Target: sold out.
Wal-Mart: sold out.
VirginMobileUSA.com: sold out.
Then I called a place I don’t usually shop because they’re overpriced: RadioShack.
They had six.
Now they have five.
I love my new android phone.
-j
LG Optimus V on Virgin Mobile is NOT Sold Out
April 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Three Blogs I Read That You Might Like
February 21, 2011 By 2 Comments
I love making progress on my goals.
Sometimes it’s difficult to keep track of your goals because life gets in the way. One of the ways I am keeping tabs on myself is to keep these goals in the front of my mind each day. This way I keep motivated and keep going. That’s the primary reason I started Finding My Fitness.
One of the ways I’m keeping on top of the financial goals in my life is by reading personal finance blogs. I read three specifically:
Christian PF
Each one has a different spin on personal finance. Christian PF obviously does it from a Biblical perspective. They have a bunch of articles that will help anyone, but their articles about giving are the ones I like the best. I’ve been praying for God to make me a more generous person, and reading stories are inspiring to me.
GRS
Get Rich Slowly is exactly what it sounds like. I like it because it’s the totally opposite of the get rich quick schemes that are prevalent today. They provide tips on saving more, spending less, and earning more; stories about people who have overcome debt themselves; and sometimes write about investing. It’s a great motivator each day.
Man vs. Debt
Man vs. Debt is a very open blog basically about the journey of a guy named Adam Baker. He’s pretty edgy in terms of his finances. Right now he and his family are taking an RV tour of the US, and I think he might even be getting paid to do it. He’s a really cool guy to read, and I can tell you he’s pretty transparent. One of my blogging mentors in terms of learning how to create a profitable blog. He’s one of the reasons I started looking for more and more things in my house to sell on ebay.
Another one I’m starting to read more is Money Help For Christians. The primary author, Craig Ford, is currently a missionary in Papua New Guinea. He’s another one of the guys I’m trying to emulate with FMF. Eventually, especially if God has us serving as a missionary somewhere, I’d like to earn our income through writing too.
I hope you enjoy one or all the sites I mentioned. Sometimes the articles can overlap between sites, but I like the different spin each one has.
-j
More great posts:
I Think God’s an Electrician.
February 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment
I have two stories that, in the quiet of the evening, while I swatted away demon mosquitos, the Holy Spirit impressed upon me to share.
The Fretes Residence
A few nights ago a cold wind came from somewhere and we would have loved a hot shower, and we knew we wouldn’t get one. Jemima took a shower and said the water was hot. Maria took a shower and said the water was hot. I went in, and sure enough there was hot water. I asked who fixed it, and the response was “I guess it fixed itself.”
We rejoiced in this hot water as the nights remained cool for several days until I went in and turned on the hot water switch (like a light switch). I watched as a crisp blue light grew brighter and brighter in the element’s chamber and then popped. I turned on the water. No hot water. I felt terrible. I burned out the miracle shower.
Two nights later I saw that the shower head was leaning towards the wall. It looked like it had melted (plastic shower head + plastic PVC + hot wires). It didn’t look like that when I was done with it. I told my father in law that I didn’t do that, all I did was burn out the element. He said “No you didn’t. The hot water works fine.” He fixed the bent shower head by softening and bending it back.
No hot water for two years. Then hot water. That I destroyed. And it came back.
Yesterday the refrigerator blew. All of the food was evacuated and put in a working fridge across the street. This afternoon I saw Kathy putting food in the blown fridge. I said “I thought that was broken.” She said “I don’t know what my mom did, but it’s working.” I don’t know my mother in law *that* well, but I know that yesterday she was upset because they were going to have to get the fridge fixed, and I don’t think they have money for that. I also know that she’s not an electrician.
Maybe God is.
Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.
Matthew 5:3-8
-j
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Declaration
January 6, 2011 By 2 Comments
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Philippians 1:6
I needed to make a declaration before moving any further in my evening.
The Lord will bring Kathy home with me. He may do it at the very last minute, but it will be done.
I have been waiting for 3 documents from Kathy that I need to translate and mail in with her paperwork. I have checked my mailbox every day since December 21. I had decided, because I’m leaving Monday, that if I didn’t get them today, I would mail her application tomorrow anyway and hope for the best.
When I put my hand in the mailbox this evening, the only thing there was her paperwork.
I believe the Spirit said to me in that moment, “See? It’ll be OK. I might wait until you have no hope left, but I will take care of things.”
Blessed be the name of the Lord, for His mercy endures forever.
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Mark 11:24
-j
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New Things for 2011
January 1, 2011 By 1 Comment
We’ll, we’ve finally made it to 2011. Maybe the year was not as long for you as it was for me. I remember in February looking at the vast expanse of time between then and now and wondering how I’d make it. But here we are, by God’s grace, and I’m glad to see it!
