This weekend has been largely dedicated to yard work.  Not something I particularly enjoy, at least not the mundane stuff like mowing grass, raking leaves and such.  However, I do like cutting things down!  I think its that whole instant gratification thing.  So this weekend was spent reclaiming some more of the yard.  And I use the term 'yard' loosely.  I don't think large patches of weeds around bare patches really qualifies as a yard.

The corner that I keep my garbage cans in had been overtaken by some vine encased small trees.  It seriously was a mini jungle.  I got it all cleared out which makes me very happy.  Got most of the huge piles of oak tree leaves bagged up....just in time as I'm sure the oak tree "worms" will be falling soon.

My lawn guy came over and cut down all the bushes in the front and along the side of my house....except for a small azalea bush.  Now its really obvious the outside of the house needs to be cleaned.

Next up will be spraying the yard for grubs.

I'll be doing another financial post later today probably.

I'm following 7 steps to achieve financial freedom.  This works very well for me because I'm a planner but I had no idea what I SHOULD be doing to fix my finances.  What was the fastest/best way to pay off the debt?  What about savings?  What about retirement?  How do I make sure I'll be ready to quit working when I want to?  The 7 baby steps outlined what to do in what order and how to do it.  So I think starting out with a brief description of the 7 steps is a good place to start.  I'll go into detail for each step in separate posts.

Step #1 - Save $1000 into an Emergency Fund. 
Step #2 - Pay off debt using a debt snowball. 
Step #3 - Three to six months of living expenses in savings.
Step #4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRA's and pre-tax retirement.
Step #5 - Save for college for children (If this is a goal for you.)
Step #6 - Pay off house (If you have one)
Step #7 - Build your wealth!


So there you have it, my secret financial formula. Ok, so maybe its not really so secret.  Ask any questions you might have.  I truly love talking about this stuff.  And for those who like to keep tabs, I am currently on Step #3.  Because of what my future plans are I'm aiming for the 6 months of living expenses.  That's part of what I need to do now....redo my budget so I can see when I will have that in place.  Please feel free to ask me about my progress if you're interested.  It will help hold me accountable to doing what I need to do.

Its been suggested I start blogging a bit about something I'm super passionate about.....cash basis/debt free living.  I thought that was a good idea so here I am.  I want to start with just a little history about my financial journey.

In 2003 I found myself pretty much flat broke.  I had lost all my financial resources, including having to cash in my retirement fund simply to have money to live on.  The whys of how this happened aren't really all that important.  On top of that I had moved to DC and started a new job at $5K less a year than I had been making back in Cincinnati.  It was definitely paycheck to paycheck for awhile.  I was living the way most Americans live, on credit.  I had the same collection of plastic my friends had so I must be successful......right??  By the end of 2005 I was in about $24,000 of debt. I had the $9000 in college loans. The credit card was now close to $4000. I owed someone $800 in a personal loan. And I had an $11,000 car loan. I was making more money by now, yes.  But the debt was eating up any extra money and I couldn't see a way out of the hole or even a way to keep the hole from getting deeper as I had no way to pay for anything else that might come up.  I knew something had to change.

Christmas 2005 a friend gave me probably the greatest gift I've ever received.  They paid for me to attend Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University**.  I started the journey in the end of January 2006 and using the things I learned I became 100% debt free in April 2008.  Don't get me wrong, it wasn't easy.  I had to make a choice, what was more important to me....continuing to buy "stuff", eat out, go places or learn how to handle my money and get out of debt.  The way I looked at it I was going to have to pay the piper at some point...now or later, and I chose to do it now and have financial freedom later.

Today I am debt free with the exception of a mortgage.  Yup, I was able to buy a house last year because of the choices I made before.  I still struggle at times with sticking to a budget and living on a cash basis but I keep working and trying.  I have a definite plan for where I want to be in life in the next 3 or so years so now I am starting to work on what I need to do financially to get there. 

I'm going to start writing about what I've learned and how I got out of debt as well as share my financial work on my future plans.  So stay tuned.

**For those interested, the course I took is Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University. Yes, it is a Christian based program however, while Ramsey does reference Biblical principles he is very good about not cramming them down your throat or moralizing about money choices. His main focus is teaching people how to handle their money regardless of their beliefs. If you want more information about the program, feel free to ask me.

I have great intentions of updating, honestly I do.  But you know how life goes.  You get super busy and other, more important things eat up your time.  Or it could be you just forget and end up playing WoW instead.  Not saying that's the case with me.....but it is a potential scenario.

So what has happened since I last updated?  Well, the month of February was pretty much consumed with back-to-back blizzards.  I was, very literally, snowed in for 2 weeks.  Sure, I could drive my car to the end of my driveway but then that 3+ foot of snow that used to be my street kept stopping me.  You might think that because I live at the airport's long term parking my street would be at the top of the list to get plowed.  Not so much though.  Seems neither the airport....or the city....considers my road all that important at all.  I think the only thing that gets plowed after my street is....well, nothing.  I'm pretty sure I live on the last road in the county to see snow plows.  The house and I survived the storms mostly intact.  There was a small leak in my bow window where the gutter froze and backed up.  My carport roof now has two leaks in it that I need to get fixed.  Oh, and the flat roof section on the Shed O'Doom collapsed.  I am pretty irritated by that.  I wanted the WHOLE shed to collapse....save the effort of tearing it down.  Honestly, that pretty much sums up the high points of February.

Not a whole lot has been going on this last month.  I'm starting to work on my yard which has been declared a national disaster area I think.  Between the storms, a grub infestation and a burrowing-critters-going-after-the-grubs infestation, my lawn is pretty well destroyed.  So this year I'm focusing on killing the grubs which should theoretically cause the burrowing critters to move elsewhere and tearing out all the ugly bushes around the house.  I got all the holly trees that were clumped at the corner of my house cut down so the dogwood that was hidden in the midst of them can now breath free.  I also need to seriously pressure wash the house.

