. And I guess that’s where the faux-ness comes from. But there are just as many people who front offline as there are on. What’s the difference?

How many news stories have you read that involve people getting into it because of something said on Twitter? Just recently, Ray J (Kim Kardashian sextape fame) and rapper Fabolous had some type of issue over a tweet. As a result, the former went on-air with all kinds of slander for Fabolous. But Twitter isn’t real life, right? Real people get their real feelings hurt on Twitter. I’ve seen people ready to designate a time and place to scrap because of a disagreement ONLINE. Remember, though, Twitter isn’t real life. I guess people would think differently after they got real bruises from real fists hitting their real face.

Another thing is you never know who you’ll run into. I’ve randomly run into a few people offline in the past. I was at a lounge with a few friends and this girl came up to our table and asked if I was such-and-such on Twitter. I told her I was and she said it was nice putting a face to a name, lol. I thought it was extremely random but it goes to show you the world is very small. (That was slightly creepy.) You never know who you’ll run into. It might be the chick you flirt shamelessly with because you figure you’ll never see her. Or the guy you said had a face only befitting a NYC cab driver. I’m not saying kiss peoples’ behind but you really don’t know if you’ll ever see them; people are crazy #outchea! They just might run up on you and then that’s when Twitter WILL get real.

Photo: Source

I am beyond over this stinkin’ BlackBerry. I left Android (HTC G1) in 2009 for a BlackBerry. The reason I did so was because the battery life on my G1 was piss-poor. If the G1 had the BlackBerry’s battery life, I would have never gone astray. At first, I was very happy with my BB. It was small, had a nice QWERTY-board, the battery life was everything and I just felt better having a bar phone as opposed to having one that slid open. The only real problem I had with my first BB was the trackball. It was the 8900 model and the trackball began to give out. Instead of sending for a replacement, I just upgraded to the 9700 because a friend of mine raved about the new OS and trackpad.

I LOVED the crap out of my 9700. I truly thought it was the cow’s spots. And after having it a little over a year, it started to go downhill. I ended up having to get a replacement but I can’t remember why I did. I think I’d cracked the screen or something. When I got the replacement, I thought everything was going to go back to Norman. Wrong. When you receive a replacement, the company only wants the unit back and you keep the battery for the next phone. The battery was fine in my original phone but when I got the replacement, all of a sudden, my phone wouldn’t hold a charge. It shut off at the most inopportune times and the battery gauge on the home screen was misleading; the power was always much lower than what the gauge read. Crap! I was doing a battery pull every two days or so.

I complained to T-Mobile on several occasions. Of course, all they did is try to get me to upgrade (instant contract renewal). But I shattered their little dream. My contract is up March 15, 2012. Don’t think I won’t do the Moonwalk through Verizon’s doors as soon as the store opens so I can get an iPhone. I enjoyed it while it was good, BB but your days are numbered.

Photo: Source

Stretch marks seem to be on the minds of many women. They affect women of every cultural, economic and social background. Big and small. Short and tall. Every woman who has them hates them. However, some don’t let stretch marks bother them so much. Quite a few have learned to live with them. The average woman doesn’t have $3,000 lying around to have laser treatment performed to REDUCE the appearance of stretch marks. And others don’t have $75 at their disposal to shell out on those creams that swear up AND down they can make your stretch marks disappear. The fact of the matter is stretch marks are permanent. Yes, you may be able to reduce the appearance of them but that doesn’t change the fact they’ll still be there.

I am in NO way knocking women who wish to leave their stretch marks in the dust. I, at one point, was one of those women. I did extensive research on every treatment under the Sun. I began to see stretch marks when I was about eighteen. I had started to “fill out” and gained weight in what seemed to be the right places. But along with the small curvature came stretch marks. I was SO mad! As I got older, though, I realized they weren’t that serious.

No one really notices them but you. You have to find the confidence, that we both know you have, and rock those babies. We’re all so obsessed with being as close to perfection as possible but it’s not possible. At all. Just be you. Some women may feel men dislike stretch marks but what we fail to realize is men could care less about half of the things we’re worried they dislike. If he can’t get past your stretch marks, or any other trivial “flaw” for that matter, he isn’t worth the time of day. And some men have stretch marks, too. Who cares, though? Stretch marks definitely aren’t the end-all be-all. There are conditions far worse.

Photo: Source

4 REASONS BREEZY’S PERFORMANCE WAS THE BEST 

4. He opened with Tutting!

3. His footwork, as usual, was impeccable.

2. He danced to Nirvana’s Smell’s Like Teen Spirit.

1. He FRIGGIN’ FLEW!!

It doesn’t get much better than that boys and girls. Chris Brown is by far one of the best performers the VMAs has ever seen. Here’s the video below. But you can catch better quality on my TUMBLR.

