There’s no denying that the staggering economy is impacting even the most resilient of us.  If you’re still employed, be thankful — but let’s face it, it’s time to get serious about your finances.  Yes, it’s important to budget and to spend within your means, but beyond the elementary, there are easy lifestyle adjustments that can save you a nifty amount — as long as you’re willing to commit to these changes.

GET THAT COOKBOOK CRACKIN’
Cooking for most of the week can save you so much money. $50 at the grocery can easily turn into a week’s worth of meals for one. If you’re itching to dine out with your girlfriends on the weekend, pick a special day to splurge (within reason), but be disciplined and dine-in the other nights of the week.  Plan your groceries accordingly so that you don’t waste. That means buying tomatoes and actually using all of them throughout the week as opposed to letting them rot after cooking one meal. You have to be dedicated to make this work, but you might find experimenting with various recipes a great alternative to plopping in front of the TV with greasy takeout.

BRING OUT THE LYSOL WIPES
It’s time to do your own cleaning, darling. If you’re outsourcing your weekly housekeeping to a mobile maid, it’s time to re-evaluate whether this is a service you really need. Tough decision, I understand. But are you really so busy that you can’t pick up the duster and pan yourself?  If you’re adverse to cleaning, break up the chores over the course of the week and do a little each day. Taking 10 minutes to vacuum doesn’t seem so bad, right? The key is to stay consistent so that you’re never forced to clean anything disturbingly gross. Translation, don’t wait 2 months to clean that toilet bowl.
WALK YOUR OWN POOCH
If you’re hiring a dog walker because you can’t bring yourself to wake up 30 minutes earlier to walk your dog, slap yourself in the head and just do it. Unless you’re working 16 hour days, there’s no good reason to not get a bit of good exercising for yourself and your dog, together…for free.

BEAUTIFY YOURSELF, LITERALLY YOURSELF
It’s time to nix those biweekly $40 manicures and $60 facials. Unless it’s a special occasion, take time to pamper yourself at home.  Not the same?  Be creative and invite your girlfriends over to add a bit of juicy gossip to your at-home spa session. You’ll get your nails done, enjoy the company of friends, and most importantly, save money.

So what are you willing to change to make yourself recession-smart? Share your ideas with us!

• For more ideas, read Saving During a Troubled Economy

Looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift for your conscious sweetheart?  Here are some snob-approved ideas to help you out.

1. Nix the butchered stems and keep the vase.

Flowers can make a sweet Valentine’s gift — but after a few days, the wilted and droopy blooms can be a sad state.  This Valentine’s, forget the bouquet and send your love some potted blossoms.  Potted orchids are beautiful alternatives to roses, and better yet they can continue to bloom year after year.  If your special someone isn’t keen on flowers, how about a love fern? Remember the good consequences that followed in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days?

2. Adorn her with something unique.

Tiffany’s is certainly a popular favorite, but this Valentine’s get her something every other girl won’t have.  Check out Etsy.com for handmade crafts and jewelry pieces that come from an array of creative designers.  It’s a great place to find something beautiful — at the right price.

3. Profess your love virtually and save a tree.

With so many online cards and videos, you can express your love without the traditional mandatory Valentine’s card.  You can email your sweetheart an animated V-day card every hour if you want, or for something even more personalized, profess your feelings for him or her in a Youtube video or a sappy slideshow.  Need inspiration?  There’s plenty of them online already, so scope out a few before you get started on your own.

4. Fix her sweet tooth with organic goodness.

Does your lover love chocolate?  Seal the deal with a box of organic chocolate this year.  The shelf life won’t be as long…but the delectable chocolates will be worth every bite.  When did chocolate take too long to finish anyways?  Added plus, you can help consume the sweets so that it’s finished in a timely fashion.

5. Relax with a couple’s massage.

There’s nothing better than helping your love relax… and sharing the experience with him/her.  Most day spas offer couples massages for sweethearts to enjoy a relaxing hour besides one another.  And frankly, what’s better than unwinding with a Swiss massage before your Valentine’s dinner?

For more ideas, be sure to read Sexy Snob’s “Valentine’s Day: Make it Special” article.  And remember, Valentine’s is just a reminder to celebrate your love every day!

