Category Archives: In The News

Dec 28 2012
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My Letter to Anderson Cooper

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Anderson Cooper visited Wolfson Children's Hos...

I personally love Anderson Cooper and I noticed on his website that he is looking for guests on his day time talk show to share their frugal tips; as a personal finance blogger and a girl who went from almost being bankrupt to building wealth I feel as if I am the perfect guest. It’s also the perfect opportunity to promote my new book “A Better You”.  I want people to know that they can make changes in their personal financial situation, no one has to be unhappy if they don’t want to be.

This is my letter to Anderson Cooper, if you were him would you have me on the show?

Dear Anderson Cooper, (as if he personally reads the letters)

I am a personal finance blogger and a certified financial planner who went from almost being bankrupt to building wealth within 3 years.  As a young professional I used to earn a six figure income and I lived a carefree life where I spent money recklessly.  It was actually kind of ironic because as a certified financial planner every day I would advise people how to save and invest their money but I couldn’t take my own advice.

I was in my 20s and I was tens of thousands of dollars in debt.  I was only making the minimum payments on my debts because the debt didn’t bother me.  I complained about having debt but I enjoyed spending money so I used my six figure income to make the minimum payments on my debts and I spent the rest of my paycheck on vacations, eating out in restaurants and materialistic good like a new car, a new television and lots and lots of clothes. Then the market crashed.

I lost my job in personal finance and I had no way to pay my bills, needless to say my extravagant lifestyle drastically changed overnight.  I felt defeated, like I had failed at life. I spend 4 years in university and 2 years earning my financial planning degree only to have my entire world shattered in less than 24 hours.  My entire professional life was about personal finance and I had no backup plan.

I eventually picked myself up off my bathroom floor and I started to look at my new situation as an opportunity to start over as oppose to a personal crisis. I had a second chance at life and trust me I did it differently the second time around.  I got another job and then I got a second job to help pay off my debts.  I contacted my credit card companies to negotiate my interest rates and I made a debt repayment plan with a target get out of debt date.  I believe that we all make choices in life and my choice was to get my life in order.  I didn’t have a lot of extra money to spend each week on myself but that was the choice I made – I chose to pay off my debts instead of go on vacation.  As I evaluated my new life I realized that I could do (or not do) anything, I had a fresh start.  I realized that I didn’t want to go back into personal finance so I went back to school to study journalism; now I have a career that I love.

I hit rock bottom after the market crash, my personal life and my financial life were out of control and I made a promise to myself that I would never let that happen again. I now live on a budget and before I make a purchase I always weigh the cost vs. the benefit.  I realized that I don’t need “stuff” to make me happy, now I live only on the necessities.  My personal motto is that if it doesn’t keep me warm, get me clean or keep my belly full then I don’t need it.  I definitely live without a lot of materialistic goods but ironically I never feel like I am missing anything.

I recently wrote a book called A Better You: We don’t have to be the best but we can always be better. It discusses my personal story of how I made changes in my life, my money, my career and my relationship to become a happier person.  I used to complain about being in debt until I finally realized that the only way to stop complaining about being in debt was to get out of debt. So that’s what I am doing.

As I look back over the past few years I don’t regret anything that has happened to me; if I wasn’t financially irresponsible and if I didn’t lose my job I wouldn’t be able to write about it now and I wouldn’t be able to share my story to inspire others to make positive changes in their lives.

I would love to share my experience on your show and I hope to hear from you soon.

Love Always.

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Dec 7 2012
4 replies

Friday Faves: My fave pics and being on the radio

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Happy Friday Everyone. I am feeling great today because I had a great week. Lots of good things happened to me this week and I definitely feel the need to share.

I just got back from an awesome trip to Boston (it was my first time), I had a second job interview with a really great company and I was on the radio! Oh yes that’s right. This week I was featured on the Daybreak Radio Show; I was also featured on the CBC News  in Montreal (my segment starts at 8 mins 37 seconds) as I talked about overcoming debt and shopping tips to stay of debt this holiday season.

Here are some pics from my day in the media:

  

   

Love Always,

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Nov 25 2012
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Experts say that egg whites are no good

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For the majority of my life I have been told that egg yolks are bad for us and that egg whites are the only good part of an egg; however recent reports say this is not necessarily true.

A recent article from Shape Magazine says that both egg yolks and egg whites are a healthy option because they both offer nutritional value.  Egg yolks are full of dietary cholesterol which is your good cholesterol and egg whites are full of protein which is very beneficial for lean body mass.  Eggs as a whole (both yolk and whites) are also full of healthy Omega 3 which is good for the brain and good for the heart. I didn’t know this but eggs have an antioxidant level that is equal to eating an entire apple. That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.

