Squawkfox

Seeking financial fitness is no different from pursuing physical fitness. They’re one and the same. Once fitness is found in one area of life, the rest falls into place. Besides, if you’re not healthy, your wealth will likely suffer as a result.

In the spirit of watching your wealth and health prosper this year, I’ve created a Free Printable Workout Log (exercise log sheet) to help you track your fitness sessions. You track your finances right? Tracking your fitness is the same.

• Stay frugal by tracking your fitness for free.
• Easily track weekly and daily workouts.
• Monitor fitness goals and achievements.
• Get trim, slim, and fit by honestly logging your exercise sessions.
• Keep a pulse on weight fluctuations, heart rates, and energy levels.
• Plan daily workout schedules.
• Track time spent exercising, distance traveled, and workout intensity.
• Have fun with fitness by using an attractive exercise log sheet.

This two-page free printable exercise log covers a whole week. So keep yourself motivated by tracking your weekly fitness goals, hours of exercise, and workout type. There’s no time like the present to start with a simple and frugal walk to get your heart racing.

Need a beginner, intermediate, or advanced walking plan? The free eBook Frugal Food & Fitness: Get fab without spending a fortune outlines three free walking exercise plans for your workout pleasure. Here’s to your health and wealth in 2009!

Do you track your workouts and fitness? Ever trained for an event using an exercise log sheet? Do you see a correlation between your own finances and fitness?

One year ago today I welcomed readers and started writing on Squawkfox. To be honest, I didn’t expect to last. Most blogs don’t make it a full year.

Throughout this year I’ve found an awesome readership and I’ve met some amazing bloggers. You email me. You comment on posts. You spend your valuable time reading my sometimes punny, funny, and mostly helpful words. For this I thank you. To celebrate Squawkfox’s one-year blog anniversary (Blogiversary) I’ve rounded up the posts you liked best. Based on traffic, comments, and emails received, here are your Top Squawks!

1. How to Be a Woman

I slapped my red brassier on a set of gorgeous grapefruits and got in touch with my feminine side. How to Be a Woman garnered more email and Twitter messages I could manage. You told me your stories. You picked your favorite points. I even got a marriage proposal. Seriously.

• How to Be a Woman

Some bloggers took to their sites and posted responses. But it was Steve Pavlina who plucked this post as a top pick in his How to Be a Woman writing challenge. I am still astounded. You all made it number one.

2. Anatomy of a Killer Resume

Some of you loved the humor. Others liked the resume writing help. Not many comment on the Career & Work posts, but you sure do thank me in emails and social media votes.

• Anatomy of a Killer Resume

3. 50 Reasons to Go Green with Reusable Grocery Bags

Living on an organic farm I often see discarded plastic shopping bags blowing into and littering our fields. I felt compelled to write about a better way. This article went to the front page of MSN Money. Big thanks to Karen Datko at MSN Smart Spending for helping us sack plastic bags.

• 50 Reasons to Go Green with Reusable Grocery Bags

4. 10 Reasons Soaking Dried Beans Can Change Your Life

You’re a bunch of keener beaners. I’m gassed by email I still get about soaking dried beans. I blame my “better half” for this post. He thought I should pass wind on the reasons to get soaking. Bean there. Soak that.

• 10 Reasons Soaking Dried Beans Can Change Your Life

5. Printable Grocery Shopping List

I created this grocery list to help you find affordable (cheap), healthy, and delicious foods while grocery shopping, fast. It’s a great printable template. Download away!

• Printable Grocery Shopping List

6. Five Cheap, Easy, and Healthy Family Dinners for $5

Feed your family on five bucks with these yummy and frugalicious dinners. You won’t be eating fillet mignon, but you may feast your eyes on the yummy photography. This article inspired the eBook: Frugal Food & Fitness: Get fab without spending a fortune.

• Five Cheap, Easy, and Healthy Family Dinners for $5

7. Ten Reasons the Diva Cup Can Change Your Life

I went there. I ragged on so-called “feminine girlie products”. I didn’t expect anyone to comment. I was wrong. You all love your Diva Cups and had a good laugh when I told you the reasons I love mine. Some brave fellas commented too. Kudos.

• Ten Reasons the Diva Cup Can Change Your Life

8. How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with a Homemade Trap

You bugged out and killed fruit flies dead with this frugal trap. I felt silly posting this do-it-yourself project. But after our fruit harvest, the flies were driving me buggy. They must have bugged you too.

• How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with a Homemade Trap

9. 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year

You wanted to boost your savings in a tough economy with little effort or pain. I gave you 50 (fifty) ways to painlessly stash some extra cash without losing a limb or getting a second job.

• 50 Ways to Save $1,000 a Year

10. How I Paid Off My Student Debt in Six Months

I’ll never forget the feeling of graduating from school with my degree in one hand yet starting a new life with 17K of debt in the other. To put it bluntly, the feeling sucked. Don’t let student debt get you down.

• How I Paid Off My Student Debt in Six Months

11. What Were Your 3 Worst Financial Decisions?

A few months ago I started the Squawkback feature where I ask a question and you answer in the comments. In this instance we looked at our money mistakes and considered the lessons learned from our financial folly. Your financial wisdom has helped thousands of people.

• What Were Your 3 Worst Financial Decisions?

12. Just say “NO” to crap!

There’s nothing crappy about this article. I launched an anti-crap campaign. I wanted you to say “NO” to buying crap. Many of you sent me email about your own attack on crap. One of you printed out this post and stuck it on your refrigerator. I am honored to be “refrigerator worthy”.

• Just say “NO” to crap!

There you have it. One popular post per month of this year. I’m pinching myself to have made it to a one-year blog anniversary. Thank you for voting with your readership, your emails, your comments, and your social media votes. I am truly humbled and honored.

Lots of love,
Fox!

I met Simon by random chance while on a bike ride two years ago. My intention that day was to ride alone for 112 miles in preparation for my race at Ironman Canada. Riding a bike alone for 7 hours is lonely. Simon changed that.

While ascending a steep hill at mile 15, Simon pedaled past me with the confidence and speed only known to experienced cyclists. His uniform revealed he raced with an impressive team, far beyond my own skill level.

As he rode past he tapped my shoulder as a friendly “keep up the good work” gesture. I responded in my usual competitive way, by racing him to the crest of the hill. Simon appreciated my tenacity. He introduced himself and we became instant friends and riding buddies for the day.

By mile 50 Simon shared many of his racing stories. He bared his bicycling blunders and told of his racing triumphs. By mile 70 I was laughing so hard and having so much fun I couldn’t remember pedaling the distance.

During the ride Simon helped me improve my cycling skills by sharing his years of knowledge. We stopped a few times to practice racing drills and techniques for my betterment. Throughout the day Simon offered his time, his help, and his knowledge freely. Without ego, Simon selflessly shared himself with a stranger.

When I got terribly tired at mile 100 he let me draft in his slipstream to avoid the headwind. At mile 105 Simon kept my spirits high and encouraged me to stay strong. At mile 110 Simon summoned my remaining strength and raced me to the finish. Mile 112 marked the end to our random ride.

Simon passed away December, 2008.

I only knew Simon for 7 hours. But his impact will last a lifetime. Remembering my day with Simon is a wonderful illustration of how the best things in life are free.