Posts tagged as:

success

No College Degree Equates To Poverty And A Life Of Debt?

by Brad Chaffee on June 8, 2009

in Money Management

I got a little annoyed last week, when it was suggested that for someone with only a high school diploma, they were limited to working at the checkout at Walmart. (This argument was used to explain why debt was needed by low income families to get by.) Believing this is ridiculous, and spreading it around for someone without a degree to hear, is irresponsible!  This is America!! Imagine someone with only a high school diploma, hearing someone say this and believing it.  Dreams can be crushed before they ever have a chance to germinate.  This is why I am such a strong believer in teaching people that they can do whatever they want, if they are willing to do what it takes to achieve it.  If you do nothing, you will be nothing! (Sounds harsh right?  But how can you be something, if you have done nothing to get there?)

Yeah, there might be some folks out there that do not aspire to be anything more, and that is okay for them, but the rest need encouragement! Here are some things you need to know that will keep you from accepting and keeping a cashier position, because someone else says that’s all you can be!!  For the record, I am not belittling anyone who might be a cashier.  I am simply responding to the idea that if you have only a high school diploma, that’s all you can be, leaving you forced to accept debt as your only means of survival.

  • Wherever you are, even if it is at the bottom, doesn’t mean you have to stay there! This may come as a surprise to many, but minimum wage is not intended to support a family.  It is intended to give someone a starting point in the work force.  It allows you to build some confidence in yourself, as well as prove to others that you are reliable, trustworthy, and hard working, just to name a few.  It provides you with some references to use at the next stage in your working life.  If you make minimum wage and are sick of it, go look for something that pays more.  Thinking that the employer should support a family, by paying someone with minimum wage skills more money, just because those wages do not provide adequately for them, in my opinion, is wrong!
  • Education does not come from a degree, it comes from knowledge! College does make things easier, but have you ever known an unemployed grad student?  It’s not the end all be all, and it certainly isn’t the only way to success.  There are tons of jobs that you can do that can pay very well, but it’s up to you to make it happen.

“You don’t need fancy highbrow traditions or money to really learn.  You just need people with the desire to better themselves.” – Adam Cooper and Bill Collage

  • Knowledge is found for free at your local library…GO READ! The average millionaire reads a non-fiction book a month.  A great place to start is by reading No More Mondays & 48 Days To The Work You Love written by Dan Miller.  Dan Miller is a personal and business coach that teaches people that the traditional methods of employment are becoming obsolete.  He pushes the idea that if people did what they were passionate about, then not only would they be happier, but the work they do would not feel like work at all.  What are your strengths and how can you offer a legitimate service to others using those strengths?  Check out his website at 48days.com.

“You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read.” – Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

  • Expand your limitations by getting online, which is also available at your local library. The internet has changed the way people do business, and made it easier for anyone to become successful if they choose to.  Darren over at Problogger wrote, Secrets For Blogging Your Way To A Six-Figure Income, to help others learn how to make additional income, or start a new career by blogging.  You can blog, and even become successful at it, without a college degree.  There are lots of non-traditional jobs like this where you can earn money for your talents.
  • There are tons of FREE resources! University of the People is a tuition free, online, open source university.  Here are the Top 10 Universities that offer free courses.  Don’t limit yourself by thinking that the information you need is not available!  Go look for it!
  • Stay away from negative people! There are people out there that always look at the glass as half empty.  (<~~ I used to be that guy) They have nothing positive to say about anything, and when someone around them starts to move forward, they usually take the opportunity to tell them why it can’t be done.  I have been friends with these kinds of people.  They want you to do exactly what they are doing, which is usually NOTHING!
  • Take responsibility for yourself! Nothing robs us of achieving success, as much as failing to realize that OUR own actions determine our path.  By thinking that someone else is keeping you from taking action or becoming successful, you yourself, become your biggest obstacle.

“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.” – William James

Successful People With Only A HS Diploma And Even Less!

