I'm Here, Now What?

Life’s Obstacles

2010-07-24T09:08:00.000-07:00

I thought my biggest obstacle would be getting DH on board with the idea of saving. I was wrong. Although not particularly enthusiastic on the new focus of saving as much money as we can to pay off our loans, he gets it and is being supportive.

He’s even tolerating my request to not spend $35 for work equipment this month because we already bought stuff this month, and I want to spread out expenses. And when I had a craving for ice cream on Friday, he reminded me we are trying to save money-ice cream is not essential.

So with things going in our favor, life tested our commitment. Bright and early Saturday morning we had an emergency. As we let the dogs out this sunny morning water poured down the exterior wall of our house. Some part of our water heater plumbing has gone a muck.

A plumber on a Saturday would be expensive! With the water shut off we contemplate what to do (and fear the cost of fixing it). We’ve gone without water before can this wait until Monday?

I'm back!

2010-07-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

Our garage is finally done! I'd show you pictures but I lost the camera a couple months ago and we've been too broke to replace it. The work on the garage was more extensive than originally planned and we went way over budget but it's done and paid for so I'm happy.

I've converted 3/4 of the garage into a yoga studio for myself and DH didn't complain too loudly which was nice. I'm hoping to take a yoga teacher training class next January so it's great to have a place for my home practice.

In the meantime, I've been listening to the Dave Ramsey podcasts which has reignited my desire to start saving like mad to pay off our car loans and student debt. My work situation is still precarious- I love my work, but I'm not convinced that our office, which was reduced from 75 people to 38, will be sticking around forever.

My new short term goals are to pay off my small student loan, the smaller car loan, and save enough for the yoga teacher training course. After that we'll tackle DH's truck loan and the much larger student loan.

Wish me luck! -or the strength to stop spending :)

The Universe is Testing Me

2010-04-13T18:29:00.000-07:00

Today is one of those days where everyone pulls together to really test your patience. Like the village raising a child, the universe is helping me build my practice of mindful thought.

It started with the rain and day 2 of postponing work on the garage. This is a project I’ve dreamed about since the day we bought the house 3 years ago. That is 3 years of saving and waiting finally paying off. But oh the rain.

The recycling truck skipped over our house again and we have a month’s worth of recycling backed up in the house and no garage to store it in. All the houses have empty bins, except mine.

I arrive late to work, my team misses a meeting with the boss , and a tongue lashing follows.

It's just one of those days, a day when nothing goes right.

I stub my toe on the side walk, the camera batteries die as I take my first picture, and I forget to put the tea bag in my hot water. Yep it's just one of those days.

Then I realize how calm I am. I've been awake 3 hours, nothing has gone right, and I'm not mad. I'm not cursing at my desk, telling people off under my breath or packing my bags. I just am.

Thank you universe for bring sunshine to my rainy day.

Yard Sale Stats

2009-09-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Porter and I sat on the front porch for 6 hours during our very first yard sale. I had never done one because the thought of someone else wanting and even paying for my junk just didn't sit well with me. But I was bored, looking for something to do, and the thought of a little extra cash didn't hurt.

Hours open: 6
Hours prep: 1
Visitors: 23
Sales: 6
Largest Sale: $45
Smallest Sale: $0.50
Porter barks: 7 occurances, numerous barks
Surprise best sell: door knobs (with keys)
Suprise worest sell: books
Best time of day for sales: 10-11:30
Pages read while sitting in the hot sun: 162
Times Porter tipped over his water dish: 4
Profit: $91.50 & space in the garage

All and all not a bad day and I'd probably do it again if I got bored enough. Although I really wish someone had asked about our gas dryer because I really want to sell it. Know anyone out there looking for a great deal on a gas dryer?

To Bookswim or not?

2009-09-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last night I was checking out bookswim, which I think is a fabulous idea and was super psyched to try it out, especially when I saw that they were servicing my area! That never happens. Then I saw the monthly fee ($19.95 for 3 books a month plus $4.99 S&H) and I'm not sure if it's worth it...

Pros for joining

a lot of books I want to read aren't available at the library and are available here
I buy a lot of books for book groups that I don't really want to hang on to
I can easily browse for new books
I can start a queue of interesting books I hear about but aren't quite ready to read
I'd read more
I'd read more of the books I want to read through out the year verses waiting until my birthday or Christmas when I get a ton of books I want to read all at once and then only read half
the monthly incentive would motivate me to finish books for the next swap

Cons for joining

a lot of books are available at the library
I currently only buy 1 book a month around $10-$15 if that
it's an increased monthly expense
I don't get to keep the really good books

Really the dilemma is that joining bookswim will not saving me money but will cost me a little more for my reading habit. The plus side is that I would read more (which I want to do) and I could read books that I am really interested in and not just the books that are available at the library. I'm leaning towards yes, but it's just the extra $25. It is a little too high, I was hoping for $15 or $20. What do you think?

Declutter Success!

2009-09-06T09:36:00.000-07:00

Yesterday DH and I had a very successful day cleaning out all of our old stuff. Of course now our garage is full of junk but at least it is out of our living space, right?

Here is a before and after pic of the living room:

Our first month in the house:

Two years later, it actually looks like a home:

Got to Keep Busy

2009-08-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yippee! The new carpet is in! Thursday night while I sat in an empty living room on a nasty carpet, I realized how much bigger the living room looks with less stuff in it. DH and I agreed not to return all the furniture back to it's original place and I have to say our house looks bigger because of it.

Of course that means we have 5 boxes of "stuff" that we now need a home for so I've got some hardcore cleaning, throwing out, and organizing to do next weekend! DH and I went through all of our clothes yesterday and were able to remove 3 garbage bags full. And I'm hoping with the rest of the cleaning we can move a bunch of stuff in boxes to the garage. Our spare room is full of seasonal stuff and things only used on a rare occassion so I'd love to remove them from our every day living areas so we aren't as cramped.

Items for labor day weekend (or before):

clean out filing cabinet (top 2 drawers)
top drawer of spare room dresser
spare room closet
top half of kitchen hutch
5 boxes of books and DVDs need a new home
the kitchen cabinet with baking and coffee stuff

2009-08-26T06:59:00.000-07:00

So before my hiatus, I listed out some goals for the summer. Well since the summer is almost over I thought I'd check in on my progress.

Inside

~~Paint bedroom~~
~~Paint living room~~
~~Paint kitchen walls~~
Paint kitchen ceilings
~~Paint baseboards white throughout house~~
~~Paint doors white throughout house~~
Clean out the filing cabinet
~~Buy new microwave~~ (on hold)
~~Make a curtain for back kitchen door~~ (no longer needed)
~~Hang pictures in kitchen~~ (tried and didn't like)
Get new carpet for living room- 2 more days til complete
Get new carpet for "master" bedroom- 2 more days til complete

Outside

Get estimate for redoing the garage (roof, sheetrock, backdoor, overhead door, update electrical box)
Paint the rest of the "porch"
Power wash the whole house
~~Get outside table~~
Brainstorm for making patio next year
Mow and water the lawn regularly (in progress)

I've been pretty sucessful inside the house and how I just need to focus on the outside before the weather gets bad again. All and all not too bad...

Prioritizing Money

2009-08-23T12:31:00.000-07:00

DH and I have a long wish of hopes, dreams, and wishes. And of course all of these things take money. To help us prioritize when and where we spend out money we've started a list:

Xbox 360 (for DH)
Carpet for living room and bedroom (slated for Aug)
Garage remodel (need estimate)
October vacation (going to Florida)
New computer desk
Vacation to New England (2010)
Trip to Portland
Trip to Seattle
Pay off independent student loan
New couch
Trip to San Fran (Alcatraz)
Car GPS
~~Tires for Versa (Aug)~~
New bed
New microwave
New work boots for DH
Savings to sell house/move
New weights for DH
~~New clothes for me~~

As you can see we have quite the list. Some of it is nonnegotiable like replacing the bald tires on my car and others are a long time off like selling the house and moving. As a planner I need to have an organized strategy. Even if it is never used I like knowing what I'm getting into to help stay on target and keep progressing in the right direction. Our next step is prioritizing our needs/wants and setting goals to meet them.

New Addition to Dream Job List

2009-08-09T14:36:00.000-07:00

This morning over coffee and brownies (yes, I ate brownies for breakfast), I stumbled across this slide show of Netflex's corporate culture. If you are as interested in corporate culture as I am flip through it. There is some pretty interesting stuff in there and a lot of that stuff I am currently struggling with as my previously 80 employee company was bought by a company of 2,000+ employees.

If you aren't interested in corporate culture then just know that Netflex has joined the ranks of Amazon.com, Zappos, Google, and Ben & Jerry's as companies I'd love to work for.

Freedom & Responsibility Culture

Long time, no write

2009-07-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

After a 2 month hiatus, I think I'm back. Life got busy and I got Animal Crossing for my birthday and that pretty much sums up where all my time went. If you haven't heard of Animal Crossing, good. Your ignorance will spare you from hours upon hours of fishing, bug catching, and buying the latest items in your town store. It is incredibly addicting and acts as it's own natural black hole. You start at 10am and the next thing you know it's time for bed.

I have made some progress on the house in my absence. I had one productive weekend where I painted the baseboards and doors of the living room and kitchen white. I still have the other two bedrooms and the kitchen ceiling to do though. And next month we are getting new carpet! Woo hoo! I have one month to get the rest of the painting done and our social calendar is filling up so I better start cracking!

Welcoming Summer

2009-06-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Welcoming the nicer weather and the occasional sunny days that will come with it, DH and I invested in a doggie pool for a whopping $10 at Rite Aid. The dogs don't really get the concept of the pool and think it's the largest water bowl they've ever seen. At least they won't get dehydrated this summer!

I also got a sprinkler and have been watering the lawn every night (I pretty sure you are suppose to water in the morning but DH just aren't up early enough). I'm hoping the water will help the grass grow so that we will have a nice green lawn when the family comes out in Nov. Otherwise it will be welcome to the dust bowl!

(And check out the awesome fence in the background, DH did a great job!)

House Goals

2009-05-28T06:27:00.000-07:00

It's time for some summer house goals! It's an ambitious list but I'd rather have stuff carry over to next year than sit on my butt playing Animal Crossing all summer!

Inside

Paint bedroom
Paint living room
Paint kitchen
Paint baseboards white throughout house
Paint doors white throughout house
Clean out the filing cabinet
Buy new microwave
Make a curtain for back kitchen door
Hang pictures in kitchen
Get new carpet for living room
Get new carpet for "master" bedroom

Outside

Get estimate for redoing the garage (roof, sheetrock, backdoor, overhead door, update electrical box).
Paint the rest of the "porch"
Power wash the whole house
Get outside table
Brainstorm for making patio next year
Mow and water the lawn regularly

Okay I kind of cheated with the first 3 by putting stuff I've already done on the list but technically they aren't done yet. There are 2 spots in the bedroom that need to be touched up, DH noticed some "spots" in the living room that I don't see so we have to wait for a sunny day so he can prove it, and I still have to figure out how to paint behind the refrigerator and gas stove in the kitchen without doing too much damage. Despite my video game addiction, I think I'm doing pretty well.

Time Wasters

2009-05-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been addicted to Mafia Wars on Facebook and Animal Crossing City Folk. It's amazing how many evenings and hours have gone by propped up in front of these two games. It is also probably why I haven't been blogging as much. Sorry mom, please forgive (and I'm still getting you Animal Crossing for your birthday)!

Normally I'm not a big fan of video games but I have found it very relaxing to escape the realities of this world to a world where I can make $8,000,000 with a click of a button or a world where I can pay off my mortgage in one day by collecting fruit and seashells.

I've settled myself in for the long haul at work. It's more of a marathon (maybe a mega marathon) than a 400 meter sprint. So I'm learning to let things go, focus on the things that matter, and smile through every meeting. I few people have commented although I think they were more suspicious in nature. But you have to laugh when the company you work for disappears over night and a new one takes over. No one knows the rules yet. You can't take yourself too seriously unless you want ulcers and I'm to young for that. I'm just going to wait a little for someone to put together the company cheat codes and post them online. :)

Mela-a-what

2009-05-14T19:05:00.000-07:00

Poor Forest. He went in for his regular annual exam and found out he had a melanoma growth on his eye lid. Fortunately the vet was able to remove it and he is completely healthy otherwise, but he's feeling a little groggy and walking around like a drunken salior.

