Dear Bright-Eyed and Bushy-Tailed Future (and Current) College Students:
Congratulations! You have just embarked, or are currently embarking on the new American dream - go to college for 4-to-6 years then spend the next 30 years (give or take) paying for your education through a series of jobs that don't pay you nearly what you thought you would be making when you started that first day of your glorious college career.
The real world? It's not so full of roses and rainbows. It's often full of rain in the form of debt, fixed and variable rates and overwhelming interest.
Let me paint you a pretty little picture. At 17, I graduated from high school with enough credits from our local community college to start my university career with second year student classification. I graduated with my bachelor's degree in communication studies in three years instead of the traditional four. I jumped right into a two-year master's program and by the time I was 22, I had two degrees from a very prestigious university (hint: GO HOKIES!).
Fast forward to age 26. I've been repaying my loans on an off since 2008. It's 2011. How have I done? Well, my loan amount started at $44,335.46 and my current payoff amount if I wrote the Department of Education a check between now and January 14, is $46,575.12. I'd say I'm doing pretty lousy.
I was "lucky" to get my interest rate locked in at 5.375%; however, let me break it down for you by the REALLY scary numbers: it will take a total of 351 months - or 29 years and four months - for me to re-pay my student loans, in the end I will pay a grand total of $94,458.50 and of that total, $48,228.96 of it will be in...interest. The awful, ugly truth is that in the when it is all said and hopefully done, I will end up paying MORE in interest than the original amount of my loan. Can we say, punch in the stomach? Yup.
Oh? One more number for you - if I'm lucky, the education that I started at the youthful age of 17 will be paid off when I'm 53. Did I mention that I'm currently 26?
I should also let you know that I was an instate student at a public institution. For those of you either out of state, at a private school - or worse, both, - I'm truly sorry for the shock you will receive when you open your letter(s) from various loan agencies (private and/or federal) and see the ginormous amount of money you are expected to pay back to those organizations.
Do I believe in the college education? Absolutely! My master's degree is in higher education and student sffairs aka I love college and college students (and may be going back for a doctoral degree; what can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment).
Why am I writing this? Well, for one, my mother wanted me to relay the hard truth to my 15-year-old little brother about why it is important to start saving for college, work hard for scholarships, etc. And two, because this particular blog? Right here? This is the part that many students forget, don't know about or like to pretend won't happen. Check your memory, now you can't say you didn't know and for the record, it will happen. Whether you defer your loan, get them into forbearance or worst of all default on your them, they are the big, pink elephant in the room that no one likes to talk about. Start talking.
Best,
-A slightly disgruntled, deep-in-student-loan-debt-yet-well-educated former wide-eyed and bushy-tailed future college student who is now living in the 'real' world
Oh, and p.s. - because what good is a rambling letter of disgruntled-ness without a few ways to fix your problem before they become overwhelming?
If I had to do it all over again, I would more than likely remember the following:
-Live on campus. All four to six years. Why? No utility bills and it cuts down on your gas money.
-ONLY take what you need to borrow. If you are offered $10,000 worth of aid but only need $8,000 only take $8,000. Sure, that extra $2,000 sounds nice and a little wiggle room would be good, but do you really want to end up paying nearly $4,000 for only getting use out of half of that amount?
-In a related suggestion, get a part-time job. Yes, it will stink not being able to go to certain parties, but it will be worth it to start paying your student loans as soon as you start receiving the aid.
-In the summers and breaks, work as many hours as you can at various jobs and save the money. It is tempting to spend the money you earned, but it might make more sense to use that money to pay for college AND you might not need to take out as much aid.
-Using various websites for book ordering might save you money on supplies.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Monday, December 20, 2010
xmas 2010
Retro Ornaments Green Christmas
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Friday, December 10, 2010
Week Five: Lots o' Links!
AH! Life gets in the way of the best of plans doesn't it? I missed a couple of updates, but things have been moving slowly...
