Can you imagine a Christmas without regret or not worrying about a major upcoming expense?
I can…
I have!
Can you imagine a Christmas without regret or not worrying about a major upcoming expense?
I can…
I have!
“Why do I need an emergency fund?”
Harry shook his head slowly and continued.
“I’m in debt and want to get out fast!”
Steve and Sue sat at their kitchen table looking dejected as they discussed the up-coming holiday season. “How are we going to afford all this on a tight budget?”
Continue reading “Reduce Financial Stress Ahead of the Holiday Season”
Fall is upon us!
It really doesn’t start til Monday morning. However, ask any school aged person, and they’ll tell you, “Fall begins when vacation ends.” Continue reading “Fifteen Ways to Save Money This Fall”
I’m sure that when you read the title, your mind went to the “Three Little Word,” and to chocolates, flowers, and the like. And of course, those are important! But there are other things that allow your actions to speak clearly to your loved ones! Continue reading “Five Powerful Ways to Say, “I Love You!””
Scott looked down at his cup of coffee, regret and sorrow etched lines deeper into his face. Looking up, he said, “I haven’t seen my brother in 15 years, not since my mother died.”
When I asked him why he said, “We used to be a very close family. On Sunday’s my mother would make dinner for the whole family, and then each of us would take out our instruments, and we’d play and sing for hours. My parents died without a will, and all hell broke loose. Fighting broke out among all the brothers and sisters, and now that the dust has settled, we don’t speak.” Continue reading “Putting Last Things First: A Case for Priorities”
Last January 1st, I made my last New Year’s resolution. It was to lose weight in the New Year. That was all…just lose weight.
When I told my wife, she smiled knowingly. She had heard it all before and wanted to see just how long this new resolution would last. And it lasted a mere month before I surrendered.
Why did that happen?
Simple, as Zig Ziglar, a noted author, salesman, and motivational speaker is famed for saying, “If you aim for nothing, you will hit it every time!”
And that, indeed was my problem, I aimed at nothing. What does “lose weight mean?”
It could mean that I pick up a dumbell and throw it off a bridge. I’ll never find it, it’s lost. But it could also mean dropping a few pounds.
What I lacked was a goal. It wasn’t until I read Dave’ Ramsey’s book, Entreleadership, that I came to realize what a goal truly is and how it could help me move forward.
What he about goal setting in there I had seen before. In fact I had worked with the method of SMART goals for years in Catholic schools, but I had forgotten all about them. So, it was a great shot in the arm for me.
I can also tell you that by using the SMART goal method, I’ve hit some great targets this year personally and professionally.
What is a SMART Goal?
A SMART Goal is one that is:
With larger goals, I have learned to set “benchmarks” or mini-goals along the way to help me make adequate progress. This might be a good strategy for you as well!
Seven Important Goal Areas
In many ways, the goals we set touch other areas of our lives. As we set goals we should be mindful that they have impacts on other areas of our lives. If we really work at these goals, small actions can have big results.
Finally I have a gift to share with you. One that Ramsey solutions sent out in its newsletter. It’s not mine, but it’s so good, I want to share it with you too! When you click this link, you will get a copy of the Ramsey-Goals-Worksheet.
My prayer for you this New Year’s Day is that your goals become reality and that your dreams for 2019 come true!
“It’s only $2.12. What’s the big deal?” Steve asked, blinking in disbelief that someone would suggest that if he wanted to change his financial picture, he should drop his morning stop at the coffee shop. Karen looked at him steadily and said, “But it really isn’t $2.12.”
Steve stared blankly.
As I watched, her face drew up into a scowl. You would have thought I had told her you need to eat brussel sprouts (not that there’s anything wrong with them when cooked properly. Continue reading “Seven Key Actions in Budgeting”
Dave stared at his check register, perplexed. With his hands in his thinning hair, he wondered, silently, “Where did it all go?” With a week-and-a-half left in the month, there were still bills to pay and precious few dollars to pay them with. “What happened?” He asked himself again and again, blinking repeatedly – as if the shutting and re-opening of his eyes would change the numbers his downcast eyes landed on. Meanwhile, Dan’s wife, Dorothy, hovers close by uncertain how to comfort or help him.
Continue reading “The Mysterious Case of the Disappearing Dollars!”