Don't let Christmas make your money rubber!

This piece is from Soulkissestv.com 

10 Ways To Save On Christmas

October 11, 2011 By SangDuong

1. Make a budget. Be realistic and sit down with everyone in your family and discuss realistically what can be afforded. I know it’s not the hottest topic to discuss, but if your whole family knows the budget then their requests will be more reasonable and help lessen the stress.

2. Plan ahead. Know what you want for the Holiday Season whether it’s buying gifts for one another to having a sit down dinner or going on vacation. Again whatever you decide to do put on paper and start planning early. Its mid September but a few weeks from now your schedule may not allow enough time to plan for a wonderful stress free Holiday Season.

3. Write it all down. Once you know your budget and you start planning what you envision your Christmas  Season to be like be sure to write it all down. This makes for a great quick reference and the human mind does not keep track of our decisions as accurately as we wish! Writing down your plan will help you stay within budget and keeps your expectations in check and realistic.

4. If you are purchasing gifts be sure to ask those persons you are buying for to give you a list of 4-5 realistic options within your budget. I know it’s not very popular to ask and you should be thankful for anything given but it’s nice to get what you like. I’m more for the surprise type but with the current economy I am more than thankful for items I do need.

5. Ask for needs. It’s not popular to get items you need, but it can be less stress for you when money is already tight getting items you are in need of. I like Starbucks but with small kids in my house the hubby and I rarely get an opportunity to use a Starbucks gift card. For our family a gift card to Walgreens would be more suitable.

6. Exchange childcare. If you do plan on going shopping consider shopping early in the year and exchanging child care with a friend. Take turns watching each other’s kids so you can go shopping in peace. Do you find yourself spending more money when you have your kids with you? Treat yourself to less stress and shop being relaxed and not rushed. If you truly need to save money plan out your transactions and don’t shop with others, this will help stay on budget and keep to a plan.

7. Shop Clearance and Discontinued items. So this may not be popular but if you have limited funds look for clearance items and be sure to keep your budget in mind when shopping around for items. Look for Manager Specials or closeout sales. Often times you can find some really good items fairly cheap if you just take the time to look around hence the reason start early.

8. Set up a Storage area. The worst thing you can do to yourself is shop early and accumulate your gifts and put them away in different spots and then when it comes to pull them out you don’t know where you put them. Designate one place to store those items. A cheap alternative is get a Cubby Tote drawer from Target for $2.50 from the $1 area and use that you place your items in and put it in a closet high for small kids not be able to reach. For bigger items consider a plastic tote 18 gallons or bigger or even the under the bed flat totes but make sure it’s a solid color and not a clear one.

9. Label Everything. When you buy a gift be sure to label with masking tape who the gift is for and for what occasion. If you are like me I will buy items when they are on clearance or at their lowest price and store them for birthdays or special treats but be sure to label them so you don’t have the hassle of trying to remember.

10. Buy after the Holiday Season. So let’s start early for next year! So you may find some discounted Holiday items right now but you will really save just after the Holiday season primarily the 2nd week of January all the way to the 2nd week of February. I spent $10 one year and got all my Christmas decorations including lights, ornaments (custom) and solid decorative bulbs, tree, wrapping paper, tape and much more for the following year. I waited till everything was 95% off and I am thankful every year after that.

Enjoy your holiday shopping!

*Jezzie's two cents :This is just a list of ways to try and have some money to spend after Christmas has come and gone. Take heed. I know we all like to give gifts and see reactions but I know none of us wants to deal being broke and incurring overdraft fees because of it. You work to hard to have lint in your pockets.

The Tanning of America Web Series

I'm all about learning more so this book put me onto some things. I love music and some aspects of business. I realize that they do go hand in hand, and this book is the blueprint for showcasing it. This web series is a result of the book and a this qickest way to get some to ingest some of the information without reading the book (although, I really wish you guys would crack the spine on it and nourish your minds) by music executive turned advertising genius Steve Stoute. The Tanning of America: How Hip-Hop Created a Culture That Rewrote the Rules of the New Economy. This book is about how the music and culture of Hip-Hop changed the world. Today's generation is no longer just about race, gender, orientation, etc. This generation is different. They listen and then buy according to what they really like.  They see with their ears as far as music goes. This book goes into depth about how the author went from making deals with musicians to bridging the gap between age groups for companies that needed new life and wanted to know how to reach the youth. In this series, Stoute speaks with some of the most influential people in the music business and how they and their actions effect and have effected the world. The following episode features Pharrell Williams.

http://stupiddope.com/2011/11/19/the-tanning-effect-steve-stoute-pharrell-video/2/

What YOU know about The Foreign Exchange?!

