At one point I was a missed paycheck away from being homeless and it seemed no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get ahead. I even tried to find a second job but no such luck. Let me tell you that necessity breeds innovation as I found many new ways to stretch my dollar. Of course a great many things had to be cut out. No more buying video games, no more weekend getaways and I even had to stop buying some of the food I liked. My new job didn't pay much and I didn't have much money put away and things were tight. Some months I just barely scraped by. For a two year period there were so many overdraft protection fees I had to pay my bank. My power had been disconnected twice. My situation wasn't pretty and often it was downright stressful but I couldn't give up. What was I going to do? Go live with my mom?! Not if my life depended on it! I had gotten myself into this situation and would get myself out because that's what I do. How did I get by you ask? Prayer, lots of prayer. I ate a lot of beans and rice. A close friend of mine taught me how to cook a lot of food and then freeze it. I got a raise from my job and that helped out a great deal. Now I'm able to keep food in my fridge, stay current on my bills and I'm also saving money now. You can go anywhere and get financial advice but only you know your truth and only you can decide what's best for you. The major thing is to realize that your on the verge of financial hardship. For some of you, financial hardship may be all that you've ever known. Like most of people your parents just never really taught you how to be fiscally responsible and that's not their fault as they had bigger concerns like keeping food on the table and the power turned on. While I still have a long way to go I feel that I'm finally on the road to financial security and well being
Stay healthy
You can't work and earn money if your always sick. So it's important that you eat healthy and stay fit. Add a salad or fruit to your diet. Go for a two mile walk four days a week. Start taking vitamins so that your immune system stays strong.
What's the plan?
You need to have a plan as you move forward. It doesn't have to be anything elaborate or complicated. Just remember there is often genius in simplicity so don't be afraid to keep things simple. Also remember that the biggest tasks are often broken down into manageable parts. So give yourself small goals to begin with and build off of that. I found daily goals to be helpful. Like getting up at a certain time or getting myself to work fifteen minutes early.
Find your truth
Find out who you are. Know your strength and weaknesses. Seek out people who are successful and find out what they did to achieve their success. Find out what you really want out of life and work towards that goal.
Goodnight and God bless
Saturday, July 30, 2011
It's been while
Followers I want to a apologize for taking so long to post but this program wasn't compatible with my iPhone, until now. And since I don't own a laptop I wasn't able to access this site via my aforementioned smart phone. Funny thing is I only found out about this occurrence recently and by accident. I never said that I was a smart man . Shut up! I am really giddy about this people. You just don't understand. This is my first post of 2011 so I'll just give you a quick recap. I got another raise at work! It wasn't much but it helped me out a great deal. There was also the $500 the state owed me! Where was my interest?! It's funny how when the government owes us money they don't pay interest. I got to call bs on that one. So with this extra money I brought a dyer but my apartment didn't have washer/dyer hookup. In June I moved into a better apartment with washer/dyer hookup and here's the best part. My rent is $37 dollars cheaper
I haven't bounced a checked once all year!!! For me that's huge considering the amount of money I had to burn in overdraft protection fees the last two years. It feels good to be actually saving money now. I just have to keep the ball rolling. I upgraded my checking account and now I actually earn interest on my money in the bank. Who knew?! I should be fine as long as I don't do anything stupid which I almost never do. This year I've also started eating healthier and combined with my existing regimen I'm starting see results I've really committed myself to reading more and right now I'm reading the Odyssey and I have to say it's even better the second time around. The message of the epic poem truly resonates with me. I would advise anyone to read it. Well that's it for now. I promise there will be more to come. Later for now
I haven't bounced a checked once all year!!! For me that's huge considering the amount of money I had to burn in overdraft protection fees the last two years. It feels good to be actually saving money now. I just have to keep the ball rolling. I upgraded my checking account and now I actually earn interest on my money in the bank. Who knew?! I should be fine as long as I don't do anything stupid which I almost never do. This year I've also started eating healthier and combined with my existing regimen I'm starting see results I've really committed myself to reading more and right now I'm reading the Odyssey and I have to say it's even better the second time around. The message of the epic poem truly resonates with me. I would advise anyone to read it. Well that's it for now. I promise there will be more to come. Later for now
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
end of NFL season
The end of another great NFL season is nearly upon us. We had better enjoy it because there might not be any football next season as the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in 2010. For those of you who don't know this is a process if voluntary negotiations between NFL team owners and NFL players association. The Bargaining Agreement sets wage scale, work conditions, work hours, training, health and safety etc. As of right now both sides are so far from reaching an agreement that player reps have advised players to save their last four game checks in preparation for next season's lockout.