When you look in the mirror what do you see?  An extra five pounds beseeching yet another New Year’s resolution to lose weight?  A look of distaste that you’re still wearing last season’s fashion?  Why does it seem like women are always quick to point out the negative and forgetful of things otherwise wonderful and great?  Why does every new year prompt resolutions for change and transformation? Why do women not start the new year reminding themselves to continue being what they love about themselves? Understandably there’s always room for improvement and bad habits to kick for good, but constant self-criticism is NOT the way to celebrate yourself or the new year.

Instead of the continuous need to “be better,” we should remind ourselves to be happy with the way things are now, grateful for what we have instead of wistful for what we want.  In 2009, don’t allow yourself to starve for a high school reunion and don’t force yourself into debt for a new wardrobe makeover.  Let this new year be about loving you for who you are.

Take time periodically to think about all the great things that DO exist in your life and be thankful. You probably already have more clothes, shoes, makeup and jewelry than you can remember.  You may also have some great friendships or a fabulous job that you love.  Appreciate and make the most of what you have.  If you’re craving for something new or different, mix and match your wardrobe, try out new things with your friends, or seek out a new opportunity at work.  This is a year to treasure what you already have and to appreciate the simple joys of life. So go out there into the new year and love yourself!

There is always room for growth, but don’t forget what is already great NOW. There is always the need to be better than others. Competition lies in our genetic code.  The drive to be a part of the fittest and the finest is intrinsic to being human.  We want to be smarter, prettier, taller, funnier, and happier than those around us — but if we keep comparing ourselves to others,  we’ll never be satisfied.  Keeping up with the Joneses will only make you more miserable.  Forget how others are living and look at how you are living.  If it’s already great, why change?  While it is always necessary to assess what areas in life need improvement, there’s a fine line between self-improvement and self-demoralization.  Signing up for the gym is great if you know it will improve your health, but signing up just so you can be thinner than your roommate will not lead to deep personal satisfaction. 

You’re great the way you are. Really!  A part of us loves us, and another part is a perfectionist that rears its head at the most unexpected times.  One moment we give ourselves a smile and wink at our reflection and another moment we might give a snarl and a sigh.  Take time every morning to make yourself look your best so that everyday has a beautiful, energetic start.  If wearing glasses and sweats to the office makes you feel sluggish and gross, then take the time to put on contacts and slacks to boost your confidence and self-esteem.  You are a strong and engaging human being, so don’t sell yourself short.

Build confidence. So the next time you go to the mirror, look at yourself again and give a big smile.  Be confident that the person you see in front of you is someone that is seen as beautiful by others as well.  Know that you have control and power over how you feel and how you project yourself to others.  By loving yourself, the relationships you build are rooted in genuine friendship and love instead of resentment or jealousy.  By setting an example, you can help others see themselves in a new light.

The Conscious Snob wrote about iPodmeister back in September, and recently we were notified that there are new and better changes in their exchange program.  We also scored a few direct answers about this company.  iPodmeister allows you to exchange your old CDs and DVDs for a brand new iPod, iPhone or a 1 terrabyte hard drive, and they even can digitize all your CDs so you can upload the songs onto your new iPod!  All products exchanged are current models, brand new and sealed.

If you have a ton of CDs and DVDs collecting dust, it is a pretty good idea to gather them up and exchange them for a greener way to appreciate music.  And what happens to the CDs we give away?  iPodmeister sends them to developing countries where other cultures can listen and appreciate them.  They also buy your CDs if you have more than enough for exchanging, and allow you to “buy” credit towards your free iPod or iPhone.  It’s not too shabby, and a pretty sweet deal.

Check out the website here for more details.

We were able to ask Kris questions about iPodmeister, and here are his responses.

How did iPodmeister manifest?

Neighbors and friends were complaining about the relatively high cost of the first iPods and the extremely stressful and long lasting task of ripping their old CDs themselves. For many college- and graduate students like us $200-$400 for an iPod is a lot of money. And it takes between 4 and 8 minutes to rip one individual CD. We experimented a bit, bought some old PCs and tinkered with them (deleting all other software, buying faster CD drives, etc.). After some months, we had a pretty fast set-up for converting our music CDs into mp3-back-up copies. We then offered our service to friends and family members … who recommended us after using our service … which led to other satisfied customers recommending us.

We can’t afford any advertising and our business has grown solely based on personal recommendations, word of mouth, blogs, etc.