New Tigallo, New Tigallo, New Tigallo is what they call him. You may know him as Phonte, or 1/2 of super group The Foreign Exchange. The other member of the gruesome twosome is Nicolay, aka the baddest man from the Netherlands, or as I like to think of him The skyscraper of soul. This past Monday night (11/14/11) was the highly anticipated FE show here in the STL. I'd known about the show for a while but since I couldn't get off early, I was thinking about skipping it. I'm glad I thought about it again and didn't. I left at work at nine and after a struggle in the parking garage me and one of my besties (hey Jenny!) headed to the show. As soon as  I stepped in the door and immediately I felt relaxed. (Cue Beanie Sigel's "Feel It In the Air) I'm not a stressed out person but I'd had a long day and had an early tomorrow looming in my mind. Nevertheless, I let the music take me away. They played music from all of their albums :Connected, Leave it All Behind, Authenticity. Phonte did some joints from his solo project Charity Starts At Home. They even gave their band mates some time to shine. Sy Smith is bubbling over with talent. ZO! is an artist in his own right. He may play the keys for the band but he has his own works too. (see Just Visiting three and SunStorm). The show was FABULOUS! I hope my energy comes across my in type because that's just how serious I am. I love great music, even more so when it's live and they did not disappoint. Everyone was enjoying themselves and shaking the stress of the day away. People started to electric slide they feeling it so much. ( I didn't because I have my own issues with it that won't be discussed here) The vibe in the building was one that was just inviting. It was refreshing because STL crowds can be difficult. FE made me feel like I was apart of the show. I saw folk I hadn't seen in months. I love how music can bring us together. The band had us all singing our hearts out and meeting new people. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I have been a fan but this just made me love them even more. FE & friends shared themselves with me and my fellow concert goers that night and that experienced is not something that I take lightly. FE encourages/mandates us to fight for love and good music. I even bought a $20 t-shirt! And if you know me, you know that that's a big deal, a dub on t-shirt in these times ain't nothing to play about. I took some video of the concert. I know it's not the best quality but it's the best I could do to give you a piece of the magic from that night. Enjoy!

Um yeah, this ish is creepy.

I should've posted this yesterday but I was sleepy. This is a short film buy Shia LaBeouf featuring Kid Cudi going by his gov't name Scott Mescudi. This film is simply creepy, and disturbed. It's a film crew following two French murderers who kill for no reason. While it's not Halloween anymore it is dark outside and at times when the winds howl, and tree branches cast crazy shadows, thoughts this 10 minute clip is sure to mess with your psyche.

Sesame Street has done it again

Never let be said that Sesame Street stops reaching people once they leave kindergarten. This chocolate colored puppet is back to show that she can be whoever she wants to  be. Great message for kids, even better for some of us adults who from time to time may feel down on ourselves and our occupational outlook.

Yeah I write poetry sometimes...

Here's the deal. I like to express my feelings, thoughts,and opinions. Sometimes in the form of poetry, but I rarely let people see or even know that I do so. I don't like people assuming that just because I rock a FIERCE natural and enjoy Neo-soul, and brown rice that I participate in poetry slams. I don't, I won't say I never will but I don't as of today. ANYWAY, I'm feeling courageous so I am going to share my latest piece with you. If you don't like it I do not want to know. What can I say? I'm sensitive.

Jezzie’s Lament

You know what I hear time and time again? “Jessiree, why do you treat these guys that way? You act as if you’ve got ice water coursing through your veins” No sugar, not true. No ice in my heart or veins, I just refuse to be driven insane by these “too cool for school” types guys, these “hit and never think of you again” type guys, these” baby you’re just too good for me that’s why we could never be” type guys. Save it for someone who doesn’t know any better. I understand we all have to take our lumps in the pursuit of finding our happily ever afters, but I decided to take fewer and yield the same results. I decided to be proactive in my interactions with men. If you don’t call, don’t expect me to.  Baby I’m not sorry to report that I won’t be chasing you. Not by text, missed calls, tweets or wall posts. If you don’t recognize the real when you see it there’s nothing I can do to make you believe it. When I show interest and it is returned with a blank stare, I switch gears. I’m not the type to stay around to see how long it takes you to care.  So when we finally do reconnect, if it seems like I’m surrounded by an air of nonchalance, it’s because I am. .” I don’t want to hear how much you’ve missed me, because my response will simply be “Awww, that’s sweet.” That’s the God’s honest truth .I won’t allow myself to give a damn about man who doesn’t know how true, pure, and good I am.  You won’t get the chance to squeeze this Charmin, darling. I may not be perfect, but I’m perfect for somebody. It may not be you and that’s cool, no hard feelings boo. I just don’t want you to lie to me, cause I won’t lie to you. I don’t want to be your “kick it girl”, you know the one you call when you have that itch that needs to be scratched. You can miss me with all that.  I want to be in love and be booed up all year long. I’m better than a midnight booty call. You have to admit that we’re both getting to old for that type of behavior. I’m a grown woman and like you I demand love and respect and if you can’t handle that then it’s “on to the next, on, on to the next one.”  If you want to play then I can too. It’s just game that we both may lose. I’m no loser, I play to win and in this game of hearts we can both be victorious if you just grow up and let me in. 

That's why I love T.I.

TI, TIP, KING, Clifford Harris. Whatever you choose to call him, you know his name. Whether you know him for his rapping, acting, arrests, community service or life saving tactics (see here) you have to respect him. Well, you don't have to but I do. There is something about that man that no matter what he does I can't stay mad at him. Guns, fighting, drugs, jail. I CANNOT. Maybe because I feel like I know him. He's like the protagonist of real life if real life was an epic saga (think Gilgmesh) . He has tragic flaws but he's a good guy. Case and point, this past weekend at an after party for the BET Hip Hop awards alongside the music, dancing and reverie. There was alcohol, celebrities, common folk and CELEBRITY EGOS. Namely Diddy's. Some guys decided to be different and drink Grey Goose and not Ciroc. Little did they know, that them using their free will would cause Diddy to berate them. In comes TI. Passionate, level headed and full of common sense to diffuse the situation. I definitely love and appreciate him for who and what he is. Okay enough my Stan feelings about TI, lol. Watch the clip below to see how it all unfolds. Afterwards cue the Be Easy track.