Links Lisa Likes - 8/31/13

Another week just zoomed by!

A beautiful day in SF

I think I had something to do every single night... except for Monday. I was feeling sick so I stayed home from work and slept. all. day. It was glorious. Except for the feeling sick part...

I felt a lot better on Tuesday (must have been all that sleep), so I went to work and had dinner with one of my best friends from high school. She's going back to school to get her Master's soon, so I just had to see her!

The BF and I had yet another practice for our side-hustle on Wednesday night. We're teaching some great kids this time around. Sure, it's our side job, but it barely feels like work to us! Sometimes it's hard to come up with choreography, but we both work really well together and we always come up with something that looks good (I'm so biased, but whateva!)

Thursday after work, the BF and I ran a few errands and went grocery shopping for his birthday party.

Us with the birthday boy!

On Friday night, I was planning on catching up on laundry, but I went out to a bar for a last-minute birthday celebration for one of my really good friends. Laundry can wait! (Except for your underwear. Always wash your underwear, kids) Since we didn't want to spend too much money at the bar, we continued the celebration at his house. There's nothing like eating good food with even better people. Come to think of it, there are a ton of birthdays right about now!

Today, I ran a few last minute errands for the party tonight. I also stopped by my friend's nutrition shop to get a new meal plan (fo' free!) because we all know how I need a change!

Anywho, tonight is the BF's birthday celebration! His actual birthday isn't until tomorrow (September 1st), but he wanted to have a chill get together tonight so we could countdown to his birthday at midnight. We're doin' it classy tonight - we're throwing a wine and cheese party! He's actually calling tonight his "grown man" party.

Well, now that I've bored you all with my ramblings, here are this week's links!

But first, I just want to send some thanks to Mo' Money Mo' Houses and Journey to Saving for sharing my Liebster nomination post! (Does that mean people like it when I talk about myself? Hehe ;) ) Also, check out Tonya's and Eva's Liebster posts from when I nominated them. It's always fun learning more about my fellow pf bloggers!

Also, thanks Pauline for including my Simple Things post in her Carnival of Financial Independence last week! If you haven't already, check out her blog and also the other great posts that were featured in the carnival.

If you missed my post at the Phroogal Blog earlier this week, go on and check it out! College: 3 Savvy Ways to Save Money on Textbooks. Again, thanks Jason for the opportunity! :)

Alright, let's get to it!

A 15-Yr. Old Life Should Never End This Tragically - [Luke1428]
A touching homage to a young life.

Being Cheap vs. Being Frugal (aka Smart) - [Budgets are Sexy]
I am NOT cheap! I am just frugal and I want to use my money more effectively.

Celebrate Your Uniqueness - [Budget and the Beach]
It's easy to get caught up in other peoples' success and get jealous. Instead, focus on YOU and all that you've got goin' on!

Change Your Outlook on Life for $29 - [Frugal Portland]
There's nothing like helping those who are less fortunate than you are to help you realize just how great you have it.

The Costs of Tattoos - [Economag]
EM's post hits close to home as I have a few tattoos, myself (hi mom!). If you're thinking about getting one, make sure you don't regret it and make sure you don't go into debt for it!

How to Deal With Negative Feedback - [Single Moms Income]
It's easy to dwell on the negative comments/feedback. Turn it around and do something positive!

The Justification for Failure - [The Simple Dollar]
It's easy to blame others for your failures. But when you can identify what you did wrong, then you can grow from it.

Knowing When Enough is Enough - [CashRebel]
In a society that influences us to keep wanting more, it's difficult to look at money in terms of what is enough.

The Perfect Time to Start Christmas Shopping - [Thirty Six Months]
Buying gifts that will directly help the recipient is one way to give a gift with meaning.

Tailgating on a Budget! - [Monica on Money]
As an avid football fan (let's go Raiders!), I'm still disappointed that I've never been to a game, much less a tailgating party. This needs to change soon, and I'm definitely going to follow these tips when it happens!

Wait, We're Not on Vacation? - [Money and Potatoes]
Just because a big vacation isn't in the budget this year doesn't mean you have to stay home the whole time!

Wanna Feel Rich? Make Margin Your... - [Economag]
Maximize your margin by spending less and earning more.

Why I'm Glad I Have an Emergency Fund - [Club Thrifty]
Everyone needs to have one! Just to have peace of mind when something like this happens.

Why You Shouldn't Always Follow Your Passion for Your Career - [Mo' Money Mo' Houses]
I think a great alternative is to follow your passions as a hobby or a side-hustle.

