January Update...

Howdy!!!

January has been fun and interesting. In 2011, I got baptized for the first time and I started going to Church regularly in September.  When you go through all the things I went through in the past few years, there comes a time in your life when you realize you just can't go about it alone. So, I had to rely on faith because I swear there were times when I felt there was only something or someone Supernatural keeping me on my feet...especially when I wanted to fall to my knees and couldn't get out of bed. Today, I smile! Today, I feel joy! That my friends, is progress and love!

Despite all the trials in 2011, I scored by first ever Distinguished Rating at work. Only about 2% of of employees score this rating so you know I worked my tush off in 2011!!! I volunteered for special projects and really focused on doing an exceptional job in the office. It paid off!!! I got a 4% raise effective at the end of this month. My salary is now $82k and I got a $16k bonus that also pays out at the end of the month. I have a credit card I've been using that I need to pay off and then I will be able to breathe a little easier!!!

Budgeting for 2012 has been a challenge! It seems like all of my expenses are jumping up including my student loans going up another $250 in June and my train pass going up 30%. Budget issues are being passed along to the consumer big time but I am hanging in there. I am going to look into refinancing my home with Obama's new plan which will allow me to take advantage of a lower interest rate without having to ruin my credit or miss a payment. The closing costs are less than $2k so in one year, I will break even if I can reduce my rate from 5.8% to low 4%. 

My boss asked me on Wednesday of last week to fly out on the drop of a dime for business. I was on a flight the very same night. Fun! I couldn't get back on Friday because my flight was cancelled due to Chicago's snow storm so I made it back on Saturday. Since I let my corporate card expire, I had to use my personal credit card so I will be putting in for reimbursement this week.

That's about it my friends. How did you guys do with your finances in 2011? What are your goals for 2012?

2011 Recap and Update…

I know it’s been a while people but I am alive and well!!! 2011 was an interesting year for Chitown. I had some ups and some downs but in the end…I am still standing!!! I suffered a break up, I got serious food poisoning, my grandmother passed away, my father had emergency quintuple bypass surgery and I got the news that I will need another surgery next year. Is that some craziness or what?!?!?!

I started out the year very focused following Dave Ramsey’s program and starting my goal of running a 13.1 Mile Half Marathon. I did well financially for about 9 months and then I went on a mental lapse and put back on some credit card debt. I shouldn’t have but I did. I also put back on about 10 of the 18 pounds that I lost as well.

I ended the year with a $12k improvement in my net worth and down 8 pounds. I finished one half-marathon with a time of 2:33 but got serious food poisoning the day before the second half marathon. I landed myself in Urgent Care for 2 IV’s and a few shots the day before the race. Needless to say, that trip to Urgent Care dashed my exercise program and put me in a funk. I also incurred about $750 in medical bills. So September 11^th, I cheered on my brother-in-law and he finished the race for both of us.

The following month of October on a Wednesday, my Grandmother finally succumbed to Alzheimers and within a few days, my Father landed himself in the ER with chest pains. My world and my mind were spinning!!! We spent the next two weeks in the hospital with him as he went through angioplasty and then emergency quintuple bypass. He is now home and going through cardiac rehab.

So the last four months, I didn’t have the focus for budgeting and I whipped out the credit card and just went with the flow. That’s about it folks. I updated my Networthiq profile so you can see my month-to-month progress through 2011. Just click on the blue chart and it will take you to the site. I also updated my little progress charts on the right bar.

I have to sit down and set some new goals for 2012!!! I am really excited about this year and I hope to come on here a little more often and give some updates. =)

Update...

Struggling a bit and I have to hit the reset button!

All is really well. I haven't gone into any more debt, my $1,000 eFund is still in tact and I lost 17 lbs since April 1st. Not bad. However, my spending has been a bit out of control this month and my eating has been just awful this week. I have to reel myself back in before I start looking at the credit card again and hiding from the scale.

Some of the things I have found difficult are rebounding emotionally from the $1,500 in car repairs and balancing the grocery/food budget while trying to eat better, cook healthier recipes and train for the Chicago Half Marathon. I needed running hear, I registered for races, groceries are expensive, recipes are expensive to make, and quite frankly I am getting really tired of tracking every single dollar and every single WW point but I still do it religiously.

