Tag: Danielle Boler
{Money & Relationships} Who Should Pay for the First Date?
You just met this guy. He appears to be as nice, intelligent, and handsome as your friend said he would be… and did I mention he is a gentleman too. After sort of getting to know each other as best you can over casual first date, the bill comes….
Who Picks Up the Check?
I have always adopted that paradigm that planning and paying for the first date is apart of the courting package. However, my parents didn’t raise a fool. Regardless of my expectation of the bill being taken care of, at least for the first few dates, I would never leave the house without cash tucked sweetly away in my clutch. Offer to pay the tip at least by the third date and surprise him by planning and paying for a date on your own. So for those of you who believe that the man should take care of the first date, does that include everything…valet tip to parking or does it end at the table?
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{Friday Fashion} Smart Investments in Style- One Dress 5 Ways
I was cleaning out my closet the other day. You know that seasonal purge of clothes that no longer fits my style, clothes I have outgrown, and fads that frankly may be tipping the scales of age appropriateness. As Denia, a SMC contributing writer would put it, “I’m approaching the stage in life where shopping at trendy places like Forever21 should feel…well…awkward”. Don’t get me wrong, I never miss a chance to stop in a Forever21, but I wouldn’t build a wardrobe around it. While I consider trendy clothing essential to an eclectic closet like mine, I know it is better to have a foundation of well-made classics as opposed to a closet full of cheap and cheerful pieces that constantly needs replacing.
Sure, every stylish woman’s closet should include staples such as the LBD and a classic trench; however, I am here to introduce you to a versatile piece of clothing that has become my favorite new investment piece – the Nikki 5-Way Dress. When I first tried on this convertible dress, by designer Abi Ferrin, I have to admit that I had a “get it girl” moment in the mirror, similar to how I felt in my first DVF wrap dress back in the day. This multi-functional dress flatters in five different ways; as a one-shoulder Grecian style (my favorite, by the way), as a one-shoulder with a peplum accent, as an asymmetrical tunic, tied to the side, or crossed tied for a belt effect. My favorite thing about the versatility of this dress is that it is good to my wallet because you can get five distinctively timeless looks for the price of one dress.
Check Out All FIVE looks!
There isn’t a SINGLE reason white this signature Nikki dress belongs in every jetsetters, power-players, party girl, and busy bee’s wardrobe, but FIVE reasons. Starting at $155.00, that’s only $31.00 per look, you can’t afford not to add this to the list of foundational must-haves of well-made classics. Cha Ching… that’s the sound of me investing in quality and quantity at the same time. Want to invest in your style? Check out Ferrin’s others style staples on her site.
Thank you to the sponsors of this post, Brandstyle Communications on behalf of Abi Ferrin.
Which Look is Your Favorite?
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{Souls Saving Soles} Spelman Sophomore Launches Shoe Drive to Benefit Homeless Children & Familes
I received an email yesterday from my alma mater about a Sophomore by the name of Imani White who is making her mark in Atlanta. Since boots are made for walking, the C’2016 biology major, has launched an effort that epitomizes the lyrics to this classic Nancy Sinatra song. White recently launched “These Boots Are Made to Walk,” a boot and shoe drive designed to benefit homeless children and families in metro Atlanta.
Working in partnership with the Spelman College student organization Pretty Brown Girls, White is accepting all kinds of shoes – from sneakers and boots to casual shoes and dress shoes – in children and adult sizes. She hopes to collect 500 pairs of shoes to benefit the Atlanta Women and Children’s Shelter, Atlanta Union Mission, Gateway Shelter, Atlanta Children’s Shelter, and Salvation Army, among other organizations.
“This is my way of showing that one little effort can help so many people,” said White, who serves as vice president of Pretty Brown Girls.
This really got me thinking about just how blessed a lot of us are and just how easy it is to take even the smallest things for granted. If you are in the Atlanta area and want to take part, shoes can be dropped off every Friday through Friday, December 6, 2013 from noon to 4 p.m. in lower Manley of Spelman College. If you are not in the Atlanta area but would like to help, please forward, facebook, and tweet this article to let people know or better yet, plan a shoe drive in your area.
For questions, contact White at mailto:madetowalk@gmail.com.