Fitness/Weight Loss
I am going to the gym - woo hoo! I actually went to a zumba class a week ago and l-o-v-e-d it! I am trying to find a place to take a cheaper class. The gym I went to didn't offer a pass just for classes, which is a bummer because I don't need a whole gym membership since we have a gym in our apartment complex. I do most of my fitness/weight loss updating on my that's fit blog, which can be accessed here:
http://www.thatsfit.com/bloggers/ashley-wisniewski/
Organization
I cleaned out my closet and it was amazing. Our apartment is tiiiiiiiny. Tiny. Small. Really small, but it works for us. Also, Peter once had a customer that said, "to live like no one else, you must live like no one else." We are willing to make sacrifices now so that we can afford a house hopefully in a few years...more on that later. So, since our apartment is tiny, we don't have actual dressers. You can imagine how difficult this is for me, so my closet needed some major help. It looks ten times better and it's easier to find clothes (imagine that...).
Savings
So, yes, we'd like to buy a house. When? Who knows. Considering we don't have the money for a down payment, it's not likely to be anytime in the near future. Sigh. Oh well, we have been working our tails off figuring out how to cut costs. One way has been to use Swagbucks. I LOVE it. I have been using it since October and just redeemed my 'swagbucks' for my 8th $5 amazon giftcard so that means I've made $40 just by surfing the net, answering a few surveys, etc. If you are interested, the link is:
Also, at the suggestion of my fabulous and spending-savvy little sister in my sorority, I opened an INGdirect online savings account which has a higher interest rate. If you are interested in opening an account, let me know! I can send you a referral link and if you use the link to sign-up (plus have an initial deposit of $250 you leave in there for at least 30 days), you can get a bonus $25! It's really a great way to earn higher interest on your savings, and for you to make $25 - for free!
Now, I have three "piles" of savings opened that just need to be funded: 6 months emergency savings fund, a down payment for a house savings fund and an everyday savings fund. I am about $60 behind my savings goals for where I needed to be this week. I have it mapped out how much I need to save each week to meet my goal for the year so I "owe" myself a little bit of money. Though I am behind, I am 8.5% towards my goal so I am closing in on being 10% there! Woo hoo!
Also, I must give a recommendation to go to my little sister's savings blog! Make sure to visit:
http://ahappysaver.com/ for great tips, recommendations, savings tips and coupons!
Education
Not much has happened on the education front. I did send my advisor from grad school an email putting the bug in his ear for a potential recommendation letter. I will work on my resume as well as personal statement during December/January and get that uploaded asap. Also, I need to request my transcripts. I will feel very accomplished when I have finished the application process.
Reading
I am now three books down:
-Dexter in the Dark (Jeff Lindsey)
-Bright Lights, Big Ass (Jen Lancaster)
-Heart of the Matter (Emily Giffin)
I absolutely adore Jen Lancaster. She is HIL-arious. And she reminds me of, well, me. No, seriously. We have the same birthday, love pearls, our signature scent is even the same (J'Adore Dior) AND we are members of the same sorority (Pi Beta Phi). Her first book is Bitter is the New Black. I assure you that you will love her! Visit her website at: http://www.jennsylvania.com/
Another one of my favorite author's is Emily Giffin. I'm thrilled that they are making a movie out of her first book (Something Borrowed). I literally read Heart of the Matter in one day because I needed to know how the story ended. It was simply wonderful. You can read more about the lovely and talented Emily Giffin at her website: http://www.emilygiffin.com/
I'm currently reading the fourth Dexter book and also started a random book that I found at a book sale, Lost and Found.
Speaking of Books...
Yikes. NaNoWriMo came. And went. And all I wrote were approximately 6,000 words. That's ok. Getting started was part one. Now there isn't any pressure and I have another ten months to create characters and a manuscript I can enjoy.
Until next week!