Who should I believe?

Nutrition 103

As I embark on my weight loss journey I have read a lot of articles and blog posts about healthy eating, nutritional value and portion control.  I have to be honest and say that reading about health and nutrition has done nothing but confuse me.  It seems that for every article I read about the benefits of eating eggs, eating green vegetables and eating healthy portions of fruits on a daily basis there is another article stating the exact opposite.

Some nutrition experts feel that eating a lot of fruit is not a healthy snack because fruits are full of sugar. However some other nutrition experts feel that eating fruit throughout the day is a healthy option to other types of sweet snacks.  Some medical professionals feel that snacking throughout the day leads to overeating and obesity while some other medical professionals feel that eating several small meals throughout the day is the only way to maintain a healthy weight. So who should I believe?

How about I just eat whatever I want to

Nutrition

I am not a nutritional expert or a medical professional and I am not really a person who likes to be told what to do; therefore I think the best way for me to lose weight and still be happy is to just eat what I want to…but within moderation.

It is a widely accepted theory by many nutritional experts and medical professionals that the only guaranteed way to lose weight is to burn off more calories in a day than you take in.  This means that I have to either eat foods that don’t have a lot of calories or I have to exercise on a regular basis in order to burn off excess calories.

I am eating foods with fewer grams of sugar and fewer grams of carbohydrates because sugar and carbs turn into fat if they are not burned off with exercise.  I have also started to drink more water throughout the day in an effort to flush out any toxins.  I started my “Save Yourself. Skip the Gym.” Weight loss plan 5 weeks ago and since then I have lost 3 lbs, I am happy and I have not yet been hungry.

Love Always,

  Photo by JustyCinMD

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Nov 6 2012
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Dear America, please vote for President Obama today.

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Good Morning Everyone and Happy Voting Day in the U.S.A.  If you are an avid reader of My Diary Entry then you know exactly how much I love President Obama and his family.

I am not going to bore you with all of the reasons why you should vote for President Obama to be elected into a second term because if you are intelligent then you already know all of the reasons.  But just in case you aren’t intelligent enough to know how amazing President Obama is and how good he is for America, please allow me to school you with a little Top 5 List a la David Letterman style. As a Canadian I don’t get a vote, but if I did it would definitely be for President Obama.

Top 5 Reasons to Vote for President Barack Obama:

- He is smart, intelligent and Harvard Law educated.

- President Obama is a true gentleman and he has the image of a true leader.

- He needs another 4 years to clean up the mess that the Republicans left him back in 2008.

- President Obama honestly wants to make America better, he believes in the future of America.

- He is a man of his word. If he wants to make America better he will, he just needs a chance.

Top 5 Reasons NOT to Vote for the Republicans:

- Mitt Romney is not smart, not educated and not well spoken.

- Republicans don’t care about you and me, they only care about their rich friends.

- The Republicans goal is to cut taxes for themselves and for their rich friends.

- Mitt Romney is not a gentleman, he is not well behaved on television and he has no manners; do you really want him in charge of your country?

- Think about the last time you saw Mitt Romney on television or you heard him speak, does he really represent you as an American?

When you go out and vote today you should vote for the man that best represents you.  Vote for the man who represents your definition of America.  Vote for the man that you would like to have as your professor, neighbour and co-worker.

VOTE FOR PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!

Love Always,

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Oct 19 2012
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Buy Pink…October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

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In honour of October being breast cancer awareness month I am dedicating this post to everyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer in one way or another.  I have been fortunate enough to be cancer free for the first 32 years of my life, but I know that some other people have not had this same fortune.

Breast cancer and other types of women’s cancers are causes dear to my heart because as a woman I could be affected by them at any time. This is why I chose to volunteer my timefor the Shoppers Drug Mart Weekend to End Women’s Cancers and during the month of October I try to buy as many Pink products as I can in support of breast cancer awareness month.

Glamour Magazine recently published an article titled “7 Things No One Ever Tells You About Breast Cancer” and after reading this month’s Glamour Magazine I felt the need to share.

Did you know?

We’re not trying hard enough to end breast cancer.  A lot of money raised for breast cancer research is allocated towards developing treatments instead of finding a potential cure.

You should be able to pick your breasts out of a lineup. Do you know what your breasts look like? Well you should because then you will know if something looks wrong.

