Show Me the Money!

Sunday, April 04, 2010

Lately I have renewed enthusiasm for saving money and financial well being. My husband and I want to move to Mexico in the next 15-20 years. By that time I would be in my mid-to-late 40s or early 50s, which is still years from "real" retirement. While it is considerably cheaper to live in Mexico than it is in the USA, especially anywhere in Alaska, the job market is very different. I have to prepare as if I will have no income there. Minimum wage (if you can get a job) is about 150 pesos (around $15) per day. With enough creativity and fortitude, I'm sure I could get a job of some sort, but basically I need to have enough savings to cover my regular expenses for at least 15 years. It's a lofty, but doable, ambition at this point in time. If we have kids or a job or health setback, all bets are off, but right now we're planning optimistically.

I've been really excited about SparkSavings and can't wait to see that website grow and develop like SparkPeople has over the last few years. I'm thinking about starting about a Financial Challenge team. There are a few financial teams, so I have to think about what would draw people to mine and what would make mine different.

I'm also exploring options for a career modification. Right now I'm a fiscal officer. I have bachelor's in business management and a master's in economics. However, I'm not certified to do anything - like be a CPA (certified public accountant) or CFP (certified financial planner). I'm very interested in going the CFP route. I have some feelers out to my university (I'm staff at my alma matter) about taking some accounting classes and then sitting for the CPA and/or CFP exams.

The CPA thing has interested me for a little bit, but the CFP has REALLY interested me for a long time. If I had college to do over again I would start there and plan on being a CFP (or an actuary actually) from the beginning. The one drawback to being a CFP is that many of the positions are comission based. I'm not interested in selling a questionable product, or having to bully people looking for financial advice into buying a product that might not be right for them just so I can pay my own bills. There are positions that require a fiduciary obligation to your clients out there and I want one of those. But those are a lot harder to come by. So we'll see where it goes. First, I have to hear back from the accounting department at the university.

The BIG upside with either of those certifications is that with good internet access (large parts of Mexico have great internet access) it's something I could do part-time in a different country and earn dollars. So maybe that's what I'll do once I get to Mexico. Right now I'm just exploring the options, saving my money (next blog will be about where I still SPEND money on things I don't necessarily NEED), and starting to create a plan.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

PENTACLE9 4/15/2010 3:01PM

Your vision of living in Mexico is very doable. I have a cousin who's retired to Jamaica for the same reason. I'm so glad she did. My vacations are very cheap and I have a great tour guide! About starting a team, it's a lot easier than you think and a lot of fun. I started a team, On The Rock, at the end of March and find my team mates very helpful, informative, and inspiring. May God bless you in all your avenues of success! Report Inappropriate Comment

TAMTAM64 4/5/2010 7:11AM

What a great "vision" you have! I need to go check SparkSavings out. I am at the age where I am ready to not work as much but I need a plan! Tammy Report Inappropriate Comment

KJNE8O 4/5/2010 6:25AM

I think you have a great plan going here! So exciting! I'll have to come visit you in Mexico :P) Report Inappropriate Comment

RAYLINSTEPHENS 4/4/2010 7:56PM

Good Luck with your plans for early retirement! Report Inappropriate Comment

BOBBYD31 4/4/2010 7:56PM

that would give anne and i a good vacation spot but in 15-20 yrs we probably won't be getting around too well any more. ( we would be getting near 70) good luck with your plans, i hope they all come true. Report Inappropriate Comment

UMUCGRAD 4/4/2010 7:10PM

Lots of luck with your plans. I hope you enjoy Mexico. Report Inappropriate Comment

Drastic Tips to Save Money

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

I'm very "into" saving money right now. I've always enjoyed personal finance and putting together spreadsheets, but since my husband and I now have a shared financial dream I have become re-energized to save money. Especially convenient given that SparkSavings (www.sparksavings.com) just launched!

Anyway, a lot of personal finance advice gets regurgitated over and over. If you've been looking into it for the last couple of years you probably see a lot of the same stuff over and over again. This article offered up some advice I don't hear much about (like move to a foreign country) in a different way.

www.freemoneyfinance.com/2007/11/the
-10-most-hat.html

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ITGIRL74 3/31/2010 8:46AM

Try this book: http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Tigh twad-Gazette-Amy-Dacyczyn/dp/03 75752250. A lot of the stuff in there is crazy, and for those who don't have kids you might find a lot of it not applicable, but it's got so many tips for saving money that some of them are bound to be new and useful. I learned a lot about food storage - what can be bought in bulk when it's on sale and frozen to last longer (did you know you can freeze milk? blocks of cheese?). Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 3/31/2010 6:06AM

