Posts tagged as:

Personal Responsibility

Self-Reliance: A Thing Of The Past, Or A New Frontier?

by Brad Chaffee on September 18, 2009

in Money Management

SRE_LogoAs my readers know I am pretty big on personal responsibility. By staying away from the blame game that keeps us static, we should tap into our own abilities to resolve the most complex of problems.  I believe that we have within us a tremendous ability to make things happen for ourselves.

Today, there seems to be a growing effort to stifle those abilities, and I believe that is a big mistake. We have gone from a country of creativity and ingenuity to what seems to be one of entitlements and dependence. I am very happy to announce that I am now part of a collaborative effort to bring the term self-reliance back into our homes once again.  We call it the Self-Reliance-Exchange.

Our goals—as stated on the website:

“This site was created to provide quality material, well organized and presented, to address in a comprehensive manner the broad needs of individuals who have chosen to live a lifestyle characterized by self reliance instead of being increasingly dependent on others.

We intend to create the ultimate resource for ideas, skills, knowledge, advice, stories, tips, how to instructions, recommendations and discussions about self reliant living. If you’re interested in the self reliance lifestyle . . . this is the place for you.”

We will be covering a vast area of knowledge and know how and our number one objective is to share it with you.

Founders of the Self -Reliance-Exchange:

Clair Schwan

DDFD (Divorced Dad Frugal Dad)

Regular Contributors

Brad Chaffee

Mark Zeiger

Kristen

Joan Crain

I know that this new venture will help many people and I know it can help you. If you want to learn about gardening, raising chickens, frugal living, debt free living, solar energy, and personal finance, just to name a few—this site is for you.

I would ask that you head on over to the Self-Reliance-Exchange and show your support for our mission.  Be sure to subscribe.  The site just launched yesterday but there is some great information already available to you.  We will be working very hard to give you everything you crave in order to be more self-reliant in your own lives.  As I always say—YOU CAN DO IT, but first you have to believe.  What you believe is what you achieve!

HAVE A SAFE AND WONDERFUL WEEKEND!

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Government Reliance Vs. Personal Responsibility- Wait Or Create?

by Brad Chaffee on July 31, 2009

in Money Management

responsibilityNow I have said this before, but I’ll say it again.  This is not a political blog, and I intend to keep it that way.  However, with so many things happening right now in Washington that a) involves money and debt, and b) involves you, I think it’s relevant.  I want to compare Government reliance to personal responsibility.  I think personal responsibility has more benefits, delivers greater success, and allows us to be more free in the process.  I think Government reliance robs us of incentive, and keeps us inside the box where our options are limited.

We all know that no matter who is in charge, Republican or Democrat, the Government wastes gobs and gobs of money!   I personally think that one of the requirements, besides lying :D , to be eligible to hold public office in this country, is to be able to spend billions of dollars in the blink of an eye.  (And that’s to be done before the first morning cup of coffee kicks in.)  I said this wasn’t a political blog, I never said I didn’t have an opinion. :D

For those of us who do not have the luxury of owning a state-of-the-art cash printing press in order to simply wish money into existence, we need real solutions. Just like with the Government, if I had a machine to print new wasteful spending sprees, the money would be worthless.  Oh but the fun I could have though?  Monopoly play money anyone?

If your Uncle was a drunk, and you needed to be at the most important interview of your life, would you give him that responsibility?

No, and here’s why.  He may never show up, but even if he does…he’s DRUNK!

Am I the only one that hates standing in line at the DMV?  Let’s face it, when the Government touches something the bureaucracy prohibits efficiency.  Proof of this, besides ALL of the bankrupt programs currently in queue, is two of the latest failed/failing programs.  The Cash For Clunkers debacle and the Mortgage Modification program.  The Cash For Clunkers program which just started one week ago from today, has already been axed.  Personally I think providing incentive for us to go into debt, while we are facing a volatile economy, is not a very good idea.  Not to mention the fact that giving away up to $4,500 per person is grossly unsustainable.

Next we have the Mortgage Modification program.  The Wall Steet Journal reported that this program is flailing along.  Part of the problem is all of the red tape.  The program is designed to help individuals modify their loan to something, oh I don’t know, better than ‘this sucks’.  The problem is that in some cases people have been told that they have to be already behind, and for others the process took so long that they were behind by the time it was complete.

Kind of reminds me how the medicaid system works.  A friend of mine had a baby, got promoted, only to find out that her medicaid would be stopped because her income went up.  Meanwhile, she has a baby that has medical needs, and was scheduled to receive insurance from her company in three months, but couldn’t dare go three months with no insurance.  She quit her Assistant Manager position!  It would seem that Government programs are designed to keep people in the same spot, instead of help them stand up on there feet, which is what the programs usually claim to do.  If the program really wanted to help her, she would have been given coverage until the new stuff kicked in.  Am I the only one that thinks this is backwards?