You Don't Get More Time Later - [Time Management Ninja]
"Someday is the day after never."

You Have to Allow Failure in Order to Promote Growth - [Mom and Dad Money]
There are some things that you can only learn when you fail.

I hope you all have a great, long Labor day weekend! Don't go too crazy on the shopping now...

AMDG,
Lisa

Back to School Money Savers: Save Money on Books

Happy Friday everyone!

I'll be moving my regular "Links Lisa Likes" posts to Saturdays. In the meantime, check out my latest post on the Phroogal Blog!

It’s no secret that going to college is expensive. Tuition has been on a steady rise for the past few years with no real signs of slowing down. Books and other supplies don’t come cheap, either. So here are a few tips I have for current college students (and any student, really) looking to cut costs this year.

Read more at the Phroogal Blog.

Lisa Vs. the Lbs. - Can I Get a Redo?

Lisa Vs. The Lbs. is an end-of-the-month update following my weight loss journey. My goal is to be 135 lbs. by December 31, 2013. Here's last month's post in case you missed it.

Starting weight: 167 lbs.
Last month's weight: 157 lbs.
This month's weight: 160 lbs.

What. The. Heck.

I wish I could tell you all that I've been so good with my workout and my meals, but I would be down right lying. To be completely truthful - August sucked butt (don't even get me started on my financials - seriously, I'll be posting on that next week ;)).

I don't know what it is. Maybe it's the fact that I'm trying to see all my friends before they go back to school. Maybe it's because there were a ton of celebrations in August, leading me to splurge at every single party. Maybe it's because I'm just friggin' lazy.

Yea, that's gotta be it.

Image credit

Truth is, I can give you all the excuses in the world, but I still feel pretty terrible. I haven't been exercising, and I haven't been following my meal plans except for these last few days.

At this rate, I don't think I will be able to make my ultimate goal of being 135 lbs. by the end of the year. Should I change my goal or stick with it? I don't know which is better.

I'm a little overwhelmed right now, so I honestly can't give you any concrete goals for the month of September. What's to stop me from breaking those goals, too? Ahhhhh. All I know is that I can't keep living like this if I want to change. Something has to stop (READ: MY FRIGGIN' LAZINESS).

I've heard it a million times: Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Well, I'm ready for something different. Not sure what it is yet, but hopefully next month's weight update is more positive than this one.

*Sigh*

AMDG,
Lisa

Weekend Recap: An Ode to Chuck

This past weekend was packed! And exhausting!

Taken from my cousin. The beautiful lake at the park!

Friday evening consisted of me, my cousins, and the BF shopping for and prepping all the games/prizes for the next day's picnic. Our parents are in a local Filipino association, and we were put in charge of kids games. We found a pin the tail on the donkey set and a sack race set for pretty cheap. We also had tons of water balloons that were bought from the dollar store, and so were all the prizes!

Saturday morning I had an early morning dentist appointment. I don't necessarily dread visiting the dentist, but it's not a pleasant experience, either. Does anyone else hate small talk in the dentist's chair? Like, what more can I say other than mumbled one-word answers? Also, does anyone else get incredibly paranoid about swallowing your saliva after the fluoride treatment? Like, at what point is it safe? No? Just me? Alright ignore me.

Right after my appointment, I headed home to pick up my mom and auntie so we can head straight to the picnic. Overall, the picnic was successful! I wish I took more pictures. The weather was nice and sunny but not too hot. The kids loved the games, and everyone won!

Us with the birthday boy.

After the picnic, I headed up to Sacramento with the BF to celebrate our good friend's birthday. It's always good to hang out and chill with some great company. Not to mention great food! We also got a tour of his house and I almost fainted when I heard how much he was paying for his own room - less than half of what I paid to share a room in San Francisco when I was still in college. *sigh* Sacramento real estate, man.

Sunday the BF and I had our usual side-hustle practice first thing in the morning. Afterwards, we picked up my brother from our house and headed to Petaluma to celebrate the one year death anniversary of someone very special to me.

His name is Chuck. Most of us knew him as Mr. Ross. I can go on and on about what he has done for me personally. But I will just say that he is one of the greatest men I will ever know. He was a teacher at our high school and his last year teaching was my senior year. He was actually really sick that year, so he didn't get to see us a lot. But he did work closely with our school's liturgy team, which I was a core member of. He was one of the most funniest people I knew, and also the most selfless. When times got stressful in high school, and even afterwards, he would always reassure me of what I am capable of and he would tell me to quit being so hard on myself.

