It Is Your Life

This year I have been trying to stick to budgets for everything. Well if you budget, then you know that sometimes we can be tempted by things that screw up our budget or just fall off all together. I will admit that there were 2 months where I bought some things I KNOW I didn't and don't need, but I said, "I work hard and I deserve this" (I want this, screw my savings!). Well, thinking back, I should've said, "I work hard, I deserve to save and not screw my future retired life over by not sticking to my budget". I'm going to try to keep reminding myself of this statement going forward when I'm tempted. I've also tried to come up with ways to get some stuff I want without it coming out of my allocated budgets.

• Save gift cards that I get from others for holidays and special occasions, and use these to buy the extras
• Earn more reward points from survey sites I use, redeem them for gift cards and use those to buy the extras
• Shop online directly through Ebates and get cash back checks/PayPal deposits quarterly 
  
• When the parents ask me if I want something while we are out shopping, go for the extras:) (Yes, I'm still spoiled)
• Selling clothes/shoes/accessories I don't and won't wear anymore
• Selling DVDs I don't watch anymore or that Grant already has

NOTE: These things might seem minimal to you, but let me tell you that I have gotten so much money from all of these. Few dollars/gift cards for small amounts here and there definitely add up quick if you don't touch/spend them, which is the hard part:)

I will say that there have been some things I needed that I saved for and was able to get because of my budgets, so there are definitely way more pros than cons to budgeting. And in case you don't already, create a SMALL budget for Just Because spending, and you will give yourself some wiggle room and not seem so tensed about it:) With this upcoming wedding, we have a budget for every sector of it and my goal is to beat each one of those budgets, so by the wedding I can say that I spent less and put that extra money in our Future Home savings:) I plan to post about my wedding budgets soon and how I have been finding ways to get what we want but pay less. So keep checking back for that!

Until next time, don't spent those pennies!

Solar 40

                                                                                                                                   

Discover Your Purpose

I had the pleasure of hearing a great sermon at church yesterday: "Discover your purpose instead of trying to make God bless you with your plan"

I just had to share this and it definitely was motivation for me. Anyone or anything that is not in your life to assist or aid with your purpose, needs to be removed! We all have a purpose and you have to step out to find it, instead of continuously asking God for blessings around a plan that you made for yourself. He already knows his plan for you but you have to discover this and make it happen. Have faith in yourself and seek that purpose.

So, I encourage you today to look within yourself and examine all associations whethers it's a friend, family  member, job, etc. If they all don't link together somehow to help with your life's purpose, you need to make some disconnections ASAP. Use your talents to glorify his name. Romans explains it a little better than I can:

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully" (Romans 12:4-8)


Know when to connect and when to disconnect!

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do"- (Ephesians 2:1)


Until my next share session,
-SOLAR 40

                                                                                                                                   

Get It Together

Today I was reflecting on things that happened in my life last year, and smiling as I thought of all the great things I learned, which I am currently applying going forward. After doing so, I decided to go back and read this great post I had on my older blog last year. Some of you may remember it if you read my beginner blog. So I'll share and hopefully it will inspire or motivate someone to get organized in some form or fashion. In the Twitter world, we all "RT" Retweet, so in the Blog world, I'll make my first "RP" Repost! (haha)

Until my next RP,
-Solar 40

Is Your Life Organized?

Have you ever wondered why your life doesn't make sense all the time? I know I do. One thing I've realized as an avid reader, is that a book has chapters for the purpose of organization and flow. If the material is not presented in an organized manner, it makes no sense. The same applies to my life and yours. When things aren't in order, it makes no sense. Get it together, get organized.

If you often get feedback that what you say makes no sense, then maybe you're getting the indirect hint that you need to get it together. Get it together, get organized.

Chapters represent the stages in your life, whether it's educational, personal, spiritual, etc. Each chapter should be a direct representation of who you really are regardless of what others think. I think I figured this out several years ago as a child. Characterized as mean, too blunt, aggressive, etc, I still manage to take some risks and say and do what I please. This personal freedom and acceptance of who I am has eliminated a lot of pain, misery, and failure from my life. Now don't get it twisted, my life gets a little fuzzy here and there sometimes, but for the most part it eventually falls back on track in my desired path after a little editing and rewriting. Get it together, get organized.

My advice to myself and others is to figure out what each chapter should be like in your life and then determine what each chapter leads to. If it doesn't make sense to you when it's bound, do you really expect others to get it? Let's be real. Get it together, get organized.

                                                                                                                                

Financial Comfort

So today, I started thinking more about my future finances! I have to prepare myself for the future and anything good or bad that it may hold.

So today, I commit to reading up on financial investments at least once a day. If I have nothing to show for what I've worked for when I'm old, then I have no one to blame but myself.

So today, I've done my part and educated myself. Stay tuned for my financial knowledge and stories.

• About.com The Most Important Rule of Investing
• CNN: Money 101
• Black Money Matters: Online Investing

"Never invest money you can't afford to lose."


Until our next Green tip,
-Solar 40
                                                                                                                             

Are you in search of a good 'Financial Read'? CNN has formulated a list of the best websites!

Check it out: Money Websites

“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” - Jim Rohn

Until the money gets longer,

-SOLAR 40

                                                                                                    

Saving, Saving, and Saving!

Is there something that you've been dying to do, but don't think it's in your budget? Well, I suggest you rearrange your budgets and cut some costs in various areas to make that extra money available for saving.  Saving provides you more opportunities to do the things you want, need, and love to do in life.

I'm all about saving money and I like to do so for a number of reasons:

• It's nice having money in case of emergencies
• I love having extra money to take big trips
• I like being financially responsible
• I love knowing that I'm not wasting money on certain things

Why do you like saving? What's your motivation? Please share, because I'd love to hear your take!!

I do several things to save a lot of money and also get the most out of the money I spend. Here are few of my methods:

• Clip and use coupons
• Join store rewards programs to gain points for shopping
• Use Ebates, which gives cash back checks quarterly on purchases
• Participate in paid survey programs
• Cook during the week as much as I can to avoid spending money at restaurants/fast food places
• Wait to buy big ticket items around a holiday when there are huge and great markdowns
• TRY to only buy clothes if I really need them for an event
• Save all additional money from yearly raises
• Do private tutoring and save all income from it (NOTE: Set your own hourly rate;))
• Only do major grocery shopping once a month

What do you do to save money? Share with others and help them become financially responsible :)

"Today, there are three kinds of people: the haves, the have-nots, and the have-not-paid-for-what-they-haves." -Earl Wilson


Until my next two cents,
-SOLAR 40