Posted on: July 16, 2009 by Matt
For the past year and a half or so I have been smoke free and my personal life has been relatively free of smoking. However – lately a number of factors have been edging me a bit more toward the edge of starting to smoke again. It has been quite a while since I have had any major cravings but the past 4 to 6 weeks has been relatively difficult. Rather than go into details about all the personal stuff going on I think I will just try to remember some of the reasons I have not to smoke:
- Smoking is expensive: At nearly $7 a pack I really do not want to start again. A $7 – $14 a day habit adds up really quickly.
- Smoking is bad for your health: When I quit before I felt like I had charcoal inside my lungs. I now feel like my lungs are a bit cleaner and I can actually handle physical activity without getting winded. These were just the effects that I could notice easily – I am sure that there were plenty of effects that I was not aware of as well.
- Smoking would effect my going to the gym: I have been working hard the past 6 months or so at getting into better shape. I need to remember that smoking will inhibit or possibly halt my progress.
- The kids have never seen me smoke: Or drinking, or drunk for that matter and that means a lot to me.
- Quitting is hard: Ask anyone who has tried or is currently trying to quit. It is not fun and I have no desire to go through that again. I would also like to thank President Obama and Single Guy Money for making me think about just how hard it is to quit again.
I suppose that over time the cravings will pass again and I will be better off for not smoking. I also find it very helpful to write about the issue rather than just sit with it. Something about saying / writing it out helps to curb the cravings a bit too!
Posted on: June 18, 2009 by Matt
Back in the beginning of the year I posted on some of the things I am looking forward to in2009 and considering that we are now about half way through the year I figured I would post an update of where I stand. The past few months have been pretty interesting and quite a bit has happened so I will get right down to it.
- Getting back in shape: I have been going to the gym for 5 months or so now. Lately I have been getting up early in the morning and going to work out four or five days a week. My gym is closed on Sundays thorough the summer so I am really only missing one or two days per week that the gym is available. Since the gym closed for Sundays a couple weeks ago I have been working to get outside and do something on Sundays as well. Overall I now: get a pretty good amount of exercise, have quite smoking for over a year and do not drink. My diet is still a bit unhealthy and I tend to overeat and have a sweet tooth but I am making progress.
- No more car payments: Next month will be my final full payment followed by a half payment in August and that will be done. I am very much looking forward to not owing money to my ex-girlfriend any more and am looking even more forward to having the extra cash every month!
- Giving my site a new look: I have changed my theme twice and am thinking I will settle with this one for a little bit. So far so good I think.
- Paying off my credit card: I no longer carry a balance on my credit card from month to month! I am still getting to a point where I do not spend at all on it but my balance of nearly $2,000 that was carrying over and accruing interest fees is now gone!
- Rebuilding my savings account: I am getting there. I have my own little emergency fund challenge for 2009 running to give myself some public incentive and accountability to get my savings account back in shape. Right now I am up to $250 in the emergency fund and am aiming to reach $1,000 before the end of the year.
So far 2009 has been a pretty productive year and I am really looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up. I am hopeful that my personal financial situation will continue to improve. My girlfriend has also been taking some pretty impressive steps to improve her financial fitness as well and has impressed me with her ability to reach her goals as well. I think that right now she has more in savings than I do and was telling me the other day that now that she has the money in savings she does not want to touch it. Needless to say – I am proud of her and am awed by her ability to accomplish her goals.
Tags: Debt, Debt Reduction, Goals, Health, Personal Finance, Relationships, Savings Filed Under: Debt, Debt Reduction, Goals, Health, Planning, Relationships, Savings
Posted on: June 17, 2009 by Matt
I have been thinking a fair amount lately about the US and why we do not have a universal health care system. The thoughts are probably coming from recently watching Michael Moore’s film Sicko along with my own personal need to get out and see a doctor for a check up. I have not been to a doctor for a routine physical for about 10 or 11 years now and currently dread the idea due to having out of pocket costs. I have recently opened up an HSA to set money aside for doctor visits and do have insurance but it is designed to only cover expenses after a $2,000 deductible is met. Overall my whole experience with health insurance has been pretty jaded. Even when I had “good insurance” that included low co-payments the policies were overly complicated, riddled with loopholes and required the use of certain providers. I have also heard stories of denied claims and families unable to cover the costs of covering all members.
