For those of you who are saving money on groceries by using COUPONS (if you are not – you should be!), Coupons.com provides FREE COUPONS HERE.

I have been saving anywhere from 35% – 85% off of my grocery bill by using coupons.  It is AMAZING, and it is helping my family be able to save money as we prepare to welcome Baby Sangl to the world in early February.  It is possible that my grocery bill will not change as we add another member to the family – I am so PUMPED!

There are still tickets available for the I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. Book Signing/Seminar in Anderson, SC.  It is one week from today.  Each ticket purchase will receive a signed copy of I Was Broke. Now I'm Not., seminar materials, PLUS will learn how to save money on groceries and nearly everything you buy – topics will include insurance, travel, groceries, restaurants, home and cell phone service, shopping, and more!  You can purchase tickets HERE.

I have met a lot of people who have taken steps to improve their finances in an incredible way, and then they fall victim to "the urge".  What is "the urge"?  It takes shape in various forms.  Here are a few …

• I have put off fun too long.  I deserve to have some fun.  It is OK to take a vacation and pay for it with our credit card.
• That [insert item here] is AWESOME!  I want it.  No, I don't want it.  I need it!  It is OK to use my emergency fund for this purchase.
• I am tired of telling my kids, "NO!"  It will be OK to give in just this once and buy the item using some of our savings for the future.
• The roof is leaking!  I don't want to live in a dump anymore.  I am going to move out of here, and I don't care how much it costs.  Who cares if I do not have a down payment or the income to support a larger mortgage payment.

In each case, there is a conscious choice to disregard logical and rational thinking, and we jump into the soup – regardless of the potential future cost.

Here are the top ways I have been able to resist the urge (remember that I am a spender – I definitely experience "the urge")

• We build some "fun" into the budget every single month.  We also save every single month for our known, upcoming, non-monthly expenses like vacation and Christmas.
• Jenn and I each receive spending money every month that we are not accountable to the other for how it is spent.  This allows us to give in to some of "the urge" without destroying the family finances.
• We make it a point to talk to our daughter about "why" we are saving money and putting off some purchases.  She knows that Baby Sangl is going to cost us a lot of money in healthcare costs.  She also knows that we are against all debt on non-appreciating assets (we don't like that type of debt much either).  It reduces the quantity of "I want that!" statements from her too!
• We save for the known upcoming expenses of home repairs.  Most homes are not dumps, they just break down like everything else.  By saving for some of them, we get to see progress.

Any that you would add?

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I am PASSIONATE about helping people accomplish far more than they ever thought possible.

What many of you may not know is that IWBNIN has started a fledgling book publishing company.  I love helping passionate people accomplish their dream of having their book published.

With that news, I would like to CONGRATULATE William G Bliss [Bill] on the upcoming release of his new book, Leadership Lessons From THE BOOK – Applying Biblical Lessons For Today's Leaders.

Bill has provided executive leadership consulting services for over 25 years and is passionate about connecting biblical principles with practical application.

Personally, I was challenged by this book and was inspired and equipped to apply these principles to my business.  If you are a leader, I recommend you purchase a copy today (FREE SHIPPING through 10/1/2009).

Below is a small sampling of the praise for Leadership Lessons From THE BOOK:

"Bill has drawn on years of effective leadership consulting to produce a book full of rich biblical insights coupled with practical tools and suggestions so you can implement what you learn. Clearly written by someone who knows what he's talking about."

─ Richard Blackaby, PhD, President of Blackaby Ministries International

"Bill is a very accomplished business leader who has studied these topics extensively. He does continual research and the presentation of his years of work and research are worth reading! The topics are as old as creation itself but his fresh approach is a treasure you will want to uncover."

─ Dave Rae, Chief Operating Officer of Crown Financial Ministries

"As a leader, I discovered the Bible as the best manual for business, leadership, family, and life. Bill's insights are so unique because as a Leadership Coach he has seen it all first hand: the potential, pressure, and complexity of leadership – and the joy of studying the Bible. Bill's book offers a truly inspiring and practical perspective. It will be one of those which I pick up again and again in order to improve my effectiveness."

─ Daniel Hoster, Managing Director of Deutsche Bank AG

If you are many years from retirement, the article linked below may not seem very relevant to you.  It is.  Retirement will arrive faster than you think (ask anyone with white hair), and it is important to think about this stuff now.

It is worth the five minutes to read and process this great article – HERE.

