Yes, I was one of the recent iPad 2 purchasers waiting in line to get the latest technology out of Cupertino. I admit, I said I wouldn’t but, after experiencing the original and trying the new one out I decided I would make the investment and give it a try.  I couldn’t be happier with my purchase and I’ll share with you why.

Which iPad Model?

When most people start to consider an iPad the first question that comes to mind is which model do they need.  As it’s still a relatively new device and I don’t have enough specific designated uses in mind, I decided to go for one of the cheaper models (16GB, WiFi) to evaluate how I could use it. I decided against the 3G because I don’t need another recurring cost in my budget and if it came down to a situation where I needed it, I would just use the new, cheaper hotspot option on the iPhone. In the end, the base model just made sense.

When to Buy?

I waited for 2 weeks after launch and still had to wait in line.  There are still shortages out there so I would just say call your local Apple store when you’re ready and see what they have for stock.

Impact So Far

After about a month of usage, here are the areas I have found where the iPad has made a difference:

1. Inbox Zero
I am usually pretty good at staying on top of my inbox but, I rarely get to zero. Before the iPad my inbox count, both personal and work usually hovered between 50 and 100. The iPad’s superior and frankly fun to use interface helps me keep it closer to 10 and enables me to read and respond easier than on the iPhone without having to lug out my laptop.

2. Better Information Consumption (Google Reader Zero)
With work and the challenges of the GMAT, my news reading had suffered for awhile before the iPad. It was just tough to find the time to work my way through the pile of unread articles, even though I enjoy it and find it enhances my career specific knowledge. The iPad is a great way to consume this kind of information quickly and effectively. Using apps like Flipboard and Zite, anyone can interact with a wide variety of their personal news feeds all in one great looking, easy to browse place.

3. More Open and Dynamic Computer-Aided Person to Person Interactions
When opened, laptops become a barrier between two people. It’s only a partial wall but, it has the same effect and the other person either has to wonder what you’re up to, or try to look over your shoulder. With the iPad’s bright, crisp screen people can layout information in front of each other and still effectively interact with it and each other. It works great for budget reviews, trip planning or anything that requires computing on the fly. No partial walls, no isolation or shoulder peeping.

4. Fast, Engaging One on One Presentations
I recently did a project for an executive where I work and showed up to an update with the iPad. It was a great way to demo the tools involved live and let her actually interact with them by touch. No need to waste time plugging in a projector, no clicking intermediary or waiting for a laptop to turn on/work. Just boom, it’s right there at their fingertips.

5. Better Meeting Etiquette
We all know what it’s like when someone get’s pulled into a conversation on their laptop when you are in a meeting.  iPads discourage in-meeting distraction by being flat on the table.  Everyone can see if you are taking notes or doing something else.  This transparency actually helps promote focus on what is at hand for everyone involved.

I am still discovering new iPad impacts as it really is a new way to interact on many levels. What have your experiences been? Please let us know in the comments.

The excitement of the engagement ring and proposal are just the beginning of two lives becoming one in marriage. A big piece of marital fusion is two totally separate financial setups becoming one. Not an easy task. As I am going through the process right now, I thought I would share my experiences thus far with fellow pre-marital young professionals.

With the whirlwind of planning that occurs for the big wedding event, it can sometimes become the only focal point for a couple, with the exception of maybe trying to plan a tropical honeymoon. This tendency is natural, we all want to focus on the exciting, immediate event but, marriage goes on forever after the wedding.  Failing to plan for the time after the big event could make it tougher on you then it should be. Here are a few ways to help build towards pre and post marital financial bliss:

1. Know your financial strengths and weaknesses, and those of your significant other. Are you a spender or saver? What is your approach to money? Could your partner’s strengths help counteract your weaknesses?  Even just knowing both of your approaches to money can significantly smooth financial discussions and planning because you know your unique approaches to money and how to approach the differences.

