1. You sold your child on E-bay last week to pay off the dog you bought with 90-days same as cash.
2. When you plug your expenses into the INCOME - OUTGO = EXACTLY ZERO budget form, INCOME - OUTGO actually equals "Microsoft Excel Gives Up"
3. Check Into Cash holds a ceremony in your honor.
4. You have eaten ramen noodles for eight straight weeks, but your pet is eating Eukanuba Reduced Fat dog food for $20.29/bag.
5. You cringe every time that the phone rings.
6. When the credit card companies actually believe that you have too much debt and stop sending you credit card applications!
7. Your hand suffers a 3rd-degree burn when you write a check.
8. You are afraid to discuss debt with your spouse.
9. When your child tells you, "Man.  We sure have a whole lot of debt!"
10. If you can not imagine or remember what it was like to NOT have debt.

I am pleased to announce another tool has been added to the "TOOLS" page on www.josephsangl.com!

Our newest tool is a Savings Account Balance - Tracking Tool!

Here is what it is for and how it works.

Ever been saving up for multiple purchases and holding it all in the same savings account?  For example, my family saves up for vacations, car replacement funds, property taxes, life insurance payments, and health club memberships.  All of that money is saved in the same account!  When you look at the account, it is just one balance!  How do you know the amount of money saved up for each category?  …  Let me introduce you to our newest TOOL!

In this example, you can see that for January 2007 this person's savings account has $6,630.  However, just because they have $6,630 available, it does not mean they can just go blow it on a new boat!  It is being saved for KNOWN upcoming expenses.  They actually have a plan!

In February 2007, you can see that the overall balance went up $380 - $100 went to the emergency fund, $60 for Christmas, $35 for property taxes, $50 for the vacation fund, $65 for Life Insurance, and $70 for YMCA.

Make sense?  Oh, yeah!  You have GOT to go get this tool!

Over the past week I have met with two people who have once again reminded how important it is to have life insurance.

In situation one, a person's spouse passed away at a very young age.  It was a total shock.  However, this couple had a financial plan that they had worked on together.  They also had life insurance.  As a result, the surviving spouse and the two children are taken care of.  They can focus on grieving instead of having to worry about working to pay bills.

In situation two, a person's father passed away at a very young age.  It was a total shock.  There was no life insurance.  As a result, the family struggled financially.  It created a tremendous strain on the family.

Folks, it simply does not have to be this way!!!  Term life insurance is SO CHEAP!  You can go HERE to get a quote.  You don't have to enter your name and address as it requests for you to be able to see quotes for you.  For a 30 year old, $500,000 of 20-year level term insurance coverage is less than $300/year!  If you have a family that relies on you to provide income or care for the family, you simply can not afford NOT to get this insurance!

Do it TODAY!!! 

"I am so stupid, I will never be able to do that."

"I do not make enough money to win financially."

"My spouse will never do this with me."

"You just don't understand what has happened to me in the past."

"I can't live without my car."

"I needed it." (an obvious WANT)

"I don't want to seem like a nerd."

"My family will think that I am wierd."

Guess what?  You CAN do it!  I would point toward your current financial condition and ask Dr. Phil's question, "What you have been doing …  How's that working for you"

I KNOW that every single person on this earth can have financial freedom.  I KNOW that there is ENOUGH for everyone.  You CAN do this - especially if you live in the richest country on the planet.  All it takes is you!

If you are an employee of a business, then there is this magic day that arrives called "payday".  When this magic day arrives, you tear open the check and discover that a large portion of your paycheck has been taken away from you.

What are the takeaways?

• Taxes - Federal, State, Local, FICA, Medicare
• Insurance Premiums - Health, Life, AD&D, Disability - short term & long term
• Retirement contributions - 401(k); 403(b); Simple IRA; SEP; Thrift Savings
• Savings Accounts - Christmas Funds, Health Savings Accounts, Health-Care Reimbursement Account, Dependen-Care Reimbursement Account
• Child Support
• Loan Repayments - 401(k)

My question is this:  Do they EVER forget to take that money out of your check?  For example, have you ever received a check where they forgot to take out the taxes?  Never?  NEVER?!!

Wow!  Why is it that they have NEVER forgotten to take taxes out of your check?

