Since my car's been in the shop for a while, I've been forced to rent. And I've learned about the rental car system.
If any system is sufficiently messed up, and you can find a way to take advantage of it, you can save a ton of money.
In this case, the rental car system is pretty messed up. Dave Barry once joked that the world would not truly be fair until two people sitting next to each other on the same airplane had paid the same price for their tickets.
Same way with rental cars.
My first rental car was actually paid for by my company. A Chrysler 300 from Dollar. Last year's Motor Trend Car of the Year. Wow. It was pretty darn cool, and I didn't have to pay for it.
For my second car, I got a Pontiac Grand Am from Alamo. Using coupons in the Entertainment Book, and a discount they give to anybody who uses the coupon book, I was able to get it for about $115 for five days.
So when the day came to return it, I knew I wouldn't have my car back yet. So I called up Alamo the night before and asked what it would be to keep the car another four days. They said it would normally be about $130, but with a $10 a day fee for keeping the car past the contract, it would come out to $170.
"So lemme get this straight," I said, "It would be cheaper to go in and get a new one than keep this one?"
"Probably. Go ahead and call and see."
So I hung up with the local rental center, then called the main distribution center. They rented me a mid-size for the next morning for four days. Using another coupon, it came out to about $80.
So I go the next day, drop off my mid-size, walk inside, pay for the new midsize, go back outside, and pick up a full-size. See, there were no mid-sizes on the lot, so I got a free upgrade. Even though the mid-size I had just returned was sitting maybe 20 feet away with the keys still in it, it hadn't been "cleaned and prepped" yet, or whatever.
So here's some tips for renting cars:
1. Always make your reservation for a small car. You should do this in the hopes of getting upgraded free. If you want a bigger car, and they don't upgrade you free, you can always "change your mind" at the last minute. In my case, I made the reservation for the smallest size the coupon would allow. That did happen to be big enough for me, but I did get upgraded once.
2. Always make your reservation over the phone at the 1-800-number. Since the phone center folks know less about what's on the lot than the lot guys, they're more likely to book you something the rental lot won't have. This is a huge help when you're renting moving vans. I once made reservations over the phone for a Ryder center that, unbeknownst to the phone center folks, only had like two trucks. Since the small one was out, they were forced to rent me the big one (and it was huge, probably bigger than my apartment) at the same price.
3. Use Coupons. The Entertainment Book has great coupons, but you can find them in the travel section of the Sunday paper, too.
4. Call around. If it takes you an hour and you save $40, you just made $40 an hour for your time. Not bad, eh? Ask about each company's specials before you tell them what you want--you may be able to fit the special into your plans.
5. Use the web only after you've called. Part of the messed up rental car system is that there are different specials on the web vs. on the phone.
If you have any other tips or ideas, feel free to post them!
Thursday, June 09, 2005
Wednesday, June 08, 2005
The Whole Messy Story
Okay, so sometime last month, the car broke down. It's our only car--a Saturn SL1.
I purchased it--well, August will make three years. It was five years old, and it had only 24,000 miles on it.
I financed it for five years at 11%. This was a mistake I will never make again. Actually, I hope to never finance a car again, but even if I do, it will not be for five years. As my Dad correctly pointed out at the time I bought it, my little daughter, who was not yet one, would be in kindergarten before this thing was paid off.
Anyway, I put a lot of miles on it driving for work. Last month, I brought it up over the 100,000 mile mark. Although I try to be real, real good to it, I had the proverbial "bad feeling."
Sure enough, one morning as I was driving to work, the thing overheated. I pulled into the WalMart station to check my fluid levels and see what was going on. My radiator exploded a dark, thick goo all over my engine that looked like something Nickelodeon would sell to kids.
Turns out oil was leaking back into the radiator. A big mess. A big mess that's kept me from having the car for several weeks, and backwards in my debt payback plan to the tune of about $2,500. That's about equal to the amount I still owe on the car.
I'm taking a week's pay in lieu of vacation to help me pay for a chunk of that--I'd been planning to do that to pay off some of the debt anyways--and will shift some of my dramatic paydown money and my mileage checks into paying that off in a few months.
In all, this means I'm about three months behind, now, in my debt pay-off plan, which was already about six months too slow to get me out of debt by the end of the year.
What will happen, true believers? Will the 365 day turnaround be forced to become a 780 day turnaround? Will this debt-free thing ever happen?
Stay tuned to see how we get ourselves back on track!
I purchased it--well, August will make three years. It was five years old, and it had only 24,000 miles on it.
I financed it for five years at 11%. This was a mistake I will never make again. Actually, I hope to never finance a car again, but even if I do, it will not be for five years. As my Dad correctly pointed out at the time I bought it, my little daughter, who was not yet one, would be in kindergarten before this thing was paid off.
Anyway, I put a lot of miles on it driving for work. Last month, I brought it up over the 100,000 mile mark. Although I try to be real, real good to it, I had the proverbial "bad feeling."
Sure enough, one morning as I was driving to work, the thing overheated. I pulled into the WalMart station to check my fluid levels and see what was going on. My radiator exploded a dark, thick goo all over my engine that looked like something Nickelodeon would sell to kids.
Turns out oil was leaking back into the radiator. A big mess. A big mess that's kept me from having the car for several weeks, and backwards in my debt payback plan to the tune of about $2,500. That's about equal to the amount I still owe on the car.
I'm taking a week's pay in lieu of vacation to help me pay for a chunk of that--I'd been planning to do that to pay off some of the debt anyways--and will shift some of my dramatic paydown money and my mileage checks into paying that off in a few months.
In all, this means I'm about three months behind, now, in my debt pay-off plan, which was already about six months too slow to get me out of debt by the end of the year.
What will happen, true believers? Will the 365 day turnaround be forced to become a 780 day turnaround? Will this debt-free thing ever happen?
Stay tuned to see how we get ourselves back on track!
Monday, June 06, 2005
Tale Of The Tape
Up two pounds. I wasn't really bad for eating, but I haven't really been exercising.
So I'm really behind on my birthday weight goal. A lot of that is discouragement from the car situation, which I still haven't mustered the energy to blog about. I'll probably post more about it on Wednesday or Thursday when the car's back and the dust has settled and I'm back to where I was a couple of months ago, financially.
Which, I really need to keep in mind, is still way ahead of where I was a year ago, financially and weight-wise.
So I'm really behind on my birthday weight goal. A lot of that is discouragement from the car situation, which I still haven't mustered the energy to blog about. I'll probably post more about it on Wednesday or Thursday when the car's back and the dust has settled and I'm back to where I was a couple of months ago, financially.
Which, I really need to keep in mind, is still way ahead of where I was a year ago, financially and weight-wise.
Laugh Yourself Skinny
This article is a bit misleading.
