The Passion of the Price... (tried to rhyme with Christ)

Photo courtesy of jennipenny

Ok, so It's confession time... How much did you spend on Christmas gifts?

For the 2nd straight year, my wife and I have budgeted only $150 TOTAL for Christmas gifts, and for the 2nd straight year we've come in under budget! We decided only to buy for immediate family members and a select few friends.

I've gotta tell ya, it's pretty liberating to spend such a small amount and still find quality gifts to give to each person. It really hurts me to watch people in the check out line spend the same $150 on just 2 sweaters from Banana Republic and then complain about how they dont have any money to spend on gifts for others.

This year we focused on giving relevant books as the main gifts. And ironically few things have been more relevant to so many people this year as the state of the economy has been. With that in mind we decided to gift copies of Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover. We hope it doesnt come off over zealous, but we simply feel that with the amount of success we've had doing the plan, it would be grossly neglegent of us not to impart that information to our family and friends!

It's similar to when you first fall in love (and hopefully stay in love) with Jesus. You just want others to know how it feels to be on the winning side! But honestly, the thing that would have truly made this a wonderful christmas for me, would have been if we could all agree not to exchange gifts at all this year. Not because my wife and I couldnt handle it (oh yeah $150 on gifts just PLUNGED us back into debt haha.) but because some of our friends and family still make a 'thing' out of buying gifts even when they cant afford to and then get themselves in financial trouble trying to appease everyone with a gift.

That's just not us anymore... call us weird but we've had it with the whole Giftmas gimic that's been shoved down our collective throats!

If you didnt get on board with us in keeping the Christmas budget down this year, you've got 364 days to get on board for the 2009 Holiday Season... there's no time like the present.

Merry Christ-mas,

@W

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What Time Is It? GAMETIME!!

Alright, so let the games BEGIN! Just a few moments ago we made the last payment on another loan. But this wasn't just any old loan. It was the one that forced us to change our ways and begin our Total Money Makeover.

From this point on we'll have an extra $500 each month that will go directly towards toppling our debt! That's $6000 per year! And it's going to drastically accelerate our efforts! And that's still not including the extra money coming in from the overtime I'm working and the hours from my wife's Part-time job! (You gotta love the Gazelle Intensity! lol)

But as wonderful as it feels to close out this account monetarily, it pales in comparison to how it feels to put this behind us emotionally. Alot of tears, fear, anger and frustration came about early in our marriage because of this account in particular. And we are so grateful to emerge on the other side of the situation standing firm! I feel we handled it well, but only because of the resources and people that God directed us to in the midst of a very trying time. Much of what we learned in those first months has served as an invaluable reminder of WHY WE NEED TO BE DEBT FREE AT ALL COSTS!

I'm thankful for all we've learned so far and all we've been able to accomplish. We've paid off over $35,000 in 13 months of doing this program! All while still giving a faithful and consistent Tithe and Offering. And all while continuing to pay our regular amounts towards our monthly bills and living expenses. And while continuing to sow into other friends and family spiritually, as well as financially. Even when gas was at $4/gallon, and while the rest of the country was going through the shell shock of watching lending institutions crumble and stock markets dip and dive more violently than we've ever seen. It has not always been easy or fun or exciting... but it's all been worth the climb.

This has truly been an amazing journey for us so far, and even though we're incredibly excited with what we've done today, it amounts to nearly nothing compared to how we will feel when we pay off that last bill and begin living like no one else... all because we chose to live like no one else early in our marriage.

We thank you for joining us in this journey,

@W







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We Shall Overcome...

I still can't quite articulate all of my thoughts and emotions at this time. They truly range from elation, to stoicism, to cautious optimism, and even to bittersweet sadness.

The hardest hitting thought that occurred to me last night was for the lives of my children. Their American experience will be distinctly different in a number of unique ways. First, they will be born into a family that holds no debt. That alone will place then into a different frame of life and opportunity than most of the people they interact with in their lifetime. They will already be a peculiar exception to 'the way of the world' because of this. But now, as of last night it has dawned on me that they will be born into a world where a black man sits at the head of their government. It will be ALL they have ever KNOWN to see a black man as the main person responsible for the care and guidance of our nation. It will be a regular thing for them... regular...


But at the same time I still contend with my feelings of cautious optimism because despite the hope infused in what I see on CNN, this world is still in the closing hours of it's history according to what my Bible tells me. Is this man the calm before the storms predicted in Revelation 13: 11-18, or is HE it? Time will tell, but as a Christian with the Blessed Hope of seeing the Lord return in my lifetime, I have to weigh every political figure that ascends to the world stage against the scriptures. And the more compelling and wondrous the figure appears to be, the more watchful and discerning I have to be! Read what Revelation 13:11-18 says:

Revelation 13:11-18 (King James Version)

11And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.
12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.
13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,
14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.
15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Finally, with this amazing turn of events comes an uncontrollable sadness. Sadness for those who not only died, but those who were lynched, hung, castrated, murdered, raped, tarred-and-feathered, kidnapped, enslaved, tormented, assassinated and martyred in generations past, and never got to see this moment. Four years ago, NO ONE in this country had a viable hope that we would possibly EVER see a black man as president. At that time we could have probably envisioned one day having a person of Latino descent, but NEVER an African-American. There are still living among us a very large population of black adults who lived or were born into a time when they lived completely segregated existences. They lived through Clan rallies, and race riots, and all kinds of institutionalized evil.

As of yesterday, we now have the KEYS to that institution...

The other thing that saddened me was the overwhelming turnout of voters across this nation. People love turning out to vote, because it's their RIGHT. What on earth would it look like if the Kingdom of God ever decided to stand up and execute their RIGHT and responsibility to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Replace for just a moment the crowd gathered at Grant's Park in Chicago, with jubilant, white-robed saints professing their love of Christ.... and now do the same thing at every other high turnout campaign rally that we saw Obama hold. 90,000 showed up in Manassass... what if they were all born again, and had a knowledge and thirst for Jesus, the same way they thirsted for this historic change? Now I'm sure you can understand my sense of sadness...