The REASON:  It is IMPORTANT and it is AUTOMATIC!

Here is my challenge to you today.  Until you make investing for retirement, your dreams, and the children's college is IMPORTANT and AUTOMATIC, it will not happen.

If you set up your 401(k) draft, it will be automatic.  Every single time.  Automatic.  Make your investments automatic!  A 15-minute conversation or visit to your investment web site is all it will take and it will make all of the difference on your future.

Make it automatic, and it will happen! 

I know that there are many questions that people have about money and their personal financial situations.

I would love to hear the questions that you would like me to answer on JosephSangl.com.

Submit your questions to me HERE.

I will be answering the questions over the next couple of weeks! 

Do you have a plan for your life?  What is it?

Have you written it down?

There is AMAZING POWER when you take pen in hand and write out your plans!  There is this almost magical thing that happens when you write things down.  For some reason, when you write down your plans, there is a much greater chance that the plan will actually be accomplished!

I have heard an old Chinese proverb once that said, "The faintest ink is sharper and longer-lasting than the brightest mind."

Isn't that the truth?!  I have had many occasions where I wrote out my plans on paper and accomplished the goals.  I have had many more occasions where I did not write out my plans ==> The plans rarely were accomplished.

You see, we get way too busy to continuously remember our plans and dreams.  We are busy running from the kid's basketball game to go to church.  Then we run from there to go to dinner with friends.  From there we run over to school for the event there.  In the midst of all of our activity, we can lose sight of our hopes/dreams/plans for the future.

That is why it is so important to write out your plans!  It will be a constant reminder of "why" you are doing what you are doing right now.

Why not take the time right now to write out your plans?  Remember what is at stake!  The achievement of your hopes and dreams.  It is worth the time!  You can take five minutes right now and those five minutes could change your life FOREVER!

Today, I was able to travel over to Easley, SC and speak at 5 Point Fellowship.

I was able to continue my crusade to help people achieve financial freedom!  Every single time that I teach the practical tools that Jenn and I used to achieve financial freedom, I get PUMPED up!!!

Why do I get PUMPED up?

Because I KNOW that others can do this!  Because I KNOW that all we have to tell ourselves is NO!  Because I KNOW that God has a specific plan and purpose for every single person on this planet and finances many times prevent people from pursuing that specific purpose.  Because I KNOW what it has done for Jenn and I!!!!!

I can't say enough on how thankful I am to Dean Herman, Tim Winkler, and the entire 5 Point Fellowship family for allowing me to come and share my passion with the church.  THANK YOU! 

Sunday morning, 1/7, I will be speaking at 5 Point Fellowship in Easley, SC at 10:05AM.

 I will also be speaking at 5 Point Fellowship on Sunday evening at 6:00pm.  I will be teaching the Financial Learning Experience class that evening!

I can't wait to visit 5 Point Fellowship tomorrow!

Behind the question "How do I put together a budget that actually works?", the most popular question is, "How do I actually keep doing this every single day?"

"How do I actually keep doing this every single day?"

Great question!

Dave Ramsey has said it this way => "When the pain of same is greater than the pain of change."

I believe that the number one thing that will keep you "doing this" for the long-haul is a written plan for your life that uses your God-given passions, skills, and abilities.  If you are motivated, then you will be WAY less likely to blow up your budget in a horrible fit of "I-want-this-now-itis"!  Your life plan will motivate you!

Part of my life's plan was to be able to go do this personal finance thing full-time.  Now, Jenn and I knew that this would require substantial modifications to our lifestyle and budget.  Guess what?  We did it!  We changed our financial behavior FOUR YEARS before we finally embarked on this dream of working with people and their finances full-time.  This dream motivated us.  It helped guide most of our decisions.  It kept us in the game and focused on the prize at the end..

Now, we are living the dream.  It is awesome!  We are PUMPED up to be here!

So guess what?  It is time to write out the next phase of our life plan.  We will ensure that it uses our God-given passions, skills, and abilities.  We will ensure that the things we are doing NOW will be preparing us for those things we embark on THEN.

Have a plan for your life, and let your dreams put wind in your sails to keep up with this budget month-after-month-after-month.

You can do this!