Do you know how your tax dollars are being spent? Take action and know who your Senators and House of Representatives are. Know how they are voting. If their actions and voting record it is not what you agree with, contact them. If their voting doesn’t change to reflect your voice, take action and vote them out next term.
Be an informed voter after all, it is your money they are spending!
Services Nationwide
If you have reached our website our services are available to you.
Many cringe when they here the word budget. Some think the only other word that starts with "B" that might generate a worse reaction is the word bankruptcy.
I hope to explain that the word "budget" is not a bad word. It is not a controlling word. It is not a word meaning "you can't have." I hope to explain that the word budget is a way to take back control. A word that means freedom.
Merriam-Webster online defines the word Budget in part as: a plan for the coordination of resources and expenditures, the amount of money that is available for, required for, or assigned to a particular purpose. Basically, it is a plan for saving and spending.
In 1993 I was $48,000 in debt. I lived in an apartment, paid monthly car payment to the bank, and after expenses, rent, electric, phone, insurance; the rest went to paying on credit cards. I had no savings, and to say I was living paycheck to paycheck was an under statement because at times I was actually paying one credit card with another card. You can imagine, this scenario didn't last long before I was truly drowning in debt.
I was so oblivious about my financial situation; I actually thought that since I was making a pretty good salary, I could buy a house. Needless to say, the bank set me straight on that thought process real quick.
A friend or relative has just asked you for a loan. "I don't need much" they say "just enough to hold me over til pay day and then I will pay you back"
What do you do? After all they are your friend, many times they are your relative like your sister, brother, cousin or parent. How do you turn them down, or do you? Should you just loan them the money?
It's a great question and one that causes much guilt and sometimes hurt feelings on both sides. One thing I have learned is that if someone is asking to borrow money from you, they are most likely asking others as well.
Personally, I don't lend money to friends or family. Why? Because it changes the relationship. “The borrow becomes slave to the lender” Proverbs 22:7 , and that is so true, it gets uncomfortable sitting at the dinner table next to someone that owes you money.
Do you have any idea how much money you feed into a vending machine during the week?
It is easy to lose track on money when it is a dollar or two at a time. Oh sure, it doesn’t seem like much but it adds up. Let’s say you pay a soda pop once a day from the machine. The soda costs $1,25. You work five days a week. That is $6.25 a week or $25 a month.
Doesn’t sound too bad right? But what about the chips and candy bar you buy as well. If chips are $.75 each and a candy bar is $.85 again once each day of your work week. That is another $8.00 a week that you fed into the machine.
So between soda, chips and a candy bar that is $57 each month that you are losing one dollar at a time. Think about this, over the course of the year you have spend $684 just on vending machines. For many people that would pay of a small balance credit card.
Sounds ridicules? Well, it’s not, this is a real life situation that I ran into while coaching a client.
Are you aware what the US government is doing with your money?
So often I hear co-workers say "I am getting money back" and this comment is said with enthusiasm. Now I know you are aware that you are getting money back because you overpaid your taxes, not because the IRS feels generous.
Are you also aware that that the IRS has used that refund of yours for free? Yep, that's right, they didn't pay you a dime of interest on the money you overpaid. Now, if you under pay your taxes they sure do charge you a penalty and possibly interest as well...does that bother you? It should.
Well this post isn't about taxes, and it isn't about being republican or democrat. It is about being aware of what your government is doing with your money.
Who is your government? They are the people you vote into office on election day. These are people who are making decisions about your money.
Many cringe when they here the word budget. Some think the only other word that starts with "B" that might generate a worse reaction is the word bankruptcy.
In 1993 I was $48,000 in debt. I lived in an apartment, paid monthly car payment to the bank, and after expenses, rent, electric, phone, insurance; the rest went to paying on credit cards. I had no savings, and to say I was living paycheck to paycheck was an under statement because at times I was actually paying one credit card with another card. You can imagine, this scenario didn't last long before I was truly drowning in debt.
A friend or relative has just asked you for a loan. "I don't need much" they say "just enough to hold me over til pay day and then I will pay you back"
Do you have any idea how much money you feed into a vending machine during the week?
Are you aware what the US government is doing with your money?