Amazon Kindle

I've been pining after one for awhile... as of yesterday, I am a proud owner of a Kindle 2!

And no... I didn't buy it! (I'd like to think I'm past large spur of the moment purchases for myself.) It was a present from M! :) I guess he got sick of hearing me gush at the screen "ooohh, I want you!" and telling him to "come look! come look!" haha.

It will definitely help free up some room (I can give away all the books I have on my shelves, once I've read them)... but it makes me feel a little sad to not be able to lend out books to friends or show off my collection (which really isn't that large anymore - when I moved out of my mom's place I left quite a few boxes with her). I think I'll get over that pretty quickly though. ;)

The price of the books seems a little cheaper as well, though M pointed out that it will never be as cheap as a used book. Then I pointed out to him that I never buy used books (I like the crispness and smell of new ones... and I like buying them on Amazon (with free shipping). I think I've been put off used books because I buy all my law books used (if I can) and I've had a few arrive smelling smoky and looking germy. I want my personal books looking pristine). Maybe eventually we'll be able to "rent" books electronically from the library? And lend out books to our friends with e-readers? But Amazon would lose money that way, so I'm not sure how that would work... Maybe we'd have to pay a monthly fee in order to connect to the library's servers, or a transfer fee to send books to friends. I guess that'd be better than nothing.

Here's my cursory review (I'm still reading my "real" books, so I haven't used it too much yet):
Pros:

• E-ink - just like reading a real book (you can read it out in broad daylight too)
• Free (and fast) wi-fi lets you download books on the go
• Wide selection of books, newpapers, magazines, and some blogs
• Amazing battery life
• Light and thin (about the weight of a small-ish paperback)
• fits in your purse
  

Cons:

• You have to pay for everything. (to make up for the wi-fi being free, I assume) You even have to pay for blogs.
• White is the only color (this is a really minor con... and I assume they made it white so it would stand out? makes it easy to find in my purse, at least)
• Restricts your ability to share books with others
• Does this weird "flash" when you turn the page - apparently it's the e-ink loading and it helps prolong battery life? It's a little distracting.

That's all I can think of for now... hopefully the "pros" list will grow as I use it more. We can only hope I'll one day be able to download law books!! My back would give profuse thanks. ;)

March Goals

School

1. Devote one full day to studying every week (M, F, or weekend).
2. Devote several hours every Friday to reviewing my notes.
3. Study for and take MPRE.
4. Prepare for and complete interview portion of Ethical Lawyering (50% of grade).
   
5. Feel like I'm on top of the material for all my classes by the end of the month.
   

Exercise

1. Go to yoga (at least) 1x/week
2. Go to the gym (at least) 2x/week
   
3. Do some type of exercise for 30 mins daily - Wii Fit, DDR, exercise bike, biking, running
4. Start tracking my exercise/eating habits in my fitness blog again.
   

Finance

1. Call and/or write Macy's and Capital One re: removing negative marks from credit reports.
2. Sell a few purses on Ebay.
3. Only spend $200 on food!
4. Check job postings 1x/week.
   

Health

1. Go to Lenscrafters and get an eye exam (I have a free coupon!).
2. Buy new contacts.
3. Continue following skin and teeth regimen.
4. Go to the gynecologist... once I find one I like.
   

March Already?!

This month whizzed by... and now I'm already halfway done with the semester! Scary. I'm not ready for finals yet!

Here's a review of my February goals:

1. Exercise - Every single day for at least 30 mins - gym, yoga, tennis, bike at home, wii fit. Fail! :( I've definitely been exercising on the weekends, but I've been so tired during the week that I just collapse in bed (after vegetating on the comp) at night... I'll give it another go in March!
   
2. School - Devote at least one full day every week to studying (3 classes @ 3 hrs/class); Devote several hours on Friday to reviewing my notes. Fail! I've been studying more, but still not enough.
   
3. Food - Go shopping every Monday for Tu/W/Th food - banana, applesauce, water, juice can/box, granola bar, sandwich. Success! I've been good with this; only buying healthy stuff, bringing my food to school, and not skipping meals as a result.
   
4. Money - No purchases this month, period (other than food). Fail! But with good reason. I bought a sports bra, a regular nude bra (to replace the one that broke), a rain jacket, and a lunch bag.
   
5. Health - Continue with dermatologist prescribed skin plan; Continue brushing teeth 2x/day, flossing, and using mouthwash; Go to the doctor to get my right knee checked out; Go to the gynecologist. Success (mostly)! I have had one or two days where I've fallen asleep without putting on my skin cream. There have also been a couple days where I've left out the elastics (when they hurt too much).
   
6. Relationship - Get out of the house at least once on the weekends with M and do something fun and free (tennis, beach, walks to new places, museums, etc). Success! We went biking last weekend, on a trip the weekend before, tennis the weekend before... and tennis again tomorrow. :)
   
7. Friends - Try to be social at least 2 times this month. Success (maybe too much)! I've been very social this month, and though it's been fun, it's also been really exhausting!
   

4/7 isn't bad. ;) But I'll try harder next month!

Why I'm Thinking About Getting Another Degree...

