Moneywise24 Personal Finance

Author: David Beairsto

Becoming Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

Change is essential for anyone wanting to make a difference in this world. Knowing how to prosper, like knowing any process, starts by embracing change as a way of lfie.

Moving from one fixed point to a desired conclusion requires action. Action by definition is the opposite of being fixed or permanent. While our current state and our desired conclusion may be inactive reference points, the process of moving from the beginning to the end is fraught with activity.

You Can’t Win Unless You Finish The Race

Failing never prevents anyone from obtaining their goal. The only reason we don’t win the prize is if we stop trying. Failure is the trophy of endurance to the one who prospers. Failure is also the prize for the one who quits.

Persistence takes failure into account. Like difficulties and obstacles they are expected in the pursuit of success. Persistence holds fast to the plan designed to carry us toward the goal. Persistence is also insistent, that no other goal be substituted for the original. Failure and quitting are not goals to the persistent person.

Not Who I Am But Who I Intend To Be

We learn how to prosper in business by first learning to prosper in personal development. If we aren’t willing to grow and change personally on a consistent basis, it isn’t likely we’ll discover these character traits elsewhere.

The prosperity mindset begins with thoughts intended to change the person. By conditioning our minds to think differently, we in turn act differently. Our behavioral patterns lead us toward a prosperous conclusion as a result of thinking differently.

An honest assessment of our current condition is as necessary as knowing who we intend to become. Without a fixed reference point, we can’t map out an exact route. When we encounter obstacles that change our direction, we need a reference point in order to focus on the goal again.

Don’t Be Afraid To Stop And Ask For Directions

When this practice is applied to our business we already understand the pattern. Regular assessment allows for adjustment in our plan.

We don’t like to get turned around or lost in pursuit of our goal. Whether in personal development or business, retracing our steps is a waste of time.

By first learning to be open and transparent about ourselves, we become willing to allow others to bring fresh insight to our plans. When it is positive in nature, external input can give insight that we might otherwise miss again and again.

As the process becomes more involved, we generate an increasing number of specific plans. Each one has a unique starting point and goal. They all lead us toward our main objective, like adding lanes to a highway increases the speed and flow of traffic.

Stronger Foundations Support Larger Structures

If for instance, I learn to wake up at 6am to focus on reading, but fail to improve my self discipline, I may not use that time consistently. They work together.

I used to coach young children in soccer. They loved to run, but learning ball control disciplines was far more difficult for them. They either ran past the ball, or kicked it too far out in front of them. Only a few were able to do both successfully. Everyone else chased them around the field.

As we learn how to prosper, we begin to detect weakness. With the proper mindset we view weakness as a learning opportunity. We prosper directly by learning to transform weakness into strength; inability into capability.

Like road signs telling us where we are, weakness identifies our current location and helps us decide which way to go. In the same way failure identifies a dead end process as a lesson of value.

On the race toward success we condition ourselves to welcome weakness, failure and difficulty as profitable resources. When we think of them as such, we are able to use them to build a solid foundation.

It Isn’t A Matter Of Luck Or Chance

We can only prosper in proportion to what we’re willing to give in exchange. If I’m willing to read self improvement books from different authors on a consistent basis, I can expect a greater level of personal growth; provided that the knowledge I gain is organized into a plan for self improvement.

If I desire to become a millionaire while working for a set salary I should consider the time it would take to accomplish that goal. My will may keep me from relinquishing the desire to pursue this goal, but time might run out before I get there.

By taking some of my income to invest in the stock market, I increase my potential to become a millionaire. If I choose to exchange my free time for the purpose of learning how to invest my money, that time investment improves my chances.

An even better plan is starting a business. The entrepreneur understands the importance of limitless potential. Beyond the ability to write your own paycheck, is the ability to write an even larger one every day. Prosperity ultimately becomes the process.

One of the greatest assets to learning how to prosper is that we can share both the plans we followed and our experience with others. Living in prosperity is the objective behind the learning process. People who live prosperous lives are an encouragement to anyone who wants to succeed.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/wealth-building-articles/learning-how-to-prosper-1789070.html

About the Author

David Beairsto, author and owner of http://NetworkFisher.com truly believes that if you give a man a fish you feed him for a day, but if you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime. Knowing how to succeed in business online or offline is a matter of becoming a master marketer and learning how to prosper. Successful businesses are continually defined by their ability to effectively market their product or service. Visit our website at http://DavidBeairsto.com to follow us in our effort to transform ordinary people into successful entrepreneurs, one by one.

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Being in debt has become quite normal in today’s world: people buy real estate and take a mortgage, a loan is taken in order to buy a car, a television or the newest Playstation is quickly bought with the credit card, and this month’s phone bill seemed to bit slightly higher than usual. Actually, debt does not have to be all that bad… if it planned and under control.

And this is where problems arise. Often, debt is not under control. It seems to increase, a second credit card is being applied for, and it seems like a never ending story, until at a certain point the debtors want their money back, and then…

uh-oh.

The worst that can happen is when the complete existence of a person is about to collapse completely; real estate is confiscated by the bank, credit cards are being blocked, in many countries debtors have a certain right to claim a part of the net salary of the individual directly from the employer, and the story goes on. The worst that can happen is to file for a personal bankruptcy. However, if you have not yet reached that stage, perhaps there is still something that can be done.

A few simple things might help to reduce debt. Reducing debt is never fun, but it is the price to pay.

Track your income and expenses

The very first thing you need to do is to track your income and expenses by the cent; it will make your cash-flow visible, and it will allow you to plan and make a budget. Assuming that you have money to spend, the easiest way to keep book is by using Excel, or another spreadsheet program. For each transaction, you will need to need to make an entry in your ledger, so that by the end of the week or month you can it all up. You can then compare the totals of your expenses with your income, and also with the budget you created.