Both sides can make a case for why they are right but in the end it is the fans who pay the ultimate price. Owners pay player outrageous sums of money and to cover the cost they merely jack up ticket and concession prices. Are you kidding me? These are grown men being paid outrageously to play a game. When you really think about it the whole concept is ridiculous. It's not like these guys are curing Aids or cancer. The players want more money, the owners want to play them less money and that is what it all boils down to. Seriously, why in the world are there so many preseason games? Because owners realized it was just another way of generating income. Still fans pay close to regular season ticket prices for meaningless games. I would never do it. Now the owners want to add two more games to the regular season schedule, to generate more income. Even in this economy they are trying to suck the fans dry and it's a cry in shame. Of course the players see this and they want more money as well which further strengthens my opinion that it all boils down to money.
Then there is this NFL Direct Ticket. For yet even more money you can watch all the NFL games on Sunday. If you can't afford or just don't want to pay you can watch the matchup scheduled for your local channel. In my case I live in the south eastern region and I'm forced to watch the hapless Carolina Panthers week in and week out. I shouldn't be forced to watch then play and I'm certainly not paying for NFL ticket, it's just not worth it for me.
Both sides have valid points but the fans are the ones who suffer. if there is indeed a lockout and I certainly believe a lockout is eminent a season won't be all both sides lose. I think that the fans will have had enough and many of us won't come back to the game of football. If they think that attendance in many stadiums are down now then wait until they try and come back after a lockout. We the fans deserve more then what the owners and players are giving us. If they really cared about the fans both sides will put their own self interest aside and do what's best for the fans. Otherwise there may not be many fans to come back to. What needs to happen is for a new and rigid pay scale be set into place. Salary caps remain relatively the same but the extra money the franchise earns through attendance and sales is evenly distributed to each of that team's players. It ensures that every player gives maximum effort and it allows for more competitive games. As supposed to paying one single player so much money that you can't afford to keep any surrounding talent. This also allows for the franchise to ease the ticket prices for the fans. Times are tough and the last thing we need is for our favorite teams to screw us over.
Both sides can make a case for why they are right but in the end it is the fans who pay the ultimate price. Owners pay player outrageous sums of money and to cover the cost they merely jack up ticket and concession prices. Are you kidding me? These are grown men being paid outrageously to play a game. When you really think about it the whole concept is ridiculous. It's not like these guys are curing Aids or cancer. The players want more money, the owners want to play them less money and that is what it all boils down to. Seriously, why in the world are there so many preseason games? Because owners realized it was just another way of generating income. Still fans pay close to regular season ticket prices for meaningless games. I would never do it. Now the owners want to add two more games to the regular season schedule, to generate more income. Even in this economy they are trying to suck the fans dry and it's a cry in shame. Of course the players see this and they want more money as well which further strengthens my opinion that it all boils down to money.
Then there is this NFL Direct Ticket. For yet even more money you can watch all the NFL games on Sunday. If you can't afford or just don't want to pay you can watch the matchup scheduled for your local channel. In my case I live in the south eastern region and I'm forced to watch the hapless Carolina Panthers week in and week out. I shouldn't be forced to watch then play and I'm certainly not paying for NFL ticket, it's just not worth it for me.
Both sides have valid points but the fans are the ones who suffer. if there is indeed a lockout and I certainly believe a lockout is eminent a season won't be all both sides lose. I think that the fans will have had enough and many of us won't come back to the game of football. If they think that attendance in many stadiums are down now then wait until they try and come back after a lockout. We the fans deserve more then what the owners and players are giving us. If they really cared about the fans both sides will put their own self interest aside and do what's best for the fans. Otherwise there may not be many fans to come back to. What needs to happen is for a new and rigid pay scale be set into place. Salary caps remain relatively the same but the extra money the franchise earns through attendance and sales is evenly distributed to each of that team's players. It ensures that every player gives maximum effort and it allows for more competitive games. As supposed to paying one single player so much money that you can't afford to keep any surrounding talent. This also allows for the franchise to ease the ticket prices for the fans. Times are tough and the last thing we need is for our favorite teams to screw us over.
my 2010 in review
My year in review.
My little sister turned a year older. In January I flew to Las Vegas to see an old friend DS, only to lose that old friend later. Reunited with another special friend from high school and it was great to see that person but everything felt wrong, oh well.
:-(
My mom turned a year older the following month. I turned a year older the following month •35• I switched back to the night shift because I could no longer deal with the public. It turned out to be a wise decision and I'm happier for it .
Took a week off in June to spend with my nieces and nephew, I love them very much.
In August my younger brother moved in with me only to move out a month later, oh well. In August I hooked up with another friend from long ago and it was just as good as I remembered. I still hope to see her again :-).
September my mother asked me to care for her dog Sheba and now she lives with me, it's a work in progress. I couldn't ask for a better friend and companion. She watches over me all day, everyday.
In November my best friend flew in from California to visit me and my family, we hadn't seen each other in almost 5 years. We had so much fun and we are so much food, i wept when she left. Yes I actually wept. This year was really good for and to me for a linty of reasons. For one my financial situation improved a great deal.