So really what does this mean NOW on November 5th? Will black young men in every ghetto lay down his glock, and stop selling drugs? Will bloods and crips embrace each other? Will my credit score get better just because this man is in office and he's so much like me? Will the current stat that only 30% of men who graduate Detroit city high schools automatically jump to 100%? Will black men nationwide stop stepping on each other's Jordans?

NO.

We have not 'Overcome' because of what we saw last night. That is not the Finish Line, it is only the starting line of a brand new race to be run. Again I turn to the Word, where it is clearly identified for me, what will allow us to 'Overcome'...

Revelation 12:11 (King James Version)

11And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

I am newly inspired to finish this race!

@W



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This Christmas: Foreclosure in HD

Christmas-time is upon us and by all accounts it's gonna be a BIG one... and when I say 'accounts' I'm talking bank accounts.

Because of all the economic turmoil we've seen this year, retailers are BANKING on YOU to bail them out the same way Capitol Hill did Wall Street.

This year you can expect to be lured with never before seen low prices on all sorts of 'big-ticket' items. HDTV flat-screens, home theater systems and high end appliances will be sold at price-points so obscene that you will feel like it's too good to pass up.

For instance these are the projected price ranges for Flat-screen LCD, HDTV, and Plasma displays this holiday shopping season:

• 19-inch high definition LCD: $199
• 32-inch HD LCD: $399-$499
• 40-inch 1080p LCD: $799-$999
• 42-inch HD plasma: $599-$699
• 50-inch HD plasma: $899-$999

My my that sounds like a sweet deal doesn't it? And just to think that these same types of offers will be pouring in at you across the board this shopping season.

Oh yeah, and on top of all that, the Christmas shopping season Officially started October 1st this year, to give you plenty of time to start this festive season off with a bang!

This Christmas, retailers are gonna sell things so cheap that you'll want to buy everything you see so you can put it in your house. But if you fall for that trap you're gonna find yourself and your gorgeous HDTV out on the streets!

I'm willing to bet that half of my readers aren't current on their mortgage, but they're already beginning to plan their Christmas lists... now understand, I'm not saying that to be mean or hurtful but the statistics on the news are coming from somewhere. And even if those numbers are grossly exaggerated, whatever the 'real' numbers are they're probably still shockingly high.

C'mon, lets be real. Odds are you or someone you know will buy one of those flat-screens at that 'bargain' of a price this year... but why? Do they NEED a new TV? Probably not, because if they're like most other Americans then the odds are also high that there are more TV sets in their household than people!
So again, they're not out buying them because they NEED them. So then what is it that 'makes' us want them?

It's my belief that the Flat-screen TV has replaced the 'White picket fence' as the feature of choice in the American home. The same way that 'Chrome rims' have replaced the sound system as the accessory of choice in the American car. The flat-screen has become what I call an 'affordable' luxury item - a universal status symbol of sorts - that indicates your earning potential and that you have disposable income. The catch is that most of us don't have 'disposable income' we just 'dispose of our income' unwisely. I could go on and on with examples of this concept but I'll wrap this post up with one that has really bothered me this week.

If you live anywhere near a college, high school, or middle school, then you probably witnessed the annual homecoming festivities. I was recently told about some local teenagers who got their parents to pay for them to rent multiple stretch limos and drive them to downtown DC for dinner. (You're probably saying big whoop-dee-doo, @W) Here's the part that set me off... these teenagers wanted to go to PALM. Palm restaurant is a notoriously exclusive and expensive restaurant across the street from the White House. On any given night you can see Karl Rove, Colin Powell, Tiger Woods and various hot-shot CEO's and executives at various tables. It will run you about $100 for a meal... an individual meal. And here theses kids are wanting to eat at this place for HOMECOMING! And their not even upper-classmen either, their freshman and sophomores! What are they gonna do for graduation, charter a jet to Vegas for dinner at the Bellagio?!?

The saddest part is that you cant blame the kids for the ridiculous-ness of that story. The blame is on us, the adults who they've watched spend recklessly for their entire lives. The materialism that dictates so much of their social interaction - all of the bling, and the swag, and the stuntin - is just an extension of what they've always seen from us. It's just sad that they've had to view all of this with a level of detail and clarity that even the most expensive HDTV setup cant rival.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

@W


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We're Getting PUMPED!!

Our budget is finally about to pack on some serious muscle in this war we've waged on our debt!

The Lord is aligning a number of things at JUST the right time as far as our finances are concerned. My wife just got a DREAM of a part-time job. (Ka-ching $$) My job just assigned me to a large overtime project. (KA-ching $$$) And largest of all in the next few days we'll be paying off a major loan that will push an extra 5 'bills' ($500) straight to our debt snowball! (KA-CHINGY ching chang $$$$!!) LOL

Now usually our budget meetings have become pretty fluid and pain-free, but last night took it to a whole new level. We were actually GIDDY talking about out finances! We were joking around and giving each other funny lil nicknames. For instance, because I'm the one that actually plots out our budget spreadsheet, and withdraws the cash ect. I made a joke that she should call me the "Comptroller". And since she's so great at filing our budgets, papers, and bills as well as keeping track of the decisions we make, as well as the follow-up involved so that we can ACT once we have the money in hand, I said I'm gonna call her the "Administrator" lol. Well to make a long story short we settled on the fact that she's the "Commissioner", and I am the "Mayor" lol! (right honey?)

So anyway, as you can see this new turn of events has us STOKED! And we are both certain in the fact that the Lord is blessing our efforts in ways we could only dream of! For the longest time both of us have been 'worried' about our Gazelle Intensity, because certain circumstances prevented us from generating any extra income. We 'wanted' to get to a point where it could be realistic, but even a recently as last month it just didn't seem possible.

We knew the loan would be paid off in November and that had us amped enough, but we didn't know where else we could squeeze out more income. For the time being that no longer appears to be an issue and I truly and openly praise God for making a way. We're so undeserving of how well He's protecting and accelerating our efforts! WOW!

Which brings me to my point for today: It's really true that He will make ways for you, when you start moving His way! (Oooh I LIKE that one, did that really just come from ME?! lol)

Mmm, I think I can stop right there for now, that'll preach all by itself!

