Dearest STC readers,

I’m so excited to be kicking of the second season of Survive the City since our re-launch in 2007.  STC is committed to providing you with all the fun survival tips you’ll need to make it in style in this great big city of angels.  We’re even gearing up for a bit of a website facelift.  Afterall, this is Los Angeles, and everyone needs a makeover now and then.  Stay tuned and check back regularly because we’ve got more to offer than ever before.

Let’s Wine and ….Shine

What better way to kick off the season than a great event in beautiful Santa Monica!?  Join Survive the City, Tuesday September 22nd at SALUTE in Santa Monica for wine, food, fashion, music and more.

Here are the details:

• the event starts at 7pm at Salute (2435 Main Street, Santa Monica).

• It’s $15 to get in the door or $75 for a table which includes a bottle of wine.

There will be wine tastings, appetizer pairings, live music and designer fashion shows and a whole lot more.  STC is going to be there and we can’t wait to see you!

RSVP by contacting popboxmusicandevents@gmail.com with the number attending

Boxes

Luckily, we’ve found one small ray of sunshine in the dismal reality of moving: Moving Box Delivery. This company specializes in quality moving boxes, as well as quantity – that is, how many boxes you personally need, and it is all based on moving stats and how many rooms you have in your current residence. You can take a lot of the guesswork and pre-packing energy out of your next move by visiting their website, selecting how many rooms your house has, then simply waiting for the moving kit to arrive in the mail (free of shipping).

Moving Boxes
If you think about it, boxes are weird. They are of no use until they have something in them, and even then they are only useful for about a week. And the last thing you want to do when dealing with a move is to drive somewhere just to buy empty boxes when you can buy Los Angeles moving boxes on-line. Luckily, with Moving Box delivery, you can have them shipped (free!) right to you when you are ready for them. That means no borrowing your friend’s car just because all the boxes you are paying too much for at Smart&Final won’t fit in the back of your Jetta.

The boxes you get are the same kind that professional movers would show up with. The boxes are sturdy, deep, but not so large that you won’t be able to move them. When you order from this site, the boxes you’ll get are uniform in size so that stacking and hauling won’t accidentally turn into a game of Jenga. Plus you can check out other box size options like wardrobe boxes that you can hang your clothes in, or an extra large box for pillows.

Moving Kits

Even if you do scrounge enough boxes from back alleys and the garage, you might be at a loss for other essential moving supplies like packing paper, foam, and packing tape. When you use Moving Box Delivery, you can order a pre-assembled moving kit with all of the boxes for moving you need, but probably don’t keep readily available at your place.

These moving kits come with the number of all-use boxes you need based on the size of your place, two clothes boxes, a wardrobe box for hanging clothes, a pillow box, five pounds of packing paper, 20 feet of packing foam, and 56 yards of packing tape. The best part is that everything you need is going to cost 25% to 35% lower than what moving companies charge for these supplies, and you don’t even have to leave the house to pick them up.

Discount Movers, a San Diego Moving Company

If you happen to be moving San Diego to Los Angeles, another nifty moving tip when looking for San Diego movers to move you from San Diego to Los Angeles is Discount Movers. This company has been in the business for 12 years, and boasts the fact that they only use experienced movers with the highest ratings in the BBB. They move from San Diego up to LA every day, so you don’t have to make the drive yourself. The cost of the movers includes experienced professional movers, moving truck all the necessary furniture shrink wrap and FREE wardrobe boxes to use the day of your move to keep your things safe and orderly. 

Movies on a budget

A movie ticket during peak hours is currently $12.00 to $13.00, which is obscene when you consider it would take a person two hours working minimum wage to fork over that amount. However, a matinee at any theater is at least three or four dollars less. If you’re annoyed by the crowds and architecture at places like the Grove, you should join the Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater. $25 a month gets you admission to all of their screenings, free admission to any members-only events, and a free bucket of popcorn. They don’t play the usual movie fare; a recent series celebrated Disturbing and Inappropriate Kid’s Films.

