SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP: 4 Quick Tips That Will Improve Your Life Without Driving You Nuts!

A large part of living THE GREAT LIFE is being smart when it comes to your wallet and bank account. Let’s face it, most people carry around unnecessary stress from not knowing what their financial present and future look like. Fear of the unknown is so common and it often drives our everyday happiness and makes us feel anxious, stressed and moody. Well, what I say to that is, simply having a plan of action and paying just a little more attention to the GREEN STUFF ($$) can ease the stress and take a HUGE weight of your back, and even fatten up that wallet of yours! Cha-Ching!

Here are some quick and easy tips for being Smart and Savvy with your finances that won’t drive you up a wall!

1. SET MONTHLY GOALS. Without driving yourself too crazy, chart out your target monthly spending. Start with the big stuff…rent, utilities, student loans, etc. Then, if you can, chart out a rough estimate of the other stuff…food, gas, happy hour, trip to Target. ADDED BONUS: Tailor your monthly budget so you have some flexibility. Most people steer off course with their budget when they feel suffocated by the strict rules. So leave yourself some wiggle room to buy that new bathing suit for Memorial Day Weekend…no sweat off your back with this plan!

2. GO GREEN! TRANSLATION = Get rid of the PLASTIC and USE CASH. After you’ve subtracted your bills and expenses from your monthly TAKE-HOME, and socked at least 10% away in a savings account, divide that into 4 weeks. That number is what you CAN be spending and should not be exceeding on a weekly basis. To keep track, go to the ATM at the start of each week, take out that amount and ONLY use the GREEN STUFF. Consider your credit card and bank card for an absolute emergency only….shopping, cosmos and manicures DO NOT COUNT!

3. DIY = Do it Yourself! To save some of the GREEN each month, get used to doing some things yourself, instead of paying almost 4 times its worth for the services. Example of things I do myself that the ‘old me’ would have shelled out for…paint my nails, wash my car, and chop my own fruit for a fruit salad. Paying for these things can really add up, and there’s nothing like washing your car on a warm Saturday morning with your significant other…its fun, romantic and inexpensive = WIN/WIN!

4. AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! A lot of us are doing this with our bills already but this one goes ONE STEP FURTHER! Create a savings account and “emergency fund” account that gets direct deposited from your Checking on Pay Day! Don’t freak out now…start with a small number, lets say 5-10% of your paycheck for your savings and then, $25/month in the emergency fund. This way, the money comes right out before you can even think about spending it! I know for me, if I think too hard about this, I could probably justify some good reason why I don’t have to do this. But, bottom line is, I do… and so do you!

There, you survived this short SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP! It wasn’t so bad, was it? If you can start small and put even simple things in place, let’s say…one or two of these tips you will be surprised how much less stress and weight you’ll be carrying around. You’ll decrease stress, worry and fear and increase your wallet and savings account. That’s enough of a reason to me!

Cheers, and remember, don’t drive yourself nuts with this! Have a GREAT day!

SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP: 4 Quick Tips That Will Improve Your Life Without Driving You Nuts!

A large part of living THE GREAT LIFE is being smart when it comes to your wallet and bank account. Let’s face it, most people carry around unnecessary stress from not knowing what their financial present and future look like. Fear of the unknown is so common and it often drives our everyday happiness and makes us feel anxious, stressed and moody. Well, what I say to that is, simply having a plan of action and paying just a little more attention to the GREEN STUFF ($$) can ease the stress and take a HUGE weight of your back, and even fatten up that wallet of yours! Cha-Ching!

Here are some quick and easy tips for being Smart and Savvy with your finances that won’t drive you up a wall!

1. SET MONTHLY GOALS. Without driving yourself too crazy, chart out your target monthly spending. Start with the big stuff…rent, utilities, student loans, etc. Then, if you can, chart out a rough estimate of the other stuff…food, gas, happy hour, trip to Target. ADDED BONUS: Tailor your monthly budget so you have some flexibility. Most people steer off course with their budget when they feel suffocated by the strict rules. So leave yourself some wiggle room to buy that new bathing suit for Memorial Day Weekend…no sweat off your back with this plan!

2. GO GREEN! TRANSLATION = Get rid of the PLASTIC and USE CASH. After you’ve subtracted your bills and expenses from your monthly TAKE-HOME, and socked at least 10% away in a savings account, divide that into 4 weeks. That number is what you CAN be spending and should not be exceeding on a weekly basis. To keep track, go to the ATM at the start of each week, take out that amount and ONLY use the GREEN STUFF. Consider your credit card and bank card for an absolute emergency only….shopping, cosmos and manicures DO NOT COUNT!

3. DIY = Do it Yourself! To save some of the GREEN each month, get used to doing some things yourself, instead of paying almost 4 times its worth for the services. Example of things I do myself that the ‘old me’ would have shelled out for…paint my nails, wash my car, and chop my own fruit for a fruit salad. Paying for these things can really add up, and there’s nothing like washing your car on a warm Saturday morning with your significant other…its fun, romantic and inexpensive = WIN/WIN!

4. AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! AUTOMATE! A lot of us are doing this with our bills already but this one goes ONE STEP FURTHER! Create a savings account and “emergency fund” account that gets direct deposited from your Checking on Pay Day! Don’t freak out now…start with a small number, lets say 5-10% of your paycheck for your savings and then, $25/month in the emergency fund. This way, the money comes right out before you can even think about spending it! I know for me, if I think too hard about this, I could probably justify some good reason why I don’t have to do this. But, bottom line is, I do… and so do you!