What do I want? To continue losing weight, to be emotionally okay with gradual progress with my finances and weight loss, to keep a smile on my face and to feel good more than I feel bad. That's what I want. I want to be able to have the time, money and ability to focus on what matters most to me and continue to achieve higher levels of happiness.

I still enjoy my job even though it's non legal. I really love the people that I work with and the organization so I am in no rush to leave any time soon. I have been picking up more complex assignments/files and getting opportunities to work on special projects and that will bode well with my annual review and hopefully reflect positively with next year's bonus and raise.

I am down from 180-163 lbs and I am up to running 6 miles. My goal is 140 lbs and to complete the Chicago 13 Mile Half Marathon in September. My debt has declined, my net worth continues to improve and I update my net worth iq chart and the charts in the right column every month.

So...all is well and I am sorry about the lack of posting. It just hasn't been in my heart to analyze every day and week but I am tracking everything and keeping afloat. How have you been readers?

Car and Wed Weigh In...

Today was weigh in day and I weighed in at 171 and reached my 5% goal. Yeah!

I got my car out of the shop yesterday and it is running like a gem!!! =)

I'm Alive....

Hi Everyone!!!

Well it's quarterly reporting month at the job so I am swamped with reporting and two projects. I am trying to keep my head above water.

Exercise and Weight Loss...

I am down from 180-172 lbs...Go Chitown!!! Weight Watchers has been eye opening and I am putting the online program to very good use. As you know, I signed up for the Chicago Half Marathon on September 11th this year. I am moving up to 3 miles on Saturday and I am doing better than expected. My brother-in-law is running with me and we joined a running group that runs every Saturday. It's actually been pretty fun and I am also finally putting my treadmill that I purchased in December 2007 for over $1,000 to good use. I ran on it this morning before work since it's raining today in Chicago.

So....Finances....All is good!!!

I received a Tax Return of $2,100 two weeks ago but unfortunately, I will be shelling out $1,400 today for four new tires and car repairs. First, I am so THANKFUL that I have the money to pay for the repairs. Even if I didn't have the tax return, I would have been able to pay for the repairs with my Emergency Fund and the leftover savings from my bonus in February. I was only saving or accruing in a separate ING account $20/month for auto maintenance and repair. What have I learned?!?! My car is a 2002 and in May of last year, I also shelled out $1,500 for repairs which included new brakes and getting the air conditioner fixed. I have an aging car with ~ 95k miles and no plans to replace it anytime soon. I will need to figure out a way that I can start saving $100/month for car maintenance because the last two years have shown me that there will be maintenance needed but $1,500 for repairs is better than a car note any day.

I haven't been able to stick to the $200/week challenge. For one, $200 is too much for the budget so I had to scale it back. I am going to have to continue making some adjustments to the budget and financial plan but I am happy to report that I have NOT added any new debt, my debt is going down, my eFund is still in tact with a little room to spare and I am 4 months through 2011.

Not bad!!!

March 2011 Recap

Hello All!

Below is the recap for March. I added my comments into the Chart. It was a long month to say the least. I don't have much to add by the way of excuses. I'll let the numbers speak for themselves. Have a great day!!! =)

I'm Alive...

Hi All!!! I am alive and well. I took some time to reevaluate some things and try to get my mind right. I fell off the financial wagon so to speak in March and I wasn't pleased with a lot of things including my health. So, I made a few adjustments but mostly to my mental.

March was a particularly hard month financially because I finally got through all of the birthdays and there was 35 days between pay cycles. It just got harder to budget with birthdays and large expenses to pay. I was transferring money here, there and everywhere and eventually just gave up control. I will post March's recap soon as well as my weekly results for the past couple of weeks.

I've been an athlete my entire life. I played softball since age 8 and earned a full ride scholarship to a Big Ten school. Since graduating in 2000, I joined Corporate America, got used to my sedentary and lazy lifestyle and my muscles slowly but surely got mushy. Now, if I hadn't been an athlete my entire life, I would be at least 250 lbs by now with the way that I eat.

So after feeling a bit down and having zero energy to get through the day, I made a decision to join Weight Watchers, run the Chicago Half Marathon in September and continue playing coed slow pitch softball every Saturday. With running and softball, I am sure to get back in tip top shape.

