Money – Personal Growth Cafe

It’s always a good idea to tweak and reevaluate your money management skills.

The world of money can be a huge task to manage which can get overwhelming at times.

However, with clear goals and careful calculations, you can adopt a manageable system that works well for you.

Follow these tips to strengthen your money management skills:

1. Tweak your tracking system.

You probably already track your spending to some degree, but it would be helpful to see what it’s like when you track all of your spending.

Try doing this for at least a week.

When you see all of your expenses written out, you’ll be able to clearly see what’s necessary and what’s not.

You can then decide to spend your money differently based on your current spending habits.

2. Consider your savings. 401Ks and other tax-advantaged retirement plans are a good option for saving money long-term.

On the other side, it’s important to have money in a regular savings account that you can access regularly for surprise expenses, like car or home repairs.

3. Determine your needs and wants. If cutting back drastically is a necessity to you at this time, look at your monthly expenses in detail.

Make a two-column list and divide your expenses into needs and wants, then eliminate as many items from the “wants” category.

4. Set realistic goals. It’s important to be realistic when setting out new money management goals for yourself.

You shouldn’t do anything too drastic too quickly.

It’s always best to take on changes in stages and ease into new situations. You’ll avoid shock this way.

5. Give yourself an allowance. If you tell yourself you can’t spend any money, you’ll get frustrated and you’ll be more likely to revert back to old habits.

Instead, give yourself a monthly allowance.

Tell yourself that you can spend $50 to $100 each month on the things you enjoy.

You’ll have some fun and save money at the same time.

When You Want To Change

The trick to strengthening your money management skills lies in your drive to change.

People usually run into trouble when they want to save money but are unwilling to live a different lifestyle.

Realize that you can shift your lifestyle without it being a burden.

When you start slow and make small changes, you allow yourself the time and opportunity to create positive new habits.

For example, you can start with your grocery bill.

Decide if there are certain expensive foods that you can skip.

Tell yourself that you can treat yourself to them whenever they go on sale.

This way you’ll still indulge yourself every now and then, but you’ll be saving money.

Long Term Goals

It’s always a good idea to keep your eyes on your long-term goals.

Where do you want to be next year, in 5 years, and in 10 years?

Make an attainable action plan with your finances that will get you there.

When you keep your goals in mind, you maintain a drive that also enables you to enjoy the journey.

These strategies will help you bolster your money management skills so you can soon enjoy your life without the financial stress!

What are things you would like to buy but are unable to due to lack of funds?

How can you work on getting more stable with your finances?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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September 12, 2019March 27, 2018

Do You Have a Prosperity Mindset?

If you don’t already have a prosperity mindset, it might be a hard thing to imagine.

There are certain ways you can chase your dreams while keeping wealth and prosperity in mind at the same time.

A prosperity mindset encourages you to take action each day to improve your life on numerous levels, such as health, wealth, love or anything else you deem important.

Study The Actions Of Successful People

Perhaps this is the most important suggestion.

Learn by example.

Find someone successful whom you admire and do what they do.

These individuals serve as proof that your dreams can come true.

Find someone who has had the same kind of success that you desire.

Study what they’ve done right as well as their mistakes.

It’s always easier when we have an example to follow.

Find a way to ask successful people questions.

You might be surprised to know that successful people love to inspire others to find success as well.

They know that there’s plenty of success to go around. That’s the prosperity mindset in action!

It’s All About Being Positive

If you believe in yourself, you can achieve your dreams.

The moment you think you can’t do something, you can’t.

You know that negative feelings arise from time to time and that’s okay.

However, you need to keep a positive image of the big picture in your mind at all times.

Picture yourself reaching your goals and imagine how it feels.

Surround yourself with positive people.

Write prosperity affirmations.

Be an open person.

When you open up to new opportunities, you open up to prosperity.

Stay motivated and don’t be afraid of change.

Setting Goals And Action Plans

You can dream all day about where you’d like your life to go, but without a goal or an action plan nothing will happen.

Take time to think about the big picture and then draw in the lines of how you’re going to get there.

