RESISTANCE…

RESISTANCE: The law of physics says that for every 'action' there is an opposite 'reaction'.  If you learn to understand that this is so, your added awareness to the law of resistance, can help you hold stronger, as you walk towards your dream of Financial Peace.

Think of a rubber band.  Resistance comes when you first take a hold of each side and start to pull them apart.  Isn't that also true of how we feel when we first begin to work on our financial wellness plan?  The 'feelings' that come up as we step onto this new road are overwhelming at times.  One partner may be excited to get started and the other resistant.  In a single's situation, you may be ready in your heart but your head starts to tell you differently.  The funny thing about resistance is that you will find as much resistance as you did in the beginning as you near the end of your goal. Why? Because that's the law of physics!  The more we pull outward to see how strong that elastic really is, we have a new 'fear' of it breaking, so we are resistant to continue to pull.  I've seen many people start their journey off strong and as they are so so close to having their debts all paid off, retract due to resistance.

So, how will you know if you are in 'resistance" at the beginning or towards the end of your journey? Quite simply.  You will MAKE EXCUSES.  You will PROCRASTINATE.  You will START SLIPPING back into your old spending habits. You will STOP BUDGETING. You will STOP COMMUNICATING.  You will STOP WORKING THE PLAN.

At the 'beginning' of working on your new plan,  you might find yourself saying things like, "I have no time", "I'll just watch you do it and see how it works", "that's just not MY thing", But what is 'x' happens?".

At the end of working on your new plan, you might find yourself saying things like, "But we've worked so hard for the past few years, let's just reward ourselves", "I'm sick of measuring everything I do!", "I meant to fund the envelopes but forgot", I don't know where that extra week's paycheck went this month, was there really an extra week?",  "we've skimped this long, I need to splurge just once."

All of these statements are clear signs that you are 'resistant' and resistance will inhibit you reaching your goal is you don't see it appearing.   If you find yourself using any of this language, do something about it today.  Regroup. Recommit. Reconnect.  HOW?  Sign up for a Facebook support group and share, such as my Sick of the Hustle Budgeting discussion group-- it's a great forum to connect with others on the same journey.  Sign up for another Financial Peace University Class in your area.  Get one on one coaching to help you along. (that's my specialty!). Get an accountability partner.  Read Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover or Smart Money Smart Kids (again). Listen to some Podcasts on financial wellness. Share your success with someone else who is struggling and help them.
     
Stay Positive and Keep all of these 'tools' handy in your toolbox when resistance rears its ugly head!

Michelle
www.sickofthehustle.com

Proud Mamma Right here!

It's been a long & tedious process, but it's finally live! My daughter Amanda's children's book is finally published!! It's a great message about self confidence & inner beauty that should be heard & taught to little girls of all ages.

Her story is about a monkey named Mandy. She looks at herself differently when she is comparing herself to others. She realizes that after trying to be like everyone else she loses her own identity. Meet Mandy's friend Georgia giraffe, Ella elephant, and Farrah flamingo who open Mandy's eyes to her unique nature and beauty!

If you'd like to purchase it you can use the link below that will direct you to Createspace https://www.createspace.com/5657599 OR  Amazon if you have an Amazon Prime account 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0692506780/ref=mp_s_a_1_2…

It's $9.49 but in my opinion you can't put a price on a positive life long lesson. Please help her promote her book in ANY way you can!

Best Regards
   Michelle

I LOVE MY WORK AND THIS IS WHY…

CHANGE IN ALL FORMS MATTERS! 

What people don't always 'feel' is possible when they take on something they want to change or improve,  actually IS possible! 

With a little guidance and direction in any area of our lives that can use improvement, we can reap HUGE benefits.  MAJOR shifts and changes can occur in a short time if you are willing to be 'coachable' and put in new efforts! 

It is human nature to have areas in which we need to grow and learn. I always joke that "since I'm still on THIS SIDE of heaven, I must have MORE work to do."  It is so so true! 

The things that I needed to learn in my 20's are certainly not things that I'm learning in my 40's.  Yet I had no idea in my 20's of the things I would still be needing (and wanting) to learn in my 40's.  I've always been pretty open to self education and always wanting MORE in terms of knowledge, but truth be told, many times I focused my attention to learning in areas that I was already pretty sufficient in. I have NOT always put the effort into areas where I lacked skill or motivation.  Case in point --after my recent return from Mexico, I truly think it's time to purchase the Rosetta Stone Spanish version and get started on what I've been saying I'm going to do for more than 10 years-- LEARN SPANISH! 

