Unplug and Save!

I have heard/read for years that if you unplug electrical appliances that you are not using you can save money.  I am here to tell you that I started unplugging about three months ago and it really does work.  I unplugged items such as: printers, toasters, televisions, chargers, lamps, etc., and reduced my electric bill the first month to $46.47!  I must admit this was the period when I no longer needed to use my heater and did not need to turn on my air conditioner. 

The second month my bill was about $75.00 and this does reflect the use of my air conditioner which I turn off when I plan to be away from home all day.  My savings per month is about $90.00.  Let me know if anyone else is unplugging and saving money.

Remember to get a copy of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke" The First Steps on the Road to Financial Independence available at www.buybooksontheweb.com

The Hand that Rocks the Cradle...

“Women, trained to nurture and seek acceptance, view money as a means to create a lifestyle. Women spend on things that enhance day-to-day living. Theirs is a now-money orientation.”

 

William Ross Wallace wrote: “the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world….” This is a powerful statement and a very powerful position to hold.  This statement is much deeper and more important than the poem that Mr. Wallace wrote.  Imagine for a moment that we take this statement to heart just when it comes to the financial education of our children: the children that we rock, guide, and watch over!

 These 13 words should be read slowly and allowed to be absorbed into our souls and minds.   Take a moment and close your eyes -- and realize that you have the power not only to create financially smart children, but future generations by empowering your children to pass down better habits and financial information.  “The Hand that rocks the cradle – is the hand that rules the world…”  Do you want to raise children that will spend a life time living with debt or children who understand the power of their financial choices?  Children who are raised with the understanding that their income level is not as important as the financial choices that they make - will make wiser choices. 

Most women are raised to view money as a way to create a better lifestyle for themselves and their family.  We tend to spend money on items that will enhance our day-to-day living with little thought for the future.  I spent a few weeks recently hanging out at different stores watching the spending habits of men and women.  What I witnessed was that women spent hundreds of dollars on items that will have little or no value in the future.  Women were buying items such as: designer/non-designer clothes, knick- knacks, toys, shoes, pictures, items to decorate the home, comforters, pillows, cute mugs, pretty drinking glasses, candles, perfumed soaps, gifts for baby showers, gifts for birthdays, gifts for teachers, wrapping paper, gift bags, or just shopping therapy!

     It is time for us to take our roles seriously and break the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle and consumerism mentality.  To break the cycle someone must be willingly to do the work, are you?

The Power of Strong Families

"Working families provide serious love.  Members learn self-love and self-worth in functional families.  Most importantly, a persons self-esteem is heightened in a family that is goal-oriented with members who are about the business of making life better.  Families do fruitful things together, thereby giving their members a sense of oneness and collective doing.  Families represent a lifeline among skyscrapers, clear water in sewage.

Families live in houses or apartments that they make into homes.  A family's home is a refuge from a hostile world.  When a person returns home, it is expected that he or she will find peace, welcome, warmth, food for body and mind, protection, love, support and rejuvenation.  It is said in Afrika that living is worthless for one without a home."

Children learn values and morals first in a family context.  Integrity, truthfulness, responsibility, honor and shame should be taught first in a family situation.  Therefore, ones philosophy of life is taught first at the family level.  Non functioning families will produce non-functioning people."

Haki Madhibute, poet

"Find a guy who calls you beautiful instead of hot, who calls you back when you hang up on him, who will lie under the stars and listen to your heartbeat, or will stay awake just to watch you sleep...wait for the boy who kisses your forehead, who wants to show you off to the world when you are in sweats, who holds your hand in front of his friends, who thinks you're just as pretty without makeup on.  One who is constantly reminding you of how much he cares and how lucky his is to have you...

The one who turns to his friends and says, that's her."

sam wilson

Make The Best of 2011: This is the Year to Achieve Your Dream

"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today."

         
"My greatest concern is not whether you have failed, but whether you are content with your failure."

 “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

  "You have to learn the rules of the game. And then you have to play better than anyone else.”

Abraham Lincoln

*

"Excellence is not a singular act, but a habit. You are what you repeatedly do.”

Shaquille Oneal

Young Artist

Painted by Victoria

Taking Charge of Your Money in 2011

http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/

$13.95

Order Your Copy Today

• Are you saving for retirement? Most Americans are not...!
• Are you teaching your children how to become financially responsible adults? Most parents are not...!
• Are you the boss of your money? Most people are not...!
• Are you preparing to pay for your child(ren) to attend college?  Most parents are not...!
• Are you prepared for a financial emergency?  Most Americans are not...!
• Do you know your credit score?  Most Americans do not...!
• Did you plan ahead to shop for the holidays this year?  Most people did not...!
• Do you understand how prepaid credit cards work?  Most people do not...!
• Are you a stay at home mom with a retirement account?  Most are not...!
• Do you pay yourself first when you get paid?  Most people do not...!
• Are you willing to sacrifice today for a better tomorrow? Most people are not...!

