at last! got my pinoy foods

This morning, the hubby and I headed ourselves to Baton Rouge, the capital of Louisiana for oriental store hunting. It was my first time (naningkamot tawon). We found Vin Phat Oriental Store that sells bunch of stuff from foods to gift items. They got limited Filipino products but I'm still glad they sell some. At last, for almost half of a year of my stay here I will be able to taste what I've been longing for.

I grabbed veges like kangkong, taugi and puso ng saging. I have bagoong(shrimp paste), dried fish and squid, anchovies, rice sticks, puto mix, coconut gel, cooking mixes and more in my baggy, too.

It was such a great experience for me. Thankful that the store is just less than 20-min drive from home. Truly a blessing.

trick or treat?

Happy Halloween, everyone!

Sitting in the porch, waiting for the kids to drop by for Trick or treat. Mosquitoes are starting to mess with me. Alright, I would still stay for the sake of this holiday.

Candy-filled bowl for the kids.

I really wanted to take pictures of the kids in their costumes. I should have fought my shyness in asking the parents if I could. Well, I still have a lot of Halloween to look forward to. Better luck next time.

my better half

I am being tagged my LISA. Thanks dear!

This meme is pretty awesome. Now you are about to know a glimpse of our love story.


This tag is simple. If you feel comfortable and your better half does too, you can post a picture of him in your blog ( but if not a description will do). May it be a baby picture anything that you like with the following:
1. First name: if he doesn’t like his name plastered all over the internet, a pet name will do.
2. How and where did you meet?
3. Characteristics
4. Your plans 20 to 30 years from now.

here are the answers:

He calls himself as Chad d bad.

We met thru an online dating site (cherryblossoms.com) last year. He came and visit me in the Philippines in Sept of the same year and proposed. He asked my parents for my hand and he got it(obviously, lol). By April of this year, he came back again and spent the days with me. Finally, after all the hardships we had (visa and being away from each other), we were united last May 25, 2007, the day I arrived here in the US. July 7, 2007 --- marked the history for the two of us and for all who witnessed and supported our love for each other. It was the day we got married.

Sweet, messy(lol), sometimes with temper, giving, funny and give all his love to me(char!) & a daredevil ( he loves actions like skydiving, bike, mountain climbing..name it he did it). Our plans 20 years from now....hmnn... stay together and more travels.

I wanna know whats up with JACQUE'S better half.

awarded again! whew!

Again, I am awarded. This is the second one and hope to get more (lol). thanks so much to Marie for the recognition.





It's time to give this to Twerlyn. YOu deserve this gurl for your perseverance.

I'm back!

So sorry guys for I wasn't here for 2 days. I just got so busy. I will be posting my halloween party photos later. Thanks for visiting here when I was away.

I'M BACK!

Personality test

A tag from Joy. Thanks, dear friend.

This is my first personality test. Please read to discover more of me...

Let's start...

1. Are you good at hiding your feelings? Everybody has that trait. Sometimes I am. hence, it depends on the situation.
2. How can we tell that you're already irritated? I keep quiet and excuse myself from the conversation.
3. How do you treat the person that obviously doesn't like you? I don't care if a person doesn't like me. I can not please everybody. I do work to be liked but if it ain't enough, I can not do anything more. What you see, is what you get. I am who, I am.
4. What usually ruins your mood? People without humor and wit. Boring in a simple sense.
5. Who do you see everyday that you wish you just wouldn't at all? Nobody
6. When was the last time that you had a good cry? Can't remember the exact date but it was when I just thought of my grandmother.
7. How often do you shop for clothes? I used to shop every week before when I was still working but not much nowadays since I got married. I have nothing to use my clothes at, not a working girl anymore.
8. Who's your long-time crush? hmn...wag na.
9. Someone you just had a crush on? can't remember..maybe they have a crush on me(lol)
10 . Do you have something that you wish you just don't? height. I am less than 5ft and I really want to be taller than 5.
11. Do you sometimes crave for something that isn't there? Yes! like green mango in PI, guso, kinilaw
12 . Do you wish to live in a faraway land where nobody knows you? In a fantasy mind of mine I guess. I wanna stay for a while(not really to live) in a beach or a place with gorgeous landscaping but I dunno where would that be
13. Have you kissed a total stranger? Nope!
14. What do you want to do at this moment? Finish this tag coz I wanna eat spaghetti
15 . The worst feeling? Everytime I feel I'm not well loved by my parents(they have favorites)
16. How about the best? When I talk to somebody that makes me laugh and vice versa
17. Ever given your number to someone you dislike? Nope
18. What will you say to the one reading this right now? Thanks for taking time reading this.
19. What/Who do you need right now? food
20 . Happy with your life? Yes, pretty much!

