Honest! I really do pronounce those words and hear them differently.

Must be cuz I’m Canadian. And I do say “pop” instead of “soda”….

Got it from Alex over at Scotch Diary.

SPONSORED POST!

So, after NYC, my next trip will be in June for a summer wedding in Toronto (woo hoo!).

I am not staying long, just a weekend or so, but now I’m thinking I might make the most of it and stay longer and maybe visit my sister again.

But she may be in Europe, backpacking.

We’ll see.

Anyway, I was thinking about the last wedding I went to, because I have to now figure out what I am going to wear to this upcoming wedding.

And the sister of the bride (my friend) gave the most touching speech about how her sister was there for her when she dropped into a deep depression after breaking up with her boyfriend.

This was in sharp contrast to the weird f*cked up speech given by the best man.

The best man said that his best friend (the groom) met the love of his life and he kept talking about how sexy, smart, beautiful and wonderful she was, and how nervous he was for the first date…. then the kicker of the speech was that the ENTIRE SPIEL was about a TOTALLY different girl, not the bride!!!

We were all sitting there in shock.

And then he turned it around, awkwardly, and said he knew that my friend the bride was “the one” for his best friend because the groom ‘forgot’ about the other girl (who actually ended up rejecting him and saying she just wanted to be friends).

The groom ended up staying best friends with her, and we know this because the whole kicker was that this girl that the groom was SO TOTALLY obsessed over, was also in the bridal party as a bridesmaid, sitting there beside my friend, the bride and awkwardly smiling during that weird f*cked up speech about her and the groom.

Beside my friend, the bride. Who was actually marrying him.

How messed up is that?

It was like my friend was a second choice because he got rejected by his real love.

Totally. Weird.

At least my wedding favors were cute.

SPONSORED POST!

Disclaimer: This may not make total sense. I am still groggy from travelling and my brain is just not flowing the way it should but I think you’ll get the gist of my post once you read through the rambling.

Just reading all of these blogs at once after being away for a couple of days (my reader is at 1000+), compounds the following message into something totally intense and just makes me want to huff and sigh really loudly.

You know what? I’m going to say it.

Honestly, I’ve said it time and time again, and I think there is such a thing as being too frugal.

Shoes DO make me happy. Buying a cute leather bag DOES make me happy. Drinking a Chai Latte makes me happy.

It doesn’t make me happy forever, that’s true. The lust for the bag wears off after about 5 months, but I still believe that every time I look at the bag and touch it, I get this warm tingly feeling of “oh she’s so soft and YELLOW!”

I still feel that way about a lot of my wardrobe. I remember when I bought it, with whom, how I felt and how much I paid.

It’s like a physical memento or reminder of how I felt at that exact moment.

Anyway, if we think about it, does anything really make you happy forever? Even the free stuff?

After it all wears off (the happiness), you just need another hit of it again. Like a drug.

Case in point: I saw my sister for 4 days.

I was super happy, super excited, had a GREAT time (even while powering through all of her tissue boxes in an attempt to stop the allergen-happy Niagara Falls from coming out of my nose due to her cute Bichon Frise.)

But now that I’m back, I’m still happy, but the happiness has worn off in the sense that I feel like my heart has been lifted and healed during the time I spent with her… but now I just kind of miss her and want to see her again and help her organize her apartment.

My random, blabbering point is that NOTHING lasts forever.

And there could be something said for “you cannot buy happiness”, but it cannot be the be-all and end-all.

I had to end up spending money to go see my sister, and it’s true, if I had spent the money on a bag or a new wardrobe I would not have been as happy.

But I gotta say, there must be something wrong in my brain because while I was out and with her, I was pretty darn happy buying that purse.

So who’s to say that it’s set in stone, that you cannot buy happiness? In what way do we mean it?

Should I stop seeing my sister because it always costs at least $400 just for the trip/transportation to see her?

Does it mean that I should stop spending money on travelling and seeing the world because I could just as easily rent a DVD and watch the journey of another person through Japan, eat some sushi on the couch and call it a vacation to Japan?

Should I stop buying all material goods because they don’t contribute to my quality of life (as per PF bloggers out there)? (but they totally do. I love my bag)

Should I give up everything and become a monk because it’s clear that the best things in life are free?

That all sounds inane to me, especially since my priorities are not about getting out of debt any longer.

If you deprive yourself of a small latte treat just because you think to yourself “oh this doesn’t contribute to my quality of life the way seeing my sister would”, it just sounds stupid.