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{Business Cents} Public Resignations- Bad Business Move Or Branding Opportunity
If you haven’t heard of Marina Shifrin yet, you won’t be able to forget her after seeing her video that has gone viral since it was posted last week. Forget the two weeks notice, Shifrin, 25, quit her job while “dancing” to the song Gone by Kanye West. “For almost two years I’ve sacrificed my relationships, time and energy for this job, in which my bosses only cared about the quantity and views of the videos they made,” explains Shifrin, former employee of a New Media Animation. Some may consider it a bad business move to make a major career decision so publicly, but believe it or not, she has received several job offers based off her creativity. In some ways, the video will help to “brand” her. Her chances of being hired are greater if she choses an innovative career path like social media, but for the more traditional of companies, this could signal what many people refer to as “Millennial Entitlement”. I would never have the guts to do something like this, but I she is on my rock star list at the moment. Life is too short to waste doing something that makes you want to quit your job at 4:30am…alone in the office… via youtube. Time is the only form of currency that you can’t get back, so spend your time doing something that makes you feel awesome!
…. and of course her former bosses have a responded with… another video.
Do You Think This Was A Bad Business Move?
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{Dirty Dozen Clean 15} 15 Foods That Aren’t Worth the Higher Price for Organic
A while back, I got a couple of questions from my some readers who are trying to eat healthier on a budget, especially in regards to organic food. Yes, organic food is pricey but when you factor in the benefits such as more nutrients, no pesticides, and better taste, it’s worth the extra cost, in my opinion. However, not all fruits and veggies are created equal and not all are worth of the higher price tag. Let me introduce to you, the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen, an annual list created by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) that lists the fruits and veggies with the most and least pesticides. This list will let you know which are the most important to eat organic and which are OK to eat even when conventionally grown.
According to EWG, they analyze pesticide residue testing data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Food and Drug Administration to come up with rankings for these popular fresh produce items. All 48 foods are listed below from worst to best (lower numbers = more pesticides).
Which Fruit or Veggie Surprises You The Most?
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{Financial Cents} How Accepting A Challenge Has Saved Me $849.00
Week 38 Update
In January, something called the 52 Week Money Challenge was spreading through the internet like wildfire. The challenge is to save the dollar amount that corresponds to the number of weeks of the year. For example on week 1 you deposit $1.00 and on week 27 you deposit $27.00 and so on. About three weeks in, I was already falling behind, partly because I tried to do it in reverse so I wouldn’t have to come out-of-pocket with higher “payments” during the holidays. I thought to myself, how can you find a way to honor the challenge in a way that will not hurt me financially? My answer- create a “bingo” style format. Seriously, this was the best thing for me and from the feedback I got, many of you as well. On weeks where my money is tight, I could choose a lower amount to add to savings and on weeks where I have a little financial cushion (like pay day, for instance) I choose a higher amount to save. At the end of the year, I will still end up saving $1378.00, just like the original version.
I find this challenge very rewarding. It makes me proud of myself because I am using it to pay down my credit card debt faster. I have even allotted a portion of the $1378.00 for holiday shopping, which can get us all into serious financial troubles if we are not properly prepared. If you are still doing the challenge, kudos to you. You have now formed a great habit and probably no longer see this as a challenge, but as a way of life. For those of you just starting out or interested in trying again, it’s never too late to get on financial track. I set a reminder on my phone so that I can remember to do it EVERY Friday. Since creating the bingo style challenge, I have applied an extra $849.00 toward lowering my debt.
Which Style Works Better for You?
Bingo or Classic?
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{Debt Management} How to Shorten the Length of Your Loans & Reduce Interest
Wanting to get control of your finances is great, but there is nothing like the empowering feeling of knowing when this MAJOR life goal could actually be attainable. After examining my debts, pay off amounts, and interest rates, I am proud to announce that my magic number is 8 years and 3 months to be debt free! Having an end date for a goal helps to make it more tangible and keeps me encouraged to hit my payment milestones from my personalized Financial Plan.
One Year from Now- Operation Credit Card
In January of this year, I revealed that I racked up $5300.00 in credit card debt, after getting it down to a zero balance. It happened by not adapting my spending habits to my drop in income. Today, that balance is now around $3400.00 by paying a little more every month on the minimum and doing the 52 Week Money Challenge (Bingo Style). Dare I say it out loud, I will have NO credit card debt by this time next year (insert fireworks here)! I’m truly proud of the way I have tackled this particular debt obstacle because I’m doing it at my own speed. I don’t even miss the extra money that I’m using to knock the balance down faster. If I were okay with just paying the minimum, it would take me 4 years and 3 months, instead of one year, to complete step one of my financial plan. Once the credit card is paid off, my monthly credit card payments will become extra payments to my student loans and so on…this is called the Snowball Method.
