Well, it’s Black Friday as I sit down to write my first blog.  Black Friday, for those who are unaware, is the day half the country goes shopping at 4 a.m. in  the morning to save a few dollars and, even worse, spends money they don’t have and incurs more debt they can’t afford to pay back.  This comes on the heals of gorging themselves over turkey and stuffing while watching multiple football games featuring overpaid, underperforming athletes . . . and I enjoyed every minute.  

Over the years, many have asked me to write a blog but I have procrastinated simply because I could not get my hands around a topic I could truly embrace for the long haul.  There are many excellent blogs on consumer bankruptcy law and personal finance and I’m quite capable of joining that dialogue but no one can write as well on my favorite subject:  Me!  No, this blog is not really about me but my experiences both personally and professionally and how opening the book on them can actually help many others out there.  So here goes. 

As I mentioned, today is Black Friday.  For many, this four-day weekend starts the gauntlet of the Holiday Season beginning with yesterday’s Thanksgiving Day festivities and ending on New Years Day.  If I’m forgetting someone’s favorite holiday such as Groundhog Day (February 2), I apologize.  In the coming month or so, most people will eat like they haven’t all year long and spend money and incur debt like there’s no tomorrow as they buy gifts for family and friends—mostly stuff no one really needs and few want.  That brings me to what is found on most everyone’s list of New Year’s Resolutions:  “lose weight” and “get out of debt.”  On most lists, they are Nos. 1 and 2 in either order and certainly in the Top 5 along with other goals like “spend more time with friends and family” or “find a better job.”

On a personal level, I am not at my peak performance in terms of my weight.  Also, following my recent divorce (more on that in future blog entries), I am carrying some debt but not too much as compared to my income.  Therefore, I’m right there with everyone else and my top two resolutions for 2010 are to lose weight and be debt free.  By putting this out there, I figure I’m bound to succeed because no one likes to fail in front of millions of potential readers let alone the people who know you best.

With this blog, I’m getting a head start on 2010 and I highly recommend everyone else do the same.  As of today, I weigh 226 pounds and have approximately $25,000 in unsecured debt such as taxes, credit cards, orthodontic bills for my kids and, of course, attorneys’ fees relating to my recent divorce.  My goal for 2010 is simple:  get down to 190 pounds and get rid of all my unsecured debt.  My larger goal is to enjoy life, my two amazing kids and stay in a great mood.

To keep me honest, I intend to post updates regularly on my progress and truly be an open book.  My status reports will be simple and conclude each blog posting as follows:  [226 lbs, -$25,000, 8]. The last entry is the mood I’m in on a scale of 1-10.  This is going to be fun.  I promise.

Jeff Tromberg