Means, Motive & Opportunity:
The 3 Things You Need To Make The Change or Be A Murder Suspect
This is kind of a big topic to cover in one fell swoop, so I'm thinking we're gonna cover this in 3 parts. Sound like a plan? I think so and let's face it, I'm the one typing--so follow along.
I grew up watching a lot of Law & Order. No, I mean, like, a lot. Like, the theme was the 1st ringtone I ever bought when I got a cellphone. It must be genetic. My mom loved Law & Order. If there was a marathon on, she'd watch it--and let's be honest, there is always a Law & Order marathon on! That being said, while I was growing up watching Jerry Orbach (who was the best detective on any incarnation of Law & Order) catch the bad guys, I feel like I got a pretty decent education in criminal justice. Yes, most of it is very "Hollywood", but I actually retained a lot from television. We'll discuss the medical knowledge that I got from watching M*A*S*H another night.
Jerry Orbach |
In recent years, my best friend got me into Psych on USA. If you've not seen it and you have a love of random movie, television, and music references (and I assume you do since you're reading this and I pepper them into everything), check it out. Anyway, it's a show about a fake psychic who helps real detectives solve crimes.
Being the curious type, I always wanted to know who done it, so I guess I gravitated to these shows that required thought. This may be the reason I don't do thoughtless reality TV. Sweet Baby J! Don't let me get started on that! We will cover that nonsense another night when I can figure out how to justify such a tirade!
Wow, sorry for the tangent, but where was I? Oh yeah, what I learned. So, apart from my miranda rights, I learned that the three things needed to be considered a viable murder suspect are...
- Means
- Motive
- Opportunity
Who would've thought that these are the same three things you're going to need if you want to change your life. Tonight, we'll talk about having the "means"...
means
mēnz/
noun
.
While in a murder case, I'm sure that Lennie and the others would be looking at the first definition above, I'm going to talk more about the second part.
Money
People will tell you that money doesn't buy happiness or that it can't solve all of your problems, but can we just be honest here? I would say 90% of my problems would, in fact, be easier (if not solved) if I had the cash flow to handle them.
When I made a decision to do things healthier, I found that it was not going to be cheap. In fact, if I'd followed all of the advice I saw online and got from other people, I would have never been able to afford it. Putting my medication costs (which are extensive) off to one side, the cost of a gym membership, good vitamins/supplements, healthy food, and the proper equipment to workout regularly (i.e. sneakers and workout clothing) added up quickly!
I'm a big believer in the saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention". It was time to start inventing! Once I had health insurance, I could get the cost of my medication down with generics. My gym membership offered corporate rates and my dad was good enough to help with that since he knew how important it was to me. Healthy food was not so clear cut. It did require some fancy footwork and imagination.
I was reading a lot about clean eating and what kind of meals I'd need to plan out and how the best way was to cook at the beginning of the week and portion things out. That required a good amount of food. Now, I was lucky here. My big brother, David works for Costco (as do I, but it's better that we not work in the same warehouse--or area for that matter). Because of his job there (before I got my job there), I was able to get one of the three family memberships he had to give away. Being able to buy my proteins (meats, eggs, and even peanut butter) there, helped enormously. If you are not a Costco member, do you know someone who is who might want to take you shopping? You can shop with cash or a debit card as someone's guest. FYI- You may NOT borrow someone's card and go shopping. Don't be that asshole. We don't like to have to call you out at the register, but we will. If you don't know a Costco member, get a membership. A basic membership is $55 for the year and totally worth it--especially if your local warehouse has a gas station. Okay, that's the end of my advertisement for Costco. You could substitute BJ's or Sam's Club in, but you will not find the same selection or quality of meats.
While I did buy some of my produce at Costco when I started out, I began to look at alternatives. I am one person afterall and I couldn't freeze lettuce the way I could chicken. With just a few Google searches, I found a few listings for local farmer's markets and the schedules and locations. If you like fruits and veggies, a good farmer's market is like freaking Candy Land! The trick is to go with a list! Otherwise, you run the risk of buying too much and it going to waste. Yup, I learned that one the hard way. You can plan it all out and most of the vendors will work with you on the price (particularly when they get to know you).
As for your healthy living equipment? Well, below are some points as to what you may need and how I got it on a budget. FYI- Like Phyllis Nefler (aka-Shelley Long) from Troop Beverly Hills, I too have a black belt in shopping.
- Sneakers: If there is one thing that is a must if you're going to be more active, it's a good pair of sneakers. Regardless of the brand you love, there are places to shop to avoid the hefty price tag of your normal Foot Locker. Hit up TJ Maxx, Marshalls and if you have a DSW Shoe Warehouse, that'll work too. If you can't find what you want and you have the time to wait, may I suggest eBay? I know it sounds dumb, but I am an eBay guru! Search for what you need and BOOM, you'll have tons of results to sift through.
- My best example? eBay find: Puma race boots. Retail: $135 I Paid: under $50 (including shipping)
- Workout Clothing: Again, all your local TJ Maxx-like places are good, along with any clearance section you can find. For me? I workout and run in tennis skirts. I look better in skirts than shorts and since they have shorts underneath, they are super comfy and I'm not showing my cash and prizes off to anyone while I'm working out. Where can you get them super cheap most days? Thrift stores. I live near a Good Will Super Store and I bargain hunt there regularly. Some people don't jive with thrift stores, but I love them. Think of it as an adventure. Some people think they are too good to shop at a thrift store and to those boojee people I say, "Child please." Tim Gunn wants you to "Make it work" and sometimes Good Will helps with that.
- Recent Good Will haul: 2 Nike tennis skirts, 2 tube shirts to walk in (I hate tan lines), 1 pair of jeans and a knick knack for my living room: $10.
- Supplements: I found good deals by asking my doctor where to find good deals. When it comes to your vitamins, I found it was often better to spend a few extra dollars for the good stuff. Discuss with your doctor what you should be taking.
- Other equipment: Time to let your fingers do the walking, kids. Look in your local yellow pages (probably online because who the hell has a phone book anymore?) for a used sporting goods store. Near Fort Lauderdale (my hood) we have a place called Play It Again Sports. You can find used weights, resistance bands and even things like golf clubs there for way less than normal retail prices.
Believe me when I tell you, I make poverty work. If I can get the supplies together on my meager earnings, you can too. You have the means, my friends. With that knowledge, rest assured, you're a third of the way there.
Tomorrow, we'll talk about motives.
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