Team Tryout

Topic: Hoopin' and Flat to Down Budgets
Key Words: Oilinyaeye, Fixed Costs, NetFlix
Word Count: 486
Tomorrow's Topic: Has Cancer Cursed My Marathon?

I planned to do sprints Tuesday night, but rain and some unscheduled post-work activities got in the way. So naturally, I ate wings and drank some beer with Phillip and Crystal and the softball team! After that I went with the crew to St. Lukes to play basketball (beer then basketball, especially at a church, isn't the best combo, but I wanted to be social, what was I to do?). Leon's ExxonMobil basketball team, Oilinyaeye, was looking like they were only going to have five people, and I was contemplating telling him I wanted back on the team. But by the end of the night, Leon had confirmed the sixth and seventh members of the team, so no basketball for me. It's for the best though, because basketball would take Tuesday and Thursday nights, and I really need those nights for running. I'll still hoop on some Tuesdays, but running will take precedence.

Tonight, after almost succombing to laziness, I went to the gym for an upper body workout (beefcake!), and then went to the park for sprints. Eight repeats of one minute hard then one minute easy. The shoes continue to grow on me. Not only are they real stable, they are real lite. I could actually feel a difference, comparing them to my last shoes, when doing the fast part of the sprints.

On to finances....
My apartment complex is jacking my rent by $125 a month! I split that with L.T., but still, an outrageous increase. A couple of year's ago, I got into a fun habit I call "keep your base flat to down". The idea is fixed costs (car payment, rent, cable, phones, memberships, etc.) should not increase from year to year. This goes hand in hand with my mantra of saving money where you can as long as you don't sacrifice quality of life. If I can switch cell phone companies, get the same basic service, and save $10 a month, why not? So with my fixed costs going up $62.50 a month come August, I've got to start cutting! Last year, I made up the $50 monthly rent increase, but this year, it's going to be tough. Anyone feel they owe me a "Keith Tax" for being my friend? Come on, how about $10 a month?!?!?

Really though, I encourage you to look over these basic kinds of charges, you might be able to save some money. Do you have features on your home phone you don't need? Cable options you never watch? NetFlix you don't use (that's me!)? Before you know it, you could save $40 or $50 a month, and maybe not have to give up anything you enjoy! So try it, just send me half your saving, because $62.50 is a long way away!