Favorites the Real Denim Edition

by Sandy L on February 19, 2011

I’m sitting here in my all time favorite jeans.  They are a pair of DKNY jeans from about 14 years ago.  I got them at an outlet for $20 and it was one of those times where I regret not buying every pair in the store in my size.   I may be totally unhip by saying this, but I really miss jeans that are 100% denim.  My jeans have faded beyond belief and have a patch on the knee, but they have lasted WAY longer than the denim/polyester blends they have out now.  I have jeans less than 2 years old that already have rips in them.  They just aren’t as durable and it makes me a little sad. Plus, I like the feel of 100% denim better on my body. I know many people say the opposite is true but I find them much more comfortable than those stretchy jeans.

While I’m on the topic of jeans, I am happy to see that I can actually find jeans that aren’t super low riders anymore.  You know the ones..they have a zipper about an inch long.  The brand that comes closest to what I like these days is the Gap Curvy Flair.  I’m still on a search for the perfect pair. If any girl out there that has a waist one size smaller than hips that can give me some tips, I’m all for it. Oh and they must carry tall sizes. A lot of people like Banana Republic for work stuff and although I like the look of their clothes, they seem to be cut for a boyish figure and their stuff just never looks right on me.  Can you see why I hate shopping? Enough girl talk.

Okay, well, as usual this is long overdue and only a partial list, but here are some of my favorite reads from around the web.

Molly on Money is giving away her homemade liquid soap.  Molly has a weekly beauty recipe that she posts. I think she should sell some of these products on her blog because I’m too lazy to make them myself.

Budgeting in the Fun stuff talks about Our Extra Money.  Congrats to Crystal for having extra to begin with.  It’s a great position to be in for someone her age.

Wealth Artisan talks about a few bad PR moves in  5 Money Making Gimmicks and Marketing Snafus.  Good thing when I say something dumb, there aren’t that many people who listen or care.  It’s a whole other thing if you’re Kenneth Cole.

101 Centavos has some really good advice on Being Polite specifically in a work setting.  Speaking of jobs, Financial Samurai shares Examples Of Good Resumes That Get Jobs, which then sparked another post with his sarcastic take that Grades Don’t Matter. My opinion is that after 5 years in the industry, grades don’t matter, experience and performance does.

I’m surprised this wasn’t Retire by 40’s first article. How To Retire By 40. I think having a hard working spouse also ranks #1 on my list and I’m glad he put it on the top of his list of success factors.

This particular post by Money Mamba particularly resonated with me because I often got through phases of trying to do things on my own.  Why Living without Money Experiments are Stupid talks about learning curves and how being efficient at one thing is much more productive than being mediocre at a bunch of stuff.  Needless to say, I still like learning different skills because if nothing else, I get a new found appreciation for the time and skill involved in a craft. Suddenly that $16/# raw milk cheese doesn’t seem like such a ripoff after all.

I’ve been really enjoying Money Reasons articles on Dividend Investing to help with things like paying for lunch , but 7 million in 7 years may have just changed my mind with this article entitled Another case AGAINST dividends Canadian Couch Potato is also of the same mindset with Debunking Dividend Myths: Part 1

Squirreler talks about Time is like Money. I wonder how many people mentally calculate how many hours they have to work to buy stuff, specifically big ticket items.

Barb Friedberg teaches how to accomplish more by doing less.  I frequently make a shorter to do list on days I have a tough time getting going. It really does work.

Last but not least Len Penzo, inspired by the Anarchist Cookbook has his own list of dangerous personal finance recipes for disaster.

{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }

Money Reasons February 19, 2011 at 12:25 PM

Thanks for the mention!

While I don’t entirely disagree with all of what “7 million in 7” say, he lives in a simplified “black and white” world where it’s either option A or option B. I prefer to live in a more colorful world where there is a balance to investing and life.

Now I’m off to read about Babci! 🙂

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Sandy L February 19, 2011 at 1:47 PM

Money Reasons – I still like dividends because you don’t have to think about cashing out stock..and worry about timing the market. Due to time constraints, I’m more of a buy/hold type investor, so dividends still are okay in my book, especially companies that are cash rich.

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Money Reasons February 19, 2011 at 8:37 PM

I like to mix it up a bit via experimentation.

There is nothing more thrilling that seeing a stock like FSLR go up more than 20% in one day (that was truly aweseome)! And while FSLR was a win for me, I had a few stocks over the years that actually went to zero (nonexistence). Investing is high beta stocks is very similar to gambling, but if done with money that you can afford to lose, it really is a lot of fun. And if you’re skilled at it, it can be a great money maker!

I personally like to play many strategies when playing in the financial markets with different allotted chunks of money. That said the majority of my money is in my 401k (80% of my liquid assets).

I’m excited to read your member post on Yakezie too! Keep up the great work, your writing is awesome!

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Financial Samurai February 19, 2011 at 2:44 PM

Thanks for the highlight! There’s no sarcasm in my second post 🙂 Although hopefully, people realize the message. But often times, I doubt it b/c people are too stubborn in their ways.

Looking forward to reading and publishing your Member Post on Yakezie.com!

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Nicole February 19, 2011 at 4:18 PM
Molly On Money February 20, 2011 at 1:53 PM

I’ve been off my computer (for the most part) and catching up! Thanks for the shout out and sorry but I’m also too lazy to make and sell these products.
BTW- Gap is one of the the few off the rack jeans I can wear without altering! Old Navy also carries ‘talls’ in their pant collection.

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JT McGee February 20, 2011 at 3:26 PM

Thanks for the mention!

You’re right about having a greater appreciation for skills after having tried to learn them/use them. That’s one perspective and benefit I should’ve mentioned in my post.

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101 Centavos February 20, 2011 at 10:37 PM

Thanks for the link, Sandy, much appreciated.

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Deidre February 21, 2011 at 12:39 AM

Sandy…wonderful link round up as always! 🙂
I completely agree that 100% denim is the way to go! My favorite…I am delighted to say that I finally found my 501 Levis and they are washed and ready to wear again! I am partial to the old button up’s and I guess that dates me a little but they are so comfy !

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Sandy L February 21, 2011 at 1:01 AM

Deidre – do they actually make 100% denim levi’s again, or is this some ancient pair you have? Should I have hope?

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Deidre February 21, 2011 at 1:13 AM

Sandy – Yes they are a bit ancient but not too much so. And yes, they are 100% denim. I bought them about 5 years ago. I went to an outlet Levis store and got one pair for the highway robbery price of 60.00! (crazy! I distinctly remember paying 15.99 a pair in jr. high !) I then scoured the internet for the most inexpensive price I could find and bought several more pair of the same size. I will try and find the website if you need 🙂
Nuthin beats a pair of old Levis!

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Lindy Mint February 23, 2011 at 11:13 AM

I like the Gap jeans too. I wear their straight fit style and they are the only ones I can find that don’t start sagging mid-day. I have a few pairs of jeans from J Crew. I haven’t checked the labels, but they feel a lot more like real denim than the denim blends.

I’m envious you still have a favorite pair of jeans from 14 years ago. I just gave away my last pair of high school jeans a few months ago.

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