What oh What Have I Been Up To???

Like I said yesterday, I have made some big decisions lately.  You see, here’s the deal, I quit smoking for mostly financial reasons.  I wanted to save $2000 and I thought I could use my cigarette money to do that.  However, what I realized was that was very short sighted.  First of all because my health and the health of my daughter should be my first priority for quitting smoking and second because I waste way more money than just $150 a month on smokes.  I realized that in order to achieve my 2011 financial goals, I am going to have to take a broader approach and do more than just cut out lunch money and cigarettes from my budget.

Where oh Where Have I Been???

I’ve been here.  I took a break because I really needed to be as stress free as possible during my first smoke free week.  It has obviously been the number one thing on my mind lately, and for good reason I suppose.  I am happy to report that today is my 7th smoke free day!  It’s pretty darn awesome too!  I really am enjoying being a non-smoker.  In just 7 days, I’m already noticing big changes!  My favorite part of my day right now is when I walk into my apartment and don’t smell cigarettes.  I haven’t experienced that since I don’t even know when!

I have also been busy making a pretty big decision.  Well I think it’s a big deal…I am going to try to do Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover.  Tomorrow, I’ll be posting more about that as well as where I am at with my 2011 financial goals.

Don’t forget to head over to my Youtube page to see my video journal about quitting smoking.  I promise there is less complaining than you would think!  Thanks for hanging in there with me!  I’m back!

Approaching One Full Day Smoke Free…

…And no one had to remind me not to make anyone else miserable!  I can’t believe that I made it.  It was hard and not hard at the same time.  I think the thing that most stands out to me is the amazing support that I received today from this blog to Youtube to my co-workers.  I am so grateful to everyone who took the time to give me an encouraging word or a nudge back in the right direction when I was struggling.

One thing that I noticed a lot today is that my brain is seriously trained to smoke at specific times.  I could literally set my watch by my cravings!  It really creeps me out to really think about it.  I am truly an addict and I will always be in recovery from cigarettes.

I have decided that I am going to do a video journal about quitting so that I don’t bog the blog down with quitting updates, but I will keep you all informed on here from time to time as I reach milestones as well.  This is my first entry.

Just so you know, I did call my job and pick up for tomorrow.  So I am in for 8 days in a row but it’s worth it to get paid to not smoke right?  LOL I’m just glad there is enough work for me to be able to pick up a shift.  As far as this evening is going, I must say that I haven’t been having that much difficulty.  I am about to fix dinner now so we’ll see how I feel afterward, but right now, I find myself on a pleasantly even keel.  I’m going to try to ride this one out till bedtime.  Wish me luck! LOL

I’m Quitting Smoking Today!

Well I think that today is the day.  The day that I quit smoking!  Not sure how I feel about it really.  I was just thinking how I am tired of having to “save” money during my tight times to buy cigarettes.  Then last night I watched this video on YT about the total Money Makeover.

It honestly got me to thinking.  Seriously, if I quit smoking and stopped having lunch at work everyday, I could save $250 a month right there.  Then I started thinking about all the other ways I could add to the pot.  I could make a menu plan and stick to it.  That eliminates two people  going out to eat 3-5 nights a week.  I consider myself a recovering compulsive shopper.  Right now, I am NOT in shopping mode.  I even passed up the WEN sale on QVC this weekend!  LOL  Honestly though that was just because I was saving money for smokes this week…pathetic I know.

So anyway, I am really really nervous and not looking forward at all to the cravings and the mood swings.  I just have to remember that I can’t treat people like crap just because I’m having a nicotene fit!  Anyone who works with me, please feel to remind me of that tomorrow and the next few days in the most loving and caring way you can imagine (insert smile here.)

Now I gotta get into the gym and see what this 38-year old machine called my body can really do!  The nerd in me wishes I could have a full pulmonary function test done now and in 6 months from now to see how I have changed.  I just don’t want to have to pay for them! LOL

So I am reaching out to you all for support!  Please help me hold myself accountable.  I know I can do it, it’s just really hard in the beginning.

2011 Financial Goals

I posted another video today on Youtube.  This time it is about my financial goals for 2011.  Now like I always say, I fully expect that this list of goals will be dynamic.  Perhaps I’ll accomplish some things sooner or later than expected or some new opportunity will pop up.  Who knows?  All I know is that as I expose myself to new atmospheres, I will become privy to new perspectives and ideas.

My Top Accomplishments for 2010

In an effort to participate in the Post-a-Day 2011 campaign, sometimes I’ll post based on the topics that they suggest. This is one of them.  What are the most important things that I have accomplished in 2010?  I’ll address this topic based on the main topics of my blog.

Introducing Finance! Claiming Financial Independence.

I’ve been thinking about how I  am going to approach this topic.  After all, financial independence is not a topic that I know a whole lot about.  I have to remind myself that I am not talking about what I have done, but what I am going to do.  And as I have said before, I am claiming it so I better get on it.

Reinvention Ave.

This is my blog about reinvention and that’s me over there.  I am a 38-year-old single mother of one girl.  While I absolutely adore her and being her mom, she’s 12 and she is growing up and away from me.  I am finding myself on the precipice of not being “Mom” anymore and back to just being Angie.  In no way do I feel bad about that.  I am actually excited again.  You see, before I became Angie the mom, I wasted a lot of time.  I had a lot of big ideas and did nothing with them.  I’m not going to allow that to happen to me again!