It's about time.
Read HERE.
I REALLY agree with the fact that people who pay their payment on time should not be penalized with higher interest rates simply because their credit score drops.
Your thoughts?
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So good!
Christmas Shopping
This morning I am going to go Christmas shopping.
I will join the masses of people who are engaging in one of America's great events - buying stuff.
I get to shop for Jenn (my wife) and that is it. My bride woke up this morning at 4:45AM to go shopping, and she has the list for everyone else. I am thankful that we save for Christmas every single month of the year as it really makes Christmas more fun when I am not worried about spending money that we don't have!
I was handed an updated "Wish List" from Jenn last night. The items on it now exceed the budgeted amount by at least five times! I really need help from The Saving Freak to show me a frugal way to increase the purchasing power of my Christmas shopping money!
I also get to take my daughter Christmas shopping with me. She has a few people on her list, and I love watching her shop!
Perhaps while I am out and about I will pick up a Clay Aiken Christmas album for Perry this year!
Saving Money?
"I saved $3,000 when I bought this new car!"
"I saved $250 when I bought this new TV!"
"I saved $200 when I bought this new computer!"
I am sure that you have heard people say this. You have probably said this. I know that I used to say this a lot!
The FACT is that - I have never seen anyone save money by spending money!
I have seen them spend less money, but I have never seen them save money.
People want to believe that they are getting a great deal, AND they know that they should be saving money. Marketers are genius to use the phrase "Save money by buying today!"
I will probably use this phrase when my book is released. I will say ... "Save $3 by purchasing today!" 
I guess there is one way to kill my statement. That is to take the money that you did not spend and actually save it!!! Like physically putting the money into a savings account where it can gain interest. That would certainly put a hole in my rant!
I really like saving my emergency fund money in my ING Direct account and receiving 4.2% interest (it's current interest rate)!
Black Friday Preparations
It was only a matter of time before someone did it, but K-Mart decided to remain OPEN on Thanksgiving Day. I don't know about you, but I enjoy hanging out with my family during the holidays. I don't believe I will go over to K-Mart today.
Anyway, my family is among those who join with the crazies on the day following Christmas.
As I went through the ads in the paper, I see that JC Penney has coupon for $10 off any purchase of $50 or more and a coupon for $15 off any purchase of $75 or more. You can click HERE to view/print the coupons (Click on "View Coupons"). They will also give you a WAKE-UP CALL to ensure you get up in time! THAT is funny!
Wal-Mart has a great deal on a Garmin GPS unit for only $128.88 - I suspect these will leave VERY quickly.
Best Buy has a TomTom GPS unit for only $119.99 - These WILL leave very quickly. The details say you must have a ticket. To get a ticket, you have to stand in line. Starting at 3:00AM, Best Buy employees will start handing out tickets. I am NOT that crazy.
I think the bottom line for me is that I will be shopping on Friday, but I won't AWAKE by the time many of the so-called doorbusters are sold. That's OK. I WILL go shopping with a written spending plan. I know I won't go over budget because I have the plan. I used the Mini-Budget (you can get your copy HERE) to develop the plan.
Have a great Thanksgiving Day!
Post 500!
It is unbelievable to see that today is post number 500!!!
I thought I would celebrate it by sharing some love with my fellow personal finance bloggers!
My Sangl Family Home Pay-Off Spectacular was featured in numerous blogs over the past week - resulting in a tremendous amount of web traffic to www.JosephSangl.com!
- www.MyMoneyBlog.com linked last Sunday
- www.CarnivalOfDebtReduction.com linked today!
- www.Moolanomy.com linked yesterday!
Thanks for the links!
And to the readers of www.JosephSangl.com - THANK YOU! I am FIRED UP just thinking about what this next year holds!
Wants vs Needs Backlash
It seems my post on eliminating expenses out of my life has generated some really strong feedback.
I have gotten comments on the blog, e-mails sent directly to me, and pretty strong feedback from individuals I see weekly.
I have gotten statements like ...
- Joe, you have to live a little!
- Way to go!
- Why are you doing this?
- You should also considering cutting ...
- This seems extreme
- You should invest all of this extra money instead of paying down the mortgage.
- You're crazy!
Why is it that all of the people who are suggesting that I am a little off of my rocker for doing this all have house payments?
Folks, I am not doing this to be normal. If I wanted to be normal, I would still have car payments, student loan payments, credit card payments, furniture payments, and dog payments. That is what normal is in America - I've lived that way (except for the financed puppy), and TRUST ME I like the debt free life better!
I CHOOSE to NOT be normal!!! As I like to say when teaching my class - you can call me crazy, weird, a nerd, or anything else - just don't call me broke anymore!
Who's with me?
Putting the CUSS in Customer Service – A Rant By Joseph Sangl
Ever had an experience with customer service that really puts the CUSS in Customer Service?
I have had some seriously frustrating experiences with my cable over the past year.
I will list some of them.
- Cable goes out during nearly every rain storm
- When cable goes out, my INTERNET goes out (it's amazing how tied to the internet I have become!)
