These past couple of months the notion of taking control of life has definitely been in the forefront of my ideas. Not so much because of my own personal lifestyle, I actually feel like I’m in control and make decisions that get me to where I need to be, but mostly because I’m in a position where I hear people blame everything under the sun for their own problems or their children’s.

Apartment dwellers and homeowners with limited yard spaces don’t have to give up their green thumbs or dreams of becoming self-sustaining horticulturists. Many gardening options produce beautiful shrubs without taking up too much valuable ground space, such as hanging plants and wall installments.

In the past decade, California has been living under mostly drought conditions. Sure, we had a wet 2005-2006 year, but that was nearly 9 years ago! One such area where conservation needs to be occurring is landscaping.

Why have all of these accounts with one nearing a zero balance? First, let me define my concept of a zero balance account – it’s a checking account that, after all bills are paid for the month, equals out to zero dollars or some very small amount (usually under $200).

However, I’ve known for a few years now that Los Angeles is just not a very affordable city for median income earners like myself. I’ve stayed because I have roots here and a good job, and it’s also what I know.