There, you survived this short SMART MONEY BOOTCAMP! It wasn’t so bad, was it? If you can start small and put even simple things in place, let’s say…one or two of these tips you will be surprised how much less stress and weight you’ll be carrying around. You’ll decrease stress, worry and fear and increase your wallet and savings account. That’s enough of a reason to me!

Cheers, and remember, don’t drive yourself nuts with this! Have a GREAT day!

"The Latte Effect" Learn To Harness Your Wealthy Attitude for More Abundance and Financial Freedom Today!

October is my self-declared month of “money.” A few months ago I started thinking about making a cross country move (most of you know how much I travel to, and would love to live in, California). So, as of late, I’ve been doing a 360 analysis of my finances, this includes: a cash flow analysis, my personal budget, and most importantly, my mental “relationship” with money and abundance. I truly believe in taking a holistic approach to money just as you would your mind, body and soul. With the holidays just a few months away, and a potential move on the horizon, it’s time to take charge and save myself the financial stress and angst later on!

A Wealthy Attitude Starts with YOU:

I am a true believer that one of the secrets to wealth starts with having healthy attitudes towards money, attracting abundance and feeling good about your self worth (in terms of numbers). For example, when I work with small business owners and entrepreneurs, a lot of times they struggle to come up with fair prices for their products and services. Well, it all starts with how much you believe you are worth. And, I believe you are worth a heck of A LOT. If you believe in yourself, you increase your self worth. With a high self worth, you will attract more money and abundance. The law of attraction is as simple as that.

The Latte Effect…What would you do with an extra $600 a year??:

Since October first I have been calculating my cash flow and spending habits. I am an extremely visual learning, so I’ve created a chart to keep me on track. In an excel spreadsheet I have created a column for my income, bills, expenses, due dates, money spent and received. It is truly amazing how when you ask yourself “Do I really need this?” before making an impulse purchase, the chances are you don’t. And, therefore, you don’t need to be flushing money down the toilet.

For today on, I am challenging you to take a hold of your financial habits, and to hone in on your unhealthy habits, like “the latte effect.” Let’s say you buy a Latte 3 times per week, at approximately $4 a pop. That’s almost $50 a month JUST ON COFFEE! That’s $600 a YEAR! Would you pass up $600 on the street, or intentionally flush $600 down the toilet? I’m not saying that you can’t drink lattes; I myself LOVE a good vanilla latte once in a while. The point is = I am asking you to TAKE NOTICE of how quickly that $4 flies out of your wallet. I bet you aren’t thinking about how much $$ those warm beverages add up to, and what you could be buying with that extra cash. Examine your other quick-fix spending habits; identify the other “latte-like” things in your life.

Wealthy People Live Within Their Means:

In addition, last night, my Financial Advisor friend told me to STOP USING CREDIT CARDS ALTOGETHER. He said DO NOT SPEND MONEY YOU DO NOT HAVE, right now! And, it makes so much sense. A wealthy person is one who lives within their means. Stop focusing on making more money, and start examine what you do with the money you have. Of course, you will always have opportunities to make more money, but that is NOT the solution, that is the added bonus. More often than not if you develop a healthy foundation for money, set up a plan to save and get-out-of-debt, and start to live within your means, you WILL become wealthy. This is not easier said than done, you just need to attend to developing new healthier financial habits! Financial freedom = a less stressful, more enjoyable lifestyle!

Stop Giving in to Fancy Advertisements…You KNOW what You NEED!

Looking at my finances from the birds eye view has been a very empowering experience, in some way LIFE CHANGING. The most important thing that I’ve learned is that the credit card companies, banks and fancy advertisements WILL NOT dictate how or why I spend my money. I will make healthy financial choices that are good for me, and great for my wallet. Remember, you always have a choice.

Maybe the next time you’ll rethink how badly you “need” that latte?

What do you know to be true? Is the way you are doing things REALLY working for you??

As I get to know myself more and more each day, and become in tune with the things that work well for me, I have really begun to realize that I am truly a creature of habit. I function well when I’m on a schedule. Since I work for myself, my “schedule” is more of a general daily to-do list; things that keep me moving in a healthy direction, and on track with my professional and financial goals. I know that when I’m on my routine there are MULTIPLE BENEFITS including feeling less stressed, more relaxed, happier and even more productive.

For instance, on a “normal Monday-Friday”, I like to wake up at roughly the same time every day (even though I’ve been known to hit snooze when my body tells me it needs the extra Zzz’s), eat fruit in the morning, exercise daily, etc. I know that healthy foods keep me mentally on target each day. I know that a physical outlet like exercise keeps my body feeling light and relaxed. I know that making smart financial decisions helps me feel on track with my greater goals. I know that being of service and connecting with people helps me fulfill some of my personal and career goals. These are things I know to be true.

What do you know to be true about yourself?

What works well for you?

What is something that you can do everyday to add to your own daily happiness?

What are some of the healthy choices that you make each day? For your body? For your mind? For your relationships? For your work?

Think about it. Start observing how your body feels when you make certain choices. Do you feel calm? Do you feel anxious? Your body is a GREAT barometer for balanced choices, things that are in congruence with your inner and outer thoughts and feelings. Listen to your body. If you are feeling tense when you do something, or are deeply procrastinating, perhaps this is something on your list that you can “DITCH” or “DELEGATE.” Who says that YOU are the only one that can do what’s on your to-do list? The goal is to get in “DONE” not to “DWELL” on it. Okay, I’m having a little to much fun with the “D” words today.

One last one, go out and “DO” it today. Whatever it is that will make you feel happier, less stressed, more relaxed, more productive, more abundant, more giving…..go out and “DO” it, cheers!

xo, DeAnna Lynn Englezos