Netlflix has gotten me all riled up! I know you’ve heard (whether you’re a Netflix subscriber or not) the service has hiked up the subscription prices. Currently, my subscription allows me unlimited streaming access + 1 dvd out at a time. I hardly ever use the dvds because I’m impatient. I’ve been a subscriber since August of last year and have only watched maybe 5 dvds, if that. Sometime in September, my plan will change if I don’t adjust it. It will be increased from $10/month to $16 or $17/month… THAT’S TOO MUCH! *Bob Barker voice* I honestly don’t see why they would raise the subscription prices when most of the movies available via streaming are either old or flops. While I like the ability to watch a few good TV shows, I don’t think it’s worth $10-$11/month. As of recently, they’ve been having streaming issues and urge customers to call the Customer Service line. I don’t. Before I was subscribed to Netflix, I was a Hulu head. Hulu has trailing episodes of my White Collar, 30 Rock, Community and Parks and Recreation. If Netflix had all of the seasons of those shows leading up to the one on the air now, it would be PERFECT! But it doesn’t.

I’m debating whether or not to end my relationship with them before the change takes place next month. If they’re offering a wider selection through the streaming service, I may stay. But if I don’t see any change, I’m gone. By the way, my stepmom, the loyal Netflix subscriber, canceled her account the day after she heard about the price hike, lol.

These songs, in my opinion, should never have made it out of the studio. They are in no particular order.

1. As much as I stan for Yeezy, Drunk & Hot Girls, was a waste of a recording.
2. I.N.D.E.P.E.N.D.E.N.T. by Webbie; just NO. We’re really good on “independent” songs for the next 25 years. Please refrain from making another one.
3. Miley Cyrus… Party in the USA. That has to be one of the worst songs I’ve ever heard. Stick to non-acting, boo! Get that Hannah Montana money, girl!
4. Yes, she’s an amateur but Rebecca Black’s Friday shouldn’t have even made it to the editing stage.
5. Katy Perry’s Extraterrestrial is awful. The beat, the unnecessary appearance by Kanye… There’s just nothing appealing about this song to me.
6. Any Gucci Mane song.
7. Mmhm, your beloved Nicki Minaj made the list with Massive Attack, which features your favorite Ninja Turtle Sean Garrett. With lyrics such as:

“We got Tom tom’s over here bigger than a monster
Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla Bla”

AND

“In the middle east on a Camel

Running through the jungle – Rambo
Liberace’s hand go
Swinging on a vine, mango (mango)
So call me Simba little mama”

Netflix is the best thing since the wheel! I’m so mad that I just discovered the service at the end of last year (2010). My stepmom has been a Netflix subscriber probably since it started. Being the skeptic I am, I was a little uncertain about paying for a service when there are tons of sites offering free movie/TV show downloads. However, I took advantage of the one month free trial and liked what I saw. The quality of Netflix’s streaming shows and movies is what got me. Messing around with free sites, you may not get the best quality; you really get what you pay for. And if you really think about it, $10/$11 isn’t a lot of money when you have streaming videos and dvds at your fingertips. You also aren’t rushed to send dvds back  like some movie rental places (not sure if movie rental places still have return dates). I gave the Red Box a try but I didn’t feel like getting up and going to the store to pick up and return dvds. Netflix works well with my laziness!

You ever want to get away but DON’T want to spend too much money? I already know the answer to that question: YES! Who doesn’t enjoy a nice getaway that’s easy on the pocketbook? I’m going to show you how to ball on a budget when planning a trip. Spending large amounts of money does not always guarantee a good time.

1. Check into hotel alternatives: If you’re looking to experience a city without the tourist feel, try vacation rentals. A good place to start is AirBnB.com. I’ve used the service twice and have had good experiences so far. I was able to find an apartment rental in Park Slope Brooklyn at $105/night for 3 days BUT I also had a promo code. The total was $181 for 3 days; not too shabby.
2.  Plane tickets, generally, are less expensive during unpopular travel times. There also tend to be sales around those times. I flew Virgin America, round trip, for about $290 into JFK from LAX toward the end of May.
3. Have a cash ceiling in mind. Whenever you have a budget or a set amount of money you don’t want to exceed, things work out a little better because you’re more resourceful. You explore every option available. The less money spent on the plane ticket and lodging, the more money you have available for spending during your trip.  I spent just under $200 on my last trip to NYC. And that was only because I treated a friend that needed help. Otherwise, I would have only spent about $130 for 3 days, just on myself. I spent about $650 for 3 days in NYC. That’s doing very well.

It’s really not difficult to travel with a set budget. Budgeting is good for smart money management. I think I’m going to start a section called “Travel for Cheap”. *DING!*