You see ANY CHANGE and GROWTH starts with a simple decision that we can know and learn more.  Then it takes action. We can't just WANT to learn something, we have to DO something to learn. 

I have many clients who seek me out because they are looking for support and a change in the area of handling their personal finances. It's not always bad. 

Sometimes it's a recent college graduate who is just starting out on their own but have no idea how to budget or handle their own money and new living expenses. 

Sometimes it's a new couple who have no idea how to manage their money jointly or how to handle what each just brought for debt into a new marriage. 

Sometimes it's a couple who have fallen on hard times such as a job loss, or a medical issue that eliminates one of them working, kids are now embarking on college, or over spending has finally caught up with them.  

Sometimes it's a recently divorced man or woman who is trying to adjust to a new life as a single person/single parent and unsure of how to make their finances work with less than what they had before.  All of these client scenarios improved once we started our work together but it started with a desire to learn and grow…

I just received this testimonial from a new client….

"As a person that has never been good at saving, I really didn't think that Michelle could teach me anything new about managing my money. But I was so wrong! In 2 months, she has helped me create an emergency fund that seemed completely unobtainable. She has been extremely easy to work with, and she has given me excellent guidance throughout this financial process. From making very difficult phone calls to creditors to realizing that the most important things don't need to cost a lot, her coaching has been a blessing! I highly recommend her to anyone needing guidance." Dawn C.

If you feel you can use some guidance or direction to help you manage your money better MAKE THE DECISION to get more information on how it works!  Check out my website at www.sickofthehustle.com

Michelle 

Denial…"I'm not that out of shape!"

One of the most common themes I've struggled with in my own life is the "I'm not really that out of shape!"  Yet I've taken the same 25 pounds off and on again for the past two decades…over and over and over again.  First, the clothes start to get a little tight, but I tell myself "I'm not really that out of shape".  Feeling sluggish by 3pm becomes a daily occurrence and I add more caffeine and tell myself again "I'm not really that out of shape". The stairs seem to make me more 'winded' each time I have to track laundry up and down but you know what? You get it!  So the imprints of these things start to affect me in a way that I start thinking I better do SOMETHING. So I get motivated. I decide on what  plan of attack I'll take. I get to the gym, take a walk, eat better…do well, shed some pounds and start to feel BETTER!
                  But then something happens.  I get busy, stressed, start feeling selfish for taking 'ME time' away from my family and business and slowly slip into those old habits and the pounds come back again.

One of the ways we can combat this is to ask for support/mentorship. This past year my weight loss goals have been met and with relative consistency because of the help of a trainer and wellness coach. I've found that when I have more  'skin in the game' I am more committed and I'm seeing longer term results and developing a healthy pattern of new behaviors.

                  The same is true of developing a healthy plan for your finances.

Many of us, me included, hit periods where we start 'the plan'  to spend less and save more.  Commit ourselves to stop charging and start paying back on things we splurged on month's ago.  How many of you are still trying to pay for Christmas '2014 or summer vacation from LAST year?  How many of you are still paying for your college education and yet haven't seen the inside of a dorm room in nearly a decade? We get 'on track' but then something happens.  Not the normal 'Oh no, Alex's cleats don't fit anymore and tryouts are next week!!!" OR "he's turning 16 in two weeks and the driver training enrollment needs to be in NOW?!" type stuff. It's more like this:  "I've cooked three nights in a row and no one wants the leftovers the heck with it, let's go out!" OR "I can't believe it, I FINALLY got a 30% off code at Kohl's!"  and….. WE GIVE IN.  WE GET "OFF TRACK".  We think, just like other struggle areas that "we are really not THAT bad'.   But our perception is tainted. We look around and try to justify that 'everyone' does it. We tell ourselves that our kids need to have a better education than we did no matter what the cost. Our student loan feels like a family pet. We end up working harder &  longer, and many times in jobs that are unfulfilling and even stop believing that the life we dream about is even possible any longer.

   How would using a financial coach benefit you in the way a wellness coach benefited me?

