Debt is a tricky thing and no one wants it but everyone has it because thats just what you have to do in order to have nice things. WRONG! First of all, we want to BE rich not LOOK rich so that mentality needs to check itself at the door. I’m a firm believer in saving for goals and paying in full. You need to have discipline in order to thrive. Saving is one way to reach for a goal and not acquire debt. Yes, saving may take a while to reach a major goal but in the end its worth it if you have zero debt. Your credit will be better and once you achieve that goal it will be so sweet. These two methods are just a couple examples of ways to tackle debt.

Snowball Method:

The snowball method is one way to pay off debt. You basically choose the loan or card with the smallest amount in debt and make the maximum payments you can. You will pay more in interest in the long run but if you thrive on accomplishing small goals then this is the method for you. This is my personal option because I am one of those people who really like crossing things off my list and when I can get the small debts out of the way first it makes me so excited. Financial stuff doesn’t have to be scary you just have to look for the positives in everything you do including your finances.

Avalanche Method:

The avalanche method is the second way to tackle debt. This is where you choose the loan or card with the highest interest rate and take that one down first. You will pay less in interest over time and its best for people who thrive on numbers over emotions. I see the benefits in using this method but like I said before, I enjoy small wins. This one definitely will make sense to a lot of people and its probably the smarter way to go if you want to pay less in the end.

Here are my 4 strategies to help you tackling debt:

1. Make a budget and stick to it.

Creating a budget will change the game in regards to your financial wellness. A budget is an estimate of income and expenses for a set period of time. A budget allows you to gain feedback on areas of opportunity. It helps you check yourself and set up goals for short and long term. This is something that must be a priority. A budget is basically your financial plan for a defined period, often a month or one year. It may also include planned trips, major purchases, sales volumes and revenues, costs and expenses, assets, liabilities, and cash flows. This is a vital tool for any person who owns a small business.

2. Set realistic financial goals. If you can’t pay cash for it then don’t buy it.

Goals are everything. When dealing with money it’s smart to set short term and long term goals. Something to work towards is always a great motivator. When setting goals it’s a crucial thing to save money. Meaning, if you don’t have the money don’t spend the money. You’ll never reach your goals if you spend all the money you bring in each month. Budgets and financial goals go hand in hand. It lays the foundation to set you up for success. You will be able to crush your financial goals with a budget.

3. If you use a credit card, pay on time and more than the minimum payment.

Global credit card debt continues to rise. Make the minimum payment on every card, every month, but throw whatever extra money you have at the one with the lowest balance. When that one is paid off, take the money you were applying to it, add it to the minimum you were paying on the second card and pay it off. Keep going until all cards are paid. According to incharge.org, the average adult who doesn’t pay off the balance on credit cards each month, owes $7,527 on their credit cards. If there are two adults at home, that’s a little more than $15,000. If there are children in that house, there is usually an urgency to do something about it.

4. Always monitor your debt

Watch for a change in rates and fees and if possible contact the lender and see if you can lower your interest rates or if they would be willing to work with you. It never hurts to ask. The worst thing is they could say no. Checking in on your financial well-being should be a priority. Finances are very uncomfortable and a lot of people don’t like looking at that student loan payment or that debt that’s in collections. For me, its the dentist. I get that sick to my stomach feeling then I start shaking because I always think the worst is going to happen. When there is something that needs to get fixed I just don’t want to talk about it or know about it. Once I fix the issue though, I always feel better.

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

How can Spring help you with abundance?

When we think about Spring it brings to mind life, growth, abundance, rebirth! We can take this fertile time of rebirth to set intentions for our life, business, and money. I want you to take a moment, and think about what you love about Spring. What about it excites you? When you give thought to it, I bet you begin to think of all of the activities you can do again, creating the yard and home you love again by planting, clearing and cleaning. What does it make you want to do?

With money, it is said that the day you plant the seed is not the day you will eat the fruit. We must be able to see what we want to create. When we plant a seed for a flower we have a pretty good idea what that flower will look like, we water it and attend to it because we intentionally planted that seed and are nurturing the outcome. Setting intentions in our money and business are much the same. 

