Thanks, friends, for joining Financial Peace University!

Both orientations are complete for the Financial Peace University class starting in my area on May 6. I hope there's room for me- it sounds like it may be a packed house. I really want to go thru the new course since it's been updated this past year.
Many of those who are enrolled in the class are friends of mine. It means so much to me that either a.) they responded positively to my invitation to join the class, or b.) they were inspired by the positive changes in my financial life as detailed in this blog. I am also excited that I don't have to become rich alone!! :-D
The only drawback I can possibly foresee is in the area of the group discussions that take place at each class. Since many in the class will know each other, some may be reluctant to open up, ask questions, or discuss circumstances for fear that the information might, shall we say, "leave the room." If I can diffuse that now by means of this post, let me do so. What's discussed in class should stay in class. You may not be a private person, and willing to divulge all of your personal information down to your salary. Nothing wrong with that. Keep in mind on the other hand, that to many people, personal finance is exactly that: personal. The fact that they are even showing their face in class may be a big step for them because of assumptions that could be made about them. The bottom line: we're in this together, and all that we should share outside of class are the positive changes that are happening because of it!
Also, if you have joined Financial Peace University at my urging, and you are expecting miracles in your finances, think again. If you have behavior issues when it comes to money, you will be no better off than when you started- unless you change YOU. Unfortunately for all of us, as Dave says, money is 80% about behavior and only 20% about knowledge. You'll get the knowledge you need from FPU, but that is all. Class doesn't start until May 6, so you can start dealing with the issue of YOU now. That's six whole days you can spend with the man in the mirror. ;-)

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Hello Weekend, I Sure Have Missed You

Friday...ah.

Hegazelle had to take a test today for additional certifications for his line of work. It is not a requirement, but he has more certifications than anyone at the company he works for and this puts him that much further ahead of the pack. In this day where jobs are difficult to come by, it's best to make yourself as valuable to your employer as possible.

While Hegazelle is becoming more valuable to his company, I hope that in turn he brings more to the budget TO PAY FOR THIS STINKING TICKET!!!! All I have to say is speeding is expensive. Excess fuel usage and special attention from the police department. Not good. Major budget buster.

Well, the green piggy moved to $5500 today. Good pig. Now if only my economic stimulus check was for that much instead of $1200...

Non-Personal Finance Post

I was tagged by The Tough Broad. Here is my six word memoir:

Hug Someone. Murphy might be visiting.

Profound, eh?


I am tagging:
PJ @ Myndfood
Chriss @ Life is Beautiful
Katie @ LATBH
None of whom write blogs about personal finance (sorry.)

Here are the rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you want
3. Link to the person who tagged you in your post
4. Tag at least 3 more blogs
5. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play.

Hegazelle: When financial hits aren't murphy's fault

There are times in one's journey to financial peace that "Murphy" happens. Case in point the nail in tire saga as described by Shegazelle Friday. But sometimes things can happen that we bring upon ourselves. Let me explain. Say for instance your car got stolen because you left it unlocked with the keys on the seat. Some of us would say "Murphy is after me again" when in reality we brought it upon ourselves. Well I had that kind of thing happen to me. On President's Day I went to get a haircut about 3 miles from my house. Being a holiday and not having to work I didn't have anywhere I had to be in a hurry. But seeing how I am in the car a lot for work, (I drive 35 minutes one way to work every day plus to and from each job) I don't like to drive anymore than I have to on my days off. So when I finished my haircut I got in our car and tried to get home as quickly as I could. Unfortunately I only got about half a mile before I wished I would have been watching the speedometer instead of being in such a hurry. Because off to my right I saw the officer putting the radar gun back in its holder. I was the only one there so I knew it was me he was after. I pulled over and was told I was going 15 miles an hour over the speed limit. A few minutes later ticket in hand I was back on the road driving like a sloth instead of like a gazelle being chased by a cheetah. Later on, as much as I wanted to get mad at "Murphy" I knew I had brought it upon myself. So if I may offer any advice in the quest to financial peace "Beware of the things you bring upon yourself because Murphy is bad enough without any help."

