just a girl named syd...

Jourdan graduating from Georgia State on May 11, 2013

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:25:09 -0400

Jourdan graduating from Georgia State on May 11, 2013

Talisha receives her MBA from Georgia Southern on May 10, 2013!

Mon, 13 May 2013 22:18:11 -0400

Talisha receives her MBA from Georgia Southern on May 10, 2013!

Salary...compensation...compa-ratio, OH MY!

Sat, 11 May 2013 09:58:00 -0400

“Knowledge is POWER!.” <——TRUTH!

My job had a compensation workshop for its employees last week and it was a huge eye-opener for me. I learned how salary grades worked, how to find my salary range (minimum, midpoint, maximum), the correct definition of compa-ratio and basically how I am getting paid. I wish this was a workshop I went to at orientation six years ago.

I pride myself on being a personal finance “guru,” but I was really disappointed in myself on how little I knew about the money that was being deposited in my bank account every two weeks. I may have been shocked at the information I received, but I was glad I went to the workshop. I am now armed with this information and feel I will have an upper hand discussing the salary I believe I deserve at my next review, promotion or new job.

Women who work full time make 77 cents for every dollar a man is paid, on average. Why is this? One reason is we aren’t negotiating our salaries. I have had three jobs out of college at the same company, and I have not once tried to negotiate my salary. I was just happy to get a job or a promotion at 21/22 years old. So young, so dumb, but now I know better and will do better. If you don’t negotiate your salary, you are most likely leaving money on the table. So, let’s not be afraid to ask for more money! Keep in mind though don’t ask for too much and talk yourself out of a job. DO YOUR RESEARCH before asking for a higher salary.

To dig up corporate pay information for a job, visit such websites as Payscale.com and Salary.com, as well as the Economic Research Institute site, which can show you what a particular position pays where you live.

Some helpful articles on this topic:
How to Get a Raise, Even When You Forget the Rules
How To Negotiate A Higher Salary

Mr. & Mrs. Lumpkin’s wedding on April 27, 2013. Such a...

Thu, 02 May 2013 08:51:00 -0400

Mr. & Mrs. Lumpkin’s wedding on April 27, 2013. Such a wonderful, gorgeous couple! I loved every moment of this wedding. The ceremony was beautiful and very God-centered. Nesta was beyond beautiful in her wedding dress. I could truly see the love between her and Ladi. The reception was sooo much fun. The food was oh so yummy. We got to select between Jamaican and Nigerian food. I also enjoyed seeing the Nigerian culture at the wedding.

Life, stress & unexpected expenses...

Wed, 01 May 2013 20:31:00 -0400

It’s been a while since I wrote a blog. I know I need to do better. I think I haven’t written a post because I have gotten off track financially, but the whole point of my debt free journey is to document the good, the bad and the ugly!

I wrote out this beautiful, well-thought out plan for getting out of debt in January, but I didn’t account for the unexpected expenses along the way. I was doing so well with my finances until March and April hit. In March, I attended a bachelorette party and bridal shower which cost me about $100. I put the gift in my budget, but not the cost of the dinner and the $30 VIP section. Although I went way over budget, I loved spending time with my friends and felt it was well worth it to make my friend’s party a success.

That same night of the party I had a “situation” where I had to take out $400 in my emergency fund. This is why emergency funds are essential! You never know when you will run into a “situation.” I’m a huge fan of Suze Orman and she thinks you should have 6 months to 1 year of savings in your emergency fund. Once I get out of debt, the next step in my plan is to build my emergency fund to 6months. I’m about half way there. I should achieve this goal by 2016. Welp!

In April, my boyfriend and I didn’t go grocery shopping every week like we were suppose to so I was eating out more than what my budget had allotted for. THEN my air conditioner broke. Apparently, homeowners are suppose to get their air conditioners checked once a year. A fact I just learned. HA! I have been living in my condo for about 3 years and never got my AC checked. Soooo, $300 later…I still don’t think its fixed. I paid for the maintenance of my AC with my credit card. Back in credit card debt I go :(

So that was about $800 of unexpected expenses in March and April.

Other updates:
2,000 left to pay on my student loan…woop woop!

My Dad’s 50th Surprise Birthday celebration!