Your paycheck could determine whether you live or die. Women and families who have access to good health care have their tumors diagnosed at a much earlier stage (and size) than women who may not have access to good health care.

Your lifestyle can help prevent breast cancer. Women who exercise on a regular basis, women who maintain a healthy weight, women who limit their alcohol intake and women who give birth before their mid-30s have a lower risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer.

Breast cancer might be caused by a virus. It is said that 5 different viruses (one of which is HPV) can potentially cause breast cancer, but this is still being studied in research labs.

Beating it makes you badass. Not everyone who is diagnosed with breast cancer dies from the disease.  Being diagnosed at an early stage, seeing your doctor on a regular basis, keeping a positive attitude and finding treatment can all help you beat breast cancer.

If you get breast cancer you might hear these lies. Not very breast cancer diagnostic is the same and not every breast cancer patient is the same; therefore not all treatments will be the same. Not all patients have to have an operation as soon as possible and not all patients have to have a mastectomy.  Check with your doctor and get a second opinion to make sure that you find the best breast cancer treatment for you.

Many companies and corporations such as the NFL, Revlon, Essie and Nestle all have products that support breast cancer research.  Before you buy something in October check to see if a portion of the proceeds will be donated to breast cancer research.

Did you buy anything Pink this month?

Love Always,

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Oct 17 2012
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Why I bought a Blackberry Bold & not an iPhone

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Less than two weeks ago I ordered a Blackberry Bold 9790 and although I have yet to figure out all of its features and benefits I am very pleased with my new cell phone purchase.  I have been posting regularly about my new Blackberry on boh Twitter and Facebook and the comments from my followers and friends have been very mixed with both positive and negative feedback.  I think it’s great that so many people are so passionate about my new cell phone purchase and I absolutely love the fact that everyone (even people I don’t know) has an opinion on the matter.

Blackberry vs. iPhone

Just like the world of young adult fiction is divided between Team Jacob and Team Edward, the world of cell phone technology is divided between Team Apple and Team RIM.  My friends who have a Blackberry welcomed me into the RIM world with requests for my BBM Pin, whereas people (both my friends and random people) who are loyal Apple consumers openly disagree with my decision not to buy an iPhone.

My decision to purchase a Blackberry does not mean that I don’t like Apple products and it doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate the iPhone’s advanced technology, it also doesn’t mean that  I am a loyal Blackberry supporter who owns stocks of RIM.  My decision to purchase a Blackberry Bold 9790 was strictly based on my current needs and intended purpose, Blackberry offers features that the iPhone does not. I purchased a Blackberry 9790 for two main reasons, the first reason is because it has a keyboard and the second reason is because it’s small and very light.  I know that RIM has actually been getting some bad press lately with the release delay of their new Blackberry model as well as with service disruptions, but I would like everyone to know that my decision to purchase a Blackberry over an iPhone was not personal, it’s just business.

I love my Blackberry Bold

I only need my Blackberry to make phone calls, answer emails, check my Twitter account and send text messages throughout the day; this is why I love the keyboard feature.  To be totally honest the iPhone touch screen feature, although appealing to many people, completely drives me crazy.  I can’t see the touch screen in the sunlight and I love the always reliable, but maybe outdated, keyboard feature of my Blackberry Bold 9790.

The Apple iPhone technology may be more advanced that the RIM Blackberry, but I honestly don’t care.  My Blackberry serves its purpose and I absolutely love it.  I didn’t buy the Blackberry Bold 9790 for its advanced technology because I am not a tech-chick.  I don’t need to have the latest technology the day that it comes out and I am not the girl who pre-orders anything (except the new Twilight movies).  I actually never upgrade my technology because the market tells me to, I still have a non-touch screen 80G Apple iPod from 2008 and I have no intentions of changing it anytime soon.

Love Always,

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Sep 27 2012
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New Jersey Housewife Feels Attacked

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Today on Anderson Live Anderson Cooper invited Teresa Giudice from the reality TV show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” to discuss the painful, yet entertaining, relationship with her family. The Giudice family feud has been making headlines in gossip magazines such as In Touch, People Magazine, Us Weekly, and Life and Style for many months as Teresa Giudice expresses an extreme dislike for her sister-in-law Melissa Gorga and fellow Real Housewives cast members Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita through the tabloid media.