I am forwarding this tag to Moccalyn , Lutchi , Angel

PayPerPost

Blogging has brought me to meet new friends online. People whose goals are to express, write, share, earn and gain friends. They are nice to be with though we just communicated thru our message or tag boards and also, comments on every posts. It's like a community of love. I learned a lot from them which brought me to join on some websites that would be of a benefit. PayPerPost is one of it. I signed up basically to earn(just being practical). It would open a bigger opportunity for me and for every individual who would want to indulge themselves into making money by blogging. I'm just hoping that this will work. If I gain something from here, it would be great coz I will have my own money from my own sweat and hardship. No more depending from my hubby's which I'm really not used to.

To all you guys out there, try this and who knows, our future will be changed.

Why I'm into blogging?

I've been tagged by Thira. THanks sis!

*start copy here*

We have a voice;
We must be heard;
Therefore we blog;
Now spread the word!

This meme is based on a recent post that was conducted asking the question “Why do you Blog?” and the rewrite “Why do you Blog? - Reworked.”

The purpose of this meme is to tell our tales by spreading the reasons that we blog to as many sites as possible. We get to explain ourselves, direct traffic to our site and highlight our most important, most representative or most relevant post in an SEO favorable format. This will be a positive experience for everyone who wants to get involved. This will enable you to create a short advertisement for your site that will be spread across the blogesphere; a growing directory of blogs.

This is an open meme. You do not have to be tagged to join in. All you have to do is follow the rules. Please let me know when you have added your site by leaving a comment on “Complete List” with a link to your post. This will insure an up-to-date list, giving you even greater distribution. You then have the option of copying the growing list back to your site.

Rules:

• 
  
  1. Create an inventive post title.




• 
  
  2. Write a brief introduction to the meme.




• 
  
  3. Copy from “**Start Copy Here**” through “**End Copy Here**” .




• 
  
  4. Paste into your post.




• 
  
  5. At the end of the “*list*”, before “**End copy here**”, please add your name, site name (with link), a very brief description (2-3 sentences) of why you blog, and your most important, most representative, or most relevant post (with link.)




• 
  
  6. Tag at least 5 others to participate.




• 
  
  7. Leave a comment and a link to your post on “Complete List”

*List*

1. 
   
   My name is Mel and I am the Author of Attitude, the Ultimate Power, aka Monday Morning Power. I blog because I am passionate about happiness and living in the moment. I want to spread the concept that we are in control of our own lives and can choose how we act and react. My site is focused on the Pursuit, Capture, Care and Feeding of a Positive Mental Attitude. One of my most representative posts is “Happiness Vs. Human Nature.”
   
   
   
   
   
   




2. 
   
   I am Max and I offer weekly articles on MAX. Why do I blog? I do it because I want to share my thoughts with you guys. I present a new and interesting way of transmitting philosophical thoughts: funny, engaging and intriguing! My funniest, yet intriguing, post is "Don't you just love People?"
   
   
   
   




3. 
   
   I am the Great and Powerful Baba Doodlius. My 100% factual blog The Thoughts and Sayings Of Baba Doodlius is intended to educate all of you curious readers about the Truth behind the Great Secrets of the Universe. I have the Truth! Can you handle the Truth? For a sample of my powers of enlightenment, read my Revelation of the terrible secret of Bigfoot, aka Don't get stepped on.
   
   
   
   
   




4. 
   
   My name is Amelia and I am the Author of Amel's Realm. I blog because I need to voice everything in my world so that I won't explode. My site is all about thoughts, experiences, fears, problems, misadventures, hopes, and dreams of an introverted tropical girl in a foreign land (Finland). One of my most representative posts is On Trust and Relationship.
   
   
   
   
   
   




5. 
   
   I am Geoff of Geoffandcarley.com and I blog for reasons as diverse and as fickle as my moods. Mostly I blog because I'm firmly convinced I've figured a few things out and that the world will benefit from my experience the same way I've benefited from others' experiences. One post that I feel captures my emotional involvement and my ire (but not my humor as much) is Decision time.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   




6. 
   