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 08:45:00 -0400

My Dad’s 50th Surprise Birthday celebration!

Photo

Tue, 12 Mar 2013 09:28:00 -0400

I'm out of credit card debt!

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 08:47:00 -0500

In December, I was in $1,360.55 worth of credit card debt. I wrote out a game plan for getting out of debt by March. I knew I was going to receive an extra paycheck in January, a tax return and a bonus from work in February. I factored in all my extra money into my plan.

Timeline
January 17 paid $500 towards my credit card (-860)
January 31 paid $100 towards my credit card (-760)
February 5 bought $235 plane ticket (-995)
February 14 paid $200 towards my credit card (-$795)
February 20 paid $232 towards my credit card (-$563)
February 22 paid $497 towards my credit card (-$66)
February 27 paid $66 towards my credit card (ZERO)

I paid over $1,500 towards my credit card in 2 months. It feels so good to be debt free…sorta. I still have $2,800 to pay to my dad for the student loans. I was able to put money in my emergency fund…thanks to my very nice tax return and my part-time job. Also, I put money towards my travel fund :-)

WOOOOOOO YAY!

Friends and Budgeting

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:15:00 -0500

When I said NO to going to Beyonce’s World Tour in Chicago this summer to my friends, I knew I was committed to my goal of getting out of debt and also knew I had to stay focused. But just because I’m on a budget, doesn’t mean my friends share this goal with me. It’s very challenging to maintain your friendships on a budget, but there are some budget-friendly ideas for spending time with our friends.

1. Girl’s Night at home. Invite some friends over to your place. Either make them dinner or ask them to bring their favorite bottle of wine or favorite dish. Watch movies, play games and gossip. It’s a nice bonding experience among friends. Cost: Less than $10

2. Yes to Appetizers & Happy Hour, No to Dinner. You can still go out on a budget. Instead of ordering a full-course meal, dessert and drinks, find a place with happy hour specials. Example: $5 martini’s and $5 chicken wings. Also, always check the menu and choose what you want before you go to the restaurant. You will know exactly how much money you are spending before you even walk in. Cost: about $15

3. Plan a weekend getaway. You can still travel without hopping on a plane and spending 5 days on a beach. Plan a weekend trip to a cabin in the mountains with five of your friends. You can split the cost of the cabin and cook together. Or plan a weekend getaway to Savannah and Tybee Island. Drive 4 hours away, spend one day touring the beautiful city and spend another day on the beach. Cost: $200 - $400

4. Use Groupon, LivingSocial, ScoutMob deals. But don’t go overboard! Spend time with your friends while doing something different. Fun deals I have seen: Sip and Paint, Rock-climbing, Ziplining, Cooking Classes, Pole Dancing classes. Cost: $10-$25

Just be honest with yourself and with your friends. Don’t be afraid to say ‘no’. Tell them your situation. If they are truly your friend, they will understand and will help you toward your goal. Maintaining your friendships and a budget can coexist.

Addition Links:

Learnvest: 17 Budget-Friendly Friend Dates
5 Ways to Say No to Friends and Stay Within Your Budget
Travel Within Reach: Savannah, Georgia

"Do More, Regret Less"

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 12:33:00 -0500

My friend Monique came up with this wonderful quote at one of our monthly dinners with friends. Now, it’s our mantra for 2013.

“Do More, Regret Less” means to LIVE your life with no regrets. Do something different, travel, have fun, make mistakes and learn from those experiences.

It’s definitely hard to live this way on a budget, but there are definitely ways to fit in fun on a budget without going overboard. If you are looking to do different activites, a great place to check is Groupon, Living Social and other deal websites. They offer discounts for activities would never think to try. I have gone rock climbing for $12 with one of these deals.

This month I have already tried out Jiggle It Jam Pole class at Polelateaz which only cost me $15. I loved it. It was a booty shaking pole dancing class. We learned (well, TRIED to learn) how to booty clap, isolate our butts, pole dance and other sexy dance moves. I am not as coordinated as I thought I was. I highly recommend going to Polelateaz for classes. The classes are beginner friendly and fun. For my budget living friends, they offer free classes so check out their schedule at their site.