Food For Less

Ever heard of “prix-fixe?” Me neither–until all the trendy restaurants in LA began to implement fixed menus to lure in those wary of gastronomic splurges. It all began earlier this year, when Dine LA Restaurant Week brought in tons of business because of the fixed-price, three-course meals at stylish eateries across the city, and restaurants took a hint and continued to serve appetizers, entrees, and desserts for a standard lump sum. Keep an eye out for new and improved happy hour deals as well, implemented with the recession in mind.

Low-Cost Culture

Now that more decadent diversions have become fiscally difficult, one might consider turning to local museums for some fun. The Getty and Getty Villa, for example, are completely free to visit (parking has been raised to $10.00, or you can park somewhere else or carpool). Others are free certain days of the week: the Hammer, Skirball, or MOCA (free every Thursday from five to eight p.m.). Some are free once a month, like the Norton Simon or Huntington Library, but be advised that they can get a bit crowded on those days.

Refresh Your Digs

Apparently people stay home more in a cruddy economy, and consequently they do more home-improvement so that staying home feels like a treat. By hitting up local antique markets and yard sales, you can both get out of the house and home-improve for cheap. Craigslist is a great way to scope out when and where people are having sales, and even see pictures of what they are selling. If you want more selection, try the Pasadena City College Antique Swap Meet, the second Sunday of each month, or smaller variations on Melrose near Hollywood or on Ohio in Santa Monica. Sure, there are a lot of expensive antiques, but also some cheap finds that can be haggled for a little cheaper with some effort.

Appreciate LA

If all else fails, there is a lot of LA to appreciate for no money at all. Catch some street performers at Santa Monica’s 3rd Street Promenade (assuming you can resist their aggressive attempts for tips). Window shop and gawk at how the other half lives on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Do your research and go on a self-directed tour of LA architecture. Observe the wildlife in Venice (maybe splurge and get yourself a coffee at one of their many excellent coffeehouses). Pack a lunch, drive out to San Pedro and check out the Korean Friendship Bell and Point Fermin. Enjoy your meal while you watch the boats out on the Pacific and try to figure out how many movies you’ve seen that were filmed there (two that will come to mind immediately: The Usual Suspects and Face/Off). Drive through Pasadena and check out the beautiful, stately homes while you daydream.

And hang in there: you’re not alone!

Image by Brooklyn Hilary

By Kirsten Laulainen

Mother’s Day is May 10th, guys. You don’t have a lot of time, but don’t worry. Here are a couple of ideas to keep your wife and/or mother happy on her special day, and on a budget. Before you go out and spend any money, you’d better decide what you’re going to get her. A good place to start is to think of her favorite things. If you know your kid’s mother loves to garden, you might consider giving her a gardening gift basket. Everything from gloves, to seeds, to a shovel and shears. is included.  There are also baskets tailored to other interests, so be sure to ask around.

While these gift baskets may be a great option, they may not always be under budget. If you’d still like to get her a collection of something, but the basket idea is just isn’t appealing, there are always flower arrangements. Now, most of us know that flower bouquets – if you want more than a handful—can be expensive. Not to worry, though. If you only have a little over $30 to spend, you can still get a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet.

You can get such a great deal at 1800 FLOWERS, either online or over the phone.  They have a wide variety of bouquets, some arranged with different flowers. This way, you can show mom you were paying attention. Arrangements are easy to find and navigate online, because they are organized by flower type/Plant type and price. These “custom/specific” arrangements will probably not fall under the $30 or below mark, but they will certainly be cheaper than you might find elsewhere. A 20% discount applies to many flower sets, so you’ll be getting cheap flowers, without sacrificing quality. In addition, there are a variety 1800flowers coupons, to help you gain additional savings. Search for the above term, or call.

Here is a survey of what Mothers Day flowers are available from 1800 FLOWERS at $30 or less: two dozen rose bouquet,  “pearls of wisdom” gardenias, “gorgeous in green,” Azalea plant, and a pink rose and blue Iris bouquet. Just to name a few. 1800 Flowers, also carries cookie boxes and bubble bath gift baskets for under $30. So give them a call, or take a look around their site. You’ll be sure to find a great gift for good price.

