Archive for September 2010

How To Crush Your Finances: Divorce

Divorce is one of the top reasons that people struggle financially.   The old adage is true:

Marriage is grand.   Divorce is one hundred grand.

Divorce crushes finances because:

  • HOPE is lost
  • Maintaining 2 households instead of 1
  • Child support is very costly
  • Alimony is very costly
  • Attorneys take a huge chunk of cash

Have you been divorced or are you a child of divorce?   Would you be willing to share with us your experiences of how divorce has impacted you financially?

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Reverse Bucket List: What I’m Never Doing Again

Recently, many of you shared some of the items you have placed on your “Bucket List” – HERE.   Today, I want to talk about some “Reverse Bucket List” items – things I am NEVER doing again.

I was introduced to this concept by my mother when she announced to me that she was never going to a roller coaster park again.   She said, “That is on my reverse bucket list.   I’m never doing that again.”

It made me stop and think about this from a financial sense.   What are some things I am NEVER going to do again?

Here’s the start of my “Reverse Bucket List” …

I’m never going to:

  • Have non-house debt again (working feverishly to eliminate the house debt as well!)
  • Finance a car again
  • Finance anything with 90 days “same as cash” again – it is NOT the same as cash
  • Buy something and say, “My tax refund is coming, and I will pay for it then.”
  • Operate a single month without a written spending plan for that month’s money
  • Miss a single month investing for my two kiddos college and retirement
  • Operate without at least $2,500 in my emergency fund
  • Buy anything that costs more than $200 without first talking to Jenn about it

What are some items on your “Reverse Bucket List”?     Share some of your thoughts below!

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Bucket List: What Do You Want To Do?

In the movie, The Bucket List, one of the two individuals diagnosed with a terminal illness writes down his “bucket list” – the things he wanted to do before he “kicked the bucket.”

Call me crazy, but I believe that writing down one’s bucket list AFTER being diagnosed with a terminal illness is usually bad timing.   Of course, if you have a terminal illness and have not yet written down your bucket list, it is never too late!

So today, I am challenging you to write down your bucket list.   If you already have one, pull it out and update it.

Perhaps you would share some of your bucket list with all of the readers below. Once you have submitted your ideas, you can see everyone’s submissions by clicking the link provided that states “See previous responses” – Maybe you can get some more ideas to add to your list!.

By the way: We ALL have a terminal illness – it is called “being a human”.   The last I checked, the mortality rate was 100%.   So let’s get FIRED UP and LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST while we can!

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Why Do You Do What You Do?

I can’t believe that I get to do what I get to do for a living! Every single day, I get to help people, churches, and businesses FREE themselves financially.   Every. Single. Day.   It is life-giving, joy-filled, and affirming!   I get to help hopeLESS people become hope FUL.   I get to help leaders fund their dreams.

So on this lovely Friday, I want to start off this Labor Day weekend with a huge POSITIVE.   I want to hear what you do and why you do it!   Click on the “comment” link and share with us all.   Let’s share and read each other’s reasons and celebrate the fact that we get to do Life-Giving work!

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