Hope for your financial life and beyond

Giving: Like Never Before

December 29, 2012 by 2 Comments

Give to charity - FDP CreditHave you ever taken a moment to evaluate and reflect on how you organize your monthly budget? What line items find their way to the top of the column? Mortgage…food…car loan…clothing…pet food…Netflix subscription? What tends to get left over and pushed to the bottom?

I believe our budgets give us an indication of what we value most in life. We put the have-to-happen items at the top and the things-you-could-do-without-if-you-had-to items at the bottom. Makes sense. I mean, after all, we have to prioritize.

Everyone’s priorities are different and there is nothing wrong with that because our individual situations are unique. However, there is one priority we could probably give more attention to, and in 2013, I want to make it a goal. I want to give like never before.

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In Whom Do You Trust?

December 27, 2012 by 5 Comments

Tree by waterChristmas 2012 is behind us, which means there are only a few short days until the calendar turns the page to a new year. If you are like me, you have already begun to plan ahead and maybe have already listed two or three resolutions to pursue in the upcoming year. It’s always beneficial to set goals as they set us in motion, give us direction and produce intensity to accomplish great things.

My personal goals have to begin with my most important relationship. So today as I begin this New Year’s Resolution Series, I would like us to (re)consider the value of placing our trust in the right thing.

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What I Learned About Blogging From My First 50 Posts

December 24, 2012 by 6 Comments

Blog WorldWe can learn by reading and studying a topic, but nothing serves as a better teacher than experience. There comes a time in any endeavor when you are required to gain that experience by jumping in with both feet. I chose to jump this past July when I started Luke1428.com.

Last Friday, I wrote about the 4 things my first 50 blog posts taught me about myself. Today, I would like to share 6 things my first 50 posts taught me about blogging.

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5 Great Articles From This Week (12/22/12)

December 22, 2012 by 10 Comments

Enjoy these five articles that I found helpful this week. Have a great weekend!

10 Ways to Keep Your Holiday Season Simple (Budget and the Beach blog shares some cool things you can do to take the pressure off this time of year.)

I Got A New Job! (Doing the job search thing or maybe looking for something better? Here are some great insight into how Corey landed his dream job.)

My Best Financial Tip: Stop Being Afraid (Have a financial goal or personal dream? What are you afraid of?)

Is It Time To Retire the Concept of Retirement? (Do we want to retire or do we really want financial independence instead?)

Should You Combine Your Finances When You Get Married? (Some great advice about how combining finances can change a marriage.)

 

Filed Under: Weekly Recaps

What My First 50 Blog Posts Taught Me About Myself

December 21, 2012 by 4 Comments

shakespeare bloggingOn July 3, 2012 I started writing this blog. It’s taken six months of part time posting to reach this, my 50th blog article. So in honor of this personal milestone, I am writing a two-part series on what my experience has taught me thus far about myself and what it has taught me about blogging.

So, for part one - 50 blog posts have taught me these things about myself:

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3 Reasons Credit Cards Didn’t Work For Me

December 18, 2012 by 4 Comments

Credit Card TrapTo use credit cards or not? That is the question.

Like most of you, I have placed a good many credit cards in my wallet through the years. I believed what every American hears - that using credit is convenient, it’s safer than carrying cash or debit cards, and there is protection on large purchases. I also figured I needed one for emergencies, and of course to improve my credit score for those all-important car and home loans.

Good people come down on both sides of this question and the purpose of this writing is not to discuss the pros and cons of each position. Rather, I would like to share with you why, after years of using credit cards for EVERY purchase, I just finally decided it wasn’t for me. I just couldn’t get past these three issues in my life.

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5 Articles Worth Your Time (12/15/12)

December 15, 2012 by 2 Comments

Reading I cute boyHere are my top 5 reads for the week, plus a bonus read. Have a great weekend!

The Top 6 Scientifically Proven Ways to Persuade and Encourage Others (Persuasion is a science not an art. You just need the right approach.)

The Social Sickness (Are you a social media addict? Check these profiles to find out.)

Multi-Billionaire Warren Buffet’s 5 Tips To Live By (Here are five things Warren Buffet passed on to his son, Peter.)

Are You Ambitious Enough For Success (Is ambition alone enough to succeed? What will you have to give up in the pursuit of success?)

How Much Should You Invest in a College Education? (Lists some factors that you might consider before pursuing a college degree.)

Bonus Read:

How Much Money Would It Take to Lead a Great Life? (Have you ever left a great situation just for more money? How did that work out? Was it worth it? How much money would it take for you to leave your current job, family, or environment?)

Filed Under: Weekly Recaps

A Secret to Success (For Men Only)

December 14, 2012 by 3 Comments

We men are an interesting bunch. We love our fast cars, big guns, and BBQ on the tailgate. We play Black Ops II until our thumbs cramp, go shirtless with body paint (or armor and skulls) to our favorite sporting event and engage in all types of extreme activity to push our adrenaline to the edge.

And we love to be successful. Way deep down, inherent in our nature, is an extreme ambition to excel.

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5 Personal Finance Items to Evaluate at Least Once a Year

December 11, 2012 by 5 Comments

2012 is rapidly coming to a close and those New Year’s resolutions are right around the corner. Before we get started on 2013, however, it’s probably a wise move to take inventory in key areas of our personal finances. With the fast pace of life, it’s easy to have things slip passed us unintentionally. We can think of this task as our very own personal finance “State of the Union” address.

This idea is not new. In fact Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote in Proverbs 27:23-24, “Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds; for riches are not forever, nor does a crown endure to all generations.” We cannot assume just because something was once a good deal, investment or goal that it will continue to be so. Our life circumstances change so we should be on the cutting edge of awareness about these matters.

Here are five key areas of our personal finances to review at least once a year.

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5 Articles Worth Your Time (12/8/12)

December 8, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Here are my top reads from the week. Have a great weekend!

44 Actions You Can Take Now to Boost Your Energy (What actions would you add to this list?)

How to Ask For a Raise (Want to ask your employer for a raise? This article offers 7 tips on this delicate situation.)

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Filed Under: Weekly Recaps

Change Your Family Tree - Be a McFly

December 7, 2012 by 2 Comments

Each Christmas, the church I attend produces a musical comedy/drama to tell the story of how Jesus Christ came to be born into this world. These productions are written and directed by our worship leader who develops each year’s theme around a particular movie title or television show. Over the years, we’ve run the gamut, from “A Star Trek Christmas” to “Castaway” to “O Christmas, Where Art Thou?” Yes, I know, it’s interesting - you would just have to see it to understand. This year I am fortunate enough to play a supporting role as George McFly in “A Back to the Future Christmas.”

Of course, I go through a personal life transformation in the play where my character’s persona changes as the events of time are altered. My wife Lorraine accidentally sets off one of Doc Brown’s experimental time-vortex coffee machines he had left in the care of Marty and Jennifer. In our play, my change was no fault of my own. It was much different, however, in Back to the Future, Part I.

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Filed Under: Relationships Tagged With: , ,
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