#42 Can I really afford to buy that? And the problem with positive thinking.

We’ve all done it, unless of course we’ve been trained very early in life to avoid this, and even then the best of us fall prey to the idea that everything is going to work out, the money will be there when it’s time to pay, God won’t leave me {us} hanging. It’s all a very dangerous game to play and some of us make a habit of doing this to ourselves: Buying what we can’t afford at time of purchase.

Here’s the thing, if we’re that convinced that we’ll have the money when it comes time to make the payment, why then don’t we wait till the money is actually there? And if it’s an exercise in your trust in God, why then do we cause ourselves stress & panic in the 11^th hour?  And who is it that we lash out at when it doesn’t come? Ahh!

 I have done both, tested God and believed in the power of Positive Thinking when it comes to purchasing items my bank statement doesn’t support. So, I am not passing judgment, as it was not that long ago that I found myself in this predicament yet again. I thought I had it covered, I went with positive thinking, then believing God wouldn’t hang me up, and I put the word out that I was back in business to everyone I know.

Now in a better economy, that might have been a safer bet, but it will always fail to be a wise one. Positive thinking is how we deal with what happens/ how we react, faith & God’s promise to give us our desires works best when we as He says, “Seek the Kingdom of Heaven”. Buying on borrowed time & money is not a godly act.  We know that.

But it’s on sale this week and there’s no telling if I’ll luck out like that again with such a deal. Honey, if you’re stressing out how you’re going to pay for it, questioning even a little if the money is going to be there, and don’t have at least half of the money in a coffer: be it a pay check, investment funds being paid out in a matter of days, do yourself a favor WAIT till the money is in your hot little hand. If you’re worried that you’re going to miss out on this once in a lifetime deal, don’t. Patience always rewards it’s self and a better deal or product will be out soon enough that will make us forget the thing we thought we missed out on and haven’t you ever otherwise wished you had when that new & more compatibly suitable Item does come out and you’re paying for the lesser item that caused unneeded stress.

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE ANOTHER FABULOUS DEAL, IF YOU MISS THIS ONE, OR A FEW TILL YOU HAVE THE MONEY IN YOUR HOT LITTLE HANDS, YOU WON’T BE USING THE MONEY YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE SAVING FOR WRINKLE CRÈME AND HEADACHE MEDICINES YOU’LL NEED IF YOU DON’T WAIT!

Life Lessons 101~ #46 How to Make it in a down economy

First of all start viewing It as an Opportunity to Flourish, to be Creative, to Take CONTROL of Your FINANCIAL Destiny…

And get over the BS being peddled that there are no jobs, no work, no security and that there are no more new ideas, or upset about the financial divide. Rich folks provide us an opportunity every day to learn what they do and how they do it and how they keep on top of it and keep creating & growing their businesses. We get caught up in our jobs at hand and don’t fully take advantage of the opportunities facing us. The idea that there are no jobs, no work and a loss of security is false. There are plenty of jobs but little personal satisfaction, there is plenty of work to do but we are choosy about what it is we want to do and willing to do. Security under the current system of jobs, employment and retirement were all built on falsehoods and were never real sources of security. Nor is Wall St our answer or our problem.

We are the world’s most precious commodity, individually & collectively. Let’s first give ourselves some new ideas and thoughts to roll with.  

1.       YOU (I, _______________ am) are a Hot Commodity!

2.       YOU (I,_________________ am) are the answer to your ( my ) Financial gains.

3.       YOU (I, __________________) create your (MY) OWN OPPORTUNITIES!

WAYS TO DO THIS

1.       How uncomfortable with your present situation are you?  The more uncomfortable the STRONGER the need or your desire to do something about it.

2.       Evaluate your needs and Lifestyle. Rate each need from the Basics (Food, clothing, shelter, transportation, especially for those living in rural or suburban sprawl) Societal Basic needs (Insurance from Health to Home, Car & Life), loan payments, then there’s Mental & Physical Wellness (entertainment, gym, vacations & monthly memberships [varied].

Then there are the must haves and buying items from T.V.’s/computers/fancy phones to we don’t give much thought to such as impulse items: from corner store on way to work to a handbag that caught your eye.