   My name is Judy and I am the Author of ~~Sugar Queen's Dream~~. I blog because it's cheap therapy and I have something to say. I feel my most powerful post is called “The Myths of Smoking......”
   
   
   
   
   
   




7. 
   
   My name is Sindi and I have written a blog entitled Life is a roller coaster!. My blog is based on the ups and downs of everyday life. I started blogging because I was going through some hard times and I wanted to meet new people to talk to. I like to write and was hoping people might enjoy reading what I have to say. I think the most inspiring post I have written to date is We Effect So Many.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   




8. 
   
   People call me the Midgetmanofsteel (although I’m neither a midget, nor made of steel). I am the sole author the blog Mental Poo: a mostly true and humorous account of things that have happened to me, are happening to me, or are just filling my head and taking up valuable space where images of women should be. You can get a sneak peek into my mess of a brain by reading “Raisins are People” – a true account of my son’s first field trip. My name is Sandee and I have a blog called Comedy Plus. My blog is just for fun, and I started it to poke fun about everyday life. My reason for blogging is to have fun and meet new friends. I have done both beyond my wildest dreams. I have posted lots of jokes, but when ask what my favorite joke is, I always pick Anger Management.
   
   
   
   
   
   




9. 
   
   My name is Lynda. I blog to as a way to expose my writings and to spread my knowledge on the subject of love. My primary blog (I have 15) is lynda's loft. My favorite piece would be I LOVE..... I have over 300 original poems and posts dealing with the wonderful and painful world of love. I love love!
   
   
   
   
   
   
   




10. 
    
    My name is Adrian, although most of you probably know me as the Mighty Genie King. I am the author First Time Dad. I started blogging as a way to document my growing up pains as my wife and I raise our daughter. I hope that one day my daughter will be able to look at this and get an idea what life was like "back then". Now I blog about everything but the main focus is still the same! One of my favorite posts is Goodnight Sweetheart! Hello Basil! Eh...Who's Basil...
11. Hello, my name is Ann and I'm the author of A Nice Place in the Sun. I blog because I care about people and want to make them happy. My site is focused on humorous, inspiring, and nostalgic posts about life, children, and memories. My most representative post, or the post where I'm most myself is "The Craziest Experience Of My Life.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




12. 
    
    "We are a team of writers, and everyone calls us NAFA, so that would be our name. We are the proud authors of NAFASG©™ - United And Dedicated Behind You™. Blogging, to us, is a form of spreading useful information and sharing our knowledge to every part of the world in order to contribute to the betterment of our global community. The post that we feel would be representative of our blog and the global community at large is The Sociological Interaction.
    
    




13. 
    
    Hola! This is Mariuca and I blog because writing is what makes me whole. I write about anything under the sun from life, love, friends to cats and work. I tend to write best when under pressure and my personal favourite post from Mariuca is Love in Disarray.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




14. 
    
    My name is Susan and I am the Owner of ~~Wake up America ~~, which is a political, right leaning blog. I blog because I believe we need more voices out there to separate fact from fiction, to support our troops and to high light the lack of ethics from journalists today. I feel my most powerful post is called "Are You Proud to be an American......"
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




15. 
    
    "Here I am :-) My name is Mauro and I'm the author of 1 Million Love Messages ...That's my challenge! My favourite post it's (for sure) Adam Donkus & Lizzie's Love History.
    
    
    
    
    




16. 
    
    "Hi there World I am Aussie, the author of Little Aussie Cynic and I want to BreatheThere is Always a Natural Way the latest edition to the Aussie Cynic Family...
    
    
    
    
    
    




17. 
    
    I am Zubli Zainordin, in Total Happiness, I organize the Book Project blog and co-author Santa's Community Blog and Hall Of Fame Blog. I blog with the purpose of documenting about my self for my own reference, my future generations and friends who prefer to know me. I also share vital and valuable information entirely on total happiness. I believe in Santa Claus and I share the Spirit of Christmas within this Blog World. In addition I promote bloggers, their blogs, and invite them to share their blogging experiences, and together with Shinade, I review their blogs and award them with the Zubli and Shinade Recommended Read awards. Those who continuously show continuous blogging improvements shall be residence of the Hall Of Fame blog.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




18. 
    
