Double Debt Single Woman

Mean Girls and Cliques at the Gym

Posted on August 6, 2014 by Double Debt Single Woman

So as you know, I’ve been thinking about joining a local gym to get in shape. I paid for a drop-in class today to get another sense of the place. The gym is very small and because of this, it has small classes (5-10 people). It’s more of a studio, actually. There are no machines or equipment. We work out with freeweights and bodyweight. The workouts have a tiny tiny bit of a Crossfit feel to them, but aren’t nearly as intense. I really like this a lot.

The downside to this is that the small number of regular customers all know each other and are rather clique-y. Both times that I’ve gone, I’ve just listened to the other members have inside conversations about people that they know in common or each other’s personal lives. I suppose I should be more outgoing, but this is something to be said about making visitors feel welcomed. It’s been a little uncomfortable at times, but whatever; I’m there to workout. And workout I did. …Or, at least I tried to.

The exercises are almost all new to me so the instructor had to keep correcting my form and giving me waaay scaled down modifications. It’s a little sting to your pride when you can’t do something that all the other students in class are doing. We all have a little competitive streak in us. This is why classes work better for me. I appreciate the correction and feedback. That’s why I’m there. As long as I feel sore in the morning and I get a good workout, I can deal with a little ‘gym-timidation’. Well, I can deal with THAT kind of gym-timidation (above), NOT THIS kind (below). Yikes! 😯

Well, one chick shows up late and instead of taking a wide open spot on my right next to the windows, she starts working out right behind me. What? In an effort to not kick her in the face during my exercise, I politely move over a bit. After a couple of more exercise rotations, I notice that she has maneuvered herself between me and the rest of the class. I am now against the windows. Whatever, no problem.

As the class progresses, she talks a lot to everyone, but never to me. In fact, she turns her back to me, effectively cutting me off from the rest of the people, and talks with everyone else. Uhh, okaaay. Whatever. I keep doing my reps. I got a pretty decent workout. I’ll know how good of a workout tomorrow depending on how I feel in the morning. Soreness=good.

There is a routine at the end of class that we wipe our mats down with cleaning wipes that we are handed. Little Miss Welcome Wagon grabbed the container of wipes and started handing them out to everyone. She came over to where I was and pulled out a wipe. ‘Oh! Thank you’, I said and went to grab it. She dropped the wipe on her own mat. Oops, ok. That wasn’t for me. She pulled out another wipe. ”Thanks’, I said again and reached for the wipe. She kept the wipe in her hand, turned around, and continued giving them out to everyone else.

(Image: Kevin Hart, Comedian)

WTF? It took me a few seconds to process what just happened. I didn’t know her name so I couldn’t call her out on it. Am I reading too much into this, or did this chick just diss me? I don’t get it. Well, I have a few theories about why, but I still don’t get it. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know why she would intentionally do passive aggressive things against me, someone she doesn’t know. Maybe it was a simple misunderstanding. Or maybe I should have kicked her in the face when I had the chance. 😈

I’m still undecided about joining this gym, not because of what happened today, but because it is quite pricey. I want to attend at least one or two other classes with different instructors to get a full feel of the place and what they have to offer. I may also check out another gym for a class or two, but that gym is even father away. I know I need to try working out more in my room but my motivation is as small as the space that I have.

I have some time to think about it. What do you guys think? Do you belong to a gym/studio? How did you acclimate? Is it worth it to you?

“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)

DDSW Commenter Love: Meet-n-Greet #3

Posted on August 2, 2014 by Double Debt Single Woman

This is the third and final edition of DDSW Commenter Love. You can see the first edition here and the second edition here.

I just want to give a big “Thank You!”, to all the great peeps who stop by here from time to time to read my ramblings and who have left positive and uplifting comments.

I thought you might like to get to know each other. There are a lot of you, so in order to avoid eyeball overload, I’ll break this up into a handful of manageable lists. I’ve included a sample post to help you get a flavor for each. Happy reading!

1. The Color of the Money

http://www.thecolorofthemoney.com/6-simple-ways-to-boost-your-finances/

Learn about a variety of personal finance related topics. An informative blog.

2. Mesa Moving Tips

http://mesamovingtips.wordpress.com/2014/06/11/10-best-diy-deep-cleaning-tips/

Just as the title says, learn tips for everything related to moving. Lesson in this sample post? Lemon+baking soda+vinegar = magic.

3. That Indian Minimalist

http://thatindianminimalist.wordpress.com/2014/03/28/cool/

If you’re into philosophy, poetry, and minimalism, check out his blog.

4. Budget Loving Military Wife

http://budgetlovingmilitarywife.com/2014/06/19/when-there-is-nothing-left-to-cut-from-the-budget/

http://budgetlovingmilitarywife.com/budget-3/couponing-for-beginners/

BLMW and husband defeated a wall of debt and now she shares her budgeting wisdom with the world.

5. Life In the Orchard

http://lifeintheorchard.com/finding-motivation-to-pay-off-large-debts/

Are you into crafts, gardening, and cooking? Check out Sarah’s blog.

