INVEST WITH WHAT?

Courtesy of pinterest

We want to be able to live on our earnings for a long time. The longevity rate is higher (some folks are living in their 100's comfortably!). We want our monies to stretch beyond our retirement and live our best lives. How can this be done when even though we have savings, the rate is not very good. Lots of people can have numerous channels of residual income and some can dry up in an instant! There is concern about being healthy and staying that way. So what is one to do to make those dollars s-t-r-e-t-c-h? Invest!

Dot, I barely have a thousand dollars in the bank so how in the yell can I invest? Those people who invest had tons of money and I am still in the process of building my coins and paper. What I am suppose to do? Why not start with little and build?! I can hear the groans, doubts, questions and outright complaints. Seriously, if you click on the link below and read the information carefully, I assure you , you will get started and be on your way to building a nice portfolio for you!

STASH IT AWAY!

Courtesy of Jhunjhunwalas - WordPress.com

I learned about the stock market long ago when one had to have lots of money to invest. I retained that information and over the years I learned of companies that accepted small investments. I saved what I had and began to invest; of course it was small but how do you think an oak tree grew? From a small acorn! I now own some interest in Nike (I was a fan long ago, I was glad I could invest now!), as well as other companies and steady building!

So click on the link above, read, and even ask questions if you need to. Please do not delay in building your wealth as a frugal person (lots have, why not you?). Under no circumstances must those naysayers be a part of your decision making. I have learned that those who have done it and succeeded are the ones you seek advice from. Period.

Until next post always stay....

Frugal and Proud!

Dot

More Articles:

*How Anne Scheiber Made $22 Million From Her Apartment

*Jack MacDonald Secretly Built a $188 Million Fortune Investing in Stocks

*What We Can Learn From Secret Millionaires

PUT SOME RESPECT ON THAT MONEY!

I am sure you have heard the myths about money that being "the root of all evil", "people with money are evil and greedy" and so forth. What folks fail to realize is that those beliefs and more negative beliefs like these can keep folks broke. Mind you, do not be hard on yourself for believing these myths because you may have heard them in childhood to teen years and then carrying them in adulthood. These myths most likely came from parents, the church, and other 'well-meaning" folks. They most likely did not mean any harm, it was what they were raised with and carried through their lives. 

Now that you are an adult and handling money, it is time now to truly examine all beliefs about money. Why? Because if your financial situation was anything like mine: broke, broke and beyond broke, you will! It is so important because if you keep doing the same things over and over, things will not change (this statement is redundant yet bares reminding folks). We can not ignore the debt and lack of money skills in order to get ahead. Those credit cards, rent or mortgage won't pay for themselves so it is time to get a new mindset and keep it changed.

The bottom line to all of this is that we must RESPECT money. This is about awareness and insight into your situation. Oh come on Dot, what does respect have to do with it? A lot my loves, a lot. You see, respecting your money is like the following:

1.) Creating a budget and sticking to it. This helps to see where all of your money is going, not some of it. You do not budget when you feel like it but when you get paid from all channels of income...OK?

2.) You do not curse your bills as you write the checks because YOU created those bills and the companies were gracious to give you time to pay them after utilizing their services.

3.) Keeping your money neatly in your wallets with all ends smoothed out, NOT shoved into your wallets. You notice the men and their money clips? You see how neatly they keep their money in them? Boss!

5.) Not looking at that penny or other coins on the ground with disgust but picking it up, putting it away and washing it later when you wash your hands. Yes I do this, so those who find this asinine, SUE ME! I believe that the Universe is blessing us in many unforeseen ways with money (like a pennies from heaven thing).

6.) Blessing each dollar you receive and being grateful every time you receive it because it could be worse and not have any! Curse not if it isn't enough money in your life, find ways to make more because we have talents (no, not that one) where we can make money. My deceased father would say he was broke all the time and guess what? He was broke all the time. Words have power people. Do not even talk with others about your financial situation, do something about it..period!

7.) This tip I received from a millionaire was to give (yes, lots of millionaires are in plain clothes not just designer). I see why he is so blessed and he keeps giving to this day.

There you have it, ways to respect money because it will respect you in the long run. If you do not believe me, try it and please like, click, comment and share. Until next time....

Be Frugal and Proud!

Dot

THE JOURNEY TO SAVING...FINALLY!

Courtesy of familyfriendlysearch.com

Oh boy, beginning a discipline with saving money. I was never taught saving growing up because in one ear it was "can't afford it" and in the other ear, "I'm broke". This coming from my parents at the time and continued throughout my teens and adulthood. Unfortunately, I carried these beliefs even after having a child. Even if I attempted to save at the local bank, I felt at the time that I could not and used the money as fast as I saved it. 