Right now, I want you to visualize all of the rich colors of spring and I want you to take out a piece of paper, your journal or your phone. Then, I want you to write down 3 intentions that you have for your business or life in general. What are 3 things that you want to grow this year?

Then, I want you to write down 3 income goals that you have for yourself. First, the number you are averaging now plus 10%, the number that you want to be making, and then finally the outrageous number that would make you want to jump up in the air with excitement! What steps can you take to begin making these numbers come to life?

After that, I want you to imagine what it would feel like to have the success of your dreams, the money in your outrageous goal, and the lifestyle that it would provide you. Write it down. Visualize it. Love it. Do it.

“Abundant life” refers to life in its abounding fullness of joy and strength for spirit, soul and body. “Abundant life” signifies a contrast to feelings of lack, emptiness, and dissatisfaction, and such feelings may motivate a person to seek for the meaning of life and a change in their life. But how do you really achieve abundance? Start with gratitude. Be thankful for what you already have and see the miracles that come from this one simple act. 

Stop making excuses.

Realize your worth and potential. You are worthy of abundance. Your decisions lead to your destiny. Do you believe that? You should. It’s true. Sooner or later, what you do—and who you really are—determines what you ultimately achieve. Think for a moment about the people you respect. Why do you admire them? You are probably drawn to them because they are full of realized potential. When we see people exerting this kind of energy, it compels us to draw ourselves closer to them and become a part of what they are doing.

Commit to living your dreams.

It is all about commitment. Once you commit to living your dreams, the lids blinding your eyes will be lifted. A completely new world will be opened to your view. You will notice opportunities that have been in your reach all along, ones your conscious mind simply didn’t pay attention to. The fundamental change taking place is your self-identity. This is the point of no return. Once this shift has happened, your whole world changes.

Stay Consistent.

Consistency is especially important in business. Restaurants, for example, must be consistent, because customers come in expecting the same good food all the time. If they slip up even one day, they lose customers. Consistency establishes reputations. Being consistent in your work and life even if you are not a business owner is also very important. Your boss will more than likely respect consistency over anything else. 

Some of us may be stuck with an unconsciousness limiting belief about money, wealth, and prosperity that life’s conditioning dropped in our laps. But we are not without the ability to change direction; we are not just left hanging out to dry. You are the author of your life; you are the creator of your world; you are the master of your destiny. We live in an abundant universe, with limitless resources. No one is ever deprived, except by their beliefs and available resources. In order to be wealthy and create your ideal life, it is necessary to think and feel wealthy – act as if.

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Habits That Put you in Debt

If people had the opportunity to change something about their lives, a lot of them would be swift to correct mistakes that denied them financial freedom, especially debt. Unless you’ve ever been in debt, you wouldn’t be able to relate with the stress and emotional trauma that often accompany it. Being in debt requires you to model your life around it. You may even have to give up some financial goals to keep up with your monthly (re)payments. 

Debt doesn’t just happen; it is often a result of certain spending habits and making poor money choices that have accumulated over some months or even years. Though some people get into debt with no fault traceable to them, a vast majority of those in debt dug their own debt hole. Most of these debt-leading habits often come in the guise of serving as smart financial moves, and a lot of people fall prey to it.

The following habits are capable of putting you in debt if you keep on with them:

Lack of Financial Budget

A budget gives you control over your spending in relation to your income. It helps you to set spending limits while also working within the plan. Without a financial budget, you tend to get into impulse spending – that is, spending uncontrollably, especially when you are excited, angry, or bored. When this happens, you will overspend and may end up knee-deep in debt. 

To break this habit, create a budget that shows your monthly income as well as fixed monthly expenses. When you subtract your monthly expenses from your monthly income, you know what you have left to spend on food, transportation, entertainment, and other expenses.

Paying Your Bills Late

Though it can happen to anyone, late payment of bills isn’t a good habit. When you pay your bills late, it leads to increased interest charges, thus hitting your credit score hard. Make it a habit to pay your bills on time.