I learned how to let go...when to let go..... to embrace change....to welcome new opportunities...to be open...to be more comfortable with who I am... to know how lucky I truly am... to appreciate what I already have...
All in all 2010 was a very good year for me and I look forward to 2011. Good luck. I hope that everyone has a great 2011.
My little sister turned a year older. In January I flew to Las Vegas to see an old friend DS, only to lose that old friend later. Reunited with another special friend from high school and it was great to see that person but everything felt wrong, oh well.
:-(
My mom turned a year older the following month. I turned a year older the following month •35• I switched back to the night shift because I could no longer deal with the public. It turned out to be a wise decision and I'm happier for it .
Took a week off in June to spend with my nieces and nephew, I love them very much.
In August my younger brother moved in with me only to move out a month later, oh well. In August I hooked up with another friend from long ago and it was just as good as I remembered. I still hope to see her again :-).
September my mother asked me to care for her dog Sheba and now she lives with me, it's a work in progress. I couldn't ask for a better friend and companion. She watches over me all day, everyday.
In November my best friend flew in from California to visit me and my family, we hadn't seen each other in almost 5 years. We had so much fun and we are so much food, i wept when she left. Yes I actually wept. This year was really good for and to me for a linty of reasons. For one my financial situation improved a great deal.
I learned how to let go...when to let go..... to embrace change....to welcome new opportunities...to be open...to be more comfortable with who I am... to know how lucky I truly am... to appreciate what I already have...
All in all 2010 was a very good year for me and I look forward to 2011. Good luck. I hope that everyone has a great 2011.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
having goals
If you ever wondered if God had a sense of humor then make plans for the future. Until recently I had no ideal what that meant. It's never a bad thing to plan ahead but we should all be prepared to make adjustments when unexpected events arise. In my case instead of just talking about it I should have been more about it. I should done more research, worked harder and been smarter. From now on I promise myself that I will and I hope the rest of you hold me to it. My immediate goal is to buy myself a better car that would allow me to get back and forth to school as I want to attend college next year. Although I'm content with my job, for the moment. A job that pays better would be fantastic! My situation has drastically improved from this exact time last year and I owe it God for bringing me through. There were times when I wasn't sure I would make it another month but I keep pushing myself forward because I knew I couldn't give up. There is no profit in giving up, quiting. I can't help but feel like I'm almost out of time so I continue to push myself. I know that opportunitities won't always present themselves so I have to be ready to take advantage when the time arrives. I now look at each day as another opportunity to bring myself closer to accomplishing great things.
Good bless
Good bless
Saturday, December 11, 2010
NFL Lockout. Do they really want to do it?
The end of another great NFL season is nearly upon us. We had better enjoy it because there might not be any football next season as the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement expires in 2011. For those of you who don't know what the collective bargaining agreement is- it's a process of voluntary negotiations between NFL team owners and NFL players association. The Bargaining Agreement sets wage scale, work conditions, work hours, training, health and safety etc. In other words the current agreement between both sides allows all players to be paid at their current salary, how long they are required to practice everyday, when they are required to attend off season workouts. As of right now both sides are so far from reaching an agreement that player reps have advised players to save their last four game checks in preparation for next season's lockout.
Both sides can make a case for why they are right but in the end it is the fans who pay the ultimate price. Owners pay players outrageous sums of money and to cover the cost they merely jack up ticket and concession prices. Are you kidding me? These are grown men being paid outrageously to play a game. When you really think about it the whole concept is ridiculous. It's not like these guys are curing Aids or cancer. The players want more money, the owners want to play them less money and that is what this all boils down to. Seriously, why in the world are there so many preseason games? Because owners realized it as another way of generating income. Still fans pay close to regular season ticket prices for meaningless games and to see players who most likely won't be on the roster come opening day I would never do it. Now the owners want to add two more games to the regular season schedule, to generate even more income. Even in this economy they are trying to suck the fans dry and it's a cry in shame. Of course the players see this and they want more money as well which further strengthens my opinion that it all boils down to money.
Then there is this NFL Direct Ticket. For yet even more money you can watch all the NFL games on Sunday. If you can't afford to or just don't want to pay you can watch the matchup scheduled for your local channel. In my case I live in the south eastern region of the United States and I'm forced to watch the hapless Carolina Panthers week in and week out. I shouldn't be forced to watch then play and I'm certainly not paying for NFL ticket, it's just not worth it for me.