After a series of "events" which included homelessness, I had to get a clue and I mean a serious clue. No matter how much one has good intentions, we must set forth actions that show that ones' intentions are good period. I began a journey of learning what was going on in my belief system to cause me to have episodes with money. I had to do a time machine of my life and found out that growing up and listening to well-meaning people like family and others was something I had to heal. It took discipline and time yet I was ready to do it. 

As years went by, I got a clue about money yet as the layers peeled back, the dominant thought was FEAR! It was the thing that held me frozen. As I changed my beliefs, things began to change but I had one foot on the brake and on the gas. FEAR was the culprit. I then began to dig deeper and questioned those fears and am now healing them.

This morning, I looked into my savings account, yes a savings account and found money in it. I felt relief instead of fear and look forward to more. All it took was changes within and go beyond my fears, doubts and worries. On my journey of frugality, healing helps a hell of a lot because you can be frugal as well as abundant.

Please share your thoughts in the comments and always be frugal and proud!

Dot

FRUGAL TIPS FOR TODAY

Courtesy of thefrugalcanadian.com

Here are four frugal living tips courtesy of The Wallet Moth that you can use in your journey of frugality:

1. Use Up Your Leftovers

Christmas is undoubtedly one time of year where leftovers are aplenty, and many of us can be guilty of throwing some of those goods away rather than using them all up in time.

If you find yourself throwing away a lot of uneaten food, make using up your leftovers a habit to start this year. A few great ways to ensure you always have the correct amounts of food to eat each week include:

• Plan out your food shops
• Buy a durable set of tuppaware to store your leftovers safely
• Portion out extras and store them in your fridge
• Make use of your freezer! If you have leftovers that won’t be eaten in time, package and label them and keep in the freezer for another week instead of throwing out.

2. Take Packed Lunches (and Breakfasts…and Dinners!)

Spending $5 a day on a tasty lunch might not feel like a big expense, but if you do that 5 times a day every week, you’re looking at spending upwards of $1,200 a year on food that could easily be made at home for far less money.

Cooking your own meals is not only cheaper, it can also be much healthier as you know exactly what is going into your meals.

Check out my post on 10 meal-prep meals perfect for packed lunches for some inspiration!

3. Avoid All Late Fees

Late fees are a totally avoidable expense, and that’s why this habit is so essential to start this year.

Set a reminder a few days before your bills are due to be paid, and make sure that you have budgeted enough to be able to pay these bills when they’re due.

A late fee of a few pounds each month might not seem like too much, but again, those fees really rack up if you take a look at the bigger picture over a year.

4.  A Tidy Home

A tidy home means a tidy mind, so staying on top of your cleaning around the home is a great way to keep the calm, minimal atmosphere you want to create for a more frugal lifestyle. 

You may be a natural neat freak, or you may be like me and need a little reminder each day to fold your clothes and not slam them into your wardrobe (heh, it’s not just me – right?!). Either way, I’ve really found that keeping my environment clean and tidy goes a long way to cleaning up the rest of my act – including my spending.

Simple things like keeping on top of the washing up, giving your room a tidy each day, and keeping floors and surfaces free of dust are all easy habits to build.

Got other tips? Please leave your comments below. Be frugal and proud!

Dot

FRUGAL AND WEIRD?

Courtesy of personalfinancenews.com

There will be those who will not be supportive of your frugality. Some will think that you have temporarily lost your mind. They want you to go out and party, vacay to the islands and shop till you drop. You want to save, invest and live below your means as you build wealth. There will be those who want to borrow money and you say no. They can not believe it because you were always 'down' for helping out. You realize, no more of lending because it does not feel good. On the flip size, you stopped borrowing to pay things because you are tired of your money going out to payback. 

Your savings account was slim to none and now it is slowly building from monies your thought weren't enough to save from to monies you are glad to save. You still shop at the grocery store, consignment shops and more with change coming back because discounts and coupons are your friends. Every dime and dollar is accounted for because you have goals of building wealth and abundance with NO debt. Of course the naysayers say there is good debt (really?) and ask about your credit score being boosted. This does not concern you because you go for being debt free (no car notes, no credit cards and even paying off your mortgage). You enjoy being weird and those naysayers leave your life shaking their heads while telling other naysayers they know about your 'crazy life'.

Listen folks, as you change for the better, you will be called a number of things but broke won't be one of them. Keep your head up, persevere and do not give up. Be frugal and weird as well as proud.

Dot😌

WELCOME TO FRUGAL AND PROUD!

I am so glad that you are here! This idea came to me as I was resting...yeah relaxing (entrepreneurs do rest 😊). I wanted to share my thoughts and actions on being a frugalista (frugalistos for guys) and learn from others in the process.

