The Quick & Easy Guide to...

I recently auctioned off my Samsung Blackjack II, which I had used for a short period of time. After posting a glamorous auction page, and a itty-bitty return policy, I had sold it within a few hours. Three days later, a packaged arrived and it was, indeed, a return. Long story short, a dispute was filed, and (as it usually happens), I lost the case. SELLERS: PayPal has no mercy on you!

This post is written with reason, and experience. They say the best way to learn is from your mistakes, and...I have. I hope that any of you who read this will take this advice and apply it when selling online, whether it be Craig's List, eBay, or the Facebook Marketplace (yes, it exists). Selling online is an easy way of making a little money on the side and can be a hobby, too!

Selling Online - 5 Quick tips

1. Be honest. Buyers are already weary about purchasing online, so the last thing they want is an item with a scratch on it that was originally claimed in "perfect" condition. Give a clear item description so that there is no dispute about what the buyer expected.
2. State a specific return policy (e.g. "Postmarked within three days of receving the item"). Make sure to include one so that potential buyers feel confident in purchasing with you. Note: On Craig's List it's assumed that if the buyer doesn't want it, they will just refuse it at the meeting point.
3. Be cautious. If you are selling on eBay, you have the right to refuse selling something to a buyer who has a less than great feedback record. Find out if they have been complained about in the past, and for what reasons. There are scammers out there, you know!
4. Do your research. Find out what the price point is for the item you are selling. Specifically, electronic items lose value quickly; just because you spent $300 on your item two months ago doesn't mean it's still worth as much. There's not really a mathematical equation for this either, so check out what the demand for the item is and what others are selling it for.
5. Contact your buyer. Make sure you are constantly checking your email (or phone) to see if the buyer has any questions or concerns. This will make for a smooth and friendly transaction. Thank the buyer, and invite them back to doing business with you.

All set! Now, go digging for that old jewelry box your aunt gave you...who knows? Maybe someone out there is dying to have it!

Love, me.

Footprint

Wow, talk about not writing in a long time. People have been pushing me to write again so I think it's about time.

I've recently been really aware of my environmental impact through my daily routines. I realized how much thriftier I could be in terms of energy usage, and leaving a footprint. On the Footprint Network website, I took a fun quiz that actually calculated my footprint through a series of questions regarding my lifestyle. My footpront resulted in 4.4 worlds. That means if everyone lived like me, we would need 4.4 earths to keep up with my lifestyle. I think the top two things that increased my resource usage was shopping for apparel, and energy usage. Here's what it looked like:

If you want to take the quiz click here! It only take a couple minutes

What I did really well on was the food usage, and mobility. Since I don't eat any meat, and very minimal dairy, I have a smaller impact than many. Anyhow, four worlds is jsut not acceptable :(

Here's my green list..ways that I've been "green" lately!

The Green List

1. Not taking bags when shopping (putting the items in my purse, or using a previous shopping bag).

2. Using a reusable Starbucks cup--not only does it reduce waste, but I get 10 cents off my purchases there!

3. Driving the speed limit, and not speeding up right away when the light turns green.

4. Staying vegetarian (see entry: Skinny Bitch)

5. Turning off the lights as I leave rooms, and turning off the faucet while brushing teeth/washing face.

Sometimes it feels like I'm just one in 8 billion, and "what the hell does me turning off a faucet do?", but what if everyone helped just a little? That's what we've had to do in the past (WWI & WWII--victory gardens!), and that's what we're going to have to do now, especially with the drought. It feels good knowing that I helped just a little, and a little goes a long way.

I hope I didn't bore you with my green talk but I just had to put it down on paper! er-screen?

Love, me.

Two in the AM.

It's almost two in the morning and I'm a bit tired.
Let me explain why I'm still awake. Tonight after work I bought The Sims Open for Business. Do I really need to explain more? One word: addicting.

Anyhow, I'm seriously considering a trip to Hawaii at the end of May to wrap up school. Birthright still hasn't called me so I'm getting a bit worried since my supposed trip to Israel would be in the beginning of June...

I already looked up a bunch of tickets and there's a ton of good deals right now. Ugh. Decisions...

Okay I'm tired now. Pictureless entries 2x in a row...

Gotta get on that...

Love, me.

Chunky Strawberry Cookies

A few years ago Rachel's mom made me these amazing strawberry cookies to which I never got the recipe.
Last night, I looked up a few recipes and ended up with an original recipe. My first! They turned out to be delicious! I accidentally put in too much sugar (Bryan was chattin it up) but nonetheless, they were so yummy. You can also add chocolate chips or raisins for really sweet cookies.


Chunky Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup applesauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, or to taste

3 cups of old fashioned oatmeal (no substitutions!)

1 3/4 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, cute into pieces

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a large baking sheet with baking spray (NOT oil/margarine/butter). In a bowl, mix the applesauce, sugars, and honey until smooth and fluffy. Slowly add in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, oatmeal, and salt. Now, slowly combine wet mix into the dry bowl. Important! GENTLY fold in strawberries and walnuts so as not to harm the small strawberry pieces. Spoon balls of mixture onto baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bottom browns and top is dry. Enjoy!

I bought ovenware for creme brulee today :) I need to buy a kitchen torch! I think I'll browse eBay...

Love, me.

Avocado Sushi

Who doesn't love sushi?
Today I decided to make some. Seeing as I made a huge Asian style dinner last night, I decided to be cheap and go with vegetable sushi. I sliced up some avocados, cucumber, and carrots to be placed in the sushi. Then I prepared some sticky rice & roasted seaweed (Nori). Recipe here.

They say that women can't make sushi because unlike men, their hands are too warm and that will ruin the fish or fillings.

Basically, I proved them wrong.

Love, me.
P.S. When I finally ran out of sticky rice, I found smoked salmon and cream cheese in my fridge. Shit.