• Do you need help navigating through a financial crisis?  
• Building a workable budget? And having an accountability partner as you learn your way?
• Need help eliminating your debt once and for all? 
• Learn how to deal with collectors? 
• Establish a plan for retirement and college?

These are all areas of support where real guidance could make huge difference in the long term quality of your life!

WANT TO RAISE FINANCIALLY HEALTHY KIDS? GIVE UP IGNORANCE AND KEEPING UP WITH THE JONES'S...

• Living in a bigger house
• Driving more expensive cars
• Wearing designer clothing 
• Birthday party for Billy and his 15 friends 

All of these are great to have but I'm an advocate for having what you need before having what you want. I teach my clients the tools of building and protecting the '4 walls' (food - shelter- transportation- clothing) and building a solid foundation BEFORE you put the roof on.

Many families today "feel" (yes emotion drives 80% of our money handling) as though their children will suffer if they don't have the newest bat, the UGG boots, and the party for 15 at Chucky Cheese. I truly believe this started with our 80's generation because I don't remember my parents being focused on making sure I had $100 pairs of NIKE's, and a birthday party that cost as much as a monthly car payment. They knew better.  Sure, they had there set of 'keeping up with the Jones's too' but the credit frenzy was just beginning when I was a teenager. We had the Sears and JCPenney cards (didn't everyone?) but I didn't watch my parents charge the washer/dryer on 90 days same as cash. They didn't finance our childhood pet. They did what most American's did before credit became a 'normal way of life" they paid CASH and only when they could afford it. 

So how is this new credit action affecting our children? Really think about the long term effects our buying decisions and behaviors have on our kids. If you are using credit cards to get your nails done, take the family vacation, and stopping at Panera, Papa Gino's, and Outback for dinner this week, these are the behavior patterns our kids see AND become accustomed to.  They don't SEE cash leave your hands. They don't SEE half of the weekly paycheck going out the door for the family cell phone plan with unlimited minutes, texts, and data. They don't SEE the cable bill came in $70 higher because it snowed for three days and school was canceled, and the added cost of 'hitting the rent movie button' actually takes away from the normal budget.  Unless you are talking to them about what it takes to run a household and modeling the things you know will create healthy adults down the road, you are missing out on an opportunity to teach your children what Mastercard & Discover will teach them if you don't. Start using an 'envelope system". I'm a huge fan of what this one tool provided in terms of my kids SEEING a change in my behavior. When we stopped for a bite to eat at a drive thru for example I had my son pull out the envelope and the unfamilar cash to pay for the order. Same at the grocery store, if they are with me, they open up the envelope and can see the $$ leaving .. they also are quick to count what's left and tell me 'that's it? we better be careful!"  I'm proud of this because I know there is a huge difference in their awareness (not just mine) that has benefited them with my changing my pattern from ignorance to understanding. 

TO ORDER DAVE RAMSEY'S DELUXE ENVELOPE SYSTEM CLICK HERE: 

SELL SOME STUFF- AND BUILD THAT EMERGENCY FUND or PAY DOWN SOME DEBT!

Now that the weather is decent, it's that time of year when many people enjoy looking for treasures! Why not take advantage and SELL SOME OF YOUR STUFF!!! My last two yard sales netted me over $500 (and my kids over $100 each) so it was worth the time we put in…

Before you just throw everything onto a table in your driveway, there is some prep work that you should consider!

1. Pick a good day(s) and time. This all depends upon where you live. I think Saturday mornings are the best times for sales.  As far as the time of day and length to run your sale – that is really personal preference.

2. Advertise your yard sale time/place:  Use social media to your advantage! Post an announcement on your personal Facebook page, Twitter, or Instagram!! Ask your friends and family to share as well. Also, Facebook now has yard sale 'group sites'- many for each town where you can post your events. Craigslist allows a free posting as well. Many local newspapers also allow free listings for local tag sales so get the word out along many outlets!

3. Clearly Direct Traffic to your Sale.  Two days before, make sure you place signs helping shoppers find your sale.  It is best to start close to major intersections close to your home, followed by additional signs (with arrows) directing them to your home.  

4. Organize your items for display. If everything is thrown onto a table or things are dirty, most people will perceive your items as "junk" and may not even take the time to look through your goods.  Just taking the extra time to have several tables and items split out by category (household goods, tools, toys, books) can yield you more money!