Grace asked me why I was thinking about getting a LLM (Master's of Law) after graduating from law school next year. (For anyone that's wondering, you can't get a LLM until you get a JD)

There are a couple reasons why it seems like a good idea.

1. A degree from a more reputable school. I'm currently getting my JD from a school in the Top 50, but I could get the LLM from a school in the Top 10.
2. My grades aren't that high. I'm trying to graduate with a 3.0, but even that is subpar. A LLM will make me more marketable.
   
3. Jobs may still be scarce in 2010. This will delay my job search by one year.
4. Classes in the field I'm interested in. I haven't had time to take any (I'm consumed by bar classes) and that likely won't change in the next year.
5. Loan repayment will be deferred. This will give me another year to build up savings and pay down my other debt.
   

If I apply for the program this fall (to be admitted in fall '10), and I get accepted, it's possible I could defer enrollment until fall '11 (if the market seemed to be on the upswing and/or I secured a good job). I feel like this would give me more options.

What do you think?

The 5 Year Plan

Inspired by No More Spending's Grand Plan, here's my 5 year plan!

2009

• Lose 20 lbs
• Lose the braces! Accomplished 5.09
  
• Move into a cheaper apartment Accomplished 7.09
  
• Get a full-time job that pays at least 60k
  
• Visit France/Germany
• Possibly apply for a LLM program? (maybe retake LSAT?)
  

2010

• Go to NY for V-day
  
• Graduate from law school (unsure whether May or December)
• Take the bar (either July '10 or Feb '11)
• Begin LLM program? (either Fall '10 or 11; and that's only if I get in!)

2011

• Go to D.C. for V-day
  
• Pay off my car
• Be debt free! (not counting the student loans/mortgage - if I have one)
• Complete LLM program?
• Buy a condo w/M?

2012

• Go to Portland for V-day
  

2013

• Go to Chicago for V-day
  
• Pay off student loans??
  
• Turn 30! Have a b-day bash :)

Whew! It's hard to look that far into the future. My plans kind of faded out after year 3. ;) I think it's very unrealistic to think I'll have my student loans paid off by 2013... even if I get a 140k+ job, I still think it would take another 5 years to pay them back. But, here's to hoping!

Anyway... it was fun to put together. :) Strange that 30 is so close... and the year 2013! Still seems a little science-fiction-y! Even 2010 feels that way! haha.

Brand vs. Generic, Take 2

I thought I would do a follow-up to this post based on a few new comments I received.

When do I think it's worth it to buy brand?

• Heart medication
• Thyroid medication
• Anti-depressants
  
• Anything I would depend on to keep my organs functioning!

Why?

• Inactive ingredients are different (can be allergic to dyes/fillers)
• Bioavailability of active ingredient can be plus or minus 20%
  
• Could be manufactured in a 3rd world country (quality control issues)
  
• Small changes in absorption can make drugs with a narrow therapeutic range ineffective

Although in some cases I would prefer the generic, I think pharmacists should never push for it. It should be up to the consumer to decide. I know that pharmacies make more money off of the generic (the drug companies offer rebates up to 60% of the drug's cost), and that biases the opinion of the people who work there (pressure from upper management).

I would always trust my doctor's opinion over the pharmacist's. Pharmacists often seem overworked, unfriendly, and like I stated above, apt to make choices for you based on what's best for the pharmacy.

Also, despite my offhand wondering if the reason my doctor preferred brand was because she was receiving kickbacks, I LOVE her and think she's the best I've ever seen (and that's just after one visit). I'm sure she's interested in my health, but since she is a dermatologist, we're not talking about life and death issues here. So even if she did receive kickbacks/excessive perks (which is highly unlikely), I would still continue going to her.

I was just very curious because my natural inclination is to prefer brand, but after researching the subject, I've had to admit that generic is (usually) a fine, and smart (because of the savings), substitute. It was puzzling to find a doctor who preferred brand for something like skin cream.

I'll have to ask the her the next time I see her why she prefers brand. Maybe she'll be able to offer some insight.

Sources:
Pharmacists' Individual and Organizational Views on Generic Medication
Pharmacies Receiving Massive Rebates from Generic Drug-Makers
Are Generic Medications the Same as Branded Counterparts?
Brand-Name Medications vs. Generic Drugs: The Differences Are Real (it's too bad the author starts the article off so unprofessionally. There's some good info here)
Generic Drugs: Cheaper, Yes; Same Quality, Maybe Not
Generic Drugs Not Always Equivalent to Name Brands

Budget Skeleton

I wanted to strip my budget down to its skeleton and see how little I can get away with paying... Money is going to be tight from now until June, and I'd really like to create a little wiggle room.

Rent: 1050
Cells: 120
Food: 200
Drugstore: 20
Debt: 1139
Gas: 40
Health Insurance: 99
= $2668

This frees up $555/mo... I'm going to just continue doing what I do now (tucking away $220 into my Long Term Expenses account every month), and the other $300 I'll leave in my general checking.

I think I'm also going to withdraw $200 cash at the beginning of each month and use it only for food. Once it runs out, it runs out.

I can't wait to move into a cheaper place....... did I mention I saw a rat outside my door the other day? Yeah. Can't wait to move into a cheaper, newer, cleaner place (with a landlord that doesn't suck!).