How were you able to market your idea?

We can’t afford any advertising and our business has grown solely based on personal recommendations, word of mouth, blogs, etc… These people turned to journalists (Newsweek, Minneapolis Star Tribune) who then tried our service and wrote enthusiastic reviews.

What has been the best part about being a part of iPodmeister thus far?

It is very satisfying to provide a service which makes everybody happy: the customer gets a new, unopened iPod essentially for free. CDs which are often several years or decades old and have only been collecting dust are made accessible again. We export them in bulk to Eastern Europe where people appreciate them. Old CDs which haven’t been played in years, just taking up space in the attic or the basement, find a new home and will be listened to by somebody in a less developed country who will appreciate the music.

Where do you see iPodmeister going in the next few years?

We would like to grow organically (personal referrals, word of mouth, press reports) and provide this service to larger parts of the community. It is a green, recycling loop: unused CDs are utilized as a bartering tool for a new iPod and then forwarded to people who will use and appreciate them again. iPodMeister provides us, its employees with a flexible part-time job where we can work at any hour of the day, night, or weekend to finance our years as college and graduate students. It’s a win-win for everybody involved. Recently, we have been so busy that we haven’t been able to update our website which we will do as soon as we find a minute.

Considering a furry addition to your home? Whether you’re considering your first pet or looking for your second or third, I highly suggest thinking about the different ways your new pet can come to you.  I’ve had several friends who have had a great experience purchasing pets, but personally, I find pet adoption an even more rewarding event.  Although it may seem like there’s more work in adopting a pet, the truth is that taking care of any pet is going to require a certain level of commitment from you. If you think you’re ready to share your home with a dog or a cat, consider the following 5 points.

Are you ready to commit? While taking care of a dog may not be as strenuous as caring for a child or working full-time, it still takes time and responsibility.  The basics involve being able to feed and walk your new dog at least twice — daily.  If you have a sporadic work schedule or know that you can’t commit to these fundamental needs of a dog, then consider getting a cat.  Even if you’re able to hire a dog-sitter or a dog walker to help you out, remember that your dog also needs baths, occasional vet visits, and most importantly, attention and love from you.

Evaluate yourself. First, make sure you’re not allergic to pets.  If your eyes well up whenever you’re near Fido, then leave Fido to someone else’s care.  Next, consider your lifestyle and what kind of pet you’re looking for.  Dogs have a wide range of personalities and different levels of energy.  Think about what you can handle and what works best with your personality.  Finding a pet, to a slight degree, is similar to finding a significant other… you guys have to work well together.

Think money. Taking care of a pet is an expense.  While the basic costs tend to be minimal and predictable (unless you’re spoiling your pet with Coach collars and LV carriers), there can be incidents where you may have to rush your pet to the vet for emergencies.  These visits can be very costly.  And if your pet happens to have bad teeth, be prepared to pay a sizable sum for doggy dentistry.

Screen the animal. Determine the criteria and qualities that you’d like your new pet to have before you start your pet hunt.  Like humans, dogs come with different characteristics and different temperaments.  The best thing is to test a dog’s temperament before you make the commitment to take it home, this will ultimately benefit both of you.

Consider adoption. An innumerable number of dogs and cats are put to sleep in shelters each year because there just aren’t enough homes for them.  Instead of encouraging over-breeding (and even worse, the proliferation of dog mills), why not adopt from your local pound or animal shelter?  If you’re a first time dog owner, there are a number of foundations that help with your adoption process.  Many of them will screen you and your home first before they allow you to adopt, to insure that you’re ready and able to make this commitment.  If you’re looking to adopt a particular breed or type of pet, a good starting place is petfinder.com, which allows you to search for your criteria in your local area.

I can’t stress how rewarding it is to give an adopted pet a comfortable and loving home.  If you’re looking for a furry companion, think about these five points before you take action, and please, remember to consider our very last point!

The amount of jewelry we have available to us today surmounts any possible collection that could have been amassed by our parents in their generation, but more doesn’t always have significance.  Aside from those special pieces given to us by our loved ones, how much of our jewelry collection actually means something to us other than as mere accessories we use to jazz up our outfits?

