Money Talk Matters

Posts Tagged ‘financial plan’

This came early and quite fast. I knew that I would spend my day playing catch up because I took a lot of time with the family over the last few days which WERE GREAT! Everyone was sleeping in pretty late and I got up with my to do list in mind – laundry, blogging, interview questions and much more. The only known items that I would be spending money on today that I knew of was bottled water and two books of stamps. No more than $30.00 right. Total: $25.58.

The kids were awake yet still laying in their bed. They were thrilled to discover that hubby didn’t have to go to work. I thought it was quite funny last night when our daughter asked me if she needed to set the clock. I told her don’t worry about it, I’ll just get you up in the morning. She said okay and went on up.

This morning as I begin feverishly working on my list, I decided to stop and go to the grocery store before it got crowded. I have witnessed the holiday rush and REFUSED to get caught in those lines. I went in and got my 2 cases of water.. total $7.98 – yea! Then I left.

I stopped at the other store to get my 2 books of stamps. $17.60 – purchased and came right out. Have you ever been able to go in a store and get exactly what you purposed to get and not get swayed by any of the sales?

I came home and our money discussion this morning was about paying more than the minimum amount due for the tires we had put on my car about two months ago. I was in full agreement. Immediately following the next money discussion on tap was regarding the unexpected dental bill that occurred approximately a month after the car. We talked about how I’d already been paying more than the minimum on this one. We decided that as long as we were in position, to pay off the account that has the automobile tires in August. Then turn around and begin doing double payments for the dental bill.

Today you are in for a treat, because I’m sharing about three different financial conversations. Then we turned to my latest book, Bride and Groom Money Talk FAQ. What are some of the different marketing strategies that I’ve employed and what are targets he think I should be going after. My husband said to me churches should be utilizing this book. Then we discussed our experiences of churches being territorial even if they don’t provide solutions to issues that their members are dealing with. I told him, I don’t want their members – it is my goal that they are affiliated with resources that they can refer their members to. Then I shared with him how I’ve heard that same battle from different authors that deal with relationships and a financial colleague.

We then talked about the mailer I did for premarital financial counseling clients about three weeks ago, my investment, the result and what would be my next step. Knowing the seriousness of my topic, I shared that I would reach out to this group again with a different type of mailer and then see what happens from that. I set my own business goals for clients and books sales for the month of July 2011. I know that I’ve been doing the work and I will begin seeing the fruits of my labor.

Money and Marriage Lessons for today:

1) Don’t fall into the pressure of unexpected sales when you go shopping. Stick to the original plan and you will come out ahead.

2) When unexpected expenses arise, decide together how you are going to handle it. Think big picture, develop a PLAN and work it together.

3) When you have two unexpected expenses that occur close in time, take a deep breath and move forward. You can do it.

4) If you are a business owner, keep your spouse informed on what is happening with your business. Don’t leave out your investments and the result. Your spouse may very well provide you with a marketing strategy that you never thought of AND it could be the “winning move”.

Money and Marriage Encouragement for the Day: My spouse provides business recommendations for the benefit of our marriage.

Now is the time during the engagement and wedding planning for a bride-to-be and groom to get on the same page about finances. How do they do this? First and foremost they should go to dinner and begin discussing openly and honestly with each other, how they handled money as a single person. What did they do that they like and what did they do that they did not like and would not want to see in their marriage.

This is a time to put things on the table in order to establish a financial foundation for their marriage. WOOHOO, they can think beyond the wedding day in order to start their marriage off on proper footing. This is not a time to close one eyes to financial behavior that might not be appropriate.

Take adavantage of this time and begin discussing money. Doesn’t have to be a very heavy discussion from the beginning and should be almost like a fact finding mission. Bride to be could invite the groom over and make his favorite dinner and ease their way into discussing finances on a regular basis. Set the tone which would say to your groom, I want us to have a solid financial foundation for our marriage.

This is one of the hardest talks but also one of the most important beginnings to every marriage. Do yourself a favor and do not wait until a week or two prior to walking down the aisle to begin having this talk. It is very important nevertheless and should be taken very serious.

What does it mean to save? Does it mean that you put money away one time a year? Do you put money into a bank once a month every month? Do you put away a certain percentage every time you get paid? What does saving mean and what does it mean to you?

Saving is not meaning in this aspect to rescue a person. Savings means funds put by as a reserve for whatever reason. Regardless of your financial situation, one of the goals you should have is to have a savings account with a certain amount of money in it.

What does saving mean to you? For me savings mean having that reserve for emergencies, having a fund that can sit there and not touch but grow repeatedly as I continue to put money in the account. I think one aspect of saving that would make it easy for people is to have an automatic deduction coming out of your checking account that goes into a savings account. Why? Because then you will not miss that money.

Let’s say for example, you had one bill that you had to pay off and then you would not have any other bills. Why not take the money you were paying on the bill and put it directly into your savings! Since you were used to taking that money and paying on a bill, why not turn around and pay yourself. Ahhhh! What a concept. Don’t take that money back into your wallet that you spend. Why not build up your savings even more by putting that money aside in addition to what you were already doing.

If you do an automatic deduction every time you get paid, then you have already made your decision. This can be different for each person because you have to look at various factors: employment – are you working for someone else or do you work for yourself; do you have a lot of bills and have not figured out what you can do without in order to save; or have you established a certain time within your financial plan for 2010  that you will begin saving? Whichever answer it is, all I want to say is BEGIN.

Go to America Saves and sign up. They are a resource that also acts as an accountability person that encourages you with various email messages. Begin your savings plan today!

I want to share today a firsthand account of “The Marriage Fishbowl”. The marriage fishbowl just doesn’t apply to people in high profile offices, but it also applies to people in ministries, certain high profile atheletes and much more.

I remember when my husband and I were dating, there were people in my class at the time that did not like us being together. It happens and I am sure some of you can relate. We represent happiness and true love. Not judging someone based on appearances and other people’s opinion.

At the time we were dating, I was attending ministry school. We got engaged while I was in school and married about two months prior to graduation. There were people that were watching our every move – did he treat me well, how do they act in pubic and etc. Some went so far as to say we would not make it. There was at least one or two other couples that formed based on our relationship because they felt our marriage had given them the green light to marry outside of their race. My husband and I knew that GOD brought us together so we were not marrying each other out of rebellion to our parents or anything of that nature.

So we felt like we had been in the fishbowl. In a few months we will be celebrating 14 yrs of marriage. We have an unconditional love and are both givers. That definitely makes all the difference in the world.

It does not take being The First Family to be in “The Marriage Fishbowl.” More than likely it is happening right there in your own community.