For those of you who are attempting a Total Money Makeover, and really giving it your ALL, THIS is for YOU. It doesn't start out easy, and it doesn't always feel easy as you're going through it, but I can GUARANTEE that it is EASILY worth the effort! (Man I'm just on a roll today with the good quotes! lol)

You will suddenly see things open up in amazing ways as you continue in this process as long as your heart is in it for the right reasons. Not to BE RICH, or to flaunt your newly reclaimed income potential recklessly. No not at all! Chasing those things is what got you here in the first place! Instead, once this process takes ahold of the way you think, feel, and interact with your money, you wont even WANT all of the things your money will now be able to afford you! Yes, when you get to the other side of this thing - when you are finally able to scream "WE"RE DEBT FREE!!!!!!" by all means celebrate and enjoy your accomplishment. But I promise you, you wont be out to blow your extra income on every DVD that Best Buy carries, or every new toy for your car, or every color that Gucci bag comes in. I just don't think it's possible to go through this process and hold on to that type of materialistic mentality.

I'm not saying you wont get nice stuff once your debt free. Oh yes you will, but you wont be living your life slaving to acquire those things, because you'll be in a position to safely afford them while living within your means. And there's a BIG difference between the two.

"If you live like no one else...one day you will live like no one else!"

Lord, I cant wait for that day. But thank you in the meantime for what you are allowing us to do with each day you give us between now and the day we pay off that last bill! And Lord you know this isn't just about the money for us. I love you for what you are teaching me as a steward and a husband. I love that what we are learning can be just as easily applied to how we steward our TIME, or set our PRIORITIES, or how we manage all of the other resources you've given us. My marriage is stronger for us having gone through this. I am stronger in my trust that you will provide in EVERY circumstance what is needed for me to rely totally on you. If I wasn't going through this process, I don't know how else you would have shown me all that you are teaching me. But I'm thankful that you chose to call us to bear witness to this message. Thank you for your ways and your mercy towards me and my family. We do this to honor YOU... because you really do own it all!

Your servant,

@W






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I've Seen the Promised Land...

"Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people will get to the promised land."
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

*Allow me to forewarn you, this post wont be entirely about debt, or money at all, but it still has very much to do with the future of my family. (Which is why we need to get out of debt ... cause otherwise my family wont have much of a future...catch my drift?) Now before you click away from this site thinking that this will be a political post, let me correct you cause it's not one of those either. What I cannot promise is that I wont be preachy no matter what I make this post about lol that's just me...

As I said this has to do with the future of my family. Today I saw it very clearly in a number of distinct and memorable ways.

See, I am a married, Christian, 30 year-old, African-American male. According to the secular world those 5 things might as well be the new "5 deadly sins"... but I wear each of those things with tremendous pride.

Although this blog started off as a chronicle of our journey out of credit card debt, for us this entire movement has now gone FAR beyond just being about money. My life has changed during this process. Getting our money in order is now a distant second to getting ourselves in order in the things that can't be measured by their worth in just dollars. This is now my testament, this is now my witness to the world.

Some of the things that I'm doing now wont fully be realized until my children are nearing my current age. For instance, my children will be the very first generation in either of our families to never get a call from a bill collector. Think about that. They'll never be charged an overdraft fee due to insufficient funds in their account because of what we are doing now. WHOA. Such mundane and constant parts of my everyday reality, they will never experience themselves. How awesome of a thought is that?!

Which leads me perfectly to my next point. The sacrifices made by those that came before me, put me in the position to pursue something like this for my family.

45 years ago, in Selma, Alabama in order for a black person to vote the had to correctly guess the number of jelly beans in a jar or recite a portion of the constitution or perform any number of other outlandish tasks. Just to cast their VOTE, which had been established as their right nearly 100 year prior in the 1860's! They faced attack-dogs and water-cannons so that they, and those that would come after them could enjoy a constitutional right. In 13 days it will be for THEM that I cast my vote. And most likely with tears in my eyes I'll be fully aware that I am witnessing something that they NEVER could have imagined: a Black man as the President of the United States.

Today in Leesburg, Virginia (Yes, long-time-red-state-VIRGINIA!) I attended an Obama rally where the turnout was 100 times the number of jelly beans in any of those jars in the 1960's! An estimated 30,000 people turned out to see a married, Christian, 40+ year-old, African-American man. Amazingly he's just like me in those ways, but what's even more is that he wants to do for this country the EXACT same thing I want to do for my family. And we both fully intend to honor the advancements and sacrifices that got us here, by further sacrifice and advancement in bold and unorthodox ways that will pave a very different for any that dare to follow in our footsteps.

In both cases, many doubt it can really be done. Many don't realize the magnitude of what we both are separately reaching for. My children will never KNOW for themselves just what kind of sacrifices were made for them by generations past and more directly by my wife and I... and THAT all by itself makes it worth EVERYTHING to me... that they never have to know.

As for me, I promise to never forget...



Thank you for what you did for me!

Yes We Can, Yes We Will... Will YOU?

@W

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Tithes & Offerings: God's Economic Plan

Malachi 3:10 (King James Version)

10Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Despite what you see happening on the stock markets and in the financial world at large, God has a painfully simple economic system. Tithing is where you give a tenth of your income, usually to a church or religious organization.

More and more often people have substituted charities and non-religious organizations as the place they choose to tithe or donate to. I'll hold my personal views on this for the time being and get right to my point.

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, or claim yourself to be a part of God's kingdom, you are expected to tithe. (even in times as tight as these)

I know, I know, you can't afford it during these rough times. But I encourage you to read Malachi 3:10. See, while the presidential candidates need pages and pages to lay out their plans for economic growth and taxation, God amazingly needs only ONE verse to explain His.

Tithing is about faithfulness, or more specifically stewardship to the Lord.

Again, I know you say you cant afford it... but without God what COULD you afford at all? Times like the ones we face now are EXACTLY the right moment to remain faithful in your giving! You can clearly see that our government cant pay it's own bills, how do you expect them to help you pay yours?

And I dont want to hear about how you dont give to the Lord because your pastor drives a Bentley... that will be between him and the Lord. lol

Stewardship is all about how we manage and account for the things God has placed in our care. It encompasses how we spend our time, our money, how we maintain our bodies, and even the decisions we make.