Save where ever you can

Rigorous expense reduction is the next step. Here, you need to know the exact difference between needs and wants, and it is absolutely essential that you concentrate on what you really need for a living, and how you can make substituations in order to live more cheaply. For example, you may want to investigate how Skype could help you as an alternative to stay in touch with friends, you may want to use public transportation more often, or you may need to give up your daily visit to Starbucks.

Hire a debt consultant

In many countries, there are debt consultant who are either subsidized or fully paid by the government. Find out if this is the case, and hire someone who can help to get you out of debt. Firstly, this person will give you a very precise picture of your current situation. But more importantly, he is also an independent consultant, who is able to engage in negotiations with debtors if applicable. By hiring a debt consultant, debtors will see that you are willing to do everything to reduce and pay off your debt, and thus they are more likely to engage into an agreement.

Do not create new debt

Don’t overdraw your bank account, don’t take any new loans, and destroy your credit cards. The last thing you need is a new loan of any kind.

Assess your income

If being unemployed or having a very low income is one of the reasons for being in debt, you may want to assess your current position; what do you have to do in order to get a job, or a better paid job? Do you need education? More experience? Or perhaps there are already some opportunities for the taking. Pursue your career if you can. Browste the job postings, and build on your network.

Reducing debt is not an easy task, especially in a world where money seems to play such an important role, and where companies want to motivate us to spend more of it via sophisticated marketing strategies. However, being debt free is something to look forward to, and in the end: there are any more important things than money alone.

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I wanted to write this short post as a reaction to a phenomenon I saw yesterday at a discount store: hundreds of people were running around in a discount store, which sold many items at extremely low prices. People were virtually falling over each other, just in order to get the cheapest item available. I got curious, and went in.

As soon as I saw the type of products being sold, I was seriously wondering: what is the benefit of buying a low-priced product, if you can throw it away after a month or two? I know, personal finance encourages to cut down expenses where possible, but does it make sense to buy 12 low-qulity items for 7 USD durig  year, or only one high-quality item for 25 USD, which will probably hold for more than a year.

Up to which extent does the low price of an item compensate for its quality? Think about it next time when you go shopping.

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I remember being in Kenya in 1998. We were on Safari, and on our way to the Masaai we stopped a few times in some smaller villages to fuel up the car and get a bite to eat. Whenever we stopped, there were loads of small trader, trying to sell their good to those who made a stop-over, usually tourists. Most articles where typical souvenirs, and I spotted a small ashtray I liked, made out of pottery and painted nicely. I started talking to the man, and we engaged in a bit of small-talk. Finally, when I asked about the price, he told me he wanted 1,200 Shillings (approx. 12 Euros) for it. I thought for Kenyan standards, this was quite a lot, and I started bargaining with him just like I read in the Kenyan tourist guide. After another 15 mintues, we finally agreed on 200 Shillings (2 Euros). Now that is what I call a discount.

I nearly forgot about this experience after I got back to Europe, until one day I went with a friend of mine to buy some food for her dog recently. She took everything she wanted to the cashier, and I believe the total bill was 40 Euros. And she spoke the maginal words: “Can we bargain something off the price?” I was a bit stunned, since I had never tried this in Europe, nor have I heard from someone doing it. But the salesperson at the pet shop replied politely: “of course we can! After all, I am a trader”. Now the newly bargained price was not as low as it was in Kenya, but I believed she bought the food for 35 Euros; that is 5 Euros for one purchase… and some dogs eat a lot of food.

I tried following the same principle, and during a month I asked many different salespeopel whether he would bargain. I did receive a lot of “no’s”, but also a “yes” a couple of time. Even my favourite shop, where I buy shirts, gave me a 8 Euro discount on 2 shirts, provided I would buy two and not just one. Since I buy at least 10 shirts per year, that is a discount of 45 Euros per year. It might not seem much… but as they say, small amounts also count.

Bargaining practices might be very different according to where you live; bargaining is more common in developing countries, or those with a bargaining culture than in the western world. Bargaining is more difficult in large metropoles than in smaller towns. However, I had a lot of fun simply trying it, and additionally I now know some shops which are generally willing to bargain and I know which shops do not bargain at all.

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In the past I could have lived an easy-going month, with little financial activity, and by the end of the month I would notice 150 Dollars is missing from my budget, without really knowing what I spent it on. I could not track this amount anywhere.

I have to admit, I did not have an efficient bookkeeping system at that time, and it is one of the main reasons I implemented it. I started to track all my finances on a day-to-day basis, and what I found quite quickly is that the money which mysteriously seemed missing was in fact spent on convenience items.

As the word says, convenience items are bought out of pure convenience. It might be the quick take-away coffee you buy when you walk past Starbucks on your way to work, or the pack of chewing gum you buy because you saw it lying around while you were waiting at the cash counter. I personally also count fast-food to convenience items.

I have to admit, some convenience items are fully justified; for example, I would sometimes buy a frappuchino after work on a hot late afternoon, or somethings else to reward myself for some achievement I did on that day. In most cases, however, I found that I bought many convenience items because I was simply being lazy or reluctant to say ‘no’ to myself.

I found one trick, which has helped me the most: before I went out the door, I would get prepared. In the morning, I would make sure that I had at least two cups of coffee before I went out the door, sometimes I would even take with me a small bottle of water. Moreover I would make sure that I would not leave home with a hungry feeling, especially not when I was going shopping for groceries; doing your groceries while you’re actully hungry will result in uncontrollable shopping and thus spending more money. Additionally, each time when I shop for groceries I will make a shopping list, and rarely deviate from it. This allows me to stick to the original plan.

Surely I still spend some money on convenience items, but the total amounts has dropped from 150 Dollars to around 50 Dollars per month; a very good result.

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