- My cable has went out for periods ranging from 1 hour to 17 days
- I can shake a wire outside and the cable service MIGHT come back on, but the company can't figure out why
- I have had no less than four different issues/outages.
- Cable went out during a Purdue Boilermaker football game. That is bad news for the cable company.
When I talk to Cusstomer Service, they have yet to say, "I am so sorry for your problems. You are a very important customer to us, and we are committed to fixing this right away to your complete satisfaction."
In fact, when I do call Cusstomer Disservice they attempt to sell me something! Every. Single. Time. "Sir, would you like to try out our VOIP phone service?" "Sir, would you like to upgrade your entertainment package?" NO! I just want my stinking cable and internet back!!!
So recently I read my friend's blog post about blazing fast internet service without having to have a home phone AND he saved a ton of money. You can bet that I have contacted him to figure out how I can do the same deal.
I KNOW that companies have issues. ALL companies have issues from time to time. That is when Customer Service is most important!
So cable company, the next time I call with an issue I want to provide you with a written checklist for your customer service agents to follow.
- "I am so sorry that you are having issues today. We strive for excellence, and we are sorry you are having this issue."
- "You are a very important customer to us, and we will not be happy until we have restored your service to its full capability."
- Upon verification of the issue, call and tell me, "I am placing a credit for one month's service on your account. We are so sorry for the inconvenience."
- If you really want to knock it out of the park, you can send me a written repair statement telling me exactly what the problem was, how it was repaired, and what has been changed to prevent this problem from occurring again in the future.
Perhaps you could really go out on a limb and benchmark some companies that are highly regarded for their great customer service. A company that comes to my mind is ING Direct. They have GREAT customer service AND they have a GREAT product!
But it may be too little too late for the Sangl family. Four strikes add up to an out with a mulligan.
Favorite blogs read this week
I LOVED the quote that Moneymonk wrote a week ago.
MyMoneyBlog continues to deliver content that makes me read his blog every single day.
The Saving Freak has led me to deals that have gotten me a free bag of candy, free juice, free Polly Pockets, and free Dunkin Donut coffee samples!
Casey Graham is on the same crusade that I am on! He has a passion to help people win with money, and is DOING something about it!
Any other blogs I need to be reading?
Don’t They Get It?! – A Rant By Joseph Sangl
Note: This situation has occurred MULTIPLE times in multiple venues and does not reflect any one situation.
As a financial counselor and teacher, I have encountered many horrible financial situations.
There are times that I leave the conversation thinking, "I don't think they get it!"
I have had people approach me for advice. Their situation? They are three months behind on the house payment and cars have been/are in the process of being repossessed. Their car payments are 40% of their take-home pay. The amount owed on cars is equal to two year's salary! The list of horrible, depressing situations could go on ...
When I ask them how many hours they are working and how many jobs they have, the answer is forty hours and one job!
How is that possible?!!! If being three house payments behind does not motivate one to go get more hours and income, at what point does the fire alarm start ringing?
If I were even close to being behind on a house payment I would have five jobs by the end of the day! I would work eighty or ninety hours each week to get out of the situation!!!!!!
I feel like I am having to sell the concept of earning more money to pay the house payment.
I hear excuses like, "I'm not going to work at McDonald's. They only pay $7/hour."
I understand that they don't want to work at McDonald's, but desperate times call for desperate measures! By working 20 hours per week at McDonald's, they will bring home an extra $400 take-home pay to address the past due situation payments!
Don't get me wrong. I want them to earn as much per hour as possible, but when McDonald's is the option available - take it!
There are times when the world seems all wrong, the bills are stacking up, and life is just not fun. There are two choices available - stand around and watch it all be taken away OR take matters into one's own hands and generate enough income to recover!
You can AVOID falling behind on your payments by spending your money on paper BEFORE the month begins! Click HERE for free budgeting tools.
Click this link to receive each blog post automatically in your e-mail!
AVCLUB.US repaired my blog
This morning, I recognized that my blog had decided to modify itself (or I screwed it up somehow). Anyway, it is back up and running thanks to the POWERFUL and VERY CAPABLE MINDS at www.avclub.us! Thanks www.avclub.us!
If you need someone to design your blog, I highly recommend the team over at www.avclub.us
In fact, you might want to subscribe to the www.avclub.us feed!
Have you had an IHHE Moment?
I am the youngest of six boys in my family. There are no sisters.
You can imagine the state of chaos that our family was in most times. Six boys smashing, pounding, beating, trashing, yelling, and generally misbehaving at all times.
When times got particularly out of control, my mother would have an IHHE Moment. She would announce (to no one in particular) in a LOUD voice - "I Have Had Enough!!!" She had an IHHE Moment.
I can tell you this from experience - when mom had an IHHE Moment, things were changing! Life as we knew it was OVER!
I wonder today if you have had an IHHE Moment with your financial situation. Have you had enough? Are you sick and tired of never having enough money to pay all of the bills on time? Are you sick and tired of falling behind on the house payment? Maybe you are not able to invest money because of the amount of debt you have.
My IHHE moment was in December 2002. My first ever blog post relates some of the story.
