Finance Companies Suck

Today with SCF going into receivership I have been thinking about finance companies and general and why I hate them. Adrian pointed out that for the most part farmers would have been buying machinery from SCF as opposed to new plasma televisions.

I will not tell a lie, I have had various hire purchases and store cards over the years where the debt has been managed by finance companies. Nine times out of ten a lot of these debts were incurred because I wanted something immediately and did not either have the savings for it, or did not want to save for it.

Do not get me wrong, I am not against hire purchases with interest free terms provided you need the item. To me household items that you need to replace immediately if they die are things like ovens, fridges, washing machines and possibly a dryer. I do not believe you should get yourself into debt for a new plasma TV, iPhone or Android phone, computer etc. It comes back to whether you believe something is a “want” or a “need”. Check out Jill’s blog titled 'Do you REALLY need it or just want it?'

A few years back in the lead up to Christmas I just about had a meltdown about a particular finance company’s advertising. It went a little like this “want a new XX or new boobs then come and see us”. Seriously, how are new boobs (unless you have chronic back pain) a reason to use a finance company?!! Shame on you finance companies preying on people during financially vulnerable times like Christmas! This also made me realise just how commercialised Christmas has become. There are also companies that target particular socio-economic or ethnic groups. GRRR they just make me so angry!

I am far from being a financial expert, so from my personal experience here are some advice/thoughts:
- Think about wants versus needs
- If it is not an urgent purchase then do your research and shop around. You might find that if you wait a week or two the initial “need to have it now” feeling has worn off. Or save up for it...it will mean more!
- If you do not have the money, but want something then how about selling some of the “stuff” you do not use or want anymore. Liz and her family did this so that they could have a family trip to Fiji
- Try and put some money aside for “emergencies”; even $20 a month is better than nothing
- Avoid finance companies like the plague!
- Be wary of store cards especially those that can be used everywhere! I used my Farmers card at book shops, to get petrol and to buy groceries and then was hit with the 20% interest
- If you cannot use a credit card properly then get rid of it. As my boss once said to me “Vanessa your credit card limit is not for you to spend up to”...stink!

Please feel free to add your ideas or experiences below!

Birthday week/end

Jumped on the scales this morning and my weight had not changed. To be honest I was a little disappointed, but not really that surprised. I had my birthday last Friday; so from Friday through to Monday it was all about birthday food and cake. So staying the same is better than gaining.

How do we get through weeks of “celebration”? Eating in moderation, not snacking on party food (fill a small plate and move away from the table), upping the amount of exercise. A few months ago I met a woman that strongly advocated weight-loss using meal replacement shakes for all meals. Over our lives there are going to be times when this is not achievable and seriously….HOW BORING!

So do not fear birthdays, weddings, parties etc. but just be prepared. If you are hosting the party then think about healthy options i.e. salsa, hummus, rice crackers, dipping vegetables, fruit kebabs etc. If you are a guest then offset a “naughty” choice with healthy options and eat a proper meal before you go to the party.

I had a quick chat with Arlene my personal trainer on the weekend and there are about 4.5 months until summer officially kicks in. She mentioned that she thought I could be down about 40kg by then. This would mean losing about 2kg per week for the next 18-20 weeks. I figure that it is quite achievable with a lot of planning, focus, healthy eating, portion control and regular exercise.

I tend to hibernate in winter; yes like a bear. When we get home in the evenings after the gym I tend to have a HUGE meal and then hop into bed with the cats and watch TV. So my plan from here on in is to drastically reduce the size of my dinner every evening and make a conscious effort not to eat rice, pasta or potatoes after 2pm each day.

Every day I have to reconfirm to myself why I am doing this:
- For my health
- To get pregnant
- To stop feeling obese and crappy
- To have more energy
- To fit into an airline seat and actually put the tray down properly

Previous Weight: 157.4kg
Current Weight: 157.4kg
Weight Difference: 0kg
Initial Goal Weight: 99kg
Work out pledge: 3 cardio and 2 resistance workouts

Places to see before I die

A few months ago I re-watched Bagdad Cafe on DVD. It is a beautiful, moving film and the theme song “I’m Calling You” by Jevetta Steele has always struck a chord with me. I find it a poignant song and for me it is the perfect fit for the movie.

It also made me think about travelling and seeing the world. Sometimes I do regret not having done an OE (Overseas Experience) prior to settling down with my husband and 6 cats. Now I wonder if I will ever get to see the places and things that I really want to see. I do not regret anything that I have done in my life; however I should have travelled more.

I have always lived in Auckland and while I have travelled a little, there are still so many countries that I wish to see.

Because of the commitments that we have it will be hard to go away for long periods of time, so it looks like we will have to do shorter trips to see the world.

The time has come for us to sit down and make a list of all the places that we want to see and then decide which are negotiable and which are not. There are countries that I refuse to visit because of their treatment of animals for either sport or entertainment. So India, Spain, Thailand and Vietnam are definitely out.

Places that I would love to see before I die are:
Alaska/Canada
Italy
Las Vegas
New Orleans
New York
Paris
Rarotonga
San Francisco
Venice

Where would you love to go?

I’m Calling You ~ Lyrics
A desert road from Vegas to nowhere, some place better than where you've been. A coffee machine that needs some fixing in a little café just around the bend.

I am calling you. Can't you hear me? I am calling you.

A hot dry wind blows right through me. The baby's crying and I can't sleep, but we both know a change is coming, coming closer sweet release.

