I’m so in debt. It is so hard for me to get out of debt. My husband is not on board with it. It is not possible for me to get out of debt. I have spent too long living on nothing so I am going to start living now even though I have to get it with debt. I deserve it. Our situation is really unique, and that is why we are in debt. We are going to get out of debt soon. I can’t get out of debt without borrowing money. I need money to make money, that is why I have debt. Debt isn’t so bad. If I can use someone else’s money, why wouldn’t I do that? If I can borrow the money at zero interest, it is like having free money.

Excuses. Lousy excuses. Here’s the deal. You can either whine about debt or spend money, but you can’t do both! For those of you taking “advantage” of such “deals”, I ask you Dr. Phil’s question: “How’s that working for you?” You are carrying debt. You are sending a lot of your paycheck out to pay creditors. If you were laid off tomorrow, how long could you make the payments? Are you happy with the answer?

When you have debt, it comes bundled with stress! When you stop using “deals” to your “advantage” and realize that the “deal” is that you are being taken “advantage” of, that is the moment of truth in which you truly realize that debt is dumb.

We want it now! We do not want it later. We do not want to wait.

Whoever said that patience is a virtue surely understood this. There are so many things we can get RIGHT NOW! I will list some:

1. College degree on-line in as fast as 1 year. This ad appears all the time on the internet. Right. I am sure that is a sound education.
2. A new car. You can go get one now. You don’t even need money. You don’t even need to have good credit. Even if you have declared bankruptcy, you can go purchase a car right now without any money. Right. I am sure that is a good decision.
3. A new TV, a new computer, a new I-Pod, a DVR, new clothes. Right. I am sure that this is a sincere need.
4. $500 right now! For just $639.50, you can get $500 right now - BUT, you the $639.50 check you write now will be cashed in 21 days. Right. I am sure that is a rip-off.
5. FOOD. You can go get food right now. Hardly any waiting. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Hardee’s (why?), Burger King, Chick-Fil-A (Yes!), Pizza Hut, Arby’s, Jack-In-The-Box, Carls Jr, In-and-Out, White Castle (Yes!). Yet in the time it takes you to drive to the store to purchase this food, you could eat like a king at home for less than 1/4 of the price. Uncontrolled dining out can put you in the poorhouse.

Here is the deal. If you can not control the I-WANT-IT-NOW kid inside yourself, you will never be able to have financial success. The I-WANT-IT-NOW kid will rob you and your family of financial peace and disable your ability to use your money to build wealth, help the poor and broken, and to restore hope. Instead, you will buy a whole bunch of stuff that will disappear into the trash heap or sewer shortly.

I am not telling you to not spend money. I am just asking you to consider the reasons why you are spending money and to challenge you to look for better alternatives.

If you do not have a monthly written budget where you account for every penny you spend, your money will not be working for you at its maximum potential. You can argue if you want, but I have yet to see someone NOT experience an improvement in their financial situation when they implemented a monthly budget.

Besides the monetary impact, it also improves communication for a married couple. Not only are you agreeing on your immediate expenditures, you are also agreeing on your long-term financial goals. By doing this, you will know each others expectations and desires better.

Since it is a proven fact that financial problems negatively impact marriages and that budgeting helps finances, why would you not be budgeting? I believe it comes down to a few things.

1) Know-how
2) Want-to
3) Time

The know-how becomes quite simple after 3 or less budgets, but the first time you sit down and try to put together a budget, you will struggle. It is difficult for many people to even understand where all of their money is going each month let alone try to tell it what to do.

The want-to is a wildcard. If both partners in a marriage are not both advocating the budget, it will be tough to have the want-to. Want-to really develops when your financial situation hits a point that makes you both realize how important it is to have a written plan. It could be when you are nearing bankruptcy, or it could be when you have inherited a large amount of money. Either way and for everything in between, you need a plan. You may not think so right now, but on this subject it does not matter what you think. A written plan that is followed will always accomplish more than someone aiming at nothing.