Please share with your fellow folks on the path to long term frugality and even those who want to go on the path and need help.

Posting will be once a week and more, so please utilize these ideas and please share in the comments. In the meantime, please read the former posts that can help you with money.

Be frugal and proud!

Dot

BROKE? FIX IT YOURSELF:BE WEALTHY

By: Carina MacInnes

If you're reading this right now you probably have been broke, are broke, or know someone who is struggling with being broke.  The pain and suffering of being in this state is truly awful.  Being broke causes thoughts of despair, feelings of failure, desperation, struggle, lack and need.  Being broke prevents us from reaching our potential, from living our lives freely.  Being broke prevents us from being wealthy.

How is this possible?  Like attracts like.  Being broke attracts more experiences of being broke.  It is a vicious cycle, once that can very easily be transformed once we understand the fundamental laws of how our mind and spirit interact with the universe.

It is your underlying state of BEING, in this case, being broke, that creates the resultant thoughts and feelings in your mind.  As a package, this whole message is broadcast to the universe, which in return gives you more of the same:  experiences of being broke.

One of the laws of manifestation is that we must BE before we can DO, and DO before we can HAVE.  Of course modern society has twisted this all around.  Being broke is a powerful message we are sending to the universe and ourselves.  We are in a state of BEING, and it is broke.  This will inform our actions to act in ways to continue to be broke, and we will continue to have this condition of being broke in our lives.

Your life experience is an outer reflection of your inner reality.  All the thoughts and feelings you hold, consciously and unconsciously, are what create the experience that is your life.  Your past created your present, and your present is creating your future.

It can be hard to understand that we are responsible for what we experience.  I remember being unhappy, and then experiencing events that I perceived as causing me to be unhappy.  Then I would say to myself, I am unhappy because of this...  no wonder I am unhappy.  I was trapped in my own vicious cycle and had no idea it was me who was responsible for my experiences of unhappiness. 

To break the cycle I first needed to know what was broken in order to fix it.  It was the message I was sending out.  I found there was a very simple way to fix it.

If I notice one day that I am unhappy, and understand that BEING unhappy is the cause of my continuing experience of unhappiness, it is that day that I can choose to change.  All I need to do to break the cycle is:  choose to be happy.  It doesn't take anything from outside myself to be happy.  All I have to do is gain awareness, pause, and pull up from within myself the state of being happy, replacing the unhappiness.  We all have this capacity.

Choosing is an exercise of free will.  You can choose BE happy, healthy, wealthy, whatever you desire.  Take a moment and just BE happy.  It is possible for anyone to do and a very powerful exercise once you have done it and understood it.  If you are being happy, you will do things that make you happy, and you will attract happy experiences into your life.  Being happy is the first step towards living a happy life.  It seems almost like a riddle, but understanding it unravels the secrets of life.

If you find yourself broke, look within.  You'll find you feel broke, and are in a powerful state of BEING.  The awareness of this gives you the choice.  You can choose your state of being.  Imagine what it is like to feel wealthy.  Take that feeling and hold it, you are now BEING wealthy.  This is how to break the vicious cycle of being broke.  By BEING wealthy, you are now transforming the signals you are broadcasting.  You are emanating wealth and the laws of cause and effect have no choice but to bring to you what you already are.  Now your actions will begin to bring to you the wealth you feel inside.

By being conscious of your states of being, you can choose to change them.  The positive results will return to you without fail, following the natural laws of the universe.

Author Bio
Carina MacInnes is an author and entrepreneur who is giving away a free e-course with  wealth secrets by her favorite mentor. Receive it now: milliondollarsecret@robotreply.com She offers a powerful way to increase both health and wealth in your life.  See her site here: imagineacai.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleGeek.com - Free Website Content

WANT MORE MONEY? TRY THE MONEY JARS SYSTEM

Courtesy of tharveker.com

I had a conversation with someone regarding money and our journeys dealing with it. Over the years I have learned that no matter how much money you make, it is a matter of how you manage it that counts. There are those who have earned millions and lost it all; whereas those who have earned much less than these millionaires have built fortunes.

What is the difference one may ask? Is it because they knew the right people or being in the right place at the right time? Nevertheless, the ones who built a fortune from little knew something that those who had millions and lost it didn't. They managed what they had, budgeted and disciplined themselves.