It is precisely for this reason that we fell in love with PONO Accessories’ inspiring jewelry collection.  Seen on The Devil Wears Prada, Gossip Girls, and recently featured on Harper’s Bazzar, PONO’s increasing popularity is owed not only to its unique style and vibrant colours but also to its incredible mission to benefit non-profit organizations around the world through its Give Love, Practice Peace collection.

The Give Love, Practice Peace collection focuses on three different causes: Give a Girl a Chance, Al Gore’s The Climate Project, and The Natural Resources Defense Council.  PONO has designed jewelry made specific for each of these causes with the commitment to donate a percentage of the sales to each non-profit and the intention of promoting awareness through their jewelry’s message-specific designs.

Of the three causes, Give a Girl a Chance tugged most at our heartstrings.  A Feminenza International global program, Give a Girl a Chance works with Non-Governmental Organizations in Africa to rescue and rebuild the lives of girls who are victims of female genital mutilation and forced marriage.  For this cause, PONO donates 20% of their total sales from their  “Brightness of Life” collection — a line of colorful and intricately beaded bangles that were inspired by beaded bracelets made by the Masai tribial woman in Kenya.

My favorite bangles are the Golden Strand Brightness of Life Bangles, which are made from glass beads and radiate three different color schemes: Cherry Gold, Rainbow Gold, and Garnet Gold.  I’ve tried them and I love them.  I’m already thinking about sending these to friends as Thanksgiving and/or Christmas gifts.  They’re beautiful with a meaningful message — AND all three can be purchased for $50, which is a steal since the bangles are usually sold at $20 each.

Other pieces from PONO’s Give Love, Practice Peace collection may seem a bit pricier, but remember there’s message and action taken with each item purchased.  To help you make your decision more easily, readers of The Conscious Snob will be given an exclusive 10% discount towards their entire purchase.  Purchases must be made through PONO Accessories’ online Ebay store.  Once you’ve made the purchase, notify the PONO seller that you have have a discount code from The Conscious Snob and 10% of your purchase will be refunded to your account.  Coupon code: conscioussnob

So why wait?  Send a message to others by choosing to wear jewelry that does more than just “bling.”  Happy shopping!

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If you’re in New York City, you’re in luck.  PONO will be having a sample sale in their showroom starting Tuesday, November 11th and ending Friday, November 1th from 9 am - 7 pm. All items will be 60%-80% off retail price and purchases of over $100 will be able to pick a free item.

Address:
Bobbi Trim/PONO Accessories
8th Floor
132 West 36th St.
New York City, NY 10018
Visit their online Ebay store

Many of us isolate the act of giving to birthdays, anniversaries and routine holidays, but Cami Walker has found giving to be an act of kindness that has changed her life and the lives around her.  Cami is the creator of 29Gifts.org, a growing community of supportive, fellow gift-givers.  The challenge of 29 Gifts is simple, it’s to give 29 consecutive days of gifts.  These gifts can be anything, ranging from material things like donations and food to intangible things like your time, well-wishes or even your smile.  Once someone commits to becoming a giver, how they want to fulfill this commitment is up to them, but the mission is clear: giving something positive back to the world around you should be a concept that you live with everyday.  Explaining how she approaches her giving, Cami says, “Each day I make a conscious effort to connect with another person in a positive way.”

The concept of 29 Gifts started with Cami’s personal story.  At a time when she was struggling with Multiple Sclerosis and adjusting to the challenges of relocating to a new city, Cami was advised by her spiritual mentor to tackle her own depression by refocusing some of her attention to giving to others.  The advice was to give away 29 things in 29 days.  From the start of her first gift, Cami’s life took a drastic turn for the better.  By the end of her first cycle of giving, her career had taken a turn, she had a new circle of friends, and she was finally able to walk on her own.  That was the start of the 29 Gifts movement and since then the number of givers has blossomed.

The Conscious Snob spoke with Cami herself to bring you more details of this gift-giving movement.

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How did you get the idea of the 29 Gifts Challenge?

“This actually came about because I was working with one of my spiritual mentors.  I was dealing with a really serious illness, multiple sclerosis.  She gave me this as a prescription because I was having a really bad struggle at the time and I had called her to complain yet again.  She interrupted me and said, ‘Cami, you really need to stop thinking about yourself.’  and I was very angry actually, but it interrupted the negative tirade that I was on.  I think I stopped talking long enough for me to think a little bit, and I was like, ‘What do you mean?  Things are horrible right now, what else am I supposed to think about?’  And she suggested that I give 29 things in 29 days.”