If you are the type of person that procrastinates with this kind of task – or even forgets it – you may have to consider enrolling in auto-pay. At least, it will help you stay organized while also saving you the need for late fees and high-interest charges. Your finances should be organized in a way that prevents you from missing your bills.

Eating Out All The Time

Yes, you may run out of time to cook sometimes, and picking up food from or eating at a restaurant becomes the next option, especially after a hectic workday. That’s acceptable! However, if you are fond of visiting the restaurant and grocery stores, it may take a tole on your pocketbook. The situation becomes worse if you place the restaurant meal on a credit card. 

Dining out for lunch, especially with friends or coworkers, is a sociable event. However, doing this all the time can cause you to live beyond your means. Remember you will also have to spend additional money on tips if you order in a sit-down restaurant.

Lack of Emergency Fund

Life is full of unexpected occurrences which usually come at various costs. A number of surveys indicate that a significant number of Americans live paycheck to paycheck each month. With that being said, when unplanned expenses arise, most people will have to borrow money to meet the obligation. Emergency situations that may warrant unplanned expenses include health or medical issues, accidents, etc. The inability to meet up with these expenses portends the beginning of a vicious cycle of debts.

To avoid this, set up an emergency account which you fund with a certain amount (Whatever you can or makes sense within your budget) from your paychecks every month. You will be surprised at how fast little money adds up. This will help to cushion any financial pressure that may arise as a result of emergencies. You may also have to resist every urge to dip your hands into this fund unless it is of huge necessity.

Spending Based on Speculation

Some people often spend money based on the expectation of finding a way to get more money in the future, probably in the form of a promised financial gift. This is a recipe for financial disaster. There is no need to increase your budget or spending based on optimism if your income this month will not increase the next month.  Never factor an expected increase into your budget until it appears in your checking account. A lot of students with this habit graduate with massive student loan debt.

Let your budget be based on reality rather than hope. With this, you may have to continue saving for any item you want to purchase until you can afford it rather than buying it now with the hope of getting “imaginary” money to pay it back in the future.

Using Credit Card Rather Than Cash

How you use credit cards determine the benefits you will get from them. Rather than use credit cards for ordinary purchases, such as groceries, gas, or clothes, you should embrace the use of cash at hand or the one you have in your checking account. If you are unable to pay your credit card bills in full every month, it is an unwise spending habit to continue using it instead of cash. 

When you have credit cards in your wallet, you tend to fall into the temptation of using them at will, thus making you spend uncontrollably. At least, you wouldn’t be paying it back immediately. To avoid plunging yourself into debt, you may have to determine the amount of credit card you need to prevent you from exceeding your limit financially. Also, you may want to maximize your reward earnings through reward programs that allow you to earn cash by charging more on your credit card. In this case, only charge what you would have purchased with cash, and be sure to pay off the purchase immediately.

Trying to Keep Up With Others

We are in a society where people are under pressure to purchase material items they can’t afford just to impress those around them. Such people wouldn’t want to miss out on the latest fashion item or technological gadgets. They are always aiming for things they can’t afford. They take pricey trips or visit restaurants that have highly-priced foot items.

While attempting to maintain a certain lifestyle of luxury can cause you stress and anxiety, it further plunges you into debt and more debts. This habit is a bad one. If you find yourself in a circle where you are judged based on what you earn or the kind of luxurious lifestyle you are living, it might be time to break away from the circle. Do only what makes you feel happy. Don’t live your life to impress others.

Key Takeaway

The habits discussed above are capable of taking you off the path of financial freedom. Remember the goal is to live a life that is free of debts and to have good financial habits, such as creating and sticking with a financial budget, spending based on your earnings, minimizing your visits to restaurants, using cash more than you use credit cards to pay for regular purchases, paying your bills early, and avoiding the urge to live your life to impress others, can help you avoid debt. We want to BE rich, not LOOK rich.