If you answered "NO" to any of those questions, then order your book today?  A better tomorrow is in your future.

Lucille Tyler Baldwin
Author of: Sick and Tired of Being Broke
http://thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com

Water or Coke?

 Information: The power to make better choices.

We can save money by making healthy choices


Forwarded email from a friend.
I thought this information was worth sharing.

WATER

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated.

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism by 3%.

#4. One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a printed page.

#8.. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

COKE

#1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.

#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the 'real thing' sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

#8... To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains.

#9... It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

#1 the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup! (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

#3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!

                        Now the question is, would you like a glass of water or Coke?



Increasing Your Wealth in 2011

The "New Year" is fast approaching, do we continue to make the same financial choices in 2011 that we made in 2010?

It has been reported that more than 80% of Americans are in debt.

We are saving less than 1% of our income.

Most baby boomers are not financially prepared for retirement.

We continue to send our children out into the world with little financial information.

Only a small percentage of Americans know their credit score.

The number one reason couples argue is because of money.

Financial education is still not being taught in most schools.

The people least able to afford lottery tickets are the ones creating millions in jackpots.

We are payment buyers.

50% of the workforce today has no pension and will depend on the government during retirement.

Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."

The good news is that we are surrounded by financial information - with basic information, determination and a plan we can change the above information.  It takes a special person to take charge - are you that person?

http://thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com/

"Sick and Tired of Being Broke" The First Steps on the Road to Financial Independence.

A Visit to Savannah GA.

I spent the day in Savannah, Georgia and had the pleasure of meeting, Ellis Garvin, the author of "A Guide To Our Two Savannahs."  I enjoyed my visit and reading his book.  Be sure to check out Mr. Garvin's site. http://thetwosavannahs.com/

The great beauty of the city of Savannah, Georgia, is both well documented and frequently celebrated. From the eclectic nature of the classic architecture that adorns its famous Historic District to the red brick cobbled streets and downtown squares that make the city uniquely appealing, Savannah stands as a city of choice for tourists who travel from all over the world to enjoy its year-round festivals and enthralling history.

What many have been longing to understand, and what Ellis Garvin makes clear in A Guide to Our Two Savannahs, his new book and DVD, is that the city has a fascinating dual personality shaped by its diversely rich cultural heritage. Ellis blends traditional southern storytelling narrative with the keen observations of an historian to illustrate Savannah’s Black and White bi-racial character.

Whereas the average tour guide might shy away from discussing certain aspects of the city’s history and culture, Ellis has chosen to take some of the more controversial aspects of the subject and make them the focus of this compelling. He does this by discussing in both the book of A Guide to Our Two Savannahs, and on the DVD that comes with it, the story of the city’s segregated past and how that past led to the development of various institutions that serve the same function but cater to different separate races...

http://thetwosavannahs.com/

Invest in Information

"The Poor and the Middle Class Work for Money." 

 "The Rich have Money work for them."

Robert Kiyosaki

 Continue living paycheck to paycheck

or

 take the necessary steps to make your money work for you!

Why do I keep writing about getting out of debt?

Because I understand the wealth that average people can create, by paying themselves every month -

 instead of making monthly payments to other people.

GUEST POST- Life Happens: Prepare for a Storm When the Sun is Out

Children depend on our choices

This was written by a Metro Denver Hospice Physician:

"I was driving home from a meeting this evening about 5, stuck in traffic on Colorado Blvd., and the car started to choke and splutter and die - I barely managed to coast into a gas station, glad only that I would not be blocking traffic and would have a somewhat warm spot to wait for the tow truck. The engine wouldn't even turn over. Before I could make the call, I saw a woman walking out of the quickie mart building, and it looked like she slipped on some ice and fell into a gas pump, so I got out to see if she was okay

When I got there, it looked more like she had been overcome by sobs than that she had fallen; she was a young woman who looked really haggard with dark circles under her eyes. She dropped something as I helped her up, and I picked it up to give it to her. It was a nickel.

At that moment, everything came into focus for me: the crying woman, the ancient Suburban crammed full of stuff with 3 kids in the back (1 in a car seat), and the gas pump reading $4.95..

