Personal Finance 101

Well I just read the sweet note by my husband, and it made my day! Thanks babe! This last week definitely was a busy one, with school starting again it is hard to get back in a steady routine.

One of my favorite classes this semester really has nothing to do with my major, but is exciting to say the least. This semester I am taking personal finance. It has only been a week, but I felt like I have learned so much! Some days I leave the class a bit overwhelmed and feeling like Jamie and I will never have everything in order, but most days I leave quite inspired and hopeful. My professor is a very up beat exciting guy who has taught all over the country as well as huge seminars for large companies. His knowledge and advice was is so valued, that at the peak of his traveling career, companies would pay him a couple thousand dollars to speak for an hour or so! He really makes you feel hopeful and empowered to make right choices regarding finances, and puts it in the simplest form for all to understand. I want to share some tips or interesting facts that I learned this week. Some may already know this, but I thought it could be helpful to many

1. 6 things you should look for in when searching for employment!
1. The company should have a good 401 (k) plan, as well as a healthy
match to that plan
2. Health insurance, look for the best plan possible
3. does the company pay a living wage?
4. Education benefits, does the company offer continued education?
5. Upward mobility. Is there room to grow in the company
6. Career paths. Could the empoyment lead you to bigger, better, or just
different career paths

2. A great tool and website that helps with all kids of debt, and makes a chart for you and will save you thousands in the process is www.powerpay.com. This website is amazing! I have not entered our personal stuff yet, but I had to do homework using the tool with fake peoples debt and it is amazing how easy and quickly they get you out of debt, saving you hundreds of thousands of dollars.

3. Did you know that term life insurance is the way to go? I didn't, but term life insurance saves you the most money for the same amount of coverage. Also the best website to learn and find term life insurance is www. term4sale.com. This website was voted the most reliable out of all options produced by a search engine by a consumer agency

I will stop there for know, but in the future I might post some other things that we learn!

Labor Day Weekend

So this Labor Day weekend will go in record books. BYU beat Oklahoma, I (jamie) had sinus problems and soon after a tooth infection. You have to love that. But, all the while my wonderful wife Stephanie was by my side and even stayed up with me all night when I couldn't sleep in terrible pain. She's a saint! I know I am super lucky to be married to such a wonderful woman. I have been truly blessed. Well, back to work and school for me.

Note to God

One of my new favorite songs is by a little 14 year old girl known as Charice. She first appeared on Oprah I think about a year ago, and ever since then her career has taken off! She is an amazing singer with a life story that brings you to tears. She started singing at competitions in her home village in order to earn money for her family. Her debut single and my new favorite song is entitled "Note to God" I absolutely love the words and the music. Some of my favorite lines read

"If I wrote a note to God
I'd say please help us find our way
End all the bitterness, put some tenderness in our hearts
And I'd say, I'd say, I'd say

Give us the strength to make it through
Help us find love cause love is over due
And it looks like we haven't got a clue
Need some help from you
Grant us the faith to carry on
Give us hope when it seems all hope is gone
Cause it seems like so much is goin wrong
On this road we're on"

If you have the chance look it up on youtube because the music with the lyrics are amazing if you ask me.

I will give it a try

I would love to win this bike! Everything about it makes me excited. So I entered the contest for a weekly bike give away. Maybe I will get lucky!

Beat Me to the Punch

From the day I started being a waitress, I always said I would write a book about all the horrible things that people do and say to their servers! However, I recently learned that someone beat me to the punch! Today on Oprah the discussion was about how rude Americans are becoming. I was happy to see that they focused a great amount of time on restaurant manners. There is where I learned a once blog has become a book know as the "The Waiters Rant" I guess that goal is checked off the list, but that's ok, I am just glad that someone got the word out there.