Mary Kay Ash – (Mary Kay Inc.) High School diploma!
Coco Chanel – (Chanel Number 5) One-time orphan!
Henry Ford – (Ford Motor Company) High School dropout!
Milton Hershey – (Hershey’s Milk Chocolate) Fourth grade education!
Frank Lloyd Wright – (Famous Architect) Never attended High School!
Walt Disney – (Disney) High School dropout!
Steve Jobs – (Apple Computers) College dropout!
Michael Dell – (Dell Inc.) College dropout!

Other well known degree free people:

Orville and Wilbur Wright
Thomas Edison
Rachel Ray
John D Rockefeller
Abraham Lincoln

Top 10 Highest Paying Jobs Without a Degree (Traditional Jobs)

Air Traffic Controller – $105,820 (no degree, but 4 years of college is needed)
Real Estate Broker – $76,930
Transportation Manager – $75,130
Non-retail Sales Supervisor – $73,670
Nuclear Power Reactor Operator – $66,900
Gaming Manager – $65,920
Power Distributor – $59,510
Detective – $58,750
Elevator Repairer – $58,500
Ship Engineer – $57,290

Others with income ranging anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000:
Firefighter
Police Officer
Mechanic
Appliance Repairmen
Plumber/Electrician
Salesmen
Web Designer
Entrepreneur (income obviously varies)

Proof that a high school diploma doesn’t equate to poverty or being unsuccessful!  Don’t believe the myth!  Having only a high school diploma also doesn’t mean that you have to use debt and credit cards to survive!  Do a budget, have a plan, and make better decisions with what you do make, and you will be more likely to escape or avoid poverty than if you use debt.  Debt is NOT a tool, and it will only keep you poor or struggling if you use it!  It will steal your hope, and cause you to see yourself as the victim that just can’t get ahead.  (That’s the result of thinking debt is your best option, because when it doesn’t work, you have nothing to look forward to.) With that said I am currently taking classes, debt free, and believe that a degree will give you some advantages.  It’s just not the only way to success!  Get an education however you are able to, but do not accept that you can not be successful just because you don’t have a degree.

Are you a degree free success story?  Do you know somebody that is?  Share your thoughts in the comments section.

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Motivation 101 – What You Believe, Is What You Achieve!

by Brad Chaffee on June 4, 2009

in Money Management

Table of contents for Motivation 101

  1. Motivation 101 – YOU CAN DO IT TOO!
  2. Motivation 101 – Saving To Buy, Instead Of Buying To Slave!
  3. Motivation 101 – What You Believe, Is What You Achieve!

Dawn and I have been going back and forth for days now.  I wanted to share with you the difference between her and I, mainly by pointing out why I think she is wrong in her thinking.  Her thinking is how most people look at it, and what I am trying to do here at EOD is to show people that there is another way that provides more options.  I believe that more options translates into a higher success rate.  A lot of people limit themselves by not realizing their options.  I think Dawn dwells on the problem instead of providing a solution.  I do not doubt her well intentions, I just think she’s wrong.  If she believes this and she writes about money, then I know others do as well.

A Perfect Example Of Victim Thinking And Limiting Yourself

Dawn: “I’m sorry, but if you have the misfortune of just a high school diploma, the kind of work you can get may be just at checkout at Walmart. People at that income level do indeed live paycheck to paycheck and it is rather hard to pay the rent, utilities, etc. without going into debt, especially if you live in an expensive state like I do, here in CT.”

“But i think that people who see the crisis we’re in today as a one-dimensional problem solely caused by individuals who wrack up debt, often because they have no other choice, have blinders on.”

“NO OTHER CHOICE?” That is the very reason we disagree.  She thinks that people have no other choices and should accept the notion, that’s just how things are.  Limiting yourself by telling yourself that you have no options, will give you exactly that…NO OPTIONS! What you believe, is what you achieve!!

“Misfortune of just a High School Diploma?”  I consider a college education to be valuable and an advantage but it is certainly not the only way one can become successful! It is this line of thinking that keeps someone believing that they can’t do something when really they can! What you believe, is what you achieve!!

Me: “My point was this. If I can do something OTHER than live on minimum wage and I have only a high school diploma, then others can do the same. I am not special! Instead of accepting my struggle I have decided to be proactive in how my life turns out. It’s really that simple. People can educate themselves about anything using the internet and resources from the library to help make their way. Anything is possible and that includes living without debt.”

