You don’t need a personal trainer to meet your diet & fitness goals

I was exercising. I was eating right. I just wasn’t shedding the pounds that I expected. (Actually I wasn’t shedding A pound) No results for my best behavior. How frustrating!

I mean, I felt like I was starving myself for the last two weeks. I even gained a pound! What’s up with that??

Last week my friend passed along this website. Her employer challenged them. They needed to sign up for a free account, track their food intake and their activity. They finish a week’s worth of logging, submit them and would have an opportunity to win prizes. I would love an employer that thought this was important. Why? BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT.

This was just what I needed. caloriecount.about.com , a FREE resource that provides guidance and support to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s a community of people with the same dietary goals.

You create your goal. If you’re trying to lose weight, get healthy, build muscle or excel at a sport, you’ll need specific goals. You take this assessment test to see what kind of eater you are. You track all your food you eat during the day and all your activity. It’ll perform an analysis of the kind of eating/activity day you’ve had.

There are so many other tools on this website. There are different exercise programs. There are different workout plans depending on what kinds of equipment you have or don’t have available. There’s a section where you can get food suggestions. For instance, I thought drinking Lipton Sweetened Iced Tea was so much better than soda. It was but a better choice would be Propel with Lemon, or Gatorade; less sugar. I thought that I ate a salad with Ranch dressing, that I was being good. Turns out that a tablespoon of Ranch dressing was the food with the most calories I had consumed for the day. A better choice would have been Balsamic vinaigrette dressing, or Olive Oil and Lemon. You can journal on the website, you can get support from the members of the site that have experienced what you’re experiencing. There’s a staff of professionals and lifestyle experts ready to give you advice on healthy living.

I’m really getting a better understanding of my food choices, that they’re not as good as I thought. This is a great free website with so much information at your fingertips. I’m really digging on it right now. Maybe I didn’t need that personal trainer from the gym, the one I paid $300 for 6 sessions. I could have saved me some money, darnit!

Free Calls and Internet Calls

My husband’s friend told us of this website he uses to talk to a prospective girlfriend. He lives in California and she lives in Australia. He hasn’t paid a cent for the communication.

Call anyone else also using Skype for free.

Save on your long distance bill and chat via computer with free software from Skype.com. All you both will need is an internet connection and a computer. For better sound quality, you might want to invest in a headset. If the other person doesn’t have a connection or computer, you can call non-users’ landlines, too, for about 2.1cents a minute to over 35 countries worldwide. For the details, check out the site.

Readers Read on….

Do you love reading? Do you go to Costco and want to buy every book on the table even though you have tons of books at home waiting for you to read? Do you go to Barnes & Noble or Borders and spend hours there looking at all the books that you have and don’t have? If you’re nodding in agreement and saying, “Yes, that’s ME!”, I have a website to share with you!

I am a reader and I love books!  I like going to the library and finding books that I would normally buy but can rent for nothing. I don’t like that I have to read the book in 2 weeks and have to think about renewing my book if I don’t read it within that time frame. One time I was reading by the pool and my bulldog decides he wants to shake in front of me. The library made me pay for that barely damaged book (understandable) and I can’t really say it was a keeper. Though the library has so much to offer, sometimes it’s hard to take care of their book to avoid buying it.

I have a solution if this is your problem, like it is mine. paperbackswap.com

Join their book club.  Post your books that you’re finished with and trade them with the other club members. The only out of pocket expense that you pay is postage to send your book to the one that requested the book that you have. Usually a package less than 1 lb. is $2.23 to send out. Try it out, recycle your books and avoid spending too much money on new books.

Rich man, Poor man

Here’s the scenario:

There are two guys, we’ll call them Butch and Rich. Two of these guys are filing their income taxes in my friend’s office.

Butch is about 60 years old, retired, dressed conservatively, gets out of his 1984 Mercedes convertible drinking his coffee in a styrofoam cup.

Rich is probably about 50, driving his new convertible BMV, wearing a Tommy Bahama silk shirt with his gold watch and gold chain, holding his coffee in a Starbuck’s cup.

My friend knows all too well to judge a person by what he drives or what he wears. The financial statements tell all that happens behind the scenes.

It turns out Butch invested well and lived within his means all throughout his life. He has retired two different times, one from the military and one from the government. He draws two incomes even now. He has a million dollar home, rents out 2 homes, has an investment property that people want to buy. He also has mutual funds, stocks, life insurance, and money in the bank. His wife also has a retirement, she retired early at 55 years old. She was *just* a production worker and received an early severance package.

And our friend “Rich”, he wasn’t rich (with money in the bank) at all. Yes, he made a lot of money, 6 digit figures. He holds a top position in a leading business firm. He didn’t make good choices with the money he earned. He did not invest his money, he did not save his money, he did own a home but it was upside down. He borrowed against his home loan and now, he’s stuck in his home and mortgage. He owns all kinds of toys: a boat, his new BMW, ATVs, and I’m sure a closet full of nice clothes and shoes. If he doesn’t turn his finances around, how will his life be in 10 years? Will he be where Butch is now; retired, secure, healthy and financially free?