Break down your goals into smaller steps.

Set manageable and achievable goals.

Stick to your plan whenever possible.

Don’t Give Up

You have to have the dedicated motivation and drive to tell yourself that you’ll stop at nothing before you reach success.

When you talk to or study the actions of someone who is successful, they’ll likely tell you tales of their many failures.

There were probably times when they felt like giving up, but they were able to push through defeat.

Realize that everyone feels like giving up, but we can’t give in to these feelings.

Keep the image of your goal in your mind.

Make changes if you need to, but continue taking action toward your goal.

Get A Life Coach

People with prosperity mindsets are all different.

They have different approaches to getting what they want and they have different definitions of what prosperity is for them.

There are certain things they do have in common though.

They all have a hungry enthusiasm for life and a positive attitude that they’ll continue to use on the journey forward.

If you feel that you lack any of the core beliefs and are still unsure about whether or not you can adopt a prosperity mindset, you could always look into getting advice from a life coach.

They’ll be able to break down your problems and concerns and tailor a plan that will work for you personally.

When you implement these strategies, you’ll gain a renewed prosperity mindset that will help you on your life journey.

What can you do to pursue your dreams more diligently?

How can having the right mindset help you achieve this?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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September 6, 2019March 27, 2018

Money and wealth flow to me easily.

August 20, 2019March 26, 2018

How to Attract Money Into Your Life

Recently there has been an explosion of discussion regarding the Law of Attraction.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s actually quite simple.

Positive attracts positive and negative attracts negative.

In other words, you’ll receive good things or bad according to what you focus on.

If you focus on the positive in your life, then more positive things will come your way.

If you spend your time and energy focusing on the negative, then you’ll attract more negative things.

You can use these principles to harness the power of the Law of Attraction to attract more money into your life.

Follow these strategies to attract money:

1. Express gratitude. If you want more of something, like money, you must first express gratitude for what you have presently.

Gratitude is a powerful positive emotion.

Be thankful for all that your Creator has provided you this far.

You must be sincere in your thanks.

If you don’t honestly feel the gratitude, then you won’t be able to attract more of what you want.

Stay focused on what you do have.

Remember, if what you feel and focus on is actually your lack of money, it will only attract more lack back to you.

2. Picture yourself with the money. Visualize it in depth, as if you already have it.

You want to see yourself holding the money, touching it, and feeling how happy you are with it in your life.

Imagine sitting down paying all your bills and buying expensive gifts for those that you love.

This will send a positive message out that is to be returned to you.

3. Be consistent with sending out these strong positive thoughts and feelings.

Mixing it up with negative ones about money sends a conflicting message.

Rid yourself of negative thoughts. It’s imperative that you eliminate as many negative feelings as possible.

Make a conscious effort to find the positive in everything because your negativity won’t be rewarded with positive results.

Are there others out there who are positive?

You bet!

Do your best to find and emulate these people.

When life hands you a bunch of lemons, it’s time to make lemonade.

Find the silver lining or take action to make something positive out of the situation.

4. Have Faith. There are countless documented cases of people who received their heart’s desire by using the principles found in the Law of Attraction.

Those people are no different from you!

Faith is a positive feeling.

If you truly want to attract more money into your life, then faith is a must.

You have to believe deep down that something like this can and will happen to you.

It’s time to truly believe that you’re deserving of anything you desire.

The Law of Attraction has helped many people live their dreams.

By following its simple principles, it can happen to you as well.

Profess an open mind, a willing heart, and a joyful spirit and, in return, you will be rewarded with whatever you request!

How do you carry financial burdens into other areas of your life?

How can staying positive about finances help ease the burden?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 24, 2019March 23, 2018

How to Augment Your Income During the Financial Crisis

We all know how bad the economy is right now; people everywhere are losing their jobs and many are even losing their homes to foreclosure, but this doesn’t have to happen to you.

You can boost your income and protect your family during the financial crisis!

Go Above & Beyond

One way to protect your job is to bring more value than what you’re being paid.

