LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO WAIT!

Kathy, my friend of over 30 years, called me today to tell me her husband, Joe, had passed away. I'm so sad for her and their daughter.  My heart is just breaking.  They were married 38 years ago tomorrow.  He was only 61.

ONLY 61!  He was planning to retire this year so they could do all the things they hadn't done when they were working.

Please don't wait to do those things you are planning to do when you retire.  Start doing them now.  Travel.  Spend time with your friends and family.  Go to dinner with your kids.  Take that painting class you have talked about for years.  Learn to dance.  Go to the movies by yourself.  Walk in the park and pretend you are the four again.   Roll in the leaves.   Skip rocks across the water of a pond.  Be silly. Stop caring what people think of you.  Live like this might be your last day.

The hardest lesson I learned when Jim passed away last year is that i am going to die.  I have a finite amount of time left on this beautiful earth and I don't want to spend it working, being angry, unhappy or lonely.  I want every day to count.

Don't wait to start living until sometime in the future.  It might be too late.

Rest in peace, Joe Barrios.  You were a good man, husband and daddy.  Gone too soon but never forgotten. You will be sorely missed. 

copyrighted 2015

caryn cannatella

Skinny Fiber Sales:  www.caryncann2.com

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REMODELING TIP OF THE DAY!

REMODELING TIP OF THE DAY!

I love my home.  But every time I walk around I find things the contractors didn't do, or didn't complete.  I was an equal opportunity employer.  I had one white, one black and one latino.  None of them completed the job or completed them properly.  I wonder if I had done work for them the way they did for me, if they would have been satisfied and paid me all the money I paid them.  Sometimes I think, "was it because I was a woman?"  I don't think so.  I just think they take short cuts, do shoddy work and don't complete work.  What we called people like this back in the day was unethical.  Of course, political correctness doesn't allow the truth any more.

So, if you are ever in the position to remodel, here are my tips.

1.  Rethink doing it.   Maybe you should just sell your home and build a new home. 

2.  Get references that are not friends of the contractor.

3.  THEY ARE NOT YOUR FRIEND!   No matter what they say!  They work for you.  Treat them like an employee!

4.  If they want money up front, RUN!  They don't have the working capital to do your job.  That’s like a car dealer asking for money up front to pay for the car for you to buy from them. 

5.  Don't let them use your credit card for any materials.  Period.  If you do, don’t be surprised if you find that they bought things for other people while putting used crap in your home.

6.  Everything must be in writing.  Any changes require an addendum. 

7.  If they don't carry liability insurance, DON'T TALK TO THEM.  One contractor flooded my house twice.   A plumber caused two floods in the house.  Neither had insurance.  My insurance had to pay and it put my insurance in jeopardy.

8.  Never, ever pay everything due until every last thing is done.  Once they get your money, trust me, THEY ARE DONE AND GONE!

After spending $80,000 remodeling, I will have to spend at least $20,000 more to redo my wood floors (flooded 4 times during remodel), redo both bathrooms (the master bath has been remodeled twice already and still a mess), correcting all the electrical problems, and then things like replacing the crappy kitchen cabinets (second set) and all the crown molding (don't ask). 

Like I said, I love my home.  It's old (60 years old) and durable.  It has character and it’s mine.  I don't think they build homes like they did back then.  And I can live it in now while I save the money to fix the stuff that wasn't done or wasn't done properly.  But next time will be different.  I am a more educated consumer on this subject. 

I won't be as nice or as accepting.  It will be my way or no money.  They will know and understand that they work for me not the other way around.  Any demands will be made from me; not them.  I know there are honest, ethical contractors out there.  Next time I'll hold out for that or I'll just continue to live in the house as is.

copyrighted 2015

caryn cannatella

Skinny Sales:  www.caryncann2.com

2014 - WHAT A BLESSED YEAR

2014 - WHAT A BLESSED YEAR!

What a blessed year 2014 was for me.  My kids, Ashlie and Cody are both doing great!  They are really becoming grown-ups!  I look at them and remember where I was at their age and I'm just amazed by their progress!  They are doing great.

I paid my house off this year.  Yippee!  What a feeling of freedom!  I upgraded my car from a 2006 to a 2011 with very few miles.  And I was able to do it with cash.  Yeah baby! 

I will be completely debt free in 4 weeks.  I have the money to pay off my last two bills but I want to pump up that emergency fund a little more. 

I was able to reduce my work week from 5 days a week to 3 days a week.  And I'm not even 62 yet!  My golden years are financially secure even if I live 25 more years (Ok, The Buddhist monk says I have 29 more!).

I've continued to lose weight this year with Skinny Fiber.  I started jogging and completed my first 5K.  More weight loss and jogging in 2015 with yoga added.

I have good friends who are my family.  I have kids I love and adore.   I love them with all my heart.  Everyone is healthy and doing well.

Here are some things I tell my kids that I have learned:

Pay God first.

Pay yourself next.

Live below your means.

Save money for your future.  In your 20's, 30's, 40's and even your 50's, you just don't believe that 60 is really coming.  It does and in your head you are yelling I'M ONLY 25!  Be prepared.

One of my mother's favorite sayings that i have passed on:  Live like you will die tomorrow.  Plan like you will live forever.  Wise words.

Now, I'm not saying that my life in 2014 was all balloons and flowers.  It wasn't.  There have been days and still are that were hard and filled with tears.  I just choose to focus on my blessings.  And my blessings are overflowing!  Every day.  Every week.  Every month.  Every year.

Decide to make changes in 2015 that will have positive effects on your life in the present and in the future.  A year from now you will be amazed how far you have come and how quickly it has gone by!

To all my Facebook friends, online and off, I am hoping for you that 2015 will be YOUR year! 

Happy New Year!  Make 2015 the ride of your life!  I plan to!

copyrighted 2014

caryn cannatella

Skinny Fiber Sales:  www.caryncann.com