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Consistency is the key to unlocking life-changing financial habits. Those of us who dream of saving more in our sleep can’t imagine not putting money aside for an emergency. For others, it’s a struggle for a number of reasons:

• They never learned from their parents how to manage money.
• They don’t have enough income to cover their major expenses.
• They are taking care of other members of their family and that doesn’t leave room for them to save.
• They care too much about what people think, so they overspend to impress.
• They don’t see the point of denying what they want in the present to save for the future since tomorrow isn’t promised.

Financial Literacy

The ability to understand and effectively use various financial skills, including personal finance management, budgeting, and investing. It is unfortunate that these skills weren’t taught to us in school. I just so happen to have grown up around my family’s business where they all do taxes. These things come naturally to me. If you never learned how to create a budget, learn. It is never too late to learn a new skill.

Here are some books I recommend reading:

• Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
• The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• Transforming Your Relationship With Money by Joseph R. Dominguez, Monique Tilford, and Vicki Robin

Income

It is crucial to review the previous month’s budget to stay consistent with it. You need a solid monthly/weekly routine so you can be the most consistent with your financial wellness. Every month brings new expenses and a different set of priorities on where to spend your money. Checking in with your budget allows you to project any new expenses for the coming month and reallocate your income if necessary.

If your income is too low to cover your expenses then I suggest digging deep and finding a new side hustle or turning a hobby into a job where you can earn some money off of doing something you love. You can really get creative when it comes to increasing income.

Here are a few examples:

• Sell Stuff Online
• Drive people around
• Become a virtual assistant
• Negotiate Salary

Change Your Money Habits

Consistency plays such a huge role when it comes to achieving any type of success. I’m sure you can imagine that consistency is a key factor in the area of your finances too. Your money habits are formed based on how you constantly handle your money from saving to spending. As simple as that sounds, you might not have considered how consistency affects different parts of your life.

With any habits, money habits can also be good or bad, so in order for you to achieve financial freedom you obviously need to be consistent with good money habits. Good money habits have to do with both saving money but also how you spend it. If you’re not consistently saving money then you are probably consistently spending it. It’s the consistency you have with both of those things that will determine your financial success.

Be Rich, Don’t Look Rich

Trying to impress people is pointless. Most people never become wealthy because they waste too much money on buying symbols of success. They are more focused on looking rich instead of becoming rich. Living below your means and investing your extra income is how you build wealth. No matter how much money you make, you must spend less than you earn. Don’t be in a rush to look successful. Don’t fall into the trap of pretending to be rich.

The longer you practice consistency, the more automatic it becomes. You need to build good money habits and ask yourself if you are consistently frugal or consistently careless.

Here are some ways to stay consistent with your finances:

• Automation- Auto payments for bills is a super easy way to achieve consistency in your personal finance life
• Calendar reminders- Setting a simple reminder on your phone’s calendar can help provide consistency in tasks as well
• Budget apps- Utilizing an app for your budget can help you stay consistent with checking your budget monthly

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

Not knowing where to start is OKAY. Trust me, you are not alone. So many people struggle with those scary wandering around in the dark feelings when it comes to their money.

I grew up around the financial world. Budgeting and saving is like second nature to me. I have done my budget since I was 18 years old. Once I got my first real job outside of my family’s business and I LOVED shopping at Target. I had to figure out a way I could save money but also have fun and buy myself something I wanted.

Start With Your Budget

Start with your budget. Your budget is the road map or blueprint to guide you where ever you want to go. Budgets are LIFE. Every month I customize my own budget along with my monthly clients so we can see our areas of OPPORTUNITY. These are the categories you overspend in. Monthly adjustments are something that keep you in check with your goals whether short term or long term. It’s all about Balance, Consistency, and Discipline.

Setting a Realistic Budget

Setting a realistic budget means diving into those sticky areas of your life and seeing what type of spending you have been doing. What type of categories do you have within your budget? Do you have long term goals? Do you have debt? By answering these questions you can track these and make sure every dollar has a purpose. I have a great blog post about the foundation of a budget that you should check out called Budgets: Foundation for a Solid Budget.