I don’t care how much money you earn. I don’t care what brand you’re wearing. I don’t care what kind of car you’re driving. I don’t care if you can afford Starbuck’s coffee or not.

I do care about what you’re doing with your money. Are you wise with your money? Are you letting your money work for you and not working for the money to pay debt?

Looking rich vs. Being rich.

Which one are you today? Where do you want to be in your future? Do you need to re-align your priorities?

It’s not too late.

What do you do first? Try eliminating those unnecessary monthly expenses. Get rid of the boat, downsize to a more practical car, get rid of the clutter, or take the first simple step, don’t buy anymore things on credit.

I LOVE THIS!

I just cannot believe this. I’ve found such a good site!

So many articles these days about *money saving ideas* tell you not to eat out at restaurants. I agree with them, to a point. Yes, you should probably bring your lunch to work each day. Yes, you should not stop and get coffee, make it at home. You should cook dinner and save money. Blah, blah, blah!

Parts of me, a lot of me, just hates the whole idea of “I can’t” do this, and “I can’t” do that. Arghhh….that pains me. Call it stubbornness, call it pride, whatever. One time I was doing that fad diet, the cabbage one. Whenever you got hungry, you take out the cabbage soup and you could eat as much as you want. Bleh! I remember biking that morning and seeing some trash, an empty Doritos bag. Oh, I just wanted some chips. The ironic thing about it is, I never eat chips. I never even ate chips when I wasn’t on a diet. The whole idea of me not being able to eat because I was on this diet, made me CRAVE chips. (Yes, I have issues. hehe) Anyway, my point is that I didn’t want to have that *dieter’s* mentality, that I couldn’t have such and such. I think it’s the same with eating out. I don’t want anyone telling me that I can’t do it. You know what? I will! (just like a 2 year old who hates the rules…I WILL!)

So, there is a way you can still dine out at nice restaurants. restaurant.com have gift certificates to certain restaurants at discounted rates. You can get a $10 gift certificate for only $3. You can get a $50 gift certificate for $25. Isn’t that cool!! And you know what that means for gift buying too???

If you love wining & dining and being served, you don’t have to stop to save money. Hooray!!

Here are some other sites you may want to check out too:

.kidseatfree.com

valpak.com

moneymailer.com

dinnerbroker.com

opentable.com

Sure, if you’re use to eating out every night, try only once a week. Try using a coupon. But it’s really hard for me to tell you, stop dining out altogether. I don’t want to give you issues, like I have issues.

What kind of funds do you have?

A friend called me the other day. She told me she was done with Christmas shopping for the day. (WHAT?) It’s August. Christmas shopping?

She’s the same friend that told me that she was planning her daughter’s birthday party. Her daughter’s birthday is in November.

She is the different one, not me, right? I mean, how many of you out there has started Christmas shopping? How many of you are even at the point of thinking about Christmas ideas? And better yet, how many of you have put money aside for these sorts of things?

Well, my friend has a fund for birthdays *and* Christmas.

How many of us are that diligent and disciplined? (HA!)

For those of you (and me) who haven’t begun to think about Christmas and the money involved (yikes!), it is not too late. I know my friend probably starts replenishing her Christmas fund the day after Christmas but us losers can start NOW!

Here’s a scary fact: Tomorrow will mark 18 weeks until Christmas. 18 WEEKS! That’s 9 paydays if you get paid every other week.

To lessen the financial impact, you can start putting aside money for Christmas on your next payday. (Yes, you can!) You figure out what you can manage and estimate what you will spend. If you put $50 away right now, you’ll have $450 that you won’t have to put on your credit card (and accrue interest). Or that’s $450 that won’t leave you broke at Christmas time.

To get a better grasp on how much you need to sock away to cover Christmas expenses, start a list on who you need to buy for, give each person a budget and then add up the cost. Divide that cost by 9 (9 paydays). That’s what you need to put away so that you won’t have to owe after the season ends. If you can’t put that much money aside, put aside what you can. A little will ease the burden.

Do the same things with birthdays. Sock money away. If you have to, get an old jar, glue the cap on and stuff money in it. When the event comes, break the jar. Don’t give yourself a way to open that jar to get to that money. Pretend it’s not there. It sounds simple. Yes, it is. It may not be easy but it is simple.

California Coastal Cleanup Day is Coming!

Put this on your calender today.

One month from yesterday, September 20, is California Coastal Cleanup Day. It only takes 3 hours this day, from 9am to noon. If you’re interested and want to register, check this coastal.ca.gov/publiced/ccd/ccd2. If you can’t make this date, here’s some information (coastal.ca.gov/publiced/coastweeks/coastweeks) that you may need to volunteer at another date. Help out any way you can.

