In January of 2009 after my wife and I experienced a couple of close calls with budget cuts and staff reductions we decided to take charge of our financial future and get serious about paying off the mortgage on our home. We looked at the balance owed on our mortgage ($106,755) and the remaining term (23 years) and decided to take as much of my salary and any "extra" money we could find and throw it at the principal balance of our mortgage. Our goal was to pay it off by the end of 2013.
We wanted our goal to be significant, manageable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound.
Significant - Paying off 106k in 5 years is a significant debt reduction.
Manageable - We felt that earmarking much of my salary was manageable.
Achievable - 5 years would be a major commitment but something that was achievable.
Realistic - No matter how you look at things on paper there are going to have to be adjustments and setbacks, so we planned for the "unexpected".
Time-Bound - We set a deadline to help us remain focused on our goal.
The first three months we struggled to find an extra $700 but then things began clicking! A bonus, a tax refund and another nice check had us on our way! By the end of 2009 we were fortunate to pay an extra $36,184 toward the principal! This left us with a balance of $65,000 at the beginning of 2010.
Regarding our goals; we felt we had met each one and significantly exceeded our expectations for the principal reduction. One really exciting thing was when the amount of principal became greater than the amount of interest paid with the regular payment each month.
So here we are nearing the middle of 2010; we have revisited our goals and adjusted the date we think we can make the final payment. Our balance has been reduced to $45,194.16 and our goal is to cut it down to $25,000 by the end of the year.
We are now looking at our last mortgage payment being June 1, 2011. that's still twelve months away and will continue to require a significant sacrifice on our part. There is no guarantee that we won't have a setback that may require an adjustment but Lord willing we'll be celebrating with our June 1, 2011 payment!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Spring has Sprung
The weather has warmed and the plants that surround our property are springing to life once again. Five years ago my wife and I set out to convert our yard, which was comprised almost totally in grass, to something more of an oasis for retreat and enjoyment. First came a small rose garden then A small area was converted to a vegetable garden. Slowly we have converted almost half of our lawn into gardens. We enjoy shade from our pear trees and fresh herbs from our herb garden. Last year we had a bumper crop of basil and plenty of rosemary to use over the winter. Our freezer still contains the bounty from a bumper crop of bell and banana peppers.
We recycled Easter Lilies from church a couple of years ago and they continue to multiply and bloom, alas never at Easter. Theresa, our next door neighbor, has shared from her Iris bounty and we have passed them along to others as well. We have a lovely Chinese rose given by friends in Arkansas and we have shipped cuttings of it across the street and across town.
This weekend we (my lovely wife) mowed the grass for the first time and this week I finished painting the porch that now provides shade and a cool refuge from the summer heat.
Yesterday we enjoyed putting out our hummingbird feeder and were delighted to find a tiny "scout" hummingbird enjoying some sweet nectar! Soon the garden will be in full bloom with Tiger and Day Lilies, hydrangeas, roses and so many other flowers that make our back yard a place where we can enjoy God's beauty and share it with others.
We recycled Easter Lilies from church a couple of years ago and they continue to multiply and bloom, alas never at Easter. Theresa, our next door neighbor, has shared from her Iris bounty and we have passed them along to others as well. We have a lovely Chinese rose given by friends in Arkansas and we have shipped cuttings of it across the street and across town.
This weekend we (my lovely wife) mowed the grass for the first time and this week I finished painting the porch that now provides shade and a cool refuge from the summer heat.
Yesterday we enjoyed putting out our hummingbird feeder and were delighted to find a tiny "scout" hummingbird enjoying some sweet nectar! Soon the garden will be in full bloom with Tiger and Day Lilies, hydrangeas, roses and so many other flowers that make our back yard a place where we can enjoy God's beauty and share it with others.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Roses & Thorns
Friday I was trimming our rose bushes and at one point a thorn went deep into the flesh of a finger. I gently removed the thorn and went on trimming but the tenderness continued for a couple of days.
I remembered that Jesus had been given a crown of thorns so I looked up the passage (Matthew 27:27-31). When Jesus had been sentenced to death the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They then took a staff and struck him on the head again and again.
Can you imagine the agony of those long thorns piercing his flesh not once but again and again as they were driven deeper by the relentless hammering of the staff.
This was only one of the terrible acts precipitated upon Jesus, the worst, of course was his actual death by crucifixion.
It makes one random thorn in my flesh seem pretty benign.
Thank you Jesus for sacrificing your life to reconcile me to God and enduring what should have been my fate.
I remembered that Jesus had been given a crown of thorns so I looked up the passage (Matthew 27:27-31). When Jesus had been sentenced to death the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head. They then took a staff and struck him on the head again and again.