Chuck's nightstand.

I remember visiting him one day (after I had graduated) and I asked him about a picture of me and my fellow ministry friends that we had gifted to him when we graduated. He said he had that picture on his nightstand, right next to him. It's such a testament to how near and dear his students were to him. He died last year unexpectedly after an ongoing battle with his health.

This past Sunday, at the one year remembrance, his wife brought me into his room and showed it to me. A flood of memories came rushing back, but most of all, I felt gratitude. To have a teacher/mentor like Chuck in my life is a blessing that I had taken for granted. Not only did he have a huge impact on ministry in the area, but he also had an incredible influence on the person I am today.

Even up until now, whenever I am overwhelmed and doubting myself, I can still hear him jokingly and lovingly say to me, "Don't be stupid. You know what you can do. So just do it." He still continues to guide me, and I'm sure he has done so for his hundreds of other students.

--
This weekend was full of celebrations. And I am pooped! I hope you all had a great weekend!

AMDG,
Lisa

Links Lisa Likes - 8/23/13

This week just flew by, didn't it? The weather has been confusing, and lately I feel like I'm constantly running out of time. Honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed with my schedule and I don't know what to do about it. I've been meaning to write a lot more lately, but I just haven't had the chance to do so. Here's what I've been up to all week (keep in mind that this is on top of my regular 9-5 job + commute).

Monday:
Lots and lots of laundry! Honestly, I don't even think I'm done. I don't know when I'll ever catch up on this one...
Tuesday:
You know that retreat I served on last month? Well the leaders had a retreat evaluation meeting. We usually do this to see what we liked about the retreat, as well as what we want to see change in the future retreats.
Wednesday:
I caught up with a good friend of mine over dinner.
Thursday:
I had a little dinner date with The BF, we caught up on Big Brother, and we also choreographed some hip hop for our practice this upcoming Sunday (my favorite dance).
Friday:
Our family's Filipino association is throwing a picnic tomorrow and my cousins and I are organizing the kids games. So tonight, I'll be prepping the prizes and the games with my cousins.

Not to mention I have a pretty packed weekend coming up, too! But have you noticed some things are missing here? Hint: working out and meal prepping. I barely have time to take care of myself. I know I have no excuse, since there are tons of bloggers out there who work full-time, post more, AND have kids. I honestly just don't know what I need to do to find balance...

Anywho, I'm hoping that this will pass and things will start to slow down over here. In the mean time, here are this weeks links!

First off, I want to thank Budget and the Beach and Streets Ahead Living for sharing a couple of my articles! I was totally geeking out this week because this was the first week ever that fellow bloggers have shared some of my articles with their readers! It just reassures me that this blog just isn't for me :)

Anywho, here are some articles I liked this week:

6 Unquestionably Better Things to Get Than Money - [Money Help for Christians]
Fear of the Lord, Wisdom, and Family are better than money.

10 Reasons You Should Be Like a Child - [Ask a Young Professional]
Reminds me of Matthew 18: 3-5 :)

Are You Living the Life of Your Dreams? - [Girl Counting Pennies]
What do you want to do for the rest of your life? Are you on the way to get there?

Back to School Giving: Learning to Share Freely - [The Heavy Purse]
I wish I had learned to let go of things when I was younger.

Burn the Obstacles - [Luke1428]
What's holding you back? This really hit home for me.

Creating Your Habit Environment - [Zen Habits]
If your environment stays the same, it's going to be significantly more difficult for you to change.

Letting Money Control You - [Making Sense of Cents]
It's funny/ironic how we let money control us. We need to take back control!

Money Lessons That I Picked Up From Stone Cold Steve Austin - [Studenomics]
Stone Cold Steve Austin was/is my favorite WWE wrestler. Don't judge me.

The Power of Networking - [Diversified Finances]
Networking is an incredibly powerful tool for finding jobs, expanding knowledge, and making friends with the same interests as you.

Reader Stories: How I Paid Off $610,000, Became a Dad and Quit my Job - in 2 Years - [Get Rich Slowly]
I love reading other people's journeys out of debt. Especially if they kick conventional pf advice to the curb and do it their way!

Stop Worrying About What You "Get Back" When You Give - [The Simple Dollar]
I am incredibly guilty of this - expecting something in return whenever I give. But the real value should be in the giving itself.

Taking the Scenic Route - [Mom and Dad Money]
Although the scenic route may take longer than you wanted, you'll thank yourself for the views/opportunities you run into.

