sort of a blur

this feels like a 'dear diary' post. may happened so fast in my memory, but there a couple of things worth talking about:

I've been very, very blessed with work. I'm so thankful, particularly so since this morning husband and I did our budget together for June and were able to plan to contribute to retirement and savings this month, even Magz' college fund. thank you, Father, for abundance. it certainly helped that we got a tax refund a few days ago... which you don't really want, since it just means you gave the gov too much money last year, but we'll take it back with gratitude. hubs is working at building his freelance clientele, and even though the Lord has blessed us and taken care of us beautifully I'm afraid I'm hard-wired to worry and fret about funds. 'what if I lose a client, or three?', 'what if I get pregnant again right now, and it's harder than last time, and I can't work as much?', 'what if we dip too far into savings on down months, and get used to it, and forget what it's like to have goals and a plan?'... I know that there's probably a healthy level of concern to have about such things, which propels people to get out of bed and try to take care of business, but I also recognize that I can totally forget to include God's provision and peace in my habit of defaulting to my own ability to to perform and make things happen. after 13 years of self-employment I'm afraid I also still tend to forget that I'm in a boat with two oars, and that everything looks a lot better and less stressful when I'm sharing and shouldering with mgb. I'm so thankful for my husband, and for how he serves our family.

I'd like to brag on him a little - he showed up to a gig the other day to work as a Production Assistant on a reality show shoot (which is a position that he's 'above' ability-wise, but the tech crew was out of LA and those were the local positions they were hiring). as the gear was brought in it became apparent that no one really knew how to set it all up and poof! there was mgb. he got everything up and running and ordered so that everyone could clearly see what was what, and at the end of the day the director even asked if he wanted to continue on to the Miami shoot. that part didn't actually transpire, but the point is that my husband showed up and did what he does very well (which is make life easier and more enjoyable for people who want to make things with cameras), and I'm just proud of him.

I've also been making some lifestyle/health changes over the past 5 weeks, which have been both great and challenging. I used this upcoming movie part to galvanize me into these changes, but it's a little bigger than that now. I retained a trainer, who's helped me so much. Kathy has shown me what pushing myself really looks like, and I'm acutely aware of the fact that when I was 'working out' before I was barely scratching the surface of real training. I feel so much stronger than I did before, and I'm gratified by the progress I've made with strength training. I still have some recurring issues, like lower back pain, which I believe will get better with continued core training, and feel like cardio is where I'm the weakest overall, but still... two months ago, ten minutes on the cross trainer made me huff and puff and hurt, and two days ago I did an hour between the treadmill and cross-trainer. so woot woot!

I'm challenged both by the commitment to the activity of exercise/strength training and my desire for instant gratification - I haven't magically dropped ten pounds since starting with Kathy, and there's definitely still extra stomach poochage going on. I HAVE lost about 5 pounds (and gained muscle weight, for sure) and my shape is visibly changing, but it's been and continues to be a process and I feel like I'm really earning whatever is happening. so, I have to cheerlead a little and push to keep on keepin' on.

Kathy also turned me onto the clean eating diet, which I mentioned before. I've been fairly committed to it, and mgb and I both have had a positive experience with it. in a nutshell, clean eating shoots for the following (from the front of the April/May CE magazine):

eat five or six times a day - three meals and two to three small snacks, attempting to include a lean protein, plenty of fresh fruit and veggies, and a complex carb at each meal. the goal: to keep your body energized and burning calories efficiently all day.

drink at least 2 liters of water a day - which is one of the hardest things for me, personally. they also hope you choose to drink it out of something reusable and environmentally-friendly. I recently bought a Brita water bottle, and am hoping to do better.

get label savvy - clean foods contain just one or two ingredients. in short, try to avoid the things with ingredients you can't pronounce, or that look like they need a ton of artificial fortifying.

avoid processed and refined foods - such as white flour, sugar, bread, and pasta. enjoy complex carbs such as whole grains instead. the big deal here is that we just try to choose better bread and pasta choices - there are lots of sprouted/whole grain options, so I don't feel deprived of my bread/pasta loves.

know thy enemies - steer clear of anything high in saturated and trans fats, anything fried, or anything high in sugar.

shop with a conscience - consume humanely raised and local meats. we try when we can, but budget/etc doesn't always allow for this.

consume healthy fats every day. olives, avocados, olive oil, etc. would fall here.

learn about portion sizes and work toward eating within them.

reduce your carbon footprint - eat produce that's seasonal and local. we love to shoot for this, obviously.

limit alcohol - make it a rare indulgence. this one is SO easy for me. :P

slow down and savor. food tastes best when it's savored. enjoy every bite.

take it to go. pack a cooler so you always have clean eats on the go. I got the insulated bag below from Marshall's and am still trying to get into the habit of packing it in the morning when I've got a full day. BUT, when I do, it's really great and I love that I don't have to think about where to pick up food between sessions/appointments.

make it a family affair - food is a social glue that should be shared with everyone!

things I like about it:

no calorie counting. it's most definitely a lifestyle, not a short-term weight loss plan.

supports ideals we already are attracted to - eating locally, eating fresh

I do feel better and more level energy-wise.