2. Learn from others.  Watch how your parents or others approach their finances, ask them for advice (if they are a good example).  Beyond personal examples, there are tons of great reasources out there on personal finance.  Here are the top 18 blogs on money and finance I read via Google Reader to stay in touch with the latest personal finance strategies and ideas.  Even if I know some of it already, it always gets me thinking and keeps me focused on solid financial goals.  If you use Google Reader, here is the bundle of blogs (thanks to Mark Roberts for many of the suggestions) so you can see some sample posts and subscribe to all of them if you want.
Being Frugal.net
Blogging Away Debt
Budgets are Sexy
Dual Income No Kids
Econobusters
Enemy of Debt
fivecentnickel.com
Free From Broke
Gather Little by Little – Personal Finance with a Christian Perspective
Get Rich Slowly
Good Financial Cents
I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…
Man Vs. Debt
Money Under 30
My Money Blog
No Debt Plan
Single Guy Money
The Simple Dollar

3. Measure your finances and get everything in one place.  You can’t management what you don’t measure!  Check out 3 Fast and Easy Budgeting Methods to get started if you don’t already track your finances but, whatever you use you need to know what you are spending and what your budget is before you can merge your budget with someone else’s.   Yodlee is great and I know many who use Mint, pick something that works for you and stick with it.

4. Have a sit down discussion 6 months, 4 months and 2 months before your wedding.  This can be tough, especially if you are busy or not focused on financial planning but, it’s crucial.  Get all of both of your budget, spending and asset information together (I printed mine off Yodlee), take an hour on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon with no distractions (TV off) and walk through what you each spend now and what your budget will look like together.  It’s not just adding things together, you can save on insurance, cell phone bills etc but, there are other things you can’t save on.  Should you increase the amount in your emergency savings fund? What do your retirement savings look like? Get it all on paper.  I know the tendency is there to use excel or a computerized method but, that can distract you from the focus. Don’t forget to file all your papers and review them at the next meeting!

5. Set goals and check up on them.  Set savings, tracking and other goals at your meetings and check up on them at the next meeting.  Are your spending and budget projections on?  Do you need to adjust savings or spending to hits your goals? These check ups and goals will only serve to help you communicate and prepare for a married future.

I am still learning the ins and outs as I go but, this is what has worked for me so far.  Please share your experience, tips, personal finance blogs or other information as well in the comments!

Image Credit: sunshinecity

Yes, it’s true, I have recently taken a major step in my life and asked my girlfriend to marry me.  As part of this process, I went through what most men do: the search for the perfect ring.  Based on my girlfriend’s answer to my proposal (Yes!) and all the positive feedback I have received on the ring post-proposal, I figured I would share what worked for me.  No yes-answer guarantees but, here are my tips on a purchase that can be pretty daunting.

1. Decide whether you want it to be a surprise or you want to go shop with her.  Being old fashioned, I wanted to surprise her and pick it out myself.  However, it is very easy to just go shopping with her to make sure she gets exactly what she wants (and you won’t need most of the rest of these tips).

2. Do some reconnaissance work with her friends and siblings.  As awkward as it is, go ask what her friends/siblings know about her taste in rings.  Would she like white gold/yellow?  Smaller diamonds or a bigger solitaire? Thick band or thin?  Keep in mind though, the more people you ask  and the earlier you ask them the more likely they are to accidentally tell her something.  Loose lips sink ships/give away plans as they say.  Also, if you are lucky enough to have a female sibling that can definitely help, I had two great advisors and hand models in my sisters.

3. Compare apples to apples (as often as possible).  I am not going to go into the 4 Cs spiel because you’ll hear it a million times but, do your best when shopping to get prices on a number of permutations of the 4 Cs (ie bigger but lower clarity vs smaller with higher clarity, good vs ok cut, etc) and then check those specifically rated diamonds across a few stores and online.  Keep in mind the gemologist that rated the diamonds as well, some are more lenient (ie give higher ratings) then others.

Beware: Online diamond searches often start with lower quality and lower prices until you filter them, this can make you think they have much better deals then other stores you visit.  Make sure you filter the diamond stores to a specific color/cut/clarity/carat for price comparison. When I used this method I found they were somewhat comparable to many brick and mortar stores.