Back in 2005, I attended a free 2-day seminar regarding the book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by
 T. Harv Eker who had to learn lessons about money management himself in order to build a fortune. One part of the seminar explained a money system that if used properly and with discipline, one can build a great deal of money. There have even been people who practiced it and became millionaires. It is called the Money Jars System which one takes any amount of money and manage it in six different jars with different categories. Get Rich Slowly, the author and his wife described below the categories as follows:

Courtesy of getrichslowly.org

Necessity account (NEC – 55%):

This account is for managing your everyday expenses and bills. This would include things like your rent, mortgage, utilities, bills, taxes, food, clothes, etc. Basically it includes anything that you need to live, the necessities.

Financial freedom account (FFA – 10%):

This is your golden goose. Therefore this jar is your ticket to financial freedom. The money that you put into this jar is used for investments and building your passive income streams. You never spend this money. The only time you would spend this money is once you become financially free. Even then you would only spend the returns on your investment. Never spend the principal.

Education account (EDU – 10%):

Money in this jar is meant to further your education and personal growth. Since you are your most valuable asset, an investment in yourself is a great way to use your money. I have used education money to purchase books, CDs, courses or anything else that has educational value.

Long-term saving for spending account (LTSS – 10%):

The money in this jar is for the bigger nice to have purchases. As a result, my wife and I have used the money from this account to go skiing in The Rockies in Whistler, BC. We also used this money last September for our trip to Italy and Switzerland. The only reason we’ve been able to make this happen is because we’ve accumulated a nice sum each month in our LTSS. A small monthly contribution can go a long way.

Play account (PLAY – 10%):

This is my favorite account. PLAY money is spent every month on purchases you wouldn’t normally make. The purpose of this jar is to nurture yourself. You could purchase an expensive bottle of wine at dinner, get a massage or go on a weekend getaway. Play can be anything your heart desires. My wife and I each receive our own play money, and here’s the best part. We’re not allowed to ask what the other person spends their money on.

Give Account (GIVE – 5%):

Finally, the money in this account is for giving away. Trisha and I give money every month to the Sick Kids Hospital Foundation. In addition, we use the money in this jar to give to family and friends on birthdays, special occasions and holidays. You can also give away your time as opposed to giving away money. You could house sit for a neighbor, take a friends dog for a walk or volunteer in your community.

As a result this couple created the following:

• Net worth increased by 45%.
• Bought their first home for $337,000.
• They created $800/month in passive income by renting out their one-bedroom basement apartment.
• They earned $200 in interest from their savings accounts. They use ING Direct savings accounts, which were clocking at about 3.5% interest at the time. (Ed. note: ING Direct became Capital One 360 in 2013.)
• They created more peace in their relationship because his wife and he have their own money.

You can create a financial portfolio you can be proud of! I have started mine and building slowly yet before long my accounts will be bulging which I would love to see. Comment below and tell me how you got started and your progress. I support and encourage you!💓

Many thanks to: 

Get Rich Slowly

T. Harv Eker

Follow me on Instagram

@prosperous1__

Thank you and have a great week!

BEING SMARTER FINANCIALLY IN 2018

Lots of people have made creating smarter financial goals as a priority to work on for 2018. Trouble is, for those who have been taking the bull by the horns regarding spending, fear seems to grip them. Where does one begin when it comes to being financially smarter this year, so that it can carry for years to come? I did some research because I am working on this goal myself and what better way to share my tips with you to get you started:

1.) Write your financial picture down- this means your earnings, assets and debt (every person or company you owe, leave no stone unturned). Afterwards, read over what is before you because you can not take action unless you know where you stand. The information  may make some of you cringe, get mad or just sigh. Let this go because you were brave enough to face it and to do something about it.

2.) Set up a budget plan-  that word budget scares a lot of folks because the first thought that may come up is deprivation. If you budget wisely and with a great attitude, you can feel really good about it and come out ahead. Click BETTER BUDGETING FOR 2018 for more information

3.) Create a money jars system- this system was introduced to me through T. Harv Eker's book, "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind". It does not matter the amount you start with, it is the habit of doing it daily. You will be surprised how your money will build just from starting with little.  For more information click here MONEY JARS SYSTEM.

4.) Pay yourself FIRST-  you are the most important product and you must get paid not only from your job or business but to yourself. Get an automatic savings plan at work or have your bank deduct a specific amount from your business account that can go into your own personal savings account.

5.) Prioritize your spending- Do you really need another pair of shoes or dress? That money can help pay off your student loan or credit cards. This is what prioritizing is all about. It may seem tempting yet you will feel really good when you are debt free and your savings grows.

These tips are just a few that can help get you started on your way to financial freedom. For other tips, please go to Instagram and follow these savvy financial folks:

@citygirlsavings

@financialista

@spiritualmoneyhealing

@cjthemoneyguru

Tell them @prosperous1__ sent you and I congratulate you on reading and taking your financial picture seriously. Please comment below and I support you!💓