no food categories are off-limits, and you can choose to cheat where you wish... though I find myself not being as attracted to sugar and questionable food as I was, so I don't really pine to cheat. plus, if I eat something processed now I can feel it, and it's not particularly pleasant. pizza is probably my favorite cheat food right now, but if we make it at home it's still not THAT bad...

challenges:

planning meals/snacks requires more attention than I'm used to giving to my own daily care. I plan for the baby's outings, but can easily leave the house without my water bottle/snack/meal and not give it a thought.

remembering to shoot for the lean protein/complex carb/fruits/veg mix is requiring me to learn what all of those things are.

actually remembering to eat every 2.5-3 hrs. for example, we blew it this morning on breakfast by, oh, not eating it at all. major no-no, since now our bodies have to go forth unfueled and our metabolisms haven't been prompted into action for the day.

so far, I'm into it. I feel like it incentivizes us to eat the way we want to, anyway, and isn't rigid to the point of being too hard to incorporate into our lives right now. as far as what it costs, the jury's out on how or if it's affected our food budget. last month we were a little nuts with what we actually spent, but I'm not at all sure eating clean contributed to that. I'll be able to better tell this month.

in other news, our baby is totally standing by herself and is *this close* to walking. help us.

they're waiting on me so we can, appropriately, go grocery shop. woo-hoo! I feel like it's been so long since I've written anything that gets into what I'm really up to. I'll try not to go so long again.

-m.y.

she surfaces to blog a little blog...

I'm alive... just a little crazy. observe:

see? crazy. I'm writing thank you notes in this photo, btw. I'm not done yet, but I'm getting there.

the cliff notes:

we're slowly getting things unpacked and put away. I've really tried to not just shove things somewhere with the idea of dealing with it later - why would I want to deal with it later when I have a baby to think about?! this has caused us to find actual homes for most things, donate many things, throw away some things, and banish the rest to the garage to be sorted as we feel we can tackle it. curtains have been made for the baby room and bathroom, and I have one more set to make for our bedroom. we hung curtains in the living and dining room, which made me really happy. I'm telling you, curtains make a room feel radically different. I'm willing to concede that I might be a little obsessed with them.

I'm feeling pretty good. I'm very large. duh. I'm outgrowing everything and my left hip still hurts most days in a way that's impossible to ignore and makes me sad. boo-hoo, I know it must get old to hear about such things. I'm starting to really look forward to our (currently hiccuping) baby arriving, instead of being afraid she'll come early. I'm still trying to rest as much as possible and drink the water. at my last visit, Dr. H said everything looks really good - my body seems to be appropriately preparing itself for birthing a baby, and our girl did really well on some non-stress test that monitors accelerations in her heart rate (it totally stressed ME out... every time her heart would ramp up I thought something wrong was happening, but apparently that's what nice, healthy, non-stressed out babies' hearts do when they're active). I see him again tomorrow, and our specialist again on Monday just to make sure everything's still copacetic. I'm starting to get what I assume are Braxton Hicks contractions - I've noticed them at night mostly, when I wake up and my whole stomach is tight and feels like a hard rock. it goes away, but it's sort of fun to know that my body is rehearsing to play it's part the best it can. oh, and my fingers felt a little puffy one day so I decided to go ahead and take my wedding ring off - Jenny T, your story is burned in my memory! I feel a little nutty and incredibly scattered, and I go through bouts of being tired and moody, having spurts of energy and peak efficiency, and then wanting to hide away, be very still, and not talk to anyone. do you feel for my husband yet?

speaking of husband, thanks to craigslist he achieved his dream of owning a smoker. here's his first experiment, duck legs (that thing coming down is the thermometer... he has a super-cool digital one):

the somewhat blurry outcome. they were good, just a bit too salty. we decided the delicious cure he used had too much salt. oh well, it was still a great first run.

round two - a big honking slab of brisket.

with the rub. after this, he rubbed it with mustard, too.

it's a messy business.

welcome to the family, smoker. we shared our brisket with friends on Memorial Day, which I got absolutely no pictures of. lame.

and here's a before and after of our most recent baby room project. we found a wall art decal we really liked on etsy and it came in the mail yesterday. here's the room last night, before:

husband, working on applying our cherry blossom branch:

and then making it sprout cherry blossoms:

the finished product this morning...

I really love how the blossoms are 'blowing' across the room:

we also had the etsy dude make us these letter decals... we weren't shooting to have a total bird theme all over the room, but we did agree early on about liking the idea of birds on the walls and this Bible verse fitting in somewhere:

nope, we don't have doors on the closets yet. and yep, those are MY shoes in the baby's room. she needs to learn to share, yo.

I hope this isn't in bad form, but I found it a welcome sight this morning. I told M that the last month left me feeling really haphazard when it comes to our budget - not that there's any problem, but we've grown accustomed to being pretty disciplined and May was a wonky, wacky, month for me. I just didn't feel as connected to our budget as I normally do, my brain doesn't seem to have as much room to care about details and that makes me feel sloppy and disorganized, and we had a lot of odds and ends that were needed/wanted to set up house. thankfully, my husband is on top of things. I'm so glad one of us is. anyway, seeing our little piles of cash on the table to put in envelopes for the month of June made me happy. it's a new, fresh month! two new categories were added this month: Christmas (which we usually start saving for in June... it's worked out really well the last two years), and a special diaper/baby essentials envelope, to start figuring out how much we're actually going to need to plan to budget for that kind of stuff. it might look a little weird and seem like kind of a pain to do things this way, but using cash has helped us so much with keeping track of spending and staying on course we don't really mind.

