He Makes $350,000 a year but he's struggling to get by!

WHEN THE "RICH" ARE STRUGGLING

Have you heard of the guy Andrew Schiff ? As director of marketing for a dealer in New York he makes $350,000 a year putting him in the top 1% of income earners, but he says he is just getting by. Like many people you might be thinking "this guy in unreal, he has so much money and he's still complaining."

So, why is Schiff still complaining? That's a good question.

A BIGGER SALARY DOESN'T MEAN BEING MORE WEALTHY THAN OTHERS

It's hard to believe that people who are making that much money are still broke while there are other people who live on $30,000 a year and they have a savings account and are debt free.

Take for example a true story of a single mother named Rebecca. She called into the Dave Ramsey show shouting for joy because she just became debt free. She paid off $17,000 in 18 months! And she was making $21,000 a year, now that's amazing.

THE DIFFERENCE

The difference here is lifestyle, if you spend more than you make then you WILL turn out like Schiff, BROKE. If you are like Rebecca then you are closer to being debt free.

Rebecca, though being a single mom, cut down on her budget and tightened her seat belt and really focused on becoming financially free, she lived within her means and can walk towards a life where she can start living like no one else.

It all starts with a decision. But even for Schiff there is hope, if he buckles down and stops trying to impress other people and compete with their need to outshine others, then he would be on his way to financial freedom.

3 Steps to financial freedom:
1) Choose to be financially free
2) Start a plan to become financially free
3) Live the plan to become financially free!

I know you can do it!

Do you know the millionaire's secret?

Did you know that most millionaires have this one thing in common?
That this is the one thing they do that makes them so successful?

Most millionaires STAY AWAY FROM DEBT.


Some people believe that in order to get ahead or in order to make a million dollars you MUST get into debt, but in fact successful people like Dave Ramsey, stays away from debt and refuses to borrow to get ahead.

Want to be a millionaire? IF Yes, then do these 3 things below:

1) live within your means - don't spend more than you earn
2) Do Dave Ramsey's 7 baby steps - If I can do so can you!
3) Stay motivated by reading a success story everyday - don't underestimate the power of encouragement!

Enjoy your journey in getting out of debt! And hopefully I will hear some of your success stories soon!

PRICE CHECK!

Next time you’re in the grocery store shopping and you see a package deal - for example 3 soups for $5 - remember this. New Studies show that when the quantity is presented before the price, you're more like to assume that the deal is better than what it really is. This is because the brain cannot comprehend all the numbers at once and it focuses on the first number it sees. This makes you think that you are actually getting more for your money. To make sure you are getting the best deal check the price of the unit on the shelf and compare.

Is starting a business is today too easy?

It used to be that starting a business would require a lot more sacrifice, where many people would need to invest $100,000 and buy a building in order to start a business. But today, it's very possible to start a business with zero down! You could start by selling things on ebay, or even post your talent on youtube and start making money on ads. There was even a young man who started his own production company from the exposure he received from youtube. There are many success stories on youtube.

But is starting a business becoming too easy?

The simplicity of starting a business today has it's pros and cons. One pro is, you don't have to be rich in order to start a business! But on the other hand the simplicity of starting a business today is showing that some people are not as committed. People are just testing the waters to see if it works. It's definitely different from having sold everything you have, and borrowing money from family and friends- the investment is different mentally and emotionally. It's an all or nothing mentality! Where success or failure would impact your life greatly.

Studies show that when you've spent everything you have on something your instincts get sharper and you make better decisions. But when you have a safety net it's harder to commit to the business you've started. It may take your months or even years to get the business off the floor.

How do we step into our dream life? By jumping and not turning back.

Want to live your dream life? Maybe it's time to grab your parachute and jump out of the safety plane today.

Do You Want to Be a Millionaire?

Do you want to be a millionaire?

According to Forbes.com today there are about 8.4 Million millionaires and 413 billionaires in the united states.But back in the early 1900's there was only 5000 millionaires.

A lot of people think that in order to become  a millionaire you must become a famous singer or actor, but statistically those people are only in the 1% category.

