This coming Sunday, I will be crusading in Northwest Atlanta at Oak Leaf Church!

I will be speaking at their two morning services - 9:00AM & 10:15AM

During the evening, I will be teaching the personal finance tools that enabled Jenn and I to win.  It is called the Financial Learning Experience, and it has SOLD OUT!  Unless a new space is obtained, it will remain sold out.  If you have not been able to sign up, contact Oak Leaf Church and see what your options are!

Needless to say, I AM PUMPED UP!!!  I CAN NOT WAIT!!! 

This church is EXPLODING!  In less than a year, they are already running nearly 600 people!  I can't wait to get there and see what God has been doing!

Interested in bringing the Financial Learning Experience to your business, community group, or church?  Contact Joe HERE. 

I have discovered this great site - Yahoo! Answers - recently.

It is a worldwide forum for asking/answering questions about virtually any topic known to mankind.

Of course, I was drawn immediately to the Business/Finance - Personal Finance category

I have been answering a few questions to help sharpen my skillset and to challenge myself to answer with great responses.

Anyway, I recently posed this question to the community. 

How would it feel if you had $5,000 in the bank - just sitting there in case of an emergency?

The response was INCREDIBLE!!!  Within a few minutes, 21 people had responded (this is WAY more than average)!

Some of my FAVORITE responses are:

• I would feel safe and not worry too much about the possibility of having an emergency
• It makes you feel pretty good because if an emergency arises it is good to know you have that money as backup. Sort of an ace in the hole.

Some of the SADDENING responses are:

• It would feel good, but it wouldn't be in (the) bank long.
• Pretty darn good.  The worst thing is knowing it's there and knowing you shouldn't touch it.

You can go HERE to read the responses.

HISTORY

Back in February 2004, when Jenn and I became debt-free, we made a decision to use the money that had been going toward debt to save up enough money to cover at least 6 months of expenses.

After we saved that money up, we decided to save up enough money to replace one of our vehicles.  Not enough to purchase a NEW car (which we wouldn't - they depreciate miserably fast!), but enough to buy a good three or four year old used vehicle.

Well, we have had that money sitting around for over two years, and it is getting near time to replace the car.

Thursday May 3, 2007

Jenn and I went to lunch on Thursday, May 3rd, and I said to Jenn, "What do you think about getting rid of our car and just have one car?"  She liked that idea a lot!  That was lunch.  A few hours later, my friend calls me and tells me that he has a great deal on a vehicle for me.

Now, when this friend calls me and tells me that he has a great deal, I listen!  He knows how to get a great deal!  He purchases cars that have been in wrecks and restores them to 100%, generally for a cost of less than 1/2 of Kelley Blue Book.  This was one of those deals!

Friday May 4, 2007

Jenn and I talked about it in detail, test-drove the same type of vehicle, and then I called my friend to tell him that I wanted to buy the car.

Friday May 11, 2007

Jenn and I went and looked at the wrecked vehicle and delivered the funds to purchase it.   It was sad to depart with my beloved portraits of Benjamin Franklin, but it was a great deal!

Friday, May 25, 2007

My friend called me and said that there was a problem with the wrecked vehicle.  Apparently, when he went to purchase the wreck, he looked it over in great detail and discovered a "kink" in the frame.  I don't know what that is, but it is a major issue!  So, he didn't buy it.

My beloved portraits of Benjamin Franklin are being mailed back to me.  I am sad that I will not get the vehicle, but MAN I missed Ben.

I think I will put Ben back into his house (the bank - high interest savings account), and let him chill for awhile!

Besides, my car only has 220,000 miles on it. 

1.  My high school classmate and next-door neighbor, Jeremy Wright, who served in the military and lost his life in Afghanistan when his vehicle encountered an IED.  He is the best athlete I have ever known - by far the best runner I have ever seen.  He is only athlete to have an individual photo placed on the wall of athletic achievements at our high school.

2.  My great uncle, Paul A. Barmann, who was killed in action during WW II.  He was married to my great aunt, Aunt La, for only one year when he lost his life.

3.  My great uncle, Uncle Bud, who was in Pearl Harbor when his ship was attacked as part of the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941.

4.  The Indy 500 which takes place every single Sunday before Memorial Day (unless it rains!).  Most race days would entail us going to church, going to KFC for a bucket of chicken, and then going to the park to listen to the 500 on the radio.  Awesome memories for a boy from central Indiana!

5.  My twin brother, John, who served in the US Army and completed a tour through Korea and my fourth brother, Keith, who also served in the US Army.

6.  How awesome my country is!  I can pursue my God-given dreams!  So can you!

7.  How awesome family is!  I have a great family.  We are as disfunctional as your family and have a blast every time we get together!

Normal people will give up when they encounter difficulty.

Normal people will stop budgeting because it is hard.

Normal people will not invest because they don't understand what stocks/bonds/mutual funds/real estate mean.

Normal people will not invest because they "can't afford to right now".

