brokebitch scenerio #18: control top panties for my life...

So I put my control top panties for life on the other day. Yep. control top panties for life. You can get some too for FREE. Imagine you're putting your control top panties on and CONTROL your life. Okay so I have few credit cards. A fabulous card I loved to swipe was a store credit card which literally got lost in all my moving. The bill kept getting lost in the mail going to my old addresses! So it was3 late charges later on a $20 bill! My friend Sonya helped me by calling and getting the bill down to ZERO! While small amounts are on most of the credit cards, they still have to be paid! Sometimes it's hard to even find $11 to pay the miniumum. So I was late by one day on a few. I called every card while wearing my control top panties...voila...all late charges removed. The secret, ask for a supervisor. Also BELIEVE you'll get them removed! Then the proudest moment while wearing my control top panties for life?! I called Discover where I have $4000 dollar balance and 29% interest. Yep $120 a month in interest! Ebony offered me a 9% interest rate if I'd freeze my account for 12 months!!! They always said to put credit cards in the freezer, done! 9% on a credit card!!!!! Sometimes you need a friend to push you into wearing your control top panties for life and getting control of what YOU deserve: a break or a brake on spending.

MM

Brokebitch Scenerio # 17 : smoothing out the wrinkles of brokedom

It's a vicious cycle of brokedom. While I'm proud to say I've been able to pay most of my bills on time...a few have slipped through my fingers. I've gotten calls and had to hold them off until I could find the money. I've learned for the most part they'll work with you if you communicate. never assume the bill devil will cast you into the flames of bill collector hell. Assume...u make an ass out of u and me. So thall shall not assume. So the cycle of brokedom starts with a call to fix one problem and next month it starts all over again! After every phone call I look in the mirror and pray that it won't happen again! As I've looked in the mirror lately I think "thank God for anti-wrinkle cream!" So I may not be able to put food on the table but my job at Clinique is looking good! Appreciate what you are achieving and maybe the rest will come. According to Kevin Costner's character in the "Field of Dreams" if you build it they will come. I'm not sure who "they" are but I hope they come with lots of money!

~MM

brokebitch scenerio # 16

I opened my mail. 9 envelopes. 8 envelopes contained bills. One contained my happiness for the day. $9. I received $9 from my insurance company. when you lose everything materialistic in your life you come to value what you have left. You truly value what you get too! 8 Years ago when my Grandfather's will gave me money I would of laughed at $9 and shoved it to the back of my desk like it wasn't important.

I'm finding I need less and less. I once went through my stuff in Indiana and said I could never get rid of this Coach purse. Now, it's like really? It's a Coach purse. Yes, you can get rid of it. What does a purse mean if you have nothing to put in it? Can you buy a Coach purse someday when you have money? Hell yes. Everything material is replaceable.

My Grandma celebrated her 85th birthday. This moment is irreplaceable. I sold my Tiffany Necklace and bracelet to be with her. You realize what is important when you're broke.

My friend Julie said "just think how much knowledge and appreciation you'll have when you make it!" It wasn't as if I didn't have great work ethic when I had money; it's a new appreciation that comes from living paycheck to paycheck. Most Americans do live paycheck to paycheck. It's as if I am being shown what it's like to have compassion and empathy for others.

I used to give canned food every year to different food pantries. However, I'd think to myself, who eats that? It's cheaper so, I do now. Life is funny.

~Mandi

brokebitch scenerio #15 a negative + a nagative = negative. a negative + positive = positve balance

(me and my friend Sonya, I dedicate this entry to her!)
I didn't pay attention in math class..too busy daydreaming about being a star...but I think a negative + a positive = a positive. Regardless of what pointless mathematicians say, I've proven it to be true. Two weeks ago, my friend/landlord called to tell me she rented her condo to someone else. Oh and I had 13 days to get out. heart. stopped. tears flooded ducts.

After consulting a seasoned landlord, she legally can't give me 13 days notice. Being the brokebitch I panicked about moving at such a short time frame. Hell, all I planned to do in that two week time span was work 100 + hours. Moving should be a breeze!