In other words, help the company make more money than what they’re spending on you.

When your boss recognizes the value you’re bringing to the company, it will decrease the chances of losing your job.

Here are some ideas of boosting your value:

1. Save the business money. Find ways to cut expenses and eliminate wasted time and resources.

Chances are, you can lower the company’s costs significantly with just a little research.

2. Work more efficiently at your job. Make full use of the tools available to you so you can increase your productivity.

For example, create templates and step-by-step instructions to follow, that way repetitive work is systemized.

3. Help your company become paperless. In this age of technology, just about everything can be done electronically.

Since most companies have computers and scanners, utilize them to their fullest.

Also, by reading emails on the screen, instead of printing them out, you will cut the company’s use of paper drastically.

Think of other ways you can help your company cut down on the amount of paper it uses and introduce them to your boss or CEO.

By taking this initiative, you’re showing just how indispensable you are.

4. Help market your company to the world. The use of social media is fast becoming the leading way to market a business.

Social networking can be done from home and in your spare time.

Be sure to let your boss know that you’re doing this, not only to get their permission, but because doing so increases your value to the company and shows that you’re a valuable member of the team.

Get active on popular social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

Set up a Twitter account to connect with thousands of people that need your products or services.

You can also offer a “deal of the day” coupon code for Twitter or Facebook users.

You can use your skills and talents to expand your income in other ways:

If you’re a teacher, offer evening tutoring services.

If you know a lot about a specific subject area, start a consulting business.

If you’re an artist or make crafts or jewelry, sell them on eBay or Etsy.

If you love to write, sell your article writing services to online businesses.

Start an online business from home. There are a thousand ways to make money online, using the skills you already have.

Do a search using the terms “how to start an online business from home.” The results will bring up tons of tutorials and guidelines.

If you have stuff lying around your house, cluttering up your countertops, bookshelves and closets, sort through it and sell it on eBay.

You’ll be surprised at what people will pay for something you consider junk or useless.

These are just a few ideas to get you thinking about how you can increase your income during these tough financial times.

As you begin to brainstorm ways to put more money in your pocket, you’ll soon see how simple it can be to add an extra few hundred dollars – or more – to your income every month.

You may even find that you have skills that you didn’t know you had in the first place, which can lead you in a whole different direction in your life or career.

You don’t have to let the economy take control of your life.

With a little effort and some brainstorming, you’ll find ways to supplement your income and overcome this financial crisis we’re in.

How have you taken full control of your finances?

What helps you keep your finances stable?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 22, 2019March 23, 2018

How to Keep Your Cool During the Financial Meltdown

Everywhere you go, you hear about how awful the economy is, but you don’t have to let all the talk of our country’s financial meltdown get you down.

You can keep your cool.

Don’t let fear of the future take control of your mind and emotions.

When we live in fear, we make bad decisions, think irrationally, and are in a reactive mode.

Living in fear actually makes the situation far worse.

To help overcome the fear of your financial future, here are some proactive things you can do:

1. Turn off the news. Why would you want to listen to bad news over and over?

We already know the state of the economy, so listening to a news reporter talk doom and gloom all the time isn’t necessary.

2. Ensure you’re on a budget and living within your means. If you need to cut back, then find ways to do so.

There are many, many ways to reduce the cost of living with a little planning and effort. Here are some examples:

Reduce your cell phone bill

Get rid of your land line if you have a cell phone

Shut off the cable (who needs it anyway?)

Turn off the lights and unplug electronic devices when not in use

Turn your thermostat down in winter and wear sweaters to keep warm

Open windows in the summer instead of turning on the air conditioner

Use coupons and shop for the weekly sales at your local grocery store

3. Plan ahead by setting up an emergency fund. Of course, this involves living on a budget so you can save enough money from your income for emergencies.

An emergency fund is usually a minimum of $1,000 in savings at all times and is used for emergencies only, like unexpected vehicle repairs or medical needs.

If you can afford more, then save more!

4. Plan for the future by getting rid of debt and using cash only. Again, this requires living on a budget, but it can be done.

