: About Me

Over the years, I have worn many different hats.  As a teenager I worked in the travel industry helping people plan their vacations and book hotel reservations.  It taught me a lot about geography and began my love for travel. 

In my early twenties, I began my career in the insurance industry.  I worked for an insurance company that handled commercial insurance as well as a Medicare HMO and also a Medicaid funded insurance plan.  I started out in customer service and then was trained in almost every department within the company.  About four years into my career, I was lured away by a company that offered me the chance to earn a lot of money travelling all over the country helping different insurance companies that were having difficulties in one department or another.  I was trained to use about twenty different computer systems that were common to the insurance industry so that wherever I went, I just had to pull up to a computer and go to work.  It was a lot of fun for a while and the money was great, but the constant travel started to wear thin.  I wanted to spend time with my family and settle down a bit, so I returned home and started working for a local medical practice.  Unfortunately, it was a disaster.  I discovered that the company wasn't exactly honest in its billing practices and when I tried to get them to correct their "mistakes" I was backed into a corner.  Of course, I came out fighting.  I hired a lawyer and teamed up with the FBI to help recover quite a lot of money that was owed to Medicare and Medicaid.  It took three years to resolve the case and I was thoroughly sick of the insurance industry by the time it was over.  I took a break from insurance and healthcare to regain a little normalcy in my life.  So, I took a job with a national appliance and electronics retailer. 

In my career as an electronics and appliance specialist I received more than 600 hours of "official" training in addition to several years of direct experience in demonstrating and selling appliances and electronics.  I have since gone back to the insurance industry, working for an insurance company dedicated to servicing members of the US military and their families.  However, I still use my electronics and appliance knowledge when writing online reviews.

When writing reviews I try to be as fair and informative as possible. I want potential buyers to be familiar with both the pros and cons of a product in order to make an educated purchase. The products I review are typically very high dollar items that cannot be easily returned to most retailers, so it is important that buyers know as much information about these products as possible before making a purchase.

I also spend a great deal of my time as a hotel and restaurant critic. My fiance and I travel frequently and we dine in restaurants on a daily basis, so being a freelance writer it seems only natural that I share my experiences with my readers. In earlier years, I worked for a few different hotel chains in various capacities so I have a very good idea of how hotels and motels should function. As a frequent traveller, I expect a certain level of professionalism and cleanliness from the hospitality industry and anything less is unacceptable.

On a more positive note, when I find a hotel or a restaurant that exceeds our expectations I want to inform others so that hopefully they will have the opportunity to enjoy the same experience. I also want to direct as much business as possible to these restaurants and hotels that go above and beyond in service and performance so that they will continue delighting others for many years to come.

In my free time, I enjoy swimming, ice skating, karate, cooking, reading, sewing, and making crafts. I also love classic movies and sitcoms from the fifties and sixties.  I also love putting together care packages for our deployed soldiers in hopes of making a difficult situation a little more tolerable.

My passion is ...

food and travel

I know too much about ...

the healthcare industry

My parents always told me ...

Do it better than everyone else.

My childhood ambition ...

To have as much fun as possible.

My favorite memory ...

Christmas with the family.

Why I write ...

For relaxation and enjoyment

What I am reading/watching/listening to ...

Bing Crosby, Sinatra, Celtic Woman, Kenny G, Doris Day, and all the classic crooners

My first job ...

was working in a call center helping travellers plan their vacations and book their hotel reservations.

My best moment ...

is yet to come.

My inspiration ...

God.

Personal Finance > Budgets & Saving How to live well on less income

3 of 8

Many families are faced with making their income dollars stretch further than ever before in today's economy.  Whether you are out of work, forced to take a pay cut, on disability, or simply find that your paycheck doesn't go as far as it once did, then consider some of these tips. KNOW WHERE YOU MONEY IS GOING First, you want to come up with a budget.  Take out paper and pencil and make a list of all the bills that you know will be required on a regular basis such as rent, mortgage, utilities, cable, internet, phone service, insurance, car payments, credit cards, bank loans...

More..

Writing:

• Creative Writing Bronze
• Marketplace Approved Writer
• Marketplace Premier Writer
• Helium Charter Member