I just got back from doing some Fiesta price & item voice overs, and feel it would be wrong to not mention how blessed we've been. God has sent me some really interesting, wonderful work lately that's not been too overwhelming (like the trips to Dallas can be... I don't miss that at all right now). it's more than I could have hoped for, honestly. I still have a tendency to stress a little about wondering what's going to happen after I have a baby and my priorities shift, but I'm trying to stay in a place of faith and just focus on gratitude for what I've been given right now. I'm thankful for these recent gigs, for the blessing they'll be to our family's budget over the next couple of months and for the shot in the arm they've given my confidence as I anticipate these big life changes. thank you, Father!

have a good day, peeps. prayers for our little one as she gets close to delivery are much appreciated... we'll be 38 weeks this Saturday, and I'm getting anxious to see her and assure myself that she's real and okay. :)

-m.y.

market day

it's a new month... which means it's time for a new grocery envelope.



original artwork credited to MGB. one of the comments we've gotten repeatedly about this part of our financial plan is people's uncertainty about carrying envelopes with cold hard cash in them. it's not horribly structured or anything... we have a grocery envelope, an entertainment envelope, a restaurant envelope, and an envelope for presents for people with birthdays, weddings, and baby showers in October. oh, and a Christmas envelope we add to every month. most other things we handle via debit card, online payment, etc. I've never been scared about carrying cash vs. debit card, even before we met Mr. Ramsey... I actually prefer cash, as it tends to save time. one of the things I hope to teach any future children I may have is to always carry some cash... you never know when you'll need it, but if you need to pay to park/take the toll road/pay back a friend/pitch in for the check/give it away/etc. you'll be glad you have it. the nice thing about the envelope system is that you know exactly what you're budgeting/spending - once the envelope is empty, you're done. or you play the 'raid other envelopes' game. :)

LB met up with us this morning to head out to grocery shop... we hadn't seen her in awhile, and in addition to enjoying her company we needed to do a bit of shopping for her upcoming birthday dinner (Mom, yours is almost here, too!). we started the day at t'afia:




sampling local cheeses:

the guy over there on the other side of this curtain is local and makes THE BEST andouille sausage! holy smokes, it's very very special. and currently in our freezer.

next door to him was the local Indian food booth. part of us going back to t'afia this week with our brand new grocery envelope was to nab the andouille and the refrigerated chicken samosas. so flipping good.

up next was Canino's, where M's brother M joined us (there he is, in the blue shirt):

everything was so pretty, I just wanted to take pictures of it.

spices, spices galore:

tamale fixin's, spicy cinnamon sticks, and peppers everywhere:

this guy said he'd picked his oranges a couple of days ago... they didn't look so hot, frankly, but who are we to not buy local oranges offered in October?!

as is evidenced in above photos, so many of the vendors sell the same produce that they all seem to be vying for the title of 'prettiest display'. who wouldn't want these gorgeous, artistically positioned carrots?! except you can't split them up... and that's a lot of carrot for two people.

since we've been baking our own bread the last few weeks, I was happy to find this local wheat flour, for a very reasonable price. you should've seen the selection of dried beans.

we left Canino's and went to Central Market to do a bit more shopping... as posted on CS's comments, I can't wait to break out the Pumpkin Spice decaf. upon arriving home, we talked about how we still sometimes experience a bit of sticker shock at CM... we know why we're buying certain things there and we're choosing to do it on principle (organic/fair trade/free-range/local/etc), but it's still an adjustment and balancing act. for example, my organic maple syrup... made of 100% pure maple syrup... is SO much more expensive that the old Aunt Jemima Lite with it's crazy list of fructosed cellulose sodium hexametaphosphate.

what I'm mostly thinking about at the moment, though, is the truly astounding amount of food I've seen (and tasted) today, and about how there are places where so many are struggling to find enough food to eat. not that there aren't people in the U.S. who struggle with feeding themselves, but this girl is in a place most of us can only imagine. her blog has a link for donations but if you'd like to do something extra to help that ministry check out this blog (see her latest post, plus her initial post about katie on 9/15). thanks, Jenn @ buildingmommymuscles, for making me aware of both of those blogs.

I've got to go work on scarves.

-m.y.

wild things

I hadn't seen this version of the trailer for Where The Wild Things Are... for some reason, it makes me a bit teary:




this book made me a bit apprehensive when I was little... I think it was the drawings of the monsters. or maybe it was Max being so naughty. at any rate, I don't think you can help feeling something when you read or look at it. wikepedia says that it's only ten sentences long, so I'll be interested to see how Spike Jonze filled in the story. it LOOKS so wonderful! somehow nostalgic and magical. there were apparently issues with the monsters and the story that had to be seriously reworked... read more trivia about the film here.

for my yarn-loving friends, I was reading about this darling-sounding store this morning... maybe we could give it a go sometime. they sound like nice ladies, and it might be fun to go sit and knit on a Thursday evening and make friends. today I should be getting October's blow money, and have high hopes of purchasing lovely yarn with some of it.