Four and a Half Years from Now- Goodbye Sallie Mae
I have a love/hate relationship with Sallie Mae. Although we go back about ten years, she is not my friend nor is she yours. Don’t let her fool you. Yes, in times of financial need, she was there but in reality most people end up paying more than double for their educational loans. Currently, I pay the minimum $200 per month for my educational loans with more money being applied toward interest and not the principal. As I’m sure you know, paying just the minimum and nothing more will result in years and years of interest and a longer pay off timeline. In fact, by adding the money I would normally use for Operation Credit Card to make two or three lump sum payments per year toward the principle, not interest, I will shorten the length of my loan by 10 years and 11 months. Five years ago, I was a recent college graduate and while a lot has happened in that time, I still feel like time flew by. Knowing that these next five years could go by just as quickly helps keep me motivated. One day, four and a half years from today, I will be able to say goodbye to my financial frienemy- Sallie Mae for good.
Eight Years and Three Months- Debt Free
A lot can happen in eight plus years that could slow down my timeline or cause me to come up with a new goal altogether. Regardless of what life throws my way, I hope a victorious sprint toward financial freedom is in my foreseeable future. In eight years, my home will be a rental property providing is a great form of passive income. Having it completely paid off allows a greater financial contribution to my household. The idea of never having to think about another mortgage payment for my current house is a blessing in itself and I plan on tackling this debt by using the Snowball Method. In the same breath that I say goodbye to Sallie Mae, I will be begin this last phase by saying hello to extra payments, consisting of my monthly credit card payments and Sallie Mae payments, on top of my current mortgage.
What’s the point of all of this? Sure, I could continue to pay the minimum on my bills every month and I will forever owe someone but I have 17,636 reasons why that won’t work for me. Yep, having a plan and attacking my plan will help me save an overall of $17,635.15 in interest payments. While yes, I am at the beginning of my journey, I take solace in knowing there is light at the end of the tunnel.
How Long Will It Take You to Be Debt Free?
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If You Could Call Yourself 5 Years Ago, What Would You Say?
If you could call yourself 5 years ago and you only had 30 seconds, what would you say?
I saw this question the other day on AOL and posed it to our CENTsational followers in our Facebook group! The response was so interesting that I wanted to ask ALL of our CENTsational readers like you. I’ve heard everything from quit your job, to marry him, watch your spending, to spend more time with people who are no longer with us. Please leave your comments below. We can wait to hear!
{Shopping Confession} I Spent More Because It Was On Sale
So Good…It’s a Steal
It was last Wednesday, the hottest day of the year thus far in Atlanta. I had just completed FREE yoga in the park with some of my girlfriends from work when I decided to see if H&M still had a swimsuit I saw just two weeks ago. I walked in and didn’t really notice anything out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, before I could even get to the swimsuits, I walked pass a rack of collar shirts in the front of the store, that would be perfect for summer. I picked up three. They are on sale for $7.00 a pop… that’s a steal, I thought to myself. Then I proceeded to the middle of the store where I was flooded…no… completely overwhelmed with red sale signs. My cousin, who witnessed this too, saw me transform from She Makes Cents… back to Danielle who gets a high from shopping. Sometimes I forget we are one and the same. Thirty minutes and fourteen hangers worth of clothes later, I was on the way to the dressing room. For so long, I have done such a great job controlling my spending that I forgot just how good it felt to shop.
Thank goodness for bad fits and wrong sizes because I ended up putting back practically everything, except two pairs of flats and a white sequin blazer. I got to the checkout, opening my wallet knowing that this purchase would max out last week’s shopping/entertainment category for my envelope system, and I swiped my debit card anyway. It’s okay….I thought to myself…I saved money because I decided against all those other outfits I tried on.
The Morning After
I woke up the next morning with a major hangover…a shopping hangover, that is. You know, when you are hit with the remembrance of last night’s out of control shopping escapade. All of the warm and fuzzies have worn off and I am left trying to recall what exactly I spent my money on. Things became clearer in the light of day and I realized that the left ballet flat was a size 6 (my size) and the right flat was a size 8 (not my size). Not so cute anymore, huh? And how about that blazer? I was forced to ask myself the same question that my cousin asked me in the midst of my excitement the night before. Where in the hell are you going to wear a white sequin blazer? That night I swore I would wear it in Vegas, but in reality, it will be over 110° when I am there. Yes, outside of the pink iridescent ballet flats that remind me of my old pointe shoes, my trip to H&M was an epic fail. They didn’t even have the bikini I walked in there for.
Can You Relate?
Tell Me About YOUR last “Hangover”.
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