FRUGAL LIVING BABY STEPS

Courtesy of premeditatedleftovers.com

As you begin your frugal journey, it may seem confusing to some of you how to begin. I will share some tips on how to use baby steps in building your frugal life:

1.) Acknowledge that your former life of debt living did not work for you and you want another life. By doing this, you are not beating yourself up but realizing that you want to change.

2.) Budget! It is so important to know where your dollars go. Never mind if a budget seems binding but did you know where your money went before? Get started!

3.) Gather all of your debt, and I mean ALL of it; from the smallest to the largest. Put the information in a big spiral notebook (the ones with dividers in them for envelopes and receipts) by columns: Date-Transaction-Account Number-Balance-Notes. Start working on paying your debts.

4.)  Get a big water jug (the ones that you see at water coolers at businesses; you can also get a small one at the local store: Walmart, Kroger, etc). Start saving your change in it (whether it is pennies or silver) just do it! Every time change is accumulated, put it in the jug and watch it grow!

5.) Shopping for food does not have to be hard. Make a shopping list and stick to it. You can even earn cash back on brands you love without sacrificing taste.  Checkout 51 can help! Clip coupons from your favorite stores and use them! Plan your meals for each week so it will keep your spending on track.

6.) PURGE! This means clothes, household items and those things you no longer use or want. Take those things and have a yard sale or sell on Craigslist or Ebay. Use the proceeds towards your debt and saving. 

7.) Make a list of 'my whys' for wanting financial freedom. It could be to have generational wealthy or to travel without limits. The list is for you and must resonate within you. Post it where you can see it daily.

8.) Affirmations are a good way to be on track. They must be present tense and spoken three times a day. Here are some I use:

"I am now financially free. I now live in abundance."

"I am open to receive wealth in many ways."

"My income is constantly increasing. I prosper wherever I turn.'

9.) Forgive yourself for the debts and unwise spending, it is the past and it is up to you to heal it. Use these steps daily, not sometimes and know that you will succeed. Never mind what your 'friends' say, are they out of debt? Only speak with those who are winning because you are done with losing.

For more information, go to Dave Ramsey's 7 Baby Steps.

Be frugal and proud!

Dot

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!

KNOW YOUR CIRCLE

You have been building your online business for some time, making sacrifices in spending time with friends, going out and even in some cases your sleep. It was well worth it because you are now finding yourself in the five-figure bracket. You spend your money wisely of course and share the happy news with your circle of five friends that have been in your life since college. 

Four of those friends are now planning to take you out to celebrate yet you find that one friend who you were the closest to, shrugging your happiness off. This friend has had fast starts and stops in her business and has now put it on hold. She can not seem to understand why your business took off like a rocket. As you remember back, the slight insults she made like "businesses fail in the first two years" or "why waste your time, it won't go far anyway" with a 'just kidding' phony smile made you sit and think...

Mind you, this is just a fictional scenario or is it? While a lot of fellow entrepreneurs like myself and others work tirelessly on our dreams, others who we have counted on whether they were friends, family, and even lovers seem to take a stage left or sit patiently waiting for you to fail and then to say to you " I told you so!". It is so very important to know circle and be ready to do house cleaning where necessary. 

The late Jim Rohn said that the five people closest to you are the ones that can determine your come up or downfall and also how much money you earn, so please analyze carefully. Here are some tips on knowing when to make major changes in your circle.

1.) Does your circle support and encourage your dreams? 

2.) Are they there for you when you have your down days, such as when things not going right? Or are they only there when the bags are being secured?

3.) Do you find yourself the brunt of so-called "just kidding" barbs directed at you? You know those verbal slights made only to find yourself not laughing.

4.) Do you feel really alone on your journey, while everyone else seems to not have time to help you? 

5.) Are there folks coming up to you with criticisms about your dream and you later learned that someone in your so-called circle has been throwing shade?

If you find yourself answering yes to the questions, then it's time to do housework. When you do it, however, bless them and release them. There is no need for drama, trauma, doom, and gloom. Just quietly separate yourself (more productiveness in your business) and wish them well. Learn the lessons from the experience and build a better circle. Know what kind of people that you want in your circle and concentrate on what you want period. 

Lots of folks do not want to grow and by you showing them that you are, it shakes them to the core. This is not your problem, only theirs and you must keep it moving.

Please Instagram me at @prosperous1__ to follow me and leave your comments below. Be sure to tell your friends. I support and encourage you!💕