I also went to Hot Core Power yoga with Joe at Decatur Yoga and Pilates this past Monday. This class was free for me since I now work the front desk at the studio. It normally would have been $17 for an Adult Drop-in class. The last time I went to a hot yoga class I hated it. The class was way too hot for me and it just wasn’t beginner friendly. So, I was very hesitate to go back to hot yoga, but Joe’s class was recommended to me because he doesn’t crank up the heat that much. And they were right! I loved his class. It wasn’t that hot and it was definitely beginner friendly. I am going to now make this a Monday morning and Wednesday afternoon ritual. Decatur Yoga and Pilates has an introductory month unlimited promotion for $35 when you buy online. You can go as many times as you want for the price of two classes. Pretty good deal!

In about two weeks, I will be going zip-lining with two of my friends. We bought the deal on Living Social for $24 each. I am definitely looking forward to this. I will make sure to post photos.

"The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small..."

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 20:50:52 -0500

“The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance – and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.””

- Oprah Winfrey, O Magazine 200

You ask and you shall receive...

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:19:00 -0500

“People can be divided into three categories: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.”

I made some things happen this week! Small steps to success… :-)

Sooo…I have always been afraid to ask people to do something for me or give me something (well, except my parents and boyfriend). I fear the answer would be “NO.” I also really hate depending on that person and getting disappointed. I have been wanting to ask the company I work for to give me tuition reimbursement for these classes I want to take at Emory University. I have been putting it off for past three months. I was scared that my department didn’t have money for this, didn’t care about my career growth or just say this didn’t pertain to my job. Well, I finally got the nerve to face this fear and they approved my request! I was overjoyed. They will be paying up to $5000 toward my education. The certification will cost $7,000. I definitely can afford to pay the remaining $2,000. I begin taking classes on February 20th.

Budget Update:

I interviewed for a part-time job this week at the new yoga studio I started to go to in December. They posted a facebook status on their page asking for someone to work their front-desk on Saturday and Monday evenings and I got the gig! I get paid and get free yoga classes. Woop woop. I start training on Monday. The money from this job will initially go toward all the gifts I need to buy for birthdays/weddings/graduations and toward flights to VA & NYC. In June, I will start saving the money.

I am doing pretty great with paying off my debt. I have decided to pay off my credit card debt by March and my student loan debt from undergrad should still be paid off by August. My real challenge with my debt will come this month. My electric and cable bills skyrocketed. I’m going to have to be creative with my money.

Two women I admire: Issa Rae and Jemele Hill

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 16:57:00 -0500

I came across two great interviews today as I was making my usual twitter and facebook rounds. These are two black woman who are making a huge stamp in the entertainment and sports industry. I am always following their careers to see what they will do next. In their interviews, they talk about the struggle in their career, how they found their niche and helping mentoring other black females in the TV business. I have a huge admiration for both of them and they are definitely an inspiration to me and my journey in life. To be young, black and successful…I LOVE IT!

IssaRae, creator of The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl

Jemele Hill, ESPN analyst/college sideline reporter

Hello 2013!

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 14:57:00 -0500

It’s a new year which means a new you, right? Ha, not exactly. But it’s always a good time to assess and re-evaluate where your life is and from your assessment, make goals to get to where you want to be. Last year, I tried to do this by making a vision board, but I didn’t have much of a plan for my vision. A vision with not plan is just a dream. So, this year I want to do things a little differently.

At the moment, I am reading a book called Monday Morning Choices with two of my friends. It is recommended to you to read this book with your friends/coworkers to discuss each chapter every week and to hold each other accountable. The last chapter we read was focused on commitment. This chapter really spoke to me because this is definitely my problem with focusing and accomplishing my goals. In order to meet your goals, you must have PASSION and a PLAN. The book tells you that you should write out your plan.

*Light Bulb goes off in head*

*Writes down goals and a plan*

Get out of debt, keep a budget
Take web development classes
Read at least a book a month

My main focus for this year is to get out of student loan and credit card debt. I have written out a plan for each debt. I am $3,200 in debt for my student loans and $1,300 in credit card debt. No interest on the student loan debt (I’m paying my dad) and 9.9% interest on my credit card. I wrote out a plan down on paper. I wrote how much a month I will give toward each debt and a budget for every two weeks. According to my plan, I will be out of credit card debt by July and student loan debt by my birthday in September. Disclaimer: I will not be going on any trips for pleasure until my debt is paid off. MARK MY WORD!