So if you are'nt already tithing, I strongly encourage you to do so. I can only speak for my wife and I in saying that we count it as a gift and a priviledge to give back to the Lord a portion of what He's given unto us!

Be faithful,

@W







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An exciting new partnership: Gasbuddy comes to @Risk Blog

Hi there gazelle-intense guys and gals,

I just wanted to give a quick update on a new addition to our site that I'm pretty excited about! In honor of the much needed decline we've seen at the pumps recently, I've joined forces with Gasbuddy.com and they've allowed me to place 2 info boxes over on the right side of the blog. The first is a search box where you can quickly find the lowest gas prices in your area by simply typing in your city, state, or zip code. The second is an info box that lists the lowest and highest gas price listed in your state in realtime!

In the futue I look forward to bringing more handy tools like this to the site that will only help in your efforts to dump that debt in the easiest and smartest ways possible.

I hope you enjoy this neat addition. It's my pleasure to make these types of tools available!

Thanks for being a part of the site,

@W

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R.I.P American Dream

*Today I really urge you to ponder the photo above and what this all really means.

Yesterday was a game changer for our nation. Congress and the Senate showed just how willing they are to flub it up when we need them most. And while it's nice that they are busy bailing out (or rather, not bailing out) Corporate America, still nothing is being done to help you and me directly. What about at least giving deferments for the millions who are behind on mortgage payments? Or maybe adding more duty-free days to the calendar like they do for back-to-school shopping? It would boost the economy, and lighten the load on families nationwide. Or how about a complete moratorium on all taxes for 2009, state, federal, and sales?

I'm not saying that the things I just suggested would work, but at least I hear myself making suggestions. I hear nothing from our elected leaders on how to fix OUR collective messes. Nada. Instead we always get "help" in ways we DON'T need. We don't need another "stimulus package" for us all to blow on DVDs and The Cheesecake Factory, but then that just brings to light the real problem, doesn't it?

Government never told us what to spend the stimulus checks on... but then they already KNEW what we would blow/waste/spend them on. Not on our student loan(s), not on the utility bill(s) that we get cutoff notices for each month because it's already 2 months behind. Nope, instead this summer we spent it on IPhones and The Dark Knight, which is now the 3rd highest grossing movie of ALL-TIME. And which also debuted in theatres the same week that we saw gas prices peak with a national average of $4.09/gallon! The movie has grossed nearly $600 million of your hard earned dollars. And sales for the IPhone have been about half of that or $300 million.

Don't get me wrong, you will never hear @W tell you not to enjoy the fruits of your labor... but many of us are enjoying the fruits of things we haven't even labored for yet! We're selling out our futures for STUFF! Living check-to-check and further entrenching ourselves in the rat-race we claim to hate so much.

Sure, I want you to enjoy the things this life has to offer... just not with a bill collector on your back, and while the credit company earns 20% interest off of you!

So let's have a moment of silence for the Great American Dream. The ride was fun while it lasted, but that doesn't mean that YOUR dreams have to be over because of it. If we learn our lesson this time and dump this mentality of debt, this could actually be the birth of what makes our nation great again.

@W

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The @Risk Bailout Plan...

Dow: Down 778 points in one day...

Congress: On crack...

The current bank that holds my account: Changes by the minute....

Financial outlook: Bleakest we've EVER seen...

Personal Opinion on this whole mess:

THIS IS WHY I NEED TO BE DEBT FREE!!! (And why you do too!)

What are we waiting for? What's it gonna take? Why are you surprised?

And most importantly, what are you going to do about it?

Oh and lets end this on a high note.... this just in: Oil is now $95/barrell!

(See, it aint ALL bad news!)

This too shall pass,

@W







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An Open Letter to my DEBT...

I need this relationship to be over.

I've said it a million times in my head, and I've said it to others about you, but never directly to you . Forgive me if I sound rude or ruthless, but I need this to feel as painful for you as having you in my life was for me.

I'm leaving you behind because you bring nothing but pain and remorse. You are what stands between me and my dreams. You've been the cause of so much strife and confusion in my life. I've thought about YOU more than probabbly anything else in my life, and that's just not right.
You were always good for showing me a good time... And then leaving me stuck with the bill. I cant count the times you told me to freely use you, to rely on you. Only to find out later YOU were using ME!

And when I had exhausted my resources you never lent a hand. Instead you sent merciless goons after me. But time after time I came back to for more because I thought you were the only way. The way to everything I thought I wanted.

I've finally got up the nerve to head out on my own without you. I know you wont miss me cause I never was your 'only'. I'm finally at a point in my life where I can SEE living life without you!
Oh yeah, I'm so through with you! But I want you to know I'm not angry with you. In fact I'm grateful because of what you've allowed me to learn about myself. I'm different from the dude you met in college. Thank you sooo much for putting me up on the game. Now that I know you inside out, you'll never be able to get me back.

So I urge you to enjoy what time you have left with me. I've made a vow to get rid of as much of you as I can each and every day till there's nothing left of you in my life.

Yes it's a slow painful process like climbing a mountain using only your fingers... Or scraping peanut butter out of a jar using a toothpick... But once you're gone I wont ever have to do it again.

I pray my children never meet you. In fact I forbid you from ever coming around them. Going forward you are to keep your hands off of my family... PERIOD!

Again, I'm not mad at you. You were only doing what you were designed to do. Just know that you cant do it to US anymore. I just thought it would only be fair of me to be straight up with you and tell you why I'm leaving you.

I cant wait to be free of you...

@W




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Beer and Money... A Match Made In...(Nevermind)

Photo courtesy of GraphicsDB.com

During this rollercoaster of a year for the economy, Americans have tightened budgets and pinched pennies in various ways. Many have cut back on driving to ease the cost of gas. Many have skipped the box office ($10 per ticket) in exchange for Redbox ($1 per movie rental). (P.S. - I love you redbox, you've been a wonderful friend to my wife and I while we get out of debt! lol)

But one staple of American life has strangely resisted the downward pull of our slumping economy. Actually this industry is experiencing a record surge in sales instead of the decline seen elsewhere.