See, on the surface, it says that laughing burns more calories than your basal, or "resting" metabolic rate.
That sounds really exciting. Laugh yourself skinny, right?
Only see--what they compared it to was sitting watching TV.
Your body never burns fewer calories than when you're sitting watching TV. You could sit and talk and burn more calories than sitting watching TV, since you'd be moving your mouth, gesturing, etc. You could hiccup and burn more calories than sitting watching TV.
So as far as exercise goes, they admit right in the article this is a great way to burn about four and a half pounds a year.
So don't swap your Kathy Smith videos for Marx Brothers just yet. Or, if you've already memorized the Smith routines, then maybe you can go ahead and make the swap and watch Groucho and Harpo while you do the memorized routines. Now that's multitasking.
See, on the surface, it says that laughing burns more calories than your basal, or "resting" metabolic rate.
That sounds really exciting. Laugh yourself skinny, right?
Only see--what they compared it to was sitting watching TV.
Your body never burns fewer calories than when you're sitting watching TV. You could sit and talk and burn more calories than sitting watching TV, since you'd be moving your mouth, gesturing, etc. You could hiccup and burn more calories than sitting watching TV.
So as far as exercise goes, they admit right in the article this is a great way to burn about four and a half pounds a year.
So don't swap your Kathy Smith videos for Marx Brothers just yet. Or, if you've already memorized the Smith routines, then maybe you can go ahead and make the swap and watch Groucho and Harpo while you do the memorized routines. Now that's multitasking.
Friday, June 03, 2005
Friday Mythbustin': The Extended Warranty
A few weeks back, a post about how I took advantage of I took advantage of my own stupidity when I'd bought an extended warranty. Using it now, I was able to get my old video camera working again.
Well, it turned into a celebration of all things warranty. We all posted about great things that happened when we got the warranty from one place or another. That, together with the enthusiastic endorsement of the person trying to get you to buy the extended warranty, may lead you to wonder why I even said in that post that warranties are usually a bad bet.
So, I thought I'd clear it up.
Warranties are insurance.
Insurance is a way of making things more expensive.
For example, we as Americans pay more for health care than what health care actually costs. This is because most doctors are not actually paid directly--they're paid either by an insurance company or the government. Which means that we not only have to pay for the salaries and equipment of the people in the doctor's office, but also for the salaries and equipment of the people who work at the insurance offices or the government buildings who process all of this money and these payments.
But what we do is put our money in a big pool and gamble, collectively, that we'll be the one it pays off for and that we'll get more out of it than we had to pay into it.
Now in the case of health care, it's obviously a necessity. The mere existence of the insurance industry has caused the prices to get so high that a medical crisis without insurance would bankrupt nearly anyone.
But for smaller things, odds are against you. Consider this quote from Dave Ramsey:
In other words, statistically speaking, you're only going to use that warranty 13% of the time--about once for every ten items you purchase. Those are horrible odds! A Vegas game with odds like that would be ignored even by the dimmest of casino goers.
Instead of shelling out money to these folks for each purchase you make, create a well-stocked emergency fund of your own. If the statistics hold true, your dollars will go almost eight times as far as if you'd paid them to take care of it.
And, don't underestimate the value of good old fashioned customer service. Use the regular warranty as often as is necessary. More products than you think actually have "lifetime warranties" on them. Also, many stores--like Wal-mart, dreaded as they seem to have become--have very liberal return policies as long as you're trading for merchandise rather than getting cash. As my cheapie Wal-mart VCRs have broken down quickly, I've just returned them and shelled out a couple more bucks for a slightly nicer model. I've done this a couple of times, until I finally got one that's worked fine for me.
So, use the customer service programs that already exist in the store, set up an emergency fund, and, in most cases, do a Nancy Reagan on anybody who pushes the extended warranty at you--just say no.
Well, it turned into a celebration of all things warranty. We all posted about great things that happened when we got the warranty from one place or another. That, together with the enthusiastic endorsement of the person trying to get you to buy the extended warranty, may lead you to wonder why I even said in that post that warranties are usually a bad bet.
So, I thought I'd clear it up.
Warranties are insurance.
Insurance is a way of making things more expensive.
For example, we as Americans pay more for health care than what health care actually costs. This is because most doctors are not actually paid directly--they're paid either by an insurance company or the government. Which means that we not only have to pay for the salaries and equipment of the people in the doctor's office, but also for the salaries and equipment of the people who work at the insurance offices or the government buildings who process all of this money and these payments.
But what we do is put our money in a big pool and gamble, collectively, that we'll be the one it pays off for and that we'll get more out of it than we had to pay into it.
Now in the case of health care, it's obviously a necessity. The mere existence of the insurance industry has caused the prices to get so high that a medical crisis without insurance would bankrupt nearly anyone.
But for smaller things, odds are against you. Consider this quote from Dave Ramsey:
When you buy an extended warranty, you're covering commissions, overhead and profit. Thirteen percent of what you're paying for an extended warranty goes toward actual repair costs. If you'd set that amount aside, you could cover that average repair expenditure on your vehicle. The remaining 87% of what you are paying is going toward the warranty company's marketing costs (commissions and sales expenses) and profit. Extended warranties are extremely profitable for those selling them and a terrible deal for those buying them.
In other words, statistically speaking, you're only going to use that warranty 13% of the time--about once for every ten items you purchase. Those are horrible odds! A Vegas game with odds like that would be ignored even by the dimmest of casino goers.
Instead of shelling out money to these folks for each purchase you make, create a well-stocked emergency fund of your own. If the statistics hold true, your dollars will go almost eight times as far as if you'd paid them to take care of it.
And, don't underestimate the value of good old fashioned customer service. Use the regular warranty as often as is necessary. More products than you think actually have "lifetime warranties" on them. Also, many stores--like Wal-mart, dreaded as they seem to have become--have very liberal return policies as long as you're trading for merchandise rather than getting cash. As my cheapie Wal-mart VCRs have broken down quickly, I've just returned them and shelled out a couple more bucks for a slightly nicer model. I've done this a couple of times, until I finally got one that's worked fine for me.
So, use the customer service programs that already exist in the store, set up an emergency fund, and, in most cases, do a Nancy Reagan on anybody who pushes the extended warranty at you--just say no.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Free Credit Report
Okay, so I'm the last one to find out about this.
At least it feels that way. But since I still hold on to the hope that this might be useful to someone, I'll post it anyway.
It seems that there's been a new law passed that requires every credit reporting agency to issue a copy of your credit report to you for free at least once a year.
It's being phased in regionally, and as of yesterday, only the northeastern states are not yet eligible. Everybody else can go to annualcreditreport.com to get a printable copy, or call 1-877-322-8228 to request a copy be mailed to you.
The northeast will become activated for this September 1st.
