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This Is The Secret To Getting Great Results With Money

Here’s the common GREAT STARTING POINT that most often precedes GREAT RESULTS.

God’s Word mentions this common GREAT STARTING POINT. So did the great writer James Allen early in the 1900′s. So did the master teacher Earl Nightingale.

Even if you are unaware of this GREAT STARTING POINT “principle” it’s still up, alive, and working in your life every second of every day..

If you are aware of, but choose to disregard this principle, you’re almost certain to be condemning yourself to strife, worry, struggle and more.

You must be “aware” of this principle AND employ this principle to have the best chance to move from where you are to where God would have you to be in your finances and in every other area of your life.

GREAT THOUGHTS precede GREAT RESULTS.

Simple, isn’t it? Or is it? If it’s so easy, then why don’t you do it more often. The fact that you often fail in your finances and relationships (including your relationship with God) should be evidence enough that you don’t spend the time needed to employ the GREAT THOUGHTS = GREAT STARTING POINT principle.

Is there a process you can follow to best employ this GREAT THOUGHTS = GREAT STARTING POINT principle? Yes.

Here it is.

FIRST, start with the end in sight. Think about it. Where do you want to end up? For example, how much income do you want to earn? What’s your target date to be debt free? How much would you like to be able to give, invest, save by this time next year? The idea of starting with the end in sight applies to every area of your life and to every relationship in your life.

SECOND, determine your motive for reaching the end you now have in sight. Prayerfully think about it. Why is your target important? Again from the financial world–your motive may be to get your creditors to stop calling, or to get the IRS off your back. You have to have a great reason “why” or I promise you when the journey gets tough, you’ll fall away. And by the way, this reason has to be yours, it has to belong to you not someone else.

What’s your motivation to improve your finances? Figure it out. Claim it as your own. Keep it in front of you when the path gets tough. If your motive for financial order and stewardship is anything other than desperately wanting to please God, you will never know what it’s like to enjoy debt free living God’s way.

THIRD, obtain the tools you need. If improving your finances is your target, then pray. Think. Evaluate. Where are you right now? What do you lack? What resources do you need to move forward? I’ll tell you from personal experience that in the area of finances you need a relationship with God for motivation, a coach armed with God’s Word and other tools for accountability, and time for consistency.

There you have it. You can best achieve GREAT FINANCIAL RESULTS when you have a GREAT START based on GREAT THOUGHTS.

You must set a target, have the right motivation, and use the right tools.

30 Day Financing – Interest-Free Intelligent Use Of Credit and OPM

Credit cards allow anyone to have access to 30 days interest free financing. Pay off your balance every month and you have access to OPM, Other People’s Money. Actually, even if you don’t pay it off, you have the access, but along with added challenges, which we aren’t discussing here!

They say that using OPM is the way of the big investors, the wealthy. And you have the same opportunity on a small scale. If you can find opportunities that produce a return in a short period of time or require short-term ‘bridge financing’; you have that option of interest-free, with credit cards.

Do not allow yourself to rely on the monies for any extended period of time. This is short-term financing only. If you require funds for longer periods, other forms of financing must be secured.

The value of having cash in hand allows you to leverage this money to invest, purchase real estate or grow a business. Even start a business.

They say you need money to make money. Well, here’s a source of money. Be careful with it. Use it wisely and even cautiously. In some ways it may be too easy to access.

Have a clear picture of how you will spend the money. What level of risk you are taking and most importantly, your exit strategy. What will you do if something goes wrong, what is your contingency plan?

All that to say, you do have access to 30 days of interest-free money. Know the dates and work wisely around them.

Manage Your Money

It’s never too late to manage your money and fix your personal finances. If you do it right you can save yourself a lot of stress in the future. The best part is that it’s never too early or too late to start. The only way you will start is if you are truly tired of that paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle. Stop asking yourself “Why don’t I have money?” or “When are these Ramen Noodle days going to be over?” If you are reading this then consider yourself lucky and follow my lead.

So how do you manage your money?

Well, lucky for you we have software and apps to help you manage your money. Quicken, Moneydance, and Acemoney are only a few of the many pieces of software. For those of us that cannot live without our smartphones there are plenty of free applications out there like EasyMoney, Expense Manager, and T2Expense. These apps are already set where you just have to plug-in your numbers and it will show you where your money is mostly going. If you are anything like me then get out a pencil, paper, and calculator. Sometimes doing this on your own and on paper for you to see is enough for you to come to a realization and start making a change. After all, this was the only way people knew how to manage their finances before technology came around.

Step 1: Calculate what you earn a month. If you make the same amount every month then this part is simple. If you work based off tip or commission, calculate what you average a month but DO NOT overestimate your earnings. We all know that if you work at that popular restaurant, then a good Friday night can bring you in over $200. Meanwhile, a measly Tuesday night may not be as rewarding.

Step 2: Make a list of all your credit cards and monthly expenses. Think long and hard about this, and don’t forget that $10 Netflix bill or gym membership (the small fees we all tend to forget about). I would always forget to add my cell phone bill. If there is something that you are currently not paying off I want you to add that in too.

Step 3: Subtract Step 2 from Step 1 (Step 1 – Step 2, for my pencil-and-paper people). Hopefully you are still in the positives. If you are, then you are probably saying to yourself “I could be rich by now!” If you happen to be in the negatives you should sit down and prioritize your payments as far as which debts to consider first. Also, maybe a second job can be temporary but it will definitely fix your financial situation.

“Well I need to eat.” “I need to pay to get to work.” Listen up guys; you need to start cooking and taking food to work. You will be saving so much money and you may get in touch with your inner chef. As for the transportation, ask yourself how much you actually spend on going to work and how much is spent on going other places. These are what I like to call flexible expenses. If you go grocery shopping, do you really need those Twinkies? I bet if you go shopping on a full stomach you won’t crave those types of desirables. Try it! Anyway, you get the picture.

Who are you and why should I follow your lead?

I’ve been there! I never wanted to listen to someone tell me how to manage my money, especially from someone who has plenty of it. I am not rich but I am happy with my financial situation. In less than a year I have improved my credit score tremendously. I pay all my bills (on time) and enjoy the occasional night out. I got ahead of my debt. Most importantly, I never stress about money!