Both sides have valid points but the fans are the ones who suffer. If there is indeed a lockout and I certainly believe a lockout is eminent a season won't be all both sides lose. I think the fans will have had enough and many of us won't come back to the game of football. If they think that attendance in many stadiums are down now then wait until they try and come back after a lockout. We the fans deserve more then what the owners and players are giving us. If they really care about the fans both sides will put their own self interest aside and do what's best for the fans. Otherwise there may not be many fans to come back to. What needs to happen is for a new and rigid pay scale be set into place. Salary caps remain relatively the same but the extra money the franchise earns through attendance and sales is evenly distributed to each of that team's players. It ensures that every player gives maximum effort and it allows for more competitive games. No one player should be given so much money. If they don't like it then they can go do something else. I'd like to see these guys make as much money as they make doing something other than football. Good luck. Teams should avoid paying one single player so much money that they can't afford to keep any surrounding talent. This also allows for the franchise to ease the ticket prices for the fans. Times are tough and the last thing we need is for our favorite teams to screw us over.
Both sides can make a case for why they are right but in the end it is the fans who pay the ultimate price. Owners pay players outrageous sums of money and to cover the cost they merely jack up ticket and concession prices. Are you kidding me? These are grown men being paid outrageously to play a game. When you really think about it the whole concept is ridiculous. It's not like these guys are curing Aids or cancer. The players want more money, the owners want to play them less money and that is what this all boils down to. Seriously, why in the world are there so many preseason games? Because owners realized it as another way of generating income. Still fans pay close to regular season ticket prices for meaningless games and to see players who most likely won't be on the roster come opening day I would never do it. Now the owners want to add two more games to the regular season schedule, to generate even more income. Even in this economy they are trying to suck the fans dry and it's a cry in shame. Of course the players see this and they want more money as well which further strengthens my opinion that it all boils down to money.
Then there is this NFL Direct Ticket. For yet even more money you can watch all the NFL games on Sunday. If you can't afford to or just don't want to pay you can watch the matchup scheduled for your local channel. In my case I live in the south eastern region of the United States and I'm forced to watch the hapless Carolina Panthers week in and week out. I shouldn't be forced to watch then play and I'm certainly not paying for NFL ticket, it's just not worth it for me.
Both sides have valid points but the fans are the ones who suffer. If there is indeed a lockout and I certainly believe a lockout is eminent a season won't be all both sides lose. I think the fans will have had enough and many of us won't come back to the game of football. If they think that attendance in many stadiums are down now then wait until they try and come back after a lockout. We the fans deserve more then what the owners and players are giving us. If they really care about the fans both sides will put their own self interest aside and do what's best for the fans. Otherwise there may not be many fans to come back to. What needs to happen is for a new and rigid pay scale be set into place. Salary caps remain relatively the same but the extra money the franchise earns through attendance and sales is evenly distributed to each of that team's players. It ensures that every player gives maximum effort and it allows for more competitive games. No one player should be given so much money. If they don't like it then they can go do something else. I'd like to see these guys make as much money as they make doing something other than football. Good luck. Teams should avoid paying one single player so much money that they can't afford to keep any surrounding talent. This also allows for the franchise to ease the ticket prices for the fans. Times are tough and the last thing we need is for our favorite teams to screw us over.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
This Christmas
Let me start out by saying that I truly love the holiday season and the true spirit for which it was intended. With that being said please allow me to say what is on my mind and heart. I think- and this is just my personal opinion- the true meaning of Christmas is lost to many of us. Commercialism has almost completely taken over the holiday season. We can't turn on the television without being bombarded by commercials that tell us that we must have this or we can't leave without that. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a cheap scape who doesn't want to spend money for I will shell out money on a few gifts if and when I do have the money to spare. However I spend on those I care about all year round and as far as giving gifts, Christmas is just another day for me in that regard. What I really get from Christmas is that it represents the birth of Christ, peace on earth and good will toward man. Yet all of this gets lost under the enormous weight of commercialism. I'm not trying to judge anyone, everyone has a right to do what they want. What I hate is when people have the nerve to complain in January when they have no money left. Yeah, you just spent a fortune on Christmas gifts.
Shop, shop, shop. Spend, spend, spend. Oh by the way happy birthday Jesus. I'm sure that Jesus is up in heaven merely shaking his head at what he witnesses every year around this time. Nobody wants to admit that God has taken a back seat to commercialism. Yet when many of us have financial issues we are so quick to get down on one knee and pray. We pray for more money to pay those bills we neglected. Why don't we pray for guidance and wisdom before we spend all of our money. Volunteer at the soup kitchen, by a gift for a orphan. Have a safe holiday season. Be smart.
Shop, shop, shop. Spend, spend, spend. Oh by the way happy birthday Jesus. I'm sure that Jesus is up in heaven merely shaking his head at what he witnesses every year around this time. Nobody wants to admit that God has taken a back seat to commercialism. Yet when many of us have financial issues we are so quick to get down on one knee and pray. We pray for more money to pay those bills we neglected. Why don't we pray for guidance and wisdom before we spend all of our money. Volunteer at the soup kitchen, by a gift for a orphan. Have a safe holiday season. Be smart.
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