To contact us Click HERE
Hi All!!! I am alive and well. I took some time to reevaluate some things and try to get my mind right. I fell off the financial wagon so to speak in March and I wasn't pleased with a lot of things including my health. So, I made a few adjustments but mostly to my mental.
March was a particularly hard month financially because I finally got through all of the birthdays and there was 35 days between pay cycles. It just got harder to budget with birthdays and large expenses to pay. I was transferring money here, there and everywhere and eventually just gave up control. I will post March's recap soon as well as my weekly results for the past couple of weeks.
I've been an athlete my entire life. I played softball since age 8 and earned a full ride scholarship to a Big Ten school. Since graduating in 2000, I joined Corporate America, got used to my sedentary and lazy lifestyle and my muscles slowly but surely got mushy. Now, if I hadn't been an athlete my entire life, I would be at least 250 lbs by now with the way that I eat.
So after feeling a bit down and having zero energy to get through the day, I made a decision to join Weight Watchers, run the Chicago Half Marathon in September and continue playing coed slow pitch softball every Saturday. With running and softball, I am sure to get back in tip top shape.
I joined Weight Watchers Online last week to help me get a grasp of my eating. Jennifer Hudson was a huge inspiration. I have always been a size 12 thinking I could never be an 8 or 6. But Jennifer did it and surely I can do it too. I started at 180lbs and a size 12 and I have a goal of losing 40 lbs. (I know...that's a lot right?!?!?) Even in my most tip top shape as a collegiate athlete, I never weighed less than 160...just solid muscle but my body composition has changed over the years and I believe the goal can be accomplished. Week one is hardly over and I have already lost 6 lbs and my energy level is much higher.
The transition from need vs want and getting more bang for my points has translated a little into my finances. All week long I have been asking myself, is this a need or a want? If I don't spend money on this trip through some fast food line, then I can more bang for my buck buying workout clothes that I need. It seems to be working. We'll see.
More to come...
25 Şubat 2013 Pazartesi
I'm Alive....
To contact us Click HERE
Hi Everyone!!!
Well it's quarterly reporting month at the job so I am swamped with reporting and two projects. I am trying to keep my head above water.
Exercise and Weight Loss...
I am down from 180-172 lbs...Go Chitown!!! Weight Watchers has been eye opening and I am putting the online program to very good use. As you know, I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon on September 11th this year. I am moving up to 3 miles on Saturday and I am doing better than expected. My brother-in-law is running with me and we joined a running group that runs every Saturday. It's actually been pretty fun and I am also finally putting my treadmill that I purchased in December 2007 for over $1,000 to good use. I ran on it this morning before work since it's raining today in Chicago.
So....Finances....All is good!!!
I received a Tax Return of $2,100 two weeks ago but unfortunately, I will be shelling out $1,400 today for four new tires and car repairs. First, I am so THANKFUL that I have the money to pay for the repairs. Even if I didn't have the tax return, I would have been able to pay for the repairs with my Emergency Fund and the leftover savings from my bonus in February. I was only saving or accruing in a separate ING account $20/month for auto maintenance and repair. What have I learned?!?! My car is a 2002 and in May of last year, I also shelled out $1,500 for repairs which included new brakes and getting the air conditioner fixed. I have an aging car with ~ 95k miles and no plans to replace it anytime soon. I will need to figure out a way that I can start saving $100/month for car maintenance because the last two years have shown me that there will be maintenance needed but $1,500 for repairs is better than a car note any day.
I haven't been able to stick to the $200/week challenge. For one, $200 is too much for the budget so I had to scale it back. I am going to have to continue making some adjustments to the budget and financial plan but I am happy to report that I have NOT added any new debt, my debt is going down, my eFund is still in tact with a little room to spare and I am 4 months through 2011.
Not bad!!!
Well it's quarterly reporting month at the job so I am swamped with reporting and two projects. I am trying to keep my head above water.
Exercise and Weight Loss...
I am down from 180-172 lbs...Go Chitown!!! Weight Watchers has been eye opening and I am putting the online program to very good use. As you know, I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon on September 11th this year. I am moving up to 3 miles on Saturday and I am doing better than expected. My brother-in-law is running with me and we joined a running group that runs every Saturday. It's actually been pretty fun and I am also finally putting my treadmill that I purchased in December 2007 for over $1,000 to good use. I ran on it this morning before work since it's raining today in Chicago.
