Be honest?have you ever driven by a runner who is jogging alongside the road and thought, Why would someone ever want to do that? That guy is crazy!
We?ve got a lot of runners around Dave?s office?half marathoners, full marathoners and even a few triathletes?and they will be the first to tell you that, yes, maybe they are a little wacky.
You?ve got to be a little weird to run for three or four hours, right? Sometimes, you may be out there in the rain at 5 a.m. You might have to dodge absent-minded drivers on the roads. You could find yourself fighting off stray dogs and enduring bruised toenails, all while wearing tights and a blinking vest. These things are pretty common for serious runners.
Training to run an endurance race isn?t something you just do on a whim. You?ve got to make a plan and follow it. You?ve got to understand that you will have aches and pains and ups and downs, but it will all be worth it when you cross that finish line. You?ve got to pace yourself and, literally, take your training one step at a time. If you jump out of the gate too early, then you are destined to fail.
Just the thought of running a marathon might make you tired, but the truth is that physical endurance training isn?t that different from healthy money management. If you can make a plan to get out of debt, you can make a plan to run a marathon.
Chad Nikazy is a triathlete and personal trainer who also works on Dave?s Counselor Training team. He says that ?almost anyone can run a half marathon or compete in a triathlon. Training is all about discipline and commitment to a lifestyle change.?
Sound familiar? If you?ve ever worked your way out of debt, then you know that Chad?s thoughts on training are relevant to money as well. But the similarities don?t stop there.
?There are lots of potential pitfalls along the way,? Chad says. ?You shouldn?t start too fast. That?s a recipe for disaster, so think about baby steps. And, also, you can?t train inconsistently. You have to commit to doing the work. If you do the work, you?ll succeed and have fun doing it. If you do half the work, you?ll struggle and hate the process and result.?
Just like working your debt snowball, training for an endurance race is something you have to take in small bites. If you jump in thinking you?re going to get out of debt in a month or run 10 miles on your first try, then you?ve got another thing coming.
?Set small and measurable goals, and build upon them,? Chad comments. With training, ?Start with something like setting your alarm clock for 5:30 a.m. every day, and then get up!? In financial terms, that simply means to pay off those small debts first?which all starts with budgeting extra money to put toward your smallest balance and paying it on time.
Besides being similar in nature, endurance sports and getting out of debt are also part of living a healthy and well-rounded life. If you are out of debt but 100 pounds overweight, then you?ve only solved part of the puzzle.
Take that same sense of commitment and self-sacrifice you put toward your money and focus it on your health. Whether you train for an endurance race, a 5K, or you want to simply stay on your treadmill for ten minutes, you?ve got what it takes to succeed. Put in the time and the effort, and you?ll see results.
Get weird with your money and your health, and?who knows??by December, you could be out of debt and crossing the finish line of your first half marathon. Don?t be normal this year! Start tracking your goals now with the Goal Tracker tool at mytotalmoneymakeover.com now!
Source: http://www.daveramsey.com/article/run-with-endurance/lifeandmoney_other
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It's been a big week for models.
Alessandra Ambrosio is pregnant again, Yvette Prieto got a ring from Michael Jordan and Chrissy Teigen got one from John Legend.
Meanwhile, Marisa Miller is gearing up for her film debut in "R.I.P.D.," a drama that will also star Jeff Bridges, Mary Louise-Parker and Ryan Reynolds.
She's far from the first catwalk pro to turn Hollywood star.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider Please follow The Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
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Sure, $100 is only $100. But never underestimate how far that money can go, even in this economy.
"It's smarter to put that money away because once it's in your pocket, it's pretty much gone," says Joel Larsen, a certified financial planner based in Davis, Calif.
No matter where your finances wound up this year, we've compiled 15 tips to help you stretch that Benjamin even further in 2012.
"A lot of people will say, 'it's only $100,'" says Larsen, but if you were to save $100 a month over 20 years at a 7% rate of return, you would amass $52,092.67—impressive, right?
Depending on your finances, you'll need to shop around to find the right plan. Weigh out investment performances, expenses, and tax exemptions.
Andrew Schrage, founder of Money Crashers, recommends trying a 529 College Savings plan set up by governments or colleges to save.
"One of the primary benefits of a 529 savings plan is that it offers tax protection from the federal government," he says. "Also, you may be eligible for tax protection from the state government."
It may not be all you need to pay off that credit card bill, but $100 is a solid start.
"If you have a credit card that charges 20% in interest, you want to pay that off as fast as possible," Schrage says. "This option would be like putting $100 into an investment that paid a 20% annual return compounded monthly. There is no sense paying the minimum payments on high-interest debt and digging yourself in a deeper hole!"
"You should understand the sales cycle that your grocery store runs and keep a binder of organized coupons," Schrage says. "Plan to go in and stock up on large amounts of frozen foods when they are best priced. When food prices are rising and you need to prepare, this strategy will become especially important."
Buying frozen food could shave $20 off your grocery bill.
See six ways to prepare for rising food prices at Money Crashers.
See the rest of the story at Business InsiderPlease follow Your Money on Twitter and Facebook.
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Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2011/12/30/the-biggest-and-baddest-bubble-ever/
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