6. Debt Busting Chick

http://debtbustingchick.com/2014/05/transparent-truth-debt.html

Debt Busting Chick hates debt. Can you relate?

7. Single Girl’s Guide to Becoming Debt Free

http://singlegirlsguidetobecomingdebtfree.wordpress.com/2014/06/10/my-second-step-a-budget/

A brand-new blog from Single Girl. Get in on the ground floor and follow about Single Girls journey to get out of debt.

8. The Debt Breakup

http://thedebtbreakup.wordpress.com/2014/06/15/my-10-top-tips-for-paying-off-debt/

Are you breaking up with debt for good? Check out this blog. And don’t answer Debt’s phone calls begging you to come back!

9. Concrete and Grace

http://concrete-n-grace.blogspot.com/2014/06/behold-blog-lives-i-would-like-to-blame.html

Katie is on a mission to be skinny and rich, all the while being thankful of what she has and who she is. Hi Katie! Best of luck paying off that last $7k. You can do it!

And last, but certainly not least…

10. 2 Copper Coins

http://2-copper-coins.com/2013/09/30/need/

Krista and Jon are a great couple who blog about their quest to achieve goals in the areas of savings, generosity, and adoption. Check out their blog and root them on!

That’s it for 2014 DDSW Commenter Love! It was fun to introduce everyone to each other. I think I’ll do something like this once or twice per year.

After reading all these great blogs don’t forget to come back to DDSW and catch up on any old posts you may have missed here!

I hope to see all of you again in the comments on future posts!

When is it OK to “Slow Down” in Debt Repayment?

Posted on July 27, 2014 by Double Debt Single Woman

Have you ever been so obsessed with paying down debt that you’ve checked your debt account(s) multiple times every day to see your new amount due when a payment posts? The wait from the time you send payment until the time that the lower balance shows up on your screen seems excruciatingly long, doesn’t it? Why can’t payment be instant?!! Arrrgh!

Do you read (or at least subscribe to) dozens of personal finance related blogs and sites? If you own any books or e-books, are they mostly money related? Can you remember the last time you read a fiction book for fun? Can’t stop looking for one more way to squeeze a penny?

If so, I can relate. I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about my finances, too much time. And that needs to change. I need to do some rebalancing in my life. I need to ‘slow down’ for a while – not forever – just for a while. I need to pace myself.

When I say ‘slow down’ I don’t mean relaxing my drive to get out of debt or lowering my debt payments or loosening my budget (by much). Instead, I’m referring to stopping acceleration, taking my foot off the gas and going on ‘cruise control’.

What does financial cruise control mean?

For me, it means pausing plans for a second job and side hustles. It means reducing (not eliminating) the amount of time that I spend reading about and obsessing over debt and debt payoff. It means adjusting my debt-life balance. It could mean something different for you.

Why go on financial cruise control when it comes to debt?

If you have a long debt repayment plan, it may be necessary at some point(s) along the way to automate your finances so that you can divert your attention elsewhere for a limited period of time. Reasons for this generally fall into one of two camps, both of which are closely related.

Circumstances change – Responsibilities increase either at work and/or in your personal life causing your free time to be reduced.

My job has always been stressful and that is likely to increase. The vacancy created by my manager leaving has not been filled and may not be in the foreseeable future. So I’m having to take on some of that extra work and responsibility. It’s nerve wracking to be expected to perform at the same level as my former manager who everyone loved and who had 8 years of experience in that role. I have 11 months of experience and I’ve been doing a shaky / mediocre job at best so far. I bring work home in the evenings and work over the weekends half the time as it is.

Your priorities and life goals have shifted – We change as we get older, thanks to the people we meet and the experiences we have. Perhaps a goal that you thought was a must-do, is not as important anymore. Perhaps you are reducing your overall number of goals in an effort to gain simplicity in your life – to enjoy being present, rather than racing from goal-related activity to goal-related activity to check it off your list. Perhaps a new goal has become the most important thing in your life. This is why setting and re-setting priorities is so important. Sometimes circumstances out of our control force a re-setting of priorities.

Not many things are as important as getting out of debt for us, but they do exist. For me, my ongoing health concerns are at a point where medical intervention will likely be needed. Chances are high that I may need to have surgery at some point within the next year. I need to prepare for the costs associated with that, but regardless it is imperative that I get in shape and improve my diet (reduce sugar mostly).

I’m trying to exercise on my own, but the willpower isn’t there. In the past I’ve done much better with the structure of a class. I have found a gym not too far away from where I live now – a nice long walk by foot. They offered a free class and I took it. The workout had me sore for a week. THAT is what I need. I haven’t gone back because I’m debating whether or not to shell out for the monthly membership, but what is the cost of health? Now if I could just find a cheap personal chef, I’d be in business.

Woohoo! My latest payment FINALLY hit my credit card. I love seeing that balance go down!

Am I hopeless? 🙂 (Sigh.)

“Debtor’s prison is real, and opportunity cost is a bitch.” (DDSW)

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