When did you start?  When was your first gift given?

“It was in March, mid-March.”

From that point forward, did you give a gift consecutively for 29 days?

“Yes.  I’ve actually given gifts consecutively now for almost 7 cycles [of 29 days].  I’ve actually been doing it everyday for however long that is.”

What kind of gifts do you give away?  Does the gift have to have a particular significance or meaning for that day?

“I don’t plan my gifts. I just go through the day and look for a good opportunity to give. A good example is yesterday. I went out.  I’d hurt myself, I’d hurt my back, and I had to leave and go to the chiropractor late in the afternoon.  As I was coming back home, there was a man who was dumpster-diving near my house.  He looked like someone I would have been scared to approach 7 months ago, honestly.  But I just literally felt moved [...] and I walked across the street.  He was in the dumpster at the time and I took 10 dollars out of my wallet, folded it up and tucked it into the top part of his shopping cart and left.”

What are some other examples of gifts?

“The first gift I ever gave, I actually made a supportive phone call to a friend of mine who struggles with MS.  So sometimes it’s something like that, or like a compliment that I give to somebody, or something material.  Like today I had a 50 dollar gift card that somebody had given me for a gift and I decided to send it to somebody else.  The gifts can be anything, it doesn’t have to be something material. It can be kind words or a prayer.”

How do people join the 29 Gifts Challenge?  Do you keep track of their 29 days of gift giving?

“They sign up on the website.  They fill out a profile on the website [...] and that’s them making the commitment.  There are many number of ways that they can keep track.  Some people will blog about what they give everyday on the site [on their personal giving blog], some people don’t really like to publicly share that way, so we have a free, downloadable 29 gifts calendar.  My request is that each person submit a story at the end of their process, if they’re not blogging all the time, that tells how focusing on giving affected their lives.  The point is to raise people’s awareness about giving, and as far as I’m concerned, if you focus on giving on 3 days or 29 days, it’s going to make a positive impact on your life and the lives of other people.”

So when people commit, are they only committed to one cycle of 29 days?

“Some do and some don’t. Some people do 29 days and don’t come back to the site, and some people [...] have been on the site for 4, 5, 6 months and they’re actively giving every day still.”

How has this entire process impacted you?

“It’s totally turned my life around, honestly.  When I started this I had been hospitalized 5 times over just a very short period of time and I couldn’t walk, literally, without a cane or assistance.  I was broke because I hadn’t been able to work in months and I was extremely isolated because i had just moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles kind of in the midst of all this sickness and I didn’t know anybody here.  I was feeling very lonely.

So, on day one, I gave my first gift at 6 AM.  I called my friend and made a supportive call to her and we talked for about an hour or so.  At 8 AM, the phone range and it was the Packard Foundation calling with a consulting offer, totally out of nowhere.  Then I went to breakfast. I was like, I’m going to celebrate even though I have no money.  I took my credit card, had my husband drop me off at breakfast. I’d exchanged a few words with this guy who was eating near me, and as I’m sitting there waiting, the waiter comes over and said ‘Oh, that guy just paid for your meal on the way out!’.

I sat for a while longer, but it was going to be two hours before my husband was going to come get me because he was at auditions, so i thought, ‘Maybe I’ll try to walk home, it’s 6 blocks but I have my cane and I could always sit down if things get bad.’”

It took Cami 45 minutes but she managed to walk the whole 6 blocks with the help of her cane.

“Honestly, I hadn’t walked more than a block away from my house for months because I was always afraid that if I got too far away I wouldn’t be able to get home.

By the end of my 29 days, things had totally turned around, my business was booming [...], and I was able to work again part-time, I was walking without the cane by the end of the 29 days and I had actually made a lot of friends because I had started to leave the house to meet people.  So things were really different, and since I’ve been giving every day, I have not had another major flair up of my MS.  I still deal with all the residual neurological damage, so I still have significant symptoms that were present before, but I haven’t had a flair up where new symptoms present or things get worse since I started this.”