    Hi! My name is Crystal, my middle name actually. I am the author of Choc Mint Girl. I started to blog because I need my own space to 'just write', but what I find here is quite inspiring and I am amazed at how many different bloggers with different approach ended up as great friends and inspire each other. It doesn’t matter what I blog about as long as the two parties find the connection in one another, that will be the best reason of why do I actually blog. I guess my most relevant post is my very first innocent post, Getting Started.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




19. 
    
    Hello world! My name is Lucel Juliana, you can call me Juliana. I author the blog, My World. I'm a newbie blogger and I'm so loving it. I blog because, I love to write and I want to document my life as a stay at home wife in my newfound home: New York. And if anyone out there tries to tell the story of my life, I prefer that it's going to be me. The one post I'm really passionate about is Cell Phone Hazard . I want to spread awareness about lurking dangers on cell phone use.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




20. 
    
    Hi! My name is Thira. I author the blog As The World Turns. I blog because I love and enjoy it. I used to write on journals before but blogging online is more fun. With blogging there are so many things one can do. You can write down your thoughts, experiences and interests. You can express how you feel, learn many things, share information and knowledge, meet new friends and a lot of interesting people. Like they said, there is a world of endless resources out there.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    




21. 
    
    Mabuhay! Lira here, author of Tasteful voyage : narrations of an expressive mind . Why I'm into blogging? Simple, I wanna share a part of my life to my fellows which I know would somehow contribute to their lives as well. I feel great writing what I'm into and at the same time meeting new friends and learning from their inputs ---vast of inputs. They said "the best teacher is your experience" and this is it. I gain knowledge from them and vice versa. Remembering Papa for me is my most relevant post.
    
    **End Copy Here**

This meme is forwarded to Ivy , Jacque , Lisa , Mari , Twerlyn

a fine tuesday

Whatta fine day I had yesterday. You know why? well...first, it was the first day where I really felt the cold season. I was chillin though I had my jeans and jacket on.

It was a fruitfull day for me and Chad. Supposedly, he should have just his haircut done but it ended up into a lot of activities. Upon driving home after the barber shop, I felt something which really needs to be taken out from my system and so, we stopped by at K-mart, the nearest store with restroom. The special necessity ended up into a sort of shopping. I thought that was it...but not!

On our way home, Chad was starving and he wanted to stop by at any restaurant I wanted. I told him to go somewhere where seafoods is being served. We drove and drove looking for a place to dine. Along the road, we saw this CRACKER BARREL signage. He asked me if its fine if we dine in there and I just responded ok and try it.

At the restaurant, I was so amazed with what I saw. The place itself was very cozy. It was quiet though eaters are around and I liked it. Tables were arranged well for customers who need space. It wasnt chaos at all unlike the other restaurants that I've been with.





FOOD. I can say its awesome! Great deal for a very reasonable price with a superb taste!








here's some of thier specialty. I had to take it from their website coz I didnt bring my camera yesterday.

apple cheddar chicken

first award ever!

This award was given by Thira. Thanks so much friend! I'm excited for this is the first one I received since I started blogging.

Now, I would like to give this to Annette & Jacque

my halloween costume

On the 27th of this month, we (Chad & me) will be attending a Halloween party sponsored by his colleague. Here's my costume for that event. As usual, my hubby photographed this. I bought the costume for 20 dollars (50% off from Spencer's in Mall of Louisiana. I will be the wifey pirate and Chad, the hubby pirate.

Bobby Jindal : the youngest Governor of the USA

Jindal

Louisiana Governor Race October 20, 2007.

U.S Representative Bobby Jindal easily blew up his 11 opponents with 53 percent of the total votes. He marked the history as the nation's first non-white governor since Reconstruction and the youngest GOvernor of the nation. A 36-year old Republican, married to Supriya with sons Shaan and Slade .

His family moved to the USA from India decades ago to pursue American dream. “My mom and dad came to this country in pursuit of the American dream. And guess what happened. They found the American dream to be alive and well right here in Louisiana,” he said to cheers and applause at his victory party.

In India, his relatives are proud of Bobby's success for reaching a higher position in this country and will celebrate with the traditional Punjabi folk dance called bhangra.

when I was young & now(photos)

Thanks Thira for this tag.

This tag is very simple. All you have to do is share a baby, teenager or whatever picture of yourself when you were younger. I would like to see how you look like before and pls add your recent photo.