Self-owned Business (74%)

People in this category as usually entrepeneurs, real estate agent etc. Nowadays starting a business can be done for less than a $1000 investment. Why not take a business that's already been done and try doing it 10% better?

Senior Executive Positions (10%)

Last year Tim Cook CEO of Apple was given a package that was valued at $378 million (U.S.). Many positions today are rewarded by the effort and the results that they produce, no longer by the amount of time committed to that company. Many jobs no longer provide the security that many people long for and most people could have more than four jobs in four years!


Doctors, Lawyers, and Other Professionals (10%)
These professionals make a lot of money but only a few of them end up becoming millionaires. Reason being is many of them spend more than they make. It's not about the amount of money you make but how you spend it, you must live within your means.

Sales People and Consultants (5%)
The great thing with sales is that many companies pay a base salary with commission, therefore there is no cap on the amount of money you can make. These people may not have degrees, licenses or certification but they are darn good at selling!

Stock Market, inventor, actors/actresses, singers/songwriters, authors, lottery winners, athletes (<1%)
People think that becoming a famous singer is the only way to make a million dollars but really this is in the less than 1% section. People like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, Madonna, and Lady gaga are in the lime light right now but this is certainly a very rare job that creates millionaires.

To be part of the 74% you truly don't need some new, crazy idea. You can even do something that's already been done and just do it a little better! Don't believe the lie that you need a lot of capital to start a successful business today, you can actually start with something as simple as a lawn mower and start mowing your way in to the 74% of millionaires.

Do What You Love

Do What You Love

Studies show that doing work that you love actually motivates you to go to “work” and get up on Monday mornings. In fact, you will see work in a different light.

Do you ever wonder why people think that when you work you must hate it? And when you try to do something that you love they think you are crazy and taking too much of a risk? The fact is many people are just working to get by, and it’s understandable because it is scary to step into doing the work that you love because it might involve taking a leap of faith. Sometimes you have to do work that you are not passionate about at the moment to get to where you want to be. Just don’t get too comfortable, make sure you have a plan to move towards your dream job.

Suggested reading: 48 days to the work that you love by Dan Miller.

7 Survey sites that can help you financially

Doing surveys won't make you big cash but it sure can earn you extra income, or give you some freebies!

Here are some legitimate survey companies that are trusted and have good reputations.

1) Toluna
2) Inbox Dollars
3) My Points
4) Opinion Outpost
5) Survey Spot
6) Light Speed Research
7) Cash Crate

Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

3 True Things money cannot buy you!

"Money is a good indicator of someones heart."

Studies show that many people think purchasing material things can improve their quality of life. But that's not true at all, otherwise all celebrities and NFL stars would be the happiest group of people in the world. But how many times do you read an article about a huge celebrity who died of overdose? or a celebrity who committed suicide? There are truly things money can't buy you.

1) True friends Money can't buy you true friends. A true friend is someone who knows you but loves you all the same, it is someone who will be there through the good and the bad. True friends don't only come to you in times of money trouble but they share the good aspects of their life as well with you.

2) True Happiness You may have thought to yourself that, "some people have it all but they are still not happy," that's because they truly don't have it all. Money cannot buy you true happiness, it may buy a fleeting fading happiness but not one that lasts eternally. Material things will fade away but love, faith, hope is something that will never die with you. Check out the articles below for lottery winners who admit they are still not happy.

* 16 year old wins lottery and is still unhappy
* 10 lottery winners who lost it all

3) True Love Unlike a pre-nup true love cannot be bought. Have you ever heard of the term "gold digger"? Those are people who are after you for your money, that's why celebrities are surrounded by all these people who try and seduce them and use them for their money. That's why Kanye West's song says, "I ain't saying she's a gold digger but she ain't messing with no broke... brother", it goes something like that. This was a number one hit song.

So before you go and buy those new prada shoes to go and try to impress people you don't even know be very careful! You don't know what kind of people you will be attracting!

Remember money cannot buy you true friends, true happiness or true love.

Take care!

Don't work, Don't eat

"Early to bed, early to rise, keeps you healthy, wealthy and wise." - Benjamin Franklin

My mom used to tell me, "if you don't work, you don't eat!" That means you got to work! 