Some information and 2007 statistics on cleanupday.org:

Last year’s event in San Diego County, 6,212 dedicated volunteers removed 94,758 pounds of trash and recyclables from our local waterways in just three hours. California Coastal Cleanup Day is a major part of the Ocean Conservancy�s International Coastal Cleanup, which included 378,000 volunteers from 76 countries and 45 states last year. These dedicated volunteers, including volunteers from San Diego, removed six million pounds of trash from oceans and waterways all over the world and recorded every piece of trash collected.

See you there!

What are Blue Chips?

The more and more I’m researching about investing money and about stocks, the more and more I’m seeing the term “blue chip stocks”.

What are they?

Wikipedia defines blue chip stocks as “stocks of a well-established company having stable earnings and no extensive liabilities….Most blue chip stocks pay regular dividends, even when business is faring worse than usual.”

It’s those big name companies that consumers have held strong to buying their product regardless of how the economy is. Look in your refrigerator, in your shower at the products you’re using and have used all your life. It’s the companies that service you and have been servicing you. Proctor and Gamble, Coca Cola, Pepsi, General Electric, Nike, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald’s, etc.

MSN money has their top list of seven large companies that are safe in this slow economy.

1. Wells Fargo
2. PepsiCo
3. Schlumberger
4. Qualcomm
5. UnitedHealth Group
6. United Technologies
7. 3M

That was in 2007, now there’s a good current article about 5 Blue Chip Stocks on sale. And guess what? None of those 7 listed companies above are on this 2008 list. That’s the thing about stocks, there is a risk involved. But with research and advice, you can make an educated risk. The writer of this article, Andrew Sullivan of MSN Money summed it up well, “Blue-chip companies might not go up 25% for you each year, but they shouldn’t go down too much, either. If you can get into them at cheap prices (like now), you will greatly improve your prospective returns.”

Today Yahoo! Finance has an article about Warren Buffett’s Blue Chip Leading the Way in Quarter 3. He has some different companies on his holdings, only one was in MSN Money’s, UnitedHealth Group. What does it all mean? Who knows? It all depends on which book you’re reading and which articles you’re reading. They’re all different and ultimately you have the choice, so choose well. If you don’t feel equipped or educated, get educated or go to experts that can help you choose. There are tons of resources out there. If you do end up investing in these blue chip stocks, think about the investment as long-term, re-invest the dividends you receive and don’t sell them.

Also keep in mind a previous post of mine. Think about socially responsible investing. Think about our earth’s future as well as your own.

Are you worth it?

Each month you have a set of bills that you need to pay. Are you paying yourself first?

Huh?

You pay your rent or mortgage, your car, phone bill, water, electricity, car insurance, home insurance, medical insurance, charity, cable, etc. Do you make a payment to yourself? Are you on your own payroll?

If not, why not??

Don’t you think you are worth it to be paid?

Put that money aside, pretend it’s not there if you have to. Just put it aside. If you have to write a check out to another bank or person, do it. You are worth it to pay yourself, to put that money aside for your future.

Who knows? Soon enough you can increase the amount. Maybe you’ll do so well at paying yourself, that you get in the position where you have the choice and money to invest this little nest egg.  Whatever you do, just do it. Create an opportunity by paying yourself first when you get that paycheck. You are worth it!

My Life’s Motto

If I had to have a life motto, it would be “Keep it Simple“, just like in a previous post of mine.

I’m referring “it” to our spending, our activities, overall – our LIFE.

Now that my boys have started their new school year, there are so many flyers that are coming in their communication folder. There are flyers for band, cub scouts, swim, art, soccer, basketball, school clubs, etc. I’m receiving emails about different studies, groups, classes and clubs that I can join while my boys are attending school.

Yes, I want to be involved and I want to keep busy but do I want to be running around town? Do I want to be so busy that I don’t engage in my boys’ life and thoughts? And I’m talking, truly *engaged*. Am I just the chauffeur? Do I want to forfeit making a family dinner and chatting it up with my family because I have activities each night of the week?

Even with school supplies shopping, can I not just buy a pen? Do I have to have so many choices? Do I want a pen that has a game within it? Do I want a folder that can hold 40 pens and carry an Ipod? Do I want an eraser that looks like a berry and smells like a berry? Do I want a highlighter that’s pink, yellow, blue or green? I mean, what happened to the basics? Let’s get back and focus on the basics. Reading and writing and (a)rithmetic.

Then there’s the clothes. Do they need to be sporting new clothes at the beginning of school year? Can they not wear their summer, casual clothes that still fit and are appropriate for the weather? Don’t feel pressured into thinking that because it’s a new school year, your kids need new EVERYTHING. Keep things simple and use what you have. Don’t spend money that you don’t have to.

So yes, I think I’ll have to write a post every other week or so for a reminder to

KEEP IT SIMPLE.