Common Cents Budgeting Tips

August 2004

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In This Month's Issue
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Inspiration for the Month
From The Budget Coach
Featured Tips or Information
Life Being Like the Seasons
Your Question for the Day
Special Offer of the Month
Recommended Resources
Contact/General & Unsubscribe Info

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Inspiration for the Month
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'What we do or fail to do determines what we earn in the long run.'
-- Brian Tracy (Jim Rohn Weekend Leadership Event)

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From The Budget Coach
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Welcome to my 'Common Cents Budgeting Tips' Newsletter.

I'm delighted to have the opportunity to share these tips with you. Remember, you are a vital part of this whole exchange and if you ever have questions or some valuable experience or resource you want to share with others, please don't hesitate to let me know.

Many of the new sections that were added to The Budget Kit workbook over the various revisions these last many years, came from insightful readers and clients like you who wanted to help make a difference.

'Common Cents Budgeting Tips' is published monthly. The focus of this monthly newsletter is to provide you with some quick money management tips and ideas you can immediately begin to use. I may go bi-weekly and add a second issue soon to touch on the personal side of money and budgets.

Remember to email me judycents@moneytracker.com with any tips, resources or comments you would like to share as well as any questions. Working together is how we can all make a difference in our financial lives.

I am offering a complimentary 30 minute coaching session with me.

I would love to hear how you are doing and help in anyway I can. For your free session, email me with 'Time Slot Request' in the subject area.

Have a fulfilling and prosperous day!

To Your Success,

Judy Lawrence
Personal Budget Coach
Best-selling Author, The Budget Kit, 4th Edition
judycents@moneytracker.com
http://www.moneytracker.com

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Featured Tips & Information Life Being Like the Seasons
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Have you ever attended a seminar where everything and everyone just seemed to click? This past weekend I had one of those experiences after attending the 'Jim Rohn Weekend Leadership Event' in Anaheim, CA. I want to share a few of the down to earth tips from speakers like Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy and Brian Tracy who are true legends in the motivational, leadership business world and show how these tips relate to our finances.
Jim Rohn talked about life being like the Seasons. The seasons are set. You may not be able to change them, but you definitely can change yourself.

Winter - Learn how to survive
Winter always comes after the harvest of fall. If you are still in a holding pattern recovering financially from the down economy, use this time to get stronger and wiser. Read or listen to biographies of successful people and financial books. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki is so excellent for changing how we think about money. Take classes. Learn from other people's experiences whether bankruptcy, debt or wealth. Do the personal inner work to stay strong and positive ñ donít give up. Know that Spring is always around the corner. Use this time to get a real handle on your finances and learn what changes to make. What can you do to start increasing your assets and decrease your liabilities?

'Failure is never final, merely feedback' - Brian Tracy

Spring -Window of opportunity
This is your window when you must take action and plant your seeds of opportunity. Start new financial habits. Practice a few new simple disciplines every day. Something as simple as organizing your cash in your purse or pocket and knowing exactly how much you have at the beginning of the day and end of the day. Increase your savings. For example, even if you are nowhere near the suggested 10% savings, start by saving 1% or $25 of your monthly salary every month. Leave it there. Like the TV commercial showing the running dollar bills, make sure your dollars are working hard for you. Review your investments, your savings, your spending, even your extra coins. Diligently look for ways to spend less and use that savings to pay down debt or add to your savings. Have family meetings and outline new plans where everyone contributes and everyone gains. Ideas like starting your children on an allowance, saving for trips, and exploring ways to change household spending.

'You must be willing to invest the time and effort the rest of the population won't consider.' --Denis Waitley

Summer - Nourish and Protect
Fertilize your new habits so they continue to develop. Maybe you started tracking your spending or taking more time to review your monthly financial picture. Stay with it and pay close attention. Pull out your weeds of bad habits - ignoring finance fees, paying bills late, spending without thinking at the convenience store. Above all be patient. The results may not always show immediately. Just like the daily candy bar doesn't show up on the waistline right away, the daily latte doesn't show up on the bottom line right away either. The same is true with a positive daily discipline. Saving money by eliminating the daily large diet coke or buying used CDs instead of new may not seem to have much impact the first month, but practiced daily and consistently, can turn around your whole bottom line.
'The formula for success is to practice a few simple disciplines every day.' --Jim Rohn

Fall - Harvest
In all aspects of your life, the harvest will come in due time. Take a journey in your mind where you see the harvest of your changes, having the life you want, feeling the relief of being financially independent and debt free. With patience, nurturing and the wise use of all your resources, know that you can accomplish your vision.
'For things to change, you have to change. For things to get better, you have to get better.' --Jim Rohn

Have a great end of the summer vacation!

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Your Question for the Day
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Will the pleasure of the purchase today outweigh the stress of a future shortage of money in another area?

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Special Offers for the Month
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FREE 'Budgeting Without Tears' e-Course

If you haven't already, sign up for my f.ree e-course 'Budgeting Without Tears'.

You will receive a series of educational tips to help you get your finances in order and your budget plan started. Granted, you will not be supplied with all the worksheets, road maps and formulas that you get in The Budget Kit, but this will provide you with additional information that will prove to be very useful in getting started!

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Resources
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For more ideas and articles on managing your finances in all areas see the following websites:

RightOnTheMoney.org Right on the Money is hosted by the aware-winning journalist
Chris Farrell and focuses on helping viewers stay one step Ahead.

Stretcher.com Articles and resources for simple living and saving you time and money.

Brian Tracy Home Page The Financial Success program is offered weekly and
offers the ins and outs for building both business and
personal wealth.

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Books by Judy Lawrence
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Feel free to visit my Money Tracker website to learn more:

http://www.moneytracker.com/books.htm

The Budget Kit:Common Cents Money Management Workbook
The Money Tracker: Find the CASH to Get What You REALLY Want
Daily Riches: A Journal of Gratitude and Awareness
The Family Memory Book: Highlights of Our Times Together

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Newsletter and Article Archive
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Newsletter Archive

Articles Archive

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General, Contact & Unsubscribe Info
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