Secondly, I want to take web development classes at Emory University to build up my skills and to be more marketable. I will be going to Emory’s informational meeting next Tuesday. I’m still trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for the classes since I don’t want to go in more debt. I am hoping for my job to pay for half of it and if that happens, I can definitely handle the other half.

Lastly, I am currently reading Water for Elephants.

I do have some fun things to look forward to in 2013: my dad’s 50th birthday in March and two weddings & 5 graduations in April/May. I will be thinking very wisely and creatively when it comes to my money and budget with gifts. This will definitely be a huge challenge with all these events. I look forward to it :)

Christmas 2012!

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:17:00 -0500

Christmas 2012!

I'm thankful for...

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 09:33:00 -0500

I just had a wonderful thanksgiving with my family (minus my parents) in Atlanta. Thanksgiving is one of the best days of the year for me. I get to enjoy my favorite things all at once…Family, Food and Football! It’s also a day to reflect on all your blessing and to be grateful for what you have. With the hustle, bustle and stress that life brings, it’s easy to get caught up in the moment.

I am truly blessed and I have a lot to be thankful for…

1. My Family! My parents are the two most supportive people I could ever be blessed with. Even though we weren’t together on Thanksgiving, they were just one FaceTime call away. My mom helped me every step of the way with the cooking of my candied yams. She could see everything I was doing right from her iPad, Technology is so wonderful (most of the time). My candied yams turned out to be very delicious.

Since I couldn’t be my parents, my family in Atlanta always gathers together for the holidays. We went to my Uncle’s place this year. I am so grateful to have family in Atlanta that treat me like their own daughter. My cousins came in town from college, even my cousin from Minnesota came to visit and my other cousins brought some friends. It was a huge gathering with plenty of good food to go around. We watched football, played games and was merry. It was lovely.

The Family on Thanksgiving

My candied yams!

2. My boyfriend! Despite all my flaws, this dude is still here after 3 and a half years with the same love and support. He makes me want to be a better person for myself and for him. Oh, and he makes me laugh all day long! I love that bad ass yellow boy :-)

3. My friends! I’m blessed to have such a diverse group of friends that live all over the country and beyond. They are caring, hilarious and very supportive group of people. And its great to have people to relate to and go through the struggles of the mid-twenties with me. We love, laugh, cry and grow together :)

I am thankful for many other things, but I don’t want to bore the internets!

Video of me rock climbing. I was lil’ monkey (is that...

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 08:13:17 -0500

Video of me rock climbing. I was lil’ monkey (is that racist?)!

Rock climbing with the ladies at ATL rocks

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 07:25:00 -0500

Rock climbing with the ladies at ATL rocks

Food I made: Paula Deen Shrimp and Grits & Homemade Biscuits

Thu, 04 Oct 2012 06:37:54 -0400

Butter Braised Shrimp

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions

Combine the butter, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring constantly, until the butter melts, about 1 minute.

Stir in the shrimp. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are just opaque, about 5 minutes.

Buttery Stone-Ground Grits

Ingredients

1 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1 cup stone-ground or old-fashioned grits
Pepper
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided

Directions

Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in a medium pot. Slowly add the grits, stirring constantly to avoid lumps.

Add 1 teaspoon salt and partially cover. Reduce the heat to medium and cook about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover the pot and stir in the butter and 3 tablespoons of the cream. Continue to stir, adding the remaining cream, a few tablespoons at a time, until the mixture thickens and begins to sputter slightly, about 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if desired.

Sour Cream Butter Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups self-rising flour
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease miniature muffin pans.

Mix the flour and butter together, add the sour cream, and blend well. Place spoonfuls of the batter in the muffin pans. Bake until golden, 8 to 10 minutes.

"The secret is authenticity. The reason people fail is because they’re pretending to be something..."

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 21:57:30 -0400

““The secret is authenticity. The reason people fail is because they’re pretending to be something they’re not. And even those who are not in alignment with my value system, people like Jerry Springer, he works because he’s real. If you can find what the passion is and figure out a way to express that in an authentic and entertaining way, you have a chance at success.””

- Oprah Winfrey