I'm also thinking about how grateful I am for our latest FPU class. in addition to those we knew were coming, four people showed up for the first class that we'd never seen before, having found our listing online. I hope they all decide to come back. I was in the other room tending to little L, but could still hear a lot of what was going on and the vibe sounded so good and positive. it's so much nicer to walk through personal examination, change, and challenges with others who can offer you support. after doing our budget last night, we estimated that we're a couple of months away from our next goal of 'baby step three'. it's taken longer to accomplish this one than we'd have liked... lovely summer vacations and things might have slowed down our savings plan a little... but really I'm just so thankful.

debt-free.

this is what it looks like:



we took the photo above while waiting for our table at Pappa's Seafood on Shepard. it was a wonderful celebratory meal, commemorating the end of a year of aggressively paying off all of our debts except our house. goodbye, car note! sayonara, second mortgage! see ya, student loan! we are so grateful, and so glad for the lessons we've learned along the way. here's a brief listing of some of the people and things we're thankful for:

the Bells, who so generously have allowed us to live at 406 rent-free
the free ranch we were allowed to get married on last year, plus the Christian's gift of the catering
the paid business trip to Calgary, Canada that doubled as our honeymoon
employment!
Kroger store brand!
the little calculator in the office, the cheap binder that held our budgets together, and the new hole punch we splurged on
the online budgeting materials
the budget... it's a giving, saving, and spending plan for our family, not a straightjacket.
my brother, who introduced me to Dave
Southwest Central, for offering the class and then allowing us to facilitate it again
extended cable and DVR, which we often stayed home and watched instead of going out and spending moolah
God, for so many things, but primarily for teaching us to be more generous and trusting
and I'm particularly grateful for my husband, who did such a good job of leading us in this endeavor. we're a team, and this has grown trust between us and given us such a sense of accomplishment. it's fun to live and dream with him.

we also finished out our FPU class... there are a few fun still photos thrown in, because I can't visit the Tuckers without wanting to snap away:

happy tax day?

an article I really liked on CNN today:


Commentary: Ticket to freedom is a line on your tax form
By Peter Bregman
Special to CNN

Editor's note: Peter Bregman is chief executive of Bregman Partners Inc., a global management consulting firm, and the author of "Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change". He writes a weekly column, How We Work, for HarvardBusiness.org.


Peter Bregman says doing your taxes is a chance to look at your spending and saving habits.

NEW YORK (CNN) -- In the Academy Award-winning short film "The Accountant," the O'Dell brothers call an accountant to save them from losing their family farm.

As he's being introduced to one of the brothers, he interrupts, saying "I'll know all about him soon enough." Which he does by going through a stack of his receipts.

"Just facts and figures." That's all he's interested in, because people can make themselves look good by how they dress or where they live or the car they drive.

But facts and figures tell it like it is.

It's that time of year again: April 15, the day of reckoning. The day our lives are represented by facts and figures, by the receipts that tell us how we've spent our past year.

However frustrating and stress inducing it might be to prepare your taxes, it would be a mistake to quickly get them done and move on, like taking a test just to pass. The real value is in learning the material.

And the material of your tax forms is your life. Most people look at their taxes as a picture of their past. But even more interesting than your past is your future. And your tax return speaks volumes about your future.

"Tell me," writes Mary Oliver in her poem, The Summer Day, "what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" That's the real question of April 15.

Money is not about living in a bigger house. The average American house has already more than doubled, to 2,414 square feet, since the 1950s. It's not about bigger TV's, nicer restaurants or more stuff.

Money is about freedom: The freedom to do challenging work you enjoy. The freedom to spend time with the people you love and who love you. And the freedom from worry about how you're going to feed your family. The most unproductive thing you can do with your money is spend it on things that don't help you achieve those goals.

That freedom can be found on line 8 in your Form 1040 tax return (or line 2 on Form 1040 EZ). Line 8 is our ticket to, if not life, then at least liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

It represents your income from interest on your savings. And when it exceeds your living expenses, you'll be financially independent. Completely and securely free.

In all likelihood, line 8 will show a pretty small number. In recent years in the United States, as we spent more than we earned, our savings rate dipped below zero. The last time that happened was the Great Depression.

But isn't this the wrong time to write a column about saving? If we save instead of spend, won't that hurt our economy further? And anyway, many of us don't have the money for basic necessities; how can we save when we need our money to put food on the table?

Saving might make the downturn worse. But what choice do we have? An economy based on spending more and more, even incurring debt to keep spending, is unsustainable. That's what got us here in the first place. Eventually it would all have to collapse. Eventually is now. Our economy had to get smaller.

And even in the midst of financial hardship, people are finding all sorts of ways to save. Everything from commuting by bike to selling belongings and moving into a smaller home to renting an extra room to boarders.

The good news is that we've already begun to change. This economic downturn has given us a reality check. We no longer expect the rising value of our homes and investments to fund our lifestyles.

Now we're reducing debt, spending less and saving more. The third quarter of 2008 was the first time U.S. household debt declined since the Federal Reserve began tracking it in 1952. For the first time in 17 years, U.S. consumer spending growth declined. And by the fourth quarter of 2008, our savings rate was more than 3 percent and as of February 2009 it was up to 6 percent.