What if you walked or ran, got a cab, took a bus, asked a reliable friend, rode your bike, or decided to parasail  to your interview?

Besides allowing myself the opportunity to vent about a Government that seems to think spending our way out of a financial rut is the best way, my point is this.  Why would you want to rely on THAT?  Why would you want anything to do with any program Washington invents to save the day, but instead usually just prolongs the pain?  You have one choice or many choices.  WAIT OR CREATE! You can find a way out, or you can hope to be rescued until you become hopeless, the choice is yours.

Personal responsibility means that you aren’t standing still.  It means you are taking action, which allows you to power your way through the maze.  It gives you the strength to create a path when all other pathways seem to be blocked.  It empowers you and accomplishment fills the air.  It taps you on the shoulder and reminds you that even if you fail, you have the ability to pick yourself back up again.

Taking responsibility for our self straps us securely in the driver’s seat.  It gives us the keys to start the engine, to speed in any direction we choose.  If we crash, it’s okay, cause it’s not the only car in the lot.  It says, go get in another car, JUST KEEP GOING!!  It screams that others may slow you down, or even total your car, but it forces you to keep charging forward.  What if you tried something else?  If it worked would you continue to do it?

What If You…

  • had an emergency fund?
  • tracked your spending?
  • spent less than you made?
  • got out of debt?
  • didn’t have a bigger house than you could afford?
  • didn’t spend all your extra money shopping?
  • had paid for cars?
  • didn’t “need” everything?
  • had a smaller television?
  • didn’t have satellite service?
  • didn’t eat out as much?
  • weren’t taxed into oblivion?

You Could Afford To…

  • save aggressively!
  • buy health insurance!
  • retire with dignity!
  • build wealth!
  • send your kids to college debt free!
  • out give Washington!
  • buy your own used, reliable cash car(s)!
  • go back to college!
  • start your dream business!
  • walk with your head held high! (not arrogantly but proudly)
  • be recession proof!

Don’t get mad at me, I’m just saying.  Stop me when I lie!

No one owes you anything, as much as YOU owe yourself everything.  Don’t sell yourself short. Realize your potential and avoid sitting around waiting for your drunk Uncle to get you where you need to go.  Search for options and the first thing you should do is get out of debt!  Unlock your potential!  I’m in your face because I believe in you more than I believe in Washington! Actually, I believe in you more than Washington believes in you!

Do you disagree?  Leave a comment as long as you are respectful and courteous.  I am friends to all people with many beliefs.  This is just my opinion, not the end of the world.  This is as political as I will get here on Enemy of Debt, and even that doesn’t happen often.

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Individual Responsibility – A Challenge

by Brad Chaffee on July 17, 2009

in Money Management

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Enemy of Debt And Frugal Freedom Living Team Up!

Another friend of mine over at Frugal Freedom Living created a page (excerpts below) to highlight our similar beliefs on individual responsibility.  Clair Schwan contacted me after reading a few of my articles and we talked about success, personal responsibility, and of course debt freedom.  Clair is a good friend to have and has put together a very insightful website to help you see frugality in a different light.  I know people that view frugality as something someone who is greedy and wants to hoard money partakes in.  It’s quite the opposite.  Clair says, “Being frugal is all about thrifty living.  It doesn’t mean you have to be a tightwad or cheapskate, nor do you have to engage in penny pinching.  You just need to understand the value of money.“  I agree.  It’s about living within your means, looking for bargains, and managing your money efficiently, as opposed to recklessly.  Be sure to check out his site for tons of helpful information.  You can sign up for his free newsletter here.  I also included some helpful articles from his site near the bottom.  Enjoy!

We certainly see eye to eye on the importance of individual responsibility.  Here’s why:

“The whole idea of individual responsibility is melting away in America like a pat of butter in a hot fry pan. It’s being replaced by thinking and behavior that emphasizes blame, dependence, and being a victim. It’s eroding the very thing that makes us strong – self-directed thinking and action – people being responsible for their own lives, affairs and actions.  When we make a decision to engage in frugal living, we’re taking responsibility for ourselves by making a decision to act.  Specifically, we’re deciding to act in a certain way, a way that’s in our best interest. When we make a decision to be wise in the area of personal finance, we’re taking responsibility for our financial well-being.” ~ Clair Schwan

Making A Decision To Act

I have mentioned Chris Gardner before, mostly because I think he is such a great example of what taking responsibility can do for you.  Who is he?  Will Smith did a terrific job capturing this guys story in the film called Pursuit Of Happyness.  (<~~not a mispelling)  All I can say is Gardner could have blamed a variety of people and things for all of the ways life was beating him up.  He could have just quit.  He could have decided that life was unfair, but even when you think it couldn’t get any worse for him, it does.  The poor, broke, homeless single father didn’t give up.  He resisted the idea that he “needed” someone else in order to make it through those extremely hard times.  I think his story is inspirational, because he decided to seek out prosperity, instead of waiting for someone else to give it to him.  Prosperity doesn’t come from Washington!, it comes from YOU!