As though you are able to rank that buying a coffee would be less important than seeing my sister, and even if you are able to afford it, you don’t because it doesn’t have as much of a happiness impact.

See, to me, it’s all about choices.

If I HAD to save money to buy the ticket to go back and see her, then I’d give up all the chai lattes in the world just to save the cash to do that.

But since I don’t, I won’t and I didn’t.

If I wanted a latte, and I am craving it, and I know it’ll make me happy, then obviously it contributes to my quality of life to be able to spend the $3 on it since I am NOT in debt and I set priorities.

I just don’t get it when people beat themselves up for spending $3 on a latte, when they can really afford it and most importantly —– THEY WANT IT.

Sure, maybe taking a free nap for a couple of hours instead of seeing a friend over $3 lattes would be cheaper, but that’s up to YOU to decide that it’s a better idea and that it enriches your life in doing so.

However, I am going to always pick my friend (lunch, dinner, coffee, whatever) rather than hole myself up in the bed and nap my time away thinking that it is what makes me happier in the long run because I ended up saving the $3 and could just call my friend on the phone for free instead.

Doesn’t that sound stupid to you? It does to me. Maybe I’m stupid then.

I also don’t eat out all the time. Quite rarely actually. But people think I do that to save money and truth be told, my drive for eating at home rather than eating out comes from the simple fact that BF makes better food at home, in a bigger quantity, and in higher quality.

It’s not because of money.

Our grocery budget is around $700/month for the 2 of us as a result, but if we spent $350 on groceries and $350 on eating out, it’d be the same thing in the end. We just choose to cook & spend it on eating well at home.

And we can always cut back. We just don’t want to.

But others will deprive themselves of being able to go out and enjoy themselves just because they feel bad having spent the cash, even though they could afford it and want to do it.

If it makes you happier to save the money, then save it.

But don’t do that stupid in-limbo thing where end up feeling bad and ruining the previously enjoyable experience of dining out just because of money you spent.

Spend it, enjoy it and be done with it.

I also don’t do the eco-friendly, minimalist schtick just to save money. It’s a nice bonus, but I do it for other reasons — to help the environment and because I’m a paranoid kind of person about untested chemicals for long-term human usage.

Plus, it helps with travelling. I have to bring less liquids and gels now.

And I feel like everyone is cutting back or depriving themselves JUST to save money and not for any other reasons, and they only see the negative in what they’re doing rather than the positive.

The worst is then these PF bloggers go and make other people feel AWFUL for what they consider to be “extra extravagances”, like being able to eat a breakfast out each day, or buying a latte in the mornings to start your day off.

*rolls eyes*

$5 a day is $150/month. If you can afford it, go for it. If not, then cut back to once a week. It’s simple.

Just set priorities.

This frugality thing is getting to be too crazy for words, y’all are crazy.

Surprisingly, I spent on things I didn’t think I would, and saved where I thought I’d go crazy.

Well.

Not so surprising. Just surprising I didn’t go crazy over budget! LOL

Here’s my mini Money & Photo Diary.

Who knew ViaRail was so freaking posh? It looks incredible in the new trains.

Automatic doors, sweet looking seats, it looks a lot better and more modern than before. Cost: $63.74 for the round trip* (used points for half the trip)

Brought my own food, so I didn’t buy a single thing on the train.

I also only paid for half the trip in cash, the other half, I used my ViaRail points (woo hoo!)

Saw the doctor, got a physical, PAP smear and picked up an asthma inhaler prescription in anticipation of my sister’s Bichon Frise going nuts all over me. (Am highly allergic).

Cost: $20.88 for the asthma inhaler and $206.38 for the car rental for 3 full days

The dog is as cute as hell, but she is a walking allergic reaction and my throat closes up like mad around her.

Before I saw my sister, I dropped by to see my brother just to be a nice sister.

Long story short, he’s a cheap bastard (as a frugal, PF’er even I am calling him a CHEAP MISER).

Even though I have paid for the past 10 times we’ve ever been out to dinners with my parents & family ($150 is the minimum I’ve paid for each meal)….. he had the balls to kvetch over paying $50 for a meal for the both of us.

He had the nerve to say he shouldn’t have ordered a drink and he would’ve taken water instead if he knew he was paying.

And I realized that since he thought I was paying for the entire meal (which I normally do when I see my family in Ontario), that he was off the hook and could order an expensive $40 steak.

When he realized I wasn’t paying, he cancelled the steak and took a $11 burger instead.

Asshole.

Did I mention he is 8 years older than me?

Whatevs. I couldn’t wait to get out of there and see my sister. I forgot how El Scroogo he could be.