Time is a big key. It takes time to think about where you are headed with your finances. It takes time to learn about your finances and the options that are available to you - 401(k), 403(b), SEP, Insurance, 529, Coverdell, mortgages, insurances, etc. News flash: Even if you don’t have a plan, VISA has a plan. So does Mastercard, Discover, American Express, the furniture store, your college, and the car lot.

So I ask you to resolve today to acquiring the know-how, to making it a priority and a want-to, and to make time to sit down with your spouse and put together a written plan. Put it on the refrigerator door. It does not matter what others think, they are still broke!

I was broke. Now, I’m not! It all happened because one day Jenn and I woke up and said, “We NEED a plan!”

A few weeks ago, I wrote about investing. Have you started investing yet? Every day that you wait means you have to save even more to achieve the same end result.

Investing is not hard. I recommend that you set up an automatic withdrawal from your checking account that happens every month. That withdrawal will be used each month to purchase shares of the mutual fund that you are investing in.

Once you have it set up, you will almost forget that you are investing that money every month. I bet you will not even miss it. The results, however, will hardly be missed. You will be using the power of disciplined saving coupled with the explosion of compound interest.

Sound like a boring post? It may be, but it is absolutely critical to ensuring that you are able to accomplish your future financial goals.

Do you have hidden treasure lying around the house that could make you debt-free immediately?

I have a friend who kept all of his coins in jars around the house. Whenever he would get change from buying something, he would put the change in the jar. After putting together his first-ever budget, he was becoming much more aware of opportunities to reduce his debt.

One day we were talking about his debt snowball plan and how much time would pass until he would achieve debt freedom. In passing, we somehow got onto the subject of saving change. He revealed to me that he had this process where he would save his change. I asked him, “How much change do you have?” He replied, “Oh, I don’t know, but I do know that I have one of those large pickle jars full of dollar coins!” WOW! That’s awesome!

Much to his bank teller’s dismay, he cashed in his change over the course of the next three days. It was that much change!!! Bottomline - He became debt-free! He had hidden treasure right there in front of him!

What do you have in front of you that could seriously assist you in your quest for financial freedom?

Do you want to make a difference? Do you want to know the awesome feeling of helping to change a life? Do you want to see hope restored to eyes that had no hope? Help someone with their finances!

I don’t mean that you should give them a bunch of money. I don’t mean that you should give them any money. I mean help them with their finances! Sit down with them and help them put together their first ever zero-based budget. Help them understand what a mutual fund is and how to invest. Teach them the concept of dollar-cost averaging or compound interest. Show them that a little bit saved every month can equal a lot in just a few years. It does not take a sophisticated degree or certification to help someone with their finances. It takes caring and understanding!

There is an amazing thing that happens when you teach a person to better manage their finances - you gain a friend. You truly helped them make a tangible, real change in their financial future.

I would not have learned sound financial management techniques without being taught by friends and family. This is a case where “paying it forward” makes a HUGE difference for the future! It made a huge difference for my family’s financial future!

Go make it happen! You can do it!

We are crazy when it comes to spending our money! I smile when I think of the different things we buy.

Here are some examples that have made me smile.

• Snow White and her seven drawfs in 1/2-size and placed them in their yard
• Yard art - Silhouettes of old people bent over with their rears facing you
• I bought a seed germination heating mat (but I got it 1/2-off!)
• Boiled peanuts (I love them!)
• Having a “grill” installed in your teeth (especially the ones with gold and diamonds)
• Hot tubs that sit unused at least 355 days a year
• Big boats that sit unused at least 355 days a year
• Goats and donkeys
• Ground effects and big tires for trucks
• Huge amp in a Datsun B210 car
• A harp

Bottom-line: No matter what you do, no matter where you live, no matter how much you already have - you will still want just one thing more, and that one thing will seem absolutely crazy to someone else. When you boil it down, most of the items we think we need are really just wants. If you are broke, just say no! If you are not broke, buy it, and just let us all smile!

If you ever wondered how much and how long you need to save to have $1,000,000 - Look no further!

If you want to type in some custom calculations, there is a good calculator here.

HAVE FUN! By the way, if you are saving $30,000/year, I am accepting donations!!!