This is Forest trying to get on the couch...

Bit by the Bug

2009-05-10T16:27:00.000-07:00

With my bathroom fully functioning and brand new looking, it has motivated me to work on the rest of my house. And of course the fact that my parents are planing to come out in November is even more incentive to get the house in pristine condition before their visit.

Last weekend I finally painted the rose colored bedroom that DH swore he'd never sleep in. Not to call DH a liar but 2 years later I've finally painted in blue. It's not quite the blue I was hoping for (it probably needs at least 2 coats to cover up the pink that is trying to shine through) but I'm too cheap and lazy to do any more right now.

Here are the before and after pics-

Before bare walled and dogs allowed.

Freshly painted and no big dogs allowed (somehow Porter is still allowed in the bedroom).

Next on the list is the living room and kitchen walls. But first I have to learn how to texture the walls and cover up Forest's teething marks!

Support PWO!

2009-04-24T17:23:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bloggers, MJ from Note to Self, is hosting a 24 hour blogathon tomorrow, April 25th, starting at 9 a.m to support Police Wives Online.

Please stop by the blogathon page, read some great stuff, and make a donation!

Thanks in advance for your support!

Everyone Has Dreams

2009-04-21T06:45:00.000-07:00

There are a few companies that I've always wanted to work for- Google because I think they are the greatest and they treat their employees well, Amazon.com, again, because I think they're ingenious and you can bring your dog to work, and Ben & Jerry's because I want free ice cream every day.

In case I every find myself living in Las Vegas or Kentucky, I'm adding Zappos to that list. Another amazing idea wrapped up in a company culture that's worth being apart of.

If you're still not convinced check out the Nightline episode and tell me what shoe-loving girl wouldn't want to work here?

The Nicest Room in the House!

2009-04-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

At long last, our suffering has ended and our dreams have come true- our bathroom is officially the nicest room in the house. The contractors did an amazing job and we are so happy with our end result that we've already asked them to come back for our next big house project- the garage!

I have a real bathroom now with tile floors and nice overhead cabinet storage! Everything looks so new and clean! The window is a very safe distance away from the shower and we have a ceiling fan that works like a charm.

Running Water

2009-04-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Hallelujah! We have running water in our bathroom and the toilet flushes! Words can not express how excited I am! No more running to Safeway to use the restroom and no more Sri Lanka style baths with buckets! Woohoo!

They aren't quite done yet, but man what a difference!

Are we there yet?

2009-04-11T11:42:00.000-07:00

It's been a long week without a bathroom and running to Safeway everytime I have to go pee is getting really old! We're half way there and by this time next week, I'll be soaking in my new tub something I never dared to do in the old one.

Here are some of the not so glamorous before shots.

I'm not quite sure what the previous owner was thinking when they installed his and her medicine cabinets. And the black thing in the bottom center is the space heater we have to use to dry out the room when ever we shower- it will not be missed!

As I'm sure you can imagine, they found an incredible amount of moisture and mold when they dug up all the old floor and walls. And there was absolutely no insolation in any of the walls. Wow!

And here is a shot of the "fan" in the bottom center that was not connected to anything. No wonder it did such a poor job!

But it's starting to turn around and the window is no longer in the tub, which is a good sign.

Forest and I can't wait for the bathroom to be done (although probably for different reasons)!

We did it!

2009-04-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

After almost a year of saving and cutting costs, DH and I have finally saved enough to get started on our bathroom remodel! I'm so proud of us!

2 years ago when we bought the house we knew the bathroom needed to be gutted, but basking in the dreams of our future we didn't think too much about reality. 10 months ago reality hit us and we committed to saving although we didn't have a lot to put aside.

At the end of every month, after paying the bills and putting a little extra towards our debit, I put a hundred dollars in a savings account. After a few months of "forgetting," I set up an automated savings plan, which turned out to be our saving grace. We started off with just $25 a week and when that was successful I bumped it up a little. We paid off some of our debit and I doubled the weekly contribution. DH and I got raises and I doubled the weekly contribution again. Tax refunds and birthday money all went into our savings acount. And finally we had enough money to secure a contractor and wouldn't need a loan to do so.

It feels great to work hard for something. While I won't be doing any of the physical labor to make my bathroom happen, I did work hard to cut back our spending and beef up our savings. We finally did it! I'll post some before and after pics soon!

29 Days of Giving

2009-04-05T08:47:00.001-07:00

Last month I was introduced to Operation Nice, if you haven't heard of it before I strongly encourage you to check it out. With all the ugly things happening in our lives these day, it's easy to lose sight of the good that exists too. Operation Nice has helped me remember that it only takes one person to make a difference in some one's day.

Today is my last day of the 29 days of giving challenge. At first I thought 29 days was a whole lot of giving, but as I got into it I realized how much I give without even thinking about it, just because it's "the right thing to do". Cooking DH dinner after a long day of work, letting a car pull out from a side road in front of you during rush hour traffic, and giving people compliments for things they've done. All very simple things that we do during our regular days and don't even think about.

I'm really glad I got involved, I did somethings that I wouldn't ordinarily do like send a care package to a sick child. But more importantly I became mindful of all the nice things I do and all the nice things people do for me. By week 2 it seemed like DH was being abnormally nice to me- washing the dishes, rubbing my back, mowing the lawn. My new mindful state made me appreciate his efforts that before wouldn't have got more than a tired "thanks hun". I think it's true if you do nice things, nice things happen to you.

I'm going to continue following Melissa's weekly challenges and Nice Testimonials and I encourage you to check it out too!

First Ride Along!

2009-03-25T07:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe there are only 2 classes left in the Citizen's Police Academy. I've learned a few things but mostly it's nice to be around non LEO people that are in awe of what our men and women in blue do. I have to say it's very refreshing to walk through the classroom doors and be surrounded by citizens and city council members who support law enforcement.

But enough mushiness- Friday I went on my first ride along! For 4 hours I was immersed in what my DH does everyday:

Gave a death notice, took almost an hour since we didn't have a valid address and had to respond to a building alarm across town during the hunt
Pulled 2 people over with tinted windows (one person was cited, the other got a warning)
Pulled over a car with expired tags and the driver had a warrant for arrest- my first trip to jail (kind of smelly don't recommend it)
Assisted another agency with information on a stop within the city limits
Got to see Cop Watch in action (for those that don't know our local Cop Watch goes around on patrol taping officers doing their job, invading their personal space, and generally just creating a scene, I'd link to their page so you could see the ridiculousness but I don't want them to find me!)
Responded to a 911 hang up when dispatch couldn't get a hold of the caller (gosh darn those 2 year olds. At least the family was very nice and apologetic)
Checked out an apartment for loud music and underage drinking
Looked for juveniles who overturned a porta potty and were being chased by a neighbor (we didn't see anything)
Searched for a municipal code violation of camping but again couldn't find anything in the location given
Responded to a fight call and assisted in locating a caregiver for an unknown 2 year old who was left by her drunk mother when the crowd broke up

It was actually a pretty slow night according to the officer but I was exhausted and a little bit car sick. Who knew how tiring it can be to get in and out of a car! And there were times I swear we were driving in circles (okay we were- we kept trying to catch up with cars to pull over but traffic was getting in the way or we'd get dispatched some where).

I have a new respect for how tired DH is when he gets home and I was only out from 6-10!

Monthly Recap- Feb 2009

2009-03-23T19:16:00.000-07:00

February was a whirl wind of taxes and parties (but no parties for taxes). Our spending seems to have reached a consistent number month to month with minimal fluctuation. We’ve weeded out our over the top spending and are consistently able to put more money aside each month for savings. There are certainly many areas we can continue to cut back on, but at this point neither of us is motivated enough to make the big sacrifices.

Here were the dingers for the month:

Dog food doubled as our bi weekly trip to the feed store caught us on the first and last day of the month, maximizing the spending for all 28 days of February
DH’s truck was registered in February- DH, I hope the $311 is worth it!
Our groceries were $100 higher due to our every few months Costco trip.
Our eating out bill was another $100 higher from the overwhelming number of birthdays in February.

The plus side was we got a fatty refund from the government. Although I’m disappointed as I hate to think of giving away my money for free. On the flip side there probably wasn’t much I could have done differently as I think most of the tax refund was due to all my PTO payouts that bumped me into higher tax brackets for several paychecks.

The Ultimate Compliment

2009-03-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling pretty good about myself lately and have taken the next step to bring goodwill to others. One of my goals for work this year is to be a corporate cheerleader of sorts. I know there will be a lot of changes this year for the company, some good and some not so good, but as a good leader I need to rally the troops when we they are needed and address their concerns so they can do their work.

This past week I've been working on a presentation for my boss' boss. It was stressful and I saw things that I wish I didn't, but I knew how important it was for me to do a great job, to be professional, and to do everything I could to make her job easier.

At the same time I couldn't let my stress bring down the morale of my team. I need them to believe in me and to trust me. They've been asking difficult questions but I felt it was important to answer them as honestly as I could and to explain the reasoning behind such decisions to prevent panic and to squelch any anti-company feelings that would prevent them from getting their job done. It's amazing how little things like a mandatory corporate desktop display can cause employee uproar.

At the end of my stressful week my employees thanked me. They thanked me for keeping such an upbeat attitude during this stressful time because it made work a lot easier and even fun. They thanked me for answering their questions about the upcoming changes. They understood that many things still needed to be addressed and decided but appreciated that I didn't deny that things were going to change and some of them were going to be difficult. And an employee that had more experience on the job than I have been alive told me she admired how professional I am.

While I've always appreciated compliments and atta boys from my boss and the higher ups, I've always valued my employees feedback more. When people under me thank me for doing a good job, for making work a fun place to be, and for being professional and forthcoming with information I feel like I've truly done my job well.

Sometimes corporate life can be rewarding. :)

Getting involved

2009-03-08T09:45:00.001-07:00

This month marks my 3 year anniversary of living on the West Coast in the middle of nowhere. In some ways it's hard to believe it's only been 3 years and in other ways I'm sure it's only been two. But alas it's really been 3 and outside of work I don't have any connections here.

I've taken matters into my own hands this last month and have started volunteering to get involved in activities outside of work (hence my lack of posting). My goal is 3 fold:

I want to expand my network beyond just people I work with
I use to be very involved in community activities before moving here and I miss it
It looks good on the resume should I end up on the job market

In some ways my motivations are selfish, I want to have a larger support network since I don't have family close by that I can rely on and I'm trying to cover my bases in case I become unemployed. Local involvement will look good as will having connections outside of work that I can draw from. But there is also the element of being engaged in the community that makes you feel good.

I'm currently attending a Citizen's Police Academy which is a lot of fun. I was nervous that I would meet a lot of LE haters but in fact everyone has been incredible nice and in total awe of what LEO and Dispatchers do and what they put up with. A few city council members are attending and I'm also meeting more people that DH works with which is nice. I did a sit along in dispatch for a few hours last weekend and all I can say is that dispatchers have an incredibly stressful job and are perhaps the best multi-taskers on earth!

I've also joined a local book group with 5 other ladies. I love to read and was really excited when a co-worker introduced me to his friend that lead the group. I think the best part about the group is that no one from my work or DH's work is part of it so I'm actually opening up new doors!

This week is the annual Bowl for Kids' Sake to support our local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization. I'm one of the team captains and we've done some really successful fundraising which I'm pretty excited about. And next week I'm volunteering at the local Jazz Festival.

Since getting involved I've felt a lot happier and believe it or not have more energy when I come home (even when it's past my bedtime). I'm doing a better job of eating well and keeping the house clean. I'm starting to feel like the old me again and I like it!