I can tell you right now that 2011 is going to be a year of change for me. Obviously the first and most radical is going to be having Kathy around. God willing she’ll be here in February, but I will be with her in 10 days. As much as I’ve heard on Focus on the Family and from others, I don’t fool myself into thinking I know what to expect. But I can’t wait to get started!
Another new thing will be finally becoming fit. I sent my last post to a lot of people (via Twitter) and the response was bigger than I expected. I’m really excited about my fat loss journey, and I want to keep up that excitement. I’m also excited about improving my personal finance, and reading blogs about it really keep me motivated. It keeps the concepts at the top of my head without much effort, so I think I’m focusing better on it.
This time, though, I decided to *write* the blog. The book I mentioned in my last post is new, so there might not be many blogs by people that are on it. Also by writing about it and telling literally everyone (not just the four of you who read this blog), I’m putting a lot at risk by not succeeding.
I also secretly (or not) want to be a writer, so I’m using the other blog as a way to write without paying a publisher. I am going to try to use a blog to make some side income, and I really don’t want to load this site up with ads. I’ve been doing a lot of research about blogging as a job, and I think I’m ready to go into the “industry”. If you’d like to check it out, you can find it at www.findingmyfitness.com.
The third thing I’m excited about is to begin writing a devotional I have been thinking about (and started a few early drafts of chapters). I’ll talk about that more as the project unfolds.
2011 is going to be great! I praise God for all He’s done in my life up to this point, and thank Him for where He’s leading me. May your year be filled with blessings and joy as well.
-j
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Did I Finally Find It?
December 21, 2010 By 2 Comments
Since I realized in January of this year that I had gained back all of the weight I lost in Paraguay (about 30 lbs) I have been trying to get it back off. I would be OK for a week but would quickly lose steam. I couldn’t stop cheating. I lost and gained 10 lbs probably four or five times throughout the year, never getting below 300 again (my lowest recorded weight in Paraguay was 267).
Last Tuesday, I think that ended.
Steven linked me to an article plugging a book by a guy named Tim Ferriss called The 4-Hour Body
The gist is that you eat 3 or 4 times a day, but you eat only protein, legumes, and vegetables. Something from each category, as much as you feel like eating. The point is there’s absolutely no starving yourself. This is not a low-calorie diet, it’s simply a change in the types of food I’m eating. For example, this morning I scrambled two eggs with a bunch of peppers, onions, and some pinto beans. Essentially I have stopped eating white carbohydrates (bread, pasta, rice, etc.) and started eating legumes (lentils, beans) and piling on the veggies. This is rigidly adhered to for six days; on the seventh (Saturdays) I eat the way I used to.
I found that it was very easy to eat this restricted diet without feeling that I was depriving myself. The legumes and protein keep you feeling satisfied. I even successfully – for literally the first time in my life – was able to say no to donuts TWICE last week. I don’t even crave the sweets we have in our area at work, and I think it’s because I don’t eat sugar anymore (except on Saturdays). I can’t even explain to you how revolutionary that is to me. That has literally never happened before in my life. Sweets have *always* been a challenge to me. Now they’re just only sometimes slightly annoying.
You may be waiting for the results. Remember, the *only* thing I have changed this week was the type of food I ate. I didn’t even exercise this week (I should, I just didn’t). I was astounded when I weighed myself this morning. Last Tuesday morning I weighed 309.8 pounds.
This morning I weighed 303.8. It blows my mind that I lost six pounds this week only by changing the type of food I ate. I don’t understand it, but I accept it.
I don’t want to make this post any longer, so I’ll do a part two later on. There are a few more things I want to tell you about, but it’ll be at least as long as this post.
I’ll end by posting my numbers. In addition to weight, I’ll be taking measurements of my arms, legs, waist, and hips. I’m going to try to consistently update them. I know I’ve said that in the past and haven’t been consistent, but I’ve also never been as gung ho about fat loss as this. I’m definitely amped enough to go another week.
December 21, 2010
Total inches: 199.7
Weight: 303.8
-j
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(Some Pun Using “Stamp”)
December 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment
In the midst of my current liquidation I remembered the other day that I have a decent stamp collection. 
I did a quick search to see what it might be worth. The answer made me laugh. Basically it was that it’s not worth as much as I think it is.
When you think about it, nothing has any monetary value unless you sell it, and I don’t think philately is a high-demand hobby. So the stuff I have is only worth what people would pay for it. I was all set to start selling the stamps as a craft project. I figured 100 or so for a couple bucks.
I listed 40 items on ebay last night. Most of them were relists of previous items – cds, baseball cards, NACSAR memorabilia, comics – but I decided to try the stamp thing and I listed one item.
Now I guess I expected to sell them, but already?! Out of the 40 items I have listed, the stamps got the first bite. I never would have though they would be what sold first. I guess it’s time to list more.
