Skip to main content

Days 53-55: December Numbers and Anecdotes

By

Here are the December numbers.




The winter season continues to see gains in all the right places. Total net earnings jumped 2% to $1,164.78. Avg. Tips+Mileage/Hr. went up 28% to reach a new high of $11.58. My highest-paying day in December was lower than my highest in November by 17%, but my worst paying December day was 60% brighter than November's.


All of these numbers were achieved on less days working. I was laid out with a debilitating not-flu viral infection the last week of the month. Overall, December was a great.
January is projecting up with an increase in minimum wage to $8.00. This will increase total gross pay by about $60/month. It will also be colder than December. I've noticed tips increase as temperature decreases. The debt will die, or they'll find me with both legs broke holding my .50 Hawken Gun.


That one's for you, Dad. Everyone else that is less Redford-experienced, that's a Jeremiah Johnson reference. As he begins his journey into the wilderness to live off the land, Jeremiah finds a dead trapper with a gun and a note that says:

"I, Hatchet Jack, being of sound mind and broke legs, do leaveth my rifle to the next thing who finds it, Lord hope he be a white man. It is a good rifle, and kilt the bear that kilt me. Anyway, I am dead. Sincerely, Hatchet Jack."



December brought the celebration of the birth of my Facebook page for Roe Intense. Head over and like it. It's not baby bunnies and cat videos, but it could be with your help.
We also celebrated the birth of Baby Jesus. Head on over and like Him. It's a good idea. Trust me. He likes you back. A lot.


I received wonderful gifts for Christmas. One of them was the Bem HL2022A Bluetooth Speaker. I will review it on my blog. Meredith got a STEAL on it ($15.) She got it so I could listen to whatever I have on my phone.


I'm glad I mentioned music. I discovered Lecrae. Hip-Hop and Rap music is so filthy nowadays. Lecrae isn't. His lyrics are poignant. His wording is strong and poetic. I've been enjoying music from his album Anomaly.

To keep me on that right path and the right math
Cause you plus nothin' is everything
You my everything, saying
(All I need is)
You, ain't gotta question my allegiance
Cause the way you love me I could never leave ya, I need ya
All I Need is You

Yup. She keeps me on that right path. With that right math. Zero based budgets and hard work till debts are dead, savings are high and interest is piling up. That's what this is all about: freedom. Freedom for myself and my family. Freedom to save. Freedom to spend. Freedom to give stuff away. You can't do that under tens of thousands of dollars of debt. Not the way God wants you to.


It's not getting easier. I mentioned I got real sick. People have left the team, too. The Scot left. The Warrior got real sick, but he made it through. Job #1 is getting busier. Despite the increase in difficulty of late, I've got a lot to be grateful for. Some small team anecdotes from the first few days of January:

  • Cap'n hasn't only been doing this job for 25 years. This is the only job she's ever had. That's dedication.
  • A customer said, "Awesome sauce." I thought I was silly for using it. Now I know I'm not alone. I am on a veritable continent of silly people. Population: at least 2.
  • Tock passed his latest UA test. Good man.
  • Cap'n's daughter made a no-no. Doesn't matter what it was. The point is, she looked me right in the eye and said, "You've got daughters. It's coming."

Heartwarming.


Keep at it, RI. Keep at it, reader. Keep at it, whoever you are. If you're just wondering whether you should get out of debt, quit wondering. Start. Then keep at it. Cut deep and run hard.


To learn more about how you can change your life and that of others for the better through wise money management, click here. He's not paying me to ask you to do it. I'm reveling in the results I've seen in my own life and wishing the same for you.


Happy New Year.


ROE INTENSE

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 8, 2015 at 9:43 PM

    Your blog is a great read! But I want to gently point out you are working 60+ hrs/week to pay off debt. Super impressive and honorable thing to be doing for your family. But. Your baby girls are going to grow up in an eyeblink. Instead of writing this blog, play with them and be with them.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anthony GardnerJanuary 8, 2015 at 10:46 PM

      Hi Anonymous. I hope you're not the hacker group that goes by the same name. I say that because your post becomes a lot more threatening. Unless proven otherwise, I'll assume you're a concerned family member or friend.

      I appreciate and welcome the gentle parenting reminders. It shows you care. I can assure you that heretofore there has been no neglecting of Princesses in the writing of this, my low and silly record. (I tend to write after they go to bed, and my composition takes around 45 minutes.)

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Day 48 & 49: Death and Pizza

By
A 63 year old Domino’s delivery driver died outside an apartment in Birmingham, AL on Sunday. "My Father was simply trying to earn an honorable dollar. He didn't feel entitled for it, he worked for it, and it makes me sick to my core how someone felt they were entitled to his money (and drivers never carry much, he always deposits it every time he runs back to the store) or his life over what? $20? My dad’s life was ended for $20??? I can't bear it. I just can't believe it," his daughter said on the site. That story stuck out Monday. It was plastered all over a private driver’s group I’m a part of. I saw it on my phone. I even got a message from a friend on Facebook. “Stay safe,” he said. He included a link to the story. “I saw that. Sad,” I said. Those law enforcement officials will do their best to solve that crime. I’m sure of it. The Pizza Delivery Driver’s Forum has opened my eyes to how bad this problem is. (I am affiliated with the forum as a contri...
Post a Comment
Read more

Blowing off the dust.

By
Wow, been a while. My last post was around Thanksgiving of 2017. We had become - and continue to be - debt free since April of that year. We had just been interviewed by NPR the previous June and had no idea what was going to happen with that. (If you read my account of the interview, remember I was recording for posterity so it might read like a memoir. Good for naps, if you know what I mean.) Anywho, we didn't receive any news from NPR until yesterday. Looks like they will have a Life Kit segment come out in a couple of weeks that will involve our interview. Figured I'd shoot out an update on us and our journey in case new folks come by. First, my first post ever was back in September of 2014. Reading that first entry is a blast from the past. It's hard to believe that was 4 1/2 years ago. I delivered pizzas for two years (plus a few months) to get out of debt. We've been debt free for two years come April. How bananas is that! I started this blog as a recor...
Post a Comment
Read more

5 Things Every Pizza Delivery Driver Needs for Success

By
Updated: 2/1/2016. “How many times has Dave Ramsey said, ‘Deliver pizzas’?” Said s omeone on the Dave Ramsey forums . The answer is: lots. I hear it often when I listen to his show. That and ‘sell the car.’ ( Car payments KILL people’s wealth-building income every month. ) Since first posting this list back in December of 2014, I’ve heard great, quality responses and suggestions. The original list of five things has been updated as follows: A kit for receipt convenience   A fuel efficient car with an accurate GPS A need for speed The “Wow!” extras A smile These tips apply no matter what company you drive for. (No pun intended.) Let’s learn something.   1. You need a kit for receipt convenience   Don’t underestimate the power of a simple receipt kit. It is as follows: A clipboard. A suitable pen for your clipboard. A cheap, small flashlight with a clamp or a tether. A clipboard and pen are must-haves. It is easier on you. It is easier on them....
8 comments
Read more