work + money

(Before heading to Target) Shop your house first

Written by Cassie · January 14, 2020 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

I know I have talked about it before, but for those of you that missed it, our house is constantly changing. We moved to our 150-year-old farmhouse six years ago and have been working on it ever since. We have replaced some flooring, painted some rooms, and gotten rid of a whole lot of stuff. All that work has barely scratched the surface. Our home projects will be never-ending.

A few months ago, I was planning a trip to Ikea. I had new nightstands picked out and was considering if now was the time to get a love seat for our den-like area we call the porch. Or maybe I should find a new chair for the living room? But that meant I needed to find a home for my dad’s recliner. Which was in good shape and super comfy, but it looked out of place with the straight lines of the couch we got a couple of years back.

Then I remembered how it might be nice to have a house with all-new, trendy furniture. But I will not enjoy the credit card debt that comes with that. So I (wo)man-handled the recliner into the porch. After I added a cozy blanket and a throw pillow, that chair looked pretty inviting. Then I dug out a console table that had been collecting dust in an unused room, things came together.

Then I moved an old Ikea chair we had in our bedroom downstairs to the living room. As much as I feel like I need a comfy reading chair in my bedroom, I hardly ever use it. I picked up a new cover for it at Ikea and saving myself a load of money and end up with a new-to-me chair.

Why am I telling you all this? To remind you to shop your house first.

Let me say that one more time:

Shop your house first.

Maybe that chair that is just so-so in the living room will make a great reading chair in the corner of your bedroom. Or perhaps that old footstool would look much better in the corner holding your newest houseplant.

The same goes for accessories. I find much more joy grabbing my pens out of a Wonder Woman mug on my desk at work than I do the ‘pencil cup’ that I bought from Target.

Before heading to the Ikea, your local thrift store, or settling down for some hard-core internet shopping, take a hard look around your house. Shuffle furniture around and dig stuff out of storage.

Your wallet will thank you.

5 wardrobe staples I splurge on

Written by Cassie · October 24, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

I am not a ‘clothes’ person, but I do have a handful of wardrobe staples that I splurge on. These pieces make me feel more put-together and polished, regardless of my outfit.

5 wardrobe staples I splurge on | cassierauk.com

I am not ‘into’ clothes. I want to look good, but I am far more concerned with comfort than with style. My workplace is casual, so the clothes I wear at work are the same as the clothes I wear at home for the most part (minus the yoga pants).

I am also long past the days of grabbing those cute fast-fashion clothes off the rack in Target. I don’t even want to think about the amount of money that I have wasted over the years buying clothes that stretch out of shape after one cycle through the wash.

Now I take the time to find and buy quality clothes.

Just to be clear, I don’t splurge on every piece of clothing that I buy. Although, I still swing through Old Navy on grab t-shirts on sale. And I troll ThredUp regularly. I do, however, have a few pieces that I spend extra money on, and they make me look more put-together and polished, no matter what I am wearing.

Here are the items that I spend more money on.

Quality Underwear

Ugh. It can be so hard to find bras and panties that are of good quality that don’t pinch or ride up. I am in love with Third Love bras since trying them out a few years ago, and for panties, my go-to ones have become these from Duluth Trading Company.

Pants that fit like a glove

I had such a love-hate relationship with jeans until I found a brand and style that worked for me. I don’t have to wear dress pants very often, but when I do, I want them to be comfortable. The dress pants yoga pants from Betabrand were definitely worth the price tag.

A kick-ass bag

A few years ago, I was doing the bookwork for a trucking company that my husband and dad owned. In lew of payment, I let them me buy me this bag. It was the most money I have spent on any bag before, and I was more than a bit anxious.

The bag is leather (no faux stuff here), the lining is durable and gets more and more beautiful with use.

Comfortable Shoes

I keep my footwear pretty simple; I have a pair of Chucks and Keen walking shoes, Rothy’s black flats, a few pairs of boots I got second-hand, a good pair of sandals and some clogs I picked up on sale.

Good Outwear

Being a Minnesotan, outwear is essential. Splurging on a good coat (or two), sturdy boots, and a good pair of warm gloves and a stylish stocking hat is commonplace. And cheap-ing out on these items can be the difference between a comfortable walk in the snow and losing a toe.

Coats are from Lands End and Duluth.
My boots are second-hand that I picked up from ThredUp.
I have this stocking hat is from Duluth, and my mittens came from a craft fair.

You don’t have to spend big bucks for a quality wardrobe. With a few quality pieces, you can dress with more confidence and feel better about your (small, but stylish) wardrobe.

You heard from me, know it’s your turn! What pieces of clothing do you invest in?

PS – Not everyone can afford to spend $70 on a pair of jeans, and there are lots of others where those jeans seem cheap AF. The point is to get the best quality/fit for you, and don’t worry about what others are doing.

PS – 5 areas where I can’t be low maintenance.

Self-Care At Work

Written by Cassie · October 22, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

It is easy to get stressed out and overwhelmed at work. Here are tips to help you get through your days because everyone needs a little self-care at work

We spend a large part of our day at work. And when we start counting the amount of work we do while we are at home (emails on your phone, conference calls after dinner, late-night texts from your boss), the amount of time we spend working is almost constant.