Photos of mine when I was young are in the Philippines. I never bothered bringing or scanning any before I left.Sorry guys. I only have these :

me @ sweet 16 (1999), a college freshman with Gerlie in the library

me @ 20 (just graduated from college)

this photo was taken a week ago

This tag reminds me of my youth days. So great to reminisce the fun I had as a student with all the deadliest actions we had with friends - boys hunting, doing assignment in a rush hour, called by the Dean for unmannered actions(lol) and so on and so forth. Thus, I never regret it.

Now, I wanna forward this tag to Reader haven , Annie , Jet , Rea , Annette , Garf

7 facts about me

Thanks gurl for tagging me.

THE RULES - List of 8. Write 8 facts about yourself. In the 8 facts, you share 8 things that your readers dont know about you. At the end, you tag as much other bloggers to keep the fun going. Each blogger must post these rules first. Each blogger starts with eight random facts/habits about themselves. At the end of the post, a blogger needs to choose as much people to get tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're being tagged, and to read your blog.

THE RULES - List of 7. Each player starts with 7 random facts about themselves on their blog. People who are being tagged need to blog 7 facts about themselves and post the rules as well. At the end of their blog list 7 people you are tagging. Let them know that they are tagged by leaving them a comment.

• I am so picky when it comes to the food I take. I don't eat egg and/or any stinky foods coz it makes me like I'm gonna throw up.

• An avid fan of Mariah Carey. Like her songs and my theme is Can't take that away. The message itself is superb!

• I am quiet when I'm trying to know the person and when I am mad.

• My husband and family in the Philippines call me neat freak. I think I'm a mnemophobia (phobia with germs). Can't blame myself for my skin is prone to bacteria. I sufferred before and had to add medications to my expenses. Glad I'm fine now and staying home might be the reason.

• Strong and firm to every word I say.

• A frustrated forensic expert and a traveler to see the ancient world.

• Dominant. I just don't want any intruders to put me down which I think right. hmmn...?

I'm tagging Janese , Lerlyn , Nancy , Mari , Theresa , Lisa

got a new portable DVD player...yepeey!

Just this afternoon, we went to Office

depot to purchase a portable DVD player for future travels. It's a Memorex product and a 10.2" widescreen, standard and mini disc compatible and plays DVDs, JPEG, CD.

product features are :

• 
  
  up to 4-hour battery life








• 
  
  800x400 pixel resolution








• 
  
  built-in stereo








• 
  
  tv guardian language filter ready(for children)








• 
  
  slow motion function








• 
  
  has audio & video input/output








• 
  
  dual headphone jacks

also, it includes :

• 
  
  A/V cable








• 
  
  S-video cable








• 
  
  rechargeable battery








• 
  
  car adapter








• 
  
  AC adapter








• 
  
  remote control

for the price of 179.00 plus tax. A great deal!

50 facts about Philippines

A friend emailed this to me and I would like to share this reality about Philippines.

• 50. Where the most happening places are not where the party is. Instead it is where the gang wars happen, where women strip and where the people overthrow a president.




• 49. Where even doctors, lawyers and engineers are unemployed.




• 48. Where everyone has his personal ghost story and superstition




• 47. Where mountains like Makiling and Banahaw are considered holy places.




• 46. Where everything can be forged.




• 45. Where school is considered the second home and the mall considered the third.




• 44. Where Starbucks coffee is more expensive than gas.




• 43. Where every street has a basketball court and every town only has one public school.




• 42. Where all kinds of animals are edible.




• 41. Where people speak all kinds of languages, and still call it Tagalog and where it is fast becoming unfashionable to speak English/Spanish.




• 40. Where students pay more money than they will earn afterwards.




• 39. Where call-center employees earn more money than teachers and nurses, where doctors study to become nurses for employment abroad.




• 38. Where driving 4 kms can take as much as four hours.




• 37. Where flyovers bring you from the freeway to the side streets.




• 36. Where the tourist spots are where Filipinos do not (or cannot) go.




• 35. Where the personal computer is mainly used for games and Friendster.




• 34. Where all 13-year-olds are alcoholic.




• 33. Where colonial mentality is dishonestly denied!




• 32. Where 4 a.m. is not even considered bedtime yet.




• 31. Where people can pay to defy the law.




• 30. Where everything and everyone is spoofed.




• 29. Where even the poverty-stricken get to wear Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger (peke)!




• 28. Where the honking of car horns is a way of life




• .27. Where being called a bum is never offensive.




• 26. Where floodwaters take up more than 90 percent of the streets during the rainy season.




• 25. Where everyone has a relative abroad who keeps them alive.