Driving to Joshua Tree proved to be fairly straightforward, basically consisting of taking the I-10 (”the 10,” as the natives call it) to CA-62 and making a left; however, the drive is fraught with one danger: the elusive, and notoriously poorly-marked, exit 117. While driving on the 10, one must find exit 117 to transfer to CA-62. Being that our destination is a large national park, one would expect there to be several signs (e.g., “Joshua Tree 5 miles… Joshua Tree 1 mile… You just passed Joshua Tree…”), however there is only one small (and very easy to miss) sign denoting any reference to Joshua Tree. Be sure to keep an eye out for the right exit or you may have to endure several miles of banter from the rest of the occupants of your car while you continue on to the next exit to turn around!

Another adventure which lay in store for any of those adventurous enough to make the trek is the drive through the Banning Pass. This is the section of the 10 which passes through a large windmill farm, and for those of us who have never driven through a forest of spinning “death blades,” this portion of the drive can be oddly captivating (or maybe that’s just me). I’d highly suggest to anyone driving through this area that you try to add sound effects to the spinning windmills by shouting “Whosh! Whosh! Whosh!” as you pass each windmill. The other occupants of your car will no appreciate your efforts to make the experience all the more vivid.

Anyway, back to Joshua Tree. Once on CA-62, one will have to make one more right turn to enter the park. The right turn comes just after a restaurant which should be a key stop on any trip to Joshua Tree: the Crossroads Café and Tavern. Stop in and say hello to Bonnie, the owner, and enjoy a burger, beer, and perhaps some of the local orange cream soda (which tastes oddly just like the orange popsicle depicted on the bottle.)

Entrance to the park does require a fee. If you plan to visit the park more than once in the year (or if you plan to visit any of the other surrounding parks, such as Yosemite or Red Rocks) then it may be worth it to purchase an annual pass. These passes typically cost about $80, where as the daily passes typically start at $15.

One more quick survival tip for all you rock climbers visiting Joshua Tree for the first time: the guide book for Joshua Tree is notorious among all climbers for being completely unorganized and impossible to follow. The only way to actually locate good climbs on your first trip out is to tag along with climbers who have been there before. (If you are in need of some local know-how, there are two climbing shops immediately next door to the Crossroads Café and Tavern.)

For everyone, climbers and non, once you have entered the park, you will finally understand the seed to the sentence which I spent the day repeating: the Joshua Tree. Yes, much to my surprise, the area actually takes its name from a unique tree which is found in large numbers in the area. This tree requires no description, as it will be immediately discernible to anyone entering the park, and should provide endless hours of literary entertainment: “You see that tree? That’s a ‘Joshua Tree’ tree…”

-Justin Beitler

So I know I’ll be succumbing soon. And if I follow my usual pattern, I will look at the high-end options, freak out at the price, look at the low-end options, freak out at the terrible quality, and end up buying a decent pair online for a decent price. I’ve gone the disposable-glasses route; not only is there invariably something funky about the construction, but it’s bad for your eyes. Ordering from a place with good variety and customer service, like Eyesglasses.com, means that Ralph Lauren and Proenza Schouler fans alike will come away happy. Because in the end, it’s only glasses; go with the sensible option and be done with it.

A major part of surviving in a city like Los Angeles is keeping one’s finances at bay. There is a price to pay for living in a bustling cultural center where you have only to look out the window to see the beach, the mountains, two Starbucks and an AT&T store. But with the right combination of of budgeting (cringe) and willpower, you can subsist and partake in all that the second most expensive US city has to offer.

Put The Smack Down

The first step is to set rules for your money, and to stick with them. The best way to do this is to get everything down on paper. Save receipts for food, utilities and splurges to actually see what you spend each month. Finance experts recommend that you either use a simple spreadsheet or personal finance software to track all of your spending and income in order to actually see how much you waste on caramel macchiatos.