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Back in June, we announced the unbelievable miracle of a second child that God has sent our way (HERE).

Since Baby Sangl is a Known, Upcoming Expense, we immediately began to evaluate our known, upcoming expense fund and reassigning money to the Baby Sangl Fund.

We REFUSE to use debt to pay the enormous hospital bills.  We have been given a 7.5 month warning of Baby Sangl's arrival.  We know that it will take a few more months after he/she arrives for the bills to arrive.

I am pleased to say that we are 38% of the way to our savings goal!  The Christmas Fund and few other funds have taken a hit, but that is OK!

The Baby Sangl Savings Spectacular will appear on this blog shortly.

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I have never done this before, but I wanted to let you know about a charity golf tournament that the IWBNIN team will be participating in on Monday, November 2.  This tournament is being hosted at Jennings Mill Country Club (in Bogart, GA – just east of Atlanta) and is being held to benefit Bethel Haven Child And Youth Services.  Bethel Haven is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to providing help, hope, and healing to emotionally distressed children, young people and their families.

Now, I am a terrible golfer.  I have golfed (hacked) about two times per year for the past four years, and I am terrible, but I am willing to make myself look like a fool to help these children.

Would you consider contributing a few dollars to sponsor my efforts?  All donations are tax deductible and can be given securely on-line HERE.  Bethel Haven thanks you, and I am grateful for your consideration.

PS:  I will be sharing pictures on the blog on November 3.  Rumor has it that The Saving Freak (savingfreak.com) and Mark Asbell will be joining me.  As I understand it, they are even worse than me.  I hope we do not get kicked out!

My bride is amazing.  She helps me make outstanding financial decisions.

Here are some key ways that she helps me when making financial decisions:

• She asks questions
• She seeks to understand my point of view
• She listens
• She has the ability to see through situations in a way I can't
• She demands to see the numbers and challenges every assumption
• She looks beyond the numbers and sees how the decisions affects non-financial aspects of our life
• She balances my risk-taking behavior with her risk-averse nature
• She is willing to discuss everything – and we are on the same team with shared interests – this means that we are working together to address financial challenges and fund our dreams
• She always has my back

I call my bride my "chief business counsel".  If you ever hear me say, "I need to consult with my business counsel", I am really referring to my bride – not a legal team.

Without my bride, I would still be broke and would have been the key subject matter of the book, "How To Be B-R-O-K-E".

Do you involve your spouse in your financial decisions?

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I am PUMPED about a new seminar that the I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. team is rolling out.  The first time we are going to teach it is in Anderson, SC!

It is going to be different from any other class we teach and is focused on saving money RIGHT NOW.

Here are some details.

• Every ticket purchased will receive a signed copy of I Was Broke. Now I'm Not.
• You might just get a preview of my new book that is releasing in November
  
• First 40 minutes:  I will be teaching how to budget and become debt free
• Last 80 minutes:  My team and I will be teaching proven methods for how to save money on nearly everything you buy.  This includes how to save money on:
• Insurance
• Cell Phone
• Home Phone
• Cable
• Internet
• Groceries
• Anything purchased on-line
• Restaurants
• Search engines
• And many more!
• The Saving Freak will be there.

Tickets are very limited – we have 100 tickets available for this event.  If you want to come, I recommend signing up right away HERE.

See you there!

I am PUMPED about the Extreme Couponing Workshop being taught Wednesday and Thursday (9/16 and 9/17) by Jenny from SouthernSavers.com!

The Wednesday night class (at the Anderson Public Library) sold out (200 people!) so we opened a Thursday class.  It is almost full.  You can still sign up HERE.

The Wednesday night class (sold out) is being held at the Anderson County Public Library.

The Thursday night class is being held at Hope Fellowship in Anderson (next to Books-A-Million).

I used the techniques that Jenny is going to teach to purchase $55 worth of groceries for $5.43!  This stuff WORKS!

Sign up NOW

If you have always wanted to participate in the Financial Learning Experience, you have the opportunity to participate for one night only – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2009 at 7:00PM Eastern Standard Time.

No registration is required.  Just click HERE a little before 7:00PM, and you will have the opportunity to view a Financial Learning Experience that I taught recently at NewSpring Church.

LIVE financial counselors will be participating in the chat room to answer your questions throughout the event.

SO … invite your family, friends, and co-workers over tomorrow night for dinner and watch the Financial Learning Experience.

It might just change your life.