My friend was driving down the highway today and she saw a homeless person holding a sign by the side of the road that said, "now accepting master card and visa." When I heard this I couldn't help but laugh because the guy was holding the sign and he had a huge smile on his face and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. I sometimes wonder how and where he got that cigarette?

Which led me to write this post. 

If you don't work, you don't eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10) 

In order to achieve your dreams you must put in effort, time, and practice. Nothing good is gained by just sitting at home doing nothing and waiting for the world to hand you a piece of pie. Even athletes train for the olympics months and months before they compete! In order to get out of debt, or save money, we must be willing to roll up our sleeves and get to work! For some this may mean taking a second job, for some it may mean working overtime, or for some it may even mean GETTING A JOB.
Yes a J-O-B, JOB. 

Don't be afraid, just start by taking these three small steps below:

1) Write a resume: Need help? check out http://www.resume-help.org/

2) Get creative with applying: Go to the library and read "What colour is Your Parachute?"

3) Practice for interview: Check out this article for ten top interview questions 

Love, 

The Money Girl

29 WAYS TO SAVE MONEY!

Don't know how to save?

Well, it's springtime, why not try these 29 ways on how to save money this year?


Creative ways to save money

1) Read books: Did you know that studies show that watching TV makes you want to spend more?
2) Go to the Library: Why pay when you can get it free?
3) Get In Shape! Getting in shape means spending less money for doctors bills!
4) Go for a jog or workout at home by watching youtube: Stop spending money on gym fees
5) Use the jar or envelope system: studies show when you spend with cash you actually spend less.
6) Invite friends over to watch a movie or play games: No need to go to the movies when you can watch movies at home!
7) Buy groceries: make lunch at home instead of always paying McDonalds to make it for you.
8) Shop after season: When it's winter start buying summer clothes, when it's summer invest in winter clothing! (You'll save a ton of money!)
9) Carpool: save money on Gas.
10) Read my blog daily! to help you stay on track. =)


Basic ways to save money

1) Cut your cellphone bill: call your cellphone company ans ask to lower your bill
2) Buy a used car: Cars can lose as much as 35% in value in it's first year alone
3) Use coupons: My mom saves tons of money this way
4) Make dinner at home: try not to eat out more than twice a month
5) Find travel deals: compare prices on travel websites like Bing Travel, Kayak, and Fare Compare.
6) Do it Yourself: Cut your dogs hair, do your own nails - try using youtube to teach you how.
7) Buy Open Boxes: I saved around $200 on buying my IMAC using this method, ask for an OPEN BOX.
8) Haggle: Always ask for a discount, We did this at future shop and they were throwing in deals for us.
9) Stop Paying Interest: Get rid of those plastic cards! 
10) Buy within your means: Don't buy something you can't afford.Save on interest.

 Weird and Crazy ways to save

1) Just add water: I add water to my juice because it's too sweet, but it also lasts longer!
2) Stock up on condiments: don't throw out that extra ketchup packet! Save it for next time!
3) Pick up stray golf balls: A mother started collecting stray golf balls in the field while with her son was golfing, and she never had to pay for golf balls again! She even started selling the golf balls she collected and made profit.
4) Stop smoking: you'll be surprised how much money you will save each day doing this. One couple even took a trip that cost more than a thousand dollars by putting away the money they would use to buy cigarettes everyday.
5) Cut your shower time: could you shower in a minute?
6) Flush less: If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown flush it down!
7) Sell your car! and buy one that doesn't require monthly payments!
8) Unplug everything: not using the fan? unplug it. Not using the TV, unplug it! Not using the fridge, unplug it!
9) Grow your own ingredients: Start your own vegetable garden in your backyard! or grow your own ingredients at home, like parsley.

What are some crazy, creative, cool, interesting, basic ways you saved money before? Add a comment by clicking the comment link below!

PAY BY CASH = LOSER?

PAY BY CASH = LOSER?

What do you think of this commercial? Is it true? Do you agree with it?

I personally still pay by cash! I guess I would be that guy who stops the world from moving from my old ancient ways! HAHA! But seriously, I think it's actually quite incredible how good visa is at advertising, to make you think that you are an actual loser if you pay by cash. Visa here gives you an identity, without debt, without plastic you are not accepted. 