How to Budget in a Recession

Since we’re talking about budgeting so much and it’s the best way to keep your cool during the financial meltdown, let’s talk about ways to set up a budget and reduce debt.

1. Figure out your income after taxes.

Know what you’re bringing in each month so you can determine how much you have to spend.

Sounds obvious, but why is it so common for people to spend way more than they make?

Far too often, people don’t know how much they really make, nor where the money goes!

2. Make sure your living needs are met. These things include your house payment, utilities, food, and property taxes.

3. Next, make sure your transportation to get to and from work is taken care of.

Things like your vehicle payment, gas and maintenance.

This is one area you may be able to cut back on as well.

If you’re making a car payment, try to sell the car and buy a used one with cash.

You may also want to consider taking public transportation more often.

4. Pay off credit card debt. Start paying off the card with the highest interest rate first.

Once that card is paid off, put your payments toward the card with the next highest interest rate and so on, until each card is paid off.

You may also want to contact a financial planner to discuss consolidating the debt to make it more manageable.

5. Once your credit card debt is paid off, begin putting all the money you were paying out into savings.

The goal is to build your savings up to at least 6 months worth of income in case something happens, like job loss or disability.

By following the steps above, with diligence and determination, you can be debt free and survive the financial meltdown!

Of course, this won’t happen overnight and you’ll probably have to adjust your lifestyle so you can live below your means, but doing so will help secure your future financially.

How do you stay calm when everyone else seems to be stressed out?

How can you continue to have peace of mind during a time of crisis?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 17, 2019March 23, 2018

Overcoming Financial Strain

Financial strain is probably the biggest cause of stress, especially in today’s economy.

With so many people losing their jobs, just trying to make ends meet can cause added stress to your already stressful lives.

The good news is that there’s a way out!

Map Out a Plan

If you are not on a budget, you must get on one.

I know the word budget seems like a bad word, and it does require effort and planning, but it is the best way to relieve financial stress.

Living on a budget means you’re in control of your money, instead of your money controlling you.

There are many classes or programs specifically designed to teach you how to budget if needed.

Simply do a search online using the terms “how to live on a budget” or “budgeting” and you’re sure to find one that meets your needs and is easy to use.

The key to sticking to a budget is making sure it’s easy to implement.

Ask your friends and relatives what budgeting plans or programs they use and do a little research before deciding on one.

But whatever you do, choose something!

Good Food at Great Prices

Another area where you can save money is at the grocery store.

By using online and paper coupons, as well as flipping through the weekly flyers, you can save hundreds of dollars every month!

Again, this takes some planning, but it will help relieve a lot of financial strain.

Knowing how much you spend on eating out may be a shocker to you.

Cut back on restaurant food and plan more meals at home.

You’ll be surprised at how much money you’ll save and you may even lose a few pounds!

Review Your Automatic Payments

Cutting out automatic payments from your spending will also help you be in control of your money.

Look at any programs or services that you’ve subscribed to that automatically takes money from your account.

You may find some you never use that you can cut out. Or perhaps there are better deals to be had elsewhere, so do your research!

Choose Used

One of the best ways to reduce your expenses is by driving a used car.

If you’re making a car payment, you’re throwing away money that could be better used elsewhere.

If it’s possible, sell your car, pay it off, and buy a used car with the cash that you’re saving on monthly payments.

You may have to give up a little pride, but reducing stress and financial strain is far more important than pride!

Tips to Reducing Financial Strain in Your Life

Other ways to overcome financial strain is to supplement your income.

You can do this in a variety of ways. Some of them you may even find fun!

De-clutter your home of “stuff” by sorting through and selling it on eBay, Craigslist, or Kijiji.

Clean out your shed or garage and have a yard sale.

Sell arts and crafts or jewelry on Etsy or eBay.

Start an online business using skills you already have.

If you’re a good at a particular subject, start tutoring or teaching music lessons.

If you’re a golfer or skier, get a second job at a resort or golf club.