Miami next January! ? ING half!? Report Inappropriate Comment

APPLEPIEDREAMS 3/31/2010 12:42AM

Mexico!! It's all about Mexico. That's we're saving for :-) I thought the article was interesting, but I wouldn't give up my cat for anything. Report Inappropriate Comment

SUEZETTE-414 3/30/2010 10:58PM

Guess all my money goes to the 6 indoor cats and 2 outdoor cats (and the raccoons that eat the outdoor cats food) not to mention the birds. Oh yeah, and the cable. DH can't live without his MLB Extra Innings Package or the news channels. Whatcha savin' for? Report Inappropriate Comment

MUST READ Health Care Reform Article

Sunday, March 28, 2010

I have a few strong political opinions. Just a few though. Most things I see in shades of gray or am ambivalent towards. I dated a politician once upon a time and I chose to retreat from being politically active after we broke up for a variety of reasons. However, I do vote every election (ESPECIALLY in the off years), I donate money, and sometimes I discuss politics with my husband. But that's about it. I don't talk about with my co-workers, I don't usually post about it on Facebook, and I very, very rarely tell people who I voted for.

Anyway, one of the few things I've had a strong political opinion about is health care. That was the deciding factor for me in this last year's presidential election. I voted for the candidate that had views on health care that most closely matched my own at the time. I've been pretty dogmatic about the whole issue the last few years.

But then I stumbled across this article from MSN. The author doesn't offer a solution, but she offers an incredibly compassionate story. This story has forced me into opening my mind a little more and thinking about different options. I encourage everyone to read this article. No matter what your beliefs and opinions on the health care reform issue, I think you will find this essay interesting, informative and enlightening.

articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Insura
nce/InsureYourHealth/lessons-of-a-6186
16-dollar-death.aspx?page=1

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

MARTA_M 3/29/2010 12:30AM

Thanks for pointing this one out, Vanessa. Report Inappropriate Comment

Empty Spaces

Friday, March 26, 2010

"Just because they die, she said, doesn't mean they go away. " - Permanence by Brian Andreas, StoryPeople

www.storypeople.com/storypeople/WebS
tory.do?storyID=1323&action=product&pr
oductCategoryID=1000

I was wandering through the card section at my grocery store yesterday looking for a birthday card for my husband and stumbled across the birthday cards for grandparents. I felt such a sense of loss that I would never again pick out and mail a birthday card to my grandma or grandpa. They both passed away in the last year, my grandfather just after his 100th birthday in May and my grandmother just before her 97th birthday in December.

I've led a charmed life; I have two parents that are alive, healthy, and happily married for nearly 40 years. My sisters are alive, healthy and happy. My cat went "tail-up" very suddenly in October. I watched her struggle to breathe on a Thursday evening and night and then finally die on my laundry floor Friday morning. Other than that, I have little concept of death, suffering, and illness. I have a new cat that is goofy and adorable and frankly, quite the zany dingbat, but I say that with love and affection.

There just feels like there are empty spaces all around me right now with the passing of my grandparents and Madeleine (the cat). I feel like those empty spaces should be filled with the great things that have happened over the last year or so; I got married, my sister had my first niece (or nephew), I finished my master's, my husband is finishing up his doctorate (for real), we just bought our first home, I received a raise at work (for which I am exceedingly grateful, especially in this economy)...the list goes on.

But I still ache sometimes thinking of my grandparents and my cat. And I feel like I shouldn't feel like how I feel. I try to rationalize away my sadness, convince myself that the good things in my life should fill the empty spaces, and gently berate myself for feeling sorry for myself.

I came across the quote up top as I was browsing the StoryPeople website. StoryPeople is created by Brian Andreas - he creates drawings with quotes and puts them on prints, cards, furniture, etc. And I have to remind myself that although my loved ones have passed on, they are not gone. They are not here to talk to anymore or hug, but they have made my life richer and their memories continue to do so.

Also, I don't think my thinking is correct about the empty spaces. Whenever I start to feel sad, my kneejerk reaction is to myself I have no right to feel sad, not with all the good things that I have in my life. That those good things, those happy events, should replace the sad things. But I'm learning it doesn't work like that. Having a new niece doesn't mean I can't grieve over my grandmother.