Now, keep in mind, this is the only website that is legitimately offering these free credit reports. Other websites that purport to offer free credit reports actually sign you up for a credit monitoring service upon your request. I've heard this site makes a similar offer, but it does not require you to join, nor does it involuntarily place you on any list. This is where to go.
At least it feels that way. But since I still hold on to the hope that this might be useful to someone, I'll post it anyway.
It seems that there's been a new law passed that requires every credit reporting agency to issue a copy of your credit report to you for free at least once a year.
It's being phased in regionally, and as of yesterday, only the northeastern states are not yet eligible. Everybody else can go to annualcreditreport.com to get a printable copy, or call 1-877-322-8228 to request a copy be mailed to you.
The northeast will become activated for this September 1st.
Now, keep in mind, this is the only website that is legitimately offering these free credit reports. Other websites that purport to offer free credit reports actually sign you up for a credit monitoring service upon your request. I've heard this site makes a similar offer, but it does not require you to join, nor does it involuntarily place you on any list. This is where to go.
Wednesday, June 01, 2005
Make Diamonds -- Not Chaos!
If you've been to my house, you've seen there's a lot of signs around my desk. Some are about debt, with Dave Ramsey quotes, and others are about writing, with Artist's Way quotes. My wife makes these for me, as a way of encouraging me.
The title of this post is from the newest sign she made. It's from a quote that's my own. I wrote it in a training article for work.
"Explosions don't make diamonds. They just make messes. Diamonds come from consistent, intense pressure over time."
It's meant to be a reminder that it's better to do a little bit of something day after day after day than to try to do a whole bunch of stuff, all on one day. I think it's in our culture to make explosions rather than diamonds--we're used to the idea that problems can be solved quickly. TV teaches us that if a problem is funny, we can solve it in half an hour, and if a problem is serious, we can solve it in an hour.
For this reason, I think TV also teaches quick-fix values ("So what if your doctor says your weight problem will kill you? The most important thing is that you learn to love yourself for who you are").
The truth is that success at anything is slow and boring. Jackie Chan can make jumping through a window look easy because day after day he was forced to do arduous exercises at the Chinese Opera where he was raised. Successful writers don't just fling books out at the world and bask in fame--they spend most of their time alone tapping keys.
We tend to make dramatic starts--we stuff all the junk food in a trash can, or we rush out and buy a huge home gym or we vow to run 5 miles, right now, today. In a movie, that's all we get. The moment of resolve. The time when the change happens. We can just assume from there that it's all flowers and roses and happily ever after.
In reality, it's not always that way. If you've ever pushed against a door you thought was stuck, only to discover it wasn't even closed, you've experienced an interesting sensation--you pull back. You stop going through the door. Even though it's going where you wanted to go, your body has to compensate for the extra force you put into it.
Same thing here. Too much force at the start can force your mind and heart to pull back. It can actually inhibit your efforts. Counterintuitive, maybe, until you give it a little more thought.
A little each day pays off far more than a whole lot of fireworks that fizzle out fast.
Make diamonds, not chaos.
The title of this post is from the newest sign she made. It's from a quote that's my own. I wrote it in a training article for work.
"Explosions don't make diamonds. They just make messes. Diamonds come from consistent, intense pressure over time."
It's meant to be a reminder that it's better to do a little bit of something day after day after day than to try to do a whole bunch of stuff, all on one day. I think it's in our culture to make explosions rather than diamonds--we're used to the idea that problems can be solved quickly. TV teaches us that if a problem is funny, we can solve it in half an hour, and if a problem is serious, we can solve it in an hour.
For this reason, I think TV also teaches quick-fix values ("So what if your doctor says your weight problem will kill you? The most important thing is that you learn to love yourself for who you are").
The truth is that success at anything is slow and boring. Jackie Chan can make jumping through a window look easy because day after day he was forced to do arduous exercises at the Chinese Opera where he was raised. Successful writers don't just fling books out at the world and bask in fame--they spend most of their time alone tapping keys.
We tend to make dramatic starts--we stuff all the junk food in a trash can, or we rush out and buy a huge home gym or we vow to run 5 miles, right now, today. In a movie, that's all we get. The moment of resolve. The time when the change happens. We can just assume from there that it's all flowers and roses and happily ever after.
In reality, it's not always that way. If you've ever pushed against a door you thought was stuck, only to discover it wasn't even closed, you've experienced an interesting sensation--you pull back. You stop going through the door. Even though it's going where you wanted to go, your body has to compensate for the extra force you put into it.
Same thing here. Too much force at the start can force your mind and heart to pull back. It can actually inhibit your efforts. Counterintuitive, maybe, until you give it a little more thought.
A little each day pays off far more than a whole lot of fireworks that fizzle out fast.
Make diamonds, not chaos.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Chase Visa Wants Blogged About
Chase Visa, apparently disappointed I haven't mentioned the $400 card I kept for emergencies after I paid it off, has decided to do something stupid in order to get some blog time. I'm willing to give it to them.
A little after we paid off the card, my wife got a call from them asking if we wanted to sign up for some kind of protection service where we'd have certain transactions monitored. My wife, not sure if this was something we needed or not, asked them to send us the information.
When our bill came this month, we were charged for the service. Which we never signed up for.
When my wife called to point out that we'd never signed up for it, she was told that she must have signed up for it, because otherwise they wouldn't have been charged for it.
So she explained the prior conversation to the lady, saying she had only asked for information.
Honest, the lady's reply was something to the effect of, "Oh, well that explains it. We have to sign you up for it to send the information."
My wife still hasn't been able to convince them to reverse the charge and cancel them from the program.
I'll be calling them myself tomorrow, and I'll be sure to tell you all about that conversation.
A little after we paid off the card, my wife got a call from them asking if we wanted to sign up for some kind of protection service where we'd have certain transactions monitored. My wife, not sure if this was something we needed or not, asked them to send us the information.
When our bill came this month, we were charged for the service. Which we never signed up for.
When my wife called to point out that we'd never signed up for it, she was told that she must have signed up for it, because otherwise they wouldn't have been charged for it.
So she explained the prior conversation to the lady, saying she had only asked for information.
Honest, the lady's reply was something to the effect of, "Oh, well that explains it. We have to sign you up for it to send the information."
My wife still hasn't been able to convince them to reverse the charge and cancel them from the program.
I'll be calling them myself tomorrow, and I'll be sure to tell you all about that conversation.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Coupon Sadness
Okay, so how was I supposed to know they wouldn't put coupons in the paper on a holiday? Other holidays, they load that thing up with more coupons than . . . than . . . well, than something with a lot of coupons in it.
You can always try it next week.
Have a great holiday!
You can always try it next week.
Have a great holiday!