Be sure you price your items. Start this process early in the planning stages. Don't wait until the night before or the day of to get started.   

5. Make sure your items are clean. As you set your items out for your sale, take a minute to make sure that everything is clean.  If your clothes or toys are dirty or your picture frame is coated in dust, it can really turn off potential buyers.

6. Launder and fold/hang clothing items. If  you are going to sell clothes, you will want to spend time getting these items ready.  I actually launder everything before I sell it.  This helps me find those hidden stains that seem to appear after time.  Think about it—  Would you really want to purchase a dress that has a stain on it? Probably not!  Sort clothes by season and according to size. This makes it very easy for your buyers find what they are looking for. I also HIGHLY recommend hanging outfits. Either buy a rack or use a study clothes line and string across your front porch if you have one!

7. Clearly price all of your goods. It's a turn off to me when I go to a tag sale or an antique store and nothing is tagged. People like to know what you are asking. If there are some items you are open to negotiating, keep those on a "make me an offer" or put a sticker with MMAO!  If you are not sure what to price things, you can go and check out Ebay or Craigslist so that you can be sure you are asking a fair price for your items. Just be sure you don’t under price your stuff! People at tag sales will usually try to get you down, especially near the end. Know what you want and go from there. 

8.  Make sure you have plenty of change available (and only take cash).   I get $100 in change before I start.  I start out with $20 in change in my box at a time. Make sure you have $1's, $5's, $10's and regularly coin change! If you are selling items at .75/.50 you will need quarters!! Wearing a carpenters apron helps if you are walking around a lot.  Accept only cash!  I’d also recommend you accept nothing larger than $20 bills.  If you are selling a large ticket item, you can ask the purchaser to please go and get $20 bills. You would hate to get counterfeit bills given to you and then you’ll be out your cash — and your item!

9.  Offer 50% off of “Goodie Boxes” Toward the End of the Sale.  If time is drawing close to ending your sale and you have items to move, you can offer 50% off of all marked prices. People that show up at the end are those that are probably expecting that and will haggle anyway.  

10.  Price Items to Sell and Be Willing to Negotiate Those Prices.  If you really want to sell your items, make sure that you remove emotion. If you are attached to a baby blanket, you will think it is worth more than it really is.

When the sale is over decide if you want to have another run at this. You can take the remaining items and put them up on the Facebook community yard sale sites, Ebay, Craigslist OR  you can gift your treasures to Goodwill or another local charity so that others are blessed by your giving them. 

LASTLY, tally up what you made and make those dollars count! Deposit them into your growing Emergency Fund (if you have NOT yet saved $1000) and if you have apply those dollars towards your debt snowball.    

DON'T LET A "TREAT" SCREW UP YOUR PLAN TO CRUSH YOUR DEBT!

Sometimes, when you're working your plan to pay off debt and get to your debt free dream, you feel the need to treat yourself to something!  I came across a really neat budget tool to help decipher the 'cost' of opting to buy yourself a 'treat' while you are working your plan to pay off debt.

For those of you who know my personality or work with me one on one, I'm a FACT based decision-maker.

I ask my clients to look at both the pros and cons  of decisions BEFORE making them. It's easier to 'own' your final decisions knowing the impact it has on your goals/plan.  It's so important to look at the 'treat' and know HOW it will affect your debt pay down plan.

For example,  if you currently are on task to pay off all of your debt within the next 46 month, a 'treat decision' can actually delay you by many additional months, maybe even a year. For example if you are currently paying down $22,000 of debt at an interest rate of 12.99%, making normal monthly payments, a $4800 Disney Vacation 'treat' would actually become a $6119 vacation!

Click the link and try it yourself…

http://www.whatsthecost.com/treats.aspx


Treating yourself occasionally can be a good way of keeping motivated or rewarding yourself while dealing with debt. This calculator isn't designed to convince you not to treat yourself, simply to give you an idea of the real cost!