So....Finances....All is good!!!
I received a Tax Return of $2,100 two weeks ago but unfortunately, I will be shelling out $1,400 today for four new tires and car repairs. First, I am so THANKFUL that I have the money to pay for the repairs. Even if I didn't have the tax return, I would have been able to pay for the repairs with my Emergency Fund and the leftover savings from my bonus in February. I was only saving or accruing in a separate ING account $20/month for auto maintenance and repair. What have I learned?!?! My car is a 2002 and in May of last year, I also shelled out $1,500 for repairs which included new brakes and getting the air conditioner fixed. I have an aging car with ~ 95k miles and no plans to replace it anytime soon. I will need to figure out a way that I can start saving $100/month for car maintenance because the last two years have shown me that there will be maintenance needed but $1,500 for repairs is better than a car note any day.
I haven't been able to stick to the $200/week challenge. For one, $200 is too much for the budget so I had to scale it back. I am going to have to continue making some adjustments to the budget and financial plan but I am happy to report that I have NOT added any new debt, my debt is going down, my eFund is still in tact with a little room to spare and I am 4 months through 2011.
Not bad!!!
No Refinance Under Obama's Plan...
To contact us Click HERE
I am a little...no REALLY BUMMED!!!! I was looking into refinancing my mortgage under Obama's new plan with Bank of America but due to the new Bank of America guidelines, refinancing my mortgage wouldn't have saved me a thing and it would have taken years to break even. At most, it would save me about $60/month as my rate went from 5.875% to 5.25% but it would have cost me almost $2k in fees. Where is the deal in that when rates are so low?
The biggest reason I am so bummed is that my student loan payments are going from $1,162 to $1,410 in June and I needed to try to find somewhere to save and offset the increase. BUMMED!!!
So my credit score is through the roof (800), I have never missed a single payment to anyone EVER and I can't qualify for a lower rate because the market values have tanked, there is virtually no market for selling condos in the Chicagoland area and I went to school to invest in my education and my monthly student loan payment is higher than my mortgage payment and my assessments included!!! So is this why people walk away from their homes? I owe about $120K on a property that may be worth $70K.
Okay....Bummed!!! BUT....Thankful I can still meet all my monthly obligations!!!
The biggest reason I am so bummed is that my student loan payments are going from $1,162 to $1,410 in June and I needed to try to find somewhere to save and offset the increase. BUMMED!!!
So my credit score is through the roof (800), I have never missed a single payment to anyone EVER and I can't qualify for a lower rate because the market values have tanked, there is virtually no market for selling condos in the Chicagoland area and I went to school to invest in my education and my monthly student loan payment is higher than my mortgage payment and my assessments included!!! So is this why people walk away from their homes? I owe about $120K on a property that may be worth $70K.
Okay....Bummed!!! BUT....Thankful I can still meet all my monthly obligations!!!
Asia's Data Explosion
To contact us Click HERE
With growing populations and booming economies, Asian businesses are preparing for a data explosion. Earlier this year, a study by data storage giant EMC revealed some alarming data growth rates. In the region, digital data is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 57 percent between 2006 and 2010. By 2010, the data volume for Asian businesses is projected to reach 1.8 zettabytes or 1,800 billion gigabytes. This creates a serious concern for the region's businesses because the estimated data volume will exceed the total available storage space by nearly 50 percent.
From Singapore to Vietnam, large organizations are increasing efforts to improve storage management. Companies are establishing their backup data centers in different countries to alleviate some of the enterprise risk. While large corporations are taking extra measures to secure and support their valuable and rapidly growing data, small businesses and consumers have yet to experience the "storage crunch" and are not safeguarding their data from the impending explosion.
Click here for the full article about Asia's data debacle.
From Singapore to Vietnam, large organizations are increasing efforts to improve storage management. Companies are establishing their backup data centers in different countries to alleviate some of the enterprise risk. While large corporations are taking extra measures to secure and support their valuable and rapidly growing data, small businesses and consumers have yet to experience the "storage crunch" and are not safeguarding their data from the impending explosion.
Click here for the full article about Asia's data debacle.
24 Şubat 2013 Pazar
I'm Alive...
To contact us Click HERE
Hi All!!! I am alive and well. I took some time to reevaluate some things and try to get my mind right. I fell off the financial wagon so to speak in March and I wasn't pleased with a lot of things including my health. So, I made a few adjustments but mostly to my mental.
