The Impulses of a Booklover
By Klancy Hoover
 
Because I am taking a trip to Scotland over the summer, budgeting has become an important step in my everyday routine. I have to ensure that the funds that I have left aside for the trip are not added to the funds for my student loans or for necessities. Occasionally I will allow myself to splurge a little and purchase something that I really want, but recently I have noticed that “occasionally” has almost become recreational when it comes to buying books. It started with buying multiple sequels to series I hadn’t started yet, convincing myself that the purchases were necessary in case I loved the first book and needed to read the second one. If I’m being honest, though, I had really only bought the sequels to display their pretty covers on my bookshelf.
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You see, adding books to my bookshelf makes me inexplicably happy. Some of the books on my bookshelf have been there for years, quietly watching as I slowly began to collect more stories to add to my growing personal library and heart. Whenever I buy a new book, it’s like welcoming a new friend into a community that has shaped me over the years and comforted me whenever I have needed it the most. Now, though, my book buying tendencies have become a bit of a problem. I have recently moved from only purchasing books to also purchasing anything that is remotely book-related. I’ve bought bookish candles, literary teas, multiple book subscription boxes, bookmarks, T-shirts, and even socks. At one point I didn’t have enough storage to keep everything organized, so I also had to buy containers to hold all of my book-related items. It was easy to turn a blind eye to my shopping habits when all of the things I had purchased were hidden away in containers. When it became hard to view the books on my bookshelf, however, I realized that I had a problem.

The problem, I have come to realize, is that I rely on books for emotional support. When my thoughts start to turn against me by questioning everything about myself and my actions, sometimes it feels like a situation is too much to bear. I begin to retreat into myself. My emotions wash over me and pin me into place with their intensity. Through these debilitating moments, I have come to find that books are able to help draw me out of my thoughts by forcing me to focus on something that isn’t related to what I’m worrying about. Books have almost become a lifeline for me, which makes it so much harder to stop myself from acting on impulse whenever I feel the emotional need to reach out for a story and escape. But if I’m going to start taking control of my impulses, I need to find another outlet other than spending money on books.

Learning to step back from my impulse to buy more books has been difficult, as I’m sure that others of you have realized too. It’s hard changing a routine that you’ve become accustomed to, especially when that routine revolves around something you’re passionate about. But even though it may be hard, it’s important to take a step back, breathe, and think about what you’re purchasing. Being cognizant of my spending habits and learning how to manage my impulsivity has added a balance to my day-to-day life that I value greatly. I still allow myself to purchase a book every so often, but I try not to let it be my response to every emotional situation. Books are still a central part of my life. I just try to not let them be a central part of my funds too.   

Edited by: Rachael Teelander 

​Online Grocery Shopping
By Elizabeth Dubos
 
Disclaimer: This blog post is not being sponsored and these opinions are my own.
 
Are you a hardworking person who feels like they don’t have the time to go to the grocery store? Traditional grocery stores present issues, such as not being able to get the items on your grocery list, so you must go without those items or go to another grocery store. Or you’re on a particular diet and the grocery store does not sell the products. Consider purchasing your groceries online because it takes about half the time and they arrive in a timely manner. You can shop at 11 am or 11 pm because they do not close like traditional grocery stores do. You would be paying for gas to drive to the grocery store, so why not pay a delivery fee? Online grocery stores offer coupons and discounts too, making your food more affordable. Consider the following list for your online grocery needs.
 
Omaha Steaks:
Omaha Steaks is your online butcher shop. They offer a variety of meats, such as steak, bacon, ham, ribs, pork, roasts, lamb, veal, hot dogs, hamburgers, and more. There’s a variety of seafood to choose from too, such as cod, salmon, tuna, mahi mahi, trout, snapper, haddock, and more. You can add sides, desserts, and beverages to complete your meal. Omaha Steaks offers a custom combos and sales section, so you can save more money on your meals. This is a great option for the holidays too because you can get a complete Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas meal. Plus, if you do not know what to gift someone, then you can purchase Omaha Steaks and have it delivered to their house! To save more money, you can create a free Steaklover Rewards account to start earning points on every purchase; you can redeem your points for free items on future purchases. Your packages will arrive within 7-10 days from the day you place your order. Omaha Steaks offers faster shipping options too.
 
Schwan’s
Schwan’s features foods for all occasions throughout the day. They offer meat, seafood, fruits, vegetables, sides, pizzas, snacks, appetizers, ice-cream, and other desserts. Schwan’s food is made with real ingredients and expertly frozen, so when it’s done cooking it has a fresh flavor. Schwan’s offers a LiveSmart category, which offers delicious and healthy meals for anyone whose dieting or wants to add extra nutrition to their daily diet. In addition, they offer a simple auto-reorder option, so customers do not always have to log in and order their groceries. This can be a great option if life becomes too busy and you forget to go grocery shopping. To save more money, you can create a free Schwan’s Rewards account to start earning points on every purchase. You can combine this with AARP Member benefits to save more money. If you purchase food from Schwan’s it will arrive within two days.
 
 
 
Blue Apron
Blue Apron offers a variety of meat, fish, and vegetarian recipes, so customers can enjoy their meals. Blue Apron’s food does not contain hormones and uses Non-GMO ingredients. Blue Apron boxes feature easy to follow step-by-step recipe instructions, responsibly-sourced quality ingredients, portioned amounts, and recyclable ice packs to ensure your food stays fresh. Blue Apron boxes start at $7.49 per serving and you can skip or cancel boxes whenever you’d like. After you’ve purchased your Blue Apron box, they will send you an email with tracking information, so that you will know when your food will arrive. The shipping date is determined after you’ve inserted your zip code. The following quote is from Blue Apron’s website, “At the grocery store, it can be hard to tell whether food is high quality and sustainably grown. We are partnering with the foremost sustainability experts to create better standards for growing food and raising animals. This means better outcomes for our environment, guaranteed markets for our farmers and higher quality ingredients for our home chefs.”
 
Edited by Klancy Hoover