I joined Weight Watchers Online last week to help me get a grasp of my eating. Jennifer Hudson was a huge inspiration. I have always been a size 12 thinking I could never be an 8 or 6. But Jennifer did it and surely I can do it too. I started at 180lbs and a size 12 and I have a goal of losing 40 lbs. (I know...that's a lot right?!?!?) Even in my most tip top shape as a collegiate athlete, I never weighed less than 160...just solid muscle but my body composition has changed over the years and I believe the goal can be accomplished. Week one is hardly over and I have already lost 6 lbs and my energy level is much higher.

The transition from need vs want and getting more bang for my points has translated a little into my finances. All week long I have been asking myself, is this a need or a want? If I don't spend money on this trip through some fast food line, then I can more bang for my buck buying workout clothes that I need. It seems to be working. We'll see.

More to come...

The Sun...

My goodness!!! It is a beautiful day in Chicago!!! My BFF called me and asked me out to lunch and we walked over to Macy's. I didn't even think about ducking into any buildings or taking the underground pedway. It was just gorgeous outside and I didn't want to come back. Spring is around the corner and I couldn't be happier. =)

On the purchase list soon is a new pair of running shoes so that I can hit the outdoor trails. I have a goal of running a 5k soon and perhaps a half marathon in September but training begins next month.

Playing Attorney...

I got to kind of play attorney today. What do I mean by play when I AM a lawyer?!?!...Well, I got to sit in a room to negotiate a deal with my client, 4 of his attorneys, and 3 on my side. Fun! Not only was I the only female in the room, I was the only black person, the other side didn't know I am an attorney and get this...I held ALL the cards...even more FUN!!! lol

Anyway, the firm I hired on the deal is a firm I would very much like to join one day so as always, I made sure I looked professional and even got several compliments. I held all the cards and I got compliments....Fun, Fun Fun!!! =)

Anyway...it was a good day in the office and since I have to stop by my parent's house to sign off on my taxes, my Mom is cooking me dinner. Yeah Baby!!!

((Chitown is doing the cabbage patch dance at her desk!!!))

Budgeting...

Well I am halfway through March and my first month of knowing what my monthly income will be for 2011 and budgeting. I will say, I am almost over budget already for the month. Actually, I will be for sure today when I pay the fee for my taxes.

My observations are that I need to increase a few budget categories and cut my food & dining budget. I just have to bring my lunch 2-3 times a week. My budget just won't allow for me to eat out that much...period. I hoped that my increase would net a $300 monthly increase but it was just ~$180. With the monthly accruals I set up, I will just have to bite the bullet.

Also, I should have realized that this monthly pay period had 5 instead of 4 weeks. Since I only get paid once a month, I should have changed the weekly challenge to $160/week instead of $200/week. Last but not least, I had to max out my prescription deductible, go to the doctor and go to the dentist this month. I am still waiting to be reimbursed from the insurance company for my teeth cleaning and exam. This is precisely why I like to keep a little extra cash in my bill account.

I went to bed around 11:00 last night and woke up this morning around 5:00. Since I was up, I took the opportunity to straighten my hair which I haven't done since December. Wowza....my hair is long and I can tell it could use a trim which my hair dresser suggested every 8-12 weeks. I am right at ~ 10 weeks now since my last appointment. Maybe I will go the first week in April.

My Mom started talking to me last night about working out which probably means my cheeks are a little too puffy. I really need to get back to working out but I don't feel like doing anything it seems these days. I had to drag my butt off the couch this weekend just to finally fold the clean clothes I let build up in baskets from the past 2 weeks. Spring needs to come quick so I can get outside and run.

Last note...Did anyone watch the Bachelor last night? I did not follow all season but I was over visiting my parents and my Dad does watch the show. So, I got sucked into the final show and finale and felt kind of bad for Brad. You can tell he's not perfect but he looked like he loved Emily a lot so I hope they can pull together. The lesson that I got from last night and it's one we can all learn is that we cannot worry about what other people think of us. What matters is what we think of ourselves.

Have a great day!!!

$200 Weekly Challenge...

First off....I am sending prayers to the people in Japan!!! Please do the same.