I have to admit that The Real Housewives of New Jersey is one of my guilty pleasures; I enjoy watching the glamorous lives of New Jersey’s elite unfold on reality TV while they brawl with each other like cage fighters. And honestly who doesn’t love a reality TV show where tables get flipped over at private dinner parties? However, after the hair extensions have been pulled out and the dishes have been broken at the end of the day these women are supposed to be family.

I am no stranger to a family brawl; this October marks the two year anniversary of the step witch’s (aka my dad’s white trash girlfriend) violent behaviour that tore my family apart.  I wish that my family situation was different, but unfortunately my relationship with my dad and my younger sister will never be the same after that now infamous and unforgettable night in October 2012. Even though it may be entertaining to watch family fights break out on reality TV, I don’t wish real life drama, turmoil, or violence on any family. It is amazing how one mistake in one night or one sentence in a rage of anger can truly change a family forever.

Teresa Giudice told Anderson Cooper that she felt verbally and emotionally attacked by fellow cast members Caroline Manzo and Jacqueline Laurita because of their harsh words towards Teresa’s attention and spotlight in the media.  As a loyal fan of The Real Housewives of New Jersey I can say that Teresa Giudice has changed over the show’s four seasons, but in Teresa’s defense people change over time, it’s called the evolution of mankind.  Maybe fellow cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey are jealous of Teresa Giudice and her newfound fame (she has a series of cookbooks and she was on The Celebrity Apprentice), but that is absolutely not a reason to verbally attack her.

Anderson Cooper feels that Teresa Giudice and the cast members of The Real Housewives of New Jersey can’t make a right with two wrongs.  At this point it doesn’t matter who said what about other cast members and it doesn’t matter who was not invited on vacation, all that matters is that they are family and they should be able to work out their family feud. Or should they?

I hate it when I explain to people why I no longer have a close relationship with my dad and they tell me that I should automatically forgive my dad and forget the step witch’s violent behaviour because my dad is family.  Just because someone is family doesn’t give them the right to act or say whatever they want and assume that everything will automatically be forgiven.  If anything, family should always think twice before they act or speak because they probably don’t want to say or do something that will harm another family member.

Love Always,

Photo from Anderson Cooper

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Sep 20 2012
8 replies

Obama to Letterman: “Welcome to My Life”

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Tuesday night I stayed up late to watch President Obama on The Late Show with David Letterman and as always I am happy to say that President Obama didn’t disappoint.  If you have ever met me in person or if you read my daily personal finance blog at Dinks Finance then you know that I absolutely love President Barack Obama and everything that he stands for.

President Obama is a man of the people; he is a loving husband and a protective father.  When Barack Obama talks about America he includes himself as a part of the people.  This confirms that President Obama considers himself both as an American leader as well as a contributing member of the American population he does not consider himself to be superior to anyone. President Obama is trying to act in the best interest of America because he is a proud American.

Whether President Obama is addressing his supporters at the Democratic National Convention or he is addressing his fellow Americans from the White House President Barack Obama always speaks lovingly about his wife, the First Lady Michelle Obama.  Last night Barack Obama told David Letterman that he very often lives in the shadow of his charismatic, personable, and always classy wife Mrs. Michelle Obama, “Welcome to My Life” said Obama.

President Obama is the Future of America

I am Canadian and therefore in November I don’t get a vote as to who becomes the next President of the United States of America, but my hypothetical vote absolutely goes to President Obama.  I would love to see America vote in President Barack Obama for a second term because I would like him to have the chance to finish what he started.  President Obama is educated, intelligent, well spoken, genuine, and honest; these are the exact qualities that make a great leader.

President Obama admitted to David Letterman that America is not exactly where he hoped it would be, but he confirms that it has gotten better. During the recession 9 million American jobs were lost, but Obama’s plans have recovered 800,000 jobs for the American people.  He admits that there is still a long way to go before America is fully recovered from the damage that Republicans created during their recent eight years in office, but Obama is doing the best he can with lack of cooperation that he is receiving from the Republicans in the Congress.

Barack Obama is in America’s Best Interest

If the Republicans were really acting in the best interest of the American people they would let Obama make changes that benefit America.  However the Republicans are not cooperating with President Obama and they are not acting in the best interest of the American people, they are just blocking changes brought on by an opposing political party.

President Obama confirmed to David Letterman that when Bill Clinton was President America had a surplus of cash. Eight years later, after the Republicans served two terms in office, America now has a huge deficit that some say is tearing the country apart.

In November the American people should vote for the presidential candidate who they can relate to and who they would like to live next door to.  I don’t know about you, but I would love to live next door to an intelligent, hardworking man and his loving family.

Love Always,

 

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