Day 7 - Action Plan and Other Stuff

Today I started reading about investing. Good grief, talk about being overwhelmed! There are so many terms to learn. Day trading, options trading, dividends, futures... man, my head is spinning! I think I'm going to start small and diversify. First thought? Investing in palladium. I've never heard of palladium until today - it's a precious metal kind of like platinum only cheaper and more useful. It's used in automobile converters, dental procedures and it's mixed with gold to make "white gold." I can buy a bullion of palladium for about $500. Also, it's been steadily appreciating in the market over the past several years so, the way I see it, if I buy one bullion a year to start, I could make a pretty tidy little profit in five years. The pro: my profit can increase significantly. The con: I don't think I can reinvest the dividends so once I decide to sell, I'd have to cash in... which (again as a pro) is incentive to hang onto the metals. Okay, so that's one thing.

Also, I'm starting to read about real estate investing. Now THAT was confusing. I mean, I get the basic idea but I really have no clue how you get from saying "oh hey, I think I'd like to invest in real estate and, by the way, I hear this is possible by using investors' money which is good, since I don't have any!" to "well here I am, the owner of this real estate that my buddy the financial investor put the money up for. Let's make a profit!" I'm sure there are some tricks to this and I do know it's possible. I just haven't figured out any of the "how it's done" stuff yet. Phew, my brain hurts from all of this reading but I'm determined to learn and put this knowledge to good use!

About my own debt. I figured out the following:

• If I pay my debtor $300 per month, I can be debt-free in five years.
• If I pay $400 per month, I can be debt-free in 3.8 years, and
• IF I can figure out how to pay $500 per month, I can be completely debt-free in three years!
  

The idea of being completely debt-free in three years is beyond exciting! I mean, geez, I'd like to be completely in the black in a year but I'm not quite sure how to do that just yet. IF I rely on no one but myself, I know I can do it in five years while saving and investing for my future at the same time and THAT, my friend, is a phenomenal feeling.

An exciting idea: House sitting internationally. I was at a website earlier, http://www.housecarers.com and saw that there are people all over the world who need people to come care for their homes while they travel for work. I could have a six month assignment in Vancouver and then move over to, oh I don't know, Dublin for another four months. How cool is that??!! The more I think about it, the more this truly, truly appeals to me. I can't wait to ask Marc about it - I could be wrong but I think this is the sort of thing that would suit us immensely, as we both have a bit of the wanderlust and nothing holding us back. Hmm....!

Oh! I was searching the web for gift ideas for my two kids who are out of the family circle. I think I've got a pretty cool idea for my son... he's almost 21 and I don't want to spill the beans on the off-off-off chance that he might read this blog but... yeah, it's cool and I'm excited about it. My daughter (age 19) is going to be a bit more difficult but I'm going to keep brainstorming until I find just the right thing.

More news: I'm losing weight! yes! Yesterday, I put on a pair of jeans (I bought these about 6 weeks ago even though they didn't fit because they were the last pair in the store and I reallyreallyreallyREALLY wanted them) and they fit! WOO! At the moment, though, I feel a little "blobby" because I could have gone out for a walk today but instead, I felt like lounging around the house so that's exactly what I did. Scratch that. I did clean and the place looks (and smells) fabulous but otherwise? Yeah, didn't do much moving around today. It's okay though - tomorrow, it's back to work and back to walking, climbing stairs, chasing after a one year old and her dog... I'll be busy! I wish I could figure out how to move around a lot without sweating like a pig though - it feels gross and I think, with my hair all frizzed out, my spine drenched with sweat that I pray to GOD no one can see, and with my make up pretty much melted completely off, I must look awful by the end of the day! Wouldn't it be awesome to look like one of those fake boobed bottle blondes wearing knee high boots as she clickety clacks down the sidewalk in Streeterville during a weekday shopping marathon? *le sigh* Maybe someday, hm?

Alrighty. Work night tonight so I need to get to bed soon. G'night, whoever you are and, as always, thanks for listening!


p.s. Hello to my new followers! Thank you for adding me to your reads!