Fitness/Weight Loss
I am going to the gym - woo hoo! I actually went to a zumba class a week ago and l-o-v-e-d it! I am trying to find a place to take a cheaper class. The gym I went to didn't offer a pass just for classes, which is a bummer because I don't need a whole gym membership since we have a gym in our apartment complex. I do most of my fitness/weight loss updating on my that's fit blog, which can be accessed here:
http://www.thatsfit.com/bloggers/ashley-wisniewski/
Organization
I cleaned out my closet and it was amazing. Our apartment is tiiiiiiiny. Tiny. Small. Really small, but it works for us. Also, Peter once had a customer that said, "to live like no one else, you must live like no one else." We are willing to make sacrifices now so that we can afford a house hopefully in a few years...more on that later. So, since our apartment is tiny, we don't have actual dressers. You can imagine how difficult this is for me, so my closet needed some major help. It looks ten times better and it's easier to find clothes (imagine that...).
Savings
So, yes, we'd like to buy a house. When? Who knows. Considering we don't have the money for a down payment, it's not likely to be anytime in the near future. Sigh. Oh well, we have been working our tails off figuring out how to cut costs. One way has been to use Swagbucks. I LOVE it. I have been using it since October and just redeemed my 'swagbucks' for my 8th $5 amazon giftcard so that means I've made $40 just by surfing the net, answering a few surveys, etc. If you are interested, the link is:
Also, at the suggestion of my fabulous and spending-savvy little sister in my sorority, I opened an INGdirect online savings account which has a higher interest rate. If you are interested in opening an account, let me know! I can send you a referral link and if you use the link to sign-up (plus have an initial deposit of $250 you leave in there for at least 30 days), you can get a bonus $25! It's really a great way to earn higher interest on your savings, and for you to make $25 - for free!
Now, I have three "piles" of savings opened that just need to be funded: 6 months emergency savings fund, a down payment for a house savings fund and an everyday savings fund. I am about $60 behind my savings goals for where I needed to be this week. I have it mapped out how much I need to save each week to meet my goal for the year so I "owe" myself a little bit of money. Though I am behind, I am 8.5% towards my goal so I am closing in on being 10% there! Woo hoo!
Also, I must give a recommendation to go to my little sister's savings blog! Make sure to visit:
http://ahappysaver.com/ for great tips, recommendations, savings tips and coupons!
Education
Not much has happened on the education front. I did send my advisor from grad school an email putting the bug in his ear for a potential recommendation letter. I will work on my resume as well as personal statement during December/January and get that uploaded asap. Also, I need to request my transcripts. I will feel very accomplished when I have finished the application process.
Reading
I am now three books down:
-Dexter in the Dark (Jeff Lindsey)
-Bright Lights, Big Ass (Jen Lancaster)
-Heart of the Matter (Emily Giffin)
I absolutely adore Jen Lancaster. She is HIL-arious. And she reminds me of, well, me. No, seriously. We have the same birthday, love pearls, our signature scent is even the same (J'Adore Dior) AND we are members of the same sorority (Pi Beta Phi). Her first book is Bitter is the New Black. I assure you that you will love her! Visit her website at: http://www.jennsylvania.com/
Another one of my favorite author's is Emily Giffin. I'm thrilled that they are making a movie out of her first book (Something Borrowed). I literally read Heart of the Matter in one day because I needed to know how the story ended. It was simply wonderful. You can read more about the lovely and talented Emily Giffin at her website: http://www.emilygiffin.com/
I'm currently reading the fourth Dexter book and also started a random book that I found at a book sale, Lost and Found.
Speaking of Books...
Yikes. NaNoWriMo came. And went. And all I wrote were approximately 6,000 words. That's ok. Getting started was part one. Now there isn't any pressure and I have another ten months to create characters and a manuscript I can enjoy.
Until next week!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Week Two Update for You :)
Well at least in terms of writing headlines/blog titles, I'm creative. Elsewhere, the creativity is about a big fat zero. Week two went a whole lot like week one...this is a trend that must stop in week three!
Fitness/Weight Loss
Next topic. Though, I did work out at least twice and look forward to working out at least twice between now and Monday (although that would count for week three).