Long story short – work takes up a lot of our brain space.

And If you are not careful, this can lead to massive amounts of stress and overwhelm.

But it doesn’t have to — part of the solution in setting up boundaries (but that is a conversation for another day). But in the meantime, here are a few simple ways to take care of yourself at work.

Make a List

When I am having a hectic day, the first thing I do make a list of all of the things that I would like to get done that day. Then I go over it again to find the three things that must get done that day, including meetings. My planner helps with this.

Finding my top three tasks can take some time because you have to take a hard look at your day and figure out what matters most. And finding just three things is crucial. You cannot, I repeat, CANNOT get your three-page to-do list one in one day. You are just going to stress yourself out and set up your day for failure.

On good days I can knock that shit out with time to spare, then and only then, do I move on to the other items on my list. On not good days, if I can get my three must-do tasks, I still have a sense of accomplishment.

Take Breaks

If you are not careful, it is easy to spend hours at a time hunched over your desk. Not counting back problems and eye strain, sitting at your desk for long periods of time is terrible for your stress level and concentration.

Try setting a timer to go off every hour to remind you to get up and move around. At the very least, take your mandated 15 minutes and lunch breaks away from your desk. Take a walk around the office or, gasp, go outside!

Ask for help

I have a real hard time asking for help. For some reason, I see it as a personal failure if I can’t manage to get my tasks done on my own.

But sometimes the stars line up just right and everything blows up in your face.

When this happens, and it will take a deep breath and talk to someone. Maybe one of your cube mates can help you finish up a project, or your boss can temporarily delegate some tasks to someone else.

Your boss and coworkers will respect you more when you ask for help.

With a little bit of self-care at work, you can become more productive and focused. And not to mention a whole lot happier.

PS – deliberate unawareness as self-care and how to survive a job that isn’t your dream.

How to Survive a Job that Isn’t Your Dream

Written by Cassie · September 19, 2019 · This blog generates income via ads · This post may contain affiliate links

A couple of years ago, I hit a wall with my job. And by a wall, I mean I was so burnt out that the thought of spending 8 hours a day at my desk exhausted me.

I didn’t hate my job, mind you, I just found it horribly unfulfilling. The spark was gone. And being in my mid-30s the thought of doing this kind of work until retirement left me throwing up in my mouth.

I spent a weekend doing a bit of navel-gazing self-reflection and was able to change my mindset about my job. And let’s be real for a minute: most people are not working their dream job and many jobs are not anyone’s dream.

It took me the better part of a year to work through all of this on my own. Here is how I did it, so you don’t have to spend that much time spinning your wheels.

How to Survive a Job that isn't Your Dream | cassierauk.com

Remember why you work there in the first place.

Unless you work in the seventh ring of hell (and you might), your job probably has a few redeeming qualities. Maybe it is the excellent benefits. Or it could be that it is within walking distance of your apartment. Perhaps your manager is delightful. Or the job is super flexible so you have more time with your kids or can take weeks off at a time.

Keep these things in mind as you go through your workday; it may help you realize that your job is not all bad.

Do some soul searching.

Set aside some quiet time with a beverage of your choice, some paper, and your favorite pen and think about what you love to do. Write down the hobbies that you lose yourself in, anything skills you would like to develop or have a knack for, and the parts of your job that you do love.

Take the parts of your job that you do enjoy and lean in.

Hopefully, you were able to find some parts of your job that you do enjoy. Spend some time focusing on these parts of your career and develop your skills in these areas.

Make the boring parts of your job more fun.

There are parts of my job that are mindless, repetitive work. That is when I pull out my headphones and turn on an audiobook or podcasts. Audiobooks might not be your jam, but there are ways to jazz things up a bit. Chat with coworkers while you do inventory or make a game out of stuffing envelopes.

Develop relationships with coworkers.

Like it or not, you will spend just as much (if not more) time with your coworkers than you will with your partner or family. Your work life will be much easier if you make a few work-friends. Work-friends give you a good escape when you need to get away from your desk, someone to vent to about the crabby customer you just talked to, and a buddy to take a quick lunchbreak walk you.

Make an exit strategy.

Some jobs are not particularly fulfilling. If that is a dealbreaker for you and you find yourself in one of those jobs, it is time to come up with an exit strategy.

Maybe you can transition to a different position within your company that is more within your skillset. Or you can start a side business and think of your day job as your first investor. The same goes for going back to school: take classes online and think of your work as a means to an end.

Working at an unfulfilling job is a pretty gross situation to be in, but with a few mindset shifts (and an exit plan) you can stop the drift and focus on something that you do love.

Do you have a lack-luster job? How are you dealing with it?

One more quick note: You might very well find out after doing all of the soul-searching that your current job, while not something that is going to light your fire, is still the right solution for you. That is great! And don’t let anyone tell you that you need to change.

PS You don’t have to be nice to everyone.

Photo by William Iven on Unsplash