Today is Friday and a new $200/week challenge begins.

Here is last week's recap....Total Spent: $176.76!!!



I didn't cook or do much of anything this week. I was in a funk and just making it day by day. I'm not sure what it was but it may have something to do with Chicago's gloomy weather. It's been rainy and dark and I cannot wait for Spring to arrive.

I also think I am just plain tired. Every weekend for the past three weeks, I had plans to celebrate birthdays -- My Dad, Nephew and Mother. I love them so much so of course I enjoyed myself but having plans every weekend when you want and need to relax is tough. I am looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow and cleaning up my condo.

I transferred the remaining money for the week into my personal savings account. If ever the account is over $100, then I will snowball the extra on to debt. Today, it's just shy of $100 at $93.

I also think I am going to start posting some other things on the blog other than finance stuff...just day to day stuff to keep myself interested and hopefully you too. (wink) Have a great and safe weekend. =)

Birthday Survival...

The mass birthday celebrations at the beginning of the year are almost over. We celebrated my Mom's 62nd Birthday on Saturday, yesterday was my Assistant's birthday and housewarming and my Best Friend's birthday is on March 25th. Then I am DONE for a while!

I am passing up on a baby shower on March 26th and I don't want to be invited to another birthday, baby, wedding, house, whatever celebration for a while. lol My gift fund is depleted!

I am feeling a bit anxious about attacking Group D and at the same time, I am feeling uneasy about giving away any more cash. I am toying with the idea of trying to devote $25 of my $200 weekly allowance towards debt repayment. That would mean an additional $100/month towards repayment of Group D.

$200 Weekly Challenge...

Today is Friday and a new $200/week challenge begins.

Here is last week's recap....Total Spent: $254.10!!!



I knew I was going slightly over the $200 threshold but then I needed to get a prescription filled and that took me way over the $200 mark. After this month, I should have hit the $100 prescription deductible so my prescriptions should be $10 for the rest of the year.

I use Bank of America's keep the change program with my personal checking and savings account. I started with about $100 in the savings account and it fluctuates depending on the week. The $100 somewhat acts as an overdraft. Today it's at $68. Every time I use my debit card, the amount is rounded to the nearest dollar and deposited into savings.

I got some good news at the doctor today. I don't need surgery right now or more meds!!! That made my day and I needed some good news. =)

I am going to workout tonight and that will make 3 workouts for the week. I admit that I didn't eat so great this week but hopefully next week is better. One thing is for sure, I didn't eat any worse than any other week and I added in some exercise so that is a step in the right direction.

BTW...I went to see the movie Hall Pass on Tuesday night. Hilarious!!! Have a great weekend. =)

February 2011 Recap...

Well, I am two months into the year and I am still doing well. This was my annual bonus month so I was able to pay off a few debts and put a small amount of cash to the side. It was a good month overall.

There were 4 - $200/week challenges in the month and I blew it one month after wandering in the grocery store. Won't happen again. I also bought some much needed toiletry items and put away a little cash so that I can pay for some upcoming expenses. I have annual doctor and dentist appointments coming up which require co-pays and upfront payment. My insurance company will then reimburse me at the "reasonable rate" for services. What that means is that I don't get all of my money back. I also have to pay the fee for my taxes. That's about it for now.

It was a good month. My net worth is moving in the right direction and I expect it to move in a positive direction every month from here on out. I am also going to begin putting any excess cash from the $200/week challenge towards debt so Group D's balance should start going down.

$200 Weekly Challenge...

Today is Friday and a new $200/week challenge begins.

Here is last week's recap....Total Spent: $176.97!!!


I put all those groceries from last week to use and didn't eat out much at all. I did need a few toiletries but that was it for the week. I just started accruing for auto maintenance so I didn't have enough in savings. Therefore, it came out of my weekly allowance. No biggie. I am glad I had the additional funds and that I was able to refocus and bounce back from last week. =)

Fresh Start...

I need a fresh start. I am feeling a bit restless. I need to get some things together so I can really make some progress in all areas of my life...not just my finances.