• 24. Where crossing the street involves running for your dear life.




• 23. Where wearing your national colors makes you baduy.




• 22. Where billiards is a sport, and darts is a bar game.




• 21. Where even the poverty-stricken have the latest cell phones. (GSM-galing sa magnanakaw)




• 20. Where insurance does not work.




• 19. Where water can only be classified as tap and dirty - clean water is for sale (35 pesos per 5-gallon).




• 18. Where the church governs the people (owwss!!!) and where the government makes the people pray for miracles. (Amen to that!)




• 17. Where University of the Philippines is where all the weird people go. Ateneo is where all the nerds go. La Salle is where all the Chinese go. College of Saint Benilde is where all the stupid Chinese go, and University of Asia and the Pacific is where all the irrelevantly rich people go.




• 16. Where fast food is a diet meal.




• 15. Where traffic signs are merely suggestions, not regulations.




• 14. Where all the trees in the city are below six feet.




• 13. Where being held up is normal. It happens to everyone.




• 12. Where kids dream of becoming pilots, doctors and basketball players.




• 11. Where rodents are normal house pets.




• 10. Where the definition of traffic is the "non-movement" of vehicles.




• 9. Where the fighter planes of the 1940s are used for military engagements, and the new fighter planes are displayed in museums.




• 8. Where Nora Aunor is an acclaimed actress and Boy Abunda is the best talk show host, where the population knows more their showbiz stars better than their national heroes and past presidents, knows more of showbiz gossips than their national history and current events.




• 7. Where cigarettes and alcohol are a necessity, and where the lottery is a commodity.




• 6. Where soap operas tell the realities of life and where the news provides the drama.




• 5. Where actors make the rules and where politicians provide the entertainment.




• 4. Where finding a deer on the road will be a phenomenon.




• 3. Where people can get away with stealing trillions of pesos, but not for a thousand.




• 2. Where being an hour late is still considered punctual. (Grabe talaga 'to!)




• 1. Where the squatters have more to complain (even if they do not pay their tax) ---- than those employed and have their tax automatically deducted from their salaries. and finally......




• 0. Where everyone wants to leave the country!

10 little expenses that add up fast

I was signing in to my email and saw this on the main page. These are the minor things we do or spend but have a huge impact on our budget/expenses. Reading this made me realize and took me to a plan of cutting off or getting rid of some of the goods and services listed below to save.

Do you wonder where your money goes, especially if you're not a big spender? It's surprisingly easy to blow thousands, a few dollars at a time.

• Coffee:

According to the National Coffee Association, the average price for a cup of brewed coffee is $1.38. There are roughly 260 weekdays per year, so buying one coffee every weekday morning costs almost $360 per year.

• Cigarettes:

The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids reports that the average price for a pack of cigarettes in the United States is $4.54. Pack-a-day smokers fork out $1,650 a year. Weekend smoker? Buying a pack once a week adds up, too: $236.

• Alcohol:

Drink prices vary based on the location. But assuming an average of $5 per beer including tip, buying two beers per day adds up to $3,650 per year. Figure twice that for two mixed drinks a day at the local bar. That's not chump change.

• Bottled water from convenience stores:

A 20-ounce bottle of Aquafina bottled water costs about $1. One bottle of water per day costs $365 per year. It costs the environment plenty, too.

• Manicures:

The Day Spa Magazine Price Survey of 2004 found that the average cost of a manicure is $20.53. A weekly manicure sets you back about $1,068 per year.

• Car washes:

The average cost for a basic auto detailing package is $58, according to Costhelper.com. The tab for getting your car detailed every two months: $348 per year.

• Weekday lunches out:

$9 will generally cover a decent lunch most workdays. If you buy, rather than pack, a lunch five days a week for one year, you shell out about $2,340 a year

• Vending-machines snacks:

The average vending machine snack costs $1. Buy a pack of cookies every afternoon at work and pay $260 per year.

• Interest charges on credit card bills:

According to a survey released at the end of May, the median amount of credit card debt carried by Americans is $6,600. The average interest rate on a standard card is about 13%. Making the minimum payment each month, it will take 250 months (almost 21 years) to pay off the debt and cost $4,868 in interest. Ouch!

• Unused gym memberships:

Costhelper.com reports that the monthly service fee at gyms averages between $35 and $40. At $40 per month, an unused gym membership runs $480 per year

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/10LittleExpensesThatAddUpFast.aspx