Organization
I spent quite a bit of time organizing my office this week. At my previous job, we had a presentation on 'customer service' and how it related to higher education. In the presentation, the presenter had mentioned that our work space should be neat, organized and presentable. I remember the room filling with laughter. I put away files, organized my bookshelf and straightened out my desk drawers. It actually looks and feels like a grown-up office - minus those big, fake flowers sitting on my desk...and the pink picture boards...and the Pi Phi/Virginia Tech memorabilia...but you get the point :)
Savings
I am so proud of myself! I was paid this week and went through and paid the necessary bills. I then took out cash (yes, Mom, cash!) and put into individual envelopes: groceries, gas, spending money.
While I didn't stay perfectly within my range, I was able to put an extra bit of money into savings. I am at 5% towards my savings goal for the year and on a (hopefully) good track!
Education
I met with the graduate admissions counselor today. The biographical portion of my application is complete. Next will be to request transcripts, recommendation letters and to complete a personal essay. While the program I want to do won't have an actual new cohort until 2012, I can apply and hopefully be accepted to the program and take classes towards my concentration. So, if all goes right, I'll be taking classes in the fall of 2011.
Reading
Fail. Big fail. I didn't finish my first book yet, so I'm officially behind. I will finish my Dexter book this weekend and start either the fourth Dexter book or another book. I am waiting on a Jen Lancaster book to arrive; I thought it would have been here by now. Grr.
Book
Fail. Epic fail. I haven't written one flippin' word on that piece. Sigh...
Alright. So, sometimes it takes a bit of time to get started. Maybe I needed to (very) slowly build momentum so that I have a rockin' week three?
Fitness/Weight Loss
Next topic. Though, I did work out at least twice and look forward to working out at least twice between now and Monday (although that would count for week three).
Organization
I spent quite a bit of time organizing my office this week. At my previous job, we had a presentation on 'customer service' and how it related to higher education. In the presentation, the presenter had mentioned that our work space should be neat, organized and presentable. I remember the room filling with laughter. I put away files, organized my bookshelf and straightened out my desk drawers. It actually looks and feels like a grown-up office - minus those big, fake flowers sitting on my desk...and the pink picture boards...and the Pi Phi/Virginia Tech memorabilia...but you get the point :)
Savings
I am so proud of myself! I was paid this week and went through and paid the necessary bills. I then took out cash (yes, Mom, cash!) and put into individual envelopes: groceries, gas, spending money.
While I didn't stay perfectly within my range, I was able to put an extra bit of money into savings. I am at 5% towards my savings goal for the year and on a (hopefully) good track!
Education
I met with the graduate admissions counselor today. The biographical portion of my application is complete. Next will be to request transcripts, recommendation letters and to complete a personal essay. While the program I want to do won't have an actual new cohort until 2012, I can apply and hopefully be accepted to the program and take classes towards my concentration. So, if all goes right, I'll be taking classes in the fall of 2011.
Reading
Fail. Big fail. I didn't finish my first book yet, so I'm officially behind. I will finish my Dexter book this weekend and start either the fourth Dexter book or another book. I am waiting on a Jen Lancaster book to arrive; I thought it would have been here by now. Grr.
Book
Fail. Epic fail. I haven't written one flippin' word on that piece. Sigh...
Alright. So, sometimes it takes a bit of time to get started. Maybe I needed to (very) slowly build momentum so that I have a rockin' week three?
Friday, November 12, 2010
Weekly Update: Numero Uno
Well, my first week of 26-year-old-awesomeness wasn't exactly full of awesome or productivity.
While I have 10 goals, I've organized them based on themes for the purpose of my weekly updates.
Fitness/Weight Loss
I did work out twice this week - even ran 1.5 mi...at one time, woo hoo! I am almost halfway to my 5k distance! However, the scale was not my friend and it reflected a gain, not a loss. Boo.
Organization
In terms of organizing my life, I did start to organize my recipes and my office - yay! Hopefully I'll have most of my recipes organized by the end of this weekend, and I will clean out my expired coupons, cut new ones, etc. I am going to be putting together a lengthy shopping list for healthy foods for my grocery shopping trip on Monday.