As of this moment, I know conclusively that my stamp collection is worth at least $.99 (plus $1.99 shipping).
-j
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Book Experiment
December 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment
I may have mentioned this before, but just before going down to Paraguay I stopped to drop off some clothes at a thrift store in town. I happened upon their book section and *went nuts*. I think they were even having half-off sale or something. I found several books by authors I really wanted to read so I ended up buying a bunch.
Fast forward to recently. I found out selling books on Amazon is a good idea. The two thoughts merged into one: what if I could sell books on Amazon using the thrift store as my supplier?
So I decided to do an experiment. Last weekend I went to the thrift store and found hundreds of hardcover books in *near mint* condition. Mostly the only defect was the price stickers they put on them. I had decided I would spend $10 on books to see if I could at least break even. I went just over $8. I got several by authors I knew and a couple by authors I didn’t and headed home.
At home I listed the books on Amazon and immediately felt I had made a poor decision. You see, if you’re a piddly seller like I am, Amazon charges you $.99 per sale plus a percentage of the sale price. They charge more for shipping that you end up paying, so in the end you get some of that in addition to the price of the book. So someone might end up paying $3.98 for a book, including shipping, but Amazon takes out enough that you get about $2.70. Then you have to ship it, so by the time you buy the envelope and mail it, you’ve made a dime. That’s how it is for books that sell for $.99.
Almost all of the books I listed have a couple hundred listings on Amazon, dozens of which were $.01. That works fine for sellers who can afford the $40 a month sort-of membership fee. I can’t, so Amazon takes $.99 per book. Maybe you see where I’m going with this.
I’m basically losing money. For example, today I sold the first one I listed from the thrift store. I paid $.99 for it and it sold for $.49. I get $2.07 from Amazon, and I still have to ship it. It’ll probably ship for $2.20, but I also need an envelope. In the end, I will have paid $2.75 for the ability to receive $2.07 from Amazon. That’s a net loss of $1.18.
Like I said, it was an experiment. Some of the books I ended up listing for more than the minimum figuring *eventually* the others would be gone, but unless I can get like 10 books for $1, I probably won’t do this again. I may end up breaking even when it’s all said and done.
http://www.amazon.com/shops/jayzilla
-j
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Adventures in Giving Stuff Away
November 25, 2010 By 1 Comment
In my last post, I talked about different ways I’m making a little bit of extra money (stress on “little bit”). In this one I want to talk about a couple other things I’m doing to remove the clutter from my life, but I think in a more meaningful way than just throwing it out.
Paperback Swap(www.paperbackswap.com)
I came across this website probably three years ago and thought it was a brilliant idea. Quite simply, you list books you have that you wouldn’t mind giving up. In return for giving up books, you get credit to ask for books from other members. The only thing you pay is shipping on the books you send. PBS even has you print the packaging! With two sheets of paper you can generally wrap any book. The address is printed, and you can opt to have PBS figure out your shipping and you drop it in your mailbox, or you can just take it to the post office. I’ve gotten some really good books from PBS. The “paper” is a misnomer; you can also get hardcover and audiobooks. Listing your first 10 books gets you two free credits. At this point, it’s US only.
They have two sister sites, swapacd.com and swapadvd.com. The processes are slightly different, but the idea is the same.
Goodreads (www.goodreads.com)
Goodreads is like Facebook for book readers. I mention this site because they also have a swap feature. The main differences in terms of money I have noticed between this and Paperback Swap is that you don’t need any credits to request a book, and you only pay for the shipping of the books you request.
Freecycle (www.freecycle.org)
Freecycle is probably just how it sounds. Different cities have Freecycle groups, and it works pretty simply. You post something you want to get rid of but don’t want to throw out, and you get a bunch of requests. Who gets your stuff is totally determined by you. Nearly everything I’ve ever posted to Freecycle has been removed from my clutter (this came in very handy before going to Paraguay). Additionally, if you are able to keep track of the list of offers, if something comes up that you need, you can request as well.
Most cities organize their lists themselves. For example, the Richmond group uses Yahoo Groups to handle the listings and requests. Here, at least, the admins are very good and keep the riffraff out. I think it’s pretty safe, and generally the folks on Freecycle are friendly.
Goodwill
Finally, if you’ve got things you can’t get rid of, you can always take it to Goodwill. Everyone knows this; it’s no secret. What most people probably *don’t* do is keep track of what they donate to itemize on their taxes. Before I went to Paraguay, I catalogued everything I donated, and my tax preparer asked me for the list. I ended up donating over $450 worth of deductions from my taxes. That’s a win-win!
So between these several avenues, I’m successfully removing Stuff from my life and feeling good about it. Sometimes it takes a bit of effort, but if you decide it’s worth your time, then it becomes an investment in a more peaceful future.
-j
I'm Jason, and I like to write.