Normal people will not take time to learn about personal finances because it is too difficult.

Normal people will not stick with a debt-pay off plan because they cannot tell themselves "NO!" to a new car, boat, motorcycle, kitchen upgrade, furniture, or vacation.

I resolve to not be normal.  I resolve to stick with it.  Join me in my "I AM NOT NORMAL" personal finance crusade!  Who can you invite over to your house this Memorial Day weekend and teach them about a better way to manage their finances?

Why is the Bank Lady's Dad a Financial Hero?

The other day I was waiting in an open office awaiting the return of the personal banker.  As I was sitting there, a very elderly lady came in to the bank.  She was at least 80 years old.  Even at this age, this lady had the "fire" in her eyes.  From this point in the story, I will refer to this lady as Bank Lady.

Since the line awaiting the bank tellers was at least eight people deep, Bank Lady took the opportunity to walk up and down the line of people and speak with them (her friend held her place in line).

She stopped by a lady who appeared to be dressed according to another country's customs and pleasantly asked, "Where are  you from?"

The lady said, "I'm from Kenya."

Bank Lady said, "Well, Ken ya help me?  HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

Bank Lady continued, "Seriously, though.  I've been there!"

The other lady stared at her suspiciously.

Bank Lady, full of enery, said, "When I was twelve, my daddy loaded our family up on a boat and took a trip around the world.  One of our stops was Kenya."

Bank Lady, even more alive upon recalling this great memory, continued, "We sailed out of the harbor in August and arrived back into New York in the springtime.  It was middle April."

WOW!  I sat there dumbfounded!  Bank Lady's Dad had left a legacy.  A life-long memory.  He took his family on an EIGHT MONTH TRIP AROUND THE WORLD!

That took money.  That took planning.  That took commitment.  I am still blown away.

For this, Bank Lady's Dad is an official www.JosephSangl.com FINANCIAL HERO!

Read about other www.JosephSangl.com Financial Heroes!

In November 2006, I wrote about the power of budgeting your time!  It works the same as budgeting your money!

Similarities between money and time.

• You have limited income AND time.
• You can only spend a dollar AND an hour once and then it is gone!
• Planned money and planned time goes farther and is less susceptible to waste.
• Both money and time are valuable!

I have now added two new Time Budgets to the TOOLS page.

One Time Budget is in 1/2-hour increments and the other is in 1-hour increments.

How are you spending your time?  Are you accomplishing everything you hoped for?  I highly recommend a time budget - especially for ensuring that the family spends a lot of time together.  The Sangl's have used the time budget to ensure that "Family Game Nights" and "Daddy-Daughter Date Nights" are on the schedule.  You don't want to miss out on these, and a time budget is a great to way to ensure that they happen regularly!

Have fun!

If you have been hanging around www.JosephSangl.com anytime at all, you have heard me talk about how important it is to continue learning about how to manage your finances.

I have recently completed watching Oprah's Debt Diet series.

Here are some things I took away from watching this series:

• Americans are very disorganized
• Spouses who do not work together are susceptible to hiding debt
• Debt is a disease - DIS EASE - uncomfortable
• When faced with their true financial picture, people KNOW that it is out of order!  They will make statements like, "This is eye-opening", "This is nuts!", and "Wow!"
• There is ALWAYS a way to spend less money
• Some people are just plain stupid with money
• People know their real story, regardless of the facade they present
• Folks feel stupid when it comes to money and are scared to ask for help!
• Americans feel validated by their credit score
• Kids don't really care about STUFF - they just want to spend time with you
• 43% of homes purchased last year were with $0 down!

I have always said that the first rule of holes applies really well to debt.

You know what the first rule of holes is, right?

When you are in one, STOP DIGGING! 

Well, I have had some great things happening during recent financial counseling appointments.

People have taken substantial steps to STOP DIGGING holes as they step toward Financial Freedom!

Want proof?  Here are some pictures!  A HUGE round of applause for these people who are taking action to change their lives!

Have you STOPPED DIGGING yet?  If not, what will it take?  A job loss?  A pay cut?  A broken car transmission?  A huge medical bill?  Bankruptcy?

If you have stopped digging, send me pictures of your chopped up credit cards (or filled in Pay-off Spectaculars - found in the TOOLS page) and I will post the pictures! 

Four years ago, I went to Philadelphia to attend my twin brother's "white coat ceremony" at Drexel University College of Medicine.  This ceremony started the four year journey through medical school.  For John, it was the realization of years of studying, planning, and dreaming.

Today, I find myself in Philadelphia again.  John graduates from medical school today.  The first doctor in the family.

John's plans have paid off!  It was not easy.  It was not fun all of the time.  It was not glamorous.

TODAY, however, is easy, fun, and glamorous.  Today, John Sangl becomes Dr. John D. Sangl.

Congratulations, John, on achieving a life-long dream!

Anyone out there have a dream?  A big dream?  A dream that scares you to death?  One that you can hardly share with those you care most about?  Question:  What are you doing about your dreams?