4. Don’t pay too much for specially cut diamonds.  Every major diamond store has their “special” type of diamond (“Hearts Desire”, “Peerless”, “The Leo Diamond”, etc) with more cuts, more “fire”, more sparkle, etc.  You may like them better and if you think they look better and you can get them at a good price go for it!  However, keep in mind that this is the way diamond stores try to differentiate themselves and remove the view that their diamonds are a commodity that can be easily compared to others.  They do this to try to increase margin and decrease your “Apples to Apples” comparison ability.

5. Throw the rules out the window, base your decision on her taste and your budget.  The 3 months salary rule was established by the diamond industry, only you know what you can afford.  Don’t let a salesperson up sell you into something that will put you under so much financial strain that you won’t be able to enjoy your engagement.  Ultimately it comes down to you and your fiancée to be, if you are happy and she is happy you’re set.

Bonus: Check out Brandon A’s post “Engagement Ring: Consideration or Gift?” on the tax and legal implications of engagement rings.

Have you gone through this process as a young professional?  Or are you a woman with tips to share?  Please drop us a comment!

This is the first of a two part series from a friend of the Newly Corporate bloggers, Eli Gratz.  iPhone Apps and Start Ups are two of the most fascinating things for young professionals today and Eli has done both during his spare time(see http://www.drinkspecialsapp.com)!  I asked him to share some of his experiences and got 10 great lessons for young professionals looking to start their own businesses or develop mobile applications!  Lessons 5-10 will be posted this Wednesday.

A lot of people ask me about my experience as a first time application developer and new business owner. They wonder how I got the concept for the Drink Specials App and I get near constant questions on sales and revenues for the business, Great Time Apps LLC. For some background, visit www.drinkspecialsapp.com or to view the application in iTunes, http://itunes.com/apps/drinkspecials. This article will focus on the process and lessons learned so far (a month after product launch and 9 months after initial concept creation) and not on the application itself.
Lesson’s I’ve learned:
1.  Solve a real problem, and it’s best if it’s your own

This has been very important to me since day 1. I have lots (and I mean lots) of ideas of varying worth, scale and likelihood of existence, and this is the first question I ask of them: Does this actually solve a problem? How many people have this problem? (the market) Is this something you can be the one to solve.

With the Drink Specials App, I am out to solve a simple problem: find accurate, local drink specials quickly. The problem is that there are lots of lists, but few are up–to-date and/or are easy to navigate when you are out. Using the power of the iPhone and wireless connectivity, the problem of verifying information is solved by users around the world who can update the info right from the handset…not sitting at home on their computers.

2. Do one thing, and one thing only

This lesson was taught to me by a very successful internet entrepreneur I met who has made his mark in information products. He said to do one thing. I hear a lot about how new products and web 2.0 ideas are “craigslist meets facebook with some twitter-like concepts…but about helping people go green”. It’s too many things! Only do one thing!

The Drink Specials App does one thing: helps you find drink specials. That’s it. Doesn’t sing to you, doesn’t dance, just does it’s job. The average time a user will have the app open at any one time is under 2 minutes because it’s a utility. There when you need it, not there to bother you when you don’t.

To me this is important because it gives you scope, definition and a niche you can play and excel in. Originally, I had thought this could also be great for live music, event and concert data…but when you would stack it up against something like Eventful.com, it can’t hold a candle. That’s where it would make sense to partner, not a competitor.

The Drink Specials App has a simple mission: Create the World’s largest and most accurate drink specials platform, updated by users

3. Use experts who do one thing, and one thing only

iPhone has a robust, although often hamstrung, software developer kit (SDK) to allow independent developers to make apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. I am not an expert in programming, and if I was going to make an application designed to pass not only Apple’s standards for the App Store but also thousands of users, I would need to consult experts.

I found a group that does only mobile application development (iPhone, Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile etc…) based in Bangalore, India. I found that they had expertise in this niche, and began working with them because of it. Many other companies who I showed the specification to said they knew many, many other technologies, but I wanted people who only did one.