Savings
I 'saved' a whole, whopping $5.10 this week bringing my total saved to $80.36. Yay? And honestly, that was only "saved" because of a program through my bank. It's cool because when I make a purchase, they automatically take the leftover-amount-to-equal-100 and deposit it into my savings account. For example, if I make a $4.50 purchase, they round the purchase to $5. They don't 'give' me the 50 cents, but they take it from my checking account and put it into my savings account. I enjoy it. On the bright side, I'm nearly 2% towards my goal. Ha. Oh well, I get paid Monday and through some savvy spending tips, I'm hoping to be 6 to 8% towards my goal by next Friday.
My savvy spending deal of the week came last night when I used three coupons for Wholly Guacamole products. Originally $3.99 and $4.99, the coupons were for $4.00 each product. I also had a coupon for a $1.00 of an air freshner that was on sale for .97 cents. Throw in a bag of tortilla chips and my whole purchase - originally nearly $18 - was purchased for $4.90. Win.
I also went to annualcreditreport.com and pulled up a credit report. Did you know you are allowed three, free credit reports per year - and I don't mean from the "free" credit report website. Annualcreditreport.com is an actually, legit website (from what I was told by a lawyer) and I pulled my report. I've had some, well, we'll just call them setbacks, over the past year - mainly due to the bright idea I had to buy a condo (not a bright idea...) and I am working to repair my credit. I did pay $7.95 to find out what my credit score is and while it's not very shiny and pretty, it's not totally atrocious. Mediocre.
Education
I printed out information for three different graduate programs: a dprof in organizational leadership, an educational doctorate (Ed.d) in administrative leadership and the requirements for an MBA. My first choice would be the dprof doctoral program; however, both the dprof and Ed.d programs may not be taking a fall co-hort. Cue MBA print outs. We'll see, we'll see...I am reliving conversations from a former grad school professor. I remember telling him MANY times that he was crazy and that I was absolutely, positively not getting another degree. I also told my husband we'd never, ever live in Michigan. Well, I am serious about another degree and we lived in Michigan for a year. Clearly I need to stop saying "100% no" to things :)
Reading
I am hoping to finish my first book of the 26 for the year this weekend. I will make a separate blog posting listing the book titles, once I finish book one :) Currently reading: Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
Book
Oh my oh my am I WAY behind in my NaNoWriMo word count. By today, the 12th day of November, I should be at 20,000 words. Shamefully, I am a measly 5,921 words. And I haven't written since Sunday. And I don't like my plot. And I don't like my characters. Sigh...
And there you have it, the first week down - 51 to go!
While I have 10 goals, I've organized them based on themes for the purpose of my weekly updates.
Fitness/Weight Loss
I did work out twice this week - even ran 1.5 mi...at one time, woo hoo! I am almost halfway to my 5k distance! However, the scale was not my friend and it reflected a gain, not a loss. Boo.
Organization
In terms of organizing my life, I did start to organize my recipes and my office - yay! Hopefully I'll have most of my recipes organized by the end of this weekend, and I will clean out my expired coupons, cut new ones, etc. I am going to be putting together a lengthy shopping list for healthy foods for my grocery shopping trip on Monday.
Savings
I 'saved' a whole, whopping $5.10 this week bringing my total saved to $80.36. Yay? And honestly, that was only "saved" because of a program through my bank. It's cool because when I make a purchase, they automatically take the leftover-amount-to-equal-100 and deposit it into my savings account. For example, if I make a $4.50 purchase, they round the purchase to $5. They don't 'give' me the 50 cents, but they take it from my checking account and put it into my savings account. I enjoy it. On the bright side, I'm nearly 2% towards my goal. Ha. Oh well, I get paid Monday and through some savvy spending tips, I'm hoping to be 6 to 8% towards my goal by next Friday.
My savvy spending deal of the week came last night when I used three coupons for Wholly Guacamole products. Originally $3.99 and $4.99, the coupons were for $4.00 each product. I also had a coupon for a $1.00 of an air freshner that was on sale for .97 cents. Throw in a bag of tortilla chips and my whole purchase - originally nearly $18 - was purchased for $4.90. Win.