Me And The Victim Mentality Do Not Get Along

Dawn: “Lax bank regulation played a big role in the mess we’re in and bankers, having the training and lending knowledge, understood the risks better than lower income people trying to get ahead. The banks were out for profit only and by looking the other way, made it possible for people who could ill afford to purchase a home to in fact do so. If the banks said “no,” we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

Here we go blaming others again! Obviously Dawn wasn’t paying attention when Washington put pressure on mortgage lenders to give loans to people that shouldn’t have got them.  Also, she is suggesting that people blindly sign their name without understanding or knowing what it is that they are signing. Rule number 1: Understand anything and everything that you put your name on, OR do not complain about the end result of you not knowing!  If you understand that rule then you understand why it is not someone else’s fault that YOU signed your name!

Me: “You believe you are helping people and I respect that. You are encouraging the problem by telling them that what they have been doing is NOT their fault, and I am saying maybe it’s time for people to start examining their habits, and try something else. You want to place blame and I want to empower people to take control of their finances. I like my way because I know my way works and your way just continues the problem. The victim mentality is a form of slavery and I am trying to free the slaves from their own peril.

Who Is Really The One That Is Single-Mindlessly Focused?

Dawn: “Brad, I really think that you and I are on the same page…we both want people to take responsibility for their financial well being. Its not something that’s often taught in schools.

The difference, I think, is that I also work to inform people of various other forces at work that are often beyond the ability of the average person to control. I’m talking about various government regulations (or the lack thereof), global economic events and just plain bad luck. You seem to be single-mindlessly focused on personal responsibility without acknowledging that sometimes, despite the very best effort and intentions, $*%# happens.”

I wrapped up the conversation with this:

Me: “You are right Dawn, I personally think it is a waste of time to try and figure out who was at fault. The bottom line for me is that when people look at their situation and say how can I make it better, instead of who caused it, I think they can be more productive towards defeating the enemies that cause the bad luck and other various forms of excuses that you named off. SO WHAT if the Government does or doesn’t have regulations concerning credit cards…don’t use credit cards and empower yourself to live without the crutch that has become credit. You seem to be overlooking the fact that if you have a plan then those things that happen, don’t really affect you all that much.

I personally believe that you are making people less active in winning because you are too concerned with having them focus on everything being out of their control, instead of allowing them to see HOW to climb those obstacles. People don’t want to know that there are obstacles, they already know that, they want to know how to overcome them!

Now for why I consider myself to be an expert in this area. I USED to do what you do! I USED to look at the supposed problems! I USED to focus on why things were happening to me! It wasn’t until I started reading more from Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, Brian Tracy, and John G. Miller that I realized I was wasting my time, AND when I began to ask myself different questions. You should really read a book called QBQ- The Question Behind The Question, because I believe you focus on asking the wrong questions.

My life and direction changed completely once I started to think differently. I actually started defeating my obstacles instead of looking for who put them there. I now believe in myself and my ability to secure my own future, without relying on Washington or anyone else to put a rule in place that will protect me. What I learned is that there is hope and empowerment in realizing I do not have to accept your ideas and solutions.

With all of that said, I would like to respectfully say that we are hardly alike. Maybe you should re-examine which one of us is more “single-mindlessly focused”, since you are the one that is in the box, and I am the one outside of it telling people there are more options where I am.”

END

Lesson: Don’t limit yourself by accepting what you think you can’t do, go find out that you can do it!  What you believe, is what you achieve!!

Do you agree or disagree with me?  Let me know, and as I was with Dawn, please be respectful!  I would love to hear your opinion.

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That’s Right Diane Sawyer, You Should Pay Your Credit Cards LAST!

by Brad Chaffee on June 27, 2008

in Money Management

I watched a video where Dave Ramsey and Clark Howard were being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. In the interview, Diane Sawyer looked bewildered that they would suggest to pay the credit cards last. Then I saw another video that pretty much illustrated why Americans are on the wrong track financially. In this interview, Mellody Hobson is telling us how to survive an economic crisis. Some of her advice may be OK, but her answer on how to prioritize your bills lead me to believe that she is a lunatic!! She says you should pay your credit cards first so you can later use them again to pay your utility bills. Unbelievable! Watch the videos and decide for yourself.

