1. Love What You Do

MONEY!!!  Cant live without it, but wish I could.

Money problems are blamed for heart attacks, divorce, depression,

But for peace of mind and survival we need to have a reliable source of FOOD SHELTER & CLOTHING.


More often than not when choosing a career we end up settling for something we can do to pay the bills rather than choosing our life passion.  If your work is something meaningful and enjoyable you are very  lucky.  Not many actually get to do what they love for a successful career.

But whatever you end up doing, you can LOVE what you do.


(Turning mundane tasks into meaningful experiences: ARTICLE OF THE WASHER WOMAN becoming the Upmost Authority on Ant Behavior)



Use your vacation time and sick days.  You are more productive when you take little breaks and feel indulged.  Also if you are feeling sick and can afford to stay home DO IT!! Be in touch with your body and honor what it is trying to tell you.

A STITCH IN TIME SAVES NINE

Everyone Needs a day of rest... USE YOUR SUNDAYS for rest, recuperation, relaxation, and spiritual renewal.


 

2. Are You Open to Abundance?

ATTITUDE is a big part of it.  Do you feel abundant?  Do you feel you deserve success?  Do you feel wealthy and fortunate?

Like in the movie "The Secret" or "What the Bleep"  you attract what you think about most.
If your mind is occupied with worry and thoughts of not having enough, you may likely stay in that situation.

If you are actively trying to better your situation but you have a continual mindset that you are content and that things will work out and you can see the copious bounty that surrounds you, you will be welcoming an abundant life.


Just like you can see in the MESSAGES FROM WATER, your thoughts are powerful.  You spiritually create your reality in your mind and then it comes to fruition.  For better or for worse.


Aside from paradigm you can improve your ability to discuss money matters and budget wisely by educating yourself. 

 

3. GETTING HELP & Expertise

If you have not personally or as a couple been successful in this area there are many sites and resources to help you.

 ASK a reputable person you admire or have observed their success and discipline
Accountants
Life Insurance Counselors
Online Sample Budgets
Apps Online
Counseling
Books and Workbooks
Games like Monopoly or CASH FLOW Getting out of the RAT RACE!!!


It seems like we always hit a stalemate in the "how do we get out of debt and stay in a reasonable budget" discussion.  We'd agree to disagree or get frustrated and keep limping along doing our best to maintain and stay in the green.

It wasn't until recently when we actually came to admit that although we may have an A+ in many areas of our relationship this one area was an F and there was not much progress in a decade and no signs of improvement from the same patterns we were using.  We had a mediator observe our hot topic patterns of escalation and retreat and it was obvious why we avoided working this to the end for so long.


Realizing it was a serious dysfunction that wasn't going to get better by pretending it was fine was the first step

Next we went on a mini vacation with a couple that really had their affairs in order.  They were frugal and had the foresight and will power to plan for what they wanted and achieve it.  Now that their children were starting to leave the nest we could see that they had wisely positioned themselves in a state of security and abundance just from their wise choices. 

We openly talked about saving, spending, budgets etc the whole visit and came away with some great ideas that would suit our style.


They did have a few less children than we did, but also a lower paying job. 

It isn't how much you make that matters, It's how much you spend or save in relation to what you make!

A great game to play is CASH FLOW.  It's a fun date night game or family night game to help everyone involved view money and success in a whole new light.   You are assigned a profession and you have to get out of the RAT RACE by making more residual income than you spend.  Many times the janitor will win over the surgeon.  Income doesn't always mean success in the Rat Race.

Our last step was finishing the important conversation that gave us a doable plan.  Imagining keeping up with our expenses, and trying to get out of debt seemed overwhelming.  The thought of being able to do something fun like travel or fix things around the house seemed beyone reach.  It was very discouraging and stressful..   The only answer seemed to be we need to make more money, but when we slowed down and put it all on the table we were able to see a plan that would give us the financial freedom we desired.

Our last step was getting it all out on the table.  I googled everything I could find on the subject and took mini courses on finances and budgeting.

There was a great site called YNAB You Need A Budget. www.youneedabudget.com  I took their helpful tutorial.

We ended up deciding to download  the APP Mint.com instead, because we read good reviews and mostly because it was a free app and YNAB had a monthly fee.

It puts all your bills, debts, accounts, etc... all together in one place.

It creates budgets based on your average spending and they you can add to or adjust to trim the fat.


It also let us set up goals like a vacation to CABO or HOME IMPROVEMENT budget so that while we are getting out of debt and living life we are also getting closer to what we really want one day at a time.


There is a peace that permeates into all aspects of our relationship that comes from being on the same page about how to make our goals come true together.  He definitely seemed to be breathing easier and I felt more involved and closer as a result.  There was no more pointing fingers and frustration, but level discussions, reporting, discussing and deciding together with our future goals in mind.






 

4. TOP 10 CHANGES in SPENDING

Most of the changes we made in the way we spent and saved money were minor adjustments that were slightly uncomfortable or took a little hassle and time, but really they weren't as Some of the things we did that were small but helpful were the following:


1.   GET YOUR MONEY BACK-
It takes a little time but it's worth it.  I made a few phone calls.  Little fees and overcharges that didn't seem worth my time added up into quite a nice refund when I took the time to call the Utility or Financial Institution.  Most were very helpful and friendly and willing to reimburse or waive charges.