--
Don't forget to enjoy your weekend, everyone!

AMDG,
Lisa

Liebster Nominated!

The lovely Anna from Are Ya Gonna Eat That nominated me for a Liebster Award! Thank you so much for the nomination, I'm definitely honored that a writer of a blog that I read actually reads my blog, too!

What is a Liebster Award, you ask?

Well, basically this award is given to up and coming bloggers and nominations are from other bloggers! The word "Liebster" means "dearest" in German. Basically, it's a way for new bloggers to be discovered and recognized. To me, it feels like an unofficial introduction to the PF blogosphere :) Here's a post that further breaks down the origins/rules of the Liebster award.

So here's the deal - once you've been nominated, you have to a) post 11 random facts about yourself, b) answer the 11 questions asked by the person who nominated you, and c) nominate 5-11 blogs who you feel deserve the award (must have less than 200 followers) and ask them 11 questions!

Let's get started, shall we?

11 Random Facts About Lisa E.
1. I am a Bay Area girl at heart! I was born in Oakland, raised in Vallejo, went to college in San Francisco, and now currently working in SF and living back in Vallejo. The Bay will always be a huge part of me.
2. I am a proud Catholic.
3. With that, I'm also the ultimate Catholic school girl - I attended Catholic schools from kindergarten, through elementary school, junior high, high school, and all the way through college!
4. I am incredibly introverted. I know many people who have eventually told me that they were intimidated by me when they first met me because of how I acted around them, but it's really because I'm shy!
5. When I'm watching TV or listening to the radio, the volume has to be either an even number or a multiple of five. I know, weird!
6. I love to dance - I've danced ballet as a child, hip-hop as a teenager/young adult and now I teach ballroom and hip-hop with my boyfriend for special events as my side hustle! I'm looking into learning more, unfortunately there aren't too many classes around me :(
7. My parents were both accounting professionals, so I majored in accounting, too!
8. However, I have chosen not to become an accountant. Instead, I am a financial analyst!
9. My boyfriend is my best friend - we're high school sweethearts!
10. I love reading about personal finance, budgeting, productivity, and lifestyle! Discovering new blogs is my hobby.
11. Big Brother is my guilty pleasure. If I were to be on a reality show, that would be it.

11 Questions From Anna
1) What do you mostly write about and what has been your experience with it?

I mostly write about my personal journey to debt freedom. Originally, I started this blog with the intent to focus solely on my student loan debt, but I decided to expand to all debt (credit card, car, mortgage), net worth, retirement, savings, ministry, and even my battle with weight loss!

2) What are your goals in life?

WOW. Great question. My general goal is to be happy with what I've been blessed with and to make the most out of my talents/gifts. I would love to be financially independent and hopefully I can retire early!

3) What’s your favorite kind of food?

SUSHI. Hands down!

4) If you were able to take a month off and travel, where would you go and why?

It's a toss up between Japan or the Caribbean. I'm a city girl at heart, but I love the beach! Hmm... can I do both? Haha.

5) Are you more of a cat person or dog person?

I used to think I was a both person, but now that my boyfriend has both a cat and a dog, I choose dog! I do love both, though!

6) Describe yourself in 3 words.

Quirky. Hungry. Loving.

7) What is your favorite book?

Oh man, this is impossible! I will say that I'm a huge fan of the Hunger Games trilogy!

8) What is a piece of advice you would give your 18-year old self?

Stop spending so much on shoes!

9) Do you like where you live?

I do and I don't. As I said above, I was raised here, so there's definitely a feeling of "home". But I miss living on my own in San Francisco!

10) On a scale of 1-10, how adventurous are you?

I'm going to be generous and say 6! I'd like to think I'm the adventurous type, but really I like consistency and familiarity.

11) Do you have any financial advice for me and/or others?

In general, I just want others to be aware. It's easy to write off finances as a yucky or boring subject - but that's exactly what gets people into thousand of dollars in debt! Once you're aware of your financials, you can do the fun stuff with what you have!

Liebster Nominees

1. Budget and the Beach

2. Girl Counting Pennies

3. Luke1428

4. Monica on Money

5. Savvy Financial Latina

6. Streets Ahead Living

7. Teaching Down Debt

Questions for the Nominees

1. What's the story behind your blog name?

2. What's your most favorite thing about blogging?

3. Most expensive thing you've bought this past year?

4. What is your guilty pleasure?

5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

6. What's your favorite hobby (other than blogging)?

7. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

8. What is your favorite color?

9. What kind of food do you like to eat?

10. What is one thing you're incredibly bad at?

11. Do you have any advice for me and/or other bloggers who are just starting?

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Well, that was fun! Thanks again to Anna at Are Ya Gonna Eat That for nominating me! Can't wait to read the answers of my nominees!