Thank you emergency fund!

Proverbs 6:6-8

Go to the ant, sluggard; consider her ways and be wise; who, having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provides her food in the summer and gathers her food in the harvest.

What's an emergency fund you may ask? An emergency fund is money kept aside for EMERGENCIES. Meaning you don't touch it to buy clothes or you don't use that money to buy pizza! It's money meant for life's surprises! I have an emergency fund worth 3-6 months of living expenses.

Why emergency fund comes in handy

So yesterday as I was driving on the highway I was hit with one of life's curve balls, my car heated up and I had to stop on the side of the road. My cell phone was dying and I called my parents to come and find me on the highway. Thankfully after ten minutes there was a tow truck that stopped, and drove me to the garage!

Before when this incident would happen I would turn to plastic (mr.credit card) or start wondering where I would get the money to pay for the repairs. But now I was calm and serene and realized that I had my "emergency fund" and it was going to be okay. Thank God that he has taught me the art of saving and taught me how not to live pay check to pay check.

Proverbs 27:12

A sensible man watches for problems ahead and prepares to meet them. The simpleton never looks, and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 22:3

A prudent one foresees the evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.

Some people may call you faithless for having a savings account, but God calls you wise! God even has storehouses (savings), he has storehouses of water... it says there in the bible.(Psalm 33:7). So my challenge to you today is to start an emergency fund! By doing this you will teach your spirit discipline and hopefully break free from the credit card addiction! 

Love,

The Money Girl

How to get a lot of hits on youtube! :-)

Do a duet with Taylor swift or Zac Efron!

What do you guys think? :-)
4 million hits in 5 days!

They're so cute.

Question from a friend: How do I get out of debt!?!?!!!

The Escape route from debt

Recently, I was with a friend who had an amazing job, but was finding it incredibly hard to get out of debt. We spent the night budgeting and planning an escape route from debt! Below are some tips I gave her.

Situation:
This person has graduated from college/university with a loan of more than $30,000 on all her credit cards, student loans etc. She was finding it hard to get out of debt because once she would pay off the credit card she would use the money again and then she was back to square one. I was like this, and many people are finding it hard to get out of debt.

1) Budget
I used to hate this word with a passion. I used to hate looking at my budget because it would show me exactly what I was doing with my money, which at that time was squandering it away! And this person felt the same way. But budgeting is very key to money success, I seriously know it now. It's called pre-planning.

Anyways, if this person earned 3 dollars she would spend 5 dollars.

When you budget you must make sure that you have spent every dollar on paper before you spend it in real life. The money coming form your next paycheque must be spent on paper before you even receive the money in real life. This will help you stop your over spending habits!

2) List your debts
Make a list of all your debts, from lowest to highest. I learned this from Dave Ramsey and applied this to my life. Why should you list from smallest to largest and not by the amount of interest you need to pay? Because getting into debt is because of habits we have, getting out of debt will also require applying new habits into your life. When you pay off the lowest debt first your it triggers something in your body and give you the boost you need to keep going and going and going!

3) Execute your plan
Wouldn't it suck if you created a business plan and then failed to do it? You would have wasted all your time planning. It's like me writing a blog to help people but never publishing it online or never sharing it with anyone, success is all in the execution.

I hope you enjoy this journey getting out of debt! It's hard and takes perseverance but believe me, it is worth it! I would encourage you to visit daveramsey.com and read on some success stories people had!

Love,
The Money Grrl

7 business ideas that require less than $1000 investment

7 business ideas that require less than $1000 investment

1) Dog Walking Business - You can call it walk-a-dog inc. All you need are flyers and of course courage to walk dogs of all sizes and personalities! I remember working at a restaurant and one of our customers started out doing this part-time now this is her full-time gig and she is finding it hard to keep up with the demand. She started by posting up posters and she was in business! Why not give this a try.

2) Home Daycare - Are you a stay at home mom? or are you someone who just wants to work at home so you can spend more time with your kids? Then this is a great business for you. I used to work at a daycare while I was in bible school, the daycare was growing rapidly and had more than 5 employees. The mother started the daycare in her living room and now she is renting out a room in a school. There is a lot of potential for this business.