Why should you pay your credit cards last?

I think Dave Ramsey is dead on in his suggestion to pay your Four Walls first. Your Four Walls are Food, Shelter, Utilities, and BASIC Transportation. Just for the record, BASIC does not mean you should go buy that new SUV you have been wanting. BASIC means the cheapest way possible without going into debt! These are your first priorities when doing your budget.

The most OBVIOUS reason why your credit card should be paid AFTER your Four Walls, is that your FAMILY should not suffer because you want to retain the ability to dig a deeper hole! Does food taste better when you pay more for it? You don’t have a house anymore but hey, at least you have a Visa Gold card right? What about the added bonus of not having any utility payments because you have no home?

The truth is that having a credit card will only get you so far once things start going downhill. It’s not a good financial plan to rely on your credit card to finance an economic crisis. You would be better off putting yourself on a budget, and saving for a rainy day. Use your rainy day fund to get you through tough times, not Mastercard!! A slow and even bad economy does qualify as a rainy day.

Do you want to become recession proof?

Are There Dave Ramsey Critics?

Yep and in my opinion they are missing the big picture. His plan is about NOT buying something that you really can’t afford. It IS about getting your priorities straight so you can experience Financial Peace. Your life is about priorities! The most criticized part of Dave’s plan is that it says that you do not need debt AT ALL EVER! No car loan, no credit cards, and no student loans! If you absolutely can’t be talked out of getting a mortgage then Dave says to get a house that is no more than 25% of your income and it should be a 15 year fixed rate mortgage.

I just read a blog that so brazenly states that, “Every successful business in American relies on some level of debt to survive and grow. It is one of the key elements of capitalism. Without debt and risk, there is very little growth.” Is he saying that the ONLY way Capitalism works is by the use of debt? This is just flat wrong!! Harley Davidson, J.C. Penny, as well as Dave Ramsey’s company are proof of this. The blogger goes on to say,“In order to reach an even higher financial position, it is important to accept debt and understand how to use it as a tool for growth and innovation.” As long as people continue to justify this myth by accepting it as truth, then I am afraid that the debt problem in America will only get worse!!

I will close by adding that most of the people that call the Dave Ramsey Show thought they were using debt as a tool as well. Responsible users of debt ran into Murphy, or should I say Murphy ran into them. To be fair the author of these comments also suggests that he ONLY uses debt if he has saved the cash to back it up. I say what is the point? If you have the cash to back it up then doesn’t that kill the assumption that you need debt to prosper and grow. Debt only hinders prosperity and growth!!

DEBT IS NOT A TOOL!!!!!

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The Perfect Day

by Brad Chaffee on June 1, 2008

in Money Management

Everyone that has kept up with my blog so far, knows that I am big on personal responsibility and setting goals. I love goals! I understand how to set goals but I am not always the best at writing them down. Brian Tracy is my favorite person to listen to when it comes to setting goals. He says, “People with clear, written goals, accomplish far more in a shorter period of time than people without them could ever imagine.” For this to work, you obviously have to stick to the plan. For me, the budget has been the best example of success by having a written plan. There’s nothing like a contract with yourself to get the ball rolling!

I want to really get good at setting goals so I have been working on something called The Perfect Day. The way Brian Tracy gets you to think about what you need to do, is by getting you to envision the goal as already completed. What does it look like? Once you have pictured what that success looks like, then you decide exactly what you would have had to do to achieve that goal. This really makes the goal setting process easy because it makes you ask yourself all of the important questions.