Bring out the toothbrush

2009-02-21T08:25:00.000-08:00

It was late on a Monday night and I was trying to procrastinate going to bed so I wouldn't have to wake up and go to work in the morning (by the way that trick doesn't work). That's when I pulled up the site Flylady.net thanks to a post on PWO that was coincidentally reinforced by popping up on another blog the same day- I thought it must be a sign I needed help.

Flylady is the answer for living in CHAOS (can't have anyone over syndrome). I read the first page just because of the cool acronym. My first assignment was to make my sink shine. Apparently it's not enough to just wash your dishes every night like I had been doing. Flylady wants me to dry the dishes, put them away, and spend the next hour polishing the sink! (insert evil laugh here).

I'll admit the idea of soaking my sink in bleach for an hour had no appeal to me but as I read further about removing the rust in the creases around the sink, I sprung into action. I pulled out an old toothbrush and started scrubbing down my sink. Granted my sink didn't shine when I was done, but it looked really, really clean. Perhaps the cleanest it's ever been since we bought the house. Better yet when I woke up the next morning a bit groggy from my late night cleaning spree, I was instantly energized by my super clean sink and tidy kitchen. Maybe just maybe Flylady has something here...

25 Things About Me

2009-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

Part of living a focused life is knowing who you are and what you believe in. I had a lot of fun filling this out. Enjoy!

I ran a marathon and it honestly didn't feel that long. Until the next day when I couldn't walk. Half marathons are the way to go.
I tore my ACL and MCL during the Stowe Derby, a race only for crazy people (it's a downhill slash cross country course that starts on top of a mountain and you can only wear your itty bitty, no edges, cross country skis).
I've lived abroad in both Sweden and Sri Lanka.
At one point I could speak French, German, Swedish, and Sinhala. Now I barely speak English. :)
I do not think credit cards are the devil- I believe people are raised in a culture that can't do math and has no respect for the numbers.
I'm not a phone talker as my family and east coast friends will confirm. I'll probably pick up if you call me, but I'm not one to initiate calls. I'm much better at email or meeting in person. (So just hop on a plane and come visit!)
I want to love cooking but it stresses me out. If it requires more than one pan, forget it. I do, however, love baking. I could bake all day or until I pass out from all the taste testing!
My husband taught me to love Johnny Cash.
I'm not a big soda or juice drinker. It's water or if I'm feeling frisky ...Vitamin Water!
I need exercise and yoga to keep me sane. I'm a naturally anxious and stressed out person!
I love Indian food!
Ceasar Millan is one of my heroes. Not just because of his way with dogs but with people too. He is a true leader and I've read all 3 of his books.
I told my husband I'd never marry a cop and 2 months before our wedding he signed on with the local PD. Yet, I still married him so I guess that makes me a liar.
I fall asleep during movies- at home, at a friend's house, in the movie theater, and it doesn't matter what time of the day.
I think my dogs are my kids because well they are! lol
I can't relax in cluttered or cramped spaces. When I'm stressed out the first thing I do is clean, it's amazingly therapeutic.
I have 2 rescued pit bull type dogs but it's the boston terrier you have to look out for!
I have a Masters in Teaching English as a Second Language and I used it for less than a year before changing careers.
If you asked me what I do now, I'd have a hard time describing it. It's a cross between marketing, communications, and project management for a merchant processing company. Don't ask how I got here from teaching. :)
I'm a professional delegater. I love to plan and organize things but want other people to do the dirty work. At times I think I've found the perfect job.
My favorite color is red although there are times when I think it is hideous. I guess that's the Gemini in me coming out.
I'm a proud police wife in a community that thinks the world doesn't need cops.
I prefer to spend my Friday nights at home with my dogs watching Netflex.
I have no qualms about drinking alone (you won't either if you spent most of your married evenings by yourself).
I've been a vegetarian since 2002 but occasionally eat fish at restaurants if my only other option is fries and a salad.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

Okay so this may not be finance related but aren't my dogs cute!

Bonus- I made the image with free shareware! Photoshop just is't in the budget for awhile.

Check out The Simple Dollar's shareware lists for Windows and Macs.

Monthly Recap- Jan 2009

2009-02-12T18:33:00.000-08:00

January 2009 was our best month to date!

Even through our income to expenses wasn’t as high as other months we had the lowest expenditures to date! I'm very proud of DH and I for how frugally we started off the year!

Lows:

Our phone bill was up $7 mostly because I’ve been texting and sending pics to the family- I guess that's acceptable :)
Groceries went up $80 which is to be expected when you stop eating out
Porter had his annual vet exam- good bye $90
All 3 dogs got worms- $137 for fecal exams and medicine. Double yuck!

Highs:

Restaurant budget down $130!
Extra $400 went toward paying down my variable rate student loan
Doubled our weekly automatic payment to savings account
No money spent on clothes, hobbies, or items for the house!

We are on target for an April 2009 for the bathroom remodel!

Tax Time!

2009-02-08T06:49:00.000-08:00

With a glass of wine in hand, I finished my taxes in a record breaking 2 hours sans tears! Yes, the keyboard was a bit blurry at times and I had 3 W2s to enter because of our dear failed bank but at least I had W2s to enter. I made it through and I'm getting some money! It's amazing how each year it gets just a little bit easier even though my tax life gets a little more complicated (marriage, mortgage, ect.). I would like to take this opportunity to thank Turbo Tax Deluxe- you are amazing!

Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that the state has enough money to give me my refund! I am a little bitter that we might get an IOU for money that I worked hard for and is rightfully mine. I'm thinking it's time to change my allowances on the good ole W4s.

Bathroom remodel here we come!

I'm an abstaining, half habiter

2009-02-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

My biggest goal for 2009 is to establish better habits and to be more disciplined. My plan is to tackle 5 daily expectancies a month, repeating them as necessary until I feel like they are a true habit (in other words- an automatic action requiring little physical thought to complete).

Here's some good habit forming motivational reading-
2 Simple Ways to Form New Habits without Really Trying I like the idea of a half habit. I used the wii fit as a half habit to get me back into exercising daily and it worked like a charm.
Your Happiness Project: Do Something EVERY DAY I do find it much easier to do something everyday than 3 times a week and I have the exact same conversations in my head as Gretchen!
Quiz: Are you a Moderator or an Abstainer? I'm definitely an abstainer.

3 Weeks Make a Habit

2009-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've heard it takes 3 weeks to make a habit and only 2 days to break it. Meaning if you concisously do something everyday for 3 weeks it will become a routine for you that requires little effort to get done. However, if you get busy and skip the habit 2 days in a row it requires more effort to get back on track.

At the beginning of the year I created 5 daily expectancies to get me back on schedule. I gave a progress report a week later identifying some of my difficulties. It's been over 3 weeks and I'm proud to report I've got some new habits! Which also means it's time for some new ones for February.

Progress Report

Daily dish duty is an official habit. A few nights ago I fell asleep watching tv before I washed the dishes in the sink. A whiny dog woke me up at midnight and as I let him out the back door I saw dishes in the sink. I couldn't go back to bed until I did them! It only took 2 minutes and when I woke up the next morning it felt great to have a clean kitchen!
Making the bed is an official habit. It's so important now that DH and I have limited the dogs' access to our bed. Only Porter is allowed in the bedroom because his kennel is there. No more doggies playing on the bed keeps it nicely made and is also doggy hair free which is a bonus.
Excercising everyday is almost an official habit. I've switched up the wii fit to My Fitness Coach (still a wii "game"). It's more challenging and I'm doing it every weekday morning, but it's not quite automatic yet. I'm keeping this a focus for February.
Walking the dogs is in the same boat- I'm doing it every work day morning but it still takes some concious effort and self talk to get me out on those cold rainy mornings.
Cooking 4 times a week is well, not there yet. We are eating at home every night so depending on your definition of "cooking" you could say I'm meeting this expectation. I'm revising this goal for February to be more specific.
Cleaning calendar has yet to be created. I think I bit off more than I could chew for January. 5 goals a month is probably my limit since I didn't even think about this goal all month.

February Goals

Excercise every weekday so it's automatic and requires no thinking when I get out of bed.
Walk the dogs every work day so it's automatic and requires no thinking in the morning.
Cook at least 2 meals a week and have food available and prepared for eating at home the other nights.
Create a cleaning calendar for regular weekly, monthly, and quarterly cleaning.
And a new one: organize mail daily by immediately throwing away junk mail and putting bills to pay in the designated spot.

How are your resolutions coming along?

What's Your Debt to Income Ratio?

2009-01-31T08:05:00.000-08:00

I always find it interesting how people often exclude mortgages and student loans as part of their "debt." I hear people say woohoo I'm done paying off my debt and I think to myself -Really? You've paid off that mortgage you took out a year ago?

For some reason we distinguish worth while debt like a student loan or mortgage as not real debt and only count things like car loans and credit card debt as true debt (although I also know people who don't count car loans as debt either).

The hard truth is that if you owe money to an entity you are in debt. I stumbled upon a helpful article explaining how to calculate your debt to income ratio. It's actually quite easy. Add up all your monthly minimum debt payments and divide that by your monthly income and voila- your debt to income ratio.

Anything over 40% is considered not healthy. Under 30% is excellent and 30-36 is pretty good. DH and I weigh in at 43.6%- ouch!

I think it's our 2 car payments that do us in. We both got "new" cars last year and are not even close to paying them off. I was extremely uncomfortable buying 2 cars so close together but my car was on death's door and once I got a gentle used car, DH "needed" his fancy new truck. I wish that I had started my financial challenge just a few months earlier last year so I could have avoided this "mistake." I'll mark this down as a lesson learned to follow my gut.

And the Numbers Say...

2009-01-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

We got the quote from the contractors and I was pretty right on in my guestimate although I was secretely hoping that DH would be closer. Further evidence that DH doesn't quite get the full value of money and probably why I handle the all the finances. But that's not what I wanted to write about.

The quote is significantly more than what we have currently saved up. I'm glad scheduled the appointment and got the quote because we needed that kick in the pants to start seriously saving. We had hoped to have the remodel done in April but with this number we might have to push it back a few months so that we can afford to do everything that needs to happen.

I'm a little disappointed about the set back but hope to use this as motivation to get back on the wagon.

Monthly Recap- Dec 2008

2009-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'd like to say I closed out 2008 on a high note but with the holidays and all the gift giving and over indulging, I closed out 2008 on a middle note. DH and I have a savings, which we are desperately trying to grow for our 2009 Bathroom Remodel project. I'm happy to say that in the later half of the year (around the time I started this blog) our contributions steadily increased and that continued all the way through 2008. I was even able to double our weekly contribution so I'm pretty stoked about that.

The sad news is there weren't many financial highs for December 2008:

DH got a raise for completing his first year with the department.
We doubled our weekly contribution to our savings account.

The lows for December were numerous and stem from a general bleeding of the wallet syndrome. I guess it's true that when I loss focus, I really lose focus. Go big or go home... (inside joke sorry)

$500 for holiday gifts.
$100 more than last month's already inflated eating out numbers. Bring this down will be our top goal for February.
$100 more on entertainment. I have to admit we had a fun month and I don't regret this little splurge.
$215 at Target, which is over $150 more than the previous 2 months. This was disappointing to see on paper.

The good news is DH and I are committed to our 2009 Bathroom Remodel project and we also really want to go on vacation again (hopefully in 2009 also but depends on how much the remodel costs). At least there are lots of places to trim the fat and start plumbing up that savings account!

No More "Treats"

2009-01-19T08:24:00.000-08:00

We're half way through the first month of 2009 and I'm not sure that I've made as much progress on my mindset as I would have liked. True I'm making the bed in the morning, washing all the dishes at night, working out with the Wii and My Fitness Coach for 30 min every week day, but I still feel like I'm cheating the system.

A while back I admitted that my biggest challenge for 2009 was discipline and avoiding the guilty escapes of treating yourself. I have a confession to make- I'm still indulging in those little treats.

I had big plans to work out in the evening but ended up having to take work home. Instead of making time for both, I "treated" myself with a pass card to the work out so I could do my work and still watch tv. Lame.

The next night I had to make a special trip to the local feed store for my dogs' special food, because it is slightly out of my way I "treated" myself to a frozen pizza that night because I got home from work late and shouldn't have to also then cook. Pathetic.