You might be living in a beautiful mansion, but if you have a million-dollar mortgage and only $1,000 of interest income, you're at risk. Even if you have good income from your job. Because if you lose your job, you'll lose your lifestyle. And there are a lot of people living with that fear right now.

But if you have a smaller house, fewer expenses, and the interest income to pay for those expenses, your lifestyle is secure. And that gives you something more valuable than any possession ever could -- peace of mind.

If you had started doing this 10 years ago, wouldn't you be better off today? Interest rates will only go up from here and if you keep investing, a little bit with each paycheck, reinvesting the interest until you need it, your interest income will grow fast. If you're able to save even a little now, given the power of compounding and assuming you're under 50, you can accumulate a lot by the time you retire.

There's one more gift April 15 might bring. A tax refund. Many of us will receive one. Whatever you do, don't spend it. Instead, either pay down debt or invest it in an interest-bearing account. Start to pave your path to a free life.

The facts and figures of April 15 could serve as your own private stimulus package, stimulating you to create financial independence by growing the number in line 8 of your 1040. So you are free to answer Mary Oliver's question without constraint.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Peter Bregman.



I don't know how I feel about these Tea Party demonstrations. I'm all about legal protests, for sure... if you don't like it, by all means get out there and say it! I just don't know about the motivations and effectiveness of these. I'll tell you, it makes me suspicious that, while doing a cursory search last night to learn what's going on, I saw Fox News everywhere. I'm open to hearing people's veiwpoints about it. I do know that if I, in all my self-employed glory, were to show up at the post office with my sign and then go in to file my extension, I'm pretty sure it would read more 'undisciplined, unorganized contractor who hasn't prioritized to get her stuff together on time' than patriotic tax protester. but whatever. we've already filed. I don't like it much, but I suppose I do buy into the whole 'rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar's'... even if Caesar chooses to burn through the funds, I assume it doesn't negate my legal obligation to fork it over. unless, as my husband mentioned last night, you feel so strongly about unfair taxation and government spending that you straight up refuse to pay your taxes. that's a strong protest with very real consequences. for now, I suppose I'll grumble and continue to pay what I think is a ridiculous and incredibly wrong 12% into social security every year. I might even have to keep voting libertarian.

-m.y.

FPU!

the husband and I will be facilitating a financial peace university class at our church beginning Saturday, February 21st.  it's a 12-week course with a bonus lesson on giving, the cost is about $100 for the books and all materials, and the class will run 1p-3p.  I've already written about it but FPU, instructed via cd by d. ramsey, has had a huge impact on us.  we were still engaged when we began it last spring, and to be on the same financial page and sharing the same information and goals has brought us together and added sweet, shared victories during this first year of marriage.  the class covers the following topics (lifted from the website):

1. Super Saving - In this lesson, Dave explains the Seven Baby Steps that will guide you throughout FPU.  You will also learn the three key reasons why you should save money—and why you must start now!

2. Relating With Money - This lesson will teach spouses how to communicate and work together toward success.  Also, singles will learn the importance of teamwork and parents will find out how to teach their kids about money.

3. Cash Flow Planning - Unlock the secret of developing a monthly spending plan that really works.

4. Dumping Debt - It’s time to debunk the myths that most people believe about debt! In this lesson, Dave Ramsey reveals the truth about the credit lies and gives you a plan for walking out of debt with confidence.

5. Credit Sharks in Suits - What is a credit score, anyway? Join Dave as he unpacks your credit rating and shows you how to handle collectors when they call.

6. Buyer Beware - Dave Ramsey draws on decades of experience to reveal the power and influence that marketing has on your everyday buying decisions. Let the buyer beware!

7. Clause and Effect - In this lesson, Dave walks you through the world of insurance, carefully explaining what you need — and what you need to avoid.

8. That's Not Good Enough! - Discover the seldom-used secrets of buying only big, big bargains—every time!  Before you know it, you’ll be saying “That’s not good enough!”

9. Of Mice and Mutual Funds - Dave breaks through the jargon surrounding long-term investing and empowers you to make your own decisions about your investments!

10. From Fruition to Tuition - Dave walks you through the maze of retirement options and helps you figure out the right path for you.  You will also learn how to plan for college so your kids can graduate debt free!

11. Working in Your Strengths - This lesson will show you how to avoid dead-end or mind-numbing jobs and provide tips for job hunting, writing a résumé, and acing an interview.  Plus, you’ll learn tips for finding extra jobs if you need cash to attack your debt snowball.

12. Real Estate and Mortgages - Dave draws on over 20 years of real estate experience to teach you how to win when buying or selling your home.  Plus, he’ll dissect all of the common mortgage options available today, showing you what to choose—and what to avoid.

13. The Great Misunderstanding - Warning! This lesson will challenge the way you think about money.  Dave will show you how generous giving can completely revolutionize your attitude and improve your finances, business and relationships.

here's a link to a preview of the class that's been posted on YouTube...

Dave's personality isn't for everybody, and some of the things he says can feel pretty confrontational.   I can only say that the content of the lessons are valuable, and we've been blessed by following the program.  We're paying aggressively on our last remaining debt apart from our mortgage, and during the time we've been collectively attacking debt - which is really only since June of last year - we HAVE experienced peace with regard to money, and our charitable giving has actually increased.  Not that there haven't been struggles... doing the budget, especially the first time, wasn't pretty.  :)   

If you know of anyone you think might benefit from this class or you think your family would like to participate, please contact the church office at reception@swcentral.org or 713-667-9417.  or feel free to give me, M, or our friends the Browns a ring if you have any questions about the course.