Basic Necessities

Next, you have to realistically determine what you absolutely must spend on electricity, gas, food and your rent or house payment. There is a pretty self-explanatory “one-third” rule for how much of your net income should go toward rent, which will obviously be trickier to stick with in LA. If you can spend less than one-third, then great; more money for crepes and sushi. Spending on a house is obviously different because it is an investment, so you can spend more–and there are additional expenses to factor in, like homeowners insurance and property taxes.

Savings

Then there’s the matter of savings. Ten to 15% of your income should go straight to savings, and you can set up automatic transfers through online banking to force you to do the right thing. While interest rates aren’t great right now, by putting your savings into a CD for a specified term; you can make more interest than in a regular savings account.

After paying down debt, there are also retirement savings to consider. For this, most turn to Individual Retirement Accounts, also known as IRAs or Roth IRAs. Based on your income, you can sock away a regular amount that will bring you over the required minimum, sometimes as low as $100 or $200 a month, but less than the maximum contributions allowed based on your age. It might be morbid to start saving for retirement before your first wrinkle, but I wouldn’t count on Social Security holding out after the Baby Boomers have had their way with it.

Just For Laughs

I’d talk about stocks, but what could I say at this point in time, really? Er…buy low and sell high.

OMG, I Have to Have That!

The last item to budget for: whatever you don’t need but can’t live without. Look at what you’ve spent on clothes, movies, birthdays, going out, then realistically set an amount you will allow yourself to splurge with, and do not stray from this amount. This may sound like advice for a youngster with their first credit card, but I’d venture that even some seasoned money makers don’t regularly come face to face with their fringe expenditures.

DIY=H-E-L-P

Finally, be wary of “money drains.” You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating. According to Yahoo Finance, most Americans spend close to $400 a year on coffee and bottled water alone, and almost $2,500 on lunch–all things you can get at home for substantially less. The twenty minutes it will take you to prepare will be completely worth it in the long run.

We’ll try to make this as simple and painless as possible.

Due Date

Taxes are due on or before April 15th.  If you need them, tax extensions are available, but they do involve paperwork, so timeliness still counts.

Getting Assistance with Your Tax Preparation

Our advice is to have a professional help you file your taxes.  At the very least, you’ll probably be able to sleep better at night without the worry that you may have done it incorrectly.  If you are an employee and have only one full-time job that pays you an hourly or salaried wage, and you feel your tax preparation will be simple, you can go to a place like H&R Block. 

If you own a business, work freelance or as a contractor, have more than one job, or have certain expenses (for example, if you are a student), you probably want to see an accountant. 

Fairchild Tax Services is one we recommend. 

Before You Get Your Taxes Done

You can prepare for your tax preparation appointment by doing the following:

1. Pick up the appropraite forms you will need.  You can usually do this at any LA post office
2. Find out which form is right for you
3. Gather all of your W-2 forms.  If you only held one job in 2008, obviously you’ll have only one W-2.  If you’ve changed jobs, you may have more.  Your employers are required to send these to you, but if you feel you haven’t received them, get in touch with them.  The employer deadline for sending out W-2s was February 2nd, so you should have yours by now.
4. Make a copy of your W-2s.  These are always good to have for your records.
5. Locate last year’s tax forms, unless this is your first time filing 
6. Jot down a list of things you believe may be deductions: student loans, business travel, moving, educational items, donations, computers (if used for business or school), business expenses (if you are freelance or run your own business), etc.  NOTE: this does not constitute guaranteed deductions, but we recommend you bring a complete list with you, just in case. The worst that can happen is your hearing, “Sorry, that doesn’t count.”

NOTE: If you just moved to LA, your move may be considered a writeoff!

Tax Relief

There are also companies out there such as American Tax Relief that can help if you have more serious tax issues.  American Tax Relief, for example, offers solutions with issues like tax debt, liens and wage garnishment.  American Tax Relief also runs a blog that is very informative for anyone experiencing the stress associated with tax debt and owing money to the government.

I was recently “friended” on Facebook by an adult friend of the family. It was immediately strange to see a fifty-year-old’s updated status next to that of some guy I had a class with, and all of a sudden Facebook felt very weird.

