Becoming A Minimalist Is Really Becoming Real To Me (The Money Squeeze, Getting Real About Saving Money)

Image Courtesy Of Pixabay

I have spent most of my life, saving money and I consider it one of my strongest attributes that come from my Dad because he was a saver and I learned a lot from him and some of my other relatives.

 Lately, I have realized that I have to cut corners even more because of the rising cost of just about everything around me at this time.

 There is no room for slacking off or making any excuses because sometimes you have to say to your own self (No!)

The holidays will be coming up in a few months and all the temptation will be there to spend, spend, spend but I will not be using any credit at all this holiday season because I have some goals that I must work towards for next year that is unavoidable.

Being a minimalist is not only a lifestyle but it is a practice and I have done it many times, one way or another but the truth is, I am a clothes horse and it pains me just to think about the clothing shopping trips that I will have to avoid this year and next year.

  Unless, I rework my strategy, of course, haha!

I prepared myself over the last few years to take advantage of sales and I have proudly amassed a large collection of clothes that will definitely be used during this time of me cutting back on my expenses.

  This will be a time that I will get very creative with the things that I already own and also reflect on the times that I had to cut back and all the blessings that God allowed me to have or to see.

You can never forget where you come from and I know with God's help I can make it through.  YouTube has been very helpful in showing different ways of using natural products for cleaning my home and this is assisting me with my minimalist lifestyle even further.

My name and motto on this blog are: How To Save Money And Look Good While Doing So, is the affirmation I am going to stand by and on my new journey I am going to share the powerful lessons that I have learned and still learning.

Please leave your comment below if you are a minimalist or thinking about becoming one.

We Are Being Priced Out In New York And New Jersey ( Housing Crisis)

     Image Courtesy Of Pixabay


I decided to do this post today because I was having a conversation with a couple of people regarding this subject.

 In New York and New Jersey, there are many new buildings going up and this is causing cities to become overcrowded.

 Many of these buildings are located near trains that run into Manhattan, NY and although it can be a perfect solution for a commuter it is a nightmare and a strain on cities already crowded buses and trains and the severe parking limitations.

 Schools in these areas have to deal with the added pressure on the schools because of overcrowding.  I also have to mention the strain on our pocketbooks.

In my area, there are studio apartments going for $2000.00 Per month. This has really affected small communities such as where I live.  I come from a small, what used to be a suburban area and miss the glory days of the tree lined streets, neighborhood watch, and neighbors that we knew and could trust if something went wrong in the neighborhood.

  We had each other backs and it was a good environment to grow up in.

At this time, I am being priced out my neighborhood due to extreme increases in rent and I can see the signs of gentrification taking place.

  To be priced out of a place that you have built your roots is heartbreaking.  Where are the poor, elderly and disabled going to go, something must be done about this situation?

 We have sat on our hands too long while our towns are being overrun by this so-called luxury apartments.

Lots of people are complaining about riding around for hours just to find a parking space.  We pay a lot of taxes in these towns and causing a lot of homeowners to give up and move out of State.

 I was searching for a reasonable apartment and did not find not one because the prices are out of this world.

I don't want to move out of State but may have to, to be able to live in a place that cares about its residents.  Please leave a comment if this is happening in your State.

When I Lost My Voice. My Story Of Living With A Chronic Illness.

         Image courtesy of Pixabay


When I Lost My Voice.

Ladies and Gentlemen, from time to time I will touch on my story of living with an invisible illness.  I told my story on Youtube so many of you know about my illness.  It is such a struggle to have to live with pain and suffering from day to day. 

 Today I am honestly in a depressed state because I am tired of the preparation, inability to live a normal life, the judgment from healthy people, and the life that I lived prior to being diagnosed with this illness.  For those who do not know, I have Congestive Heart Failure, Diabetes, COPD, and Asthma.

Normally, I try to be upbeat about my illness and pretend that I am normal but normal is what I will never be because of what being ill has stolen away from me.  I have lost precious moments, time that I cannot get back.

  I have to plan my medications for the day, preparing in advance for outings because I am on water pills and that can be a problem because you may not be close to public bathroom facilities.

Being ill will take a toll on you financially because you always have to think before buying anything and even though I plan everything, sometimes I want to be spontaneous. I am going on a family trip very soon and I am terrified because of all the advance planning that I will have to encounter.  The meals that I will not be able to enjoy like everyone else, the lines of people waiting to go into the lady's room.

I have lost my freedom to live the life that I wanted for myself, the opportunities that I have dreamed of. Being thankful for another day is my prayer and will never give up my faith but being ill is no walk in the park, it is a sentence that can never be acquitted.   