If you need surgery, why go to a general practitioner if you can choose a specialist?

I then needed graphics, so I found an artist out of Vladivostok, Russia who had great work. And guess what? She and her partners only do mobile icons and web graphics. They are niche players and damn good at it. The team at HookieTookie.com understood my needs and delivered wonderful icons and web art, and they will be my future go to for all application art.

4. Accept the things you cannot change for the sake of the relationship

Often we forget that negotiations are not a one-time-deal. When I dealt with my development firm in India, we often differed on expectations and interoperations of requirements. Some was due to language, some was due to time difference (one group was usually tired while meeting), but also, it’s just the natural business exchange between two parties with often opposite interests.

I expected a lot out of the application, and some things are just not possible on the iPhone platform, or I had not included in the original scope of work. In this case, you need to get creative to solve your problem, given constraints. I learned that “you never create without constraints” because you don’t have to. With fixed scope and deadlines, you need to compromise on certain points because the relationship that you need to maintain, for potentially a very long time, is an important fact. If you drove the letter of the law home everyday, no one is happy. Who really likes it if you enforce speed limits?

5. If you can’t talk about it because others might do it first, it’s not that good of an idea

This is so important. I found myself thinking of concepts for websites, apps or businesses, but not wanting to talk about them because someone might steal them. Guess what, if it’s that simple to steal, once it’s successful, someone with more time, more money, more experience will steal it. Then what for your great idea? It’s not the quality of the idea; it’s the quality of the execution.

People have created drink directories before. People will after the Drink Specials App. My spin was using the iPhone device, the power of the crowd and committed individuals who share the vision to create something great that is always living and being updated. It’s not a static website that you can submit changes via e-mail for. If something isn’t right…fix it…you’ve got the internet in your hand. The time seems right for this application, and that’s why I was happy to talk about it and share my goals for the application. I think the network effect of so many users, updating the app constantly create something that is difficult to recreate, and it gets better everyday.

Think about Facebook. At the start, it wasn’t that exciting. Even now, it’s fine, but nothing shocking happens on the website itself. It’s the fact that all your friends are there. It’s the fact that you can’t really leave, and wouldn’t really want to. It’s the fact that it’s worldwide, always updating, always current that is the reason it’s a killer app. Taking those concepts, and applying them to a niche (drink specials), is the reason that this app will reach its goal of being the World’s Largest and Most Accurate Drink Specials Platform, updated by users.

Come back to NewlyCorporate.com Wednesday for the final 5 lessons! And if you like content like this, don’t forget to subscribe!

With all the young homeowners jumping into the market to get their $8000 in Obama cash (which is just driving up the cost of a house $8K-16K, but that is another matter), I have gotten a number of questions about what the right size for a down payment is and what costs are involved.

We have a great analysis of what the tradeoffs are for different downpayment percentages in “The Dream Home (or Condo): Saving for a Down Payment” from our Dream Home series.

Many of the questions though, are specifically around PMI or Private Mortgage Insurance.  If you have a loan with less than 20% down, in most cases a 5% or 10% down loan, you are required to pay PMI.  In most cases it will run you from $90-120 or more a month depending on the size of your loan.

Most people, when considering such a big purchase, think of the monthly PMI payments as peanuts, insignificant.  When it comes to cash flow though, it’s far more than peanuts.  Here are a few cost comparisons for $120 in PMI per month:

One Starbucks Specialty Coffee a Day ($4)
A Movie Out and Popcorn for 2 a Week ($28)
iPhone service and 20 Songs a Month ($120)
A basic 42″ Plasma TV a Year ($1440)

Depending on the cost of the house and your down payment and whether you pay extra principle, you could be paying it for approximately 8  years, or $11,520 total!

I am not saying it may not be worth it but, it is always helpful when making any purchase to put things in comparative terms when you are budgeting. Have you had any experiences with PMI?  Please share your thoughts in the comments!

How do you approach you groups of friends?  How do they seem to engage you?  Is it the best situation for all parties involved?  Who do you mix and mingle with?  Is there two people or groups you try to keep apart?