I sold some things I could live without. I heart craigslist. However my former landlord, lets call her "beeeyatch" for short, refused to give me my deposit back. So, I had to find more money to pay a deposit down on my new place! All the hectic moving left me offline unable to check my bank account. Yep. $1.32 cost me an overdraft fee of $35.00 x 4! That's math I definitely don't wanna get! $140. wtf.

Here's the good part of the story. My friend Sonya went to the bank and they say according to one of the new Obama administration laws, banks can't charge $35.00 for less than an overdraft of $5. That's an ah ha moment! The charges have been reversed.

I also WOmanned up and refused to pay $49 for my gym membership(yoga keeps me out of cookoo territory, for the most part)I broke it off with my gym today. I deserve a better rate. My life is gonna be what I MAKE of it! They are now charging me $30.

I ordered Victoria's Secret on my VS card. It didn't arrive. I called. They credited my account and gave me a gift card for $15. Hello...dicounted boob enhancement. Thanks Vicky.

when I knew last week I couldn't spend money as my bank account was in limbo, I decided I had to win a contest at Clinique. Whomever made 10 makeover appointments would be able to go shopping on Clinique. It was like a diabetic at a candy store. I would be a winner if it killed me! I won't let the bank...the beeeyatch or my critics win! I won. Hello...mr happy perfume...total turnaround(kind of goes with my week, right)and good bye wrinkles with youth surge! $150 in makeup!!! Tammy Faye was smiling down on me. YEP...I'M A WINNER!(The best part, I'll make money from the appointments, win win)

While I did get into the fetal position multiple times last week...I refused to let the negative win. However, it has left me to think my life is bipolar. I'm sure they make a medicene for that? Oh wait, they do, hello mr. adult beverage.


~MM

brokebitch scenerio # 14: worth more than a bank account...

(my rewind moment, Jim who actually got my autogragh,lol, he was just too cute!)
when you're stressed out about money everything is MAGNIFIED. It's understandable because EVERYTHING cost money. I walked around Lake Lynn today which on the surface appears free but it cost me $1 in gas to get there and back. It's frustrating not being able to get a coffee when you want one, especially when you are working almost 60 hours a week making good money. Life happens. You get behind but the bills continue. I've looked for a pause button, there isn't one. It would be nice if life could be as convenient as a remote control. Hit play when you're ready for another dose of life lessons...rewind to the good parts of life and replay...stop when life gives you a new challenge... but nope. No such invention yet. lol

Today I let a situation become magnified. I let people determine my worth today. I left feeling unimportant. People are all about themselves. Why would they think about anybody but themselves? When I wake up I think what is Mandi gonna do today? I don't think hmmm...who's gonna need me today and what can I d0? It's only normal. So why would I let someone not thinking of me determine my self worth! People do at TIMES think of others but for the most part, it's what do I need to get done next. You have to remember you're important and use your mind as your remote control,rewind to a success. Remind yourself you are worthy. I know being in radio I make somebody happy. I will rewind to past listener emails and pictures like the one above with listener Jim to regain my self worth. What will you do?

~MM

brokebitch scenerio #13: free is yumo

read the fine print cause it could be a FREEBIE. I bought lunch yesterday because I forgot mine. I spent the last $2 I had for the week. However, after looking at the fine print at the bottom of the Moe's receipt I saw FREEEEE joey burrito after you take a survey. I can take a survey. Two minutes=free lunch! Maybe I'll wear my free panty Victoria gave me last week. It'll be a celebration of FREEdom. ha ha. I heart free.

MM

brokebitch scenerio # 12: friends give you value that's priceless

Electricity $100...lite ice cream $2.50...Friends priceless. Monday my friend Lanell treated me to a day at the beach. It was the best day ever. I laughed a lot. I applied extra anti-wrinkle cream cause I smiled so much. I went to a movie for the first time in months and met Senator John Edwards. He watched the Bounty Hunter with us. Okay he was not next to us but three rows down! It was as if he stepped out of People magazine. It was so bizarre but fabulous. Oh and I know you want to know, he was alone(ha). Money couldn't buy that experience. See, friends are priceless.