2.   TRIM THE FAT-
Look at what services you can live without.  Things like cable, internet, phone.  If you can't live without them, you probably can downgrade.   At least call and ask.  When I did they didn't want to lose my business and offered an amazingly affordable package that was much cheaper than my monthly bill had been.



3.  HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT OUT-
This includes kids eating school lunch, At work, out and about impulse eating and date nights. 
We had to talk about realistic times we eat out.  We would allow for Pizza Night to remain.  But 3 pizzas instead of 4 and supplement with homemade items.  It not only saves money but is usually more nutritional too.  We packed healthy snacks and water in the car so we wouldn't have as many of those "I'm Starving" moments during errands with no time to run back home to eat.  Much healthier and cheaper.  Also be sure to use glass or metal refillable water bottles, they don't have the toxins in the plastic, it helps the earth fill the landfills with more garbage and it saves money in the long run.  Packing left overs or making sandwiches or bringing shakes for lunch also help us stick to our health and finance goals.



4. NO IMPULSE BUYS
Before if I saw something I needed or wanted and it looked like a bargain I wouldn't think too much about it.  I'd figure we could probably afford that.    Now I look at the budget and think can we really?  And do I really need it now?  What is the opportunity cost of getting this doodad?  What will I be willing to go without to get it?  I usually call and talk to my partner about it and he is very patient even if it seems frivolous and he'll talk me through it and tell me if I come home and think about it and decide I still really need it then I can go get it.  But I seldom return to purchase when the impulse subsides.  It can usually wait.



5.  CHECK ONLINE or phone to see if there is a coupon-
I can't tell you how many times I was about to do a purchase for a school project or materials for a birthday or special occasion and I quickly check online and usually there is a coupon or promotion that ends up saving a little... or sometimes a significant amount.  Just check.


6. JOIN GROUP SHOPPING CLUBS
Like Groupon or  LYONESS

Now it's true you can go broke with all the money you save so only buy things you would have been buying anyway.

With Groupon we got great deals on hotel and services for Anniversary and Girls Nights Out.  Even the PARKOUR lessons I wanted to sign the kids up for happened to be on there!

With Lyoness I ordered the GAS and Grocery gift cards.
Just with Gas Alone I was saving more than I would have plus it felt good to know some of my gas money was going to worthy causes like GREENFINITY and LYONESS FAMILY FOUNDATION and they put a % of what you spend back into your bank and another fraction goes into a long term savings account.

So just by taking the time to order gift cards online the usual expense of filling up my big tank was actually less, I was donating to charity to help end poverty through education, saving $ for my future, and making a difference in conserving our beautiful earth's natural resources. 


7.  JOIN REWARDS CLUBS
It's kind of the same idea as the Shopping clubs.  You have to be careful not to just shop to get the rewards and things on sale, but really only buy what is on your list.  Most stores now have some sort of rewards program to earn cash back or merchandise. I have a keychain FULL of rewards club cards.   I like Lyoness because it is a great cashback rewards program because it isn't just to one store but there are hundreds of stores you can use it at and thousands of online shopping or giftcards to stores you already shop at.


8.  PLAN MENU-
You would be surprised at how much this can save money.  Planning what to buy so there is less waste and more reusing and combining proved to be worth the time spent.  Also we always made a little more of things like rice so the exchange students could fry it up in the morning with our backyard chicken eggs.  Also packaging leftovers in easy to grab containers for lunch or after school snack.

We plan on Sunday the menu for the week and hope to use leftover roast or chicken in the tacos or casserole or soup for the next night so nothing is wasted and we get two meals for the price of one.

I don't always take the time to plan perfectly, but we do have a general idea of daily themes and so I've got the routine down without even planning any more.

SUNDAY- Dad makes La Bandera (Dominican Food) or Roast
MONDAY- SOUP or Seafood
TUESDAY- ITALIAN
WEDNESDAY-MEXICAN
THURSDAY- ASIAN
FRIDAY-PIZZA NIGHT MOVIE NIGHT
SATURDAY- AMERICAN/ BBQ


9.  COUPON CLIPPING
Again you need to not buy just because it is a deal, unless it is something you really need.  It wasn't in the budget to buy 10 tubes of toothpaste and deodorant, but while at the store I saw an instore coupon to get these name brand items at 10 cents each. 


10.  STICK TO A BUDGET-
Like I said we downloaded MINT App and set up budgets that were realistic.  I always asked for a budget but it was always unrealistic when it came to how much to spend on groceries for 11 people (including 8 teens and adults)  So it never worked.  He researched online the national average cost per meal and saw that my grocery spending wasn't as outlandish as he assumed.  But when I had a more realistic budget it made it like a game to see if I could still keep the quality and health factor but see how I could save.  It was a challenge to spend below the National Frugal Average.  When we also both discussed our dreams and wishes about where we want to be in 5-10 years it made it easier to say no to little impulse buys or kids begging because like Covey says

"I'ts EASY to say NO, when there's a deeper YES within.

Say no to a few Fast Food stop for the teens and YES to the family vacation wer are saving for!

5. AT HOME & ON THE SIDE $$