Archive for 2009

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

1. Obtain new auto/homeowner's/renter's/motorcycle/boat/etc. insurance quotes from at least three companies – HERE is a great way to get those quotes.
2. Use coupons when shopping for groceries and use them when the products are on sale (I really like CouponMom.com – it is FREE!)
3. Before purchasing anything on-line, ALWAYS go to RetailMeNot.com to see if a discount code is available.
4. Dump the home phone (or try out the magicJack – costs around $20/year)
5. Dump the cable
6. Before purchasing anything – use a price comparison website to see where you can purchase that item for the cheapest price (like FRUCALL)
7. Rent movies from RedBox – they are only $1/day (but you can get FREE rentals if you visit RetailMeNot.com – see #3)
8. Be flexible and use PriceLine.com or Hotwire.com to negotiate travel costs.
9. Drink water from the water fountain instead of from a plastic bottle that costs $1 or more.

What other saving ideas can you share with us?

Read recent posts

Part Three  Establish Accountability

Find someone who is (1) winning with money, (2) not trying to sell you something, and (3) are available to help you and ask them to hold you accountable to your saving goal.  I have seen some people go to the extreme length of actually giving the money to the other individual to hold for them because they cannot trust themselves to keep their own hands off of it.

Accountability can also be created by your written spending plan that you prepare every month before the month begins (you do prepare one, right?).  This plan helps cement your goals in your mind and helps you connect the fact that if you spend money on unplanned items, you will literally be robbing yourself of your savings goals.

I am married – this means I have built-in accountability.  Jenn is a huge saver.  She keeps me (the spender) in control. Establish accountability – it works!

Read recent posts

Part Two  Create An Escrow Account For Known, Upcoming Expenses

For those unfamiliar with an escrow account, it is a savings account that is generally established by a mortgage company.  The mortage company totals the annual cost of property taxes and homeowner's insurance and divides it by the number of payments being made each year.  The mortgage company then pays for the taxes and insurance from this escrow (savings) account.  For example, if the property taxes are $1,200/year (sorry Chicago folks – this is how low they are in the South) and the insurance is $600, then the total amount needed each year is $1,800.  The mortgage company will collect $150 extra with each monthly payment to place into the escrow account.

An escrow account smooths out the cost over a year – instead of having to pay for it all in one month.  It tightens the monthly budget, but having a fully funded escrow account sure is AWESOME when vacation arrives and the money has already been saved to pay cash for it!  Those who have a mortgage with an escrow account will testify to the fact that they never worry about paying for the taxes and insurance – ask someone!

Take a moment to read THIS POST about how to calculate the amount you need to save each month for your known, upcoming expenses.

Take it from one who has lived it – if you do not plan for your known, upcoming expenses, your ability to save money will be tremendously hampered!