Hope for your financial life and beyond

How to Stop Making Bad Money Mistakes Again and Again

February 2, 2015 by 13 Comments

Have you made a lot of money mistakes in life? I sure have. Some of mine seemed to happen over and over again. After awhile, they end up becoming bad habits of thinking and acting that impact the course of my life.

money mistakesWhen habits become ingrained we have a difficult time changing our mind and consequently the actions that follow. It’s like we become Bill Murray in Groundhog Day, living the same day over and over, making the wrong decisions again and again.

If you find yourself in this situation, take hope. Turning the corner is possible. We do not have to be bound and determined to live a mistake-prone life.

How to Stop Making Money Mistakes

Whether it’s money mistakes other issues of life, the path can be altered. When I keep making the same mistakes over and over I work through these steps.

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Filed Under: Lifestyle, Managing Money Tagged With: , ,

This One Thing You Lack to Have Treasure In Heaven

January 23, 2015 by 5 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #73 – “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” – Mark 10:21

treasure in heavenWe all have things that hold us back.

Things we can’t shake.

Things we don’t want to give up.

Things we love that bring us pleasure.

We’ve crossed a line when our love for and desire for such things keeps us from moving forward (or toward) to better things. We miss out on the prospects for a better future because we are latched onto the passions of the present.

To often the main culprit here is money and our desire for more.

Jesus and a Rich Young Man

One day Jesus was out teaching and a rich young man of some ruling stature came to him. The man knelt before Jesus and asked him a simple question,

“Good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , , ,

Top 7 Ways to Raise a Money Smart Kid

January 22, 2015 by 6 Comments

Being a father of four I appreciate the value of raising money smart kids. Please welcome today Ruby Andrew as she shares with us some important steps parents should be taking with their children.

Financial values and good spending habits are one of the important life skills parents can teach their children. These lessons have a great effect in shaping the financial life aspect of a child.

Indeed, it is imperative for parents to begin teaching their children these financial lessons at an early stage. Here are seven lessons that should be a must for any parent to teach.

Start talking early enough about money

It is really important for a child to understand more about money. What money can buy, where one gets money and how one spends money.

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Filed Under: Kids and Money Tagged With: , , , ,

4 Guiding Money Principles that Every Child (and Adult) Must Learn

August 14, 2014 by 18 Comments

Please welcome my good friend and Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) Shannon Ryan from The Heavy Purse as she guest posts today.

word learn engraved in stoneWhen I was 13 years old, my father began giving me “money lessons” while we ate dinner, and I had no idea how these simple lessons would change my life. He didn’t focus on how money worked, but instead he showed me how my emotions affected my spending habits and money beliefs. With his guidance, I changed how I viewed money – from lack and fear – to one of abundance. Most importantly, I learned how to make financially confident decisions that aligned how I used my money with my goals and values. It felt great.

It wasn’t until college that I realized what a special gift my father gave me. Many of my friends and classmates had not been taught how to handle money wisely. Money wasn’t discussed in their homes, so they learned by trial and mostly error. I wanted to help them and became a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®). For the past 22 years, it’s been my honor to help families and individuals reclaim their money happiness.

How Money Habits and Beliefs Are Formed

One trend I noticed repeatedly was that many of our money habits and beliefs formed when we were children, not adults. We observed how our parents handled money and mimicked them, inheriting their money hang-ups along the way. We then grew up to pass these same hang-ups to our children, continuing the vicious cycle.

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Filed Under: Kids and Money, Managing Money Tagged With: , , , ,

7 Financial Hurdles to Becoming a Stay at Home Dad

August 4, 2014 by 12 Comments

Today I’m guest posting and commenting at the personal finance blog Reach Financial Independence. Click the link below to read about the financial challenges my wife and I decided to check off our list before I became a stay at home dad. 

sprinters jumping hurdles

Image at Wikimedia Commons

So, you want to be a stay at home dad? Great! I’ve recently become one after several long years of planning and deliberation. Needless to say, it’s a decision that cannot be taken lightly.

In order to reach this point, my wife and I desired for several things to happen. First of all, my wife needed to REALLY aspire – out of her own conviction – to work outside the home. I didn’t pressure her or twist her arm to make this happen. In fact, on many levels, she wanted it more than I.

Secondly, there were of course financial matters to consider. Going from two incomes to one is no picnic. We both had to focus on…

Click here to keep reading at Reach Financial Independence…

Next Post: Back to School Savings I Don’t Care About

Prior Post: Celebrating a Milestone With My Top 10 Favorite Proverbs About Money

 

Filed Under: Goals, Marriage, Planning Tagged With: , , ,

My Top 10 Favorite Proverbs About Money

August 2, 2014 by 20 Comments

proverbs about moneyIt’s an exciting milestone day for me as my Hidden Nuggets Series is turning 50…as in this will be the 50th post in the series I started just over a year ago. It’s been an encouraging experience for me personally as I’ve explored how verses in the Bible and proverbs about money relate to my personal financial journey and issues in the world at large.

In case you are wondering, my interest in what the Bible said about money began while leading Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University class in 2010. In the middle of a video session, Dave made an off-hand remark saying that a person could get a degree in personal finance just by reading the Biblical book of Proverbs. “It’s in there…really!” he said, and then went on with the lesson.

That statement intrigued me. For days I couldn’t shake the comment.

So I started reading from Proverbs – one chapter a day for a month. That month of reading and recording all the proverbs about money I could find so inspired me, I decided to read the entire Bible through in a year and record all the verses that discussed a money related theme. I would find over 400 passages in all…you can find them categorized here.