March was a particularly hard month financially because I finally got through all of the birthdays and there was 35 days between pay cycles. It just got harder to budget with birthdays and large expenses to pay. I was transferring money here, there and everywhere and eventually just gave up control. I will post March's recap soon as well as my weekly results for the past couple of weeks.
I've been an athlete my entire life. I played softball since age 8 and earned a full ride scholarship to a Big Ten school. Since graduating in 2000, I joined Corporate America, got used to my sedentary and lazy lifestyle and my muscles slowly but surely got mushy. Now, if I hadn't been an athlete my entire life, I would be at least 250 lbs by now with the way that I eat.
So after feeling a bit down and having zero energy to get through the day, I made a decision to join Weight Watchers, run the Chicago Half Marathon in September and continue playing coed slow pitch softball every Saturday. With running and softball, I am sure to get back in tip top shape.
I joined Weight Watchers Online last week to help me get a grasp of my eating. Jennifer Hudson was a huge inspiration. I have always been a size 12 thinking I could never be an 8 or 6. But Jennifer did it and surely I can do it too. I started at 180lbs and a size 12 and I have a goal of losing 40 lbs. (I know...that's a lot right?!?!?) Even in my most tip top shape as a collegiate athlete, I never weighed less than 160...just solid muscle but my body composition has changed over the years and I believe the goal can be accomplished. Week one is hardly over and I have already lost 6 lbs and my energy level is much higher.
The transition from need vs want and getting more bang for my points has translated a little into my finances. All week long I have been asking myself, is this a need or a want? If I don't spend money on this trip through some fast food line, then I can more bang for my buck buying workout clothes that I need. It seems to be working. We'll see.
More to come...
March was a particularly hard month financially because I finally got through all of the birthdays and there was 35 days between pay cycles. It just got harder to budget with birthdays and large expenses to pay. I was transferring money here, there and everywhere and eventually just gave up control. I will post March's recap soon as well as my weekly results for the past couple of weeks.
I've been an athlete my entire life. I played softball since age 8 and earned a full ride scholarship to a Big Ten school. Since graduating in 2000, I joined Corporate America, got used to my sedentary and lazy lifestyle and my muscles slowly but surely got mushy. Now, if I hadn't been an athlete my entire life, I would be at least 250 lbs by now with the way that I eat.
So after feeling a bit down and having zero energy to get through the day, I made a decision to join Weight Watchers, run the Chicago Half Marathon in September and continue playing coed slow pitch softball every Saturday. With running and softball, I am sure to get back in tip top shape.
I joined Weight Watchers Online last week to help me get a grasp of my eating. Jennifer Hudson was a huge inspiration. I have always been a size 12 thinking I could never be an 8 or 6. But Jennifer did it and surely I can do it too. I started at 180lbs and a size 12 and I have a goal of losing 40 lbs. (I know...that's a lot right?!?!?) Even in my most tip top shape as a collegiate athlete, I never weighed less than 160...just solid muscle but my body composition has changed over the years and I believe the goal can be accomplished. Week one is hardly over and I have already lost 6 lbs and my energy level is much higher.
The transition from need vs want and getting more bang for my points has translated a little into my finances. All week long I have been asking myself, is this a need or a want? If I don't spend money on this trip through some fast food line, then I can more bang for my buck buying workout clothes that I need. It seems to be working. We'll see.
More to come...
I'm Alive....
To contact us Click HERE
Hi Everyone!!!
Well it's quarterly reporting month at the job so I am swamped with reporting and two projects. I am trying to keep my head above water.
Exercise and Weight Loss...
I am down from 180-172 lbs...Go Chitown!!! Weight Watchers has been eye opening and I am putting the online program to very good use. As you know, I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon on September 11th this year. I am moving up to 3 miles on Saturday and I am doing better than expected. My brother-in-law is running with me and we joined a running group that runs every Saturday. It's actually been pretty fun and I am also finally putting my treadmill that I purchased in December 2007 for over $1,000 to good use. I ran on it this morning before work since it's raining today in Chicago.
So....Finances....All is good!!!
