I am moving!!!

I received word on Friday that the job I applied for in Detroit is going to be mine!!! Yup I am going back home! This is the most exciting news I have gotten this year and I am really looking forward to returning to my roots.

I moved to Lansing, MI about 7 years ago and its been a journey to say the least. I really do thank God for putting me in position to grow here, because had I not, I wouldn't have realized my full potential. I have obtained some amazing friends now family in my book and while I am going to miss them I am hopeful about the possibilities that will arrive from being home.

Though I have heard a lot about Detroit being one of the worst cities to live in, I don't at all doubt that I am going to be just fine.

I don't know where I am going to live yet but I am hoping I can find a reasonable apartment for me and my brother so I can be minutes from work and he can be close to school. I am excited about what 2011 has in store, Debt freedom and Detroit? WOW I couldn't ask for anything better (right now lol).

I can't wait to start my new job!!!!

Budget Randomness

One thing that has happened to me over the last few years of getting out of debt, is that I have become a total budget nerd. I adore my spread sheets, and e check book registers more than I enjoy eating cake (no exaggeration). My snowball has been at a stand still since around April of Last year (when I brought my car) which means I haven't really paid much, but I still know exactly where every dime went. Some people don't understand the power of knowing but I do. I honestly believe had it not been for my spread sheets I would have given up long time ago. You see my budget sheet allows me to see where I have been and where I still have the potential to go. Knowing the possibilities is a great motivation.

So while at the end of the year it may seem like NOTHING has changed, a hard look at the budget speaks to the real truth. Last year, I purchased a new used car, took SEEEEEVERAL TRIPS to visit friends and family, went on a healthy binge which caused me to spend lots of food money, and gave more freely than I ever have in the past. Am I happy Im still in debt?? Not exactly, but at least I can say I KNOW where my money went, because as they say its half the battle.

I have been thinking of how I could get out of debt by June a LOT. Its nothing quite nice about half the year sneaking up on you and being in the same place you started regarding debt. This pesky student loan has been lingering HARD, and I swear its like every time I look at the balance it has gone up! Matter of fact I KNOW its gone up because my statement reveals I paid $1,150 in interest alone! Anyway, I don't want the year to go by this time without me being able to scream I'M DEBTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Now that I don't have a home hanging around my neck, I really don't have any reason NOT to get it done. Yesterday I got a refund from my insurance company for $700 plus dollars and man was I stoked because I had no idea it was coming! I was originally going to buy a new t.v and xbox 360 (yea i know) but having this new money makes me want to really put it towards something useful. Between that, a small refund, and some savings I should be able to pay off half of my $10,000 student loan balance by the end of March.

One of the things I did with my spread sheet (yep back to that) was separate my e checkbook into months instead of having it all on one sheet. I needed to see a better view of how much I was using my debt card in a months time. Last year was nuts, because I had over 800 debt transactions for the year. To me thats totally crazy but imagine that debt being a credit card?? YIKES!!! Anyways, seeing each month broken down will help me curb my spending, because I certainly don't want to see 800 ever again in life!

In January I had 50 total transactions. If I stayed at that pace I would still be on track to having over 600 debt transactions and I don't like that either. I'm not going to give myself a limit but I am going to try to use cash more which will force me to pay attention.

1 second later........................ Ok so I really am a nerd so I HAVE to give myself a number!!!! 15 will be the magic number for the month of Feb if I miss the mark, I will put myself on amazon punishment lol.

What are you doing to make sure you stick to the budget??

Gratitude Friday & High Performance Achievement

This is a repost from March that Brad over at EOD reminded me about so I thought I would share it. Enjoy!

When I was at the Dave Ramsey live event we picked up this audio cd of Dave at a meeting for his employees. The tape was so great I decided to share the 8 Steps outlines on the tape in my opinion on how they work.

1. Establish a big, hairy, audacious goal - In the tape the goal was running a 26k marathon. In my case its becoming debt free by October.

2. Plan out in the incremental steps that will lead you to accomplish your BHAG- To become debt free I have taken on what is called the baby steps: baby emergency fund, debt snowball. Both have worked great in the last two years and I believe working the baby steps is by far the best plan out there but it only works when you get intense!

3. Find people who have accomplished the same or similar goals and find out how they did it - At first I didn't have a support group or anyone I knew that was on the same path now I have Brad over at enemy of debt (he is debt free and awesome) and a host of other people that are in the PF blogging world. Talk about motivation!

4. Heed the warning from the experts, but don't dwell on the negatives - Some warnings I have found about becoming debt free were: have a blow fund which I didn't listen too and still have problems with it sometimes. As far as the negatives I can think of any but in Daves case they told him to pace and sometimes he wouldn't and also that he would quit at the 2o mile mark, which he didn't!

5. Decide what you are willing to sacrifice to hit high-performance achievement - This was a big one for me, over the last few weeks I figured out getting out of debt was most important to me. Working at the salon is secondary, even dating is not so high on the list (scary right) but I made the choice to put debt first, when this is over I can move on to another BHAG!

6. Keep away from negative people and get around positive influences - Trust me this has been so detrimental to my success. The better things get the more I realize how much I need positivity in my life. Its important to have your own personal cheer team because right when you are ready to quit the cheer team is yelling YOU CAN DO IT!

