How to Get Ahead if You’re Living Paycheck to Paycheck

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get ahead living paycheck to paycheck

Some recent studies showed that more than two thirds of people are living paycheck to paycheck at least some of the time. That’s pretty incredible! It seems to be getting harder and harder to keep your head above water financially, and there is no lack of reasons why that’s happening. Some of it is because our attitudes about money have changed over the years.  Some of it is also because of the changing economy, and some of it is probably due to the fact that the world is rapidly changing, and some are getting left behind because they refuse to […] Read more »

Credit Cards Are Officially NOT For Me

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Some use credit cards for as many of their day to day expenses as possible in order to rack up reward program points. Some even go through a process called credit card churning to earn points for signing up for a new accounts in exchange for cash, airline miles, or travel accommodations.  I know people that have taken their entire family on a free, or nearly free, trip by using such methods. Good for them, as long as they’re using their cards responsibly. But this kind of “beat the system” mentality is not for everyone. Not everyone has the internal […] Read more »

How to Talk Yourself Out of Debt By Creating a New Script

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How to Talk Yourself Out of Debt By Creating a New Script

Could it really be possible to talk yourself out of debt?  Can getting out of debt really be that easy? Actually, no, I don’t believe it is. Getting out of debt is not as easy as talking to yourself using the right words.  You have to take action as well. Even the bible says “In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty”- Proverbs 14:23   The Right Self Talk Helps But using the right kind of self talk can get you into the right mindset to change habits and get out of debt for good. […] Read more »

5 Simple Steps to Start Getting Out of Debt Right Now

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Have you ever tried to get out of debt but just didn’t know where to start?  I think most anybody who’s attempted to get out of debt has experienced that feeling at some point. You have decided you’re no longer comfortable with your debt load, and now it’s time to do something about it, but you’re just not sure what to do. So how do you get started? You can start by taking some small, easy steps to set yourself up for success.  In this post I’ll show you the best small steps you can take right now to get […] Read more »

Use The 4 Keys of Consistency to Get Out of Debt

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When you decide to start getting out of debt, it can be hard because you’re attempting to live life in a new way.  You’re changing your mindset about money and developing new habits that you hope to be permanent. But while you’re in the midst of making all these changes, it can be easy to let some of those old habits and mindsets creep back in. Change is hard. That’s why it’s necessary to learn how to be consistent when you’re trying to getting out of debt.   It Takes Firmness of Character To Get Out of Debt One definition […] Read more »

What the Check Engine Light Taught Me about Myself, My Finances, and My Relationship With My Wife

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“I’m not happy with you, by the way,” Vonnie stated in a matter of fact tone. “You can’t keep things from me like that. You know that.” Driving north through Iowa on our way home from St. Louis, the check engine light remained illuminated on the dashboard of our rental car, reminding me of my mistake. It started a few days earlier during our 4 day trip to St. Louis when we had asked the valet at our hotel to retrieve our rental car so we could get some paperwork out of the car. I sat down in the drivers […] Read more »

Creating The Right Mindset to Get Out of Debt

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Many of you are constantly thinking about ways to change your habits, your finances, your life, and whatever else you can to help make the future better.  That’s what smart people do. When it comes to making change happen, the first step you have to take is to create a mindset for yourself that’s going to allow you to succeed. Let’s face it, if you decide you want to make changes big or small, but you don’t really take the step of preparing for that change, then it’s just wishful thinking- you’re living in a fantasy world. Good preparation breeds […] Read more »

Worrying Doesn’t Accomplish Anything. Take Action. Now.

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“Are you making yourself old again?” I heard Tori’s friend say to her from behind me as we headed off to dance class. I had never heard the phrase before, but I immediately understood what she meant. She was referring to the scrunched look on Tori’s face which was a result of the unusually rough time that just occurred at home as I had to continuously poke and prod her to get dinner eaten, dressed, and out the door on time for class. The wrinkles on her face made her look old. But even more than just making her look […] Read more »

Are You One of the “Financially Fragile” Americans?

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financially fragile

I read in a Wall Street Journal article that almost half of all Americans would have to sell some of their possessions if they needed to come up with $2,000 cash within 30 days.  The author called these people “financially fragile”. Wow!  That’s disturbing statistic. It’s especially surprising when you realize that a normal emergency expense like a major car repair or a child’s broken arm (which happened to my son a few weeks ago) can pretty easily set you back a couple of grand. Why Are So Many of Us Financially Fragile? So what’s the deal?  Why is it […] Read more »

Credit Cards Should Have A Warning Label for People Like Me

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I could tell by the writing on the envelope resting on top of the stack of the day’s mail that it was the settlement check I had been waiting for. I am included in a class action lawsuit against Chase in which they are accused of pulling a “bait and switch” by offering customers a fixed, low interest rate to lure new customers to transfer balances and then later jacking up the minimum payment policy. This happened back in 2009, and resulted in my inability to meet my monthly financial commitments. It was also the driving factor that caused my […] Read more »

This is Why Your Budget Isn’t Working

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  A few months ago, I wrote a few articles about how to budget.  But only recently, I realized that there was something I left out of those articles. I discovered that when I speak to people about their finances and how to make a budget, there is inevitable that person that tells me, “I tried to do a budget, but it just didn’t work for me”. When they express that to me, they seriously believe that doing a written budget just doesn’t work and that there has to be a better way of doing things.  But there is one […] Read more »

This is Why You Overspend!

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This is Why You Overspend

Overspending is something that most all of us have been guilty of at one time or another.  But when you overspend on a regular basis, it can put a real dent in the amount of money you have to spend on the things you need, not just the things you want. If you’re someone that tends to overspend often and then discover you’ve made a bit of a mess financially, it’s probably wise to start doing a little digging and try to discover just why the overspending is happening in the first place. Know Why Overspending Happens When you know […] Read more »

Does Your Wallet (or Purse) Reflect Your Financial Goals?

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If you love sitcoms, you may be familiar with a show that aired during the 1990’s called Seinfeld. If so, surely you remember an episode that mocks the size and fatness of George Costanza’s wallet. He would put everything in his wallet including money, receipts, numbers, coupons and even candy. I was sitting in my office the other day and became painfully aware that my wallet had become just a little too thick. It was time to do one of those periodic cleansing of the wallet to purge those things that I don’t need to be sitting on for 10 […] Read more »

Financial Lessons: I learned It by Watching You

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The 1980’s anti-drug public service announcement where a father finds his son’s drug stash and confronts him, only to learn the horrid truth, “I learned it by watching you.” Some things never change and the depths of your parental influence run greater than you may think. Your kids are watching your every move, even how you manage money. Every moment can present a learning opportunity. Think about the typical week… Monday: You are dropping your child off at school and they remind you they don’t have any money in their lunch account. You respond with an off-handed, “I’ll just wait […] Read more »