Here’s More From Frugal Living Freedom On Individual Responsibility

Being responsible is being achievement oriented. I’m not talking about the “over achievers” out there. I’m just talking about people who get things done, make it happen, act instead of talk, and stay focused on success. And, they enjoy the rewards of their responsible behavior.

What other traits might we seek to have if we want others to know that we practice individual responsibility? Here’s my list:

  • seek information – make an effort to be aware of what’s happening; watch how things evolve and you’ll learn from things you see and hear
  • seek out lessons learned from others so you don’t have to “reinvent the wheel”
  • learn how to analyze – put 2 and 2 together to figure out what’s likely to happen in the future; become better at drawing conclusions and try to extrapolate, but be careful about jumping to conclusions
  • gather insights – use your analysis to turn life experience into meaningful and realistic insights about how things work and how people behave
  • know how to focus – keep your “eye on the ball” because it’s the most important part of the game
  • become skilled at how to prioritize – know what’s “also important” while you keep your eye on the ball, and understand the sequence of things
  • life planning – do a little “what if” thinking and make some reasonable plans (and keep them updated) based on likely scenarios, according to your insights
  • be someone who is committed – stay on course when it’s working well and there aren’t reasonable alternatives
  • take action – implement your plans deliberately
  • believe in yourself – have a “can do” attitude and be confident as you pursue your desires

The last item, “believe in yourself” is really believing in your planned approach and your methods for obtaining what you want. Our systems of belief are often more powerful than anything else in the world. That’s why it’s so important to examine closely what it is we believe, and why.

Believing in yourself is a different way of stating Brad’s message of “What you believe, you achieve.” Here’s where you’ll learn about Brad Chaffee and his mission at Enemy of Debt. He’s out to wage war against unwarranted debt, and I’m going to help him.

I applaud Brad for showing us a healthy dose of individual responsibility and tenacity with his frank examination of his past and what he’s done about it. Good fortune to all my frugal living friends that value and practice individual responsibility in all that they do. And a special salute to those that feel the way I do – debt be damned!

Further reading from Frugal Freedom Living: Are You Frugal? ~ Frugal Living Tips, ~ Grow Your Own Food, ~ Build A Greenhouse, ~ Do It Yourself.

Thanks Clair!

I look forward to working with Clair in the future and I hope you get a chance to visit Frugal Freedom Living.  You will find that he likes to write, and will find plenty to read there!  One of the things I like about Clair so much is that just like me, he wants to help you reach your potential.  We think that if you act instead of wait, you will reap the rewards.

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Is It A Boy Or A Girl?

by Brad Chaffee on June 15, 2009

in Money Management

boy_girl_symbols

That Is The Question!

I have not announced this here on EOD yet, but thought that today would be the best time to do so.  Alana and I are having another baby, due to arrive on October 26th to be exact.  I am very excited about this and today we find out whether we are having a boy or a girl.  I LOVE BEING A DAD, it is the best gift EVER!   What Do I Hope We Are Having?  Honestly it really doesn’t matter to me.  Either way I will be excited just the same.  I do hope that my wife is able to have the little girl she has always wanted, but she has even said either way, she will be pleased.  So if we had to say one way or the other, we would both say we want a girl next.  So at 10a.m. this morning we shall find out!!

I Have To Slow My Blog Roll

Well, some of you may have noticed that last week, I didn’t post as much.  In fact I only really posted one, had a video post, and offered you a guest post.  I kind of figured it was going to happen, but I wanted to ride the wave as long as I could.  I did, and it was fun!  Real fun!  In the process I got behind on some other things in my life and now it is time to step back up to the plate to take care of them.