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Coupon Joy
My wife sent me out to pick up some things since we were having a couple of people over for dinner. I got to do the coupon thing. Match the coupon with the sale and all that. Got a couple quarts of ice cream (Dreyers Slow-Churned Light, if you were worried) for a song. I can see the thrill she gets from it.
Come on--just try it. Find some coupons, then find some sale papers for a few grocery stores. Then play a matching game--it's like the one you used to play in grade school. Put the two together, and do a little math to see what kind of deal you can get on fun stuff.
Go on. Tomorrow's coupon day in the paper. Give it a whirl.
Come on--just try it. Find some coupons, then find some sale papers for a few grocery stores. Then play a matching game--it's like the one you used to play in grade school. Put the two together, and do a little math to see what kind of deal you can get on fun stuff.
Go on. Tomorrow's coupon day in the paper. Give it a whirl.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Friday Mythbustin': Knowledge Costs Too Much Money
Myth: Knowledge is expensive.
Fact: Knowledge is not only cheap, but it's worth it at any price.
Whenever I talk to somebody who's paying hundreds of dollars in interest and in debt up to their eyeballs, and they complain about the bind they're in I'll usually suggest something. A book, maybe, or a class down at the city rec center.
Their answer is inevitably the same: "Oh, I can't afford that!"
I don't usually press the issue. But think about it--how can they afford not to? It's not reading the book or not going to the class that's costing them the money.
Besides, they could get the same book for free down at their local library. They could find all the same information on the internet for free. They could invite a financially competent friend over for dinner in exchange for getting advice and tips. There are a million ways they could learn the things they needed to know to get out of their fix.
Why don't they? I'm sure there are as many reasons as there are people. In my case, it was procrastination, pure and simple. I knew what I needed to do, but I knew that making the turnaround would be painful. I was taking what felt, at the time, like the easy route, hoping that in a couple of years when I was making more money or things had settled down it wouldn't be quite so painful to do it. It's the American dream, right? That things can be better tomorrow than they are today?
Well, it finally dawned on me that things can get better any time I want them to--if I'm willing to make the effort. While the year may be half over, and my debt's only a quarter of the way gone, that's still better than what probably would have happened if I hadn't started this--the hole would be even deeper, and when I finally got around to making the turnaround, it would have taken even longer.
Knowledge is knowledge, and they'll package it up whatever way you want it, and put whatever pricetag on it you're willing to pay.
I noticed this a while back when I started getting into books by guys like Robert Kiyosaki and Tony Robbins. They'll put together a package for every price range. Want to pay $20? Here's a book. Want to pay $100? Here's a CD set. Want to pay $1,000? Here's a seminar. Want to pay $10,000? Here's a seminar on a private island. The knowledge is the same; they're just packaging it to what you can afford and what you think you need to pay to get worthwhile information.
It doesn't take money, but what it does take is time. And while I realize most of us don't feel we have enough of that (I know I sure don't) it's still the same deal as with the money--the longer you wait, the less of it you'll have. You're never going to have more time than you have today.
Fact: Knowledge is not only cheap, but it's worth it at any price.
Whenever I talk to somebody who's paying hundreds of dollars in interest and in debt up to their eyeballs, and they complain about the bind they're in I'll usually suggest something. A book, maybe, or a class down at the city rec center.
Their answer is inevitably the same: "Oh, I can't afford that!"
I don't usually press the issue. But think about it--how can they afford not to? It's not reading the book or not going to the class that's costing them the money.
Besides, they could get the same book for free down at their local library. They could find all the same information on the internet for free. They could invite a financially competent friend over for dinner in exchange for getting advice and tips. There are a million ways they could learn the things they needed to know to get out of their fix.
Why don't they? I'm sure there are as many reasons as there are people. In my case, it was procrastination, pure and simple. I knew what I needed to do, but I knew that making the turnaround would be painful. I was taking what felt, at the time, like the easy route, hoping that in a couple of years when I was making more money or things had settled down it wouldn't be quite so painful to do it. It's the American dream, right? That things can be better tomorrow than they are today?
Well, it finally dawned on me that things can get better any time I want them to--if I'm willing to make the effort. While the year may be half over, and my debt's only a quarter of the way gone, that's still better than what probably would have happened if I hadn't started this--the hole would be even deeper, and when I finally got around to making the turnaround, it would have taken even longer.
Knowledge is knowledge, and they'll package it up whatever way you want it, and put whatever pricetag on it you're willing to pay.
I noticed this a while back when I started getting into books by guys like Robert Kiyosaki and Tony Robbins. They'll put together a package for every price range. Want to pay $20? Here's a book. Want to pay $100? Here's a CD set. Want to pay $1,000? Here's a seminar. Want to pay $10,000? Here's a seminar on a private island. The knowledge is the same; they're just packaging it to what you can afford and what you think you need to pay to get worthwhile information.
It doesn't take money, but what it does take is time. And while I realize most of us don't feel we have enough of that (I know I sure don't) it's still the same deal as with the money--the longer you wait, the less of it you'll have. You're never going to have more time than you have today.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
On A "Lighter" Note
As of this morning, I am officially down 30 pounds.
I was worried. The car problems had sent me straight to stress eating, which I am very good at. However, we really don't have any junk in the house any more, and the hotel room had nothing but water, so I guess I was forced away from snacking.
But I also wasn't doing my 3 miles a day. Or lifting weights. So I've probably just lost 4 pounds of muscle.
But who cares! It's a great feeling to know I've hit the 30 mark. To weigh as much as I did at the start of the year, I'd have to be holding my kid.
And six pounds a month is a good average.
Of course, that only leaves me a month and a half to lose another 12 to get to 220 by my birthday--but I think we can do it. Month and a half is about 6 weeks, so 2 pounds a week still keeps me on schedule. Although I do know the pounds get harder the lighter you go.
Anyways, woo-hoo! 30!
I was worried. The car problems had sent me straight to stress eating, which I am very good at. However, we really don't have any junk in the house any more, and the hotel room had nothing but water, so I guess I was forced away from snacking.
But I also wasn't doing my 3 miles a day. Or lifting weights. So I've probably just lost 4 pounds of muscle.
But who cares! It's a great feeling to know I've hit the 30 mark. To weigh as much as I did at the start of the year, I'd have to be holding my kid.
And six pounds a month is a good average.
Of course, that only leaves me a month and a half to lose another 12 to get to 220 by my birthday--but I think we can do it. Month and a half is about 6 weeks, so 2 pounds a week still keeps me on schedule. Although I do know the pounds get harder the lighter you go.
Anyways, woo-hoo! 30!
Don't Call It A Comeback
Well, don't ever brag about herbs if you ever want to blog again.
What's happened to me? What has led to my absence? Did I see fit to gouge out my eyes, Oedipus-like, after the Lasik incident? Did I give up on this whole turnaround and abandon hope, going down in a blaze of glory, with only bits of Krispy Kreme and Pringles left to mark the site of the tragedy?