7. Visualize your plan in your mind repeatedly - I see myself being debt free all the time and its so cool to feel a taste of what it will be like when I become debt free I just can't wait!

8. When you win, enjoy it! Celebrate - I plan too!!

Thank God I'm Married...

Pastor Eric Thomas is one of the most dynamic motivational speakers I have ever met! He came to my church I believe it was last year for fathers day to speak and all I could say was wow. He has a link on youtube called "Thank God its Monday" and each Monday he gives an encouraging message so you can start your week off great!

This message about marriage happens to be my favorite since I am a big fan of marriage especially happy ones. I am not married yet, but one day I do hope to take on the Mrs Title. Today I am happily single but even as a single this message spoke to me not just about my future but my current state. Pastor Thomas talks about being the person you desire your spouse to be. So basically if you want to see them cook for you, then cook for them. If you want them to be romantic, YOU start being romantic first.

Marriage can be hard but I promise if you listen to this message you will begin to think differently. Check him out!

I am Soul Purpose Newest Consultant

A lot of great things are beginning to unfold in my life and I am so excite to share it with you all. First things first I entered to be apart of enemy of debts DEBT REDUCTION CHALLENGE! Its going to be the first ever blog meets reality series and I am so excited. Brad is one of the first friends I met while starting my debt free journey and I have watched him do amazing things. He has a great passion for helping people get out of debt and really if you are around him enough you WILL catch the get out of debt bug.

I don't know when the contestants will be announced but If I am picked I will get to blog about it via VIDEO along with a chance to win $1,000 towards my snowball!! I mean can it get any cooler than that?

In other news, I recently interviewed for a position with the Department of Labor for the State of Michigan...... IN DETROIT!! If anyone knows me its been my 6 year goal to move back to Detroit to begin helping my community rebuild as well as live out my debt free goals. I know Detroit isn't in the greatest of conditions but when its all said and done home is really where the heart is and whenever I go home my heart just grows fonder, even in the state that its in. If I don't get the job, I will be a little sad but I have already resolved in my mind that 2011 is going to be a great year no matter what!!

Last but certainly not least I have just become a consultant for SOUL PURPOSE!! I absolutely ADORE the products and my favorite among everything is the Brown sugar (like me body scrub). I swear on everything I own this is the best body scrub in the history of man kind (no exaggeration). In efforts to beautify myself and make some extra cash in the process I have become a consultant. I am super motivated and excited to begin promoting a product and business that I stand by 100%. If you would like to know more about soul purpose feel free to contact me at www.kimike.soulpurpose.net and I will be happy to help you!!

Im so excited about new business ventures that cost less than $50 dollars to start, friends who are supporting me, and living out all my dreams. As Dave says, live like no one else so later you can LIVE like no one else!!!

Is 2011 treating you right?

My home was sold!!!

The last time I blogged I wasn't in the best place in my life but I am feeling a whole lot better. My home sold December 23, 2010 two days before Christmas. Talk about a wonderful gift right? My debt seems like its not moving even though I have been paying it... strange I know. I trashed my laptop shortly after I wrote my last post here and I now have a new one as of a month ago. So I am really excited to write again. I didn't know when the inspiration to write would come back but I'm glad its here. For a while I thought I would just wait until I became debt free but then you guys would miss all the fun and excitement in between!!!!

For Christmas I went to Chicago to visit my dads family which includes cousins, great aunts and my favorite lady my great grandma. For new years my mom, brother, and I went to New York to watch the famous ball drop. We had the most fun and it was great time with them both.

So I am back for good and I am so looking forward to paying off this last bit of debt. It keeps stalking me but I'm getting a ppo out on it and promise If it returns to my door step I won't be liable for what happens to it!!!

what have you guys been up to??

Going "Write" Through It

I am back this time with a vengeance and I got a pen in my hand! Blogging at times can be your worst enemy when you are feeling down or it can be your best friend when your feeling up! If your me however I am deciding to write myself through these hard times. Certainly I am going through some things but the fact still remains Im here and that alone is enough to write about.

So through these next few months and year I will be back to blogging for as long as my thoughts inspire me to do so. I have no idea what about but I will have something to say. When I first started this particular blog the goal was to journal my financial experience but it was also to inspire others who face similar financial struggles. Truth is you just can't always write about the good and leave out the bad because there will always be some. But hopefully my issues financial and non financial inspire others to at the very most KEEP HOPE ALIVE! (I thought that was funny).

Currently I am working on getting an interview with the author of "Girl make your money grow" Gail Perry Mason" My desire is to have her come speak at my church which I think would be amazing! I just had a light bulb moment, I could do a panel of financial guru's kinda like Oprah's debt diet at my church!!! (writing that down).

Other than that, my debt snowball is at a stand still, Im in between fighting being an utter mess and well you know that comes with plenty retail shopping. Hey don't judge me lol. Seriously being able to just buy something is allowing me to have one less thing to worry about. Yes I still keep tabs on my money but paying down debt is the last thing on my mind. ITS ON MY MIND, its just not at the front! The year is winding down and I just as soon figure that I will bring in my student loans right under 10,000 into the new year and work on some new avenues of income to push it along once I get my ball back to rolling.

Haven't heard anything regarding my home being sold but I am still praying I get the call really soon. Thats all I have for today but there is certainly more to come with a focal point of course......

whats on your mind????