AMDG,

Lisa

Weekend Recap: Blurred Lines

A couple of months ago, my contacts expired. Unfortunately, I have no vision insurance, so new contacts would have cost me a ton of money. Since I'm kind of on this spending fast, I decided to postpone ordering new contacts until afterwards. But my vision has been giving me some minor headaches lately, so I decided to bite the bullet and order some contacts from Walgreens.com since they just emailed me a 20% off all contacts coupon (not affiliated, just a regular customer).

Not quite, XZIBIT. From QuickMeme.

So I order online, get the order number and everything. Then the next day I get this:

Dun dun dunnnnn

You can probably imagine just how upset I was. First of all, I read the word "denied" as if Suze Orman herself had scolded me. Secondly - I didn't budget for this! I called up my eye care provider and asked how much an exam was. After a lot of beating around the bush, the receptionist finally said it would cost me around $160 without insurance. Ugh.

I would have given up at this point if it wasn't for the fact that my eyes have been bothering me for the past few months. So, this past weekend, I went in for an eye appointment expecting to pull one hundred and sixty buckaroos out of my emergency fund. Fortunately, when I got there, a different receptionist said that I had the option to do a "contacts only" exam for only $60! YAY for more than half off! This contacts-only exam also included a one month supply of sample contacts for free, so I'm glad I went!

Other than that, the past weekend was jam-packed! If you've noticed, I worked on the site a little bit and I also created an 'About Me' page. This template will do for now, but I'm honestly getting a little fed up with my lack of choices on Blogger. I'm thinking of switching to Wordpress real, real soon. Any of you guys have any tips on the switch? I've read this guide on switching over from Michelle at Making Sense of Cents, and I would love any additional feedback you guys may have!

Anywho, that's my weekend recap. How was your guys' weekends? What are you looking forward to this week?

AMDG,
Lisa

Links Lisa Likes - 8/16/13

Happy Friday y'all!

Fortunately, the BART strike over here has been postponed for a whole 60 days! At least for the next two months I won't have to worry about getting up extra early and finding an alternative ride to work.

This week has been pretty good to me so far! We started off with a dance practice for one of our gigs and I completely forgot that we had a payment coming in this week. Yay for unexpected (but really, I should have expected it) money!!!

On Wednesday, I sat in on a webcast by Ramit Sethi (writer of I Will Teach You To Be Rich) about finding your dream job. This guy is super blunt and I love that! There's nothing like good ol' fashioned tough love to help jump start your motivation and drive!

In other news (completely not related to personal finance) - if you're from the Bay Area - Chuy Gomez got let go from KMEL! Bay Area radio will never be the same... But you never know, another station might pick him up!

If you haven't already, please check out my guest post on Phroogal Blog: College: The Best Ways to Pay Down Your Student Loans. Although the focus of my blog has widened to debt repayment in general, the reason I started this was mainly to keep me accountable on my student loan journey! I will be posting a couple more college/school related posts on Phroogal blog in the near future, so keep an eye out :)

There were a ton of great articles this week! And without further ado, here they are:

2 Year Blogiversary and iPad+Cash Giveaway - [Making Sense of Cents]
Michelle, one of my favorite pf bloggers, is celebrating her 2 year blogiversary with a giveaway! Make sure you enter!

Back to School Savings: Go Shopping in Your Own Closet - [Monica on Money]
A lovely reminder that sometimes, you don't need to buy new clothes - you just have to sort through your own to discover clothes you've never worn before!

Challenge: Spend Money with Purpose - [Christian PF]
Every dollar you spend is a representation of the time it took you to earn that dollar. Keep that in mind when you're shopping.

Credit Reports: How to Increase Your Credit Scores Quickly - [Phroogal Blog]
Many friends/family ask me how to improve their credit scores. This post is a great reference!

The Danger of Making Money Your Top Priority - [Young Adult Money]
Accumulating money shouldn't be the goal. It's what you do with that money that will determine what your priorities are.

Deal With Haters: A Lesson from Andre 3000 - [Economag]
Andre 3000 is one of my favorite rappers. I had to share this with you guys!

Financial Lessons We Can Learn From Playing Candy Crush Saga - [Money Q&A]
I admit - I am addicted to Candy Crush. This post takes my two addictions and relates them to each other!

