As you guys know, I'm currently deployed to Iraq. I posted earlier about when I got a roommate. Well I'm posting now to say I have NO ROOMMATE!!!! Well kind of sorta. Her job moved to a different location but she will still coming back here every now and then. So instead of turning in her key, she kept it and will just let me know when she will be in town. It's a win/win for both of us. Don't get me wrong, I truey liked my roomie. But I like the idea of having this small trailer to myself for the short amount of time I have left. YEAH ME!!!

I don't know what has gotten into me lately but I just want to know where I stand financially by the numbers. I knew I was doing well with no debt except the mortgage but I didn't realize that I have a six figure net worth until I tallied everything up the other day. Well today, I checked my FICO score. I always get the free annual credit report but I never bothered with my FICO score for some reason. Well am happy I to say that it's 805!! This just goes to show you the power of debt free living.

One of things I challenged myself to do this year is to keep track of my net worth. I sporadically did it last year but this year I want to be able to look back in Jan 2011 and see how far I've come.

Well I've completed January's and I'm pleasantly surprised. I always knew I was doing well financially, but I guess just seeing it all laid out in one spot makes a big difference. I'm not trying to toot my own horn but when you're single and going at it alone then sometimes you gotta pat yourself on the back. I'm happy to say that my net worth is in the 6 digits to the good!

Do you track your net worth? Whether it's positive or negative, I think it will make you look at your situation a little differently.

I'm currently deployed to Iraq for 365 days..as of today I only have 97 days left. YEAH!!!! 97 bottles of beer on the wall, 97 bottles of beer..take one down, pass it around 96 bottles of beer on the wall. I gues I should say near beer since we can't have the real thing, but it's still all good!!

Well I've been in Vegas since last Saturday visiting my brother for the holidays. I was suppose to fly back home on Saturday but our flight got cancelled. We were suppose to fly out today but the flight was overbooked and they were asking for volunteers to give up their seats. Can you say that me, mom, daughter, and cousin all got a $700 voucher to use on a future flight. It has no blackout dates and is good for 1 year. To top that off, they put us up at a hotel, transportation to and from the airport and meal vouchers. We fly home tomorrow.

Looks like my plane ticket to Hawaii once I return home from Iraq this summer is now PAID IN FULL!!

For those of you who opened up the ING account on black Friday, have you made your 3 purchases yet to get the bonus? This is your friendly reminder that you have to make 3 signature based transactions within 45 days of opening the account in order to get the bonus. We wouldn't want to loose out on that free money!! and yes I've made mine so I'm just waiting on day 50 to have my money added.

Well all, I'm happy to say that I made it home safely from Iraq for the holidays and I am so HAPPY!! I'm laying in my king size bed right now and loving it. I started my travels on 18 Dec and I got home yesterday, 22 Dec. So for anyone that will be traveling this holiday season, just think of me before you start to complain about your travel plans. It could always be worst. But no matter how long it takes, as long as you make it there safe, that's truly all that matters. Until next time my cyber friends, Merry Christmas and enjoy your loved ones!! I sure will

I meant to post this earlier but I got busy so here you go. Well as some of you may have read from my previous post; I'm currently deployed to Iraq. Every morning we have to take about a ten minute bus ride from our living quarters to our place of work. Well this morning, we were almost there and then the sirens went off for a possible incoming attack. We had to get off the bus and run into the what's called a "duck and cover" It's basically a big cement cave looking thing that provides protection. We were in there for about 5 minutes before we got the all clear.

As we emerged from our duck and cover we noticed the billowing of black smoke. Thank goodness our installation didn't get hit but it was close enough for my liking. Oh well, just another day in beautiful Iraq..NOT!!!

Alot of civilians take contractor jobs over here in Iraq becuase of the U.S. economy and they make alot of money which is partially tax free. Well, I was talking to one of my contractor friends here last night and we were talking about how one of his friends was getting deeper in debt over here. That's hard to believe because like I said if you ask most people why they volunteered to come to a war zone, they say to get out of debt was their main goal.

I guess the friend came over with about $78K in debt, now he has over $150K and he's been here 5 years. What in the world?? You mean to tell me, he's making 6 figures for 5 years and you can't get out of $78K of debt. That means over 1 million dollars has slipped through his fingers. This just goes to show that no matter how much money you make, if you don't change your mindset, or if you're married and your spouse isn't on the same sheet of music as you, then you probably will always be drowning in debt.