3) Hobby Lessons - Do you know how to play any instruments? Like piano or guitar? Why not try offering piano lessons or guitar lessons? I used to make an extra $80 a month teaching a one boy for one hour each saturday. That's about $20 an hour. What special talents or skills do you have that someone might want to learn?

4) Start a blog - Are you passionate about a certain topic? Or are you someone who people love listening to and hearing about your stories? Well, why not start a blog? Blogging is a great way to help encourage people and inspire them. But blogging does take persistence, so if this is something you are interested in then create a schedule and keep writing and writing! If your blog does well then you can start adding google adsense, chikita ads, an amazon store, or ebay store, text link ads, or sell your own products or services!

5) Avon - Avon is an amazing company that helps empower women around the world. And that's why I love it so much. My mom sells avon and she makes an extra $100 a month without really trying. This company sells many products like make-up, clothes, perfumes etc. To learn more about avon check out www.avon.com or feel free to comment and I can give you more information.

6) Computer repair - This is a great business as there are so many people who don't know much about computers, like me for example. One boy in college wanted to make extra money each month so he started buying old computers and fixing it up. After a while he was making more than $1000 a month and it became a very lucrative business for him. If you're good with computers then this is a great business for you, why not try buying one computer and starting something like this?

7) Start selling on Ebay - A lot of people succeeded on Ebay, I remember reading a story about a man who started by buying old strollers and then fixing it up and reselling it. He was very successful and predicted to make one million dollars in sales last year alone. What items are lying around your house that you can sell? Read more ebay success stories here: http://pages.ebay.com/storefronts/success/butterfly-twins.html.

So why wait? There are opportunities all around, just keep your eyes and mind open!

Do you have ideas you want to add, send in a comment below!

Life is short don't waste it...

Currently Listening to: Switchfoot - Dare you to Move
Currently feeling: reminiscent

Isn't if funny how one moment you could be enjoying time with someone you love and the next day they are gone? One thing this truly teaches me is that life is short... you never know what is going to happen so truly we must make most of every moment we have.

Are we wasting our time chasing money and not spending enough time with our families? Are we spending our whole life just working but never enjoying what we worked for? Don't wait to enjoy your life until it is too late. I'm not saying to squander your savings but I'm asking you to sit down and look at your priorities in life. What is your focus?

R.I.P. Mama Latupeirissa
you will be missed.

Is God Poor?

I think many times we view God as someone who cannot provide. We see Him as someone who can't possibly have any new ideas, or witty inventions, or Someone who just doesn't care about us enough to take care of us. When in fact, He is just the opposite.

God is a provider (Matthew 6:31-32, Matthew 7:11, Luke 12:7, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Philippians 4:19),

He is not a God of lack. Our God is a God of more than enough, He owns the hills, the valleys, and the whole universe. It is all His and He created it all. 

When Jesus walked this planet there was never a time where He was lacking. He always had exactly what He needed, and the same goes for us, we must know that our God shall supply all our needs. 

Our God can provide for us supernaturally! 

When Jesus needed the money to pay the tax collector he asked one of His disciples to go and get a fish from the water and get the money out of it's mouth and they were able to pay the tax collector (Matthew 17:27). When they needed fish and bread to feed the multitude, they were able to multiply 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, there was even food leftover at the end! (Matthew 14:13-21)

So, today I challenge you to lay down all your burdens at God's feet. He is more than capable of carrying them for you and providing for your needs. But remember Matthew 6:33, "seek ye first the kingdom of God and ALL these things shall be added unto to You." Continue to seek God and I know He has many more exciting things He wants to do in your life. It is only the beginning!

God Bless!

Money = Temporary Happiness

In our society today materialism is one of the number one things that holds people. People feel defined by the clothes that they wear, or the type of car they drive, or the size of their house. But even if you buy a new diamond ring it may give you temporary happiness and excitement for a moment but it won't last forever. Truly those things will eventually fade away.