Gimme a Break! - [Debt and the Girl]
Sometimes, there isn't really a "good time" to take a break - you've just got to do it!

How to Make Your Apartment Livable on the Cheap(ish) - [Red Debted Stepchild]
Furnishing an apartment was one of the stressful things in college. But when you look at what you absolutely need, you should be just fine.

Is the Effort to Get Rich Worth It? - [Luke 1428]
You can work long hours and get as much money as you can, but what good is it if you can't even spend time with your family?

What Does God Want Us to Learn in Times of Need and Times of Plenty? - [Money Help for Christians]
When we are in times of need, we learn to depend on Him. When we are in times of plenty, we learn to be grateful to Him.

Why Having Debt is Different - [Money After Graduation]
Having debt is a constant struggle, but I don't regret the lessons I've learned from it.

Your Habits are Making You Broke - [And Then We Saved]
Lately I've fallen out of the habit of bringing my lunch everyday ('cause I'm lazy! ugh). Buying my lunch everyday, no matter how cheap it is, is still more expensive than if I were to bring my food.

*Whew* I think that's record of how many links I can fit into one of these posts! Hopefully I've given you enough reading material to last the weekend, haha. Have a great one!

AMDG,
Lisa

Simple Things

Lately, I've been reflecting a lot. There are moments when I stop, look around, and notice that I'm exactly where I need to be. Usually it's when I'm enjoying the simple things. Like...

A nice warm cup of green tea.

I drink a cup of green tea at work as my midday pick-me-up. I take a minute or two to just sip and enjoy it, and the warmness helps me clear my head. No matter how stressful it gets at work, I always remember to make myself a cup of tea - it's my little moment of sanity.

Currently reading.

A good article/book. 

If it weren't for reading tons of pf blogs, I wouldn't be here writing my own. Reading others' experiences has inspired me to make changes in my life, including the decisions to start tracking my budget and to aggressively get rid of my debts. Every blogger's story is different, and each article/blog is a reflection of that. I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading other blogs - whether they're personal finance related or not. Come to think of it, I don't think I'll ever get tired of reading. Period.

It's rarely sunny in SF!

Clear, sunny, blue skies. 

If there's one thing that the people from the SF Bay Area all complain about, it's the weather! Most especially San Francisco. Having lived in the city throughout my college career, I know what it's like to live in confusing weather - rainy during summer, warm during winter, foggy all the time, etc. So when the sun comes out, which isn't too often, I take it as a blessing! There's nothing like living in the fog to help you appreciate the sunshine.

A kiss on the forehead. 

A simple, innocent reminder of what you mean to someone. It never fails to bring a smile to my face :)

The smell (and taste) of a home-cooked meal. 

July 4th picnic with the fam

I am not a very good cook. I make what I need according to my meal plans, but other than that, I have zero cooking skillzzz. So whenever my mom or boyfriend cooks for me, I can really feel the love in the meal. You can't buy that feeling anywhere, no matter how much you pay at a fancy restaurant.

The company of my family and friends. 

My family and friends keep me sane. Every moment I have with them, I make sure to treasure. Even if we're just sitting around and talking, I enjoy all the conversations, jokes, and little moments that happen.

These things are all very different, but they have one thing in common - I didn't spend a lot of money on any of them. When people talk and live as though money can buy them happiness, I know that it just isn't true. All it takes is for me to focus on the little, simple things that I am blessed to have in my life, and the money/financial stress diminishes.

How about you? What are the simple things in your life?

AMDG,

Lisa

The Best Ways to Pay Down Your Student Loans

I know you've heard it already – “Avoid student loans as much as possible!” and “Don’t go into debt for school!” or “Student loans are such a pain!”

Believe me, I've heard it all as well. But in my case, I heard all of that after I had already graduated college with approximately $20,000 in loans. Just a little late, you could say.

Depending on who you ask, the current average student loan debt hovers in between $23,000 – $27,000 per graduate. That’s a lot of money! And if you’re like me and you’re already stuck with several loans in your name by the time you graduate, hearing advice such as “avoid loans” or “don’t borrow” is just too little too late.

So, what’s the best way to pay down your college loans?

As someone who has been slowly, but surely, hacking away at her own student loans, I've put together a few steps for someone who is about to graduate or has already finished college and wants to get rid of their loans ASAP!

Read more at Phroogal Blog.

AMDG,
Lisa

Links Lisa Likes - 8/9/13

Happy Friday!!!

