2008 November | No Credit Needed

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Archive for November, 2008

Reader Poll – How Far Out Are You Planning?

November 17th, 2008

NCN

I am not going to start this post with the words “Due to the recent economic downturn…”

I am not going to start this post with the words “Due to the recent economic downturn…”

I am not going to start this post with the words “Due to the recent economic downturn…”

I have already written about my financial priorities and my annual goals – and now I think I’m ready to put together a comprehensive plan for the next decade (or two). Thinking about the future, I couldn’t help buy wonder -

How Far Out Are You Planning? Are you thinking about future, or are you just trying to get through the month? I’d love for you to vote in the poll – and leave a comment, explaining your vote.

By the way, when I say “planning” – I mean – “thinking about, running the numbers”. In other words, do you have a vision for the future and a real plan to get there?

Edit: To clarify – If you are planning for 5 years out, then I’ll assume that you are ALSO planning for next month and next year. What I’d like to know is, how far out do your plans go, at their maximum. For the purposes of the poll, let’s assume that, if you are thinking long-term, you are also thinking short-term.

n

How Far Out Are You Planning?

Thanks so much for participating.

If you are viewing this via Email or RSS, you’ll need to click through to vote.

Posted in Polls

14 Comments »

Take 15 Minutes And Be Inspired

November 13th, 2008

NCN

The other night, as I was flipping through channels, I stumbled upon this segment from ESPN’s E:60. Take 15 minutes out of your busy day and watch this video. I promise you: You will be very, very glad that you did.

DJ Gregory’s story really inspires me. It’s amazing what can be accomplished through determination and hard work. Each time you find yourself struggling to reduce your debts, remember this video – and walk on! DJ, you rock!

Posted in Motivation, Video

5 Comments »

Free Weight Loss Podcasts That Keep Me Motivated

November 12th, 2008

NCN

Normally, I write about wight loss topics over at my fitness blog, No. Calories Needed, but today’s resources straddle the line between frugality and fitness, so I thought I would share them here, where they will find a larger audience. (Just reading the run-on-sentence that I just wrote burned five extra calories!)

3 Free Weight Loss Podcasts That Really Rock – And Keep Me Motivated

(New to the world of podcasting? Read my article – How To Listen To A Podcast - and introduce yourself to a world of free, on-demand, audio or video.)

Get Fit Pod – The producer, Skip, has broken fitness down into five, easy-to-understand, elements – Diet, Exercise, Knowledge, Music, and Journaling. Each podcast focus on one of these five elements. Skip is in the second year of getting fit. I just love this ‘cast.

Yell At Your Fat – A relatively new podcast, with only five episodes, I’m already a big fan. Wendy is hilarious, she has an awesome laugh, she makes up songs that rock, and she knows a lot about losing weight. Do yourself a huge favor – subscribe to this podcast.

The Livin La Vida Low-Carb Show – While I’m not technically following a low-car diet, I am avoiding sugars and starches. Jimmy has been podcasting for years, but I only just recently found his podcast. I especially enjoy the archives, where he talks about his own weight loss journey.

2 Videos That Rock -One Is About Running, The Other Is Just For Fun

I really like this video, produced by the folks over at realbuzz, about proper running technique. I began using this technique last week – and I’m already increasing my running distance by 50%! Plus, dude has a cool accent.

The next video has nothing to do with fitness or weight loss – except for the fact that when I saw this video, I really, really dug the music in it, produced by Ronald Jenkees, and now I listen to his music during every workout. Check out the video, and then head over to Amazon Ronald Jenkeesand purchase some of his music. It rocks! (Check your speakers before pressing play. Also, Ronald has a unique look, and outlook, and I just think his music is very cool!)

Posted in Resources

8 Comments »

Midnight Meanderings – Down 14 Pounds

November 10th, 2008

NCN

From my other sites -

No. Calories Needed – Guess who has lost 14 pounds?!?

99 Changes – Change 21: Time To Wake Up!

No Credit Needed Network – Chart Updates Aplenty.

From around the web -

Green Pastures – Hosts This Week’s Carnival of Debt Reduction

The Digerati Life – Hosts This Week’s Carnival of Personal Finance

Frugal Dad – Remember To Check Your Statements

The Simple Dollar – 25 Best Actions For Saving Money

Paid Twice – Why We Have An Emergency Fund

About the Midnight Meanderings -

The Midnight Meanderings are published two or three times a month and highlight articles I like from across the web as well as the most recent articles from my other sites.

Posted in Noted

4 Comments »

The $208.34 Thirty Minute Phone Call

November 10th, 2008

NCN

I’ve just gotten off the phone, after thirty minutes, wih our health insurance company. It seems that they, for some strange reason, have been filing all of our most recent claims as “out-of-network” instead of “in-network”. So, instead of charging us 10% for each visit to the doctor, they have been charging us 40%!

Spending thirty minutes on the phone with an insurance company is never pleasant, but, I did manage to find a very competent representative and she quickly explained that the mistake was on “their end” and not “mine”. Taking the time to review several Explanation Of Benefits from my insurance company and several bills from our doctors proved to be beneficial – to the tune of saving $208.34.

Remember, if you receive a bill for a service, and you don’t understand it, make a phone call. Do not give up until you find someone who can and will thouroughly explain each and every charge. Before I hung up the phone, we went through every single claim from 2008, just to make sure that this had not happened earlier in the year. Thankfully, there were only problems associated with bills submitted in the past two months.

I have already put it on my calendar to call back in a month, just to check in with them. Hopefully, all issues will have been corrected.

Posted in Insurance

9 Comments »