He also reminded me the ENTIRE NIGHT that he ate a $54 burger. WTF?

Cost: Put $12.34 of gas in the car because they gave it to be at 5/8 full.

Took an Aerius allergy pill, wheezed all night, and finally used my asthma inhaler freely just to feel like I could breathe and catch my breath without keeling over.

Spent the ENTIRE DAY shopping with my sister *heart*

Had a morning Starbucks Chai Latte with Soy. If you use your own cup, you get $0.10 off the price! Cost: $5.03


We dropped by the Aldo shoe outlet. I was not planning on buying anything, but then I saw these Aldo ballet flats on SALE for 50% off as they were the original display pair (therefore, already broken in).

Aren’t they cute? Cost: $15.73


I also bought a foot liner pad from Dr. Scholl’s and a ballet flat back heel liner to make them more orthotics-friendly. They feel like a DREAM now. Cost: $23.20

Bought some smooth (not the fabric kind) of ballet tape to wrap my toes for my upcoming NYC tourist trip to prevent blisters.

Also bought some antihistamine Visine for my red itchy eyes (Culprit: cute Bichon Frise turned my eyes red). Cost: $13.82

Also decided I needed more tissues (am still working on buying some handkerchiefs. I totally forgot), and a tube of Johnson & Johnson Anti-Blister to rub on my feet for NYC. Cost: $11.73

My sister was waiting all this time for me to show up because her friends don’t really eat sushi and not in the amounts that we put away. Cost: $16.76

Went to the grocery store, and bought groceries. Sister paid because I ended up cooking it all, and making her meals for the rest of the week as well so she didn’t have to.

Got my morning Starbucks. Cost: $5.03

Spent the morning weaseling out of watching the Watchmen.

My sister is crazy about wanting to watch it, and I was not. I just casually said it was 3 hours, and she said: “Oh, forget it then.”

Score.

I had made a list of stuff that she just NEEDS to have in her home, like a spatula, scrub brush, a dish drying rack.

Most of all, she needed a a file folder for all of her bills & papers (they were stuffed into books as bookmarks all over the dang apartment!)

Drove me mad.

I also spent the weekend teaching her how to organize and use the spices in her cabinet.

We dropped by Winners & my sister being a total enabler “made” me buy it.

What happened was that she spotted it first, and then said she shouldn’t spend any cash because she already blew $900 on 3 purses last week (which I totally gasped at as being ridiculous), and ended up loving the bag more than her.

She gave me the side-eye and said that if I ever wanted to leave my bag with her for the weekend or give it away if I got bored, you know, just to visit, she wouldn’t mind.

It is buttery soft leather, in a deep butter yellow colour. Made in Italy.

LIKE HELL I’d leave that bag with her! Cost: $158.19*this is the most I’ve EVER paid for a bag.

Then we went to Old Navy and I picked up a cloth shoulder sling bag so that way I’d have my hands free in NYC and it’d be big enough to be comfortable for sight seeing.

I HATE bringing shoulder bags when I’m a tourist because I am always trying to sling the bag back up on my shoulder when it drops.

And it was cheap. And light. Cost: $13.56

And Jacob Outlet was having a sale, so I picked up 3 panties for $5. (Sorry guys, getting girly here).

The pattern of the peonies was super cute (Vivienne Tam totally made me lust after peonies), and I just picked up 3 of the same pattern. Super silky and comfy. Cost: $5.65

Got some chocolate candy. Cost: $1.45

Bought a Diva Cup, as I am going eco-friendly and am going to cut down on the waste that happens when we have feminine products like tampons, pads etc.

Will give it a try and write a review on it. I am a die-hard O.B. Tampon user, so…. this will be a new thing for me.

My sister thought it was a female condom. LOL!

Sis: OMG! LOOK!

FB: What? Oh. It’s what I wanted!

Sis: Do you even know what that is!?

FB: Do YOU? It’s a tampon replacement. For periods.

Sis: Oh. I thought it was a female condom. *turns red*

Cost: $45.19 (Size 1 as I am not 30 or pregnant)

Got some KFC (this is the junk food part), and ate some Popcorn Chicken (I love this stuff!) Cost: $5.63

Went to sushi for dinner again, and lamented over the lack of being able to “put it away like we used to”.

We both felt like we didn’t eat enough and I pointed out that she drank a whole can of pop, 2 cups of tea and half a glass of water.