I am calling you. I know you hear me. I am calling you. Ohhhh. I am calling you. I know you hear me. I am calling you.

A desert road from Vegas to nowhere, some place better than where you've been. A coffee machine that needs some fixing in a little café just around the bend.

A hot dry wind blows right through me. The baby's crying and I can't sleep and I can feel a change is coming, coming closer sweet release.

I am calling you. Can't you hear me? I am calling you. Ohhhhhhhh. Uhhhhh.....

If you do what you've always done....

Last week I was away in Sydney for work, and then had the weekend to enjoy Sydney with Mark and a close family friend.

I was really excited about staying at the Mantra as their website showed a beautiful pool and mentioned that they had a gym. I should have been suspicious when I couldn’t find any photos of their gym on their website.

My promise to myself and my trainer was that I would go to the gym at least 4 times while away, and also eat sensibly. On Monday evening I headed down to the gym to check it out. I was so disappointed with their cardio gear. They had an old bike; reasonable treadmill and a stair master…seriously do gyms even have stair masters now??? The next morning I headed down to give things a go, and managed about 30 minutes of cardio. It made me miss our gym and my favourite cross trainer. Suffice to say, I did not go back there for the rest of my stay, but I did manage to do a bit of walking later in the week.

I was pretty good with my eating, but I know that I could have been much better. I over ate at our work dinner and felt pretty awful afterwards. The good thing about our dinner was the good walk to get to and from the restaurant.

So my lack of exercise combined with my over-eating definitely reflected on the scales this week and I put on all the weight I had lost plus 200g. This made me realize that if I do no exercise and continue to over-eat then I will never, ever achieve the weight loss that I need to be healthy. I had some lovely support from people on Twitter who told me not to let the scales 1. Rule my life and 2. Dictate my emotions. So I am just getting back on the horse this week with better eating and 5 days of exercise.

This sums it up: “If you do what you've always done, you'll get what you've always gotten.” ~ Anthony Robbins

Previous Weight: 155.9kg
Current Weight: 157.4kg
Weight Difference: +1.5kg
Initial Goal Weight: 99kg
Work out pledge: 3 cardio and 2 resistance workouts

Making Exercise Fun

At the gym the other night I was thinking about exercise and personal trainers. Over the years I have seen quite a few personal trainers, and this year when I found one for my mum I decided to see her as well. Last week I got a bit of a “telling off” from her; it is the first time that a personal trainer has actually seriously made me sit up and take note. Prior to the telling off I had been doing exercise twice a week and I had considering lying to her (out of guilt) about how much exercise I was doing.

What I realized is that we should not have to lie about how much exercise we have done, nor feel guilty about not doing it. What we should feel is that we want to exercise to feel better and help us on the way to a healthier lifestyle. We should challenge ourselves when we exercise, otherwise we become complacent. I reckon that exercise should be a good mix of fun and challenge!

Ways to make exercise fun:
• Do it with a friend
• Have a good soundtrack (My pick this week is ‘Proud Mary’ by the cast of Glee)
• Find exercises that you enjoy as well as those that you do not
• Set yourself mini-goals i.e. next time on the Cross Trainer I will try level 8
• Mix it up; do aerobics, weights, walking, running, sport, dancing, swimming, Zumba...
• Try new things

So if you miss a day of exercise try not to feel guilty about it, but just enjoy the "rest day" and then get back into it the next day. So stop beating yourself up for not exercising and just make a start...even 20 minutes 3 times a week is better than nothing.

Previous Weight: 157.2kg
Current Weight: 155.9kg
Weight Loss: 1.3kg
Initial Goal Weight: 99kg
Work out pledge: 4 cardio workouts including a swim

Things I have discovered or rediscovered...

Tonight will be the fourth night in a row at the gym. Mark and I have decided to go to the gym after work Monday - Thursday and then when he goes for a Saturday bike ride I go to the gym. So that's our 5 exercise time slots per week.

Things I discovered or rediscovered last night:
- Getting the right mix of music on my iPhone playlist is absolutely crucial to enjoying my workout and feeling motivated
- Pulling faces makes Arlene (my personal trainer) re-start counting from 1
- I enjoy doing vertical push-ups and my arms are getting stronger

- I LOVE the cross-trainer!

- Level 25 on the cross-trainer is too hard for me to do at the moment, but the strength will come

At the end of the day, I figure consistency is key. I kept waiting to get motivated to go to the gym, when realistically I believe that you just need to push yourself and eventually the motivation will come.

Next week is week 2 and I am flying to Sydney for work. I am thanking the exercise Gods and Goddesses’ that our hotel has a gym and a pool.

A start...

I have decided to finally get serious about my health, weight and wellbeing. I am 34 years old, and for most of my life I have been overweight.

It has now reached a crisis point where I have a fatty liver, slight asthma, am grossly unfit and just generally tired all the time. I am sick of walking up one flight of stairs and feeling out of breath. I also want to have children, and cannot do that at this weight.

I am choosing to take responsibility for my health and I blame no one but myself for the 60kg that I have put on since I turned 20. It is me that has overeaten and all but given up exercise.

So rather than surround myself with negativity, I have decided to take a positive step and lose weight and have some fun with some of my friends. I am going to blog along the way.

I will take some “before” photos of myself to track my progress. But for now, I will include some photos of me when I was about 16, and then another when I was 19…fit, healthy and happy.

Current Weight: 157.2kg
Initial Goal Weight: 99kg
Work out pledge: 3 Cardio workouts and 2 Resistance per week