Can you imagine the agony of those long thorns piercing his flesh not once but again and again as they were driven deeper by the relentless hammering of the staff.
This was only one of the terrible acts precipitated upon Jesus, the worst, of course was his actual death by crucifixion.
It makes one random thorn in my flesh seem pretty benign.
Thank you Jesus for sacrificing your life to reconcile me to God and enduring what should have been my fate.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Good Friday
Today at church we consumed the reserve sacrament, and at the end of the service the priest blew out the candle that was burning on the altar. At that moment what washed over me was the thought that this was just like the life of Christ being snuffed out on the cross for my sins.
How humbling it is to know that someone loved me so much to die for me and to reconcile me with God!
How humbling it is to know that someone loved me so much to die for me and to reconcile me with God!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Health Care
I recently had a horrible experience with a local doctor that I just had to share.
It all started when my friend Shirley received a preliminary diagnosis of cancer. The good news for Shirley is that it turned out to be an infection and not cancer. Her scare was the motivation for me to contact a dermatologist to have a red mark on my forehead checked out. I knew I needed to see a dermatologist and the only experience I had was when one of my sons saw one years ago for acne. I thought, why not use the same doctor. That was my first mistake, but not my last one with this guy!
I chose to make an appointment with a doctor with a Rheumatology & Dermatology practice in Cordova because my son had seen him and it was convenient to my home. I showed up for the appointment and paid the required fee to see the doctor. Once in the examining room the doctor vacillated between taking a biopsy and freezing the spot on my forehead and another on my back. He finally chose to freeze them - all the while he was facing the computer entering various notes and codes. He left the room and a woman entered and asked for $14 so they could freeze the two spots. I asked, "can't this wait until I check out?" She said no, collected my payment and left. The technician said, "she gets chewed out all the time for having to do this." I guess they thought I would stiff them for the $14!
Several weeks later I return to have my "spots" checked and they collect my copay at the door. The doctor comes in and looks at the spots then focuses on his computer all the time speaking with his back to me again. Honestly, I wish I had said to him, "Excuse me doctor, I'm over here, your patient, can't you take a few minutes and ignore your computer?" The long and short of it is I got in and out in a few minutes and decided that I would never seek treatment from this doctor again! That was before I heard from the insurance company.
I received my explanation of benefits (EOB) from my visits. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT the doctor HAD CHARGED ANOTHER $200 FOR THE FOLLOW UP VISIT! In my opinion this should have been a courtesy follow up... Obviously I was wrong.
Today I called the office and after requesting to speak with the office manager. I was given the third degree about why I needed to speak to her then placed on hold. I guess the normal procedure is to put the patient on hold for an extended period of time to review the charges and hope that I would hang up, eventually I got to speak to the manager. She said, "$200 was the normal charge" (my insurance only paid like $84 for customary and reasonable charges) and that, "dermatological visits were expensive." NO KIDDING!
To top it all off she said I still owe $7 and change for the visits after my payments and the insurance reimbursements. I asked her politely if she would waive those charges as a courtesy and she said something sweet like, "they don't do that."
Not so sweetly but still poiltely I said, "I will pay your bill but, I will never darken the door of the practice again, that the doctor has a terrible bedside manner and I would tell all my friends about my experience! Hence the blog post today!
By the way I asked my son about his experience years ago - he agreed that the guy has no bedside manner.
If you want to avoid my experience I'll be happy to share the name of the doctor with you.
It all started when my friend Shirley received a preliminary diagnosis of cancer. The good news for Shirley is that it turned out to be an infection and not cancer. Her scare was the motivation for me to contact a dermatologist to have a red mark on my forehead checked out. I knew I needed to see a dermatologist and the only experience I had was when one of my sons saw one years ago for acne. I thought, why not use the same doctor. That was my first mistake, but not my last one with this guy!
I chose to make an appointment with a doctor with a Rheumatology & Dermatology practice in Cordova because my son had seen him and it was convenient to my home. I showed up for the appointment and paid the required fee to see the doctor. Once in the examining room the doctor vacillated between taking a biopsy and freezing the spot on my forehead and another on my back. He finally chose to freeze them - all the while he was facing the computer entering various notes and codes. He left the room and a woman entered and asked for $14 so they could freeze the two spots. I asked, "can't this wait until I check out?" She said no, collected my payment and left. The technician said, "she gets chewed out all the time for having to do this." I guess they thought I would stiff them for the $14!