Photo Credit: WeKnowMemes

This week has been pretty busy for me! Fortunately, the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) strike was postponed this past Monday for 7 days, so commuting this week was pretty normal. The bad part is that the strike will probably happen this next Monday, which means I'm going to have to wake up even earlier to get to work on time.

On Wednesday, I attended a fundraiser at a local Chevy's for one of the ministries that I help out with. It was PACKED with people supporting us! I felt a little bad for the staff since they were so busy, but all in all it was a good fundraiser! After that, me and a few friends sang and played music late into the night. I almost forgot I had work the next day! But it's been so rare for me to jam with them, so I had to take advantage of it!

Lately, I've been making an effort to try and catch up with as many people as possible. I've just been reflecting a lot lately on my friendships, both past and present, and I realized that I need to socialize more. As an introvert, it can get exhausting, but it's good to get out of my comfort zone. I'm the kind of friend that is there when needed, but I get tired when I socialize (I know, it's weird).  But at the same time, I can't keep using that as an excuse to be anti-social. So last week I caught up with some old friends and last night, I had dinner with a friend who works in ministry with me. Yay for friendships! (cue cheesy music)

I also made a pretty small leap in my life this past week. I'm not ready to share the news yet, but I promise I'll fill you all in when everything is set in stone! :) :) :)

This weekend is going to be busy as well. Today I'm having lunch with my cousin's fiancee. Saturday: my friends' son turns one and another friend is throwing a BBQ. Sunday: my bf and I have a practice for one of our gigs, and I'm helping my other friends with their wedding planning!

Here are this week's links!

The 6 Best Ways to Ensure You'll be Broke for the Rest of Your Life - [Everything Finance]

Attachment: The Giving Killer - [Luke1428]

How to Save on Summer Concerts - [Girl Meets Debt]

It Doesn't Matter if it's Someone Else's Fault - [The Simple Dollar]

Let's Talk About Debt, Baby - [MoneyNing]

My Secrets to Spending $0 on Entertainment Last Month - [Retire by 40]

What Could You Do in Four Years - [Time Management Ninja]

Have a great weekend everyone!

AMDG,
Lisa

Who Wants to be a Millionaire?

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article written by Brian from Luke1428 about what to do if you've received a lump sum of money (you can find the article here). On that same day, Trent from The Simple Dollar wrote about what he would do if he were to be the recipient of a large windfall (you can find his article here).

All this talk about extra money got me thinking - what would I do if I were to receive a large amount of money? To make things more specific, what would I do if I were to receive $1 million today?

First of all - I would do a "woohoo I'm a millionaire" dance all over my house. (I've already choreographed this) :)

It looks something like this...

Next, I would take Brian's advice and I would wait. Probably for 6 months. I can already hear you, "6 months?! That's a long time! Spend yo' money, guuuurl!" Believe me - I want to! But receiving a large amount of money all at once will definitely do a number on my emotions, and I can't make sound decisions when my emotions are out of whack! Knowing me, if I didn't wait, I'd run to the nearest clothing store and go cray-cray! Then I'd have the worst case of buyers' remorse. Nope, not gonna happen - waiting will be my friend :)

After my waiting period, I would give 10% right away. Giving is important to me and it always will be, even if/when I become a millionaire. No questions.

Next on the list is paying off ALL debt! Hopefully all of my CC debt is gone by then. If not, those would go first. Next would be my student loans, and my car loan would immediately follow. And you can't forget my mortgage!

After paying off those debts, I would fully fund my Roth IRA and my 401K for the year ($5,500 and $17,500, respectively). I'd probably set aside enough money in a separate savings account so I can fully fund these two accounts for the next year, as well!

Also, I have a ton of short-term and long-term savings goals, such as a (potential) wedding, honeymoon, and moving to the Big Apple one day. I've also wanted to start a business, so I'd definitely save up some capital for its launch. Not sure what business I would start though. I've bounced around the idea of owning my own cafe to being a real estate investor to even owning my own financial planning practice one day. Well, whatever it is, a big chunk of the million will go towards it!

I would also look into more ways to diversify my income. This would include P2P (peer-to-peer) lending, rental income, and investing in dividend stocks.

Now I get to have a little fun, right? I've always wanted to go on a cruise to the Caribbean Islands, so I would do just that! And I would also buy one or two (or five) pairs of Louboutins. I know, I'm a recovering shopaholic, but man... There's just something about those red soles!