-m.y.

what a great week so far!

yesterday I made a long list of things to do, and actually crossed off most of them. I was so thankful to have a day 'off' to tackle this stuff! the desk is cleared off, bills paid, the car drives much better with new struts and an alignment (she's at 140,000 miles... hang in there, girl! we've got a ways to go!), money was moved around to accomplish today's coup (more on THAT in a moment), afternoon bubble tea splurge, and VHS-tape-living room-YOGA! the husby and I watched the DVR'd 24 2-hr movie last night, and it was almost more fun for me to watch him watch it than enjoy the actual movie - he does love his 24, and the trailer for the next season totally lit him up.

I was supposed to hit the studio early this morning, but our session got pushed back 'til this afternoon so I did a lot of girly things that got pushed out of the way yesterday: the hair is freshly colored! woo-hoo, thank you Loreal Preference!! the toenails were trimmed, buffed, and painted Beautiful Berry while watching '13 Going On 30'... I forgot how fun that movie is. I'm sipping delicious hot green tea while downloading episodes of an anime series I'll be writing. and... drumroll please... I just scheduled our last payment on our second mortgage. TAKE THAT, debt-snowball!! We've been so blessed, and are excited to add this to the list of things we're thankful for this holiday season.

I was thinking this morning of some of the things I've/we've done this year while watching our budget and trying to be intentional with money... here's a sampling:

* I stopped getting my nails done at salons. except before I got married.
* I have a love of lip product. it's true. but I vowed to not buy anything NEW while I still had tubes laying around. and that's how I discovered how much lip balm/lipstick I already own. that goes for lotion, too. *edit* and shampoo. and soap. in short, I've realized that I have a lot of most things if I just look around to see it.
* I started ordering water when eating out. it's become such a habit that now, to order something else, is a treat.
* I make more coffee at home and take it with me, rather than just hit up Starbucks for a grande soy latte. which I love. ;)
* I cut some travel expenses by taking my own food and being a part of a hotel reward system that lets you earn free nights.
* I remain gym membership-less. I miss it... I'll look forward to having one again soon.
* I cut my personal shopping a lot this past year. Not that I didn't go get something when I needed it or anything.
* I married someone who likes to cook, so we eat at home way more than we go out to eat now. that is a total score.

do you guys have ways you like to save money?

I've got to head out. hope everyone is having a good day!


-m.y.

other people's ideas...

I was surfing last night and was really provoked by the latest two entries at Godgrown... The Stock Market’s Recession; the Economy of God’s Advance and Advent Conspiracy. A few weeks ago, we discussed the Acts 2 text in bible class, and this part in particular makes me uncomfortable (beginning w/ verse 44): "And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

I struggle with the bolded section, because I don't know what that's supposed to look like. and how it relates to other teachings... like Luke Ch 12 for instance. and what do you do with 1 Thes. 3:10-11: "For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies." ... this rears it's head in judgement so often in my head toward others, and it definitely affects the graciousness of my giving and ties it to the actions/choices I perceive others making. the truth is, I want us to keep making money, to save it to buy a house, to be able to use it to give and travel, to plan for the education of any kids we may have, to hope to have the funds to make wise decisions for retirement so my family isn't burdened and my husband and I are cared for. are we intended to really try to let go of material ties and learn those sorts of lessons and reliance, or just not be ruled or motivated by the desire/need/worry about such things? though I don't believe in socialism as a way for a government to govern - government being an unreliable and fickle steward, IMO - the concept of sharing wealth and goods and being a giver is all over the Bible. but how does that look? the passage is confrontational to me. my husband knows why... as we sit down to do our budget each month, I am challenged in the area of giving. years of self-employment with no reliance on credit and a deep conviction to support and take responsibility for my adult self has made 'keeping enough back to feel safe' my default button. what 'enough' means is very discretionary. ;)

anyway, I was glad to read Godgrown's posts. again, I don't know them and I sincerely hope they wouldn't be freaked out by my lurkings. if you have a chance, check out the entries. the Christmas post is convicting as well... a few years ago, I realized that one of the enjoyments of giving great gifts at holidays was how it reflected on ME... if I could buy these awesome things, didn't that mean I was doing well??! I've really tried to move away from that sort of thing and operate from a different place... M and I have been putting back funds every month for Christmas spending, too, so that will determine how much we're allowing ourselves to spend. who knows, maybe we won't even spend all of it.

here is today's Daily Reflection, which I thought was appropriate:

THE CHRISTIAN LIFE is not about political ideology, or about condemnation, or about trumping someone else’s experience. It is about Jesus, about being his disciple, about falling in love with God, and about having the courage to let that kind of devotion actually change your life.

- Derek Maul
Get Real: A Spiritual Journey for Men

From p. 15 of Get Real by Derek Maul. Copyright © 2007 by the author. Published by Upper Room Books. All Rights Reserved. Used with permission.