I would like to review your products

Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen.  I am a product reviewer and I have done reviews on my YouTube Channel right here  and I am interested in trying some new products.

 I am a personal care product fanatic and would love to show your products on my blog and YouTube channel as well.

 Interested in working with companies small and large.  You would have to send me your complimentary product and I will do the review.

  I would not share the review with my personal clients, you would have to share but you could share with as many outlets as you like. If you are interested please send me an email and I will respond back.


Reviews I have done on YouTube:

I have done a lot more reviews, so please visit my YouTube channel to see them all.

How To Find A Financial Mentor.

Finding a financial mentor is very important to learn how to make money and to keep the money.  Below are videos regarding this subject.  It is very important especially if you have lived in poverty.

Resources for people with disabilities

There are so many people who are sick and disabled and sometimes it is hard to work and keep a job, but many really want to work.  I am sharing these video's to give information and help you to formulate some ideas.  Also, there is protection in place for those of us who are disabled.

People who went broke after becoming a millionaire.

There are so many people who were wealthy at one time and they are now living in poverty. This is a lesson to us all to learn how to manage the money that we have so we can create or maintain wealth.

Beauty Haul !

This is one of my favorite YouTubers and her name is Darkberry32.  She does a lot of hauls, vlogs, and shopping on a budget.  This lady is fabulous and I just love her channel and I am sure that you will also.  Go and check her out!

Are Generational Curses Holding You Back? (Commentary)

Generational curses are words that we usually hear from the preacher of the local church.  Some people don't know exactly what it means so I will include a definition here: Generational curses are traits or characteristics that are carried from generation to generation. In my opinion, they are usually negative. You will find some families that followed the same path in life such as; crime, a familial circumstance in regards to unplanned pregnancy, unemployment and the inability to move forward in a positive light.

I have my own generational curses that I am trying to combat.  Changing my thought patterns and negative thinking is something that has been a hard habit to break.  Learning to change the negative words that come out of my mouth is an uphill battle but with practice, I am surely learning and seeing some positive changes.

When you are changing, people will take your change as an insult to them or they will think that you think you are better than everybody.  My plan in life is to continue surrounding myself with positive people so we can learn and grow and help each other in our endeavors towards success.

I have even noticed that my manner of speech is learned from my environment and I don't completely count that as a negative thing but it is good to learn how to communicate with not only people from your neighborhood but the world in general.  In order to grow, you will have to do things that you are not comfortable with.

I will never change anything about myself to satisfy the masses but when you feel that change is in order, that is the green light to bring positive and satisfying changes into your life.  It will not happen overnight.  You do not even have to discuss this with anyone because there will be people who will oppose you at every turn.

When you decide to break generational curses people will not be happy with you and you may have to separate yourself and going forward alone will be very uncomfortable but the outcome will truly be better than the test.

I have separated myself from many of my friends from the past because they could not accept me and they were still doing the same negative things that they were doing twenty years ago.

Think about some of the generational curses that you would like to banish from your life and I assure you that positive changes will appear.

Cheap Easy Meals

I enjoy learning about new ways to prepare meals that are cost-effective.  It is so much that you can learn from other people and live on a budget, you will quickly learn how to prepare meals that are healthy for your family, yet, affordable.

A Copy Is Never An Original (Commentary) SashaMoniqueTalks

                                                       A Copy Is Never An Original

Hello, everyone.  This post is near and dear to my heart.  I have been in social media for about five years now. I love social media because it is a way to express myself but it is also a way to share and have an exchange with like-minded people.  I find a lot of joy and I am sincerely happy with the people that I have met via social media. I have to admit that it is very hard to navigate your way through the maze of originality in social media, why? because social media is a popularity show.  If you are not in the in-crowd you are (out).  This is something that is not said, but, it is a fact.

Some people have given up being themselves and showing what they can bring to the table because they are afraid of the isolation and the backlash. When people found out that they can make money with numerous social media websites it is becoming a competition and greed is rearing its ugly head. Being yourself takes a back seat to the many imitators who have decided that they will mirror someone's life and style to make the amount of money they want and to gain popularity.

An imitation is a form of flattery but you will always be known as a copycat.   I have seen so many people making up fake stories to gain views and social media prestige.  Later on, if you decide to be yourself will you get the attention that you need?  No, because, a lot of times, people do not like change.

I would urge people to be their original selves and you will find your rightful place in social media.  To promote yourself and grow is hard work but you will find more pride and peace of mind, knowing that you have made it by your own measure.   Never compare yourself to someone's beginning because you don't know what their end will be.  Allow your own light to shine and you will receive your own accolades and glory.