Halloween is coming up, and it gets me to thinking about scary things. I know that something many people find frightening is money (cue evil Count Dracula laugh). It could be a lack of money, creating a budget, handling a checkbook, knowing how much to spend, feeling overwhelmed by bills and debt, making decent money but not knowing where it all goes, etc. There are so many ways that money and money management can scare people. But I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to live in fear of money! Instead, it is possible to work towards financial freedom. That is not only a life that is not lived in fear, but it is a joyous place where you can celebrate.
At iMoneyCoach our goal is YOUR financial independence. We ultimately want to see you living in a place where you are making money from your investments and savings to pay your day-to-day expenses (and you may still have income on top of that!). We call that place HomeFree – be sure to search this blog site for more info on HomeFree.
Here are some great iMoneyCoach tools to help you take the mask off your money foe (flashback to Scooby Doo here) and start living in freedom and control over your finances:
1. iMoneyCoach Financial Life Training System online courses – We have created a fully-narrated, interactive, online course system full of videos, quizzes, and worksheets to teach you all about how to manage your finances successfully. This 10-course system walks you through the iMoneyCoach concepts of life balance, the bridge, and the pyramid, which can change how you manage money dramatically. We teach budgeting, getting out of debt with a proven system, banking, goal setting, and so much more. And the beauty of it all is that it is available online so you can learn on your own time whenever it is most convenient for you. Want to learn to budget the right way while sipping coffee in your PJs? You can. Now that’s not so scary is it? Check out our iMoneyCoach Financial Life Training System at the iMoneyCoach University.
2. Personal coaching with a financial life coach – If online courses aren’t quite your cup of tea, or if you think you need much more help, then you may want to consider one-on-one coaching with a financial life coach. Even the most successful athletes in the world have coaches to help them get better at what they do. A financial life coach can help you get better at managing your money and life (because as you will learn from our coaches, money and life are interconnected rather than independent parts of our lives). We can meet you in the office, over the phone, or even on Skype! Learn more about the benefits of a financial life coach and who are coaches are at our iMoneyCoach website.
3. Debtinator Workbook – Now, instead of scaring you, your debt should be terrified when you enlist the help of The Debtinator! This is a part of our Financial Life Training System, but we’ve also made it an individual course at the iMoneyCoach University. Or you can get the workbook in print from our store or as an ebook to take with you wherever you go. The Debtinator Workbook will teach you a proven system to get out of debt, a way that actually works and works better and faster than other systems out there. We tie motivation into our system so that you can keep going as you pummel debt after debt (picture Arnold Schwarzenegger here blasting that debt away).
4. The Spending Plan Workbook – The Spending Plan is another part of our full Financial Life Training System that we have made available as a separate unit. You can purchase The Spending Plan Workbook in print or as an ebook to take with you on your iPad, Kindle, computer, etc. In the Spending Plan you will learn the different categories necessary for a budget that works, how to rank expenses so you know what to budget, and how to track spending so you can adjust your budget accordingly. We stay away from the one-size-fits all approach because we understand that everyone has a different financial situation. We also believe strongly in building in a reward system so that you don’t end up facing something like a mid-life crisis. If budgets scare you, this book will help turn that around!
5. Money Tips - iMoneyCoach is here to make money less daunting! We have a variety of ways for you to overcome the fear of money and live in both freedom and power! You can read more about iMoneyCoach on our website, get great tips and articles right here on our blog, get quick updates and news on Twitter, join the discussion on Facebook, or catch awesome one-minute tips in our iMoneyMinute newsletters that go out every few weeks and take just a minute to offer valuable information. We work hard to fight those money fears so you don’t have to worry.
Money doesn’t have to be the Boogieman in your life. And iMoneyCoach is devoted to helping make finances less daunting and more freeing. We want to see you succeed, and we work hard every day to make that happen. So this Halloween, remember that you can overcome the money fears and start on the road to financial freedom!
Halloween is coming up, and it gets me to thinking about scary things. I know that something many people find frightening is money (cue evil Count Dracula laugh). It could be a lack of money, creating a budget, handling a checkbook, knowing how much to spend, feeling overwhelmed by bills and debt, making decent money but not knowing where it all goes, etc. There are so many ways that money and money management can scare people. But I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to live in fear of money! Instead, it is possible to work towards financial freedom. That is not only a life that is not lived in fear, but it is a joyous place where you can celebrate.
