Sunday Funnies. ::: Financial Advisor. :::

Happy Sunday Funnies, everyone!

Today I present an actual Comic Strip from the one and only Zits Cartoon. I have loved Zits since it first appeared in the Sunday paper. Back then, I probably associated with Jeremy, the teenage boy in the cartoon. These days, and this day in particular, I side with his parents.

Why you ask? Well, because this week, I did exactly what Jeremy's mom, Connie, and his father, Walter ("Walt" to those of us who know them well), did. I met with a financial advisor*. A friend had actually suggested this meeting years ago and I was absolutely certain I didn't need it. More than that, I was terrified. What if this person looked at my finances and said "You are screwed." I've watched enough Suze Orman in my life to know that sometimes our goals are out of our reach. But I didn't want to face facts. Ignorance is bliss, right? So, I spent the last 4 years avoiding my finances. Spending how much I wanted, on what I wanted, when I wanted. The problem? So many "wants", too little money. Well, that's not completely true. But you get my point. I wasn't ready to take a good hard look at my financial future and make any short or long term plans.

This year though, it hit me: It's time to support me. (Later, I'll be sure to tell you all about my New Year's Phrase... this sentence is part of that.) And how can I support myself without some financial support? I can't. Basically, I'm finally ready to get my finances under control. And, like they say, "When the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I was finally ready to take control and support me. Because of that, I've been reading more about the "Spending Diet" and  the "Spending Fast" (thank you And Then We Saved for some much needed inspiration!), I've been reading the Suze Orman book that has been on my shelf for 6+ years, and I finally contacted my friend's financial advisor. This first meeting was a step in the right direction, but the journey hasn't ended. Frankly, it's only just begun. In our first meeting, my financial advisor gathered all of my financial paperwork and will be looking over it in the next couple of weeks. But we meet again in two weeks so she can help me set some attainable financial goals (buy a house/condo/duplex, retire before I'm 80, etc.). I'll keep you posted on my progress in the meantime. And if I learn any gems, I'll pass them along to you. But you have to promise to do the same.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend (even if I did bring Sunday Funnies to a more serious side)!

* - "adviser" and "advisor" are considered interchangeable according to the internet and my most trusted grammatically correct friends.

Tuesday Tunes. ::: I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers :::

Good morning, and happy Tuesday Tunes to y'all!

How was your weekend? I worked this entire weekend, so mine was pretty much just filled with work and sleep & sleep and work.

In a previous post, I talked about listening to the signs around me. Realizing (read: hoping, wishing, believing) the Universe has some cosmic way of saying, "Hey! I have a plan for you, now go out and do what I say!" Well, I've been feeling like the Universe is back at it recently. This may not seem odd to you, but I've heard today's Tuesday Tunes every time I turn on the radio. Every time. Not only that, this song recently showed up while I was watching "How I Met Your Mother." Twice. What does it mean? That 97.3 KBCO is obsessed with The Proclaimers? That I listen to the radio too much (and by the way, who else is listening to the radio when you could listen to digital music or Pandora or Spotify?)? That the Universe is not only controlling the radio, it's also in control of "How I Met Your Mother"? I don't have the exact answer. 

But what I do know is this: I am listening (who remembers those old Deep Rock Water commercials?). I figure if the Universe has a plan for me, it must know me pretty well. And it must also know that I am a very literal person. So, with that said, I've decided in 2014 I will walk 500 miles. And perhaps next year, I will walk 500 more. Just to be that (wo)man who walks a thousand miles to fall down at your door. 

Thus, I present you with I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) by The Proclaimers.

Please note three things: 1) I have never seen this music video before so don't judge based on that 2) it must be a legit video- it has the MTV logo in the lower left corner (which makes me nostalgic for the days when MTV showed music videos. Odd concept, right?) and 3) I apologize for falling down at your door in advance.