I'm thinking about this a lot recently, especially after my dream last night. I remember very few dreams, but last night I dreamed both my parents died and my husband and I moved into their home. A very distinct part of the dream was that I was trying to fill their closet with our clothes - the filling of empty spaces with things that don't belong. No matter how much I ache, my clothes don't belong in my parent's closet, and the joy that I find in my niece shouldn't be forced in my grandmother's space.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LALMEIDA 3/27/2010 10:38PM

Just reading your blog is bringing tears to my eyes. I see a little reflection of me. I have lost all my Grandparents in the past 10 years. The most recent one was my grandmother (just a little over 2 years)when she was 91. She was the matriach of our big family. We all still get together all the time to honor her wishes and talk about all the great times we had with her. I have never forgotten anything about her or all the great things she taught me. I feel blessed to have known and have had such a terrific grandmother. I too lost my dog in October and the worst grief I had ever felt in my life. I got a new dog to love when I rescued this darling puppy the end of December. The grief isn't as bad, but I still miss Baily. I do however, love the sweet little puppy that my husband and I rescued. In a way I feel like Bailey would have wanted us to be happy again and take in a dog who really needed a good home. In my opinion there isn't anything wrong with expressing sadness especially when it comes to the loss of a loved one (whether human or animal). I think it is far worst to live life not expressing things in a healthy way. We all have different ways of grieving and there isn't anything wrong with feeling the way you feel. Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 3/27/2010 6:00PM

Loved once (pets included) can never be replaced. Sure, we can buy a new pet, but it's not the same one we lost. Having lost my dad almost 5-years ago I can tell you that he's always on my mind. I know that from somewhere he's always with me; which is why I never fear when our riding my bike or running. I wear his dog-tags to constantly keep him near my heart and soul. Remember all the good times and take solace in them. Report Inappropriate Comment

FELIXC 3/26/2010 8:34PM

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RAYLINSTEPHENS 3/26/2010 7:09PM

There is nothing wrong with grieving. Remembering loved ones (yes, Madeleine too!) is never wrong. You will morn the loss of your loved ones for the rest of your life; it is good because it shows the love you have for them. Congrats for all the good things going on in your life! Your grandparents would be celebrating with you! Report Inappropriate Comment

Post Mexico

Monday, March 22, 2010

So I'm back from Mexico now. My clothes feel tighter, but I'm going to avoid the scale. I want to check and see how bad the "damage" is, but it's just going to make me paranoid. If I gained 5 pounds, so what? I'm eating healthier now and getting back to running. It will adjust itself naturally over the next couple weeks. I need to learn to accomodate weight fluctuations in my life without freaking out, but without getting too careless either. Whew...what a fine line.

I ate a lot of food. We walked around a lot, but I wouldn't really call it aerobic exercise I didn't run in Mexico. It is very hot (for this Alaska girl anyway) during the day. And frankly I'm not getting up early enough (ummmmm...5 am maybe?) on vacation to go exercise. If I lived there (which my husband and I are seriously talking about saving up and doing in about 15-20 years) I would figure out the whole running thing because I would need to. I'd probably get up early or stay up late.

Got onto SparkSavings today! Great site! Just in time to figure out my Mexican savings goals.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

KO1215 3/23/2010 10:09AM

Awesome Vanessa! I bet it was great fun! Report Inappropriate Comment

FELIXC 3/22/2010 9:42PM

Great outlook, Vanessa ! Good for you! Report Inappropriate Comment

GSCOTTC 3/22/2010 9:39PM

Glad you had a great time. When I go to Hawaii I run everyday. I don't sleep late for some reason and I hate running in the heat so I just ran in the morning while Loreen stayed in bed. It was a win win. This year Loreen says she is going to run with me. We will see. Take care Scott Report Inappropriate Comment

SLENDERELLA61 3/22/2010 8:52PM

Great attitude about the scale....finding the balance between getting too sloppy or too obsessed. I'm still kind of in the obsessed category, but am going to consciously work to get to where you are. Thanks for being a good role model! -Marsha Report Inappropriate Comment

BILLALEX70 3/22/2010 8:32PM

Glad you had a great trip! You know that any speed bump is a non-issue in the road of life. Report Inappropriate Comment

RAYLINSTEPHENS 3/22/2010 7:46PM

WTG on getting back to your running! Glad you had a great trip! Report Inappropriate Comment

LIVEGOLFTRAVEL 3/22/2010 7:19PM

I'm sure whatever "damage" that was done is only temporary. I always gain water weight when I go to tropical places. Thanks for sharing about SparkSavings. I had never heard of it. Report Inappropriate Comment

TAMTAM64 3/22/2010 7:16PM

Sounds like you had a wonderful vacation! Don't sweat the "small stuff"... like you said you are getting back into your running routine and are eating healthier. Tammy Report Inappropriate Comment