I want to be more productive in my day, but being more productive doesn’t mean just staying busy. I think people assume that just because they were busy all day it means they were productive. By setting daily goals, you are in fact budgeting your time, to maximize your productivity. You are telling yourself WHAT to do, and WHEN to do it. If you are setting goals for work to maximize productivity, then you would also use The ABCDE Method for Setting Priorities, but for the purpose of this blog we are going to use the K.I.S.S. method. Keep It Simple Stupid! So what does my Perfect Day look like? Obviously, when you see my example you will realize that my Perfect Day must be my day off. I want to be more productive on my days off than I have been lately. You can adjust your goals according to whatever you need to do the next day. The key is to write it down, whatever it is, just write it down!

So here is what my Perfect day off would look like:

8:00 a.m.- WAKE UP! Start the day by reading for 1 hour. I will pick material that will motivate and inspire me. This will stimulate my brain and likely cause me to be more creative and more solution oriented throughout the day.

9:00 a.m.- Shower and put on my shoes. I read somewhere that when you shower it creates a positive outlook on the day and builds confidence. I also read that when you put your shoes on first thing in the morning, it causes you to be less likely to slack off. Remember my goal is to be more productive, and with T.V., Internet, and my bed handy it is sometimes hard to resist the urge to slack off.

9:15 a.m.- Wake up Isaac and have breakfast. I find it so easy to skip the most important meal of the day. Not on the perfect day though!

10:00 a.m.- 2 hour bike ride and then another quick shower! Yes, I want to be Forest Gump on a bike, because I desperately need to lose weight and be healthy. I have found that I like a nice bike ride rather than going to the gym. A workout that includes the whole family is the most fun way to exercise. Not to mention that it reinforces good healthy habits that Isaac will be more likely to continue as he gets older. Also, it sure beats sitting in front of the T.V.

12:00 p.m.- Take Isaac to the park for 30 minutes. I just love watching Isaac as he enjoys himself, plus it makes for an easy time getting him to nap. Lucky for me the park is right across the street from our house.

12:30 p.m.- Lunch time! Mmmmm!

1:00 p.m.- Time for Isaac to nap for an hour while Daddy studies FPU lessons. There is never enough time to grow. I want to become the best in my field!

2:00 p.m.- This 3 hour period would be used to handle anything that came up at the last minute or just to handle any errands that might need to be done. Grocery shopping, paying bills etc. To maximize my efficiency and save on gas, I would spend 5-10 minutes to plan my route.

5:00 p.m.- Dinner time at the dinner table! Family time is very important to me! Alana and I would like to get better about eating dinner at the dinner table, instead of in the living room.

6:00 p.m.- Two more hours of family time! (Board games, a nice walk, a leisurely bike ride, or even just sitting in the living room and having a nice conversation)

8:00 p.m.- I would use the next 3 hours to study, read blogs, research blogs, write blogs, or anything that would move me closer to my financial, career, and lifetime goals.

11:00 p.m.- Time to wind down! I would chose this time to read the Bible.

12:00 a.m.- Lights OUT! Time to get my 8 hours of sleep. This is an important goal for me because I often cut my sleep short. It is not uncommon for me to only sleep for three or four hours. I have realized that most of the time it is because I didn’t have a daily plan, and may have wasted valuable time. I want to eliminate “Dead Time”.

The bottom line is that whenever you want to accomplish something, having written goals is the easiest and fastest way to accomplish it. When you want to better manage your finances, you make a budget. When you want to build a house, you create a blueprint. When you want to accomplish more in your day, you devise a plan. Now it is up to you to stick to your plan for success! What does your Perfect Day look like? Good Luck!

Since I am most inspired by Brian Tracy on goal setting, I wanted to leave you with some helpful links from his blog. To anyone that is interested in learning more about self improvement and successful habits, you will find these links to be very helpful.

  1. Setting Your Goals
  2. The Key To Motivation
  3. The ABCDE Method for Setting Priorities
  4. The Major Obstacle To Financial Success
  5. The Determinant of Your Success

Enjoy!

**I would like to take this opportunity to ask all of you to please pray for my wife. Today is the big day she is taking the N-CLEX Nursing Exam. Thank you very much!

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Poverty To Prosperity

This is an age old problem that seems to never go away. How do you end poverty completely and is it even possible? I believe that there is an answer to this question, and believe it or not, the Government is not it. The answer is YOU! The way you think, [...]

2 comments Get Motivated!