*****

I am a tad annoyed by work today, actually. I need to turn my frown upside down, I think. one of the great things about what I do is that as frustrating as something can be, it's usually over very soon.

omg. (that's gosh, by the way...)

today's goings-on:

* I am currently writing an anime about baseball, and desperately trying to recall every little tidbit I learned when playing elementary girls softball... because I was so awesome at it..??

* Ike left me with an insane amount of laundry. mostly because I can be a little crazy about spores and bacteria and anything else that might try to tickle my allergies, so if there's a woven fabric in this house it's going into the washer.

* I can't wait for Pam and Jim to get married on The Office.

* We watched American History X the other night, and now I have a little crush on Ed Norton. I know he's crazy and made out with Courtney Love. it's a talent-crush and I can't help it.

* whilst writing baseball anime, I've also taken in a lot of CNN today and the congressional hearing about the bailout. I'm glad they're arguing about these things. I am highly awfully amazingly against a fear-driven, reactive pledge to Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke for 700 billion dollars up front to just 'fix it' as they make up a plan as they go along. holy moly. that's probably not an accurate depiction of what they're doing but that's what it feels like.

> this next part turned into a rambling, opinion piece... feel free to skip to the next asterisk if you wish.

interestingly, yesterday I wrapped narrating an online finance course, 20 long chapters *coughdrinkmorewater* of terms that have been all over the news for weeks. though there was much I didn't grasp (so many formulas!) and even more I needed further instruction about, I managed to follow a lot of it. one of the things I took away was the number of new credit 'instruments' that have been created for more people to be able to purchase things like homes and businesses and funds for operating costs of their various businesses. it all boils down to a lot of creative financing, to get more people in the credit pool so that ultimately lenders can bundle the notes and investors can.. well, invest in them, and money begins to flow in and out and up and through all sorts of echelons of markets. a lot of you already knew that, but it filled in some gaps for me... and I still have lots of questions for someone smart in these areas. being a person who enjoys paying things off early - cars, mortgages... I'll even pay insurance off every 6 months, because it saves a little $$ and it's one less bill to pay a month - it interested me to learn that lenders generally don't want you to pay anything off early, because their investors are in the game for the 30 year mortgage-plus-interest return or whatever.

anyway, I'm following all of this pretty closely, trying to keep up. I'll say this... I used to sort of blindly believe that people elected to office must be privy to information I don't have, that they were hired for their wisdom and commitment to their duties and that they were generally, probably right when they acted. I no longer believe that. The reactive nature of Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke's 'plan' completely scares the crap out of me... mostly because I can't see logic in it. "The government has to bail them out, they're the only one who can and the world market is at stake!" is panic-speak, not a logical economic plan, and does not explain how such action will create some sort of sustainable economic stability while dealing with all of the mess that caused the meltdown. I'm afraid what they're considering is just prolonging the inevitable... which is that something, somewhere, will have to bleed from these gaping economic wounds. I think I get it... the plan would be for the Gov to have access to a lot of taxpayer money and buy up a ton of bad debt from these institutions, so the banks and whatnot could feel free to extend themselves again and the Gov could sell the debt later for a profit... so theoretically, later the funds would come back as 'income'. However, I also read that it was leaked that the Gov was going to offer above-market price to banks and such for their crappy debt, and if that were true I say 'NO!' to it. Banks do not get to profit, do not get to prosper from these times, and neither does Wall Street or any CEO. Not with my self-employed tax dollars. another term I picked up from reading the never-ending finance course... 'RISK'. They've all taken huge risks, and enjoyed the spoils of bubbly hybrid credit instruments for a long time, and if they have to tighten up and credit is a little harder to extend for awhile... well, that's called a consequence. a really sucky one for small businesses and people whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on credit. thank you, lenders and investors and Wall Street and anyone elected to an office whose job is to pay attention. same for citizens... if it's tougher to get credit for awhile while things stabalize, how can we really complain? we helped create this bed. look at the hundreds of thousands of people around you choking under the weight of their debt... or who walked away from their homes with crazy interest rates, homes they paid no money to get into so why SHOULD they feel invested in them? oh man, I remember vividly the day I gave what seemed like a huge money order to a title company... it wasn't fun. it was stressful and the magnitude of the obligation I'd just entered into sent me straight to my bed for a few hours. I guess my biggest issue is this: you cannot float bad behavior and hope it will change into good behavior. there is no incentive. painful consequences don't have to be the end of the world, and can turn the tide. 'rock bottom' and all. and lessons learned, though sometimes really, really painful, can grow into some amazing, hard-earned wisdom on the other side. I just can't see the other side yet.

observation: apparently, there are no fiscal conservatives left. and that bumms me out.

and by the way, if ANY presidential candidate even hints at 'cutting taxes'.... HAAAAA!!!! tee-hee and holy smokes, that WOULD be magical math! and after I stop laughing... I'll get sober fast imagining what the babies being born now are going to inherit from all of this. and of course, fiscal matters are just a piece of the picture. Father, what would YOU have us do? what would you have me do, as a follower of yours, in a time like this?

okay, all of that was just.... whatever. that was purely for my psyche. and I'm sure it's very lopsided all over. and later I'll want to edit. *first edit... after convo w/ my husband about the day, I feel the need to write down some things that came up - are people who run banks/treasuries/etc. capable of making choices that cut out their fiscal arteries? at what point are possible solutions limited by self-preservation? and how much of the $700 billion do you suppose would be used to prop up the U.S. in the global market... and the other day M proposed that the gov use their power to do something like freeze credit scores or something for a period of time, so people who lose their homes can at least go qualify for an apartment. anyway, just some thoughts.