It seems to be a regular theme for me -if anything out of the ordinary happens, I make it into an excuse to "treat" myself. But it's never really a treat just an excuse to be lazy and undisciplined.

Any suggestions on how to stop this?

Progress Report

2009-01-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m working on creating a more disciplined (or structured) schedule as I think it will help get me in the right mind set I need to accomplish my 2009 goals (to be disclosed in a future post). I’m taking baby steps to ease my way in since I’ve been pretty fast and lose with a lot of my household chores and what not. I’ve started off with little things to help me keep a cleaner house which also reminds me to balance out my work life by putting my home life at a higher priority.

Progress Report-

Wash dishes every night. This is going quite well and by doing the few dishes we have every night, I never have that daunting pile of dishes that overflows from the sink to the counter. The bigger plus is since the kitchen is always clean, DH has started washing his plates occasionally! Must be the guilt of being the only dirty dish in the sink!
I’m making the bed every morning. Granted my dogs mess it up all day long but every time I go into the bedroom I straighten the sheets. Again it only takes a few minutes and it makes me feel better about myself.
I’m getting into my morning wii fit routine and I’ve even tossed in two other games to help keep me active in the evening (My Fitness Couch and Ski and Shoot) I’ll be sure to review them in a future post.
I’m making walking my dogs a priority. I live in a very small house and 3 hyper dogs is never a good things. We are all a little calmer if we take the dogs for a walk in the morning- I just need to tough out the rain.
I still need to work on the cooking 4 times a week I think last week I cooked twice. And by cooking I mean making an actual meal verse throwing veggie burgers in the frying pan and calling it a meal if you catch my drift.
And the cleaning calendar still needs to be created so I've got some work to do this weekend!

New Year Resolutions

2009-01-02T08:37:00.000-08:00

In the spirit of the season I've been spending some time reflecting on my past, present, and future and have realized that while I use to be proud of my accomplishments and life, I'm really not that excited about the person I am right now. I think the biggest thing is that I strive on structure and as I've gotten older I've had less and less structure provided externally and more and more has to be internally motivated. So my New Year's resolution is to lead a more structured life and to stop making excuses for why I should be given "a break" just this once.

I read this article at the Happiness Project and it really hit the nail on the head. When I have a bad day I think that is a good excuse why I shouldn't have to do the dishes that night. But the reality is I will actually feel better if I just buckle down and do the dishes. Cleaning makes me feel better but I come up with excuses while I shouldn't have to do it. I don't know if this makes any sense to you, but it was an epiphany for me.

I've started a list of the following daily expectations and are tracking them in my daily planner:

I will cook at least 4 meals a week for DH and I.
I will use the Wii fit (or other wii excercise game) at least 15 mins 5 days a week.
I will walk my dogs at least 15 mins 5 times a week.
I will do the dishes daily.
I will start a cleaning calendar for weekly chores.

I 'm sure there are other things that I will add but this is what I'm starting out with and once they start becoming habit I will add some new ones.

November Recap

2008-12-28T11:43:00.000-08:00

After a month hiatus- I'm back. I needed some time to get my priories straight and I feel I'm now in good shape to start 2009. So without further a do, back to the monthly recaps.

This is the second month in a row I've done my recap almost a month after the fact! By the time I catch where I’m falling there isn’t enough time to fix for the next month.

DH and I have some big plans for 2009 so I need to be more diligent in my review and in our spending habits (but more on that in another post).

Highs

Nov was the month my company's official sale took place and the month the FDIC left!
PTO payout from FDIC- I set aside half (about $400) to cover some Christmas expenses.
Year End bonus (paid out by FDIC in Nov)- I set aside all to our savings account!
Under the new company I got a raise as I was underpaid by their standards. Yippee!
Monthly income to expenses balance put us at $2,000 in the black thanks to the PTO pay out and the early year end bonus.
No money spent on home maintenance
Personal care came down $50 even though DH and I spent $135 towards early x-mas shopping.

Lows

Mortgage went up $10 as property taxes increased this year
Food outside the home needs to be cut in half still as it did not come down from last month's inflated amount.
Vet bills- Forest had an ear infection and annual exam/shots

Back to work...

2008-11-30T18:31:00.000-08:00

For the first time, my company took the day after Thanksgiving off! I guess there are some pluses to the new ownership after all. The 4 days off was a much needed break. I haven't take more than 3 days off (Fri-Sun) in over a year and that was for my family coming out.

Last week was a great week for me. Maybe it was because there were only 3 work days or maybe because I was focused on what I wanted to achieve. Either way I'm going to answer those 7 questions again tonight.

1. What will I try to improve this week?
Last week I worked on being more optimistic for my new employee. Well I've got another new employee starting this Monday and while last week I kept an upbeat attitude, I wasn't so prepared to train a new employee. It has been awhile since I had to explain all the rules and procedures and I stumbled through them terribly last week. (I've always had good employees so I've never had to worry about the attendance policy or the exact dress code, except on employees' first day.) This week I'm going to be more organized in my new employee training. I'm off to a great start as I had to work late Wednesday night and I spent the time organizing packets and outlining topics to go over.

2. What was I most proud of last week?
I feel recharged. I know I went into last week feeling in desperate need of a pick me up and I think I've found it. I'm getting back on track with my personal development, rereading the books that helped me "find myself" my last few years of college. I'm also getting back into yoga and using my Wii fit. Competitive sports were a huge part of my life up until a few years ago and I miss the structure and challenge they afforded me. I have to be even more self disciplined now that I don't have a coach to whip my butt when I slack off. Last week was a step in the right direction and I'm feeding off this energy to bring me into this week.

3. What was my biggest accomplishment last week?
Last week I realized my boss is just as stressed (if not more) about the transition to the new company as I am. We are both big organizers. While she values helping people and mediating during projects, I like to plan and execute. Together we make a great team and we are both struggling with the lack of information and organization we need to do our jobs. My accomplishment last week was listening to her. I've said my piece, she knows where I stand, and last week I got a chance to be there for her, like she has been for me so many times.

4. What have I done to get closer to my life goals last week?
I dug out DH's Nintendo DS. I've learned a few things about myself these past weeks. One is that I value intelligence and quick thinking and two is that after work I need to destress. TV, while often the method of choice, is not really what I'm looking for and I'm too emotionally drained to gather the energy to go to the gym (that's why I dropped my membership). What I do like is sitting down and challenging myself to some quick thinking mind games- Brain Age, Big Brain Academy, Brain Boost, etc. It doesn't take much physical energy so I can trick myself into pulling it out after a long day and 15-30 mins later the fast pace challenges have pumped me up to get me through cooking dinner, cleaning, and (much later in the evening) a quick workout.

5. What was the hardest thing for me last week?
I often focus on one thing really hard and ignore the rest. First it was my finances, which still need work but at least I'm not in the red at the end of the month anymore. Now it's feeling satisfied at work. I have to be really careful that I don't slip on the progress I've made with my finances and with the holidays coming and the sale shopping I can feel myself starting to slide...

6. What was my biggest waste of time last week?
Some might say it was staring off into space, but I actually enjoy that time. It's almost like meditating just staring off while your brain tries to wrap itself around its thoughts. I think the real waste might have been being mad at DH. DH's career makes for a nontraditional home life and sometimes I get frustrated and silently mad at DH for it. (I'm silent because I'm smart enough to know he doesn't have control over a lot of it and it's more my problem not his).

7. What did I do this week that made me ashamed?
Again it's being mad at DH for doing his job. Funny how both weeks my biggest waste of time was also what made me ashamed. I guess I value not wasting time too. :)

Getting ready for the work week

2008-11-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

So after a frustrating finish to my last work week, I've spent the weekend browsing different productivity blogs because something else I value in life is continued self improvement. As some of you know about 2.5 years ago I moved to this crazy county thanks to DH's employment and to say that opportunities around here are few and far between is putting it mildly.

When I look back at the person I was when I moved here and the person I am now, I feel like I've been slipping. I'm not as sharp, dedicated, or professional as I use to be. I use to be involved in lots of things outside of work and now I just go to work, go home, go to work, go home. The thing with not having lots of opportunities around is you have to work twice as hard to make them and I haven't been.

Several blogs suggested keeping a daily journal and one activity was to ask yourself 7 questions each Sunday to help you focus for the week ahead (there is a 20 question version too, but I need baby steps).

1. What will I try to improve this week?
I'm going to be optimistic and upbeat at work this week. I have a new employee starting Monday and I want my company to make a good first impression. I know that the management team (including myself) is extremely frustrated right now, but I'm going to do my best to shield my new employee from that negativity and spin a positive light on our current situation.

2. What was I most proud of last week?
Last week I got several contradictory directives for action from the president, director of operations, and our software development director. Instead of getting defensive about the miscommunication, I took a deep breathe and replied back as to what the original directive was and if I should now be doing it differently. I also calmly explained my frustrations to my boss that the contradictory messages were frustrating and that I would be happy to organize a project meeting to help clear up some of these issues.

3. What was my biggest accomplishment last week?
Identifying what I value in my life and in my ideal job.

4. What have I done to get closer to my life goals last week?
Last weekend I spent a lot of time figuring out what it is I value in my life's work which will help me focus my energy on things that are important to me.

5. What was the hardest thing for me last week?
My biggest struggle right now is the lack of direction with regards to the integration of the old company with the new company. Being a planner and an organizer, not knowing where we are going or what my responsibilities are is an extremely unsettling feeling.

6. What was my biggest waste of time last week?
Hands down it was complaining. I spent a lot of time bitching to my co-workers about my frustrations. While some venting is good, I definitely spent too much time focused on what I don't have control over.

7. What did I do this week that made me ashamed?
Again the complaining and gossiping about the lack of an integration project. As a person in a leadership role I need to be setting a better example.

I'm officially no more...

2008-11-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

So the sale is official completed! Normally I would be excited but instead I'm really nervous. The last few weeks I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what I value and I started a nice little list-

What I value:

intellegence
knowledge
responsibility
accountability
integrity
being helpful
respectful
determination/perserverance
communication

What I like to do:

solve problems
put together real life puzzles
organize
plan
gather solutions
track progress towards goals

All these things fit in rather nicely with my current career in project management and internal/external marketing. I felt really good going into work after making this list knowing that I had momentarily lost sight of what I valued and I was now back on track. I was pumped up and ready for action.

Then I find out that the new company isn't working like that right now. Normally I'm part of the project team, keeping everyone informed, and on task. I'm good at it and I like it, but oh no. The only people being informed and a part of this integration project are our senior leadership team (who by the way are not onsite). This means me and my own boss are clueless. Here we are the project department and we can't even be part of the project. I am going out of my mind. All my talent, all my skills sitting in a cubical focused on meditating as hard as I can so I don't go crazy. The few things I can't stand in the workplace are lack of organziation, planning, accountability, and communication and I can tell you that they are all present and in full force right now. Blah!

October Recap

2008-11-22T07:30:00.000-08:00

I apologize for being so late on posting my recap. You know it's been to0 long when you think back and can barely remember the month! But "making excuses justifies failure" so without further a do here's what our numbers looked like last month:

Savings:

Since I'm on a biweekly payroll, October was the month of triple paychecks!
What's even better is after all the bills were paid we didn't need it so a whole paycheck is going into the bathroom savings!
Our cable bill was super cheap, not only because we gave up many services but because we did it in the middle of the month amd had a credit carry over. So instead of saving $80 on our new cable bill we saved $100!
Our gas bill was down by $40 and that was before gas was below $3.00 so I'm really excited about November!
Our grocery bill was down another $100. I'm not sure where all our grocery money was going before...
We only spent $40 on hobbies this month which is normally upward of $100

Expenses

Our city water rates went up again. When I first moved here we were paying $25 a month and that was the minimum amount (if you used less water you still had to pay that). Now we are still at the minimum amount but are paying $58.77. That's a big jump in 2 years time.
The flip side to our grocery bill being down was that our eating out was up by $100. I'm sad to report that we have slipped back to our old ways of eating out once a week. The good news is that we are doing it with friends rather than just because we are lazy and we are still spending half as much as we use to.
Last month I paid the last of our credit card debit which meant our payment was significantly higher than our planned payment. I planned to cover this with my extra paycheck but our expenses were down in other areas that I didn't need to!
I had a moment of weakness for dog toys. With the winter season coming up the dogs needed some none outside activities to keep them busy. I spent $100 on dog toys which included a winter coat for Porter, a few food dispensing puzzles, and some chew bones. I also entered a X-mas doggie toy exchange and got some stuff for my swap partner.
Another dog expense was Hank's vet visit and the stocking up of heart worm, tick and flea meds. When you have 3 dogs this really adds up!