Other than that, its been insanely busy at work.  And I mean more insane than normal.  Who keeps bringing all this hazmat into my buildings???

Oh, I'm going to attempt canning in a couple weeks.  Gonna do tomato sauce.  So we'll see how that goes.  I'll keep you posted.  No, seriously.....I will.

A very good friend of mine is once again taking part in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.  I want to help because this is a disease that has touched people I love, including my mother.  My friend, Ralph, has earned thousands of dollars over the last six years he's participated in the Walk and I'd love to help him earn thousands more.  I've re-posted below, with permission, his letter explaining why finding a cure in our lifetime is important to him.  Please take a couple minutes to read it and help out as you can.  If you don't know anyone else doing the Walk please consider donating to Ralph.  I know times are tight for a lot of people so if you can't afford to donate please help boost the signal even more by sharing Ralph's message with those you know.  Thank you.

Dear Becky,
Happy New Year!

Yes, I'm a few weeks behind the times, but it's been a busy time. Winter has set in and it shows no immediate signs of letting go. I hope that everyone receiving this email is healthy and warm in this new decade. As we in the DC area stare at the snow that is still on the ground from Snowpocalypse, we dreamily turn our minds to plans of enjoying the time we hope to spend with family and friends with picnics, beach trips, and other outings after Old Man Winter finally lets go.

Personally and unfortunately, this time of year is also about remembering those who can no longer join my road-trips and adventures. I'll be taking more than a moment or two this warming season to rejoice in the memory of dear friends who lost their fights against breast cancer. Anyone who's known me for any length of time knows that I hold a particular loathing for this particular disease... this disease which has robbed me of several friends throughout the years and which will very likely claim another before the end of 2010. Every year in the USA, someone else is diagnosed with breast cancer EVERY THREE MINUTES. That's too much. I consider myself fortunate to have not lost anyone to breast cancer during 2009. However, I know that this fortune hasn't shone on everyone.

I have a fantasy. I've talked about it before, and I'll talk about it over and over until it becomes a reality. I want to, within my lifetime (not my childrens' lifetimes, but my very own), be able to raise a glass not only to the memory of lost friends, but also to the memory of the wonderful day when breast cancer joined the ranks of polio and smallpox and measles. I'd want to take that horrible list of diseases that were once considered to be death sentences with no possibility for parole -- but that now have simple vaccines and/or cures -- and add to it by at least one. I want to have my grandchildren (still many years in the future!) ask me "but why didn't they just get the shot for it?" and never have to attend a funeral for their loved ones who died from this awful disease. I want to look back on the day when a cure was announced and raise the toast "never more" and know it to be true.

In order to make these dreams a reality, more research needs to be done. In order to get more research, scientists need more funding. They need millions upon millions of dollars to find a cure. And that's where you come in, dear friends. That's where you can help. While it would be very cool to win the lottery and toss in a few million myself, that's unlikely to happen. It's also unlikely for me to record a hit song for me to donate the proceeds. I can't do it alone, and neither can you.

I will do what I have done for the past six years. I will continue to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I will spend my evenings and weekends getting myself prepared for this event. I will also ask you for your support.

I know that times are tight. I know that some of you are in more dire situations than I went through last fall with the loss of my job. I know that money is short. But I ask anyhow. I ask because, though times are tight for many, they are not tight for all. I ask that each of you look into yourself and figure out if you can stand to lose another loved one. If you can't, then look into your wallet and see if you can help. Please try to help. Don't help for me or for my dead friends, help for all of your loved ones who are healthy today and who you want to keep that way. Help them stay that way. Don't let another year go by and wonder what could have been done... at the end of this first year of a new decade, know in your heart that you did what you could.

Donation link: http://awbc.lhhf.org/
Historical link: http://avonlj.lhhf.org/
(Note: both links are redirects to other sites whose URLs are a lot more convoluted than I want to include in an email.)

Thank you.

--
Ralph/Sas

I ventured into the world of cooking with quinoa tonight. Made a quinoa version of spanish rice. I must say it came out absolutely delicious! So here's the recipe.

* 2 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
* 1 - 2 Tbsp cooking oil
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
* 1 medium sized onion, chopped
* 1/2 - 1 tsp chili powder or paprika
* 1/2 - 1 tsp tsp ground cumin
* 1/4 - 1/2 cup sliced olives (I used green olives)
* pinch cayenne
* 1 - 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
* 1 3/4 cups some flavour of broth (I used chicken this time)
* Pepper and salt to taste

Directions:

1. Sauté the onion in the oil over medium heat until onion starts to become translucent
2. Add the garlic to the onion and sauté a few more minutes until the onion is translucent and garlic is turning golden
3. Add spices
4. Add quinoa and stir constantly for 3 - 4 minutes
5. Add tomato sauce and broth stirring occasionally until mixture begins to boil
6. Add salt if needed - broth and tomato sauce may already be salted
7. Cover and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes
8. Turn heat off and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes
9. Fluff with a fork and serve garnished with cilantro

I tried a new dish tonight. It has an interesting mix of ingredients but they really all worked together. A very tasty dish and definitely one I'll make again.


German Beef and Barley Bake

1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup pearl barley
4 slices bacon, diced
3 cups tomato juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 to 4 cups sliced green cabbage
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

In large saucepan over medium heat, sauté ground beef, onions and garlic until beef is browned. Pour off drippings. Add barley and bacon; sauté 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in tomato juice, salt and pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir in cabbage and caraway seeds. Spoon mixture into 2-quart casserole. Bake in 350° F oven 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.