REFLECTION LEADS TO CHANGE…

One of the most useful things we can do on our journey towards financial wellness is REFLECT. We all get in 'over our heads' for different reasons. For some of us, its childhood 'lack' and adult 'gain' that lead to our overspending. For some of us, its an emotional rise to spend money on things that make us feel better and forget about whats happening in our lives. For some of us, it's a gaining of 'status' that causes us to overspend.  For others its unexpected medical bills, loss of a job/income, a divorce. Whatever the reason, in order to change ANY situation and plan your way out, you must first reflect.

Start by creating a 'money journal'. A simple notebook will do OR get fancy and decorate a fun journal/notebook knowing your going to take this journey seriously.  Spend some time over the next few days thinking about and answering one or more of these reflection questions in your 'money journal':

• Name three things do you truly love to do.  Do any of these cost money?
• Name three things that you do regularly that you truly hate to do? Why do you do them? Are these in any way worth the reward you get for doing them?
• What things are preventing you from doing more of the things you love and less of the things you hate? How can you remove the things that stop you from doing more of the things you love?
• When was the last time DIDN'T feel badly about a purchase you made? Why did you feel good about it?   When was the last time you felt horrible about money you spent? Why did you feel badly about it?

Jot down your answers and do some 'reflecting' on them over the next week and share your thoughts with your partner, close friend, or with me on our Facebook discussion group:  Budgeting Group Sick of the Hustle https://www.facebook.com/groups/358488774329894/ 

CURRENT STUDENT LOAN DEBT IN THE U.S. IS $1.3 TRILLION (and counting)

How can this be?

The student loan debt in the USA has creeped up to over a TRILLION DOLLARS and now we are starting to pay attention?!  Many people sign up for college, knowing that to advance in careers education is key. What they don't always do is 'weigh' out the reality of what these future loan payments will look like when 'life after college' begins.

I'm all about helping clients PLAN. Planning is how we succeed with money.

Here's a great tool to help you understand your student loan repayments in relation to your possible starting salary https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/tools-calculators

Don't make decisions about your future without preparation and knowing the facts!

CUT CABLE!!

For those of you who are still paying $200+ for cable each month here are some great alternatives to TAKING BACK THOSE Dollars!http://time.com/money/3767927/cable-tv-without-paying-bill/?fb_action_ids=10206194593050996&fb_action_types=og.shares

YOU CAN'T WISH AWAY YOUR DEBT! YOU MUST HAVE A WRITTEN PLAN!

Many of my clients sit with me during their first session and say they just CAN'T cut their spending in certain areas, but we all know it comes down to wanting to get out of debt bad enough to make some serious changes.  Sitting down and filling out a basic budget is the first place to start. If you continually chose not to look closely at what is coming IN versus what is going OUT you can't possibly know what or where to cut.  It not just about cutting spending, its about DIRECTING your money.  If your goal is to get out of debt you must direct dollars TO the debt in order to crush it and make it go away.

       You can't wish it away.

       You can't dream it away.

And while you may think you can 'earn your way' out of debt, I find many people get raises and still can't tell me where that money went this year. For many of us, the more we make, the more we spend.

It takes a PLAN. A WRITTEN PLAN.

This is where a financial coach comes in. My job is to sit down and help people establish and learn how to plan, decipher and WIN WITH THEIR MONEY.  It takes a few sessions for us to get your money plan in order but once it's written you can start implementing and working your plan.  The accountability helps for sure. The guidance as well.  Take the first step towards winning with money and hire a coach!

Check out my coaching 101 package at Sick of the Hustle Coaching Services

It’s time to stop thinking of college as a right and start to realize it’s a major purchase!

It's that time of year when families are anxiously awaiting college acceptance letters for their kids!

I know because we have been waiting as well.  It's an exciting (and stressful) time for these young adults and their parents as they await the 'word' about their child's future.  

Most families have made sure that their children have submitted to multiple schools to ensure that they are given at least two or more options to ultimately sit down and finally consider in the end.  The hardest part is the 'aftermath' of the letters?  CHOSING!  

For some it may not be an issue but for the average American family today, the cost of college has risen so high that the choice should not be easy. It should be a calculated decision process with finances being one of the leading factors. Why? Because the average college student today graduates with $30,000-40,000 of student loan debt. And that's the 'average'. Some graduate with loans in the range of $80,000-100,000!  This is debt that will weigh them down and delay them from starting a family, saving money, or buying a house.  And remember, if they meet their 'special someone' during or shortly after college, the odds are that their 'special someone" has a similar scenario! Multiply by 2 and these young adults are starting their adult lives shackled by $80,000-200,000 of student loan debt to pay back!