Actually, I had to, once again, be right. Only this time, that wasn't a good thing.
Earlier in the year, I predicted I'd see at least one major car problem before this year was out. Well, it's upon me.
My engine started overheating on the way to work last week. When I got out to check the appropriate fluid levels, I discovered my radiator was filled not with a refreshing, cooling, brightly-colored liquid, but with a thick, black goo that looked like something Nickelodeon could have marketed to kids as a toy. Which meant that oil was getting into the radiator. Which meant that somewhere, something was cracked or broken. Something that would be expensive to repair or replace, and take lots of billable hours to get to.
So I turned my car in and was doing the "telecommuting" thing, when I got a call from my boss that they needed me to head down to San Diego for a couple of days to help with some things. She knew my car situation, so they rented me a car. This worked out well--they rented me the car for long enough that it should get me by until the other one is repaired--a fortunate twist.
However, I am still dreading the announcement of the final cost of repairing my car. Estimates put it somewhere around $1,400. As of my last payment, that's more than half of what I still owe on it. And if I borrow the money to pay for it, that's going to put me a month and a half behind on my already slow debt payoff schedule.
Anyways, I'm back now, and I'll keep you filled in on all the sordid details.
What's happened to me? What has led to my absence? Did I see fit to gouge out my eyes, Oedipus-like, after the Lasik incident? Did I give up on this whole turnaround and abandon hope, going down in a blaze of glory, with only bits of Krispy Kreme and Pringles left to mark the site of the tragedy?
Actually, I had to, once again, be right. Only this time, that wasn't a good thing.
Earlier in the year, I predicted I'd see at least one major car problem before this year was out. Well, it's upon me.
My engine started overheating on the way to work last week. When I got out to check the appropriate fluid levels, I discovered my radiator was filled not with a refreshing, cooling, brightly-colored liquid, but with a thick, black goo that looked like something Nickelodeon could have marketed to kids as a toy. Which meant that oil was getting into the radiator. Which meant that somewhere, something was cracked or broken. Something that would be expensive to repair or replace, and take lots of billable hours to get to.
So I turned my car in and was doing the "telecommuting" thing, when I got a call from my boss that they needed me to head down to San Diego for a couple of days to help with some things. She knew my car situation, so they rented me a car. This worked out well--they rented me the car for long enough that it should get me by until the other one is repaired--a fortunate twist.
However, I am still dreading the announcement of the final cost of repairing my car. Estimates put it somewhere around $1,400. As of my last payment, that's more than half of what I still owe on it. And if I borrow the money to pay for it, that's going to put me a month and a half behind on my already slow debt payoff schedule.
Anyways, I'm back now, and I'll keep you filled in on all the sordid details.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
What's On Your Plate?
This morning for breakfast, I had an omelet with fresh oregano and cilantro. Fresh, as in right off the plant.
I don't know if I mentioned this, but my wife has taken up gardening.
Container gardening, to be specific. Since we don't own a home and live in a two-bedroom apartment, I'm really proud of her for her ambition. We've got everything from green peppers to chilies to strawberries growing out on the porch. And, as you guessed, a nice selection of fresh herbs.
This is her own contribution to our frugality experiment. This year we'll see what grows well and what's worth the effort, and then we'll improve our talents expand our repertoire of deliciously fresh fruits and vegetables as the years go on.
She grew up with a garden, so I guess this is old hat for her. I'll post more about it as some of the produce starts to come in.
I don't know if I mentioned this, but my wife has taken up gardening.
Container gardening, to be specific. Since we don't own a home and live in a two-bedroom apartment, I'm really proud of her for her ambition. We've got everything from green peppers to chilies to strawberries growing out on the porch. And, as you guessed, a nice selection of fresh herbs.
This is her own contribution to our frugality experiment. This year we'll see what grows well and what's worth the effort, and then we'll improve our talents expand our repertoire of deliciously fresh fruits and vegetables as the years go on.
She grew up with a garden, so I guess this is old hat for her. I'll post more about it as some of the produce starts to come in.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Wise Investment: Life Insurance
Well, I finally sprang for life insurance. Fortunately, my company has a pretty good set-up where I get a fair amount for fairly cheap. It's a good shake.
I still don't have as much as I should have. How much is that, do you ask?
If you have kids, your best bet is to get 10 times your household income in term life insurance.
Why? Well, the first part--the 10 times your household income--is so that the money can take the place of working. Invest the entire amount somewhere where you'll get around 10% return on your money, and you'll be able to continue your current lifestyle without working, living just off the interest.
Why buy term, rather than whole life? A couple reasons. First, it's way cheaper. Second, if you're following a financial plan, you should have a good idea when your plan will replace the insurance. If you have $300,000 in insurance, get term insurance for the amount of time it would take you to get $300,000 sacked away yourself.
Obviously, if you're saving about 10 percent of your income, this would be about 10 years. Figure fifteen just to be safe. So get 10-15 year term insurance for 10 times your income.
Again--it doesn't even have to be your income. If you are a single parent, you would want to get enough to pay off any debt you had, with 10 times the amount it would take whoever you have legally designated to take care of your children to pay for them from year-to-year.
I don't recommend waiting for this. If you're young and healthy, you can usually get 10-15 year policies for up to a half a million dollars for under $20 a month. Nearly any budget can find room for that.
I am waiting for the debt to be paid off before I start making many investments, including my 401k, but not this one. My primary goal here is peace of mind, and I just bought myself a nice chunk of that, for just a little bit of money.
I still don't have as much as I should have. How much is that, do you ask?
If you have kids, your best bet is to get 10 times your household income in term life insurance.
Why? Well, the first part--the 10 times your household income--is so that the money can take the place of working. Invest the entire amount somewhere where you'll get around 10% return on your money, and you'll be able to continue your current lifestyle without working, living just off the interest.
Why buy term, rather than whole life? A couple reasons. First, it's way cheaper. Second, if you're following a financial plan, you should have a good idea when your plan will replace the insurance. If you have $300,000 in insurance, get term insurance for the amount of time it would take you to get $300,000 sacked away yourself.
Obviously, if you're saving about 10 percent of your income, this would be about 10 years. Figure fifteen just to be safe. So get 10-15 year term insurance for 10 times your income.
Again--it doesn't even have to be your income. If you are a single parent, you would want to get enough to pay off any debt you had, with 10 times the amount it would take whoever you have legally designated to take care of your children to pay for them from year-to-year.
I don't recommend waiting for this. If you're young and healthy, you can usually get 10-15 year policies for up to a half a million dollars for under $20 a month. Nearly any budget can find room for that.