I asked her if she was okay and if she needed help, and she just kept saying 'I don't want my kids to see me crying,' so we stood on the other side of the pump from her car. She said she was driving to California and that things were very hard for her right now. So I asked, 'And you were praying?' That made her back away from me a little, but I assured her I was not a crazy person and said, "He heard you, and He sent me."

I took out my card and swiped it through the card reader on the pump so she could fill up her car completely, and while it was fueling, walked to the next door McDonald's and bought 2 big bags of food, some gift certificates for more, and a big cup of coffee. She gave the food to the kids in the car, who attacked it like wolves, and we stood by the pump eating fries and talking a little.

She told me her name, and that she lived in Kansas City. Her boyfriend left 2 months ago and she had not been able to make ends meet.. She knew she wouldn't have money to pay rent Jan. 1, and finally, in desperation, had called her parents, with whom she had not spoken in about 5 years. They lived in California and they said that she could come to live with them and try to get on her feet out there.

So she packed up everything she owned in the car. She told the kids they were going to California for Christmas, but not that they were going to live there.
I gave her my gloves, a little hug and said a quick prayer with her for safety on the road.. As I was walking over to my car, she said, "So, are you like an angel or something?"

This definitely made me cry. I said, "Sweetie, at this time of year angels are really busy, so sometimes God uses regular people."

It was so incredible to be a part of someone else's miracle. And of course, you guessed it, when I got in my car, it started right away and got me home with no problem. I'll put it in the shop tomorrow to check, but I suspect the mechanic won't find anything wrong.
Sometimes the angels fly close enough to you that you can hear the flutter of their wings....

Psalms 55:22 'Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.'

I posted this story not because it was a beautiful story of kindness, but because we often create our own problems when we depend on other people or a job for our security.  It is important to have a back up plan in the event your life takes an unexpected detour.  Do not become a victim, take charge of your finances.  It is even more important when there are children in the picture.  There is so much information missing from the story - how do you think it began?...  

Get your copy of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke" and start taking charge of your money.  Live Debt-Free!
http://www.thejourneytowealthblogspot.com/

The Journey to Wealth for Everyday People: Growing: The Wealth Gap

The Journey to Wealth for Everyday People: Growing: The Wealth Gap: "The wealth gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country continues to widen. We are fast approaching a new year. Do we continue us..."

Growing: The Wealth Gap

The wealth gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country continues to widen. We are fast approaching a new year. Do we continue using the same kind of thinking and actions in the new year that has prevented us from living debt-free and creating wealth?

Do we continue feeding our minds with chaos such as reality television shows that teach us that behaving badly is okay, movies that teach our children how to become the next jack a** stars, or shows that teach our daughters that being a bad girl is cool? Do we continue spending billions of dollars on violent video games that seem to sap our children of creativity, respect and patients?

Do we continue to stand in long lines on Black Friday to spend borrowed money? Do we continue creating debt that will take us years to repay? Do we continue putting on a happy face pretending that life is great? Will we spend another year thinking of reasons not to take charge of our financial situation? Will we spend another year helping to create additional wealth for the haves?

We are surrounded by information that can help us improve our lives on every level.  How will the haves spend the new year?  Will they invest in learning are things? Freedom of choice is powerful.  How will you spend the new year? 

Lucille Tyler Baldwin
author of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"
http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com/

The Journey to Wealth for Everyday People: PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE - HANDLE YOUR PRESENT

The Journey to Wealth for Everyday People: PLAN FOR YOUR FUTURE - HANDLE YOUR PRESENT: " AP – Trays of printed social security checks wait to be mailed Friday, Feb. 11, 2005 from the U.S. Treasury's …

We Teach What We Know

As adults we set the standard when it comes to financial decisions and the lifestyle we choose. When we become parents we teach what we know and our children will normally imitate our actions. If they grow up watching us consumed with shopping malls, fashion, and spending money they will join the masses and become over spenders.  If we do not teach them when they are young to save and prepare for emergencies when they become adults they will probably struggle with their financial choices.

When I was growing up my parents showered my brothers and me with love, but they were not financially literate. My parents could not pass down what they did not know. So, like many people I learned about personal finance through trial and error. I realized that if I did not want my children to live the paycheck-to-paycheck lifestyle then it would be up to me to break the cycle. By learning basic financial information I gained the power to make better decisions with my money. More importantly it gave me the power to break the cycle. 