I tsked at her, and told her she broke the major rule in buffet eating — DO NOT DRINK LIQUIDS! Cost: $26.08

Gassed up the car to get ready for tomorrow’s drive back. Cost: $32.18

Morning Starbucks. Cost: $5.03

Picked up my mail from my parents’ house and returned the car.

The guy who worked at Discount Rental was a TOTAL LAZY LOSER.

I walked in, handed him the keys and told him I wanted to return the car and pay by debit.

Guy: Did you give your car keys to the guy downstairs? My guy?

FB: *strange look* No. I didn’t see him. And the keys are in your hand. (“How could I possibly have given him the keys if the keys are in your hand?“)

Guy: Are you sure you didn’t see the guy & give him the keys?

FB: No. (“Are you a pothead!?“) Again, the keys are in your hand, I didn’t see anyone.

Guy: Are you sure?

FB: YES!!!!

OH MY F*CKING GOD.

FB: And I want to pay by debit. I don’t want to leave it on my credit card.

Him: Okay. *fidgets* Are you SURE you want to pay by debit?

FB: That’s what I said.

Him: Really? You don’t want to leave it on your card?

FB: If I wanted to leave it on my card, I would’ve. I want to pay by debit.

Him: *LONG HUGE SIGH*

FB: *silence* (thinking: “C’mon f*cker, you can use the exercise”)

Him: ARE YOU SURE?

FB: YES!!! *getting annoyed*

Him: I have to ask you to leave the office so I can lock up because I have to take everything down and get it checked before I can sign off on the papers and let you pay by debit.

FB: *sweet insincere smile* Fine. I’ll be on the bench outside, waiting.

After I got that sorted out, I had a sushi lunch before I saw the dentist (not the brightest idea…) but I was starving and the appointment was at 1 p.m. Cost: $15

Forgot that they had a Tamil protest today. Totally clogged the Yonge streets.

Got my teeth cleaned. Wasn’t my usual dentist (receptionist did NOT tell me it would be a different dentist) so I was pissed because he didn’t do as good as a job and I hate paying for badly done jobs. Cost: $120

Finally got on the train. On the way home, there was a MASSIVE rock that smashed into the side of the train and left this huge chip at the side.

Totally freaked me out.

Bought 2 drinks on the train (I forgot to buy some iced tea or something for the ride). Cost: $4

Got home safely to a sleepy BF waiting at the train station for me.

All in all, right under the original $1000 budget I had.

The most I spent was on the car rental, dentist appointment, and my new yellow leather bag that I (and my sister) is in love with.

I’ll be doing another trip recap like this for when I go to NYC next month (wow, I’m travelling like mad aren’t I?)

I haven’t blogged about this site in a while. I just love browsing ASOS.com (no they don’t pay me squat to do this), because they have such interesting jewelery FOR CHEAP.

I’m not really a fan of boring chain necklaces with a little icon pendant dangling from it.

I have WAY too many of those.

I am on the hunt for something kind of weird, unique, fun, pretty, interesting.. any or all of the above. Which is why I normally troll Etsy, but just out of the blue I decided to check out ASOS to see what they had.

By the way, they’re located in the UK but they DO ship to North America. I ordered necklaces once.

Oh and for the price, don’t expect super high quality, mmkay? The metal pieces will feel very thin and light, not heavy, and it’s not handmade like on Etsy.

All the links are in the title of the jewelery pieces.

Long Pearl Bead with Enameled Flower – 15 pounds

Ladylike and pretty.


Long Multi-row Chain Necklace tied with a bow – 14 pounds

Want! WANT WANT WANT! Chains + FB = Love.

French Connection Eclectic Vintage Look Necklace 35 pounds

Damn that price sucks. 35 pounds is like $70!! But it sure is kind of weird and pretty at the same time. Like three brooches strung together with some black beads.

Short Link Leaf Necklace – $6 Pounds
What a steal! 6 pounds!!!!!!! $12 in NA money. And kind of… Romanesque. OK who are we kidding? I just love myself a leafy looking necklace.

Long Multi Row Layered Pearl Necklace – 25 Pounds

This is SO Carrie Bradshaw on the cheap! Well. By cheap I mean $50.

Multi-row Pearls with brooch detail 12 pounds

Or if you want something a bit more budget friendly with a mix of pearls and brooches… try this one. $22.

Multi-row Dip Dye Faded Chain Necklace 10 pounds

I am torn on this one. I just posted it because it’s weird. Faded chains? Chains lure me in, the fading is kind of interesting, it looks a bit like fringe or string… and it has an interesting effect.

But I am not sure I like it.

Maybe it’d grow on me in person. Or layered with other necklaces.