I also went to annualcreditreport.com and pulled up a credit report. Did you know you are allowed three, free credit reports per year - and I don't mean from the "free" credit report website. Annualcreditreport.com is an actually, legit website (from what I was told by a lawyer) and I pulled my report. I've had some, well, we'll just call them setbacks, over the past year - mainly due to the bright idea I had to buy a condo (not a bright idea...) and I am working to repair my credit. I did pay $7.95 to find out what my credit score is and while it's not very shiny and pretty, it's not totally atrocious. Mediocre.
Education
I printed out information for three different graduate programs: a dprof in organizational leadership, an educational doctorate (Ed.d) in administrative leadership and the requirements for an MBA. My first choice would be the dprof doctoral program; however, both the dprof and Ed.d programs may not be taking a fall co-hort. Cue MBA print outs. We'll see, we'll see...I am reliving conversations from a former grad school professor. I remember telling him MANY times that he was crazy and that I was absolutely, positively not getting another degree. I also told my husband we'd never, ever live in Michigan. Well, I am serious about another degree and we lived in Michigan for a year. Clearly I need to stop saying "100% no" to things :)
Reading
I am hoping to finish my first book of the 26 for the year this weekend. I will make a separate blog posting listing the book titles, once I finish book one :) Currently reading: Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
Book
Oh my oh my am I WAY behind in my NaNoWriMo word count. By today, the 12th day of November, I should be at 20,000 words. Shamefully, I am a measly 5,921 words. And I haven't written since Sunday. And I don't like my plot. And I don't like my characters. Sigh...
And there you have it, the first week down - 51 to go!
Friday, November 5, 2010
How do you measure a year?
Twenty-six. Overweight. Broke.
Not exactly what I thought I'd have to show for the first quarter of my life, but I'm just thankful to be standing on my own two feet with the man of my dreams and an abundance of family and friends. I am happy, yet there are some very big changes I want to see happen over the course of the year. Therefore, I've decided to set a top-ten goals list for the next year.
1. Save $5,000.
Right now my savings account balances total $75.26. We want to buy a house sometime in the next five to ten years as well as think about starting a family in that same time frame (maybe). I desperately want a house but you need money to buy a house. So, my goal is to save $5000 this year. It's a huge goal, especially all of the expenses that I have, but with smart shopping and cutting out frivolous spending, it is totally doable!
2. Apply to a doctoral program.
Yikes. It's a huge commitment but one that I'm ready to explore. The university I currently work for offers a tremendous tuition credit and it would be crazy for me not to at least apply and take classes towards a doctoral program.
3. Read 26 books.
On my last birthday, I made a goal to read 25 books before 26 and I succeeded! Woo hoo! Time to start reading again for this year :)
4. Fully run a 5k.
I will train, building my endurance (and confidence) and run my 5k before age 27.
5. Get to my goal weight.
I know, I've said it before and I will keep saying it until it comes true. I will reach my goal weight, and I will reach it before I turn 27. I woke up this morning weighing 216.2 and by November 5, 2011 I will weigh 158 - which will be a total weight loss of 100 pounds when (not if) I reach my goal.
6. Make an additional $30 payment each month towards my student loans.
I have over $46,000 in student loans. It's a scary number. It sucks. But, it had to be done and I have two very beautifully-framed degrees to show for it. I know an extra $30 a month won't be much, but it's a start. Starting is the key theme of this year.
7. Make an additional $25 payment each month towards my car payment.
I am almost under $9,000 owed on my car - woo hoo! By paying an extra $25 a month, I will have lower payments in the future, and can hopefully pay my car off sooner.
8. De-clutter and organize my life at work and home.
Geez, I need more organization. I'm not totally disorganized, but I am too much clutter in my life. I will focus on various parts of my life and organize them along the way, such as: my recipe collection, coupons, the kitchen, clothing, files at work, etc.