I meet with many families who feel they MUST allow their young adult their first college of choice, however when considering which college to chose many things can and should be considered/discussed before the final decision is made. 

You might think college can’t be done without debt, but Rachel Cruze, Dave Ramsey's spitfire daughter, begs to differ. “I believe the two keys to graduating debt free are pretty simple: hard work and preparation,” Rachel says. She shares the secret to making it happen in a new book she wrote with her dad called SMART MONEY SMART KIDS.  Here are a few of the highlights she suggests you consider:

• Choose a College the family CAN afford: It’s time to stop thinking of college as a right and start to realize it’s a major purchase. Treat it like one and shop around. In-state public universities offer a great education for a fraction of the cost of out-of-state or private schools. Kids can save even more by knocking out their first two years of prerequisites at a local community college then transferring to a state university to complete their last two years- If they want to be a graduate of a school they can attend in year 3-4 and BE a graduate of that school. 
• Apply for Scholarships and Grants: Senior year gives Junior the opportunity to earn free money by applying for scholarships and grants. And he doesn’t have to be a straight-A student to take home the prize. Dig deep and you’ll find all sorts of opportunities to save a buck. Encourage Junior to start early and submit as many applications as possible. A little hard work on the front end pays off in the long run!
• Get a Job: If you think Junior’s grades will suffer if he works his way through college, think again. A part-time job could actually help! Research shows that students who work 10–19 hours a week have higher GPAs on average than those who don’t. Being financially invested in his own education just might be what Junior needs to kick it into high gear and graduate in four years!

If you need assistance with getting your financial budget in shape before you broach the issue of college OR if you are already feeling the burden of tuition payments that were added to your budget,  I can help!  Check out my website and coaching packages at Sick of the Hustle Coaching Services 

TAKE A STAND & PROTECT YOUR PROGRESS…STOP JUNK MAIL & CREDIT CARD OFFERS

If you've made a commitment to be done with debt and have started to work on the debt snowball one of the ways that you can lose the 'temptation' of getting sucked back into the credit game is to take the initiative and STOP the offers from coming in the mail.  

We are being bombarded daily with credit 'offers' from our local banks, airlines, our member clubs (Sam's/BJ's), local retailers where we buy our groceries, clothing ALL offer discounts if we just 'sign up today' for THEIR card. We can't go online and not be hit with an advertisement in the margin offering us 0% interest to transfer a balance.  The marketing dollars credit card companies and banks spend on advertising will astound you. 

Here's what the top 3 advertisers on Google in the credit market are spending on MONTHLY ads to capture your attention and your business:

• Chase $4,489,865 (using 64,368 'keywords')
• Capital One $6,349,382 (using 65,545 'keywords')
• American Express $3,593,729 (using 93,706 'keywords")

You can see you don't have a chance at escaping their tactics! 

So what can you do?  

You have to have AWARENESS and be smarter than they are! You have to know that they don't spend $14,432,976 PER MONTH collectively to advertise because they aren't making big bucks in interest charges once they capture you!!! You have to stop believing you can WIN with their offers and beat them. Their buildings are bigger than your house for a reason!  

Sit with this for a week. Really digest the reality of the money that is being spent by the corporate credit giants to get rich off of the average American family by way of interest rates earned by them.  They benefit each and every time we have a 'want or need' that we are willing to 'charge'.   

And then make a commitment to do something different! Commit to using your 'debit card and CASH' for your purchases and be done with interest charges on purchases you made a year ago.  

 You  can also decide to stop receiving the prescreened offers of credit and insurance you receive in the mail. To do so, you have two choices: You can opt out of receiving them for five years or opt out of receiving them permanently. To opt out for five years: Call toll-free 1-888-5-OPT-OUT (1-888-567-8688) or visit www.optoutprescreen.com.

A FEW YEARS OF HARD WORK & DILIGENCE PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS FOR A STRESS FREE LIFE!

We all know that hard work pays off. Yet in the area of our finances many of us feel that taking control leads to a boring and unfulfilled lifestyle.