At iMoneyCoach our goal is YOUR financial independence. We ultimately want to see you living in a place where you are making money from your investments and savings to pay your day-to-day expenses (and you may still have income on top of that!). We call that place HomeFree – be sure to search this blog site for more info on HomeFree.
Here are some great iMoneyCoach tools to help you take the mask off your money foe (flashback to Scooby Doo here) and start living in freedom and control over your finances:
1. iMoneyCoach Financial Life Training System online courses – We have created a fully-narrated, interactive, online course system full of videos, quizzes, and worksheets to teach you all about how to manage your finances successfully. This 10-course system walks you through the iMoneyCoach concepts of life balance, the bridge, and the pyramid, which can change how you manage money dramatically. We teach budgeting, getting out of debt with a proven system, banking, goal setting, and so much more. And the beauty of it all is that it is available online so you can learn on your own time whenever it is most convenient for you. Want to learn to budget the right way while sipping coffee in your PJs? You can. Now that’s not so scary is it? Check out our iMoneyCoach Financial Life Training System at the iMoneyCoach University.
2. Personal coaching with a financial life coach – If online courses aren’t quite your cup of tea, or if you think you need much more help, then you may want to consider one-on-one coaching with a financial life coach. Even the most successful athletes in the world have coaches to help them get better at what they do. A financial life coach can help you get better at managing your money and life (because as you will learn from our coaches, money and life are interconnected rather than independent parts of our lives). We can meet you in the office, over the phone, or even on Skype! Learn more about the benefits of a financial life coach and who are coaches are at our iMoneyCoach website.
3. Debtinator Workbook – Now, instead of scaring you, your debt should be terrified when you enlist the help of The Debtinator! This is a part of our Financial Life Training System, but we’ve also made it an individual course at the iMoneyCoach University. Or you can get the workbook in print from our store or as an ebook to take with you wherever you go. The Debtinator Workbook will teach you a proven system to get out of debt, a way that actually works and works better and faster than other systems out there. We tie motivation into our system so that you can keep going as you pummel debt after debt (picture Arnold Schwarzenegger here blasting that debt away).
4. The Spending Plan Workbook – The Spending Plan is another part of our full Financial Life Training System that we have made available as a separate unit. You can purchase The Spending Plan Workbook in print or as an ebook to take with you on your iPad, Kindle, computer, etc. In the Spending Plan you will learn the different categories necessary for a budget that works, how to rank expenses so you know what to budget, and how to track spending so you can adjust your budget accordingly. We stay away from the one-size-fits all approach because we understand that everyone has a different financial situation. We also believe strongly in building in a reward system so that you don’t end up facing something like a mid-life crisis. If budgets scare you, this book will help turn that around!
5. Money Tips - iMoneyCoach is here to make money less daunting! We have a variety of ways for you to overcome the fear of money and live in both freedom and power! You can read more about iMoneyCoach on our website, get great tips and articles right here on our blog, get quick updates and news on Twitter, join the discussion on Facebook, or catch awesome one-minute tips in our iMoneyMinute newsletters that go out every few weeks and take just a minute to offer valuable information. We work hard to fight those money fears so you don’t have to worry.
Money doesn’t have to be the Boogieman in your life. And iMoneyCoach is devoted to helping make finances less daunting and more freeing. We want to see you succeed, and we work hard every day to make that happen. So this Halloween, remember that you can overcome the money fears and start on the road to financial freedom!
Tags: budget workbook, budgeting, debt workbook, financial life coach, getting out of debt, money, money tips
Most people look for jobs based on their specific talents and skills. These are very often tied to the degrees or experience they have as well. At iMoneyCoach we have been working with many people to help them find careers or new jobs based not only on skills and talents, but also on motivation. Let me explain…
First we’ll start with some definitions to keep things straight. A talent is an ability that one seems naturally gifted with – when people seem naturally able to do something we say they are talented. A skill, on the other hand, is something you are taught or can learn to do. You may be able to do it very well, but it takes work rather than coming naturally. If you are naturally able to do something well, chances are you will probably enjoy it more and be more apt to head that direction, but we all have to learn skills as well. When we work with people looking for a new job or a career change, we consider both skills and talents because both are valuable and important. We also take into consideration what motivates people. Are you an encourager, teacher, leader, etc? We are able to discover these motivating factors using a different type of vocational assessment, The CALL. It measures not only skills and talents, but it uncovers those underlying motivators that push you forward.