DH and I definitely slipped a little last month with the expenses but we have made a lot of positive changes that impact every month's bottom line so we still came out ahead. I know that saving isn't DH's favorite way of living so if a few slips now and then don't set us back into debit and keep us on track for the long term goal, I'm okay with that. I do, however, want to watch the eating out, it's such an easy way to cut back on the budget.

How are you doing?

The Target Challenge Continues

2008-11-18T18:06:00.000-08:00

The Target Challenge has really paid off long after the initial 30 day recess. I’m pleased to report that my twice a week Target habit is officially broken. Nov 1st DH and I made a trip to Target for some essentials (draino, carpet cleaner, body soap) for less than $20! Better yet I haven’t been to Target since and I really don’t feel a dying need to go like I use to. It feels good to know I'm not waste money on non essentials like I use to!

Money Makeover- Chapter 8, 9, 10

2008-11-15T20:45:00.000-08:00

While I have appreciated all the insight and inspiration I am getting from Ramsey's book, I'm admitting right now that the plan to this extreme will not work for me at this point in time. I know, everyone thinks they are the exception to the rule- but let me explain. This has nothing to do with the fact that my husband and I don't see eye to eye on financial matters and everything to do with the fact DH and I bought a fixer up over a year ago and certain things aren't going to hold up as long as we had hoped, e.g. our bathroom.

What I've learned from Ramsey is that it is far better to save ahead for major purchases to avoid having to take out debit. Believe me lesson learned. Our bathroom floor is on the way out; literally we are probably a few months away from having to shower under our house instead of in it. Our tub is leaking, our toilet is leaking, there is mold growing in the walls from excess moisture and the floor was rotted away when we bought the house (what were we thinking?!?).

I have more than $1000 in our emergency fund as I have been anticipating this problem and trying to gather money in advance of a really expensive emergency. But since I am a long way off from the projected costs of the project I feel it is more important to be saving up for this so we have the money on hand within 6 months to get it fixed. This means that instead of rolling over the payments from paid off debit to the next debit I’ll be putting it into our bathroom savings account so we can pay for it without taking out more debit.

I’m still reading and applying the principals as best I can but I also want to be prepared for the future and think this is where I need to be focusing at this point in time.

Confession Time

2008-11-06T19:23:00.000-08:00

So I was planning on post a week's worth of my 15 minute days but I keep forgetting my timeline at work and I don't have access to blog while I'm there. Also I found out some disturbing and confidential news at work and have been spending most of my days preparing for the aftermath so I couldn't talk about it anyway.

I can tell you, however, that I've realized just how much time I waste during the week on pointless tv that I don't even like and how little time I spend paying attention to what I eat. I also spend a lot of time at work surfing around the Internet looking for things to read/do to keep busy. I think this will correct itself after the sale in a week but until then there are things I've been putting off that I should really be doing. It's hard to break bad habits but it has helped to see it written out in front of me.

15 Minute Days- Monday

2008-11-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

6:05 Alarm goes off, hit snooze
6:14 Alarm goes off again, get up, let dogs out, go to the bathroom, prepare dogs for walk
6:30 Walk dogs in the rain
7:00 Return home, feed dogs, get dressed, straighten hair
7:15 Put on my makeup and pack my lunch
7:30 Carpool to work
8:00 Turn on computer, get coffee, check e-mail
8:30 Go through the weekly project list for upcoming due dates, outline tasks for the day
9:00 Met with manager to discuss hiring woes and employee counseling
9:30 Weekly meeting with employee
10:00 Walk
10:15 Send offer paperwork to potential new hire
10:30 Respond to e-mails for intranet Get to Know posting
10:45 Eat breakfast, changed my "card number zone" password, talked to potential new hire on phone
11:00 Edited co-worker's employment ad
11:15 Attended marketing planning meeting
11:45 Address issues with an old conversion account
12:00 Reviewed pricing list and provided feedback
12:30 Heated up lunch (left over mac and cheese)
12:45 Reviewed the local newspaper online
1:00 Read the latest article on The Simple Dollar
1:15 Read the Lecon du Jour, I'm inspired to brush up on my French now that my future parent company is in Canada.
1:30 Back to work, completed Get to Know article and posted on Intranet
1:45 Saved old conversion docs from previous issue earlier this morning
2:00 E-mail announcement- The FDIC has approved the sale! Yippee!!!!
2:15 Chit chatted with co-worker about the good news
2:30 Received a new immediate project
2:45 Updated Project List and responded to e-mails
3:00 Walk
3:15 Explained new project to employee
3:30 Completed applicant log for position FDIC did not allow me to fill
3:45 Filled applicant log for position I'm hoping to fill this week
4:00 Responded to e-mails
4:15 Received call from applicant completing new hire paperwork
4:30 Scanned the Internet for interesting reading while impatiently waiting for new hire paperwork so I can run it over to the HR manager before she leaves
4:45 Receive new hire paper work and run it over, but alas the HR manager is gone
5:00 Send e-mail to HR manager to run credit check on applicant, print schedule for tomorrow and wait for carpool ride.
5:15 Head home in the pouring rain
5:45 Arrive home to a hungry DH and make dinner (pumpkin curry soup and grilled cheese)
6:15 Eat dinner with DH and clean dishes
6:30 Shower
6:45 Watched last minutes of Family Guy and snuggled with the dogs
7:00 Listened to That 70s Show while playing with the dogs
8:00 Watched Gossip Girl
9:00 Typed up post
9:30 Go to bed and read until 10:15

Well there you have it another exciting day in the life of DEL. I'm noticing just how much time I spend with the tv on (even if I am not all out watching it) and how little time I spend eating. It takes DH and I less than 15 minutes to sit down, eat dinner, and clear the table. So sad although I am impressed that DH and I made it to the table 2 nights in a row.

15 Minute Days- Sunday

2008-11-02T21:00:00.001-08:00

Awhile back I wrote a post suggesting that if we track how we spend our time every 15 minutes for a week, we could identify where we are losing time and in turn gain more time in the day. So this week, my lucky readers, you are going to get a glimpse of a week in the life of DEL, down to every 15 minutes.

7:10 Woke up, let the dogs outside, feed them, made coffee, and ate breakfast
7:30 Posted a prewritten blog post
7:45 Read the blogs of my favorite PWO ladies
8:00 Read financial blogs from my bookmarked folder and downloaded free shareware similar to photoshop
8:15 Read Stuck in a Rut at The Digerati Life
8:45 Watched Barack Obama's dance off at Blueprint for Financial Prosperity
9:00 Read more financial blogs
9:30 Managed bookmarked blogs and removed blogs I no longer read
9:45 Visited my 2 favorite forums- PWO & Woof
10:00 Continued browsing Woof
10:15 Looked at dog clothes and toys for the Woof pet swap and found some great deals on www.dog.com
10:30 Started an electronic copy of my 15 minute interval log.
10:45 Downloaded doggie pics to e-mail to my mom
11:00 Watched 2 episodes of The Wire from Netflex
12:45 Took a shower
1:00 Browsed www.dog.com again
2:00 Finally made a purchase and bought the doggies their x-mas presents
2:15 Took Hank, one of my dogs, for a walk
3:15 Returned from the walk and did the dishes
3:30 Logged into Facebook while I downloaded last week's NCIS
3:45 Watched NCIS
4:15 Watched House online and started the laundry
5:15 Made dinner and checked into PWO and Woof again
5:45 Ate dinner with DH at the kitchen table
6:00 Cleaned kitchen
6:30 Reorganized my dresser drawers
7:15 Did some Wii Fit
8:00 Watched the Amazing Race while folding laundry
9:00 Typed up this post
9:30 Read my leadership book
10:30 Went to bed (okay I cheated on the last two, but this is my plan and I'm sticking to it)

Hiring Woes

2008-11-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Applicants,

Thank you for your interest in our open position at Company X. I know you are searching for just the right place for employment as we are searching for just the right employee. I regret to inform you that the position has been filled and I would like to offer you some suggestions for improving your search.

If the ad says submit cover letter and resume, submit a cover letter and resume. Don’t submit a resume and say a cover letter is not available at this time. Make one available!
Always write a cover letter. I hire for entry level positions and I have a rule- no cover letter no interview. This is your opportunity to share parts of yourself that may not be clear by glancing at your resume.
Always proof read your cover letter and resume. Incomplete sentences and spelling errors contradict your claim of excellent writing skills.
Use a professional e-mail address for job communications. Tinkrmybells is not professional.
If you should be so bold as to tell me my e-mail address is wrong, you better be right. Otherwise I’ll be forced to believe you just can’t read and funny how 40 other people had no problem.
Don’t misspell my company’s name and then say what a great eye for detail you have.
Put your last name on your resume. Giving me just an initial makes me think you are hiding something.
Take a note from minimal disclosure guy above, I don’t need you SSN or DOB and it’s not safe to send that kind of information over the Internet.
You say your loyal and hard working, yet every year you are in a new city with a new job.
If you are moving to a new state or a new career, explain why in your cover letter. Otherwise I’m left to make up my own reasons and I have a pretty outrageous imagination.
It's pretty presumptuous to tell me when I'm going to call you. I’m the hiring manager and I get to decide how it’s done, when it's done, and whether or not you're involved.
Include the dates of when you worked and put them in chronological order. I have better things to do than unscramble the last 25 years of your employment history.
Don’t be inflammatory. It’s one thing to be confident it’s another to go inflate the truth. If you are going to make grandiose comments like how you are going to improve company productive in an entry level position in an industry you know nothing about, you better tell me how. Otherwise I think you are just full of yourself.
Don’t supply 5 pages of your journalism awards for an entry level writing and marketing position. 0-1 years experience equals entry wages; we can’t afford your inflated ego.
Check out Resumania for other silly things you should avoid doing.

I wish you the best of luck in your employment search.

Thank you,
DEL

P.S. I really haven't hired anyone, I just couldn't bring myself to hire you.

Money Makeover - Chapter 6

2008-11-01T11:39:00.000-07:00

It’s been pretty uneventful on the home front. Things are picking up at work and the powers that be are starting to make plans for restructuring the company, which means most of my energy has been focused at work and employee restructuring but more about that later.

Highs:

I made it 1 whole month without Target. Can I get a Yeeha?!?
Our electricity bill is down $20. Seems giving up cable has brought down 2 bills!
Gas is at an all time low price, I'm filling up before the election!

Lows:

I bought lunch out twice this week
I only went grocery shopping once this month so we also had to go out to dinner but we managed to make that pizza last for 3 meals so I don't feel quite so quilty.

Have you always wanted to do this?

2008-10-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

I’m currently hiring 2 positions as my recent graduates have decided to pursue their dreams. As sad as I am to see them go, I'm proud of them for following their dreams, especially in an economy such as this. As they pack up their desks, they leave me pondering one last question- have you always wanted to do this job?

My original career path was teaching but moving cross country my teaching licence was no longer valid and I was forced to look else where at least temporarily. I was offered a job at my current company and took it. Every 6 months I got promoted so I felt I was moving in the right direction and never looked back. Now it's been a 1.5 years in my current position and I'm bored. Not only am I bored but my future at the company with the pending sale is uncertain. If I lost my job would I look for similar work or something different?

I've spent so much of my life mapping out my first 20 something years that I haven't really thought much about the next step. That’s one of the reasons I started this blog. I’ve done all the things you “need” to do to move into adult status (career, house, husband, fur kids) and I’m not sure what my next step should be.