Something about being denied access to your health or the health of a family member really just rubs me the wrong way. Insurance companies benchmark the “success” of a medical director based on the number of claims that they can deny to increase profits – ridiculous…. I just can not believe it. Health care should be as readily available to people as emergency services – the fire department does not let your house burn down because your home owner’s insurance did not pre-approve your claim. Why should anyone have to put their health at risk or suffer simply because an external company (or lack there of) decides they should?
I know that to many people out there that the socializing of health care is a pretty scary thought. People are worried about increased taxes, more national debt, decreased health care, outdated technology, inadequate facilities, etc. The fact still stands that we are the only wealthy, industrialized country that does not offer our citizens universal health care. So here is my question: If every other industrialized country in the world can offer universal health care to its citizens then why can’t we? The majority of these countries offer free to very low cost health care to citizens and have longer life expectancies, lower infant mortality rates and generally healthier people.
My answer to my question above: Greed. I think that insurance and pharmaceutical companies along with most of the health care industry and even our own government have let their want for more money to take a higher priority than the health of the nation as a whole. For those of you that disagree and think that we have a wonderful system in place I say just wait until it effects you personally. Eventually it will and even the most conservative will end up seeing the flaws with a for profit health care system. I am personally glad that I have not been effected yet and am hopeful that my family and I will never have to face a medical condition that goes unchecked.
Posted on: June 8, 2009 by Matt
Last night my girlfriend and I were watching a show called Taboo that featured a segment on the Freegan lifestyle. Freeganism is an anti-consumerist lifestyle choice that focuses on living as inexpensively as possible. From what I could gather – they lifestyle consists largely of not buying anything and gathering your belongings and food from other people’s trash. The segment included clips of people foraging through dumpsters digging up all sorts of food including:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Meat
- Breads
- Soda
Basically – you name it and they were dumpster diving for it. It was like frugal living taken to the extreme.
Now – to be totally honest: I have on occasion picked a couple of items in the past out of the trash. Mostly a piece of furniture here or there that was left next to the dumpster. My first entertainment center came from a neighbor that was throwing one away. I figure if something is in good condition and I have a use for it then why not? One person’s trash is another person’s treasure right?
However – the thought of digging through dumpsters looking for food never really crossed my mind. The folks on the show seemed to pull quite a bit of decent looking produce out of dumpsters and they claimed that they have not ever gotten sick from the food. They also noted that they do wash all food that they gather through a bleach mixture prior to cooking and eating just to make sure any nasty bacteria are killed off. I found the idea rather intriguing but also a bit dangerous with some possible serious health risks (hazardous or medical waste in the dumpster with your food? Not for me).
On the other hand – I did start to think more about how wasteful we are as a culture. We throw away a lot of food on a daily basis that is perfectly good for consumption and I would like to see that diminish a bit. The concept is great for those that do not mind gathering their meals from the trash and I think the concept is somewhat admirable – just not for me and my family.
Posted on: June 1, 2009 by Matt
During a recent discussion with my employer I was informed that due to our high deductibles that we have the option to enroll in a health savings account. After giving it some thought I opted to take advantage of setting up the account so that I may be a bit more encouraged to keep up on my proactive health checkups.
Currently my insurance coverage requires the first $2,000 to come out of pocket 100% as a deductible prior to any coverage. Once the deductible is met then the plan will cover 100% of expenses. Overall the HSA appears to be a pretty good deal and should help me take better care of myself (which I largely neglect due to cost). So far the benefits I am aware of include:
- My employer will make a $50 deposit per month provided I have an automated contribution made.
- My contributions are tax deductible up to $3,000.
- Withdrawals from the account are tax free when used for eligible medical expenses.
- The account does not appear to have a “use it or lose it” clause.
- Eligible items include many services and products that I either currently use or have used in the past. So in addition to doctor visits I know there are a few other services I will take advantage of.
For the most part – I do not really see a downside other than a slightly smaller paycheck each pay period. The money does go into an account that will allow me to make doctor and dentist appointments (which my girlfriend regularly reminds me I need to do) without having to account for the cost in my checking account budget. I am fairly excited by the idea of having some money set aside specifically for my health and look forward to seeing how it all works out.
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