Why are these motivating factors important? Sure, you can do a job you are good at. You can learn new skills and carry out tasks well. But when you are doing something that fulfills those areas that motivate you, you are less likely to get burned out and more likely to succeed. If you happen to be motivated by caring for others, then it might be that your desk job is not the right job for you. Perhaps you would be much better suited for a career in counseling or giving in-home care. If leadership is one of your motivators, then you might not be in the right job if you are taking more direction than you are giving. Perhaps you would do better as a police chief or manager. When you get into a career that meets these motivational needs, you will be happier and more likely to succeed.
The great thing about the way iMoneyCoach is set up with The CALL is that after you take the assessment you get one-on-one time with one of our coaches who can personally walk you through the results and help you figure out what career would be best for you AND what steps you should take to get started. Whether you should meet with people in that career field, send out resumes, get more education in that field, and so on, our coaches can help you take the first step in the right direction. So you have an assessment that works BETTER than the usual ones out there, PLUS you have an expert, an actual person, to advise you and give you the encouragement you need. This is a great combination that has the potential to absolutely change your life.
So do a couple of things:
- Consider your current career/job. Are there things you could do to be more productive or enjoy it more? Is an attitude change perhaps necessary? If you give this time and consideration and decide that no, you think you would be much happier somewhere else, move on to the next step.
- Sign up to take The CALL. We’ll get an assessment assigned to you and email you the link to take it. Then we will follow up with a call to schedule a meeting with you and one of our coaches. You can meet at our office, via Skype, or over the phone – whatever works best for you.
- Enjoy the benefits of the assessment and coaching! We want to see you succeed, and we will be here cheering you along.
Tags: career, job, motivation, new career, skill, The CALL assessment
Have you ever thought about what you could do with an extra $700-800 a year? Sounds like a pretty nice extra bit of cash right? Well, there’s a way you can save that much that is becoming more and more popular and easy to do. And that is by cutting out cable. *gasp* Cutting out cable? But what about all your favorite shows?! Not to worry, there are plenty of ways you can still catch your shows and save a good $60+ per month.
You can get local channels by purchasing a $15 digital converter box and don’t have to worry about any monthly fees – and depending on where you live, you may still have around 60 channels.
Here are some of the ways you can save:
Hulu – allows you to watch your favorite shows FREE. They are usually added the day after they’ve aired, so you might have a 1-night delay, but it beats paying that cable bill.
Netflix – Offers a cheap way to rent thousands of movies and TV shows. You can choose different subscription options, from Instant Watch on your TV and computer to Instant Watch plus movies in your mailbox. Plans start at $7.99 a month.
Amazon Video on Demand (http://www.amazon.com/b/?ie=UTF8&node=16261631&tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=2421641721&ref=pd_sl_15356wjtq3_b) – offers many discounted and even some FREE shows and movies you can watch instantly. There are also movies for as low as 99 cents, and you can watch on your computer or TV (either by hooking up the computer to the TV or if you have a compatible device – see their site for more info on compatibility).
Internet - Many newer TVs or devices like blu-ray players, XBox, Playstation, and Wii will now let you connect to the internet to stream movies and shows to your TV for free without having to connect your computer to the TV itself. Many TVs now come Internet-ready or have adapters you can buy (roughly $80).
Google TV – lets you set up apps on your TV and customize the home screen so you can put your Hulu, Netflix, NBC, ABC, TBS, and other sites on the home screen. You have to have a product that works with Google TV, but even if you buy the Logitech Revue (http://www.logitech.com/en-us/smartTV/revue) for $300 you would still save $420 this year and $720 next year.
Sports – Getting sports online is still tough. It might be possible to drop down to a basic cable package and just order sports packages. You can pick from sports packages for the year or for certain seasons so you can catch all of the football or baseball games.