Several weeks later I return to have my "spots" checked and they collect my copay at the door. The doctor comes in and looks at the spots then focuses on his computer all the time speaking with his back to me again. Honestly, I wish I had said to him, "Excuse me doctor, I'm over here, your patient, can't you take a few minutes and ignore your computer?" The long and short of it is I got in and out in a few minutes and decided that I would never seek treatment from this doctor again! That was before I heard from the insurance company.
I received my explanation of benefits (EOB) from my visits. I WAS SHOCKED TO SEE THAT the doctor HAD CHARGED ANOTHER $200 FOR THE FOLLOW UP VISIT! In my opinion this should have been a courtesy follow up... Obviously I was wrong.
Today I called the office and after requesting to speak with the office manager. I was given the third degree about why I needed to speak to her then placed on hold. I guess the normal procedure is to put the patient on hold for an extended period of time to review the charges and hope that I would hang up, eventually I got to speak to the manager. She said, "$200 was the normal charge" (my insurance only paid like $84 for customary and reasonable charges) and that, "dermatological visits were expensive." NO KIDDING!
To top it all off she said I still owe $7 and change for the visits after my payments and the insurance reimbursements. I asked her politely if she would waive those charges as a courtesy and she said something sweet like, "they don't do that."
Not so sweetly but still poiltely I said, "I will pay your bill but, I will never darken the door of the practice again, that the doctor has a terrible bedside manner and I would tell all my friends about my experience! Hence the blog post today!
By the way I asked my son about his experience years ago - he agreed that the guy has no bedside manner.
If you want to avoid my experience I'll be happy to share the name of the doctor with you.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Tofu Adventure Part II
We are now two months into this modified diet and I wanted to comment about the changes we have made.
First some successes:
Both of the following have been staples of our daily diet.
Red Meat - I thought this would be the most difficult to give up, but to my surprise it has been quite easy! I don't generally crave red meat anymore and find chicken, turkey, fish and even tofu acceptable alternatives.
Potatoes - no longer consuming them having replaced them with rice and couscous. I love potato chips but have substituted them with multi grain chips that satisfy my craving for salt.
When we do eat out it has been fairly easy to opt for the fish, chicken or salad and skip the meat all together!
Now for the failures:
Dairy - We have discovered that we can't live without cheese, particularly cheddar. So we eat it in moderation rather than cutting it out all together. We still drink milk although Soy milk is fine it is a cost issue.
Alcohol - I still love drinking a beer after a good workout such as mowing the lawn, but we have tried to be more intentional about drinking a glass of wine that is better for us.
Breads & Sugars - Bread is something that we make and love, particularly Cheddar Cheese Bread! We will keep enjoying this on a regular basis. I have discovered that I have more of a sweet tooth now, enjoying cookies and ice cream recently. I do try to use honey as a substitute but I still consume far too much processed sugar.
Side Notes:
Ground turkey is a wonderful substitute for beef. We have made stroganoff, burgers, and spaghetti with great results!
Couscous are great especially when you need a side dish is a hurry, be sure to add some spices to the dish especially cumin!
I have discovered a dill sauce for fish that is divine - of course it has dairy in the ingredients - but it is awesome!
We have discovered that asparagus and corn cooked on the grill are delicious!
That's all for now.
First some successes:
Both of the following have been staples of our daily diet.
Red Meat - I thought this would be the most difficult to give up, but to my surprise it has been quite easy! I don't generally crave red meat anymore and find chicken, turkey, fish and even tofu acceptable alternatives.
Potatoes - no longer consuming them having replaced them with rice and couscous. I love potato chips but have substituted them with multi grain chips that satisfy my craving for salt.
When we do eat out it has been fairly easy to opt for the fish, chicken or salad and skip the meat all together!
Now for the failures:
Dairy - We have discovered that we can't live without cheese, particularly cheddar. So we eat it in moderation rather than cutting it out all together. We still drink milk although Soy milk is fine it is a cost issue.
Alcohol - I still love drinking a beer after a good workout such as mowing the lawn, but we have tried to be more intentional about drinking a glass of wine that is better for us.
Breads & Sugars - Bread is something that we make and love, particularly Cheddar Cheese Bread! We will keep enjoying this on a regular basis. I have discovered that I have more of a sweet tooth now, enjoying cookies and ice cream recently. I do try to use honey as a substitute but I still consume far too much processed sugar.
Side Notes:
Ground turkey is a wonderful substitute for beef. We have made stroganoff, burgers, and spaghetti with great results!
Couscous are great especially when you need a side dish is a hurry, be sure to add some spices to the dish especially cumin!
I have discovered a dill sauce for fish that is divine - of course it has dairy in the ingredients - but it is awesome!
We have discovered that asparagus and corn cooked on the grill are delicious!