Shegazelle's Monday

I felt better overall today, though my appetite is lacking. A friend of mine who wants to lose a couple pounds is coveting my sickness.

Today I picked up a flat of strawberries for $10 and split them with my supervisor. Sweetest strawberries you ever tasted. The cool thing is they were discounted because they were "Yesterday's Berries." Who cares, they look and taste great.

Hegazelle washed the exterior of our windows before I got home from work and the grocery store this evening. VERY nice. He also set up a work bench in the garage (a hand-me-down from my uncle) to take the place of his ever so innovative, but very makeshift table.

And speaking of going to the grocery store, WOW. The prices are climbing almost as rapidly as fuel. My beloved tilapia fillets have gone up to nearly $3/lb. Beef was actually cheaper, so I bought a few petite sirloins. Our stomachs will probably revolt.

Work is incredibly busy. I can't get the stack in my inbox to shrink for nothin'! We also rehired two employees who left or were asked to leave previously. I'm glad to see them back especially since neither of them have been working. Times are changing, responsibilities are growing and business is hopping. Instead of lunch breaks I think I'll start taking nap breaks.

Murphy, please leave me alone!

Well, any appetite I thought I had was short lived. I was able to eat almost a half of a hamburger yesterday at a work bbq yesterday, and a few bites of a hot link, but that was it. Cooked dinner for Hegazelle and friends, but ate none of it. Since I'm usually eating non-stop, I better enjoy this while it lasts. (but I'm not...)

Friday at 5pm, I'm winding up the day at work, and one of the guys comes in and says my car has a flat. He's cried wolf about this before, so I told him "Yeah, right" and went on. Well, he was serious. This is not the first time I've come out of work to find one of my tires flat. Thankfully, we have a mechanic/mr. fix-it on-site for our fleet of vehicles and equipment, otherwise I don't know how I would get out of the parking lot in these situations. Anyhow, I caught Mr. Fix It just as he was leaving, and he agreed to plug the tire. Turns out I had a screw in the shoulder near the sidewall of the tire. GREAT. So he fixed it up enough so I could get to the tire shop down the road. When I got to the tire shop, the guys there found another nail in another tire! Thankfully that one was repairable. So $116 bucks later and about 6:20pm I was on my way home. Frazzled. I didn't make it to the bank before they closed at 6, and my paycheck still sits in my purse. Good thing Hegazelle was able to go get the proper cash for each of our budgeted envelopes before the bank closed. What a harried afternoon. And Murphy struck my emergency fund once again. The "yuck" continues.

Yuck

Stayed home sick from work today. Yuck. It's been 24 hours since my tummy first felt sick, and I'm not sure I'm out of the woods yet. What a terribly long day it's been!

The grass needs mowing, but the mower's out of gas. Trees and bushes need trimming, but I don't think we have the proper tools. Weeds need pulling, but the weed puller (me) isn't motivated to go out in the heat and pull them. You don't know how bad I want to hire someone to come do it all for me...

Change is a good thing

I'm really excited about the company I work for. Why in the world would I be excited after 5 years of being there? The short of it is we're beginning a new chapter. We are replacing someone in a key management position, and this affects everyone from our office staff & field guys to our customers. While I'm anxious about where and when the right person will come along, I'm eager to pitch in and help make the transition. Maybe I'm just overly optimistic, but the future looks promising, and I'm glad to be on the team.

Shegazelle the Baker

I made my very first round of homemade bread! I don't know why, but I'm bursting with pride about this. It isn't even my recipe. But I've always thought that bread making was a long, arduous task that required muscles for kneading and special equipment. Not so. Which is cool for me because I don't do anything in the kitchen that isn't easy and quick. Anyway, I've got a great looking loaf of bread in the kitchen, and the best part is that it actually tastes great too. And of course it's CHEAP. I like cheap.

