Friendly advice from the resident speed demon

I have gotten one (just one) speeding ticket every year since 2003. And apparently, getting caught speeding once is a year is too much (I thought I was doing well, to only get one ticket a year).

My speedy ways, along with the accident of 2008 caused my car insurance rate to increase from $152 to $259.   A month.

I’m spending nearly the same amount for car insurance, monthly, as I am for my car PAYMENT. It’s too much.

So I did a little digging, and called up a few of my insurance agent friends, and asked them for a quote.

After Allstate quoted $237 (with a $500 deductible) and Nationwide $289 (with $100 deductible), and State Farm flat out said that I was uninsurable; I decided to keep myself with my current agency, Progressive, even though sometimes they are a pain in my ass. And they screw stuff up ALL THE TIME.

I was amazed today, not only by the outrageous price of car insurance, but by something the Allstate guy told me.

He said that I shouldn’t want a $100 deductible. Why? Because then I would be tempted to call and make claims.  You see, he thought that a $500 is the least that ANYONE should have (but especially “a person like me”).  Why?

He said that car insurance is not for minor accidents and fender benders.  He said that car insurance is for catastrophic accidents where you are going to get sued or someone is going to the hospital. By having a $100 deductible, I may be able to get my car fixed cheaply, but I’ll pay more over the long haul in higher premiums (which I am currently experiencing).

But how am I supposed to get my car fixed if I don’t file an insurance claim?

He believes that one (me, specifically) should be able to pay for most accidents out of pocket and not involve the insurance company.

What?

Yes. If I hit someone and our cars are minorly damaged, I should just go to the closest Bank of America and withdraw the cash to cover it.

What planet is he from?

According to the insurance guy, that nest egg you have saved up? It’s not for when you lose your job, or have a flood in your house, or have a baby. It’s for that car accident you might have.

Yep, that accident that you shouldn’t call the insurance company to report.

If what he says is true, then car insurance is a bigger rip-off than health insurance!  What is the point in having insurance if you are too afraid, or it costs too much, to actually use it?

If I’m in an accident, I want the peace of mind of knowing that I will be able to get my car fixed. I don’t want to be afraid to call the folks who are supposed to take care of me.

I guess I should be afraid. And I should only call the insurance guys if I’m also calling an ambulance.

And that money I thought I saved by moving into a smaller apartment? I’m sending it to Progressive. Dammit.

 

How the recession hit me

I think I’ve mentioned at least once or twice how I love my job at the Chamber of Commerce. I’ve learned a lot since I started working there. I’ve learned so much; about myself, the kind of job I want in the future, and about the kinds of work I want to do. (An ode to why I love the Chamber is in the works, just not for today.)

Last week, I approached my boss to ask for the week between X-mas and News Year’s off.  And was informed that my services would not be needed after Wednesday. This coming Wednesday.  Sadness (and panic), ensues.

I mean my boss was is awesome.  He made sure I understood why I’m being laid off. I’mbeing laid off because they can’t afford me, not because I suck as an employee.  He even said that I rock as an employee and he wishes he could keep me and he’s being talking me up to folks who may be in a position to hire me.

I can’t believe that I’m being LAID OFF, this is so weird.

Why I’m being laid off (a longer version):

You see, the Chamber of Commerce is a membership organization.  Their members are local area businesses. And in a recession, businesses make less money.  All the businesses, regardless of whether they are professional services, restaurants, retailers, bars, or financial institutions when they make less money, they cut stuff to preserve the bottom line.   And some (I don’t know how many, exactly) of the Chamber’s members are not renewing their dues. I know the real estate and development community has been hit pretty hard.

As the Chamber’s members tighten their belts, the Chamber has to tighten theirs. And the intern budget disappears.

So I’m jobless. And not because I did anything wrong. Which makes it so much easier and happier (you can tell by my use of flowers and smiley faces and exclamation points, how much I mean this)

How the hell did I not see this coming???

But I didn’t see it coming. All this time, I’ve been making fun of the Big 3 and how they failed to innovate or do ANYTHING really.

And I’ve been scratching my head about the financial crisis and have shaken my head in disgust in my policy class when we would learn about the greed of Wall Street investors and am incredulous that they could do the sh*t they’ve done and still be holding their hands out.

I still haven’t figured out what the fu*k is the problem with the banks and why the hell can’t they just LEND money.

I’ve rolled my eyes at folks who made bad mortgages decisions. I mean, when I was looking for a home at age 24 I knew enough not to get into a ARM or a Balloon or a variable rate mortgage, so how are all these other people stupid enough to fall for it?

Well, I’ve heard the Chamber’s Executive Director talk about how next year will be the hardest year for the Chamber, who over the past 10 years has experienced double digit growth, but for the first time ever will be facing a cut.

But I didn’t know that meant that I’d be history.

Basically, I was stupid.  I thought that if I did more than my job, took initiative (asked for more work), and stayed visible and engaged, I’d have a job as long as I wanted it.

I was wrong. Sometimes when you do everything right sh*t still happens. And since I’m the low man on the totem pole, I shouldn’t be surprised that I happened to me.

