I was once broke. Now, I’m not! This slogan is truth to me! I stopped being broke by changing the way I made decisions. When Jenn and I made the decision to stop signing up for more debt, that was HUGE! When you stop adding more debt to the equation, you can actually start reducing your debt! When Jenn and I made the decision that we were going to budget every single dollar on paper, every single month before the month began, and committed to following that budget, that was HUGE!

I AM PUMPED UP because these two decisions helped us get out of debt and gain financial freedom!!!

Now, I get the SHEER JOY of helping others get out of debt. It is so awesome to know that you have tools that can help others restore HOPE to their financial future and to see their eyes start shining again. Hope lights the fuse to life’s passion! Without hope, people check out of life. The great thing about being able to help people is that I have been blessed enough that I do not have to charge for the help. I can do it for free! It is so powerful to be able to offer help to a financially distressed family, and they do not have to pay you anything. I am not selling anything. I am just teaching tools that restore hope, changes lives, improves marriages, and changes their children’s entire future! THIS FIRES ME UP!!!! Are you helping others? Are you paying it forward? MAKE IT HAPPEN! You know someone you could help today. Why not do it?

I am ticked off at debt settlement companies. I am unhappy with their approach to consumers. I am displeased that consumers use these companies to help them with their financial problems.

Maybe you are not familiar with debt settlement companies, but you have certainly seen their advertisements. One of the more widespread companies is Ameri-Debt. Ameri-Debt touts itself as a non-profit company that helps people become debt-free. Guess what? Ameri-Debt declared bankruptcy in June 2004!!! Let’s get this straight. Ameri-Debt’s sole purpose for existing was to “help people get out of debt”, but it declared bankruptcy!!! Wow! That is exactly who I want to help me out with my personal finances.

Here is why I am against using Debt Settlement companies:
1. You abdicate yourself of the responsibility to change your spending habits!!! If you do not address YOUR problem, you will not fix YOUR problem!!!
2. Debt settlement companies typically attempt to negotiate a settlement with your creditors - usually around 50% - 55% of the debt you actually OWE. YOU actually OWE them 100% of the money!!! Listen, if you can’t pay the credit card companies back the money YOU spent, go get five jobs and pay them off. It is NOT the creditors’ fault that you spent the money. IT IS YOUR PROBLEM! You are CHEATING them out of THEIR money if you do not pay them 100% of the money back. You may believe I am being too harsh. I do not think so. I like to rephrase it another way. How about you give me $10,000, and I will give you $5,500 back? Sound good? I did not think so! That is EXACTLY what is happening if you work with a debt settlement company!
3. Debt settlement companies charge you fees to help you with your problem. This means that the money that you actually are going to pay back is being paid back at a slower rate because of the fees. Do this yourself and you will truly understand what you need to change to NEVER get in this situation again.

It may not be fun to pay back 100% of what you owe. It may take longer. It is the RIGHT thing to do. Tough luck! Get serious about fixing the issue, and you will develop a deep satisfaction knowing that you did the right thing and learned a lot in the process so that you will NEVER get in this situation again.

It is really difficult to grasp key principles in personal finance. Here are a few.

1) Spend less than you make
WOW! That is really difficult to grasp!

2) Do not buy anything you cannot immediately pay for
TOUGH! Man, this is really hard.

3) Save money for a rainy day
This is just too difficult of a concept for me.

To those who think personal finances are too hard, I agree with you.

Humans are too good at making excuses. I have heard a lot of excuses lately on why their personal finances are a wreck. It is because of their spouse not being involved, or because the OT on the job has been cut back lately, or because we can’t find the time to do a budget, or because it is hard.

RUBBISH!!! I am calling out all excuse makers now! I know when you are making excuses because I was once a horrible excuse maker. Because of this, I have “excuse maker radar”. I can tell when you hesitate to give me the reason why you have not completed your budget for the last three months. I can sense the stuttering when you tell me that the budget just does not balance. I can hear the sadness when you weakly say that it is too hard.

There must come a time that you decide that living paycheck to paycheck is not acceptable. Until then, I can not help you. You can not help you. Everything I do to help will mount to nothing more than mere words unless you are really ready to make a change!

I am sick of seeing people in debt!!! I am sick of seeing YOU in debt!!! Why are still in debt? You can not accomplish exactly what you were made to do until you STOP THE EXCUSES and actually address the issues! Develop a budget tonight! I do not care who wins the NCAA Championship - turn off the TV and go get your wife and put together a budget!

Question: What will change your life?
A. A win by UCLA
B. A working budget

Make it a priority to get a BUDGET done TONIGHT!!!