9. Commit to working out NO LESS than twice a week.
There is no reason why I can't and shouldn't be working out AT LEAST twice a week. I should be working out more than that, and I know it. Thus, I commit to working out at least twice a week.
10. Write a book.
I've said it for so long that I wanted to write a book, I've started a handful of projects and never moved past the first couple of pages. I signed up for NaNoWriMo which is National Novel Writing Month. It is a challenge that asks you to write 50,000 words during the month of November. By starting with NaNoWriMo, I will have a book written before my next birthday. (Note: I didn't say PUBLISHED, I just said I wanted to write a book.)
To achieve my goals, stay on track - and honestly, to stay accountable - I will post a weekly blog (on Fridays) with updates.
Signed, sealed and delivered.
Not exactly what I thought I'd have to show for the first quarter of my life, but I'm just thankful to be standing on my own two feet with the man of my dreams and an abundance of family and friends. I am happy, yet there are some very big changes I want to see happen over the course of the year. Therefore, I've decided to set a top-ten goals list for the next year.
1. Save $5,000.
Right now my savings account balances total $75.26. We want to buy a house sometime in the next five to ten years as well as think about starting a family in that same time frame (maybe). I desperately want a house but you need money to buy a house. So, my goal is to save $5000 this year. It's a huge goal, especially all of the expenses that I have, but with smart shopping and cutting out frivolous spending, it is totally doable!
2. Apply to a doctoral program.
Yikes. It's a huge commitment but one that I'm ready to explore. The university I currently work for offers a tremendous tuition credit and it would be crazy for me not to at least apply and take classes towards a doctoral program.
3. Read 26 books.
On my last birthday, I made a goal to read 25 books before 26 and I succeeded! Woo hoo! Time to start reading again for this year :)
4. Fully run a 5k.
I will train, building my endurance (and confidence) and run my 5k before age 27.
5. Get to my goal weight.
I know, I've said it before and I will keep saying it until it comes true. I will reach my goal weight, and I will reach it before I turn 27. I woke up this morning weighing 216.2 and by November 5, 2011 I will weigh 158 - which will be a total weight loss of 100 pounds when (not if) I reach my goal.
6. Make an additional $30 payment each month towards my student loans.
I have over $46,000 in student loans. It's a scary number. It sucks. But, it had to be done and I have two very beautifully-framed degrees to show for it. I know an extra $30 a month won't be much, but it's a start. Starting is the key theme of this year.
7. Make an additional $25 payment each month towards my car payment.
I am almost under $9,000 owed on my car - woo hoo! By paying an extra $25 a month, I will have lower payments in the future, and can hopefully pay my car off sooner.
8. De-clutter and organize my life at work and home.
Geez, I need more organization. I'm not totally disorganized, but I am too much clutter in my life. I will focus on various parts of my life and organize them along the way, such as: my recipe collection, coupons, the kitchen, clothing, files at work, etc.
9. Commit to working out NO LESS than twice a week.
There is no reason why I can't and shouldn't be working out AT LEAST twice a week. I should be working out more than that, and I know it. Thus, I commit to working out at least twice a week.
10. Write a book.
I've said it for so long that I wanted to write a book, I've started a handful of projects and never moved past the first couple of pages. I signed up for NaNoWriMo which is National Novel Writing Month. It is a challenge that asks you to write 50,000 words during the month of November. By starting with NaNoWriMo, I will have a book written before my next birthday. (Note: I didn't say PUBLISHED, I just said I wanted to write a book.)
To achieve my goals, stay on track - and honestly, to stay accountable - I will post a weekly blog (on Fridays) with updates.
Signed, sealed and delivered.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Liberating Myself From Food - That's Fit
Liberating Myself From Food - That's Fit
EEKS! i'm so excited - it's my first That's Fit Blogger post. Up. Live. NOW! WOO HOO!
(oh, p.s. click the link above to read the said blog, lol)
EEKS! i'm so excited - it's my first That's Fit Blogger post. Up. Live. NOW! WOO HOO!
(oh, p.s. click the link above to read the said blog, lol)
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