So what is this magical product? I bet you would say Oil, or Gas, but you'd be wrong... well kinda wrong because they're not the product I'm talking about in this instance.

Homer Simpson would call it DUFF... er - I mean BEER.

For 2008 beer prices are up 7% over the past year as brewers passed on higher manufacturing costs to consumers.... BUT...2008 sales are also up 6.8% as well! It would be one thing if they jacked up the prices and usage remained roughly the same... but you actually mean to tell me that people are paying more for it, and STILL buying more of it at the same time? Is it really that deep America?!

Well in a word... Yes.

See, beer and alcohol are about as close to the perfect 'product' as we'll ever see. When people celebrate, they get drunk. When people wallow in their sorrows, they get drunk. Got that huge promotion? Let's go get drunk. Just got fired after 20 years with the company? Hmmm... I know, let's go get drunk! (and now go look at the picture for this post again lol.... deep aint it?)

And as most of you know firsthand, or have *ahem* 'heard' from others, drinking aint cheap! lol

Still, you have to tip your hat to anyone who has the moral ambivalence to brew and market beer and alcohol. It fits virtually any occassion. unless you dont drink that is...

Making money off of people's joy and pain comes off a bit parasitic or opportunistic to me. In a way it reminds me of predatory lenders, which I've seen my fair share of in the past year. But hey, what do I know?

@W

*Just to clarify, I do not condone the consumption of alchol, nor do I partake of it myself. I just wanted to share this observation with you while it was fresh in my mind.

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Goodbye Baby Step #1...

Photo courtesy of chrishawn

Yes it took us MUCH MUCH longer than it should have, but today we fully funded our Emergency Fund to $1000.00!!!

This is a very huge milestone in our Total Money Makeover, and some much needed proof of progress.

I won't get into the details of why it took us so long to get $1000 in the bank. I'll simply say that we had some unique circumstances that prohibited us from following the textbook Baby Steps as Dave Ramsey laid them out in his book. So instead we took the slow boat to funding our EF, but continued a mini debt snowball at the same time, so we're still on pace overall with our makeover.

The good... no GREAT news is that now we can focus on our debt 100%. (at least until an emergency crops up) And even better still, we have only 2 more months before our debt snowball gets a VERY nice infusion of an extra $500 each month after our next major loan is paid in full!

These are exciting times for us... I'll admit the past month has been rough on us financially. Not because there was any type of lack or needs unmet in our budget, but more because we've felt a little lax in attacking our debt in the month of August. We took some shortcuts that were needed at times, but it was easy for us to see how it become a habit to rely on your debit card instead of cash. I still love being able to tell the 'difference' between how we used to operate with money and how we do now.

Let's do a quick review of the where we are in the Baby Steps so far. We just finished Baby Step 1 which is:

$1000 in the BANK! And dont TOUCH it unless it's a real EMERGENCY! (PS3 games, concert tickets, and cruises DONT COUNT! lol)

So now we officially enter Baby Step 2:

Pay off all debt using the debt snowball (except for the mortgage).

Hmm, while I'm at it i'll just go ahead and list the other remaining baby steps as well. I feel it will serve as inspiration for me (and maybe even you) today.

Baby Step 3: Build up 3-6 months of living expenses in your savings account. (this is the FULL-GROWN Emergency Fund)

Baby Step 4: Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRA's and Pre-tax retirement (401k, ect.)

Baby Step 5: Start funding your children's college funds. (If you start now, compound interest will REALLY make it easy for you!)

Baby Step 6: Pay off the mortgage EARLY! At this point you become 100% debt free!!

Baby Step 7: Build wealth and GIVE!

Seven easy steps toward a life that very few ever get to live... and I can't wait!

@W

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@Risk Theater: FPU Plasectomy Edition

Photo courtesy of SmittyToday

One of Dave Ramsey's claims to fame is a simple ritual called the Plasectomy.

At the end of his Financial Peace University course he allows families to come up on stage and forever exorcise their credit card debt by slicing up their plastic in the most creative ways possible.

Check out the video below as an example:



One day very soon this will be us... um well maybe not this exact way, but the day is coming when we'll take part in this ritual too! You gotta love it! lol

Now that's what I call Gazelle Intense!

@W

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YOU better get ready... FPU is coming to CPC!

Photo courtesy of just.julie

Though you can see the words I've typed, at this moment I'm at a loss for words.The Lord keeps orchestrating things so wonderously that I'm truly overwhelmed!

We got an email from a young couple that we shared our testimony with earlier this week. I'm already so proud of them because I can see that they WANT to be debt free. They're going to be yet another powerful witness for others wanting to do this. I can already see it in them.

But I digress, they emailed to let us know that in September our church will be conducting Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University! (Click here for details on this awesome program)

Financial Peace University is a 13 week course that tackles everything you will ever need to know about money. It's the most thorough, thought provoking and FUN approach I've ever seen toward financial matters!

Pasted below are the descriptions of each topic covered:

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

If you are anywhere near the DC area, I'd like you to consider registering in this course. I'd love to be able to go through this with some of my readers and fellow debt-dumpers!

Finally there's one last thing in this situation that is of unique significance to my wife and I. The courses start on my 30th birthday. The reason this is so amazing to me is because last year on my 29th birthday it was a HUGE turning point in our Total Money Testimony. It was the day we called the couple that introduced us to this life-changing program. That was the day that they were able to reach their baby step #7 (Build Wealth & GIVE!) by gifting money to us --that we never even asked for -- to help us with a pressing financial situation.

To be real, that day was rock bottom for me. We were in a situation that we couldnt manage on our own, we were 2 months removed from our wedding day and we had run out of options. And all of this was happening on my birthday no less! We felt totally helpless, and the Lord placed that couple in our lives with THIS very program.

It changed us. Not because of the money, or because of greed or anything like that. The change was much deeper than tangible things. This experience has changed us to our very cores because for the first time we feel like money is a resource again instead of a liability.

And so once again thing continue to come full circle for us in that now we are able to spread this message to so many of you. Thank you for the emails and testimonies of how this program is changing your life. It's the greatest gift you can give to my wife and I to know this has made a difference in your household.