* dangit! I only meant to do a fun little post and my husband will be home soon and there's still stuff to do around here! arghhh.

* I forgot to mention... we got power Saturday. we had come over here to the house to do a little cleanup, and it came on while we were here. there is no other word for it... I felt RICH in this house, where you flipped a switch and a light came on, water turned to ice in the freezer, and the ceiling fans dispersed the blessed air-conditioning. then I got crazy and started cleaning like a fiend... more physical labor than I'd done in awhile, apparently, because Sunday I could barely move.

* write softly... chino is doing well, thank you for asking! he's playing and sleeping a lot and generally enjoying his life. at least, that's what it looks like from here. I love your baby's soft spiky hair!!

* lilacsonthegrill... the latest Real Simple is good! I cracked it open last night!!

* lovely blue skies... gets a huge congratulatory hug!

* and yoshimi gets to go fold laundry.


bonus: because I know everyone wants to know how many actual hours it takes to read 20 chapters of a finance course...

ten. and a half. is it too late to invest in Ozarka? ah... maybe I'll just buy a Brita. with cash.

;)

back from travels with a debt-snowball smackdown.

I spent the weekend in Minneapolis attending the last convention I've scheduled until... I feel like scheduling another one.  I flew back home Sunday night and woke up before the crack of dawn Monday to head to Dallas to work for a few days.  I always love coming home, and this time had a sweet touch of celebration.  My husband wrote the last check to Honda on Friday, the check has been cashed, and we own the sucker!  It is SO affirming - all of the travelling and whatnot isn't easy for either of us, but I have to be so thankful for the means to accomplish our goals together for the betterment of our future (in which, hopefully, if I have to get up at 4:30am it's likely to feed a screaming, round-faced baby, not drive 4.5 hrs to a studio). 

All of this is largely due to being introduced to this guy two Christmases ago.  My brother's young married class from church was about to take a 13-week course on finances, and I was intrigued enough by what he told me of DR that I asked for his bestselling book for Christmas that year.  M and I started dating shortly thereafter, and he actually read the book before I did (I was, however, already really into listening to Dave's free podcasts on i-tunes).  Fast-forward a year, and we got to take the course ourselves at our own church, with dear friends beside us and the benefit of some pretty hard-core concurrent pre-marital counselling (which, I believe, is an absolute MUST.  it was not easy by any stretch, but we certainly addressed/fought over/learned about a lot of  our differences and similarities and our marriage has most definitely been smoother for it).  We've been officially working the steps to financial peace together since we got married in April, and it has been such a blessing to us.  The program's emphasis on working together, biblical concepts and stewardship, budgeting your money intentionally and living within your means, basic education about financial products and consumer lending, planning for your family, and placing a high value on charitable giving has given us a financial compass, a common language, and opportunities to learn about and trust one another more, and we're grateful.  Aside from a game plan for our own family, we're also excited about the prospect of being able to bless others by sharing both our funds and good, helpful information... because let's face it, financial issues are common to all, whether you're wealthy or poor.

*****

The Shack...  

I finally finished it on the plane Sunday night, sniffling all the way.  I confess to a small degree of discomfort whenever I'm reading a work that... well, seeks to put words in God's mouth.  I suppose I feel that those sentiments are the writer's theology that they've worked out and are seeking to express and validate.  Not that anything expressed in this book was shocking to me or anything... I just mention it because that opinion affected my reading of it.  I actually liked a great deal of it, and I certainly cried a couple of times.  Out of the wealth of thought-provoking passages, a couple of ideas that really grabbed hold of me were 1) humans seeking independence from God to their detriment and 2) the concept of living in verbs instead of nouns (i.e., growing/learning/serving as opposed to responsibility/obligation).  Although I don't think the nouns are all bad, either, in their place.  I'll tell you, reading this book made me want to go find my copy of Pilgrim's Progress.  I believe they try to evoke similar ideas, and I'm wont to take to it more fully in the allegory form of PP.  Oh, one of my favorite things was the description of the relationship between God/Christ/the Spirit.  I did love that.

Note:  I have a history of reading affecting books while travelling.  In grad school, I rode a Grayhound home one year and pulled out The Notebook to read (before the movie, of course).  I bawled so hard people around me were offering me Kleenex.  And when I was meeting T-bird in Vegas, I cracked open Redeeming Love to stave off lengthy connecting-flight boredom, and finally met up with her at the airport with the splotchiest face and most swollen eyes you've ever seen.

*****

It's so quiet here.  The only sound is someone creaking around upstairs and the hum of the dryer.  I think I could go the day without turning any sound on.  When I got home last night, I reflexively started cleaning the kitchen, making a circuit around the house to see what was new, what flowers needed to be thrown out...  my sweet husband was probably wondering what my damage was.  This morning, I can see my reaction to being away carries some guilt, and upon return I run around marking territory and 'claiming' things, much like my dog does.  Except differently.  =)  He's actually snoring a little right now.

I feel the need to clean, and breathe, and stretch, and sort, and listen, and sleep.  and then go eat dinner with the T family.