I'm still trying to figure it all out. I'm so gratefully for being asked this question as it's one I've been meaning to address for a long time and they called my out on my procrastination. It's time to start thinking about the next 5 years and what I want to do with my life. Wish me luck!

Money Makeover - Chapter 5

2008-10-25T18:53:00.000-07:00

This week in book group we shared our budgets. As much as I would like to believe it's safe to post this information on the Internet, I will not. Instead I''ll share our concept of a budget since it's a little different than the traditional way.

As I've mentioned before, DH and I have compromised on our definition of budget. He’s not big on the idea of being told a set limit for spending or on being told "no" and truth be told neither am I (Yes, we are a prime example of Ramsey’s description of the 2 year old scream- I want it and I want it now!). So instead of setting a limit for each budget category, I keep a running total each month and our goal is spend less in each category unless we talk about it ahead of time and make some adjustments.

For example, last month we went over our home improvement budget to buy fence supplies. But we talked about it and agreed to be even more careful on the personal spending side of the budget to make up for it. And we did, while our home improvement budget went up $700 we brought down our personal care by $600. The system is not exactly what Ramsey preaches but it works for us and we have brought our overall spending down by over $1000 since starting this 4 months ago.

Highs for the week:

I still haven't gone to Target!
DH and I have started shutting off the power strip switch to the TV and computers to save electricity and hopefully bring down our bill a few cents.
Gas is coming down. It's the lowest I've seen it in 2+ years!
I was hosting the company's guests this week so lunches and dinners were paid for.

Lows for the week:

Ah, the stock market. I didn't have much in my 401K and I'm pretty sure if we keep this up, I'm going to owe money...
The central heat kicked on and the thermostat is set to 55. So much for bring down the electricity bill.
DH was robbed over overtime by being forced to take the day off instead.

Where does your time go?

2008-10-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

This is my second missed productivity post in 2 weeks. Grr. I’ve got to start scheduling posts when life gets busy...

Have you ever wished for another hour in the day to get all your stuff done? As you all know by now, I’ve given up cable. I still watch a fair amount of shows online but I usually just listen to them as I make dinner or work on hand sewing my dog kennel project. One of the biggest ways to gain time in your day is to turn off the TV. The thing about TV is not only do you usually get sucked into watching a show you're not all that interested in just because it’s on after a show you regularly watch, when you finish watching TV you aren’t geared up to do anything else. Countless times I’ve turned on the TV to unwind after work and 3 hours later I’m still watching not ready to start anything. Now I come home and do stuff. I still watch a show around 8 but that’s a good 2 plus hours after I’ve been home, cooked, cleaned, and played on the internet.

Another suggestion for getting more time out of your day is to spend an average week documenting what you do every 15 minutes. Seems kind of excessive and time consuming for a whole week, but I bet I’ll be surprised at where I am wasting time. My weeks are a little bit crazy right now but I plan on doing this in a few weeks to see if there are other TV equivalents out there sucking away my time.

Where does all your time go?

Money Makeover- Chapter 4

2008-10-16T17:58:00.000-07:00

Financial Thursday- Every Thursday I'll post my financial challenge book group comments for The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

Highs:
First weekend without cable! I started a new craft project to make kennel covers for the dogs. Normally when I start a new project I feel the need to buy lots of stuff to go with it. This time I managed to show some restraint. I’ve only bought the materials I need for one piece of the project and will buy the other pieces when I am ready. So often I dive straight in and buy everything I need right away and never finish the project- like my wedding scrapbook- and the money and materials go to waste. I refrained from buy a sewing machine and will continue to needle and thread it until I can prove I actually need one. I also realized I could use some of our extra spare room bed sheets instead of buying more fabric.

I successfully managed to avoid Target all week (It’s been 16 days Target free!). It was tough as a co-worker is having a baby shower tomorrow and they are only registered at Target
(it's the only decent store around here) but I got brave and went to a store I never go to and found stuff 50% off! Woohoo!

Lows:
I realized best case scenario DH and I could pay off 3 out of 5 of our existing debts (2 cars, 2 school loans, and 1 mortgage) in 3 years but more likely 4. Ramsey calls for a Total Money Makeover that requires a complete commitment to being debt free which means trading your car in for a cheaper one if you have a car loan, getting a second job, and selling items for extra cash. But the plan only works if both are committed to this extreme way of living. Unfortunately there is no way in hell DH would agree to sell back his truck for a cheaper car. It’s just not his money philosophy. He has made other sacrifices to tone down our spending and I feel a ton more comfortable with our spending habits than I did 4 months ago. Marriage is about compromise and while it would be great to get rid of the truck to reduce our debt, the reality is we are not that desperate to fight that battle- yet. I’m a little bummed but I did tell DH that if I lost my job during this global economic crises, his truck will be the first sacrifice. Some how that made me feel better.

Confession Time

2008-10-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Productivity Tuesday- every Tuesday I'll present a tip I've enjoyed from Talene Miedaner's Coach Yourself to Success.

First confession- I missed yesterday’s post.

Second confession- I haven’t been doing so good with the 15 minutes a day personal productivity reading goal. In fact I didn’t read anything last week which led me to day dreaming on the couch last night where I promptly fell asleep and didn’t post.

I have, however, given much thought to the tips I have read thus far and have made a fair amount of progress. This week I’m getting on back on track by recapping my success.

Of my 28 tolerate list items, I’ve completed 12. Most of them are actually long term projects that require $$$ so I’m continuing to slowly chip away at the smaller items. I’m also adding a new item- creating a home inventory list. There was a rash of burglaries in the neighborhood and a home inventory with serial numbers will help calm my nerves about the mysterious cigarette butts I found by my back door.

As for my energy draining habits, I realized I was in denial about how much of my day tv sucked away. By removing my DVR and expanded cable service, I’m saving money and I find I have a lot more time during the work week to walk the dogs, cook, and read. How nice!

The keep 1 with 2 to spare tip came in handing this past weekend when I started a new sewing project for the dogs. As the colder weather sets in I’ve decided to make some kennel covers and mats for the inside dog kennels to keep the dogs warm while the thermostat dips past 55 this winter. (Yes, I am notorious for keeping the thermostat just over 50 during the week to save on the heating bill.) I bought some cute fabric for the smaller kennel and then realized I had more than 3 sheet sets for the spare bed which I can use for the 2 big dog kennels instead of having to buy more fabric!

The next chapter of my Tuesday personal productivity book is on money which I’m pretty geared up about so stay tuned!

September Recap

2008-10-13T19:41:00.000-07:00

DH and I never carry cash which is handy because every month between our bank statement and credit card bill I have a record of everything we spent money on. Since May I've been tracking our spending in a spreadsheet and noticing the trends in where we spend our money and where we can improve.

Sadly DH and I were in the red again last month but on closer inspection we are actually doing better than ever- Our income was less $1700 in Sept than in August (August included DH's uniform allowance and my vacation day payout), we spent $700 on fencing materials, and we were only $100 in the red. And truth be told I had put aside money for the fence but when I saw there was room in this month's budget I squeezed it in and left the money in our savings. I think we did quite well this month.

Here are September's highlights:

Expenses:

Unexpected federal moving tax from 2005- $32.18 You never know when the government is going to hunt you down for more money.
$770 in home improvement. One day my fence will be finished!
Aflac- $96.90. Since it no longer comes out of my paycheck I get a bill every 3 months.

Savings:

Groceries down $100 from last month.
Restaurant expenses down to $50 in comparison to May's $300.
$100 saved in dog food by switching to slightly cheaper brand.
Personal care expenses (hobbies, entertainment, clothes, hair cuts, etc) down $400 since May.
Overall expenses down $1000 since May!

I can't wait to come up with more ways to save! Where could you start cutting back?

Money Makeover- Chapter 3

2008-10-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

Financial Thursday- Every Thursday I'll post my financial challenge book group comments for The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

Do you have a financial guru you look up to? Who is it and why?

I don't have a financial guru per say. My mother did an excellent job instilling the dangers and advantages of credit cards to me as a college student which I will be forever grateful for. With the exception of my honeymoon, I have always been able to pay off my credit card bills in full each month.

I've also recently enjoyed reading The Simple Dollar blog. It has a lot of great advice for living frugally and some pretty good financial advice too.

What was your financial high and low for the week?

Two highs for the week:

DH and I have officially paid off our honeymoon debt which means no more credit card debit. Yippee!
DH agreed to consolidate our cable services. We will continue to get internet service and basic channels (ABC, NBC, CBS, ect.) but have removed our DVR, HD channels, and expanded cable services. This will save us a whooping $73 a month. Yeehaw!

The low for the week is that we still have a crap load of debit in student loans, car loans, and a mortgage. I think Dave Ramsey wrote chapter 3 just for me and DH!

Do you have any new thoughts about money that you've gleaned from Chapter 3? If yes, what is it?

What really hit home for me in chapter 3 was the myth that loans are a way of life.

When I went to college and then graduate school, everyone told me not to worry about the student loans, that everyone had them, and it was the only way to do it. If I could do it over again, I wouldn't have gone to grad school right after college. I think it would have been smarter to start working and take classes part time to reduce the amount of loans I took out. But of course if I hadn't gone to grad school I wouldn't have met DH.

And while I have always known that pay day loans and rent to own deals were a scam and have never fallen victim to them, the second part of the chapter 3 on car loans really hit home. My first car I bought used for $5000. It was a great car and cheap enough that I didn't need a loan to cover it but everyone told me how lucky I was that it didn't need any work and that people who buy cars with that many miles on it and for that cheap always end up spending twice as much money on repairs yada yada yada. I was effectively brainwashed and when I finally need to replace my car I end up getting a much less used car that required a hefty loan to cover the price tag.

And of course when DH got his new job he thought he deserved a brand new truck so every month we pay $800 worth of car payments! What were we thinking?!?! I'm glad Ramsey set me straight; I will definitely be saving up before purchasing another car again (which hopefully will be a long, long time from now).

After reading chapter 3, I am convinced that DH and I need to do a much better job of planning ahead and saving accordingly. We are definitely the red faced 2 year old in the store screaming, "I want it and I want it now". Ramsey called us out and now we are going to do things differently.

1 with 2 to spare

2008-10-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

Productivity Tuesday- every Tuesday I'll present a tip I've enjoyed from Talene Miedaner's Coach Yourself to Success.

Skipping right along to the second section of the book- uncluttering your life- here is an important tip that I will keep in mind while cleaning out my closet this weekend- keep 1 with 2 to spare. Thinking about all the stuff I keep just because, I'm glad to be armed with a simple formula to help eliminate my pack rat mentality.

The 2 to spare principal works great for minimizing the number of linens you keep (one for the bed and 2 to spare), towels (2 for DH and I and 2 extras), pillows (2 for DH and I and 2 extras).

I can't wait for all that extra space!

Money Makeover- Chapter 2

2008-10-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Financial Thursday- Every Thursday I'll post my financial challenge book group comments for The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey.

What are your financial highs and lows for the week?

Highs- Our credit card bill for the month was at an all time low since I started watching our finances 6 months ago. And this includes our $700 lumber purchase to finish our fence. I also set up an automated saving plan to deposit money into our savings account every week.

Low- I was invited to yet another company baby shower! I've been to 6 work related baby showers this year including 3 for my own department (which btw has only 5 people)! Okay it's not really a low but my work sucks money out of me left and right.

What stood out to you in Chapter 2?
Chapter 2 was about denial. I realized I was in denial about my "little" Target purchases. I spend a lot of money on things I think I need but are really just for convenience. I've since initiated a Target Challenge.

How are things going with your DH after reading Chapter 2?
DH and I still have different attitudes about money and I don't expect that to change. He is, however, coming around to seeing how blessed he is to have me managing his money.

Energy Drains

2008-09-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Productivity Tuesday- every Tuesday I'll present a tip I've enjoyed from Talene Miedaner's Coach Yourself to Success.

Personal Productivity Tip #2- Eliminate activities and foods that drain your energy. Miedaner identifies a list of addictions that drain your energy and make you more sedentary: alcohol, needy relationships, sugar, caffeine, tv, tabloids, shopping, computer games, chocolate, etc.

