Catching Up Over Coffee - January 2016 at Landmark Cafe

My sister and I decided a while back to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state. This blog series serves as a review of the coffee shops we visit. 

January, 2016 - My sister and I met one evening in late January for some dinner and coffee at a small cafe in Manchester, CT. We had decided to meet up once a month at a different coffee shop in Connecticut in order to catch up and see the state.

For our first outing, we met closer to her home. She lives about an hour north of me with our father, so I got a chance to see him as well. Since we were in her area, she got to pick where we would go and chose The Landmark Cafe. 

I got there first and picked a table, which was a bit of a challenge for me because each table was unique and had its own charm. Even each set of salt and pepper shakers were different. I picked one and sat down to wait. 

My sister and I ended up ordering sweet potato fries for an appetizer, which came with a mayo based dipping sauce, which was very tasty. She had a Alfredo pasta dish and I got a veggie wrap. Both were quite tasty. 

After dinner, we finally got to the coffee. We learned that Landmark Cafe has specialty lattes and mochas, which made our night. My sister ordered the Caramello and I had the Banana Fudge (closer mug). Both were very delicious! 

The Caramello tasted just like you would expect a latte version of the candy bar to taste. The thick foam carried the taste of the toasted marshmallow and smooth caramel from mug, over taste buds, and into the stomach. It was a joy to sip. 

Sweet chocolate and creamy banana pair so well, it seems, in any form. Each sip of the Banana Fudge latte was a treat. This is the kind of experience I hope to have each time I order a latte. 

Now for the real test - would I visit this cafe again? The answer is yes. In fact, I already have. I happened to be back in Manchester to go wedding dress shopping and brought my entire party here for lunch. They all enjoyed it as well! 

If you want to learn more about our coffee adventures and why we are doing this, read the first post, Catching Up Over Coffee 

Next - Catching Up Over Coffee - February at Focaccia's Cafe

Budgets Suck - But This Tool Makes It Suck A Little Less

Currently, I am reading a book called "Rich Bitch" by Nicole Lapin. The budget breakdown presented in this book has been the number one best tool that I have found. I can only speak on behalf of myself, but the general percents and the explanations about each one has led me to finally set a decent budget for myself. 

I have tried to do all sorts of budgets - working backwards from what I typically spend, guessing at what my needs will be in the coming week/month/year, and all the other suggestions out there - but this one makes sense and works. 

Once I set up a spreadsheet and input my income, I was able to do simple calculations to figure out how much money I had for each bucket. Then I adjusted to make it work for me. I am fortunate enough to walk to work now, so I did not need 15% for transportation. However, my rent is a little higher than 25%, so I moved the some of the money from transportation to housing. 

I have been using this system for only a couple of months now, but it has really helped me understand my money. I have been able to set real goals and I know what my limits are. I feel empowered! 

Since I love content marketing and designing graphics, I designed the one below for my own reference. By sharing it here, I hope you will be able to use it as well. 

More about the book and the budget on Nicole's website: http://nicolelapin.com/richbitchbook/ 

Strange

Thought,
It is so strange how two people can view the same concept, idea, or event in such different ways.
This election is only proving this. One candidate says something and it can be spun in so many different ways. Even I heard one phrase on two different occasions and thought it meant something completely different.
During a discussion with my friend, I began to realize we were talking about the same topic but our views of it were so different we would never see eye to eye on it.
Oh well. It is what it is.
-Kayleigh