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Recently, the 29 Gifts Challenge reached its goal of getting 2,000 members committed to giving at least one full 29-day cycle, but there many like Cami who are going on to their 4th, 5th, or even 6th cycle of giving.  Enthused by the success of the challenge thus far, the organizations new goal is to reach 29,000 committed givers.

Will you join the challenge?

—-images from 29gifts.org—-

With all the turmoil on Wall St. and the upset surrounding the economic bailout, it turns out something good has come out of it for people who bike to work. So if you’re a biker, or thinking about biking because of the ridiculous price of gas, read on!

As the SF Chronicle reports, starting in January 2009 people who bike to work can claim a monthly $20, tax-free reimbursement from their employers. The money is intended to help these bikers purchase or maintain their bikes and is, of course, tax deductible for their employers.

While the amount may seem small, the message is clear. Biking to work is a legitimate and commendable mode of transportation. So for those of us who live close enough to make this commitment — just think about the money you’ll save from not having to pay for gas and the gym!

A part of The Conscious Snob is to find new interests in life that are meaningful, big or small.  This topic will focus on classical music.

Some people say that only 3% of the world even like classical music, and many people believe that classical music is a dying art.  What if this is just the beginning of classical music?  Anyone who can hear is able to appreciate the wonders of this music, but why don’t we?  Is it considered boring, elevator music, or perhaps we never really experienced it the way it should be experienced?

To be able to listen, understand and be moved by a song is a wonderful experience.  Music is universal, and people from South Africa and the Netherlands are able to hear the same song and evoke the same feelings.  Consider this video of a lecture given by Benjamin Zander, who is a talented and passionate conductor and musician.  He breaks down a piece of Chopin for his audience, telling them to imagine a loved one who is no longer with them, and then he played the song.  It’s amazing how a song can guide your feelings and take you along for the ride.

Give it a try.  AOL Radio provides free classical music, as well as the iTunes radio feature.  Just sit back, relax, and let the chords take you on a wonderful journey.  Imagine a world where instead of 3% of the world loves this type of music, but everybody can love it with you.

With Facebook, Myspace, and all the other social networking websites out there, it’s flattering to know that we can easily have 300+ people in our friend’s list. But when it comes to having friends we can trust and rely on, the number rapidly dwindles. What’s most important, however, is that we’re able to identify these close relationships in our lives, and to know whom to trust and confide in when we need it most. Here are a few things I suggest you consider when evaluating the good friendships in your life.

They know what’s going on in your life. Caring about how you’re doing and wanting to stay updated on what’s going on in your life is a sign of a dedicated friend. Let’s admit it, we’re all busy and it’s very easy to become submerged in our own lives. When we fret or need an ear, we turn to the people closest to us — and despite how busy their lives may be, they’ll make time for us. And they will find out about it from us personally, not through our online statuses.

Distance doesn’t matter. Good relationships don’t all need to be in the same town. While you may not be able to speak to a long-distance friend everyday, a good friend will make effort to stay in touch, to give you updates, and to learn how you’re doing. This is the type of friend you can talk to less frequently, but whenever you guys do get a chance to gab — it’s never awkward and never restrained.

They give genuine advice. When a good friend gives you advice it’s done so with your best interest in mind. You should never have to worry that there’s a hidden, second agenda. Even if you don’t agree with your friend’s advice, at least you know it’s genuine and heart-to-heart.   A good friend will tell you the truth, even if it hurts.

Time is irrelevant. How long you’ve known a person is not always the best indication of your friendship with them. Friendships, like all relationships, can change over time. We need to acknowledge when friendships change and shift our trust and loyalty accordingly. It’s unfortunate when old friendships eclipse to time, especially since it’s precisely these friendships that we expect to withstand anything and everything. Surprisingly, you may find yourself turning to a friend you’ve known for a much shorter time, if this friend understands and cares to help you through whatever you’re going through.

Most importantly, they’re there for you. When crap hits the fan, and you need a shoulder to cry on or a helping hand, your good friends will do what they can to be there for you. Whether it’s to sit through your sob-fest or to drive you to the ER, you know these are the friends you can call upon.

It’s important to know who our good friends are and to remind ourselves of how lucky we are to have these friendships. These friends will offer you the moral and physical support to get you through the worse of times and they’ll be there to rejoice and laugh with you through the best of times. Just remember, friendships work both ways. If you’re lucky enough to have such close friendships, don’t neglect being a good friend yourself!