Reduce Expenses and Get Out of Debt – Use Mental Toughness

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When I was a two-mile runner in high school, many of the runners complained about aches in their sides from running long and hard. It was just part of the game. If we were going to push ourselves, it was going to hurt. During a race, you can't just stop and rest a while when it starts to hurt, you have to keep going. Nevertheless, the pain and fatigue affected many runners and their ability to improve their times. Our track coach offered a solution, he called it "mental toughness." It's a concept that stuck with me and has served me well. Sometimes we just need a mental image, a concept, a focal point to help us achieve success. This was the concept for me. Read more »

“You Know You’re Broke If… “- 50 Ways to Know if You’re Light in the Wallet

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You Know You're Broke If...

If you’re broke, well, you probably know you’re broke.  Most of the time nobody has to tell you.  Even so, today I thought it would be fun to inform those who may be a little unsure by taking a look at the lighter side of being light in the wallet. So I made a list of 50 ways you know you’re broke. Because sometimes talking about money can be boring and you just gotta have a little fun!   You Know You’re Broke If… …Your latte’ bill is as vente’ as your car payment. …You comfort yourself by saying “Mo’ […] Read more »

Lending Money – Tips for Success

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Some of us get into trouble by lending money to others. It's a common occurrence. We often see such requests coming from people who have trouble managing their own money, and we see it more often during challenging economic times. It can lead to uncomfortable situations between people, especially if you're not prepared. The trick is to have a plan to deal with the situation before it presents itself. When someone comes asking for money, you're better off if you're prepared to respond. Read more »

Are You the Next Pawn Star?

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One of my favorite shows to watch is Pawn Stars on the history channel. Watching episodes of this popular TV show has become somewhat of an event at our house. The show is educational, fascinating and largely about making money, what’s not to love? Long before banks, ATMS and check-cashing services, there were pawn shops. Pawning was the leading form of consumer credit in the United States until the 1950s, and pawn shops are still helping everyday people get by when they need to. The premise of Pawn Stars is a multigenerational family; The Harrison’s running a pawn shop in […] Read more »

Short Term Sacrifice For Long Term Gain

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One of the biggest lessons we learned while getting out of debt was that sacrifice was critical to our success. And by success I don’t mean paying off our final debt before we die, I mean paying off our debt as fast as we could SO WE COULD LIVE…NOW! Think about that for a second. People spend money on things they want now (instant gratification), but isn’t that what I was getting by paying down my debt as fast as I could? I was instantly gratified each time I paid down my debt. And now we are definitely living although […] Read more »

The Problem with Money – It Just Goes!!!

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Whether it's a wad of currency in your pocket, a piece of plastic in your wallet, a jar full of coins, or paper checks in a checkbook, the main problem with money is it just goes! And, sometimes it goes quickly. Why is it that money seems to slip through our fingers so quickly? I believe the answer is found in the breadth of things one might spend money on. Whether it's a product, service, investment opportunity, real estate, housing, transportation, food, drink, or leisure activity, there is no end to the wide range of things that money can buy. And, the more money we have to spend in a discretionary manner, the more apt we are to make unwise and perhaps even reckless decisions. 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 »

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 »

The Power of Choice and How You Can Reclaim Your Life by Mastering It

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Do you feel like you lack the willpower to succeed in achieving your financial goals? You might be surprised to learn that your lack of willpower is not the problem. That’s right willpower is not your problem. The real problem is that you’re not taking the time to make the choices that will help you reach your goals. That sounds so simple but it”s true. Some people might disagree with that but let me explain. For years I have struggled with the consequences of my bad decisions — both in health and in finances. On my journey to health, I’ve […] Read more »

What Motivates You? (And Why it Matters!)

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What motivates change? Think back to all the times you were motivated into action and try to remember what it was that triggered that response. I’d be willing to bet that most of the time the changes were made in order to solve a problem. It could have been to lose weight because of a concerning doctor visit or to get out of debt after looking at a credit card statement. Our desire to solve a problem motivates us into action so we give it our “all” until our stress levels reach a tolerable level and we no longer feel […] Read more »

Get Your Kids to Read and Save!

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As a mother of an almost nine year old, I face many challenges when it comes to these two topics; reading and saving. While my son is all for reading the types of things he likes to read, they are not always what I would consider “educational”. These days he is only interested in reading “Captain Underpants”. Last summer it was the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series. My goal is to expand his reading horizons this summer with something other than cartoon and stick figure drawing comics. I have a confession to make… Sometimes I resort to bribery to […] Read more »

The Other 99% Slogan

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Several months ago I drove passed a home that had a large sign out in front that said, "We are the 99%." It was a curious sign, and I was tempted to ask what they meant by it. A month or so later I heard about occupy Wall Street and their 99% slogan, so I eventually figured out what that large sign was trying to convey. Great concept. After I started thinking about it, I remembered another 99% sign that I saw in a doctor's office. It read, "1% are misfortunate, the other 99% are misbehaving." Please excuse the misspelling in the slogan, but the point of the sign was to remind folks that whether they're trying to quit smoking, lose weight or make better choices in diet, there are roughly 1% who fail because of misfortune - the misfortunate - while the other 99% fail because they don't apply themselves in a deliberate manner - the misbehaving. Another great concept. Read more »

2012 Meets the 1950’s

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Today’s stage is set for the I Love Lucy show. A devoted wife and mother Lucy didn’t work but depended on Ricky, her star performer husband to bring home the bacon. Lucy longed for the chance to be a star and if she were here today maybe even a credit card. The sad truth is that she wouldn’t be able to get one. Why? Well because of the Credit CARD Act of 2009. The act which was meant to protect people has put stay at home mom’s at arm’s length from applying for credit. In an effort to help students […] Read more »

Survive Wedding Season Debt Free

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I have surpassed the threshold of having multiple friends I grew up, or went to school with (making us all about the same age) getting married in what seemed like—all at once. There was a span of about three years where I attended, or was in fifteen weddings—the expenses crushed my finances. I never calculated the actual amount I spent, the shock may have given me a heart attack, but I would venture to guess I spent an average of $750 for each of the 5 weddings I was in and roughly $200 for those I attended, making the total over […] Read more »