just to be fair, i'd like to give my fat some time in the spotlight as well. why should finances get all the attention?
so i'm 5'10" and 207. in my day, i have run some marathons, and done triathlons, and long distance bike rides. my weight has been as low as 135, and as high as, well about 210. my best weight is around 150.
my main problems are that i love eating, and i'm kind of lazy. i'm good at doing very short stints of crazy diets, and then going home and making peanut butter cookies. making and eating, of course. and i really do love riding my bike and being active, i just struggle so much to take that first step, and to maintain a routine.
i know i have it in me to be thin and fit, i just can't seem to tap into that inner strength and motivation and enthusiasm.
i'm not sure what else to say about it. i think a lot of people have the same challenges. but also a lot of people have overcome them. any suggestions?
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
finances
as promised, here's a rundown of my financial situation. this is hard to admit - but i'm serious about changing my life, so there's no point in hiding the truth. ready? here we go.
monthly income:
$3600 + $1150 alimony payment = $4750
(my health insurance and retirement are taken out already) (and the alimony disappears after june)
monthly expenses:
$1150 student loans
$915 mortgage (includes homeowners insurance, taxes, water, trash)
$333 HOA membership and parking
$300 loan payment to my sister
$130 charitable contributions
$26 life insurance
$38 pet health insurance
$180 cell phone
$100 car insurance
$18 loan payment for retirement loan
$65 cable/internet
$35 electricity
$50 prescription copays
$1000 credit card payments (the minimums are around $500 total)
$400 food/gas/entertainment/everything else
ok that is my budget. here are my debts:
loan from my sister:
$1,200 remaining
credit cards:
$8,750 - citi
$5,750 - citi (2)
$17,092 - capital 1
$31,592 - total
plus the mortgage and student loans, but i'm not worried about that at this point. if i can get the credit cards paid off, i'll be able to manage the student loan payments within my current budget. in an ideal world, i'll pay off the credit cards and my sister by july, so i can take the $1300 i'm currently paying towards them, and just transfer that towards my student loans.
is it crazy to think i can come up with $32,000 in 5 months?? it feels crazy. it feels impossible, actually. although i'm already planning to pay $5,000 between now and then, so i really only need $27,000 more. that's just over $5,000 per month. it could happen, right??
aieee!!! this is why i'm panicking.
so this is my situation. just for the record, a) i feel extremely fortunate to have all the money and luxuries that i have (cell phone, cable tv, etc). i don't mean to take any of that for granted. and b) i take full responsibility for the situation i'm in. i haven't always made the best choices, and i'm not making any excuses. i've gotten myself into this position - and i'm prepared to work to get myself out of it.
so i need help. i'm willing to take on another job, or do freelance, or babysit, housesit, dogsit... i'll work nights and weekends, i'll clean houses or offices, i'll proofread foreign students' term papers... i'll do pretty much anything! do you have any ideas?
monthly income:
$3600 + $1150 alimony payment = $4750
(my health insurance and retirement are taken out already) (and the alimony disappears after june)
monthly expenses:
$1150 student loans
$915 mortgage (includes homeowners insurance, taxes, water, trash)
$333 HOA membership and parking
$300 loan payment to my sister
$130 charitable contributions
$26 life insurance
$38 pet health insurance
$180 cell phone
$100 car insurance
$18 loan payment for retirement loan
$65 cable/internet
$35 electricity
$50 prescription copays
$1000 credit card payments (the minimums are around $500 total)
$400 food/gas/entertainment/everything else
ok that is my budget. here are my debts:
loan from my sister:
$1,200 remaining
credit cards:
$8,750 - citi
$5,750 - citi (2)
$17,092 - capital 1
$31,592 - total
plus the mortgage and student loans, but i'm not worried about that at this point. if i can get the credit cards paid off, i'll be able to manage the student loan payments within my current budget. in an ideal world, i'll pay off the credit cards and my sister by july, so i can take the $1300 i'm currently paying towards them, and just transfer that towards my student loans.
is it crazy to think i can come up with $32,000 in 5 months?? it feels crazy. it feels impossible, actually. although i'm already planning to pay $5,000 between now and then, so i really only need $27,000 more. that's just over $5,000 per month. it could happen, right??
aieee!!! this is why i'm panicking.
so this is my situation. just for the record, a) i feel extremely fortunate to have all the money and luxuries that i have (cell phone, cable tv, etc). i don't mean to take any of that for granted. and b) i take full responsibility for the situation i'm in. i haven't always made the best choices, and i'm not making any excuses. i've gotten myself into this position - and i'm prepared to work to get myself out of it.
so i need help. i'm willing to take on another job, or do freelance, or babysit, housesit, dogsit... i'll work nights and weekends, i'll clean houses or offices, i'll proofread foreign students' term papers... i'll do pretty much anything! do you have any ideas?
the beginning
hi friends, thanks for stopping by to visit. you may know me and you may not- so i'll start with a little background. i'm 35, single, living in denver. i love my dog. i have a decent job. i have a good relationship with my parents. i have awesome friends. and when i write these things, it sounds like i have a lot of my shit together. but don't be fooled.