Money can't buy you peace, love, happiness

I remember a friend telling me a story about a situation she experienced. She was dating someone who came from a family who were millionaires. They were famous around the world and very well known in their area of expertise. She remembered visiting their house and it being like paradise, she described it as heaven on earth. But one thing she will never forget is the fact that inside their home was turmoil and pain. The parents divorced and the father became an alcoholic, they are still very rich but very unhappy. Money couldn't keep the family together, what keeps a family together is love. 

So, remember this the next time you want to buy that prada shoes, it's who you are inside that matters. Stuff don't make you a better person but it's your character that defines who you are, 

Love,

The Money grrl

Get Creative, Get out of Debt

If you would be wealthy, think of saving as well as getting. -Benjamin Franklin

random stuff at home...

Finding it hard to save money?
Sometimes saving money can be such a daunting task, trust me I know. But saving money is important and it is an act of self-control. Even if you just save $2 a month, that's still a step upward!
Below are some steps I have personally taken to save some money and some very key things that helped me get out of DEBT totally.

1) Paying Rent? Find other ways to help your landlord

how about vacuuming the house for them?

Recently I am working on recording a CD and buying equipment for it which costs over $2000 on the project I am working on. So, I'm on a mission to save money to fund this project! Recently, I found a way to eliminate paying $200 a month by asking if there was anything I could do to help around the house? and lo and behold, they needed a bit of help with tidying and doing laundry, so every other tuesday I help out for about 5 hours a days and it saves me $200 a month!

Total Savings: $200 a month

2) Patience is a virtue 
I work monthly rotating shifts, which means once month you could be working 8am-4pm and the next month 2pm-10pm. There was a time I was working the 1:15pm-9:15pm shift, I know what you're thinking "how random". Parking at my office can cost $9 a day, but if you leave at 10pm parking is actually free! So, my colleagues and I would wait everyday on those shifts so we could save that $9 a day. Some would wait 2 hours. What's the harm in waiting 45 minutes right? Instead of sitting around and doing nothing, I use that time to read and study or... budget! It's great.

Total savings: $180 per month

3) DO-IT-YOURSELF
Now this one is tricky, there are some projects that you can totally do yourself and some you need a professional. For women, we love getting done up and dressing up and so on. I decided to pluck my own eyebrows twice a month, or whenever needed, the uni-brow look just doesn't look good on me. One trip to the beauty parlour to get my eyebrows plucked would cost me $9, since I used to go twice a month that saved me $18 dollars! Yay! What are some do it yourself ideas you can apply to your life right now? 
Total savings: $18


In conclusion, don't be afraid to try something new! Get creative with saving money!
Some may require saying no to some immediate urges but trust me, as soon as you see your savings grow you will pat yourself on the back and say "good girl/boy!"
Love,
The money Grrl

Check out more ideas from my facebook friends:

The love of money

Do Christians have to live without money? Do we have to live in poverty in order to serve God? If you were anything like me you may have thought, "well the only way I could glorify God with my life is if I sell all the things I own and live in poverty." That was a mentality I had when I was younger, but as I got older and read the bible more and more I realized that that is not the plan of God for my life. HALLELUJAH!

In fact, God wants to prosper me and bless me. He is a creative God who has STOREHOUSES in heaven. More than we can fathom...He even has storehouses of water! Our God is not a God of lack but of abundant provision. In this blog I want to show you one way God looks at money.

1) Money is a tool, NOT a master.
Has someone ever told you that "money is the root of all evil?" and they quote you that bible verse 1 Timothy 6:10. But what you need to notice is that in that bible verse it actually says, "the LOVE of money is the root of all evil." THE LOVE OF MONEY, not money itself.


I look at money as a brick. You can use the brick to break a window, or you can use a brick to build a house. It is the same with money you can use it as a tool to build an orphanage or use it as a tool to build a strip club. In 1 Timothy 6:10 God is looking at the heart. Are you after money or are you after God? Are you motivated by love or greed? If you are motivated by money then you would do anything to get it, you may step on people to get it, you may kill for money. BUT if you keep your eyes on God Matthew 6:33 will happen to you. God says, "seek ye first the kingdom of GOd and ALL these things shall be added on to you," and money is one of those things.

Remember, money isn't a bad thing! But how you use it and how you attain it is what matters to God.

Keep an eye for the next blog as I will dig further into this topic!