Balance

Balance is key in life in general but especially within your finances. You need a balance between spending money and saving it. You should be spending money on bills plus any irregular expenses that pop up throughout the month, but you should also have a “Savings” & a “Retirement” category to toss money in each month as well. These categories being in your budget will ensure you add money to it if you are also consistent and disciplined.

Here are some ways to bring balance to your financial life:

• Set some goals
• If you are a small business owner, pay yourself on a schedule
• Have an emergency fund
• Create a debt payoff plan
• Utilize tax-deferred investment plans
• Create a Will

Consistency

Consistency is so important when it comes to your budget. You have to keep up with your budget to see results. REMEMBER, it is just a blueprint for you to follow. It should not feel like a restriction, but more like a structured guideline that helps you figure out what your areas of OPPORTUNITY are. Consistently checking in with your spending is like going to the doctor for a check up. It keeps you healthy and aware.

Here are some ways to stay consistent with your finances:

• Increase your knowledge
• Increase your income
• Change your money habits
• Be rich, don’t look rich

Discipline

Discipline is hard. I feel you. We all have trouble telling ourselves no. I love buying gifts for my family and friends. Something I have to constantly check in with is WHY I want to spend money. I used to shop A LOT and I racked up a huge credit card bill which took me about a year to pay off. I use that as an example when talking to myself about why it’s probably not a good idea to buy that $400 purse.

Since having kids though, I have transitioned my way of thinking. I now appreciate experiences more than “things” or “stuff.” I want to provide my children with life experiences and teach them to be kind humans rather than purchasing things trying to look “cool.” It is definitely a priorities game. Whatever is a priority to you will end up on your budget. It’s all about Balance, Consistency & Discipline.

Here are a few ways to stay disciplined in the new year:

• Set some financial goals
• Use automation for your bills
• Give yourself a challenge
• Change your money habits
• Get an accountability partner or financial coach

Free Gift

Check out the FREE video series on my 3 Keys to Unlocking Your Financial Freedom! This video series touches on Budgets, Tackling Debt, and Ways to Increase Income TODAY! I created this series for those of you who have been hit hard by COVID-19. I want you to know there is nothing you can’t accomplish and creating a plan of action is always a great starting point.

For most people, it’s like this: you reach a certain age and start thinking about spending your days on the golf course or on a beach. Then you look at your bank statement and freak out and think about taking on a second job instead. You should be doing less and less work as you are getting older. Retirement accounts let you do less work. All you have to do is start a retirement account NOW, which I’ll show you exactly how to do.

How do retirement accounts work:

Many people mistakenly think that retirement accounts are just places for you to save money until you’re 65. Actually, they offer you humungous benefits if you agree to save for a long-term horizon. Let’s compare regular (taxable) investing accounts with how retirement accounts work.

Regular Investing Accounts vs. Retirement Accounts:

Regular Investing Accounts: When you open up an account at ETrade or whatever, you’re generally opening p a regular investing account, which is also called a taxable account. This means that when you sell your stocks, you’ll pay taxes on your gains-and if you sell your stocks in less than a year, you’ll pay a huge amount (regular income-tax rates, like 15% or 30%).

Retirement Accounts: Retirement accounts, quite simply, give you huge tax/growth advantages in exchange for your promise to save and invest for the long term. Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to hold the same stock for 30 years. You can buy and sell shares of almost anything as often as you want. But with a few exceptions, you have to leave the money in your account until you get near retirement age.

Here’s how retirement accounts work, and where the magical benefits kick in. In a retirement account, you get big tax benefits. While 10% or 20% may not seem like much in a year, when you compound that over 30 years, it becomes a gigantic amount. In fact, start a retirement account next week and two things will happen: (1) You will be more financially prepared than 99% of your peers, and (2) you will be rich. If you start a retirement account in your early 20’s and you fund it regularly, you will be rich.