You’re probably thinking this is a no brainer and you’re right we’ve heard this all before. But have you done anything about it?

This week I challenge you to identify your energy drains and work on one of them for the next month.

In addition to my Target Challenge, my biggest vice to tackle this month will be sugar. I’m constantly using sugar or chocolate to “get through” a project or make it more bearable. Along with my daily sugar crashes, I’m probably well on my way to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Eliminating some unnecessary sugar will improve my daily overall energy, my health, and hopefully remove an inch from my waist.

To help overcome my addictive energy drain, Miedaner suggests changing the rituals around the habit. Instead of walking over to the candy jar before tackling a daunting task, I’m going take a brisk walk around the office to get my blood flowing. And I’m going to stop wasting money on junk food- if it’s not around I can’t be tempted!

What are you going to do?

Target Challenge

2008-09-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

I'm looking for ways to trim down the spending budget so I can put aside some money for Christmas (I've only got 3 months!). To kick off my budget cutting, I'm challenging myself to 30 days without a single Target purchase. Since I often use Target as my excuse to get out of the office, this is going to be a tough one. On average DH and I spend $200 a month at Target (slight skewed because of the Wii purchase but still accurate) and that's a good chunk of money to set aside for the family.

Wish me luck and lots of will power!

Money Makeover - Chapter 1

2008-09-25T22:13:00.000-07:00

Ramsey says winning at money is 80% behavior and 20% head knowledge.

So true!

I know what I need to do it's getting myself to do it that is the problem. Ramsey compares it to going on a diet; the concept is pretty simple, it's the execution people stumble on.

Shocking Stat for the Week- 90% of people in our culture buy things they can't afford.

DH and I have definitely fallen victim to keeping up with the Joneses. In fact I would say that everyone of our major purchases (house, cars, electronics, etc) was motivated by the need to keep up with the Joneses. I think this will be one of our biggest financial challenges.

What's your biggest challenge?

Tolerate List

2008-09-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

The concept of my life coach book (Coach Yourself to Success by Talane Miedaner) is that there are 2 ways to get what you want. 1) Set goals and go after them and 2) Attract your goal to you. In order to be truely sucessful you need to do both. The book focuses mostly on how to attract your goals and success through 101 tips.

Her first tip was extremely powerful for me. She suggests that there are many things in life that you tolerate. For example, a missing button on a shirt, an unpaid tax bill, an overflowing in-box. All those things you think, I’ve got to do that some day. Tolerating these little and sometimes big things is a drain on your energy and wears you down. It prevents you from attracting success.

Creating a tolerate list is the first step to attracting success. It usually consists of 60-100 items. I spent a week with my notebook and every time I saw something that I “tolerated” I wrote it down. Unraveled hem in pants, dirty window sills, dirty baseboards, the mail strewn all over the entry way bench, dog bones all over the floor, ugly looking kitchen cabinets, unfinished fence around the yard, the soft spot on the bathroom floor, etc. Every time I caught something that bugged me I wrote it down.

The next step is to organize the list- what things can be done in a day, a weekend, what things will take longer. Plan a weekend to take care of all the little stuff that can be done in a few hours or the course of a day; I did this over Labor Day weekend. I took 4 days to do all the household cleaning items around that were wearing me down. I was surprised at how energized a clean house felt even after 4 days of hard labor!

Some things will take longer than a weekend to accomplish. Identify items with a longer timeframe and set goals to get rid of them. For me the fence project required saving enough money to buy the wood, which DH and I were able to do last week and are shooting to have the fence finished by the end of October (DH has a busy schedule working nights so daylight hours our an obstacle for this project). We hope within the next year and half to save enough money to do a bathroom remodel without financing.

The tolerate list seems like a simple task and it really is. There is a lot of power in the act of writing down things that drain your energy. Most are simple little things that you don’t think you have time for. Once you realize that a simple half hour project is draining energy from your day every day, you get the motivation to take care of it. And boy does it feel good!

The Sale is Announced!

2008-09-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

I don't know how I could have forgotten to post this. Last week a buyer for my company was announced! Yippee! The sale won't be official for 60-90 days pending regulatory approval but we are all very excited and it seems that almost all the employees will get to keep their job in one way or another. Insert big sigh of relief here!

We aren't out of the woods yet, there will be some restructuring and I'm determined to be on my most professional behavior for the next few months to make a good impression and hopefully move myself up in position during the shuffle.

Color Test

2008-09-20T09:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun weekend quiz brought to you by CareerPath- the test presents a series of colors and you pick the one you like the best. At the end of the test, it tells you your primary and secondary occupational categories along with recommended careers for free! I had some serious doubts about the accuracy of a color test, but they got me right on the money.

Try it for yourself!

My results-

BEST OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY - You're an ORGANIZER

Key Words: Self-Control, Practical, Self-Contained, Orderly, Systematic, Precise, and Accurate

These conservative appearing, plotting-types enjoy organizing, data systems, accounting, detail, and accuracy. They often enjoy mathematics and data management activities such as accounting and investment management. Persistence and patience allows them to do detailed paperwork, operate office machines, write business reports, and make charts and graphs.

ORGANIZER CAREERS
Suggested careers are Administrator, Secretary, Printer, Paralegal, Building Inspector, Bank Cashier, Private Secretary, Statistician, Operations Manager, Financial Analyst, Bookkeeper, Medical Records Technician, Developer of Business or Computer Systems, Clerical Worker, Proofreader, Accountant, Administrative Assistant, Banker, Certified Public Accountant, Credit Manager, Store Salesperson, Actuary, Dental Assistant, Business Education Teacher, Food Service Manager, IRS Agent, Budget Analyst, and Underwriter.

ORGANIZER WORKPLACES
Your very careful, conscientious, conservative nature gives others the confidence to trust you with handling money and material possessions. Structured organizations that have well-ordered chains of command work best for you.

Suggested Organizer workplaces are large corporations, business offices, financial lending institutions, banks, insurance companies, accounting firms, and quality control and inspection departments.

2nd BEST OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORY - You're a PERSUADER

Key Words: Witty, Competitive, Sociable, Talkative, Ambitious, Argumentative, and Aggressive

These enterprising types sell, persuade, and lead others. Positions of leadership, power, and status are usually their ultimate goal. Persuasive people like to take financial and interpersonal risks and to participate in competitive activities. They enjoy working with others inside organizations to accomplish goals and achieve economic success.

Financial Challenge

2008-09-18T18:29:00.001-07:00

I just joined a finanical challenge book club- we will be reading Dave Ramsey's The Total Money Makeover.

To balance out my reading and keep me accountable, I plan to post a blog on my personal productivity progress with my life coach book every Tuesday and every Thursday provide an update on my financial book.

This will be a fun adventure!

----------------------------------------------
My first post for the financial challenge is to identify why I'm taking the challenge, what my strengths are, what my weaknesses are, and what I hope to gain from the experince.

1) Why are you taking this challenge?
DH and I spending too much money. We have more loans than I care to admit and we dance on the edge of spending more than we make every month.

A few months ago I realized my company was going through a phase that would likely result in people losing their jobs and reality hit me hard that we needed to get things under control and fast!

2) What do you consider to be your strength with money?
While I'm not one to balance to the penny, I do love playing with numbers. I've started tracking how much money DH and I spend in different categories, looking at correlations where certain areas go up and others go down. I like to compare numbers between months and make goals for the next.

3) What you consider your weakness to be?
Spending money on the little things I don't really need is a huge weakness of mine and I was in denial about it for a long time. A candy bar here, a scented soap there, it may only be a dollar and it adds up! After I started seeing where I was putting my money I got a pretty good wake up call.

As far as the weakness DH and I face together- it's that we have different attitudes and ideas about spending money and when you are married money matters have to be a joint effort.

4) What do you expect or hope to learn from this challenge?
I'm looking for motivation mostly. I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do and I need to suck it up and do it. I'm also interested in learning more about investment options.

Personal Productivity

2008-09-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

To continue along the lines of asking how can I improve myself, I’ve dusted off a life coach book I bought several months ago and have committed to reading at least 15 minutes a day. The book is broken down into 101 ways to be more productive and while some of the tips won’t work for my financial situation – like getting a maid to clean the house because my time is more valuable- many of the tips are quite useful and can be applied right away- like different ways to declutter your life. I look forward to sharing my experiences as I test out some the ideas.

What makes a great leader?

2008-09-15T17:45:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, I’ve watched the uncertainty of our company’s future take a toll on the employees, the management team, and of course me. I believe in times of uncertainty, true leaders stand out. They create a sense of direction, a vision, a path to follow, and motivate the troops to get there.

I’ve learned some interesting things about myself over the past few months. While I do consider myself a good leader, I’m not one to inspire great dreams about the future or one to embellish my words to create a vision. I am more of an action person, a planner, and an organizer. I know my responsibilities and I get them done as efficiently and effectively as possible. I say what I mean, mean what I say, lay out clear expectations with those I work with, and instill a sense of responsibility within them.

I’ve learned that I’m not a charismatic leader who invokes great visions of change in those around me. I am a teacher at heart, working with people to get things done and improving the quality and quantity of work within the company. I’m a true manger who knows my responsibilities and helps motivate others to come together and achieve them. I believe this is what makes me a great leader.

But is that enough? I criticize those in upper management for not create a vision for the troops to follow during this uncertain time. I question them about our direction and goals and am disappointed by their answers. And now I am questioning whether or not I can be a good leader if I don’t have dreams or visions to share with my staff.

I want to look more into what makes a great leader and have started my journey by taking some online personality tests. While many people object to being labeled and put in a box, I find reading the results causes certain things to resonate with you and it can be a real eye opening experience.

SpeakStrong has a communication style inventory that lets you know your communication style and how you can improve your communications skills when talking to other styles.

Kiersley.com has a free 70 question temperament test similar to the Meyers-Briggs test.

FastCompany.com has a leadership assessment that identifies what type of leader you are.

TestCafe.com outlines 15 qualities of a leader and identifies which one is your biggest strength and which one is your biggest weakness.

Another $700 down the drain...

2008-09-14T18:44:00.000-07:00

Attention future homeowners! Owning a home is the equivalent of owning your own private money pit and the more you feed it the more it needs.

DH and I have lived here for almost a year and a half and our backyard fence has been a work in progress for the duration. It hasn't been a huge priority because the backyard is technically already fenced with a combination of chain link and wood fences from our neighbors but privacy is becoming an issue. I'm tired of people walking down the street and being able to see me in my pjs playing with the dogs.

We finished fencing the side we share with the elementary school immediately as the kids took to teasing our dogs and on the weekends parents would stare at us while their kids played on the swings. That took $400, eased our immediate privacy issues, and allowed us to put off the rest until we had some more money saved away.

Well DH and I bit the bullet and bought the rest of the fencing this weekend for $700! It seems as soon as we can save a little money there's a need to spend it on right away. At least this should theoretically increase the value of our home and give me piece of mind.

Maybe next week...

2008-09-13T08:02:00.000-07:00

Lots of drama at work this week. Everyone is thinking, hoping, and desperately prayer that the sale will go through soon. Managers and employees alike are going a bit postal as people are being hired, fired, promoted, and demoted. It's been a busy week and we want answers!

Check it out!

2008-09-10T07:15:00.001-07:00

I put up a chart of our monthly savings (total income-total expenses). It needs some touching up but I have to do it at work since my computer is too old. It's exciting to have our progress mapped out! The chart is slightly misleading as in July DH got a uniform stipend and in August I got my vacation days paid out by the defunct bank which inflated our income. The true test will be in this month. We are finally in the black woo hoo!

Let's talk money

2008-09-08T18:38:00.001-07:00

One of the biggest challenges DH and I face is the dreaded budget discussion. See I'm a planner, a budgeter, someone who wants financial goals to work towards, and a few bucks stashed away for an emergency. DH on the other hand is more of a carefree spender. He gets a raise equals he deserves to buy a new gadget. Want to go on vacation and we don't have enough cash up front, let's charge it because we need to get away. The whole concept of gross verses net income is lost on him. When we got married he enthusiastically handed over his bills which I readily took on to avoid another late fee.