These are all questions any young professional considers as they go about planning meetings, social events and most interactions.  However, do you actually plan your interactions at a higher level? I am sure most people don’t consciously think out what their social strategy is for their life but, it can add serious value for anyone with little effort.

Consider Your Social Circles

By considering how your groups of friends, co-workers and other social circles interact, you can plan the areas that can add the most value through increase relationship strength, group member knowledge and the number of new people you interact with.

I find my best experiences come from introducing different groups together.  Now, for some groups this could be awkward but, by using your basic knowledge of your friends you can make the connections between circles that strengthen your existing relationships and finding new ones.

Draw Your Interactions

The diagram on the right illustrates this concept by representing each sample group of friends.  Now this could be even better in 3D with multiple groups intersecting in multiple demensions but, I decided to keep it 2D so anyone could draw it.  The arrows illustrate where the person drawing the diagram would like to expand intersections, introduce friends and build more relationships.  It definitely helped me visualize how I am interacting and where I could do better.

How do you plan social interactions?  Are there strategies you use? Diagramming or visualization techniques?  Please share them in the comments.

This is a guest post from Seth Travis, a Gen Y young professional who is excited to share his experiences in one of the world’s largest corporations. This week he fills us in on the answers to basic questions every Newly Corporate worker asks about on-site gym workouts.

Remember the days back in junior high when you had to wrestle with the thought of changing in the locker room and getting pegged in dodge ball class? Just when you thought you put the gym class days behind you, you find yourself sweating it out next to the Senior Human Resource Manager at your company’s on-site gym. Yes, working out at work is a great way to distress and stay healthy, but how do you ensure you are keeping it professional while working out at work?

Work out attire

Do your clothes tell your boss too much about you?

Does your t-shirt say something with a double meaning from your days in a frat? If it says more than your Greek affiliation, substitute it with your favorite Big Ten T-shirt, who knows maybe it will be a great conversation starter for that tough-to-crack co-worker who loves to talk Penn State football 24/7.

Do you look like you just ran a marathon rather than a quick jog on the treadmill?

If you are set on losing some pounds, and putting on some muscle, your workouts are likely vigorous which means you are sweating, a lot. Remember that saying, “Never let em’ see you sweat?” It’s almost 2009, and thanks to Nike, Under Armor, and other brands, there are some great workout clothes that wick the sweat from your skin, and help you stay cool, and dry. This dry-fit technology is great, comfortable, easy to launder, and most importantly it keeps you looking calm, cool, and collected even while running your 5^th mile on the treadmill.

Taking Classes

Are you afraid of what others may think of you?

Don’t worry; everyone in that classroom is thinking that. You are at the gym, and you are there to be challenged, get fit, and blow off some steam. Chances are this may be the class you take where you run into a co-worker that you have been meaning to catch-up with.  Without talking business through the entire T.I song, make a connection, and let them know it is good to see a familiar face in the class. Networking happens everywhere, even during abs class!

What to do about the “gym class” hero in spin class?

From personal experience, I have attended classes where my co-workers seem to “live” for spin. All I want to do is get in a good workout, and enjoy the mix-cd that’s blasting. If you experience this, and think the answer is to skip the class, consider two other options first. 1. Invite some of your co-workers to the class, this way you will focus on them rather than the one “gym hero”. 2. Ask the trainer to consider reviewing etiquette during spin class; a friendly reminder that others are in the room may bring “super-spinman” back down to earth.

iPod etiquette

Can I wear my iPod to the gym?

Yes! Be sure your music is in good taste, or your volume is turned down. The louder those ear buds are, the easier it is for the person next to you to hear you jamming to Vanilla Ice, which is fairly embarrassing, but not as bad as a co-worker or boss hearing explicit lyrics booming from your head as you build those biceps. It may be a good idea to consider your play-list if you NEED to pump up the volume, while you get pumped up.

Free Weight Training

Can I lift heavy at work, if I am trying to bulk up?

