Thinking about 2010 and beyond

Some random thoughts:

• A small voice inside is telling me that I'm going to need to make more money in the future. The salary of an administrative assistant is not going to work for me long term, no matter how much I save. Sadly, the voice of self-doubt and fear of failure is more persuasive.

• I've drafted a list of 2010 goals. It's a very long list, but more comprehensive and thoughtful than previous years. Hopefully it will keep me from getting caught off-guard too much by things I knew I'd need money for, but never thought enough about to save.

• 2010 may be the last year I'm able to save in a big way. Mom is talking about selling the house in 2011 to live somewhere with less upkeep and give her more to live on (provided the house sells at a profit at that point). This is great for her and I'm glad she's thinking about this. For me, it means that I might have to readjust my savings goals knowing that 2010, and possibly 2011, will be my last year of being able to save a large amount of money (think upwards of $20k). This brings me back to my first bullet point above.

• The BF is overcome by a sense of hopelessness about his debt situation. I feel powerless in that there is no way I can help him. What would you do if you were holding $37,000 in private loan debt to Bank of America that was fixed, but will be changed to variable come next year? Oh, and that interest rate at fixed is 15%! Getting another fixed loan is out because only BOA offers personal loans that large or if anyone else is, the interest rate is even worse.
  

• I'm finding it difficult to change old, bad eating habits. The good news is that I'm still the same weight I was last month. The bad news: I'm still the same weight I was last month. I think in this I can understand the BF's lament. I've been overweight all my life. When I experience moments like these where I'm not, or think I'm not, making progress, I can hear the negative tapes playing in my head saying things like, "How is this going to be different? You've failed over and over again. It's not going to get any better for you, so just accept your body now. This is as good as it's going to get for you." It's embarrassing to admit such terrible thoughts, but there they are. The only thing that keeps me going is this vision in my head I have of myself weighing 40 pounds less when I go to the doctor's office next year for my physical. In spite of my doubts, the goal of better health is more compelling. So even when I slip off my path, I just pick up where I left off and keep going. And that's it. I can understand why people make the comparison between being fiscally fit and physically fit. However I have to say that getting out of debt and managing my money was far easier than trying to lose this excess body fat that I've had all my life. :)
  

:::tap, tap::: "Is this thing on?"

Yeah, yeah. I've been gone for a bit, and trust me, I feel bad for neglecting my little blog. I haven't written much because there isn't much going on. As Fabulous Ma would say, "My money is boring." Although that's not entirely true.

I've been trying to get on the whole healthier eating and exercise trail. For the past two months I've been walking (low impact and free!) about 4 to 5 miles a day, six days a week, and trying to eat more thoughtfully (veggie sandwiches, cooking more often, brown instead of white rice, etc.). I've lost 10 pounds so far and my blood work from the doctor shows that my body is liking the direction I'm taking. However as the weather gets colder it's becoming clear that I need to take a new direction with my exercise. So now I'm considering getting a gym membership. I hate the idea of spending the money for something like this, however in the end I believe it will be a worthwhile investment in myself.

Speaking of investments in myself, I've signed up for a year-long pro membership at Dailyburn.com, a web site that tracks what you eat and how much you exercise. There's a free option, however to doesn't track stuff like fiber, etc., and some other features. I figured for $45 year, it's worth getting full access without the clutter of advertising all over the site (like on SparkPeople.com). I have to say that keeping this food/exercise journal has been eye-opening. If you asked me before all this, I would have said the number one thing to look out for was sugar/carbs. However it's become very clear to me that I take in WAY too much sodium! Holy cow it's in EVERYTHING!

So anyway, my greater challenge is to improve my health without adding significant cost.

File under: "Jesus Effing Christ"

From Fortune.com, A Jobs Crisis

Even more sobering: a report this week from Rutgers University professors James Hughes and Joseph Seneca who noted that, even if the economy suddenly started adding 2,150,000 jobs a year (instead of losing more than 3 million), it would take until 2017 to get the [unemployment] rate all the way back down.

Ugh.

September 2009 Net Worth

Honestly, there's nothing really notable here. Still tickled to be part of the $100,000 club, no credit card debt this month, all medical bills have been paid (using money from my Health Care Fund), the market as been turning around a bit, so made gains there, however thanks to my overspending during the Summer, my savings haven't grown as much as they could have.

A Confession

I've been spending more money than I should, and without really thinking about it. Because of this, I'm almost $600 behind on reaching my $14,000 Used Car Fund. I don't quite feel like a shit stain for this, but I am disappointed with myself, especially because the stuff I spent it on was eating out and entertainment. Being home for 6 weeks recovering from surgery was all the excuse I needed to overindulge in those two categories I rarely would if I were in my normal routine.

So how am I going to get out of it? First, stop the overspending, duh. Second, volunteer for any overtime given at work. There is nowhere in my budget to squeeze an extra $600 so the above options will have to do. Also, I estimate that about $100 will come from interest earned on my savings account between now and the end of the year. If worse comes to worst, I could try to sell something, although I've never done anything like that and to be honest, I find it a little intimidating.

All in all, it's not devastating, but serves as a reminder that I have to continue to be mindful of my spending and keep my eye on the prize.

Reason Number Five Million Why You Need an Emergency Fund

Yesterday, while driving down the highway to work, my boyfriends car was struck by lightning. He heard an explosion, was surrounded by white light, then realized his car lost all power and was coasting on momentum.

On a highway during a thunderstorm, during rush hour.

First things first: He's absolutely fine. Not a scratch on him. His car? Well, that's a bit of a different story. The strike fried the computer in his car so it's unable to start. The dealer/insurance company are looking at it right now. In the meantime, he's had to pay for towing and rental car that are not covered by insurance. Chances are the insurance company will cover repairs but he'll still be on the hook for the $500 deductible. Several months ago, the BF got very serious about his financial security and simultaneously began paying down debt while building up an emergency fund. Thanks to his focus, this completely crazy and random emergency makes for great storytelling (and lamenting that he didn't get any super powers from the ordeal) rather financial disaster.

Surgery Success

Hey there everyone!

Just a quick note to let you know I'm home from the hospital and doing GREAT. My surgery was on July 29 at noon, and I was discharged this morning. The surgery and recovery so far has been remarkable. In addition to fantastic medical staff, luck, and genes, I made sure to have a good attitude and move around a lot. After surgery, it's important to get on your feet and walk to encourage your digestive system to get back to business.

So now I begin my six weeks of recovery at home, along with waiting for the medical bills to come pouring in. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I won't have to pay more than $1,700 ($1,500 out-of-pocket maximum for my insurance + $200 copay for inpatient hospital admittance) but that's not a focus for me right now. I want to continue healing and getting my body and mind back to 100%.

Thanks for the well-wishes, kind thoughts, and prayers because I think they really helped me!