Class after class I lead has nay-sayers who by week three are in agreement that the "steps' I teach could/would change their lives but it would seem SO HARD. It would seem so STRICT. It will 'UPSET the kids".

Yes, at first it will seem difficult.

Doesn't anything new we do take effort and have a learning curve?

Do you remember learning how to ride a bike?
Or Skiing? Did you think the first day it would be 'easy' and you would be accomplished. Heck no.

You started out with training wheels or on the 'bunny slope'. But once you got your bearings and started to 'feel' your bearings you almost forgot you were learning something new to begin with. Many of you went from novice to amateur and many of you to experts from that first experience to where you are today in those areas.  It's the same with our financial goals.  We have to first learn and plan on how to get there. The "work" is the learning how to budget and tell our money where to go. This is where a coach comes in.  Did you get up on your bike alone or did a parent, brother/sister, aunt/uncle put you on that seat the first time out?  Did you just show up on the ski slopes or did a family friend or parents take you and lead your confidence in the right direction?  I work with couples/individuals who are ready to pay off debt, and build wealth. I do the pay off debt part of the coaching!  I help you establish an individualized workable plan, help you eliminate your debts and create a freedom you haven't felt in years.

For more information check out my 101 coaching package

One of the FASTEST ways to change our spending habits it to change our 'awareness' around them.

How do you do this?  A Written Cash Flow Plan                  

You look at what you have coming IN for the month in advance-that would mean you sit down NOW to figure out what March will look like and what needs to go OUT… you decide in advance of the month, where your money needs to and will go. 

You will find your best success will come from setting a 'limit' on your spending in areas that can get away from us such as entertainment, eating out, kids asking for lunch money, the last minute trips to the grocery store.  For me it was eating out. I'm embarrassed to admit this, but we were spending $1200-$1300  PER month eating out! We were both running businesses and we had kids in after school sports and also on leagues after the school sports ended. Most nights, that meant we were not eating until after 8pm. Most weekends were also spent in another town for most of the day. 

When I actually decided to start getting back to "budgeting basics" two years ago I had to pull my 'records' to see what I was currently spending on each category-for most of us that means looking up all the charges and debit transactions and adding them up. Even though my balance was paid each month, I was SHOCKED at how much we were spending on this one category.  Whether we could afford it or not was not the issue, it just seemed excessive to me.   I became concerned about the expensive 'habit' my children were 'inheriting' from me! I didn't want to be the one responsible for their inability to manage their financial lives because I became oblivious to how much we spent on this behavior each month.  I HAD TO come up with a new 'habit' amount and try to stick to it. This also meant I had to figure out a number for groceries. This took some guessing on my part because I had not cooked more than once or twice a week in what seemed like five years. 

But I was determined!  I established an 'envelope' and set up new monthly spending LIMITS for our family of four (+ 2 every other weekend) in the following areas: 

• EATING OUT - This envelope is labeled "entertainment & eating out' 
• GROCERIES -Keep my coupons in here as well
• GAS - Ha! Been beating this one lately and having extra each month!
• CLOTHING - Keep my coupons in here as well

I started planning my meals, clipping coupons, looking at sales flyers, saying 'NO' we are not stopping and made it a game that I was determined to WIN!

Was has winning this game done for me?  I was able to reallocate that  'excess' spending and pushed that $400 extra per month onto the car loan I had and I was able to pay the car off early!!

That was the last debt on my debt snowball so now those dollars go to the mortgage each month and that will be paid off earlier too!  

It's empowering to win with money. Not to just have it. Not to just earn it. But to really win with it.  I'm going to win at this money game and I'm determined to help other families do the same!

Check out my services at sickofthehustle.com 

Americans paid a sickening $32 BILLION in overdraft fees to US banks last year!!!

Banks make their money on MONEY or LACK THERE OF...  

Unlike a retail store who makes its profits on a product, banks profit on the 'transaction' of money.  Think about when you open a savings account at your local bank. You basically deposit (loan them) your money at a very low interest rate.  Once you're in the door their marketing machine begins… sign into your online banking and you can see for yourself there are 10 offers on each page trying to capture your attention.  Open your mailbox and there are offers for their credit card. Open your bank statement and you find a slick insert with their most recent program rates! 

