I need YOUR advice!

see i went through the whole yelling at comcast and trying to cancel my premium channels and my home phone but because of the package i wanted it wound up costing more because of something to do with ala cart service i just lost it and cried a little and then screamed and then threatened to go to direct tv and eventually they brought my bill down by like $100.which has been helpful.

but i am STILL not saving enough money. and yes. part of this IS my drinking problem and that $300 ticket to new york for essentially 48 hours. but that aside: what do i need to cut out of my life in order to maintain my television addiction? i mean, i seriously considered whether i REALLY needed heat and hot water for a little bit. thats how desperate we are here.

any thoughts? megs

Does anyone have any helpful tips for keeping cable costs down?

I’m ready to do battle with Comcast, but feel unprepared.

Right now, we have 1 TV with an HD Receiver and DVR, as well as HBO and OnDemand services.  We have another two TV’s that are hooked up for basic cable.  We also have internet and phone through our cable company.  I don’t need the phone line, and would be totally ok with getting internet through a different provider if they offered a better price.

Within the next couple weeks we’ll need to add a second HD Receiver with DVR.  The only way we can think of to cut costs is to eliminate HBO.  It wouldn’t be awful and we could live without it, but it’d be nice to have it.

When we add the second receiver, we’ll be paying upwards of $200/month for all this crap.  So does anyone have any tips for how I can fight the cable company to keep these costs down?  Comcast is the only cable option in my area, otherwise we have to switch to satellite — which I’ve had a bad experience with.

-Jess

Free Booze. Seriously.

I apologize for the NYC-centric post, but this is just too good not to share. MyOpenBar is a website that lists open bars all over New York City, organized by date and location.  Events range from gallery openings (i.e., “artsy booze”), promotional events, and semi-private parties. If there’s an RSVP required, the website lists the contact info. Some of the listings have a cover charge, but you and I both know that an $8 cover is chump change compared to the amount of well liquor you can drink in an hour. You can sign up for a weekly email, and there’s even an iPhone application (called “Free Booze,” obviously).

Just as an FYI, most of the listings are in Brooklyn, especially on the weekends. It also looks like there’s a Chicago version too, but I’ve never used it. Cheers!

- Julia

sharing is care-ing

So I have a massive problem with clothes. I purchase things I do not need because I think they are pretty or they will look nice hanging in my closet. I refuse to get rid of things because they carry sentimental value or they were expensive OR i just like the way they fit into the grand scheme of my wardrobe.

I am not going to sit here and tell you that you need to throw your entire closet, keep a blazer and a pair of shoes and then dress you in nothing but floral prints, knee length skirts and blazers with jeans like those crazy folks on “what not to wear” (Stacey and Clinton: i LOVE you but you’re killing me with the Stepford wives you are unleashing out onto the streets). I am going to tell you this: Take care of your damn stuff. Read your care labels. Invest in various kinds of Woolite. Learn how to iron properly. Do not hang your jeans. Invest in proper hangers.

Basically: if you treat every single item of clothing you own like its something you paid $800 for, even the most inexpensive pieces (including that totally trashy dress you bought from forever 21 for that trip to vegas) will last you ten times longer.

megs