Find a friend in the cube next to you who you see at the gym a lot and ask them to spot you. Don’t take on so much that everyone can hear you huffing and puffing, or worse you injure yourself and have to be escorted to the on-site medical center for a strained muscle. You do not want to portray that you take your workout more serisoly than your job. No one wants to be known for that at work. This is a great place to remind everyone you are always revealing your personal brand at the gym.

That’s My Machine!

How do I get my workout in, if I need certain machines to be available?

Plan your workout smart. If everyone floods into the gym at noon, start your lunch earlier, and get in and out before the rush on the treadmills, and in the showers. Also, stay at your machine. Take :30 secs between each set, and continue. If you stick to this, you will only occupy a piece of equipment for a little over 3 minutes. If you are taking more rest, and doing super-sets, offer to let someone “jump-in”.

No Sweat

Should I bring a towel out on the floor, while I workout?

Yes. Most every gym requests that you have a hand towel. They are great if you are lying on equipment and you don’t want to leave sweat spots and like to stay on top of the sweat running down your face. Also, they are great during cardio; you can workout hard, while hardly sweating.

Hit the showers

How do I keep it professional in the Locker Room?

Skipping the shower is not an option; you still have 6 more hours to work so consider taking your under-garments to the shower area, and change into them after showering and drying off. Now you can be dressed and back to the office in 5 minutes without feeling exposed. This issue of concern is more important to some and less to others, so find your comfort zone and stick with it. Finally, if your boss and or co-worker feels like chatting it up while your dressing and your not comfortable with this, just respond to them with a smile and tell them you would love to catch up later in the day.

Don’t forget to eat right at work with healthy cube snacks as well! Do you have tips to share about at-work fitness?  Please leave a comment!

As much over-hyped doom and gloom as there is in the blogosphere and the mainstream media right now, I would like to highlight a few examples of a silver lining in the dark storm cloud that is our current bear market.  Generation Y needs to stay positive, as we always do, and focus on these areas.

1.  More Shares for Your 401k Dollar.  Yes, I realize your 401k has most likely taken a hit but, as young employee what really matters is whether you can make shrewd investments now and get more value for your dollar that will payoff later.  Right now, most stocks that your are investing in via your 401k (unless the Democrats decide to end the 401k program) are at bargain basement prices.  Buy low, sell high.

2. The Opportunity to Learn From the Full Business Cycle. Effective employees and managers can work and flourish through the good times and the bad but, in order to do so they need to experience them both.  A manager of mine likes to use the example of a cyclical business that ebbs and flows with new innovations, you need to be able to learn how to cut costs and be extremely efficient in the lean times while also knowing how to spend the money properly when you have it.

3.  An Opportunity to To Trim Your Own Spending.  What better time exists to learn the difference between your own needs and wants than an economic downturn?  As much as it stinks, we all can benefit from learning better budgeting, even when we have to.

4. A New Appreciation for What Wall Street Can’t Take Away. Sometimes, during a bull market, we get so focused on profit taking and money making we lose focus of the things that really matter.  Micheal Hyatt, a publishing executive, had this experience and shared his list, here is part of it:

“I have several profound friendships that encourage and challenge me.
I have meaningful work that I would do even if I wasn’t getting paid.
I have incredibly competent co-workers whom I truly love and respect.
I have a church that grows dearer to me with each passing year. (We have been members there for 24 years.)
I have a relationship with God that is endlessly fascinating and fulfilling.”

5. A Better Deal on Your First Home.  You may not be able to get a 0 down ARM loan with an exploding interest rate but, a wise Gen Yer can find great real estate deals on their first home. For a great place to start, check out our Dream Home series.

Do you see other upsides?  What is your experience so far?  Share them in the comments!