I received a Tax Return of $2,100 two weeks ago but unfortunately, I will be shelling out $1,400 today for four new tires and car repairs. First, I am so THANKFUL that I have the money to pay for the repairs. Even if I didn't have the tax return, I would have been able to pay for the repairs with my Emergency Fund and the leftover savings from my bonus in February. I was only saving or accruing in a separate ING account $20/month for auto maintenance and repair. What have I learned?!?! My car is a 2002 and in May of last year, I also shelled out $1,500 for repairs which included new brakes and getting the air conditioner fixed. I have an aging car with ~ 95k miles and no plans to replace it anytime soon. I will need to figure out a way that I can start saving $100/month for car maintenance because the last two years have shown me that there will be maintenance needed but $1,500 for repairs is better than a car note any day.
I haven't been able to stick to the $200/week challenge. For one, $200 is too much for the budget so I had to scale it back. I am going to have to continue making some adjustments to the budget and financial plan but I am happy to report that I have NOT added any new debt, my debt is going down, my eFund is still in tact with a little room to spare and I am 4 months through 2011.
Not bad!!!
Well it's quarterly reporting month at the job so I am swamped with reporting and two projects. I am trying to keep my head above water.
Exercise and Weight Loss...
I am down from 180-172 lbs...Go Chitown!!! Weight Watchers has been eye opening and I am putting the online program to very good use. As you know, I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon on September 11th this year. I am moving up to 3 miles on Saturday and I am doing better than expected. My brother-in-law is running with me and we joined a running group that runs every Saturday. It's actually been pretty fun and I am also finally putting my treadmill that I purchased in December 2007 for over $1,000 to good use. I ran on it this morning before work since it's raining today in Chicago.
So....Finances....All is good!!!
I received a Tax Return of $2,100 two weeks ago but unfortunately, I will be shelling out $1,400 today for four new tires and car repairs. First, I am so THANKFUL that I have the money to pay for the repairs. Even if I didn't have the tax return, I would have been able to pay for the repairs with my Emergency Fund and the leftover savings from my bonus in February. I was only saving or accruing in a separate ING account $20/month for auto maintenance and repair. What have I learned?!?! My car is a 2002 and in May of last year, I also shelled out $1,500 for repairs which included new brakes and getting the air conditioner fixed. I have an aging car with ~ 95k miles and no plans to replace it anytime soon. I will need to figure out a way that I can start saving $100/month for car maintenance because the last two years have shown me that there will be maintenance needed but $1,500 for repairs is better than a car note any day.
I haven't been able to stick to the $200/week challenge. For one, $200 is too much for the budget so I had to scale it back. I am going to have to continue making some adjustments to the budget and financial plan but I am happy to report that I have NOT added any new debt, my debt is going down, my eFund is still in tact with a little room to spare and I am 4 months through 2011.
Not bad!!!
No Refinance Under Obama's Plan...
To contact us Click HERE
I am a little...no REALLY BUMMED!!!! I was looking into refinancing my mortgage under Obama's new plan with Bank of America but due to the new Bank of America guidelines, refinancing my mortgage wouldn't have saved me a thing and it would have taken years to break even. At most, it would save me about $60/month as my rate went from 5.875% to 5.25% but it would have cost me almost $2k in fees. Where is the deal in that when rates are so low?
The biggest reason I am so bummed is that my student loan payments are going from $1,162 to $1,410 in June and I needed to try to find somewhere to save and offset the increase. BUMMED!!!
So my credit score is through the roof (800), I have never missed a single payment to anyone EVER and I can't qualify for a lower rate because the market values have tanked, there is virtually no market for selling condos in the Chicagoland area and I went to school to invest in my education and my monthly student loan payment is higher than my mortgage payment and my assessments included!!! So is this why people walk away from their homes? I owe about $120K on a property that may be worth $70K.
Okay....Bummed!!! BUT....Thankful I can still meet all my monthly obligations!!!
The biggest reason I am so bummed is that my student loan payments are going from $1,162 to $1,410 in June and I needed to try to find somewhere to save and offset the increase. BUMMED!!!
So my credit score is through the roof (800), I have never missed a single payment to anyone EVER and I can't qualify for a lower rate because the market values have tanked, there is virtually no market for selling condos in the Chicagoland area and I went to school to invest in my education and my monthly student loan payment is higher than my mortgage payment and my assessments included!!! So is this why people walk away from their homes? I owe about $120K on a property that may be worth $70K.
Okay....Bummed!!! BUT....Thankful I can still meet all my monthly obligations!!!
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