The theme at our church for 2008 is "You Better Get Ready"....

So, are you? Good, well then let's get cracking!

@W


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Food Bank: The McDonald's Mentality Pt. I

Photo courtesy of Goombay*

*Photo was taken in New Orleans after Katrina...

As you can see from my post history, I've been coming back to the relationship between food and money lately. Each time I feel I've exhausted the point, I discover a new facet to examine.

So with that in mind, I'm turing my focus to the largest chain of fast food restaurants, McDonald's. Before I get into it, consider this: McDonald's serves 47 MILLION custermers daily. Let that sink in for a moment.

Now, Surely you're aware of the health risks of eating too much fast food. But if you look past the food, and really consider the mindset behind McDonald's hold on pop culture you'll learn some startling things about the concepts of debt, credit, predatory lending/marketing and consumer loyalty. With these things in mind I just ask that you consider McDonald's to be our 'Metaphor' for all things instant gratification, quick-n-easy, and of little value.

In order to set the stage properly for this series though, I must invite you to open your bible - YES your bible - to see the first example of McDonald's business model...

Jacob & Esau

The story is found in Genesis 25:29-34 (KJV)

29 And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint:
30 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.
31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.
32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?
33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.
34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.

Did you miss it? What does this have to do with McDonalds? Well they say a picture is worth a 1000 words so check this out:

(Click to enlarge)

Are you seeing a connection yet? The ad says get a FREE biscuit or sandwich.... but then it says in fine print "With the purchase of ANY medium or large beverage.".... BUT in order to get the 'free' coupon... you have to put in your email address, name, and Date of Birth?!? If my counting is correct that is 2 steps completely removed from FREE.

I hate to tell you but you just pulled an Esau if you signed up for this mess. Why don't you just email them your social security number and drivers license too! Are you THAT hungry? At least Esau had part of an excuse, dude was faint "at the point to die" lol.

See - and I want you to listen to me VERY carefully - THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS. This is exaclty how we get into debt. Early, often and easily. This isnt targeted at you or me, well not really. It's just a fish hook. Dangling in the water for whatever fish will bite the line. Most likely someone younger than us either in age or financial responsibility will see this as a "deal". (As if McDonald's is doing them a favor by extending such an offer.)

Everything of 'value' cant always be quantified in dollars and cents.

You just exchanged permanent personal information, for a nasty chicken sandwich, and didnt even bat an eye while doing so... It's all... become... so simple.

Ba da ba ba baa... It's loving YOU. Because if they can get you to give up your personal information for the 'cost' of a chicken sandwich (and the mandatory drink you purchased, of course) then they KNOW you'll be giving up a few dollars soon. They've got a bite.

Hook, line, and sinker...

It's not identity theft if you sign up willingly. Just like Jacob never 'stole' the birthright from his brother, he sold it to him for chicken noodle soup. Shady? Yes. Manipulative? Yes. Against the law? No.

Stay tuned... this is just the prelude. The gloves are coming off.

@W

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A Near-crash Course In STUPID TAX!

Photo courtesy of rollingtheberries

I messed up royally yesterday...

Stupid Tax can be defined as anything stupid you do that ends up costing you money. Simple as that. It can be that get rich quick scheme that is so "foolproof" that you used your rent money as the down payment. It can be that $700 white Prada bag you accidentally spilled nail polish on (let's have a moment of silence for the ladies, I know they felt that one. lol)

So yeah, I messed up yesterday. It's almost a shame because otherwise it was a truly PERFECT day! We got to church early. (A rarity.) We took communion. (MUCH needed.) We spent time with our friends and church family. (Always a pleasure.) And then we decided to drive across the Potomac and check out the newly opened National Harbor.

It was nice over there but we didnt stay because my wife didnt have a change of shoes and I didnt want her feet to hurt. So we were headed back to VA, and while trying to merge onto 95 South, I saw a muffler lying in the middle of the lane. The car in front of me centers their car and rides right over it without incident... I try to do the same... center my car over it and...

The muffler somehow nicks the inside wall of my front driver side tire... instant blowout.

See friends, THAT'S stupid tax lol. Like I alwasy say: If you're gonna fail, fail epicly! lol

But here is the amazing difference between the stupid tax I used to pay with regularity, and the stupid tax I occasionally have to pay now: There is no pain, and there is no panic. Instead there is peace, Financial Peace, because I've already budgeted money for my mistakes. It's called our emergency fund, and this situation is a prime example of why you need one.

We have money in our emergency fund to cover replacing the blown tire. And that's all there is to it. We just pay to replace the tire and keep it moving! No wringing our hands. No being caught financially unprepared. No flared tempers with the wife and no arguing.

Financial PEACE.

Once again, my wife was effortlessly calm, and supportive. Her disposition in times of adversity truly humbles and awes me. We were on the side of the road laughing and cracking jokes as I put the spare tire on! Once I finished putting it on, we spent the rest of the afternoon driving the long way home thru DC. We just had a BLOWOUT, this is supposed to be serious emergency stuff and we're both as carefree as we were at church earlier!

On that note, I'm certain that our taking communion earlier at church played a large part in the peace we felt in this situation as well.

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV) says: Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

The Word aint no joke! That's exactly where my mind was (On Him), so I know that's where the real peace came from... peace that not even all this money talk can't buy.

Thank you Jesus,

@W

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Full Circle: How Our TMM Began...

Photo courtesy of ZaksterNT

Over the past 2 weeks I've taken a break from the blog. I needed to clear my head because I've been overwhelmed by the resonsibility I feel towards you as my readers. See I want to reach you, but most of the time I dont know how effectively I'm doing that. I thought about extending this 'break' for the blog through the rest of the year. I thought about quitting it altogether. But something happened last Saturday that changed my mind.

I've often heard the saying: "When you feel you've reached the end, try going back to the beginning."

Last week my wife and I went away for the weekend with a group of married couples for our annual Duets Retreat. On Saturday morning, my wife shared a portion of our financial testimony with the group and it was incredibly powerful to hear it from her.

