Amelie_Apricot

i am still (patiently) waiting for the right one.

I am a certifiable right brainer. Numbers, figures, and budgets have never been my thing. I use my debit card to pay for everything, I toss receipts, and I can’t tell you the last time I sat down to balance my checkbook or double check my bank account. It goes without saying, the nitty gritty of finance is SO not. my. thing.

Perhaps that is how I find myself in a significant amount of debt. Nothing inescapable, but a formidable opponent nonetheless. Truth be told, much like every other college idiot, I signed on the line for my first credit card around the age of 19. My first “purchase” was a cash advance I took out to spot my boyfriend-at-the-time some much needed money he HAD to have in order to buy a sound system for his car. He borrowed it with the intent of paying me back, but when repayment was brought up down the road, became irate and claimed it was a “gift.” Ahh…the naivety and a—holeyness of youth. What splendor!

As time went on, I realize using plastic didn’t hurt the same way doling out cash from my measly paycheck did. Slowly it began to add up. Now I find myself, 10 years later, still carrying around the sins of those “carefree” youthful days. A tank of gas here, a new dress there. And I am more than ready to unload the burden I have been carrying (and shoving in the closet, on the shelf, anywhere I don’t have to think about it…) for way too long.

After doing some initial research on reducing debt, it seems all experts agree step #1 is to formulate a budget. While I may not be a numbers person, I am an excel person, and was pleased to discover that excel offers a variety of personal budget worksheets already configured to help you gauge your spending habits, and establish a functional budget. I chose an worksheet that has an “estimate” column, wherein I can estimate my “worst case” and then plug in the “actual” figures as the month progresses.

As part of this process, I have to train myself to be a receipt saver. I have decided to keep it simple, and threw an envelope in my purse. Receipts from any purchases between now and the month’s end, will be tossed in the envelope and ultimately entered into the spreadsheet.

I also ran a free credit report (www.annualcreditreport.com) on myself to see where I stand. I believe everyone is entitled to 1 free credit report check per year.

Additional resource (awesome debt to payoff calculator) at www.creditcardnation.com .

In June of 2009, as a way to honor the memory of his son who was killed in a tragic accident in 2003, Michigan firefighter Harry Damon (and Air Force sergeant, Nicole Lanstrum!) became an altruistic kidney donor, launching a chain reaction that matched six patients with new kidneys, freeing them from dialysis. Harry and Nicole’s generous gifts helped initiate similar chains at other transplant centers, and as a result the lives of many others will be restored.

Read more on the Nick Damon Transplant Chain here:
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/two-altruistic-donors-launch-rare-94189.aspx

View a video on the Nick Damon Transplant Chain here:
http://streaming.uclahealth.org/kidneyexchange-br/

Nick’s Story

Six years ago on a snowy February day, at the age of 23, Nick Damon was killed in a tragic snowmobile accident. While his sudden passing left family and friends devastated, we choose to remember him for the life he lived and the vibrancy he brought to the world. Nick was many things to many people: a son, a brother, a friend, a confidant, a photographer, a student, an aspiring physician assistant, a writer, a music lover, an avid reader and so much more.

Walk in Honor of a Hero

November 1, 2009 we will walk in honor of Nick’s father, Harry, an everyday hero who used an unimaginable tragedy in his life as a catalyst to help a complete stranger by selflessly giving of himself.

With more then 92,000 Americans awaiting organs, just one random act of generosity has the power to touch and heal the lives of so many.

It only takes one smile to offer welcome
...and blessed be the person who will share it.

It only takes one moment to be helpful
...and blessed be the person who will spare it.

It only takes one joy to lift a spirit
...and blessed be the person who will give it.

It only takes one life to make a difference
...and blessed be the person who will live it.

Help Us Get Moving…Donate!

Your sponsorship will help us reach our fundraising goal! This walk is an exciting opportunity for us to work together to help people understand the power of altruistic living donations and give thanks to all those who have given – quite literally – of themselves to help restore the lives of others.

Please support The Nick Damon Transplant Chain team by visiting http://walk.kidney.org/goto/amy and clicking the “Sponsor Me” button on the page to pledge your donation today. No amount is too great or small.