The one thing I've learned about money and marriage is you need to talk about how you spend/save money and you need to understand your partner's attitude toward it. DH doesn't want to get bogged down in goals and planning, he wants to make money and spend it on things he can enjoy. I respect that he works hard and needs to have a novelty spending budget and he acknowledges that I get stressed out about paying the bills and would feel more comfortable building an emergency fund and saving for future large expenses (i.e. renovation the bathroom). He puts me in charge of the planning and I keep him informed about what I'm doing. It's a system that works for us and addresses our immediate money concerns.

There is a great quiz in David Bach's Smart Couples Finish Rich that DH and I both took that helped us align where we spend money with what matters most to us. For example, DH values relaxing so it makes sense that he spends money on activities he finds relaxing. I value security and thus it makes sense that we "spend" money by putting it into an emergency fund.

To save you from spending money on a book, here are a few fun online quizzes to get the conversation juices flowing.

A quick 8 question quiz on marriage money skills
A money personality quiz
A quiz that tests you on your partner's money personality
An overview of the different money styles and their strengths and weaknesses

Enjoy and start talking!

$400 saved!

2008-09-06T07:43:00.000-07:00

For 3 months in a row, my jaw has dropped as I pulled out the credit card bill. I expect a large bill since neither DH nor I carry cash and we use the card for everything. But the numbers were starting to get a little too high and we needed to start make significant changes. To show that our efforts of living slightly more frugally have paid off, our credit card bill was $400 less this month (and that includes buying a Wii)! Woohoo!

Here are some of the things we’ve done:

Switched dog foods. Feeding 3 dogs is expensive and we were feeding our dogs the highest quality, most expensive food in the store. We’ve switched to a version with slightly less protein made by the same company to save $30+ a month.
Stopped going out for dinner. Every Friday night we would go out to dinner and maybe again during the weekend if their was a birthday, a baby shower, or were in the mall, etc. We only went out to eat 2 times last month, which is a huge cut back from the usual 8 or so.
Pack a lunch. By not going out to eat as much, I’m cooking more which means leftovers can be brought to work instead of going out for lunch 2 or 3 times a week. DH is a the biggest offender in this category (I make up for it and then some in the next) and he cut back a lot!
Stopped going to Target. At least once a week, usually two, I would go to Target on my lunch break. It’s right across the street and I need to get out of the office, so why not? I might single handedly being keeping that branch profitable. I go in needing nothing and come out with over $100 of stuff! I have successful learned the art of leaving Target empty handed!

There is still plenty of opportunity for DH and I to continue cutting back and I'm really happy with the progress made!

Everything is a learning experience

2008-09-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks, I've realized that 1. no matter how much I complain about my job and the people I work with- I absolutely love my job and the great people I work with. While there is always room for improvement, I think I'm pretty lucky. 2. Every obstacle is a learning experience and we can't grow if we never face adversity.

Here's what I've learned from my latest fiasco:

I'm not afraid to stand up for myself
I could use some refinement in my communication skills
My direct, action oriented communication style, while highly efficient, can be perceived as abrasive
Meetings would be easier if I can communicated better with different communication styles, particularly visionaries.
I expect clear expectations when starting a project and if I don't get them I ask for them
People can't always explain what they want because they really don't know
I hold myself to a higher standard by not doing what the customer asks and doing the job the customer wants
I can recognize the difference between the two
I take things personally and I really need to let them go
Work is important and it's not my whole life
Sometimes it is better to keep things to myself. In a year from now, will it matter?
People at all levels of the organization look to me to be a leader and while it can be frustrating at times, I should take it as a compliment
An upbeat attitude and a smile go along way to smooth rocky waters
Every experience can teach me something and there is a positive slant to every experience

Review Day!

2008-09-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

It's mid year review day! I'm pleased to report that despite all the trouble I've been stirring up around the office, I got an outstanding review!

I was also pleasantly surprised to hear my manager say she understood my underlying frustrations regarding my blow up yesterday (she wasn't there but I told her about it. I figure if you pick a fight with the president of the company, your manager should find out from you, not him).

She completely agreed that some managers were relying too heavily on me to do their job for them and it put me in a bad spot because I can't go around telling people higher on the corporate food chain how to do their job. (Except that I do, quite often, and I'm getting kind of tired of it).

Her encouraging words meant a lot to me, because I was really beginning to doubt how career savvy it was to speak my mind to upper management. At the time it seemed important to lay down boundaries so they wouldn't continue to take advantage of me (read: keep me at a lower paying position while I continue to do the work of a higher one).

Sometimes I'm really grateful for the buffer my manager provides me!

Light at the End of the Tunnel?

2008-09-02T19:25:00.000-07:00

"They" say we might hear who our new owner is next week. I really hope so. Tolerating work is becoming a full time job in and of itself. Here is a running conversation of my day:

Cheers- for me expressing my concerns about leading a project that is rapidly spiraling out of control

Jeers- for being interpreted as I can’t handle this project

Cheers- for clarifying “I’m happy to facilitate this project and keep things moving forward. My concern is that decisions need to be made and I don’t have the authority to make them.”

Jeers- For my managers saying I shouldn’t lead the project, just facilitate the debacles some people in the office call meetings, and make sure people follow through on their action items (isn’t that leading a project?!?!)

Cheers- for me not killing them

Jeers- for the sales managers and president not knowing what they want, for not making decisions when I ask them to, and for demanding a workable end product in 90 days when they still can’t tell me what deliverables they want other than it is really complicated and beyond their level of expertise.

Cheers- for me not quitting my job…yet

Jeers- for being put in charge of managing managers (and the president) when I am notches below them on the hierarchy totem pole. And for everyone using the "it depends on our new owner" excuse.

Cheers- for taking up yoga

Almost there!

2008-09-01T18:59:00.000-07:00

Only $411 left of the honeymoon credit card bill! Our goal was to pay it off within a year and we are definitely going to do it! We are soon to be credit card debit free, yippee! Now DH and I will have to decide whether we are going to roll over the payments to my independent student loans or start a bathroom renovation fund.

And I finished all the cleaning! What a great weekend!

Where does the money go?

2008-08-31T10:16:00.000-07:00

Realizing DH and I were headed for financial trouble, the first place I turned was the bookstore where I stumbled accross Daivd Bach's Smart Couples Finish Rich. It seemed like the perfect place to start- covering the financial basics from how to talk to your spouse about money, how to save money every day, 401K and Roth IRA breakdowns, and for the more advanced couples, stock market options.

Perhaps the most important thing I took away was his Where Does the Money Go inventory. It breaks down all of your income sources, expense sources, and all of the other places you could spend money (and if you are really good at spending money you can add as many extra rows as you need). At the end of every month I go through our bank statement and our main credit card bill (the only 2 ways we spend money) and inventory every expense and income.

I was pleasently surprised to see that despite DH and I both commuting 50ish miles a day and living in an area of the country with the highest gas prices, we were only spending about $330 a month on gas. (Kudos to us for carpooling and using the truck sparingly).

I was horrified to see that I was spend about $130 a month on books, $200+ a month at Target for who knows what, almost $400 a month on eating out, and $100 a month on new toys for the dogs.

At the end of the spreadsheet it sums up all of your income minus all of your expenses (plus a 10% Murphy's law expense) and you can see for yourself if you spend more than you make. This was a huge wake up call for DH and I. We always knew we were living on the edge, but seeing the numbers was a huge reality check.

Needless to say, DH and I have identified several areas where we can cut back and start saving. If I can figure out how to post a graph to this blog, I'll add one showing how much money we save each month.

Labor Weekend

2008-08-29T18:49:00.001-07:00

In honor of Labor Day, I'm making it a labor weekend. As a homeowner of a run down shelter some people call a house there are more than enough tasks to go around. Here's my to do list:

Clean the windows, inside and out
Wash the screens
Wash the walls of doggie footprints and slobber
Finish painting the kitchen cabinet doors and hang them
Cement the posts for the back fence (DH's task)
Steam clean the living room rugs
Sweep for cobwebs on outside of the house
WD-40 the doors to the bedrooms and the squeaky drawer in the kitchen that wake DH every morning. :)
Drain the water heater (if I can figure out how)
Create my own list of monthly/yearly home maintenance

I've got a lot to do so I better get busy!

Planning Ahead

2008-08-28T19:27:00.000-07:00

The company is still under FDIC control with no end insight. To prepare for the worst I'm creating a to do list to sharpen my job marketablity. Here's what I have so far:

Update my resume and pick the idea layout
Start a notebook to keep track of past and current accomplishments
Save e-mails and company newsletters that reference my accomplishments
Make sure I have copies of all my reviews
Prepare answers to basic interview questions with specific examples from above sources
Take advantage of any networking oppertunities
Strengthen bond with existing management team
Look into continued education classes in Project Managemet, Adobe Creative Suite, Dreamweaver

Other suggestions?

Desperately Seeking...

2008-08-26T22:34:00.001-07:00

A Wii Fit. In an effort to cut back expenses, I canceled my gym membership. I wisely decided that the $35 a month could be better spent getting a Wii Fit (and maybe starting a vacation fund). Only one problem, I can't find one any where! Any suggestions?

Vegas

2008-08-25T20:51:00.000-07:00

DH decided he wants to go to Vegas next month. Hmm, wife's job is on the rocks, her company will be sold any day now, she might get laid off, she doesn't have any vacation time because all her benefits dissolved in the financial ruin formerly known as a bank, we have 3 dogs to put in boarding, and we don't have a vacation fund so we'd be dipping into what little savings we have. If you like to gamble, this sounds like a great idea!

Seriously DH and I paid for our honeymoon on a credit card, not the smartest decision we ever made and we're still paying for it. As much as I need a vacation, Vegas doesn't seem like the best plan. Now if only I can convince DH.

Olympics

2008-08-24T22:49:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to the Olympics. They fulfil my deep rooted competitive drive and I can do it all from the safety of my couch.

Here are a few financial lessons from the Olympics like how much is a medal really worth, how much athletes are paid, and what the Olympics can teach you about money management.

Uncertainty Begins

2008-08-24T09:29:00.000-07:00

I actually felt some what prepared when I got a call from my boss late Friday night. Our company was owned by a bank suffering heavily with the mortgage crisis and a call on Friday night meant only one thing- the bank was taken over by the FDIC.

The good news was that as a highly profitable asset of the bank and with 1% self ownership we were a surviving asset to be sold to a company that would keep us up and running. The bad news was we were in for a rough ride- pay check delays, heath care uncertainty, and the unspoken fear of layoffs.

The first thing I did after hanging up with my boss was check the local classifieds. I knew the company needed me but I was going to have a back up plan. I also saw this as an opportunity to assess what I really wanted in a job. I was starting to get that disgruntled employee attitude and a change (whether a new company or new management) might be exactly what I needed.

That’s when bad news #2 hit me, I live in an area where good jobs are impossible to find. It’s a good thing DH and I started saving because if I lose my job, it is going to take a while to find a new one.

Good news #2- I realized my life long dream is to work at Google.

How it started

2008-08-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

4 months ago DH and I came to the startling realization that we spend significantly more than we make. We’ve been lucky over the past year with timely promotions, wedding gifts, and economic stimulus checks keeping us afloat in the sea of bills, but the giving well was running dry and we had to make significant changes.

It was a timely realization with the weight of making monthly mortgage payments and credit card payments on a belated honeymoon starting to pile up and the lack of an emergency fund becoming an added burden. Working for a bank caught in the thick of the mortgage crisis, was the kick in the butt we needed to start making changes. We started putting money aside in an ING savings account, I started reading financial blogs, and applied the Latte Factor to our regular purchases. For the first time since our move to CA over 2 years ago, we spent less than we made and were able to put money aside!

Intro

2008-08-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

This blog is about my life as a mid 20 something struggling with the financial burden of homeownership, credit card debit, and career uncertainty.

The frustrations of everyday life as a responsible adult have distracted me from appreciating the life that I have and the life that I want to live. I hope that blogging will give me the insight to reevaluate my life and keep it on track with the support from other readers going through similar disillusionment.