Fear not, I have not discontinued my quest for a first home as a young professional leaving our series stranded in the planning phase. Earlier this summer, as part of The Dream Home series, we posted a number of questions for you to consider about buying a home along with some money saving tips to help with the down payment. Now, as summer comes to a close, I am stepping up my efforts to find a place and make an offer. Why? Let me count the reasons:

1. Current mortgage rates are some of the lowest in a very long time due to the market, fed rates and the despicable bailouts of Fannie and Freddie.
2. I am getting closer to my savings goals.
3. Real Estate sales are cyclical, everyone tends to move and look at new places during the summer months, if I am buying when no one else is during early to mid winter, I hope to get a lower price.

Now that I have really started looking, going to showings and considering real estate values, I would like to share some of what I have learned.  Keep in mind, real estate valuation is a fairly nebulous concept, it’s mostly subjective but, you need somewhere to start. Here are the questions I asked myself and how I answered them.

Where should I look?

When looking for a place, I just started simply at Realtor.com and some of the most popular realtor’s in my area.   Their websites are usually good and the allow you to look by price, location and a million other variables.  If your market is extremely large or complex, a realtor can definitely be of assistance as well, I asked my friends and ended up getting a great referral.

How much should I offer?

No one can really answer this.  Especially because it depends on the market, how much you can afford and how badly the person wants to sell.  There are many other factors to consider as well such as how long the house or condo has been on the market and how easily you believe you can resell it. You can judge these factors or trust a Realtor to judge them for you (although this is not advisable as Realtors are paid on commission and therefore motivated to have you pay more).

Some people also try to make this judgment based on a percentage below listing, ie you should offer 10% below what it listed for when you place your initial offer.  It’s all a bit of art and science but, I have found one tool to be an extremely helpful starting point, Zillow.  Zillow provides a good look at recent local sale prices and trends values.  I find their “Zestimates” to be about 10-20%  too high but, it’s a great way to at least get an idea of the values in the area you are looking at and see what a particular property has sold for in the past.

Once you decide on a place and how much you want to pay, you will need to work with a realtor to make the offer and possibly go through the counter offer/acceptance process.  When I reach that step, I will share my experiences here but, in the mean time, if you have bought a house before or are in the process now, what are your tips and favorite tools?  Please share them in the comments.

Some may think the title of this post is just another example of hyperbolic self-help link baiting, it’s not.  I looked across my life for a key aspects of times I have undertaken positive change in my life and been able sustain that change.  In every instance there has been one common factor that  helped my achieve and sustain my goals: tracking.

Whoa, wait, before you click away or hit the J key on your keyboard, here me out.  It may seem overly simple but, it works.  I apologize to those of you who may have read this post in hopes of discovering a magic achievement spell, you won’t find one.  You will however, find a few examples of challenges overcome with simple progress tracking as well as a few web tools to help you on your way.

Track Your Way to Better Health

Whether it is a workout plan from a fitness club with an area to write down your reps our a plan you are using to train for your first marathon, tracking your health and workout routine is key to success.  Why do you think Weight Watchers got so big?  All the do is help you track your calorie intake, excersize, and weight on a day to day basis so you can see the difference but, it’s helped a ton of people get healthier.  You can do the same.

I track my workouts, runs and fitness with MapMyRun.com , it’s made a world of difference.  Whereas before I was just running till I was tired and not really noticing any differences, now I can tell how far I am running, set goals, measure my progress and use my progress as motivation to push myself to the next level.

Track Your Way to Greater Wealth

There are many tools for tracking your budget that we have written about in posts like 3 Fast and Easy Budgeting Methods and Budget Budget Budget! , the key though is actually using them!  Maintain them, check them and respond to the changes you need to make.  Now that I am looking to save more and buy a condo, this has become more crucial than ever and the more I leverage/track Yodlee and my budgeting practices, the closer I get.  To use social tracking and get motivation from your close friends, Smarty Pig is another great option for savings.

Track your Way to a Better Golf Score

Hey, not everyone plays golf I know but, this works with any sport.  Being able to check your stats and see improvment is key to staying involved.  I have definitely seen it in my golf game by tracking my stats on Golf Buzz.  If you have favorite sites for your sport of choice, please share them!

Of course there are other factors to success, I am sure this post will lead to a discussion around them but, my key factor is being able to track my progress.  What is yours?