I am waiting for the debt to be paid off before I start making many investments, including my 401k, but not this one. My primary goal here is peace of mind, and I just bought myself a nice chunk of that, for just a little bit of money.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
Sorry, You Didn't Win Free Lasik At Custom Laser Center, Even If They Say You Did
About a week or so ago I blogged that my wife might have won free lasik from Custom Laser Center in Los Angeles.
Well, she didn't. It's a marketing scam. Here's how it went down.
About a month ago, I entered her in the contest. You can see the entry form here, on their website, although we entered through a local radio station.
(Notice there are no "rules" posted for this contest, nor any mention that there exists any possibility other than "Win Free Lasik").
At the end of the month we get a phone call saying she was "this month's winner" in the "Win Free Lasik" contest. She'd be sent a $2,000 gift certificate. There was no mention of "2nd place," no mention that she had not actually won free lasik. If you inferred that, simply because you were told were a winner in the "Win Free Lasik" contest, oh well. As they would tell me later, they never actually said she had won free Lasik. She was told, as is correct, she had won a $2,000 gift certificate, so why would you think the Lasik would be free?
Well, partly because when we asked what the normal price range for surgeries was, we were told it was between $800 and $5,000. Again, this leaves the impression that there are surgeries that would be covered by a $2,000 gift certificate, since even if $800 was only for one eye, $1,600 would still be covered. After all, this doctor does surgeries for people with presbyopia and all kinds of other problems my wife doesn't have, so there's got to be some prices at the upper end that are beyond our needs.
Now, as you saw in my post about the win, I was suspicious. But, because of the price range quoted to me, I still thought there was at least a possibility.
As it turned out, the price range quoted was also technically accurate, but still deceptive.
Once we got down there, and after watching the video about Wally Joyner, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, radio DJs, and local news anchors all getting surgery at this place, we were ushered into the back room where the girl sat at the desk with the computer and the paperwork.
She launched into the spiel, and when she came to the "How did you hear about us?" question and my wife said she'd won the contest, the lady proceeded to tell us how the contest worked. What we had actually won--the $2,000 gift certificate--was second place. It was the same thing they gave celebrities. It would not cover the cost of any procedure. In fact, it would not cover half the cost of any procedure, unless we wanted to drive down to San Diego and use their "old laser." Then it would be $1,700.
What about the $800-$5,000 price range quoted on the phone? Absolutely accurate. That includes all prices they charge anybody with or without the gift certificate. One eye, with the certificate, on the old laser, would be $800. Two eyes, without the certificate, on the good machine, would be $5,000. The full price range.
Never mind that it would have made more sense to quote us the price range either with or without the gift certificate, and then tell us which we were being told. Never mind that isn't what we had asked the guy (We'd specifically asked for the "normal" price range). Instead, quote the "full" price range just to get them down here and hope that after they watch the video they'll agree to "finance" the whole thing for $40-$50 dollars a month.
For the next nine years.
The price they charge you seems to have nothing to do with your problem. It's all about which machine you want them to use. Even though their website says, "We understand that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions in Ophthalmology," they seem to have found a one-price-fits-all solution where they charge a certain amount no matter what your problem is. So my assumptions that pricing would be based on severity of problem were dead wrong.
I don't know why I'm so furious with these guys. Even in my last blog post, it's clear I knew this was going to happen. I guess it's just the fact that I drove down there thinking I would see a full spectrum of prices, ranging from well below the amount of my gift certificate to well above--
The guy's exact words on the phone after he quoted the price range were "Why don't you come down and see how much it will cover?" Again, leaving the impression there was a chance it might cover "all" of it, or that it might cover "some" of it.
Instead, he knew exactly how much it would cover. It would cover $2,000. Since no surgery is less than that, there is never any situation where the gift certificate covers any other amount.
Any business relationship is about trust. A customer has to feel he can trust the place he's doing business with. I have to trust the mechanic is telling me the truth about what's under my hood. I have to trust the checker at the grocery store isn't going to steal my credit card number. I have to trust my bank will be able to give me my money tomorrow.
In this case, I'm sure that Dr. Gene W. Zdenek is probably a fantastic surgeon. I'll bet my wife's eyes would be as safe in his hands as in any of the top doctors in the world. I certainly do not think he's a quack, and I do not think anybody who works in his office is anything but sweet and nice. They really were fantastic to us--especially to my kids--while we waited.
But if I feel I was lured into the office under false pretenses, do I even want them going at my wife's eyes?
I don't know. Maybe that's just sour grapes.
I've wanted to get my wife free laser surgery for a while now.
In fact, Lasik surgery is one of the reasons I'm even doing this turnaround. Last Christmas I was thinking how wonderful it would be to get my wife Lasik surgery for Christmas this year. If I could save enough each month, I could have it for her at the end of the year.
Only when I looked at my finances, there wasn't the money to save for it each month. There wasn't enough money to pay the bills I already had each month. I had to do something, and I had to do it now. If I could get all my debt paid off in 2005, then I could get Lasik on the radar for 2006.
So when I took the message from the Custom Laser Center for my wife that she'd won, I guess deep down a part of me was hoping that somehow the universe was finally cutting me a break. Things were finally lining up in my favor.
Well, don't believe it, kids. Nobody's going to hand you anything on a silver platter. There's only one person who absolutely, completely and totally has your best interests in mind, and that's you.
Don't wait for the lottery or the casinos or your rich dying relative or the government to pop up and bail you out or give you what you need. If you know what you want, don't wait around for somebody else to give it to. Just knuckle down, put your shoulder to the wheel, and make it happen.
TANSTAAFL.
Well, she didn't. It's a marketing scam. Here's how it went down.
About a month ago, I entered her in the contest. You can see the entry form here, on their website, although we entered through a local radio station.
(Notice there are no "rules" posted for this contest, nor any mention that there exists any possibility other than "Win Free Lasik").
At the end of the month we get a phone call saying she was "this month's winner" in the "Win Free Lasik" contest. She'd be sent a $2,000 gift certificate. There was no mention of "2nd place," no mention that she had not actually won free lasik. If you inferred that, simply because you were told were a winner in the "Win Free Lasik" contest, oh well. As they would tell me later, they never actually said she had won free Lasik. She was told, as is correct, she had won a $2,000 gift certificate, so why would you think the Lasik would be free?
Well, partly because when we asked what the normal price range for surgeries was, we were told it was between $800 and $5,000. Again, this leaves the impression that there are surgeries that would be covered by a $2,000 gift certificate, since even if $800 was only for one eye, $1,600 would still be covered. After all, this doctor does surgeries for people with presbyopia and all kinds of other problems my wife doesn't have, so there's got to be some prices at the upper end that are beyond our needs.
Now, as you saw in my post about the win, I was suspicious. But, because of the price range quoted to me, I still thought there was at least a possibility.