Understanding Your 401(k):

A 401(k) is a type of retirement account. If you work for a company, chances are you already have one offered to you. Here’s how it works: You put pre-tax money into the account, meaning you haven’t paid taxes on it yet. In regular, taxable investing accounts, you pay taxes on your income and then invest it. So for every $100 you make, you might actually only be able to invest $85 of it. 15% (or whatever, depending on your tax rate) goes to the tax man. There’s an extra benefit, too: Your company might offer a 401(k) match. For example, a 1:1 match up to $2,000 means that your company will match every dollar you invest up to $2,000, therefore, investing $2,000/year really means you’re investing $4,000/year. Basically, your money goes into an investing account where a professional investing company manages it. You can choose from a bunch of different investing options, like aggressive, mixed, international, etc. Don’t worry about switching jobs; if you leave your company later, you can take your 401(k) with you. And be aggressive with how much you contribute to your 401(k) because every dollar you invest now is worth many more times that in the future. The hardest part is making the first phone call to HR to get it set up.

401(k) Restrictions:

            The 401(k) isn’t tax-free. The government has to get its tax revenue sometime, so you’ll pay ordinary income tax on the money you withdraw around retirement age. You’re currently limited to putting $19,000/year in your 401(k). You’ll be charged a big penalty of 10% if you withdraw your money before you’re 59.5 years old.

401(k) Summary:

• $19,000 annual limit
• Pre-tax money
• Company matches supercharge growth even more-this is free money you must take

Understanding your Roth IRA:

            A Roth IRA is another type of retirement account. Every person in their 20’s should have a Roth IRA. It’s simply the best deal I’ve found for long-term investing. A Roth IRA is different than a 401(k). A Roth uses after-tax dollars to give you an even better deal. With a Roth, you put in already taxed income into stocks, bonds, index funds-whatever- and you don’t pay when you withdraw it. Here’s how it works: When you make money every year, you have to pay taxes on it. With a Roth, you take this after-tax money, invest it, and pay no taxes when you withdraw it. If Roth IRA’s had been around in 1970 and you’d invested $10,000 in Southwest Airlines, you’d only have had to pay taxes on the initial $10,000 income. When you withdrew the money 30 years later, you wouldn’t have had to pay any taxes on it. Oh, and by the way, your $10,000 would have turned into $10 million. You pay taxes on the initial amount, but not the earnings. And over 30 years, that’s a stunningly good deal. The maximum you can contribute into your Roth IRA is $6,000 per year.

Roth IRA Restrictions:

You are penalized if you withdraw your earnings before you’re 59.5 years old. (Exception: You can withdraw your principal, or the amount you actually invested from your pocket, at any time, penalty free.) There are other exceptions for example, buying a home or for emergencies. There’s a maximum income of $137,000 to make full contributions to a Roth.

I like to use journal prompts when I do my journaling. I journal about everything. Money, marriage, parenting, work, dogs, unicorns, friends, events… you name it. The sky is the limit on what you can journal about because its all about YOU. This is a great tool to utilize because it helps alleviate stress and boost your mood. Journaling for me helps me get everything out on the table. It helps me focus on the main priorities and hold myself accountable.

We want to BE rich, not LOOK rich.

How Journaling Helps

Journaling helps you figure out your goals and how the puzzle pieces of your finances all fit together. Debt freedom is a huge goal. Paying off debt actually becomes something real and actionable when you break it down into bite-sized pieces. Journaling makes you more aware of your financial standing. It helps you get to know yourself a little better.

Your habits and triggers for your spending are the trends you want to track in order to figure out where you should be cutting back within your budget. Journaling gives you the opportunity for positive self talk. Raise your hand if you have ever bought something and then felt extreme guilt and then beat yourself up over it. I know I have.

Here are a few prompts I use when journaling about my finances…

• Why do I like buying things?
• Why don’t I feel satisfied with my bank account?
• Am I happy with my finances?
• Am I happy with my life?
• What is really important to me?
• What does my dream life look like?
• What are my long term goals?
• What are my short term goals?
• Do I use my budget frequently?
• How does money make me feel?
• How do I make more money?
• How do I make my money work for me?

If you are feeling overwhelmed with journaling about your finances and you realize you need more help then you thought… I’m always here for you.