That exercise taught me that if God takes the issue of money and our use of it seriously then so should I.

Top 10 Proverbs About Money

To celebrate my 50th post in the Hidden Nuggets Series I’d like to list and rank my personal top 10 proverbs about money and share a brief snippet about what the verse means to me. Here they are from #10 to #1.

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Filed Under: Biblical Money Truths, Hidden Nuggets Series Tagged With: , , ,

The Lemonade Stand Book Review Plus An iPad Mini Giveaway

July 14, 2014 by 19 Comments

The lemonade stand book reviewToday I have the pleasure of assisting my friend Shannon Ryan from TheHeavyPurse.com as she kicks off the release of her new book The Lemonade Stand. In addition, you can sign up below for the chance to receive a free iPad Mini. How cool is that!

Before you get to the giveaway, I’d like to briefly share my review of The Lemonade Stand, a book geared toward children ages 4-9.

The book follows the adventures of sisters Lauren and Taylor and their friends Ryan and Christopher.

The Storyline

As they shop in preparation for a beach trip the following day, Christopher discovers a toy he wants really bad. Guess what? His brother Ryan also finds something in the toy aisle. Both beg their mother for their desired toy that they must have “right now!”

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Filed Under: Book Review, Kids and Money Tagged With: , , , ,

The Final Destination Is Worth the Pain of Starting Over

July 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

Today I’m guest posting and commenting at the personal finance blog Budget and the Beach. Click the link below to read the rest of this post.

Piece of paper reading No Pain No Gain

Image at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tonya, the owner of this blog and I share an affinity for physical fitness. Her go-to activities are beach volleyball and more recently running, while mine are biking and running. Neither of us train for competition at a world-class level. Our efforts are solely designed to fulfill our enjoyment, keep us fit and produce energy to tackle our respective daily activities.

Accept when they don’t…because we get hurt.

Her injury bug was a bum shoulder that kept her from playing beach volleyball awhile back. My most recent ailment was the dreaded…

Continue reading at Budget and the Beach

Next Post: Happy Anniversary! Luke1428 Enters the Terrible Twos

Prior Post: Debunking a Few Home-Buying Misconceptions

Filed Under: Goals, Managing Money Tagged With: , , , ,

How to Play the “Take This Money – No Thanks – I Insist” Game

June 27, 2014 by 13 Comments

Hidden Nuggets Series #46 – “But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” – II Samuel 24:24

I insistNo doubt at one point or another, you’ve been caught up in the verbal posturing known as the “Take this money” game.

The conflict in this game centers around one person’s refusal to take a sum of money being offered. The format can be played in two directions. In one scenario, you are the person offering the money. In scenario two, you are the person receiving the money.

In either configuration, the person being offered the money refuses it, thus leading to some tricky verbal exchanges:

“Here, take this.”

“No thanks.”

“I insist.”

“No really, that’s not necessary.”

“No, I have too…you went through so much trouble” (said while thrusting the money at the other party).

“I don’t want it…really, it was no trouble” (said with hands held head high and palms outward in the “stick-em-up” position).

“Here, you must…” (said with a hyper voice while trying to physically put money in the person’s hand or jacket pocket).

“No, please…I’m not taking it…” (tone starting to get defensive).

And on the exchange can endlessly go.

As a child, I watched several of these exchanges devolve into heated arguments. I never understood why either side would be so stubborn. More than anything, it boggled my mind that someone would refuse money of any amount being offered them. Why? “It’s money for crying out loud. Take it already!” I remember thinking.

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Filed Under: Hidden Nuggets Series, Random Fun Tagged With: , ,

The 3 Money Topics Teenagers Most Like to Discuss

June 25, 2014 by 3 Comments

Today I’m guest posting at The Heavy Purse, a blog that focuses on parents teaching their kids about money. Click the link below to read the rest of this post.

Teenage student holding credit card

Image at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I’ve had the privilege for the past 17 years to be engaged in a challenging and never-dull career, the educational instruction of teenagers. Until giving up my high school teaching position recently to become a stay at home dad, part of my instructional responsibility was teaching Basic Economics and Personal Finance classes. I used some really good material over the years, including the high school curriculum published by Dave Ramsey’s team.

My economics classes were enjoyable enough. The students were able to understand the historical trends of economics, the basic concepts of supply and demand, and how governments can promote or hinder economic growth. I would say as a whole, that class was met with only average, C+ levels of enthusiasm.

But mention the words “Personal Finance” and the kid’s eyes would light up…

Continue reading at The Heavy Purse…

Next Post: How to Play the “Take This Money – No Thanks – I Insist” Game

Prior Post: How I Increased My Facebook Reach For Blog Posts By Over 700 Percent

 

Filed Under: Kids and Money Tagged With: , , ,

Four Big Money Issues For Couples to Settle Before Marriage

June 19, 2014 by 2 Comments

Today I am guest posting and commenting at Young Adult Money. Please follow the link below and enjoy the rest of this post.

My wife and I spent a lot of time getting ready for marriage. We dated for several years, attended pre-marriage counseling, and talked for countless hours about likes and dislikes, our families, children and careers.

We didn’t talk a lot about money though. We might have touched on it briefly during our counseling sessions but I cannot remember sharing deep discussions about our views on debt, spending, or saving. It simply wasn’t on our radar.

I believe our experience is representative of many couples…

Continue reading at Young Adult Money…

Next Post: The Two-Faced Giver: When It Looks Like Rain It’s Supposed to Pour

Prior Post: How Being Flexible Saved Our Vacation

Filed Under: Marriage Tagged With: , ,