As it turned out, the price range quoted was also technically accurate, but still deceptive.
Once we got down there, and after watching the video about Wally Joyner, Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, radio DJs, and local news anchors all getting surgery at this place, we were ushered into the back room where the girl sat at the desk with the computer and the paperwork.
She launched into the spiel, and when she came to the "How did you hear about us?" question and my wife said she'd won the contest, the lady proceeded to tell us how the contest worked. What we had actually won--the $2,000 gift certificate--was second place. It was the same thing they gave celebrities. It would not cover the cost of any procedure. In fact, it would not cover half the cost of any procedure, unless we wanted to drive down to San Diego and use their "old laser." Then it would be $1,700.
What about the $800-$5,000 price range quoted on the phone? Absolutely accurate. That includes all prices they charge anybody with or without the gift certificate. One eye, with the certificate, on the old laser, would be $800. Two eyes, without the certificate, on the good machine, would be $5,000. The full price range.
Never mind that it would have made more sense to quote us the price range either with or without the gift certificate, and then tell us which we were being told. Never mind that isn't what we had asked the guy (We'd specifically asked for the "normal" price range). Instead, quote the "full" price range just to get them down here and hope that after they watch the video they'll agree to "finance" the whole thing for $40-$50 dollars a month.
For the next nine years.
The price they charge you seems to have nothing to do with your problem. It's all about which machine you want them to use. Even though their website says, "We understand that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions in Ophthalmology," they seem to have found a one-price-fits-all solution where they charge a certain amount no matter what your problem is. So my assumptions that pricing would be based on severity of problem were dead wrong.
I don't know why I'm so furious with these guys. Even in my last blog post, it's clear I knew this was going to happen. I guess it's just the fact that I drove down there thinking I would see a full spectrum of prices, ranging from well below the amount of my gift certificate to well above--
The guy's exact words on the phone after he quoted the price range were "Why don't you come down and see how much it will cover?" Again, leaving the impression there was a chance it might cover "all" of it, or that it might cover "some" of it.
Instead, he knew exactly how much it would cover. It would cover $2,000. Since no surgery is less than that, there is never any situation where the gift certificate covers any other amount.
Any business relationship is about trust. A customer has to feel he can trust the place he's doing business with. I have to trust the mechanic is telling me the truth about what's under my hood. I have to trust the checker at the grocery store isn't going to steal my credit card number. I have to trust my bank will be able to give me my money tomorrow.
In this case, I'm sure that Dr. Gene W. Zdenek is probably a fantastic surgeon. I'll bet my wife's eyes would be as safe in his hands as in any of the top doctors in the world. I certainly do not think he's a quack, and I do not think anybody who works in his office is anything but sweet and nice. They really were fantastic to us--especially to my kids--while we waited.
But if I feel I was lured into the office under false pretenses, do I even want them going at my wife's eyes?
I don't know. Maybe that's just sour grapes.
I've wanted to get my wife free laser surgery for a while now.
In fact, Lasik surgery is one of the reasons I'm even doing this turnaround. Last Christmas I was thinking how wonderful it would be to get my wife Lasik surgery for Christmas this year. If I could save enough each month, I could have it for her at the end of the year.
Only when I looked at my finances, there wasn't the money to save for it each month. There wasn't enough money to pay the bills I already had each month. I had to do something, and I had to do it now. If I could get all my debt paid off in 2005, then I could get Lasik on the radar for 2006.
So when I took the message from the Custom Laser Center for my wife that she'd won, I guess deep down a part of me was hoping that somehow the universe was finally cutting me a break. Things were finally lining up in my favor.
Well, don't believe it, kids. Nobody's going to hand you anything on a silver platter. There's only one person who absolutely, completely and totally has your best interests in mind, and that's you.
Don't wait for the lottery or the casinos or your rich dying relative or the government to pop up and bail you out or give you what you need. If you know what you want, don't wait around for somebody else to give it to. Just knuckle down, put your shoulder to the wheel, and make it happen.
TANSTAAFL.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Friday Mythbustin': Interest Only Loans
Myth: Interest only loans are a great way to stretch your dollar each month. You get to build up equity without a huge house payment.
Fact: Interest only loans are a great way to take away all the benefits of having a mortgage while still keeping all the bad parts. And the length of the loan becomes a ticking time bomb of looming disaster.
I don't have to tell you all the supposed benefits of an interest only loan. The banks and mortgage lenders are doing their darndest to make sure you understand why interest only loans are the greatest thing since cavemen first started seeking shelter in caves.
But again--use your head. If your banker is really, really pushing it on you in advertisements, in print ads, and in face-to-face visits, who do you think it really benefits?
I had a friend who knew a guy who owned a used car lot. One of those lots you see in the not-so-nice parts of town that catered to people with bad credit. Here's the way his operation worked:
He'd get a car cheap. Either at an auto auction or through some other means. Say he'd pay $750. Then he'd put a $3000 sticker on it. When Joe Public came in to buy it, he'd tell the guy he could finance the $3000, but he'd ask for $750 down. He'd have made back all his costs the moment the guy made the down payment--the rest would be pure profit. Pure profit with over 20% interest. If the guy faulted on payments, he'd go repo the car and sell it to somebody else. This time, even the down would be profit.
Interest only mortgages are a way for the bank to do the same thing. They buy your house up front, and the house remains an asset--their asset, not yours--through the whole process. They get to collect money from you every month, just like you were renting, except that unlike renting, you pay the property taxes and you have to fix anything that goes wrong. Since the payment is interest only, you lose the only benefit of a regular mortgage--in a regular mortgage, some of your monthly payment is working towards making the house yours, free and clear.
Now the kool-aid drinkers of interest only out there are still asking "What about the increasing property values? Won't I get the increased value of my home as equity to help me buy my next home?"
In theory, yes. But the problem is that when you get the loan, you start a timer ticking. A time when your payment is going to "balloon" from something you can afford to something you can't afford. And when you're under time pressure, you become the target of bargain-hunters: a "Must-Seller."
Real Estate gurus like Robert Allen go on and on about how wonderful "Must-Sellers" are to people looking for bargains. These are people who have a house they need to sell and need to sell now. This could be because of a recent divorce, because of a pending foreclosure, because of a recent job loss, or--you guessed it--because of a pending balloon payment. When you're selling under time pressure, you're usually forced to settle at a lesser price than you would have if you'd have had more time.
And, chances are that if they got you to drink the interest-only Kool-aid, they'll get you to drink the second-mortgage-for-any-equity Kool-aid, and you'll squander that away, too.
The banks, knowing people have caught on to the five-year deadline, and fear it, have agreed to do fifteen year interest only loans, but "only if you have really, really good credit." It's hard to get anybody to muster up much fear of a looming deadline fifteen years away. What a bargain!