This will not only bring in extra income, but they probably offer discounts to employees, saving you money while still being able to enjoy something you love.

Get a second job that offers flexible hours. Use the extra income to pay down debt or start saving for your emergency fund.

Having a plan, sticking to a budget, and increasing your income are the best ways to overcome financial strain during these tough economic times.

If you’re diligent and determined not to let today’s economy stress you out, you’re sure to succeed!

How do you deal with financially tough times?

How does this make you feel about how you are living your life right now?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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June 16, 2019March 23, 2018

Seven Ways to Save Money Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle

Are you looking for ways to save money, but don’t want to sacrifice your current lifestyle?

You’ll be surprised at how many different things you can do to achieve this.

Below are just a few ideas you can utilize to start saving money during these rough financial times:

1. Eating Out: For some people, eating out is one of their biggest variable expenses, but you can still save money without sacrificing your lifestyle.

You can often find restaurant coupons in the paper or online.

You can also cut your bill in half by sharing a meal.

We all know restaurant portions are huge and can probably feed at least two people.

Cut down on the amount of food you eat and save money by sharing a meal with a friend or spouse.

2. Gas: There’s several different ways you can save money on gas by simply thinking about how many unnecessary trips you take and planning fewer trips where you can.

This is where planning your day and clustering errands into one trip is key.

Also, if you have more than one driver in your family, the person who drives the furthest to work or school should use the most fuel-efficient vehicle.

It sounds obvious, but that’s because it is!

3. Consolidating Payments: Often your lender or bank will give you a loan to help reduce your monthly costs and interest payments.

If you can’t get a loan, see if you can transfer your high interest balances to a lower interest credit card.

If you have high interest credit cards, one of the smartest ways to reduce debt is to negotiate those interest rates.

4. Cut Out Unnecessary Fees: There are often hidden fees on credit cards, bank loans, and bank accounts that you may not be aware of.

Be sure to read the fine print before signing any contracts.

You’ll also want to check your monthly statements for any fees that you may not be aware of and call to complain if you spot anything funny.

In addition, avoid bouncing checks and cash advances.

Both insufficient fund fees and cash advances are probably one of the largest money suckers, but the easiest to avoid.

Being in control of your money and knowing where it’s going will help you save money on unnecessary fees.

5. Budgeting: You need to know how much money you have coming in and directing the money where you need it to go.

Budgeting means being in control of your money instead of your money controlling you.

When you’re on a budget, you can actually save money without losing the lifestyle you desire.

6. Gym Fees: Belonging to a gym is a helpful way to lose weight and stay in shape; however, the fees can be very costly.

Besides, you can still stay in shape and get great workouts at home, while saving tons of money.

Workout DVDs (or even free videos on YouTube) cost a lot less than a monthly gym membership and there’s a huge variety to choose from.

If you use the gym and it’s keeping you healthy, than it’s a good investment.

After all, your health is important.

But you should also be realistic with your workout expectations, meaning, if you haven’t gone for months, you’re probably not going to go all of a sudden, so you’re better off cancelling the membership.

7. Groceries: If you’re like most, your grocery bill is one of the biggest bills you have, next to house payments.

You can cut this bill by hundreds each month easily.

A little planning and effort is all it takes.

Using online and paper coupons, in addition to your grocer’s weekly sales flyer can cut your grocery bill by 25 to 30 percent.

The average family of four spends over $700 a month on groceries.

By using coupons and shopping the sales, you can save over $200 a month on groceries.

Couldn’t we all use an extra $200 a month right now?

Here are some other ways of saving money without sacrificing your lifestyle:

Turn off lights when not in use.

Open windows instead of turning on the air conditioner.

In the winter, wear sweaters to keep warm and turn down your thermostat.

Turn the water off while brushing your teeth.

Take showers instead of baths.

Unplug any electronic devices when not in use.

Finding a better way to enjoy the activities you love will not only save money, but will also reduce financial stress so you can maintain the lifestyle of your dreams!

How do you feel about your current lifestyle?