The last two days have been tough. I haven't been feeling well so I finally made the doctor appointment that I have been putting off for a few months. Why? Well, I have a condition that will require either 6 months of medication (which happens to send me into temporary menopause) or surgery. I will find out next Friday what the doctor will suggest. Since I want to have children one day, I am leaning more towards the aggressive side. I already had the surgery once in the summer of 2005 so I am not afraid but all surgery is not only dangerous but costly. I will keep you guys posted.

I spoke briefly before about getting into shape. Well, I am going to start back on my exercise program that I did in late 2009 before I hurt my knee. It's a 90-day at home workout program that I loved called P90x from Beach Body. It was fun, I could do it at home and it worked. If I need to have surgery probably this summer, then I will want to get into the best physical condition possible.

Here's my plan:

- Drink 64oz of water daily
- Limit soda to one can a day (yesterday I had 3 -- don't judge me!!! lol)
- No dieting but eat more protein and fiber
- Complete the workout plan with a minimum of 3 workouts per week
- Eat breakfast - lately my breakfast is coca cola and a granola bar (maybe)
- Take my multivitamins with a good dose of Vitamin D

My finances are not in bad shape and they're getting better. Today is pay day so I closed the books on February. I landed in the Black again which is not surprise since it was bonus month. I messed up one week but I paid off three debts and I have a little left over which is good because I have to pay the fee to file my taxes and I have to pay upfront for my dental appointment which gets reimbursed at the approved amount.

I will finally be able to breathe after today. I will finally finish these quarterly reports at the office. My nephew turns two this weekend so I know I will be making my way to Toys R Us tonight or tomorrow to get the little guy something. So, that's about it for now.

How is everyone else doing? Let me know. =)

$200 Weekly Challenge...

Today is Friday and a new $200/week challenge begins. Thank goodness because I blew it last week.

Here is last week's recap....Total Spent: $467.74!!!

There isn't a lot of commentary to add other than what I learned last week.

1. I am an emotional shopper. This isn't a big news flash but I was sick last week and I just didn't care enough when I should always care more.
2. I didn't plan to be away from home and I was for a few days which means I didn't make or take my lunch with all of groceries that I purchased.
3. I have to slow down and remember the framework I put in place. I have savings set aside for clothing and gifts. So, I have to remain present in the moment, transfer the funds on my phone, and pay with the right debit card.
4. I need to only purchase what I NEED at the grocery store. I need to make a list for the week and stick to the list. I got into the store and it was the first time I was out of the house for days and I just wandered around and picked up stuff that I probably won't use for weeks to come. Since I am a single gal, I only need to buy what I need for the week and that's it. It should hardly ever amount to more than $25-$50/week and the high end only if I need toiletries.

I was reading this month's O Magazine issue and it deals with De-Cluttering your life. The particular article was called "The Buying Diet" and it mentioned the grocery store Gruen Transfer where the store creates a quasi hypnotic state and you end up buying more than you intended. Check out the article. It was good and eye opening. The Buying Diet.

Crazy Weekend...

I went bananas this weekend and spent a ton of money!!! I blew the $200 challenge out of the water and not in a good way.

I spent $217 just on groceries. I looked in my fridge and I had my Brita water container, butter, cheese and 2 bottles of almost expired salad dressing. That's it. I even ran out of staples.

So, I went grocery shopping and I got some staples like frozen chicken and fish and little odds and ends to make bringing my lunch and making dinner possible and a little more appealing.

$200 Weekly Challenge...

Today is Friday and a new $200/week challenge begins.

Here is last week's recap....Total Spent: $202.92!!! =)

I admit that I did not go grocery shopping at all this week. With the day ski trip last Saturday, the Superbowl in Sunday and working late nights this week, it didn't happen. On the flip side, I don't think it made a huge deal in the overall numbers for the week. Last week's food and groceries totaled $64 and the week before that it was $80.

I really came in at $175.81 for the week. The gloves that I bought to go skiing should have come out of my clothing/shopping fund but I was rushing and forgot to transfer funds on my iPhone with ING so I just used my regular debit card. I could of transferred the $28 dollars back into my account but I just bit the cost out of my weekly budget and kept it moving.

Another good week!!!

Chitown Down...

I caught a cold. Darn!!! The sniffling, the blowing, the sneezing and the coughing...Arghh!!!! Thank goodness this work week is almost over.