Here are some characteristics of IHHE Moments:
- Change happens
- It is an emotional event
- Everyone around that person KNOWS that an IHHE Moment has occurred
If you have had your IHHE Moment - tell everyone about it by writing a comment or e-mailing it to me.
I love to hear stories of life change!
Another edition of the Weekly "I Was Broke. Now, I'm Not!" Podcast was released today! To subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, click HERE. If you do not have iTunes, you can download an mp3 by clicking HERE.
Subscribe to www.JosephSangl.comWal-Mart Chatter
Overheard a statement while walking through Wal-Mart that sums up why I am on a crusade to help people win with money.
Let me set up the situation:
A young family stands looking at a radio controlled helicopter. It is a young man, his wife, and their young child. The young man clearly has a case of the "I wants" and is holding the box in a "I need this" manner.
The wife says to the husband, "Well, if you really want it that bad, go ahead and get it."
Ahhhh, that impulsive nature will drive you to purchase things you can't afford and are not included in the budget.
I wonder if they bought it?
Sangl’s Financial Activities
Here is what has been taking place in the Sangl household from a financial standpoint.
- We have finally received the final bill from the hospital from my hernia repair surgery in June. If I had not had medical insurance, I would have been on the hook for over $23,000 - WITH DISCOUNTS. Since I did have medical insurance, I am obligated to pay the full deductible which was $3,000. If you don't have medical insurance, GET IT NOW! At least acquire major medical/catastrophic health insurance with a super-large deductible!
- My health insurance qualifies for a Health Savings Account (HSA). That means that I don't have to pay taxes on the $3,000 in health insurance costs! If my tax rate is 25%, I would have had to use $4,000 of my income to get $3,000 in take-home pay! I love tax-advantages!
- I recently paid my annual health club membership fee. By paying this annually instead of monthly, I only have to pay for eleven months! Every month I save 1/12 of the annual membership fee and PRESTO! the money is there when the bill comes due! I call it the Known Upcoming Expenses Escrow Account - and you can put together your own escrow account by visiting the TOOLS page.
- My annual life insurance premium and Christmas shopping are also going to happen next month. I am GLAD that I have the escrow account! It makes it SO MUCH EASIER to save for these larger, non-monthly expenses.
- I noticed that ING Direct lowered their interest rate by another 0.10% when the Fed dropped rates this week. Oh well, they are still paying 4.20%! If you have not opened an on-line savings account with ING Direct, you can still get $25 FREE if you open the account with at least $250. I still have a few of those links left. You can click HERE to open your account. NO MORE "FREE $25 LINKS LEFT" - BUT you can still get a great account that is paying 4.20% interest with a minimum balance of $1 by clicking the link at the top right of this page!
- My daughter turns eight in a couple of weeks! Where did all of the time go? I think it is high-time that I review her 529 college savings and make sure we are on the right track!
What financial activities did you embark on over the past week?
I Met With Casey Graham Yesterday!
I had the privilege to hang out again with Casey Graham yesterday!
Casey Graham wears multiple hats at Mountain Lake Church pastored by Shaun Lovejoy in Cumming, Georgia. Those hats include Guest Services and CFO, but he really has a heart for helping others with their personal finances!
In fact, he rivals me in his passion for helping people win with their money!
Our meeting started off so right when Casey called me and said, "Joe, I know that you don't have a Starbucks in Anderson so why don't I just meet you at the Starbucks right down the road from our church?"
From the first minute, we proceeded to rant and rave about helping others win with their personal finances!
Here are some ways that Casey challenged me:
- Practicality. He has been teaching a class at his church that is all about practicality. He urges people to "Talk with your honey about money". I love that! I don't ever want to forget that all of the tools that I teach need to be PRACTICAL!
- His passion for helping others. There is NOTHING like being able to do exactly what God has called you to do. I get to do that every single day!!!
- Networking. Casey has sought mentoring from great men who have huge talent and are willing to take time in their busy schedule to meet with Casey. It makes me wonder if Dave Ramsey would be willing to meet with me quarterly!?!
- Loyalty. He loves Mountain Lake Church. He loves Shaun Lovejoy. He has been willing to do whatever it takes for the team to win.
Folks - I am here to tell you right now that God is using Casey and his skills to help people break free of the bondage of debt and win with money. We met for 2 hours and 45 minutes, and it truly felt like 5 minutes!
I am PUMPED to know that Casey is part of the crusade to help others win with their finances! If he keeps this up, he might achieve official www.JosephSangl.com Financial Hero status.
I Lost The Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party
I lost the Halloween pumpkin carving party that we attended on Friday - but I'm not bitter. I did not go into debt to purchase the pumpkins.
My goal was to carve a "$" sign into the pumpkin. Things were going great, until I chopped out the bottom section that was supporting the top section. The end result? A mangled pumpkin. So I turned it around and came up with this creative carving.
Yes - I carved it upside down. It is about the most creative I can get - after all, I am a degreed engineer. If it isn't straight lines and symmetrical, I'm way out of my comfort zone!
My daughter's pumpkin came out nice! Here is her pumpkin - no knives allowed just yet!
And here is Jenn's!
The next picture is the pumpkin that won the contest.
And for your viewing pleasure, here are the other entries.