Then it hit me: I have pictures of my 21st birthday on Facebook that my peers would find funny, normal, even demure and “lame.” But my parents’ friend, who was now my buddy, might take pause upon seeing me take to the bottle openly, 21st birthday or not.

While this scenario might cause some awkward social exchanges, there is a good lesson to be learned from it in the realm of the job search. If your Facebook or MySpace profiles are public, your potential boss and co-workers can learn a lot about you from them. This can work for or against you, but as I am pretty sure you don’t post pictures of yourself running a soup kitchen on Friday nights, the latter is most likely to be the case.

If You Wouldn’t Tell Your Boss, Don’t Put It In Your Public Profile

We associate Facebook with twenty-somethings and school-aged people, or people who wish they were young enough to be in school, and we all use them with this in mind (and no wonder, since Facebook got its start exclusively at the university level). This is all dandy, except that these social networking sites function to blur the line between the public and private realm. The upside is that everyone has a place and voice on the internet as well as unprecedented networking potential. The downside is that you can lose control of your internet reputation, or webutation, or inter-rep, if you will.

But there are things you can do to keep your interwebutation safe. While we all might untag pictures on Facebook where we look a bit plump or because the camera caught us mid-chew, it is also advisable to edit down the albums full of overzealous partying, or doing anything of questionable moral integrity, if you are into those sorts of pastimes.

Things you say and groups with which you affiliate on social networking sites can be similarly incriminating. For example: you might love to quote Lil’ Jon’s “Get Low,” but your potential boss might find the lyrics contrary to the wholesome image your put forth at an interview. Similarly, joining groups like “Plastic Beer Pong Cups Are More Important Than Friends” (it exists) might lead someone to think your ability to prioritize is slightly compromised. And since everyone is so Google-able with their blogs and internet-published opinions and so forth, you might want to be careful you don’t offend anyone with your web-rants.

Use Your Online Presence To Help You

That said, something like a blog can be beneficial if you use it to showcase your interests, your knack for clear and concise copy, and maybe throw your impressive resume in there. The same can be said of a Facebook or MySpace profile, both of which have spaces for educational background and work experience.

You can even become a contact to potential employers on a site like LinkedIn, which is specifically for business networking. LinkedIn can really only make you look good, since it allows co-workers and bosses to recommend you, and there are absolutely no places for your friends to write you snarky comments or tag pictures of you. But even here, you have to be careful not to be annoying with too many braggy job descriptions and skills.

In a perfect world, a rational observer would be able to put a young person’s social life in its appropriate context, so long as it did not affect their work ethic, and perhaps this is the case more often than we are aware. But (and this is a really big but!) there is also the possibility that a rational person might think an applicant who does not carefully proof their internet presence is a tad careless, at best. And that’s something you can’t afford when even Starbucks isn’t hiring.

That’s right, as we were driving back from San Diego on the 405, my roof rack completely ripped off the top of my car and the stand-up paddle board and the roof rack went flying into the street.  Thankfully no one was hurt.  I wish I could say the same for the board.

Renter’s Insurance

Though I was aware of it before this incident, I realized that I should have gotten renter’s insurance when I’d first thought about it.  Renter’s insurance would have covered this particular situation, and goes for as little as $10 a month with some companies such as Strive Insurance, The Aftra-Sag Federal Credit Union and many of the same companies that provide your car insurance.

Health Insurance

Health insurance isn’t cheap, and these days (especially in the entertainment business) it isn’t often provided by your employer.  Consider asking your employer to look into Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).  They actually allow you to place pre-tax money into an account that you can use for any health items from aspirin to birth control to procedures (like botox).

You might also consider checking out United American Insurance Company.  Not only do they provide affordable health insurance but (side note for the recently unemployed!) they are hiring in some parts of LA.  So whether you go to United American Insurance Company for a job or for health insurance, consider checking them out.

Life Insurance

If you’re a young, unmarried, non-parent professional just starting out in LA, there is some good news for you.  Life insurance is one type of insurance you can probably opt out of for awhile.  Money that you would pay in to many life insurance policies that people will try to sell you on could be money you invest in other things like your 3-month safety fund, your first down payment on a home and your Roth IRA.