i've got two issues. one, i'm fat. two, i'm broke. and i can't seem to fix either one of these problems. so this is where YOU come in! this blog is a social experiment, to see if my network of friends and aquaintances (and strangers! bring on the strangers!) can help me get this shit together. basically, i'm hoping to crowdsource my self improvement :o)
so here are the details. let's start with fat. i'm 5'10" and 207 pounds. my ideal weight is 150. i am healthy, and fit for exercise of any kind, and have no food allergies or sensitivities. although i hate olives. my weight has increased due mainly to overeating and under-exercising. go figure.
issue number 2. i'm broke. i make somewhat decent money at my job BUT i'm drowning in debt. i owe $32,000 on my credit cards. i owe about $100,000 in student loans. i owe my sister $1200. and i just bought a condo, so i owe a good $160,000 on that, too. i've been in the nice position of having someone else (former husband) pay my student loans for the past few years, but they become my responsibility in july, and i'm freaking out. with my current budget, i'm able to pay about $1000 towards my sister and credit cards each month, but come july, my loans will kick in to the tune of $1100 per month, leaving about $300 for credit cards (assuming i've paid off my sister by then). i'll get into the specifics of the budget in my next post, but suffice to say, i'm on the verge of a complete panic attack.
ok so you can see i have a nice life- friends and dog and family and i live in a great city etc. but i'm having a hard time enjoying all of this with these two burdens weighing me down. so instead of sitting at home making myself crazy with "poor me" on repeat inside my head, i thought i'd reach out and see if you all might be able to help.
so i have 2 goals. 1: reach my goal weight of 150 pounds. 2: pay off my credit cards.
and i think with all the brains and experience that are out there, there have to be some great ideas. so here's what i'm asking... send me an idea to help with one (or both!) of these problems, and i'll try it for one week. i'll follow your advice to the letter, and document the process, and give YOU the credit. now you don't have to help me lose all 57 pounds, or earn all $32,000 all at once- but can you help me lose a couple of pounds? or give me an idea to earn $100?
rules and constraints. 1. i have a full time job, so i can't get another full time job, or do work during normal business hours. except maybe lunch time. 2. i value my status as an upstanding member of the community, so i'm not keen on doing anything illegal. 3. similarly, i value my status as std-free, so i'd prefer not to take on a night job as a call girl. 4. i'm broke, remember, so solutions have to be budget friendly. i can't join a gym, or pay for jenny craig, or those sorts of things. my food budget is about $100 per week. and 5. let's think short term, quick results. increasing my 403(b) contributions by $2 per paycheck will be lovely in about 40 years, but i don't really have that kind of time. help me find a few extra dollars this month. give me a meal plan for a week, not for the rest of my life... i'm a big fan of instant gratification :)
so what do you think? do you have an idea for me? start your engines, leave me your suggestions, and i'll get to work!
i've got two issues. one, i'm fat. two, i'm broke. and i can't seem to fix either one of these problems. so this is where YOU come in! this blog is a social experiment, to see if my network of friends and aquaintances (and strangers! bring on the strangers!) can help me get this shit together. basically, i'm hoping to crowdsource my self improvement :o)
so here are the details. let's start with fat. i'm 5'10" and 207 pounds. my ideal weight is 150. i am healthy, and fit for exercise of any kind, and have no food allergies or sensitivities. although i hate olives. my weight has increased due mainly to overeating and under-exercising. go figure.
issue number 2. i'm broke. i make somewhat decent money at my job BUT i'm drowning in debt. i owe $32,000 on my credit cards. i owe about $100,000 in student loans. i owe my sister $1200. and i just bought a condo, so i owe a good $160,000 on that, too. i've been in the nice position of having someone else (former husband) pay my student loans for the past few years, but they become my responsibility in july, and i'm freaking out. with my current budget, i'm able to pay about $1000 towards my sister and credit cards each month, but come july, my loans will kick in to the tune of $1100 per month, leaving about $300 for credit cards (assuming i've paid off my sister by then). i'll get into the specifics of the budget in my next post, but suffice to say, i'm on the verge of a complete panic attack.
ok so you can see i have a nice life- friends and dog and family and i live in a great city etc. but i'm having a hard time enjoying all of this with these two burdens weighing me down. so instead of sitting at home making myself crazy with "poor me" on repeat inside my head, i thought i'd reach out and see if you all might be able to help.
so i have 2 goals. 1: reach my goal weight of 150 pounds. 2: pay off my credit cards.
and i think with all the brains and experience that are out there, there have to be some great ideas. so here's what i'm asking... send me an idea to help with one (or both!) of these problems, and i'll try it for one week. i'll follow your advice to the letter, and document the process, and give YOU the credit. now you don't have to help me lose all 57 pounds, or earn all $32,000 all at once- but can you help me lose a couple of pounds? or give me an idea to earn $100?
rules and constraints. 1. i have a full time job, so i can't get another full time job, or do work during normal business hours. except maybe lunch time. 2. i value my status as an upstanding member of the community, so i'm not keen on doing anything illegal. 3. similarly, i value my status as std-free, so i'd prefer not to take on a night job as a call girl. 4. i'm broke, remember, so solutions have to be budget friendly. i can't join a gym, or pay for jenny craig, or those sorts of things. my food budget is about $100 per week. and 5. let's think short term, quick results. increasing my 403(b) contributions by $2 per paycheck will be lovely in about 40 years, but i don't really have that kind of time. help me find a few extra dollars this month. give me a meal plan for a week, not for the rest of my life... i'm a big fan of instant gratification :)
so what do you think? do you have an idea for me? start your engines, leave me your suggestions, and i'll get to work!
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