If you have a job, PLEASE contribute to the economy, open your wallet but spend meaningfully. Choose items that are going to last.

If you are not currently working or drawing an income that covers all your basic needs, seek free & cheap resources to get you by whenever & wherever possible till you are.

{TIP: When buying or hopefully thinking about a big purchase weigh the overall cost, effectiveness and BIG PICTURE. Take for example a Computer, most computers require a vrus protection software that’s only good for a year. There is one with the old an Apple a day keeps the doctor {viruses} away. [ I & my family made this mistake and it keeps costing us.]  How long do you wish this item to last you, when do you suppose you’ll have money to replace it (then add 6 months to that time for the unexpected) and what’s it going to do for you to have it, is it going to help you get ahead in life? And ending that tip with An ounce of prevention is worth a pound  (money) cure (saved).

I found that monthly passes are great. I recently discovered & invested in a monthly Video store pass. For $15.00 my family & I can watch all the latest releases, & video games (if we were gamers) and catch up on old releases we might have missed and to see if our favorites are still our favorites before we buy them. This is a great way for a family on a tight budget to enjoy time together (especially on cold weather days) on the cheap without feeling deprived or like your kids or yourself is missing out.

There are more deals out there….Ask around, network, post your Favorite deals here in the comments section of your .

Next is best yet, BARTER whenever & as much as possible. Cross BARTER as well. Remember the movie Phenomenon with John Travolta & Forrest Whitaker… a guy needed his truck back but didn’t have the money, John suggested he’d fix the truck if the guy did something for someone else and that person would then pay John back with solar panels.  Got it? So say you need a plumber to unclog your garbage disposal and your plumber needs someone to pick up and look after his kids for a week while his wife is recovering or out of town, you can’t watch his kids du3e to your schedule but your girlfriend down the street needs her Will revised and you happen to be a Probate lawyer. No money passed thru anyone’s hands but everyone got what they needed.

This system serves as community involvement, bridges new connections; helping one another by utilizing valuable human resources which can either be repeated or interchanged &  we can all live better. This is what I mean by You are your Hottest Commodity and Creator to a better future.

Everybody can do something & has something others potentially & overtime will be needed or needing. The more talents, skills, natural gifts and knowledge you have about a particular thing or things the greater your opportunity to have your own needs & wants fulfilled.

Remember this when Bartering…It’s best to scale the service each is providing on your need to get it done rather than your regular monetary rate.

Now we can’t do this with everything. Not everything can be bartered unfortunately…The bank still wants their payment in some form of actual money (paper w/dead President faces imprinted on it) and so goes with Insurance and the gas pump & utility companies.

But items like natural food products, clothing can be traded, bartered, swayed, choose your verb. The things that can be gotten without cash exchanging hands may not be putting money in your pocket but it isn’t taking it out of your pocket any longer either, giving you room to use your cash wielding income (your job, investments, pension, ect,.) towards those absolutely necessary payments like rent/mortgage without feeling strapped or stressed, wondering how you’re going to make ends meet.

There are countless websites in which to promote & market your personal commodities (abilities) and not just your own; you can be an affiliate for someone else’s products as a means of passive income. 

There are endless ways to create passive income/s. {I’m just learning some of this myself}.Come on folks let’s show Wall Street where the Real Investments are: In People helping people & working together to live better! We are a wealth of Opportunities with a the ABILITIY to CREATE OUR OWN RICHES, as did they!

Life lesson #23 ~ Be a Good Friend to Everyone, including yourself.

Lift one another up, instead of talking about others, especially in the case of family: extended & immediate. If you know someone not doing right or making the right decision, show them how to make the right ones, if only by example. Especially by example.And if they made poor choices in the past, don’t hold them to that standard as if that is all they are capable of... 

You know that's not true & its nothing you yourself want to be beholding to in case of your on past poor decisions.

Think about the energy and unnecessary drama of being found out you’re the one spreading information false or true. If you’re one of those folks that desire excitement and gossip, do something in your own life that gives others cause to take notice of you: Positive notice.

When in doubt always take the high road. You can always see what's to come from making bad decisions before they're made from there. Be good to each other! Be good to yourself!