They are working very hard to lend your money back to you in the form of mortgages, home equity lines, credit card offers, personal loans, car loans, all of which range with interest rates of 2.75% to well over 20%-- WELL OVER your .035 that you are earning on your savings. 

After raking in money on savings accounts, Banks turn their attention to checking accounts. Banks make most of their money by charging the following fees:

• Overdraft fees: which represent approximately 60% of the fees charged by banks. The average overdraft fee today is $29 per transaction! Only 10% of the population pays 75% of the fees, and they tend to be the most economically vulnerable, including our troops. Can you believe that last year overdrafts fees paid to US banks exceeded $32 Billion!?!? Yes $32 BILLION!!  In 2007 that number was only $17.5 billion so we have gotten twice as bad with handling our money as we were 7 years ago. 
• ATM fees: which can add up quickly. If you go out of network, you pay ATM fees to two banks: your bank, and the bank that owes the ATM- this accounts for over $11 Billion in fees.
• Monthly fees: which most people get waived. A direct deposit or minimum balance usually takes care of this fee but the average American is paying $6.00 month just to have an account at their local bank.  

HOW did we get to this point where we are financing 60% of the bank growth by our STUPIDITY?? For some of us we just stopped using basic sixth grade math and keeping track of what we have in our accounts. It's craziness really.  Some of us haven't balanced a checkbook since online banking became the 'norm'- we just check our balances 1-2 times A DAY!!! It's laziness really. Living paycheck to paycheck has become the norm because many Americans have tried to 'out earn' their stupidity. It doesn't work and this is the price we pay… FEES! Late fees, monthly fees, higher interest rates. 

I'm here to tell you there IS ANOTHER WAY!  

Let me help teach you how to implement a healthy financial budget that will have you taking control and putting money back in your pockets NOT the banks! 

If you would like to learn more, visit my website. 

THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE....

Very few of us have had real guidance in terms of how to have a healthy financial lifestyle. We may have picked up some good AND bad habits from our parents and grandparents. I always remember my grandmother saying 'You MUST save for a rainy day" yet while that was one of my early memories of money by the time I was 16 and had my first job I immediately wanted STUFF!!!  I realized money was a way to freedom. Freedom from the constraints of NO. If I wanted those jeans I didn't have to ask for the funds, I just bought them. If I wanted a certain shampoo or hairspray that my mom didn't want (or couldn't splurge for) I bought it.  The freedom was something new and I LOVED IT!! I loved the independence it allowed me and it was that feeling that led me for many years. It made me want to work. That was a great thing because in order to have the things I wanted I had to work for them.   The reality was however, that while my mom taught me to balance a checkbook by the age of ten (was one of MY chores!) I really didn't want to 'structure' how I handled money. I just wanted to 'use it'.  

I think this is true for many of us.  We start to 'earn' our way and 'buy' the things we want and because someone else is taking care of many of the things we need we get off on the wrong footing. We shoot from the hip so to speak and don't have a real plan about how to handle our finances. We get to our full time job, we enroll in benefits that we don't understand, we start to save for retirement because we are told we will get 3% matched and we roll forward. Many of us however look like the photo above, the cart is leading us, not us leading the cart!  

What is wrong with this picture? The cart doesn't move!  

Many of the couples and singles I meet with have money in their retirement accounts yet are carrying credit card debit of $10-15,000 at a 14.54% interest rate. They are socking away money into retirement and carrying such a heavy consumer debt load that can't be attacked because they have it backwards.  The steps I teach are pretty simple. You do them IN ORDER. They work! Millions of Americans have implemented these steps and reached a new financial freedom that they never imagined possible.  You do them in this order:

• Step 1: Save $1000 ($500 if you are earning under $25k year) into a small emergency fund
• Step 2: Pay off ALL non mortgage debt smallest to largest (this is called the Debt Snowball)
• Step 3: Now fund a fully funded Emergency Fund saving 3-6 months of your monthly expenses
• Step 4: NOW start to put aside 15% of your household income into tax favored retirement funds
• Step 5: NOW start to put aside 15% for college planning for your children
• Step 6: PAY OFF your mortgage early!Step 7: Build your wealth and Live & Give like no one else!!!!!

Designing & mapping out a plan helps us reach our goals quicker. When you lead the cart and know where it's going we can actually get there!  What are you doing to work your way towards financial freedom? Do you have a real plan?