From ChristianLouboutin.com

I know, I know... how boring, right? Aside from my vacation and new shoes, I'm really just going to be getting rid of debt and saving up. I know - sooo not sexy. But when all my debt is gone, that just means I have more money freed up every month. Less bills = less stress, in my opinion. Also, having money allocated for different life goals will keep me stress-free when thinking about whether or not I can afford the wedding I want, or the lifestyle in NYC that I've always dreamed of. And to me, financial security is exciting. (Excuse my nerd moment)

What would you do with a million dollars?

AMDG,
Lisa

July 2013 Net Worth

Is it August already?! This month flew by sooo fast! I didn't even have time to prepare this update to be ready on the 1st! I swear, 2013 in general is moving by like the speed of light!

Well, this past month was a really good month for me and my net worth. I'll just let the numbers speak for themselves:

Overall, my net worth jumped up $34,486 this past month - making me worth over $100,000!

Now, before we get ahead of ourselves, I just want to clarify that the main reason why my net worth jumped so much was because of the change in my house value. Also, if it wasn't for my house, I would still be in the red (boo!) But I'll get into that later ;)

A few comments:
401(k): +421
Seeing as my monthly contribution to my 401(k) are approximately one-fourth of this amount, I'd say the gains this month are pretty good! It's always good to see an increase in your balance instead of a decrease, like the ones I had last month.

Roth IRA: +878
Like I said, the gains this month are pretty good! I love it when the market is on my side :)

Est. Home Value: +31,266
It's been about a year since I purchased this home. So you probably figured that I consulted my real estate agent to get an update on my home value, right? Wrong! Honestly, I wasn't going to update my home value this soon, but my real estate agent stumbled upon my last post and corrected me. On Facebook. (Pwned.) But hey, I can deal with any embarrassment that puts me $31,000 ahead in my net worth! I'm down with that.

Credit Cards: (764)
I practically halved my credit card debt this month!!! At this rate, I should be CC debt free in the next month or even the month after. I'm so close to CC debt freedom, I can almost taste it (I imagine it tastes just like cookies and cream ice cream...)!!

--
Whew! What a month! Let's hope August brings more goodness to the financials!

How was your July?

AMDG,
Lisa

Links Lisa Likes - 8/2/13

Happy August, and happy Friday everyone! This week was incredibly busy. I didn't get the time to finish my July 2013 net worth update in time to post yesterday, so look out for that post early next week - I've got tons to share!

10 pts. if you can find me!

I mentioned last week that I was serving on a young adult retreat specifically for high school grads entering college soon. The retreat was successful! I've been doing the personal finance session for years now, but each and every time, I can't seem to get rid of my nerves! Oh well, I hope they learned something from me :)

High School BFF

I had dinner with two very good friends of mine this week. On Tuesday, I had some (affordable!) sushi with my best friend from high school who recently came back from teaching in Memphis. She'll be going to grad school closer to home. Now that she's back, I'm definitely going to be spending more time with her, hopefully she won't get sick of me ;P

Jr. High BFF

Then on Wednesday, I caught up with one of my best friends from
junior high over dinner. She just recently graduated from college and is about to start her career, which she told me all about. So excited for her!

It's so good to catch up with friends from when I was younger. It's comforting to know that we can go months without seeing/talking to each other, and we can still connect on a deep level. Not only that, but to have friends that are motivated definitely helps with my own drive and determination. I'm so thankful for such great friendships. (BTW, do these pictures make me a creeper? Haha)

Oh, also, I officially switched my RSS feed over to Feedly and I'm incredibly happy with this decision! I really liked The Old Reader, but I just got tired of their server and their changing decisions on whether to stay public or not.

Anywho, enough rambling, here are this week's links!

6 Daily Habits of the Wealthy - [Budgets are $exy]
Keeping a running list of all of my tasks keeps me sane! Now, I need to work on getting up early...

Four Years of Growth and Change - [Enemy of Debt]
Paying off debt not only has financial benefits, it'll help your outlook on life and relationships.

How to Use a 30 Day Challenge to Reach Financial Goals - [Money Help for Christians]
I'm definitely considering a 30 day challenge to wake up early (read: 5 am). Maybe next month... Haha

This Blogging Thing is Not Just a Hobby - [Budget and the Beach]
Blogging started off to be as a personal tool of accountability, but now it's become so much more. The PF blogging community is so inspiring!

Uh, it's SUPPOSED to be Hard - [I Will Teach You to be Rich]
It's much easier to make excuses than it is to actually do the work to achieve your dreams.

Enjoy this first weekend of August, y'all! Until next time...

AMDG,
Lisa