Except that $1000 dollars or whatever you think you were saving each month will end up costing you the full value of your home. If you'd have done what every financial person who doesn't sell loans recommends and got a 15 year regular mortgage, come 15 years and one day, you would own your home free and clear. No more payments. Now you're free to use that entire payment each month to do whatever you want. Save, take trips, whatever. In the meantime, your kool-aid drinking buddy is having to start all over, either by moving or by refinancing.
Remember--your goal isn't just to get a house. It's to get a house paid off.
Fact: Interest only loans are a great way to take away all the benefits of having a mortgage while still keeping all the bad parts. And the length of the loan becomes a ticking time bomb of looming disaster.
I don't have to tell you all the supposed benefits of an interest only loan. The banks and mortgage lenders are doing their darndest to make sure you understand why interest only loans are the greatest thing since cavemen first started seeking shelter in caves.
But again--use your head. If your banker is really, really pushing it on you in advertisements, in print ads, and in face-to-face visits, who do you think it really benefits?
I had a friend who knew a guy who owned a used car lot. One of those lots you see in the not-so-nice parts of town that catered to people with bad credit. Here's the way his operation worked:
He'd get a car cheap. Either at an auto auction or through some other means. Say he'd pay $750. Then he'd put a $3000 sticker on it. When Joe Public came in to buy it, he'd tell the guy he could finance the $3000, but he'd ask for $750 down. He'd have made back all his costs the moment the guy made the down payment--the rest would be pure profit. Pure profit with over 20% interest. If the guy faulted on payments, he'd go repo the car and sell it to somebody else. This time, even the down would be profit.
Interest only mortgages are a way for the bank to do the same thing. They buy your house up front, and the house remains an asset--their asset, not yours--through the whole process. They get to collect money from you every month, just like you were renting, except that unlike renting, you pay the property taxes and you have to fix anything that goes wrong. Since the payment is interest only, you lose the only benefit of a regular mortgage--in a regular mortgage, some of your monthly payment is working towards making the house yours, free and clear.
Now the kool-aid drinkers of interest only out there are still asking "What about the increasing property values? Won't I get the increased value of my home as equity to help me buy my next home?"
In theory, yes. But the problem is that when you get the loan, you start a timer ticking. A time when your payment is going to "balloon" from something you can afford to something you can't afford. And when you're under time pressure, you become the target of bargain-hunters: a "Must-Seller."
Real Estate gurus like Robert Allen go on and on about how wonderful "Must-Sellers" are to people looking for bargains. These are people who have a house they need to sell and need to sell now. This could be because of a recent divorce, because of a pending foreclosure, because of a recent job loss, or--you guessed it--because of a pending balloon payment. When you're selling under time pressure, you're usually forced to settle at a lesser price than you would have if you'd have had more time.
And, chances are that if they got you to drink the interest-only Kool-aid, they'll get you to drink the second-mortgage-for-any-equity Kool-aid, and you'll squander that away, too.
The banks, knowing people have caught on to the five-year deadline, and fear it, have agreed to do fifteen year interest only loans, but "only if you have really, really good credit." It's hard to get anybody to muster up much fear of a looming deadline fifteen years away. What a bargain!
Except that $1000 dollars or whatever you think you were saving each month will end up costing you the full value of your home. If you'd have done what every financial person who doesn't sell loans recommends and got a 15 year regular mortgage, come 15 years and one day, you would own your home free and clear. No more payments. Now you're free to use that entire payment each month to do whatever you want. Save, take trips, whatever. In the meantime, your kool-aid drinking buddy is having to start all over, either by moving or by refinancing.
Remember--your goal isn't just to get a house. It's to get a house paid off.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Sleep
Well, my newest issue is probably sleep. As in, figuring how to get everything I need to get done, done, while still getting any sleep.
I've been getting about five hours of sleep a night, and it's just not enough. Yesterday in particular, my body started going into rebellion once the sun went down.
I guess it's like anything else--I just have to experiment until I find an amount of sleep that's right for me.
Getting enough sleep is more important to weight loss than you may think. Not only for the obvious reason (no sleep = no energy = no movement = no calories burned), but your body will actually slow down your metabolism if you didn't get enough sleep the night before. I don't know--maybe it's letting your body catch some zzz's a cell or two at a time. Either way, that means even fewer calories burned. People who don't get enough sleep tend to be heavier than people who do. It's counterintuitive--you'd think the people who were up doing stuff would burn more calories--but it's how the body works.
The question becomes how to get all the other stuff done while still sleeping.
I've been getting about five hours of sleep a night, and it's just not enough. Yesterday in particular, my body started going into rebellion once the sun went down.
I guess it's like anything else--I just have to experiment until I find an amount of sleep that's right for me.
Getting enough sleep is more important to weight loss than you may think. Not only for the obvious reason (no sleep = no energy = no movement = no calories burned), but your body will actually slow down your metabolism if you didn't get enough sleep the night before. I don't know--maybe it's letting your body catch some zzz's a cell or two at a time. Either way, that means even fewer calories burned. People who don't get enough sleep tend to be heavier than people who do. It's counterintuitive--you'd think the people who were up doing stuff would burn more calories--but it's how the body works.
The question becomes how to get all the other stuff done while still sleeping.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Before the Before Pic
This was taken late September of last year. The before pic in the other post of me in the suit was taken in December. The after pic of me with Doctor Doom was taken a month ago.
So as you can see, I had a running start on this turnaround. I must have been at least 270 in this picture, maybe 275. This was before official government weigh-ins so I can't be sure.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Tale Of The Tape
I'm down another pound. Since today is almost exactly two months before my birthday, that leaves me almost exactly two months to lose 15 pounds to hit my goal of 220 by my birthday.
So far, in four months, I've lost 27 pounds. That's about 6.75 pounds a month. I'd have to step it up just a hair to 7.5 pounds a month to hit my goal.
Then, I'm giving myself the whole last half of the year to get to 200, that's going to be 3.33 pounds a month--less than a pound a month. Since I know those last few pounds are always the hardest, I'm purposely giving myself that extended time frame. I'm interested to see how much harder it gets. I know it's going to be frustrating to see my progress fall off by half, but I'm mentally bracing for it, so maybe that'll take some of the edge off.
So far, in four months, I've lost 27 pounds. That's about 6.75 pounds a month. I'd have to step it up just a hair to 7.5 pounds a month to hit my goal.
Then, I'm giving myself the whole last half of the year to get to 200, that's going to be 3.33 pounds a month--less than a pound a month. Since I know those last few pounds are always the hardest, I'm purposely giving myself that extended time frame. I'm interested to see how much harder it gets. I know it's going to be frustrating to see my progress fall off by half, but I'm mentally bracing for it, so maybe that'll take some of the edge off.
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