oh bother

Michelle Obama was spotted at Good Stuff Eatery today!

 

For the most part, I think this is awesome.

 

 

a) Spike, the owner and former Top Chef contestant, is Canadian and really nice. His restaurant definitely deserves the publicity (not that he needs it).

 

 

b) We get to ogle more adorable Michelle outfits. I’m sure grey capris and a ponytail will be the outfit of the summer.

 

 

c) The Obamas have seriously re-energized this city. Everyone seems happier and more peppy (though that could be the Friday afternoon long lunch with beers). It’s just so nice to know that this family, who technically have no ties to Washington except that they happen to have had to move here, are so committed to supporting the schools, the charities, the businesses, and the people. After the barely-there Bushes, believe me, it’s refreshing.

 

 

d) The food at Good Stuff Eatery is phenomenal. They have big, juicy burgers with just the right touch of gourmet, to-die-for fries, delicious milkshakes, sweet little cookies, and an interesting selection of local microbrews. The First Lady clearly has great taste!

 

 

The downside?

My coworkers and I were passing by Spike’s restaurant yesterday, and we remarked that we should go back to Good Stuff soon because it was soooo good the last time we went. Now there is exactly zero chance that we’ll even be able to get within two feet of the place for the rest of the summer. It is the new Ben’s Chili Bowl.

Obamas never strike twice, people! Tourists, try to pick other random restaurants in the hopes that the dazzling First Couple go there next! Just stay away from my BURGERS!!

 

-Coco

across the universe

why y’all gotta waste my flava?! damn!

How have we never noticed that Jason Segel was in one of our favourite ’90s teen comedies??

The entire movie is available on Youtube and on Netflix’s InstantWatch. Go forth and be entertained, dear readers!

we heart shoes

We both found this picture independently (on Desire to Inspire) and immediately saved it as perfection incarnate.

This way, we can justify any purchase as decor AND fashion. We’ll be able to buy twice as many shoes!!

We also came across this ingenious shoe storage idea on Apartment Therapy. What appears to be wall art is actually hiding a plastic shoe bin. Our mothers would love these, as they’re always nagging us about shoes being left out in the foyer.

We’re toying with the idea of trying this out ourselves in our new apartments. Of course you can count on seeing the results if we do!

And lastly, if you’re in the Toronto area (or are planning to visit sometime this summer), why not check out the Bata Shoe Museum? Go to their website to find out more about special events and exhibits there this month.

budget suggestion #1: know where your money goes

At the end of last summer, we realized, to our horror, that we had both spent a lot more on shopping, seeing movies and going out than we’d ever intended. This affected the school year in a big way– we were forced to bow out of some fun but expensive evenings with friends and had to forego the little luxuries that usually get us through the stressful months of exams and papers.

This summer, we have vowed to change. We’re determined to save as much as possible so that we can relax come September, knowing that we’re in a good place financially.

So we’re going to start a series of posts with suggestions for successful budgeting. We’re not quite experts, but we have some great ideas and resources that we’re looking forward to sharing.

Budget Suggestion #1

Why don’t you…

Track your spending?

It’s all too easy to justify every purchase when you feel like you’re making a good amount of money. But this illusion of affluence can often lead to overspending. The best way to avoid spending money you don’t have or need for something else is to write your purchases and earnings down and refer to this document often.

Here’s your first task, before you even decide on a firm budget (that’s our next post!)– create an Excel spreadsheet or a find a notebook where you’ll track your spending and non-essential earning. Here’s Coco’s example:

 

Her computer-savvy boy set it up to automatically calculate the total amounts spent and earned (and it’s even colour-coded!). You can include your regular salary in this as well, but since Coco has several babysitting, dogsitting, housesitting and overtime hours every month, she’s chosen to put those earnings towards her more frivolous spending and save the vast majority of her day job’s salary for the school year.

Ideally, you would aim not to spend any money you hadn’t already earned. However, we’re being realistic here, and we can’t expect any of us not to slip once in awhile. In this case, Coco will be out $34.24 until she takes on another babysitting job and she keeps this in mind when she goes shopping.

 

Our challenge to you today is to set up a way to track your spending and earning. You can make an Excel document like Coco’s, jot things down in a little portable notebook, or even make a huge poster to put on your wall– whatever works best for you. When you get home from a shopping trip, pop to your computer/notebook/poster, quickly enter the information from your receipts, and then proceed with your busy day.

Share your purchase-tracking experiences, tips, and woes in the comments– we’ll all need a little moral support with these financial challenges. Good luck!