It is fu*king hard out there for a pimp. (and I should know, as I am a pimp)

And the more I’ve thought about it today, even as I made a list of all the organizations in the area that I’ve like to work for the next semester, places I’m going to call right after the holiday break, I realized that probably every one of those organizations is going through a hard time. And as organizations slash millions from their budgets I KNOW that hiring me is going to be a hard sell.

Then I read this offer on Havi’s blog today and it seemed like a dream.  So I applied. And while I didn’t get the offer, it has given me another angle with which to approach my next move. And it gave me hope that work does exist. And I mean work from anywhere in the world kind of work, which would be awesome.

I mean, I’ve been toying with the whole freelance copywriting idea since the summer, and even talked to Naomi about it. But I never followed up or through.

So I’m developing my pitch, which will highlight the fact that hiring me as a contract working is WAY cheaper than hiring a full time employee, the fact that I can research and write, and the fact that I know all the local players.  And one of my favorite local news sources has even mentioned the fact that I’m hirable.  And that gives me hope.

And Kelly gave me a whole list of sites that I can use, in addition to what Naomi gave me, to start seriously start copywriting. And I starting feeling a little better. A little more hopeful.

And I talked to the gf and shared my fears about never getting a job (now or before May) because this is like a replay of 2003 right after Bush bombed Iraq and all the job leads I had dried up (I wanted to be an au pair in France, but after the bombs fell and the whole freedom fries thing, French parents started specifying English, from England au pairs, not American English-speaking girls.)  That’s right the Spring of 2003 was the pre-cursor to Hell Year!!

And when I think about that I get nervous and I start to sweat and I get paralyzed and unable to do ANYTHING. Then the gf tells me that she believes in me, enough even, that I don’t have to believe in myself today. And that gives me LOTS of hope, because she’s pretty smart, and she wouldn’t have faith in me if I were a complete loser.

To all my fellow low men on the totem pole, I wish I had something uplifting and spiritual and sh*t to share with you to make you feel that your job is not  in danger.

Sorry, I can’t say that.

But I can say that even if the complete bottom falls out. I am NOT too proud to work at Target. I am NOT too proud to bus tables. I am NOT too proud to work at the mall. (and neither should you be)

But I don’t really want to work at any of those places (and neither do you). What I do want to do is convince organizations that they need my skills (even if they don’t necessary have the budget for staff) and that hiring me to work on projects saves them time and money, and helps them to check small-ish projects off their to-do list.

So I’m still tackling the list of organizations that I made earlier today, I’m just refining the way I talk to them. And I’m no longer panicked. I have a plan. A plan that I probably should have BEEN working on, anyway.

How are you recession-proofing your job?

 

Money Matters More than I Want it to

I’m having problems with attachment or detachment or oh, screw it, I’m having money problems!

Of course, said money problems stem primarily from the fact that I have had to maintain two addresses this summer, as I am living in Atlanta (almost rent free, thanks, hon!) during my internship while also keeping my apartment in North Carolina. Also, I have a shopping habit. It’s not that I manically buy stuff. That would be easy to fix. It’s the accumulation of all the little stuff that I buy.

I’m talking shoes and clothes, which I usually can talk myself out of, but this summer I’ve bought a few pieces. I’m talking about books, because my poor ass is a compulsive book buyer. I’m talking about the drinks (‘nuff said) and the dinners out. Bottom line: my checking account hemorrhages cash, and leaves me with nothing to show for it (except my books).

I talk about saving… and I do save. One of the reasons that I have been able to live in Atlanta this summer is because I had (notice HAD) a little something set aside. I’ve dripped it just about dry.

But none of that is the point of this post. I really have been thinking about how materialistic I could be if I gave in and bought all the clothes, shoes, electronics and other goodies that I really, really want. (I mean, I have a friend that works at Neiman Marcus and sells prada bags.)

I know I don’t need any of that crap, and I try to make myself stop wanting it and that just makes me sad. Because in my mind, there is no reason why I shouldn’t have all the things that I want. And it makes me discouraged that I have to leave the shiny, pretty things in the store or on Amazon.com.

So I try to detach. I try to fool myself into thinking that I’m better than all the people with iphones and new high heels and $10 martinis and that I’m better off without it. I try to fool myself into thinking that my life is better and fuller without all the gadgets and gizmos. I mean, I live rather nomadically, and when you are a nomad less is better (and lighter). And I don’t want to be tied down with all this stuff, do I? Hmmmm.

See that is the conumdrum (also the name of my favorite white wine) How do I reconcile the part of me that really wants to drive a lexus, live in a high rise condo, and have a 20 inch iMac with the really simple me that knows that all of that is just stuff? I mean, there are days when my little Corolla is perfect and all I want to do is be a beach bum bartender that makes just enough to pay the rent and the cell phone and drinks fruity rum drinks on the beach all day.

And until I figure out how to solve this problem, I’ll watch my bank account dwindle.

Oh and by the way, if you have ever dated/loved/known a Sagittarius you know that this (personal money mismanagement) is a common problem and we really just can’t help ourselves. But I’m working on it.

[Correction: On further inspection of my summer spending habits; I have discovered that it is not Wal-mart, Target, Old Navy, Banana Republic or any mall boutique or bookstore that has taken all my money. It is f*cking Kroger (groceries) and Costco (gas). And a girl has to eat and get to work, so what's a frugal gal (wannabe) to do?]