Gazelle Confession

You know, if I was properly "Gazelle Intense", I would have this car either paid off or a lot closer to it. I'm ashamed. Everyone's favorite gazelle is a slacker, saving money for things she shouldn't and not eating nearly enough rice and beans. If only I had some new clothes to show for my slacking...

Net worth

A year ago, for the first time, Hegazelle and I sat down and figured out our net worth. I should do it again to see where we're at now. I think the only people I know who figure out their net worth on a regular basis are PF bloggers! What about you- how often or have you ever calculated your net worth?
Net worth is on my brain right now because I'm listening again to the audio book The Millionaire Mind by Thomas J. Stanley. The chapters I'm in right now are covering the differences between the Balance Sheet Affluent and the Income Sheet Affluent. Income Statement Affluent are those with a high annual income, but have a relatively low net worth. The details of the characteristics of these people, especially those with the "Millionaire Mind", are intriguing.
Anyhow, I pretty much don't fit either category. Yet. :-)

Prediction

:-D

My New Sport

I must say, I have become quite the hyper-miler. While I am not using most of the tricks of the World's Greatest Gas Miser, Wayne Gerdes, I have managed to reduce my average $30/week gas usage to about $15/week. Hegazelle gets embarrassed sometimes, especially if we get passed up by senior citizens, but he still wants me behind the wheel because I'm saving us money. I'm gonna have to give him hyper-mileage lessons. I just laugh at people- racing past me to get to the red light. Then I coast up beside them as the light turns green and I continue with them, never using my brakes. At $3.50/gallon, this is certainly my new sport of choice.

Come on Baby Step 3

Next week our debt will drop to under $6K. I really wish it was done now- I'm getting impatient. Part of the reason is my desire to get crackin' on Baby Step 3. After we finish Baby Step 2 we are gonna pause to celebrate, then get some money between us and life! Baby Step 3 is to save 3-6 months of expenses in an emergency fund. Three months of expenses for us is $6K, but we're gonna take the safe route and go with the 6 months of expenses in the bank. Right now, when I step back and take a look at our finances, while I see that we're doing great with debt reduction and money management in general, I'm also aware that should Hegazelle and I suddenly find ourselves without work for a period of time we would be in bad shape. With that in the back of my mind, it keeps me thankful for everyday we are allowed to get up and go to our jobs. Very thankful.
Speaking of things to be thankful for, Hegazelle's boss told them last week that they will start their new pay scale on April 28. Hegazelle's anticipation is thru the roof! He is rarin' to go- the opportunity to make more money by being payed for billed hours is certainly exciting. This car may be paid off sooner than we think!

Come on Friday

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday. And pay day. And budget day. Have I mentioned I like Fridays?
Tomorrow we're taking mom out. For Mother's Day last year we gave gift certificates for a Starbucks date with us. Can't break the bank when you're paying off debt right? So we figured our moms might want to have coffee with us sometime (maybe.) Since the certificates expire this coming Mother's Day, mom (who forgot she had said certificate) is redeeming hers tomorrow night. Should be nice...I'm looking forward to an iced chai latte and some reduced fat coffee cake.

Also, this weekend, we're going to a small, local resort at the lake. The Boss gave me the certificate at Christmas time for a night at the resort and dinner for two at the restaurant there. This was his gift to me for five years of deciphering his handwriting- or something like that. :-)

I'm tired and wishing today was Friday already. Things are busy at the office with plenty of work to do, so maybe the rest of today and tomorrow will fly by.

March Debt Reduction= Stinky

Just checked my loan payments for the month of March, and one word says it all- LAME. Paid a whopping $536 on the car. It was funny to see my next payment due date though...January 20, 2010. Ha! But anyway, for April, it's on. Providing work stays steady for Hegazelle, it is SO on with this car debt. At the very least, I want it down to $5500 bucks at the end of the month.
If Hegazelle's employer would implement their new payscale in a hurry (paying him for either billable hours or actual hours, whichever is greater) that would sure help things along.