How have you adjusted your lifestyle based on the finances you have?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

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May 29, 2019March 22, 2018

Using the Law of Attraction to Boost Your Income

We’ve all heard about how positive thinking can benefit you in many ways, but did you know that positive thinking and the Law of Attraction can help boost your income as well?

These days we all could use some extra income!

This article will give you an understanding of how positive thinking and the Law of Attraction are interrelated, as well as explain how you can use these principals for your financial benefit.

Positive Thinking

Positive thinking is more than just being upbeat all the time.

The term “optimistic” comes to mind; however, positive thinking is much more than just being hopeful, also.

Positive thinking is the opposite of negative thinking.

Sounds simple right? Well it’s easier said than done!

Why It’s Important to Think Positively

I’m sure you know someone who’s a negative thinker.

They’re usually down most of the time, get depressed easily, and have negative things happen to them recurrently.

Have you ever wondered why this happens?

It’s because the negative thinker surrounds himself with negative energy, which attracts more negative things.

His thoughts are in harmony with negativity, so that’s what he gets – more of the same!

Positive thinkers, on the other hand, think about encouraging things and surround themselves with positive energy.

Their thoughts are in harmony with good things, so they attract more positive opportunities.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you gravitate toward the outcome of situations because of your thought processes.

Therefore, when you think positively, you’ll make decisions based on that type of outcome, consciously or unconsciously.

The same goes if you think negatively.

How to Use the Law of Attraction to Attract More Money

If you dwell on the negative – such as how bad the economy is or how tragic situations are – your thoughts, and therefore your decisions, take you down a path to negative outcomes.

However, when you think positively, you now have a fresh start to do something you really enjoy and your thoughts and decisions move you toward those goals.

Now is the time to start thinking positively in this financial downfall.

What are some skills you already have that you could use to bring in some extra cash?

How can you take advantage of current trends to boost your income?

Here are some suggestions to help get your thoughts moving in the right direction:

1. Are you artistic or do you enjoy making things with your hands?

You might enjoy graphic arts. Now is the opportune time to start your own online business selling graphics, covers, designs, and page layouts.

2. Are you social and do you love interacting with people?

Social networking is HUGE and growing by leaps and bounds!

Social networking platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Stumble Upon and De.lic.ious are changing the way businesses of all types market their products and services.

Many companies are hiring people to market their business on these and other social networks.

3. Do you like to write?

Blogs are fast becoming the way to update a website consistently, driving more and more traffic to it.

Companies are looking for writers to fill their sites with content.

Posting blogs, article writing, and copywriting are just a few of the ways you can earn money online using skills you already have and a pastime you enjoy.

4. Boost your income at your current job.

When you think positive things about your job, you tend to perform better.

And when you excel at your work, your boss is more likely to recognize you as a valuable, or even indispensable, team member!

Positive thinking will help lead you in the right direction toward a positive outcome.

If you’re naturally a negative thinker, turning those thoughts into positive ones may be a little more difficult, but it can be done.

When you start to have negative thoughts, try to catch them before you’re already on the path to destruction in your head.

Then, turn them around and focus on positive outcomes.

Over time and with practice, positive thinking can become natural to you.

Even better, you’ll be attracting positive outcomes as well.

Through positive thinking, the Law of Attraction can bring you many things to be happy about, including financial freedom!

How can being optimistic turn things around for you?

How have you benefited from being an optimistic person during a challenging situation?

Talk about that in the Personal Growth Cafe Community!

Before you leave…

Please share the link to this post on your Facebook, Twitter, etc., and like it, and comment right here – THANKS!

Category: Money

Happiness is a state of mind not what’s in your wallet. – Byron Pulsifer

How to Strengthen Your Money Management Skills

Do You Have a Prosperity Mindset?

Money and wealth flow to me easily.

How to Attract Money Into Your Life

How to Augment Your Income During the Financial Crisis

How to Keep Your Cool During the Financial Meltdown

Overcoming Financial Strain

Seven Ways to Save Money Without Sacrificing Your Lifestyle

Using the Law of Attraction to Boost Your Income