No sooner than my wife stopped talking, the couple next to us tapped her on the shoulder. They wanted to know more. A few hours later, while walking with another couple, the conversation again turned to the testimony she gave. We spent the rest of the afternoon sharing with them just a few of the blessings we've experienced since this journey began for us. There is something beautiful about witnessing someone hungry to change their life for the better, and it continually blesses us to be a part of moments like that.

There was something I kept identifying with in that couple. It was an urgent need for change. It made me realize that it was a year ago this week that we were first exposed to Dave Ramsey's TMM. The similarities are strangely alike the more I think about it.

This time last year my wife and I were just getting back from our Honeymoon, which we celebrated at the same location as this year' Duets retreat. The next week at church, a young couple ran up to us in the lobby and happily pushed a bag into our hands. The couple was on the leadership council for the ministry, and had taken extra special care of us at the retreat. Inside the bag, was a book wrapped in tissue paper... The Total Money Makeover. At the time we were more grateful for the thought and gesture than we were for the actual book.

A month went by. It was now September and we had never given the book a second glance, but we were now in the greatest financial challenge of our young marriage. We prayed over who to call, who to open up to about the trouble we were facing, and the Lord directed us to them again.

So on September 13th (my birthday) we called and explained the situation to them and they proceeded to share their amazing testimony with us. All we were looking for was Godly counsel from people who had been in our shoes before, nothing else... but by the end of the conversation they had offered to gift us a portion of the money we needed for our situation. (And not a small gift either!) A few days later, we went over to their house to pick up the gift, and they had another one waiting for us to go along with it. It was Dave Ramsey's 13-cd Financial Peace University set.

From that moment on we became students of this movement, and stewards of the message. We began our makeover officially in October when we did our budget, and started having weekly meetings. But the seeds were planted in August and September when they handed us the book (that we never looked at tsk tsk tsk...) and again when they gave us counsel and set an excellent example of generosity through their cheerful giving.

In Revelations 12:11 (KJV) is says: And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

NEVER discount the power of your testimony! I never thought we would be here, or at least not this early in our marriage. I was thinking we would reach it maybe 10 years from now... maybe. But within the next year we will have erased ALL of our debt with the exception of our mortgage. All within 2 years of grinding and putting off the instant gratification this world tries to shove down our throats daily. And the only reason I'm online typing this out to you is so that you can KNOW you can do this too. That's it. That's our tesimony in a sentence! We are doing this because we know that YOU can do this.

And so now it has come full circle for us a year later. Now we are on the leadership counsel for the couple's ministry. Now others are seeking us out for the same counsel we sought. And now we get to be the couple gleefully pushing a bag into another couple's hands with the book inside.

Today, I'm honored to push this post into your hand with the same energy and enthusiasm as it was handed to me!

...And to think I almost gave that up.

@W

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Food Bank: A Global Perspective

photo courtesy of PatL

The picture above is the one I started to use for my last post, but the comment attached to it was just too powerful to ignore. Clearly after reading it you will agree that it deserves it's own post. So, at the risk of being called a plagurist, I'm reproducing the entire comment of the person who provided me with the photo I was going to use for that post. There is not a single thing that I can add to what PatL says there.

Here is a link to PatL's photostream on Flickr.

Please be careful the next time you complain of being bored with your eating habits, or claim there's 'nothing' in your fridge to eat.

"Rice and money - mundane things, right? According to the World Bank, 2,700,000,000 people (2.7 billion, nearly half the world's population) live below the poverty line, earning less than $2US per day. And rice is the sole or primary sourced of food for almost half the world's population as well, with estimates of annual consumption ranging as low as 100kg per person.

Not quite 10 oz. of rice per person per day is consumed by half the world's population as their primary form of nourishment.Sources: aDollaraDay and Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations"

$2 per day. And 10oz. of rice per day. That's a budget that NOONE should have to live within! Take a moment and think about how many times you can divide the number 2 into the amount of money you spent today...

@W

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Food Bank: 5 Ways to REALLY Boost Your Food Budget

Photo courtesy of shine_dorydevlin

You've heard yourself say it a time or two... "I cannot possibly cut anything else out of this budget!" But just humor me by going along with this mental exercise.

The biggest and often most overlooked place for savings is your food expenditures. There is no way around the truth in this statement: "You ARE what you EAT."

If you have expensive tastes, your bills will be too. This can quickly be compounded when you are married with no kids, because you will most likely eat what your spouse eats in the evening. So if he/she has a thing for eating out frequently... good luck!

It is with this in mind that I came up with 5 simply profound ways to impact how much money you spend on food. This applies to both your grocery shopping and dining out. If you even try just 2 of these I promise you'll see a noticeable drop in what you spend.

If you don't have time to read each of the 5 points below, I think I can sum them up in one sentence.

Don't spend money buying things that are available for FREE!

While reading these points ask your self how that statement applies. Except for point #3, just don't do it.

1. Drink more WATER

Water is the cheapest most plentiful food resource we have available to us. Usually it can be found for FREE where ever you may be. If 'public water' is just a little more adventurous than you can handle, invest in a filtration method for your home. They can easily be added t your sink, or you can buy various pitchers from Brita or PUR on the cheap.

Drinking water throughout the day will also help you eat less, loose weight, and stay properly hydrated.

2. Buy less COFFEE

I'm not Anti-$tarbuck$ or anything... but $4? Everyday? Plus a pastry or sandwich or CD....

7-Eleven, Dunkin Donuts, Panera, McDonald's, Seattle's Best, & Bengal Traders (Exxon) are not exempt either... it's a ripoff!

I would venture to say there is not a workplace in America that doesn't offer free coffee and tea. Does it really taste better just cause you paid for it?

3. Stop buying ALCOHOL... period

Literally, It's one of the oldest sayings in the book, (and yes I AM talking about the bible)

"EAT, DRINK, and be MERRY"

It's found in Luke 12:19 (NIV) , but it's not an endorsement for "buying out the bar" as hiphop loves to proclaim. In fact it's the opposite. Let's read it in context:

18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

I just have one thing to say about that...OUCH!