Things I need to do:

  • finish remodeling the upstairs – my in-laws have been kind enough to help us remodel our house, as their gift to us…and I need to get on it, so it can be done!
  • work on organizing my time – I have to learn how to manage my time in a way that will allow me to maximize my efforts.  I want to accomplish A LOT each day, so this is a MUST!
  • hitting the gym – I really need to focus on this so that I can be around a long time to watch my beautiful children grow.  This is probably one of my hardest to stick to goals, but it must become a lifestyle change and a priority.  Now is as good a time as any!
  • find a another full-time job – As you know, I work for tips.  Tips have not been great lately, so instead of wait around for the economy to get better, I have decided to move on.  I am looking for full-time employment and I plan to keep my delivery job part-time to bring in extra money.  I am also considering doing some pressure washing on the side over the summer.
  • prepare for my speaking engagement – In September I have been asked to speak at Sweet Briar College, for one hour, and this requires some preparation.  (I will be talking about budgeting, savings, buying a home, and managing/avoiding student loans.) I have a few things I have to submit before July 7th, and really need to start working on my message and delivery as well.  This is my chance to really dig my heels in and spread my message to even more people.
  • focus on my public speaking class – It goes without saying that this class will help me with the above goal.  The more I put into it the more I will get out of it.  I actually have to deliver an Impromptu speech to my class this evening.  We were given some freedom to choose our topic, and I have chosen to discuss why I hate debt so much.  SURPRISED? Another thing about this class is that it will make me a better writer as well.  I have already learned so much about writing, and truthfully that is the reason I decided not to publish the first installment of my new series.  I want to make it better so it helps you the most.
  • stabilizing my sleep habits – this area of my life probably causes me more problems than any other area.  I would say that if I could get this one area stabilized, it would help me get better in all of the others.  I DO NOT sleep!  I have done a sleep study and got nothing from it.  Sometimes I will just lie in bed, tortured by my burning eyes and intense desire to sleep, but can’t fall asleep to save my life!  I need to put myself on a strict sleep regiment, requiring me to wake up and go to sleep at the same times every single day.  I also plan to visit my doctor.
  • KILL OUR REMAINING DEBT – This is something that in order for me to knock it out, I need to become intensely focused on KILLING it!  It needs to be gone!  It has hung around for too long!  It is what is keeping me from starting my financial coaching business and experiencing financial peace for my family.  Working more, is the short term solution, and is necessary at this point in time.  With sacrifice comes rewards!

I love writing for this blog!  I could spend everyday doing it, but the truth is I do not get paid for writing this blog.  One day I hope to make enough money to justify spending so much time on EOD.  I want to make this site the go-to-place for people trying to get out of debt, not just a place for people to come and read a bunch of filler articles so that I can say I write full time.  I want to give you quality at it’s best, and it is something I am working on.

I am collaborating with one of my readers to eventually publish the EOD Deluxe Budget Version 3.0 with lots of new features to make your life easier.  I am also trying to meet up with a friend of mine to help me with the look I desire for EOD.  I really need to pump out that series that I started and I want it to be off the hook!  I also have a few guest posts that I really need to write as well. I have a debt free interview coming soon as well from a twitter friend of mine.  Stay on the look out, things will be happening, just at a slower rate with an interest on quality instead of quantity.

I hope that switching back to writing part-time does not mean that I will lose any of you.  I truly enjoy that you have decided that what I have done here is valuable to you, and my only goal is to make it better and more valuable.  After all I do not write for myself, I write for YOU!  I also do not want this to sound as though I want the ideas or questions to stop coming.  Those are often where I get my best articles from, so thanks, and keep them coming!!  I am going to try and publish 2 to 3 articles a week, and if I have time for more, or am feeling so inspired, you will get more.

What About This Week?

I will probably be a little light this week as well, so that I can play catch up.  I do have a guest post I plan to post as well as a follow up by me concerning that guest post.

Now it is time for me to just do it.  I talk all the time on this blog about taking control of your own problems, by resolving to fix them yourself.  Instead of complaining that I just don’t have enough time in the day, or that I am not making enough money, or that my debt just won’t go away, or complaining about my weight, I am taking control.  I CAN MAKE THESE GOALS HAPPEN, and I will!

What do you think?  Is my decision a deal breaker for you, the subscriber?  What do you think of my goals, and can you give me any advice that will be valuable to me in achieving those goals?  I want to know!

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IF IT IS TO BE, IT’S UP TO ME!

Why Don’t We Just Call It Personal Responsibility Week!
This video is from a show on Fox Business News with Dave Ramsey.  Here he is talking with John Miller, the author  of  QBQ!  The Question Behind The Question: Practicing Personal Accountability In Work And In Life., and Flipping The Switch: Unleash The Power Of Personal Accountability.
I [...]

2 comments Get Motivated!

Personal Responsibility Starts With YOU

Personal Responsibility Starts With You Not The Government
I often talk openly about money, personal finance, and the debt free lifestyle that I so strongly believe in.  In fact, I am sure that some people wish that I would just shut up about it.  After all, who wants to hear someone making good points about how [...]

1 comment Get Motivated!

Are You Waiting For Washington To Save The Day?

As it stands now this is not a political blog, and I want to keep it that way.  However, with the upcoming election, coupled with recent events (bailout, mortgage crisis) and the state of our economy, I feel it is important to address this issue.  It seems that so many people are putting all of [...]

0 comments Get Motivated!