If you have decided you still need cable, it doesn’t hurt to call your cable provider and see if they can lower the cost or give you a good deal. My family has called several times and asked what kind of deal the company could give us so we wouldn’t switch providers. There is always some sort of special running, and they do have the power to lower your bill.
Tags: cut cable, google tv, hulu, netflix, save money, save money on cable
iMoneyCoach recently added a new course to our iMoneyCoach University of online courses. It is called True Grid and is all about discovering the plan that God has for your life and following through to reach big goals. When you uncover the blueprint God has for your life and take small steps each day to live by it, then you can reach amazing heights.
The course was originally authored by Charlynne Boddie who has done some incredible things in her life! A missionary and evangelist from Denver, CO she currently lives in the UK. She has been involved in evangelistic teaching, journalism, TV (she had her own show in Hollywood), has been a federal spokeswoman, and more. Charlynne has relied on God for provision and has seen Him do incredible things in her life. And she set out to share those things with others so they might experience it as well.
True Grid is a course that rounds out the iMoneyCoach concept of Life Balance. In order to be successful with our finances, we must strengthen all the areas of our lives and maintain balance. Think of it this way: There are 5 main life segments including Spiritual, Personal (physical and emotional), Relationships, Work, and Finances. If one of these areas is lacking, we tend to throw money at it as a band-aid or temporary solution, thinking that money can solve our problems. But unfortunately, it can’t. We need to figure out the problem and find the right solution. What does this have to do with True Grid? This touches on both your spiritual and personal segments of life. It is spiritual because you will be looking to what God has planned for your life and trusting Him to get you there. It is personal because as you reach your goals, you will feel great emotionally! The course teaches you to celebrate milestones so that even when you have setbacks you have those positive times to look at and keep you going. You know, the course may tie in with your work life depending on the goals that you set. You may be an aspiring actor and set goals relating to where you want your career to go.
That being said, I’d invite you to take a look at True Grid at the iMoneyCoach University. It is a fully narrated course that will walk you step by step through the process of setting goals and living your dreams, no matter where you are at in your life today. It’s an incredible journey that you do not want to miss!
Tags: Charlynne Boddie, finances, God's plan for you, iMoneyCoach University, online courses, True Grid
We hear a lot about doing this or doing that in an effort to save money. But what about the things you should NOT do in order to save? Here’s a list of some useful tips (and hey, they may give you a little extra time, energy, and money for something else!)
- DON’T steam clean your carpets more than once a year. Now, I enjoy clean, and I know many people who want their carpets to be fresh and spotless too. But steam cleaning your carpet more than once a year can end up costing you big, to the tune of replacing your carpet much sooner than you need to. The water from the steam cleaner breaks down the glue that holds the carpet down, causing it to become loose and stretched out and worn faster than if you can hold off and only steam clean once a year.
- DON’T buy new books. This one can be tough. I love getting a new book and the feeling that it is “mine.” But suppose you like to read 1 book a month, and let’s say a new book costs a conservative average of $12. That’s $144 a year that you could save by skipping the book store and heading to the library. Even a few late fees wouldn’t compare to the money you would save.
- DON’T fly first class (unless you are using free miles). Did you realize that when you pay an extra $100, or any extra amount, to fly first class, you are paying that amount to sit in a big leather chair and eat warm peanuts for a few hours. Is it worth it? Is the time you have to spend sitting at your desk in a hard office chair worth those few hours in the first few rows of the plane?
- DON’T do laundry unless you’ve got a full load. Running a few items through the washing machine takes up a lot of extra water and energy. You’ll be doing the environment and yourself a favor if you just wait until you have a full load to wash. But don’t wash things that aren’t dirty! You just wore those jeans to run a few errands but then changed back into comfy pants when you got home? Save them for another wear!
- DON’T go to a fancy high-priced salon to get your hair cut. Did you know you can visit a local cosmetology school and save tons of money? A cut and color that could cost well over $100 in a fancy salon could be less than $50 at a cosmetology school. They have instructors nearby and do careful work because they are being tested and graded.
So start not doing these things today if you haven’t already! We love to help people save money, get out of debt, and become financially successful. If you have any ideas for future blogs, let me know – sarah@ifsweb.com. I’d love to hear from you!
Tags: money tips, save money
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