If you drink socially, odds are you pay almost as much per alcoholic drink as you do for your entree... and lets face it, who buys just ONE drink? (Whew, I thank God I don't drink alcohol anymore!)

4. Stick with the Small or Medium sized "Value Meals"

Since the start of the year I've really cut down quite a bit on eating fast food. (It helps to mention that I've completely QUIT drinking soda as well, as this truly makes a difference.) Ah but Wendy's still has a hold on me. Sometimes when standing in line, I hear other people order a #6 (mmm the Homestyle Chicken Breast meal...) but they make one mistake. They order the "Great-Big-Ole-Biggie" size for the soda and fries. When they do this it ends up costing nearly $8 bucks! Then later when I'm eating in the restaurant, I see them toss the half-eaten meal in the trash.

Solution: Stick with the small. I only buy one meal from Wendy's now. The "DoubleStack Attack". It's $3.49 and it's more than enough for me to eat as a lunch meal. I just ask them to add lettuce and tomato (which they do for FREE!) and I've got the equivalent of whatever 'Feature' burger they're offering.

Another tip that I'll throw in for free is to not buy a 'meal' at all and just get the sandwich. I do this when I go to Burger King. I get 2 Whopper Jr's, no cheese. (They charge .40 cents per slice!, which after tax drive the cost up a full dollar.) 2 Whopper Jr's = $2.10 and I'm FULL! Need something to drink with it? Wait till you get home to eat it! I know you have juice/soda at home c'mon.

5. Brown bag it

It's unfashionable, It's borderline miserly, and it can be boring. But it save a whole heckuva lot of money! (and time)

The only con, if you can call it one, is that you have to prepare this ahead of time. But it's time well spent, rather than money spent poorly eh?

I apologize I know this post was a bit lengthy, but as I said if you incorporate just 2 of them you'll see improved results.

God Bless ya,

@W

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More Improvements to the blog: Tweaking Ad Content

Photo courtesy of hegarty_david


Google Adsense is supposed to allow users to publish ads relevant to the topics of their posts and generate revenue when an ad is clicked ... but so far for me it's been VERY hit or miss. I apologize to anyone who has seen me post on eliminating credit card debt, only to scroll down on the very same page and see an ad claiming "Instant credit approval in 30 seconds, no questions asked!" (Please see the attached photo for an example of the types of ads that were seen in this post: http://atriskliving.blogspot.com/2008/07/tired-of-rejection-consumers-turn-to.html)

Rest assured that I'm working to fine tune the ads that appear on the site to make sure they point to other resources aligned with the moral and spiritual beliefs ascribed to by myself and you, my readers. It's very time consuming to comb thru the various ads placed on each page of the site, but I am doing my best to address this.

Now, with that said, I still want to encourage you to not be affraid of clicking any ad that may interest you because, as I said before, they do provide revenue for the site.

I just wanted to make it known that this is yet another way that you can contribute to the success of this site and it's message, this is not meant as a 'Fundraiser' or 'Money making scam' in any way.

In the near future I plan to do a post explaining exactly how the ad revenue is generated, and explain how it factors into our efforts to eliminate our debt. I think it will be helpful to show you how simple and beneficial this type of tool can be for creating passive income.

Thank you for being a part of our experience!

@W

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How Cycling is Changing My Finances & My Life...

Photo courtesy of .kol tregaskes

I'll be turning 30 in September, and I wanted to do something monumental to celebrate. I was looking for a personal challenge that would both push me and reward me on a number of levels. Somehow cycling has become that challenge for me.

A few years ago when my wife first moved into her condo, we saw 2 mountain bikes (male and female) next to the dumpster with a note on them that read: "Free Bikes, only about 100 miles worth of use ... Enjoy!" So we looked around to make sure this wasn't some sort of setup, and then wheeled them bad boys inside before the person changed their mind! lol

The bikes sat, the tires got flat, and we never ended up riding them until last month.

Around the same time a co-worker of mine who also lives close by, told me how he bikes in to work once or twice a week. He said the health benefits from it made him feel brand new, and that by doing so he saves about $30 in gas per week. ($$Ca-ching$$)

After hearing that, I was sold on the idea... but he went on to explain that it takes him 1 hour and 45 mins. to get to work, and that's just ONE WAY! Also it's about 26 miles from Leesburg to Tyson's Corner... or the distance of a marathon!

Like I said I was already sold on the idea because gas ain't cheap and $30 a week equals $120 a month that can go towards debt... That's a no brainer for a Gazelle Intense dude like myself right?

Yeah, I was sold alright, that is until I got out on the WO&D Trail for the first time. I was overdressed, poorly hydrated, and over-confident. It took me about an hour to go 5 miles my first time out. but it taught me a lesson in preparation. (Click the link to read my wife's excellent article on it) The next time out it took me 30 mins. but it taught me how to efficiently use my gearshift. Each time out I kept learning something new and adding it to my routine and now I can do that same 5 miles in about 15 mins. But while these time improvements were great for a 5 mile distance, they accounted for roughly 10% of the total distance to my goal.

See, It's great to have short-term goals, but it's important to keep in mind how well they are helping you meet your expected goal. This is particularly important to keep in mind when dealing with finances. Yes, it's hard to stop living in the moment and focusing on what this week's check will do for you this week. But at some point I hope you'll ask your self "What do I need to do so that one day I won't need to worry about next week's check being short?" or " When do I want to stop working for my income?" or "When do I want to start saving for my future, retirement, children, or business?".

Short-term goals are great. But they're called 'short-term' for a reason. They are meant to lead to a larger success, and they provide you with the momentum and confidence to do so.

Yesterday, I reached my goal in cycling, I made it all the way to my job in 1 hour and 40 mins. And I achieved this a full month before my birthday! Yes it's a great feat and I'm proud of what I accomplished. But it has now forced my long-term goal to change. See I didn't take into account that once I made it to my goal, I would also have to cycle all the way back home the same day.(I barely had enough energy to make TO my goal lol. You mean to tell me I gotta go BACK?!) So now my next challenge is to be able to make it to work and back home in decent time! But at least all it costs me is a FREE gallon of water per round trip instead of $4 per gallon of gas to drive!

Happy Trails!

@W

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