After a consultation with my doctor about my lousy digestion, I started Whole 30, which eliminates many known gut-destroyers. Namely legumes, dairy, sugar, wheat, grains, alcohol, and probably grain alcohol, etc. I can eat vegetables, fruit, meat, and some nuts. The saving grace is that I can drink coffee. It’s been two weeks and I’m doing well sticking to the program, though I ate out a few times and I can’t be...
Read MoreThe problem with thinking you’re eating healthy is that inevitably every bad decision catches up with you. The problem with actually eating healthy is that when your gut rebels you can’t be sure of the reason. A few weeks ago I went to the doctor because I had a spate of meals that ended with me curled on the bed in severe pain. The doctor suggested an elimination diet in order to see if the problem persists, and, if not,...
Read MoreI used to be a runner. About 5 years ago I regularly signed up for 5Ks and two very memorable times ran half marathons. The Napa to Sonoma half was memorable because wine. The Wisconsin half was memorable because hypothermia blankets. Then I got sick and fell out of habit. Well, I’ve decided that one of my physical health goals this year is to run again regularly. So I’ve been using the C25k app to get back into fighting...
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As I watch my little orange kitten separate a stack of boxes with his paws and attempt to shred every one with his little tiger teeth it occurs to me that everyone’s gotta have a goal. Otherwise, what are we living for amirite? Well, this year is the year of physical health and in order to properly track my achievements I gotta start with a goal. Four of them to be exact. In no particular order are 4 attainable, measurable goals...
Read MoreI’m going to be blunt. Not because I particularly like sharing every detail of my life (despite the evidence of this blog suggesting otherwise), but because I hope the steps I took to gain financial health may help others who are struggling. It’s not easy to admit that I didn’t always have my shit together and that I’ve made some mistakes. I wasn’t one of those people who was born knowing about amortized assets. And don’t be fooled...
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In previous posts we talked about budgeting and how we can save, pay down debt, and contribute money into a retirement account all at the same time. To recap: pay yourself first (i.e. automatic deductions into retirement at least up to company match), then take care of high interest debt first and as quickly as you can while saving a little something. Re-calibrate these percentages as you pay off debt and have more to put into...
Read MoreIn the last post I talked about setting up your budget so that you can save for retirement, build an emergency savings plan, and pay off debt all at the same time. What I didn’t mention is that when I have a plan I am a very impatient person. And even with my budget designed to do all three magical things at once I wasn’t paying off my debt as quickly as I would like, which led me to…getting a second job. The real...
Read MoreOne thing I struggled with when I set up my budget is deciding how much money I put towards debt and how much I put towards emergency savings and retirement. As I said before, I automatically set up my retirement deductions based off my company match. That money leaves my paycheck before I see it, so it’s easy to make a budget without it. The next thing I did was start a savings account. Knowing I had more debt to pay off I started...
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