That's all for now.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wilderness Wanderings
30 Days out!
Every year my dear friends Bob "The Bobber" Schubert, Clark "Bwana" Lentz, and Mike "Doc Mike" McMahon plan a 10 day wilderness adventure to the western United States. In years past we have visited California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. This year we'll visit the Escalante Wilderness in Utah. Our trips regularly test our outdoor skills and always bring us closer together! We are approaching 20 years of trips and here are some of the highlights!
Our trips began in the summer of 1991 when we made our first backpacking trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. Since then we have been known as the "Glacier Guyes" and our adventures and misadventures live on like the story a fisherman tells of a great fish!
We have climbed peaks including Mt Whitney (14,500') in California which is the highest peak in the lower 48 states and was probably our least favorite summit. We have hiked through acres of wildflowers, skinny dipped in frigid lakes and "canoed" on melting icebergs.
We have met some interesting people along our journey; Little Brother in Glacier, a strange man carrying several steamer trunks, and a man who lost all his food to a bear. There was the beautiful young woman whom Clark and I encountered on the Continental Divide and 18 years later Clark is still kicking himself for not pursuing the woman of his dreams.
We too have seen all sorts of wildlife; Grizzly & Black Bears, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Marmots, Pica, Mule Deer, Squirrels, Loons, Eagles and Bwana Clark has reeled in many a trout for us to fry up and enjoy.
Food is often a focal point of our trips and we have enjoyed dishes created along the trail with appropriate names like, "Golden Trout Fish Nuggets; Blue Diamond Lake Trout Almondine; Louisiana Red Beans and Rice which has been banned from future trips! Thimbleberries, raspberries, blueberries, Schubert's Mint, are included in the wild edibles in addition to the fish.
Bears like "people food" a lot; on our Mt Whitney trip we were three days from the end of the trip when we literally fought off a 250 pound bear who had invaded our camp looking for an easy meal. The bear left after 20 minutes of being pelted with rocks!
The Glacier Guyes have been joined by some friends on various trips. Ronnie who tells the best stories I've ever heard; Rodney who will never be forgotten for his dive (a forward 1&1/2 somersault from the pike position) at Hilton Lake; & the rite of passage to manhood for Jim and Sam, my sons who share my love for all things wild.
I'm so very blessed to call all these me my friends and look forward to our adventure next month!
Greg "Greggy" Ward
Every year my dear friends Bob "The Bobber" Schubert, Clark "Bwana" Lentz, and Mike "Doc Mike" McMahon plan a 10 day wilderness adventure to the western United States. In years past we have visited California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, and Utah. This year we'll visit the Escalante Wilderness in Utah. Our trips regularly test our outdoor skills and always bring us closer together! We are approaching 20 years of trips and here are some of the highlights!
Our trips began in the summer of 1991 when we made our first backpacking trip to Glacier National Park in Montana. Since then we have been known as the "Glacier Guyes" and our adventures and misadventures live on like the story a fisherman tells of a great fish!
We have climbed peaks including Mt Whitney (14,500') in California which is the highest peak in the lower 48 states and was probably our least favorite summit. We have hiked through acres of wildflowers, skinny dipped in frigid lakes and "canoed" on melting icebergs.
We have met some interesting people along our journey; Little Brother in Glacier, a strange man carrying several steamer trunks, and a man who lost all his food to a bear. There was the beautiful young woman whom Clark and I encountered on the Continental Divide and 18 years later Clark is still kicking himself for not pursuing the woman of his dreams.
We too have seen all sorts of wildlife; Grizzly & Black Bears, Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Marmots, Pica, Mule Deer, Squirrels, Loons, Eagles and Bwana Clark has reeled in many a trout for us to fry up and enjoy.
Food is often a focal point of our trips and we have enjoyed dishes created along the trail with appropriate names like, "Golden Trout Fish Nuggets; Blue Diamond Lake Trout Almondine; Louisiana Red Beans and Rice which has been banned from future trips! Thimbleberries, raspberries, blueberries, Schubert's Mint, are included in the wild edibles in addition to the fish.
Bears like "people food" a lot; on our Mt Whitney trip we were three days from the end of the trip when we literally fought off a 250 pound bear who had invaded our camp looking for an easy meal. The bear left after 20 minutes of being pelted with rocks!
The Glacier Guyes have been joined by some friends on various trips. Ronnie who tells the best stories I've ever heard; Rodney who will never be forgotten for his dive (a forward 1&1/2 somersault from the pike position) at Hilton Lake; & the rite of passage to manhood for Jim and Sam, my sons who share my love for all things wild.
I'm so very blessed to call all these me my friends and look forward to our adventure next month!
Greg "Greggy" Ward
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