Lucille Tyler Baldwin
Author of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"
http://thejourneytowealth.blogspot 

 

Future Millionaire: Young and in Charge

I really enjoyed the last few days. I had the pleasure of meeting opened minded women ready to take charge of their finances. I was invited to participate in a financial education and spa day for women. They received information during the day and after lunch the women were pampered with: pedicures, manicures, back massages, head massages, facials, and Mary Kay make overs. The women were pampered while sipping sparkling wine and snacking on light refreshments that included: fruit and, of course, cheese and crackers.

You know I am always talking about finances, so I was sooooo pleased to meet a 19-year-old woman who was already taking charge of her money. This young lady participates in her 401(k) at work, is already saving for retirement with an IRA, and she understands the value of keeping her consumer debt low. Not only was she taking charge of her money, but she was also encouraging her best friend to be responsible with money.

I was curious to know how she learned at such a young age to be responsible with her money. She said, "when anyone talked to me about finances, I listened and took the information to heart." As adults/parents we can teach our children how to become financially responsible.

The best way to lead is by example!  Do you need help learning how to take charge of your money?  Then order your copy of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke."  The path to financial freedom starts with financial information.

Lucille Tyler
Author of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"
http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com/

Financial Information: The key to Financial Freedom

Sick and Tired of Being Broke

"The main reason people struggle financially is because they have spent years in school but learned nothing about money.  The result is that people learn to work for  money...but never learn to have money work for them."

Excerpt from Robert T. Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad



Lucille Tyler Baldwin
Author of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"
http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com

Insurance: Are your loved ones protected?

Are your loved ones protected?

The main purpose of life insurance is to protect the people that depend on your income to support their needs.  This may include the roof over their heads, the food in their mouths, child care expenses, education, and even the shoes on their feet.  What would happen to your family if they lost not only you, but also the income that you provide?  Do you need life insurance?  What type of life insurance do you need?

The difference between Whole Life and Term Insurance is...

Lucille Tyler Baldwin

http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com

Author of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"



The Journey to Wealth for Everyday People: Debt-Free? Really!

The Journey to Wealth for Everyday People: Debt-Free? Really!: " A Moment in Time  I am always talking to people about becoming debt-free and learning to create wealth at all income levels. Most..."

Debt-Free? Really!



A Moment in Time

 I am always talking to people about becoming debt-free and learning to create wealth at all income levels.  Most people look at me like I am crazy, or smile and agree that they should do something about their debt.  I use to think that it was mainly a lack of basic financial information that prevented people from becoming debt-free and learning to create wealth.

However, after years of talking about the benefits of living debt free and learning to create wealth the response is very disappointing.  Most of my close friends and family are still in debt, still living paycheck-to-paycheck, still not preparing for retirement, still not preparing for emergencies, and still not creating wealth for their children.  I can only assume that they do not believe that what I am saying is possible or they are just not willing to do the work that is required to take charge of their finances. 

I also meet people who claim they really want to get out of debt but are not willing to change their spending habits: even when their habits create financial chaos.  Some days I get discouraged and think I should just stop talking to people about the power of taking charge of their finances. 

But I know that tomorrow I will meet someone who is ready to change, or someone will leave a comment to motivate me to keep moving.  What do you think: are people really ready to take charge of their money or is it easier to live with debt?  I look forward to hearing from you.

Lucille Tyler Baldwin
http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com/

For private comments feel free to email me at: lucybaldwin27@yahoo.com

Destiny Created

"You Cannot Escape the Responsibility of Tomorrow

by

Evading it Today."

Abraham Lincoln

*

Lucille Tyler Baldwin

Author of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"

http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com/

lucybaldwin27@yahoo.com

Pay Yourself $8.35 a Day

You Work Hard for Your Money
Some of my favorite people work in the service industry and most of them get paid a portion in cash every day. What I have noticed, however, is that many of these hard-working people are not paying themselves. They pay their mortgages/rent, car notes, household expenses, creditors, child care, student loans, and the list seems never ending. Only they do not add themselves to the list of people who get part of their money each month. I was playing with my calculator and thought to myself "what if they paid themselves at least $8.35 every day?"

Who doesn’t deserve to keep at least $8.35?
What if "you" paid yourself $8.35 a day?

If you paid yourself $8.35 a day by doing... you could have $102,000.00 ...years 
                                                      

Doing Nothing
$0.00 a day x 30 days = $0.00

$0.00 a month x 12 = $0.00

$0.00 a year x 17 years = $0.00

The Benefits of doing nothing: Pennyless

The less money you owe to others the more $ you have to pay yourself.

Lucille Tyler Baldwin

http://www.thejourneytowealth.blogspot.com/

lucybaldwin27@yahoo.com

Get your copy of "Sick and Tired of Being Broke"

Available at http://www.buybooksontheweb.com/