Well after being here for 7 months and not having a roommate for 5 months, all good things must come to an end. I got a roommate yesterday. I'm not going to complain becuase I've been blessed not to have one for this long. She seems alot nicer than my first one and she even speaks to me when I walk into the room.

Being in a warzone, you look for the small things that makes this place bearable. I can truly tell you that not having a roomie in a small trailer is definitely one of those things. Oh well, I will be home for the holidays and will be able to spread eagle in my king size bed!

I ran across a great opportunity while reading the Stars and Stripes(military newspaper) that I thought some of you maybe interested in. The 2010 Military Spouse Accredited Financial Counselor Fellowship Program offers selected military spouses a chance to earn Accredited Financial Counseling(AFC) credential. The grant covers the costs of program enrollment fees, study materials, webinar study sessions and exam feees.

Currently spouses or surviving spouses of U.S. servicemembers on active duty, in the Guard or Reserve or retired military with at least a high school diploma or GED are eleigible. You can find more info about applying on the following websites starting in early 2010. However, you can get more info about the program specifically now. www.nmfa.org or www.saveandinvest.org

I hope this helps someone

Yesterday, creditcardfree informed us the 2010 Housing Allowance rate will be published 17 Dec. So for those of us affailiated with the military, what are your plans for that extra money if you do in fact get an increase. You're obviously living without it right now, so you're used to not having it.

If you have debt, you can use it to go towards your debt. If you're debtfree, you can add it to your savings or whatever goal you may have. I think the biggest thing you can do is set it up so that when the raise becomes effective, it doesn't even hit your account. In other words, have it automatically transferred to wherever you want it to go. Doing it this way helps to alleviate the desire to spend it elsewehere. Just food for thought.

As I mentioned previously before, I'm currently deployed to Iraq. Believe it or not there are some positive sides to it all, especially if you're either working your way out of debt or debt free. I'm happy to say I'm debt free with the exception of a piece of rental property I'm trying to pay off before I retire from the military in 2012 but that's another blog topic.

When you deploy you get quite a few entitlements that you normally wouldn't get if you weren't deployed. You get Hazardous Duty Pay $100, Hazardous Fire Pay $225, Family Seperation Allowance $250. As if that additional $575 wasn't enough, all your earnings are tax free.

So, although it sucks to be away from love ones, it nice to be getting PAID and putting it toward goals. I guess like Dave Ramsey states, I'm living like noone else now so that I can live like noone else later. I guess that even applies in Iraq.

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I must say that while most of the hype of the day is trying to get people to spend; ING is trying to get people to save. I know a couple of you have already written about this but I just thought this definitely put a spin on the traditional day called "Black Friday". So how will you be spending your day? As for me I just opened a electric orange account to get my free $121 in 50 days.

In case you haven't realized it, Christmas is only 35 days away. The question I pose to anyone that maybe reading this is, how do you plan on paying for the gifts you will be giving? Have you been saving for it all year long or will you be winging it. As for me, I have a savings account especially for Christmas. Back when I first started, it was referred to as a "Christmas Club Account" Some banks/credit unions may still refer to it by this name. Regardless of what it's called, it sure is alot easier to set aside money through out the year than trying to come up with the money all at one time. I write all this to say, it you haven't already done so, go ahead now and set-up a seperate account with ING Direct, USAA or whomever you chose for your very own 2010 Christmas Savings account. You don't have to wait until Dec 31 to set your financial goals for the upcoming year. Get an early start now and accept this call to action

When I started this blog only a few days ago it was my intent to write at least about something everyday. But then life happens and I adjust. At this point on my journey, it's not about quantity but quality. So if I miss a few days for whatever reason..it's all good

BTW, did I tell you I'm currently deployed to Baghdad, working a minimum of 12 hours a day, 7 days a week. I don't say that to use it as an excuse but it definitely impacts how I'm truly not able to follow my passion. Even with all that, I tend to always remember a quote I read somewhere, "Use what's currently in your hand, to get to what's in your heart"

The purpose of this blog is not only for myself but for my fellow warriors in the military. I hope to pass on knowledge that we can indeed be wealthy although the longstanding myth about those in the military not making alot of money. It's not about the size of the paycheck but what you do with the paycheck you have. A paycheck sure goes further when you don't have any debt. So as I begin this journey, I hope to learn and pass along life le$$on$.