Girl, get your money right...What they don't teach you in school

     

    ~WHAT IS BEAUTY WITHOUT BRAINS~

Whoever said, “Knowledge is Power” wasn’t lying!!

Knowledge is the KEY to becoming successful in any area of your life, but more importantly with your personal finances!

Webster defines a knowledgeable person as “Possessing or showing knowledge or intelligence; perceptive and well-informed”

Some people were/are blessed enough to have “financially intelligent” parents or other role models in their lives that can share and pass information down to them.

Others have/had to find out the hard way…. You know the saying,

“You live and You learn”

Well, I was placed in the “You live & You learn” category….

It wasn’t until after I graduated from college in 2007 and had to start paying back student loans that I began to learn what it meant to become “financially intelligent”

A great book to read: Increase your Financial IQ

Robert Kiyosaki states, “It is information, knowledge, wisdom, and know-how, a.k.a. financial intelligence, that makes one wealthy.”

Kiyosaki divides financial intelligence into five “Financial IQs”:

~Make more money. This is measured by how much money you earn. If you make $100,000 a year, you have a higher Financial IQ than someone earning $30,000 a year.

~Protect your money. Once you earn your money, you need to hold onto it. Protecting your money, especially from taxes, is the second Financial IQ.

~Budget your money. “Being able to live well and still invest no matter how much you make requires a high level of financial intelligence,” Kiyosaki writes. This Financial IQ is measured by how much money you have left after expenses.

~Leverage your money. This Financial IQ is measured by return on investment. How well do you make your budget surplus generate more money?

~Improve your financial information. Financial information doesn’t just mean knowledge of basic financial concepts — it also means detailed knowledge of the investments you make.

*You must educate yourself… then share the information to empower other people*

See, at the time I didn’t know what I was going do, but I didn’t let that stop me…

I could have just said forget it and never even thought about paying my student loans back, but that’s my character!

I could have also went out and got a 2nd, 3rd or even a 4th job to help pay them down, but I realized my “TIME” is way to precious…

(TIME~ the only thing in life that you can use and never get back)

My fear pushed me out my comfort zone and I did what “school” taught me how to do best, READ!!!

So, I read & read & read & took classes, went to workshops & seminars, volunteered, talked to wealth advisers at my church, & then read some more, until I found some solutions…. And what I learned was

“You can make more money with your mind, then you can ever make with your hands”

By increasing my financial intelligence… I was able to purchase a home, pay off my car and learn about increasing my wealth with real estate, despite having a lot of student loans… I am not bragging, I am sharing!!

~ Follow me ~

If you are out there spending hundreds of dollars on clothes and shoes, to keep up with the "Joneses"…yet your credit cards are maxed out, you have little to none in savings, your living in public housing and/or driving a car with a high interest rate and note!!! Then…

Girl, it’s time to get your money right!!!

Life is about learning and growing and then sharing what you have learned…

Some people may read this and think it’s a bunch of BS, others will read it and their minds will begin to open!!!

1st things 1st… You need to know where you are, before you can know where you are going!

What they don’t teach you in school....

~How to control your finances~

The key to learning how to control your finances, starts with managing your everyday money.

~Create a budget: Creating a budget will help you balance out all your spending.You need to know where your money is going. If every morning you stop at Starbucks to get a cup of coffee, imagine how much you could be saving in your account, than on frivolous items.

~Learn self-control: Stop using credit cards and start using cash. The mentality behind this is if you don’t have the cash to buy it, then you won’t.

~Pay yourself 1st: No matter how much you owe in loans or credit card debt and no matter how low your salary may seem, it's wise to find some amount (any amount) of money in your budget to save every month.

~Tithe: I believe this is crucial. 10% of what you earn belongs to GOD.

As my pastor would always say... "10% of your money belongs to God, but if you can live off 10% of your money, then you should give the rest away"

Recommended books to read about finances:

Also, a really great website to learn more about controlling your finances would be http://www.suzeorman.com/

To sum it all up:

1. Spend less

2. Save more

3. Invest wisely

4. Give generously

~It's not how much money you make, but what you do with the money you make~

~ Your Credit History~

*Some people don’t even know what a credit report looks like*

Your credit report contains detailed information about your credit history… including identifying information, credit accounts and loans, bankruptcies, late payments and recent inquiries. Borrower’s use this information to determine if a person is credit worthy.

Your credit score is a three digit number based on the information in your credit report. Your # is created by the 3 major credit bureau’s: Equifax, Experian, and Trans Union, by factoring in… the number of years you´ve had credit, how much of your available credit you´re currently using, whether you´ve recently made any late payments, and how recently you´ve had any negative actions or credit applications.

In short ~ Your credit score will determine your interest rate, whether you can be approved for a loan, buy a house, get an apartment, get a job… pretty much everything nowadays!!

You are entitled to a “FREE” credit report annually…. Go to http://www.annualcreditreport.com/

~How to develop a Wealth Mind set~

Fortunately, having a wealth mind set has nothing to do with money!

Wealth must first be created in the mind before it can be manifested into physical reality.

You create every moment in your life, especially your financial life. Your wealth is totally dependent on you and your thinking.

The 2 books that I have read and believe to be the BEST at changing my mind-set on money were:

Think and grow Rich by: Napoleon Hill

Secrets of a millionaire Mind by: T Harv Eker

In secrets of a millionaire mind, Eker lists seventeen ways in which the financial blueprints of the rich differ from those of the poor and the middle-class.

   1. Rich people believe: “I create my life.” Poor people believe: “Life happens to me.”

  2. Rich people play the money game to win. Poor people play the money game to not lose.

  3. Rich people are committed to being rich. Poor people want to be rich.

  4. Rich people think big. Poor people think small.

  5. Rich people focus on opportunities. Poor people focus on obstacles.


  6. Rich people admire other rich and successful people. Poor people resent rich and successful people.

 7. Rich people associate with positive, successful people. Poor people associate with negative or unsuccessful people.

 8. Rich people are willing to promote themselves and their value. Poor people think negatively about selling and promotion.

 9. Rich people are bigger than their problems. Poor people are smaller than their problems.


 10. Rich people are excellent receivers. Poor people are poor receivers.


 11. Rich people choose to get paid based on results. Poor people choose to get paid based on time.


 12. Rich people think “both”. Poor people think “either/or”.


 13. Rich people focus on their net worth. Poor people focus on their working income.


 14. Rich people manage their money well. Poor people mismanage their money well.


 15. Rich people have their money work hard for them. Poor people work hard for their money.


 16. Rich people act in spite of fear. Poor people let fear stop them.

 17. Rich people constantly learn and grow. Poor people think they already know

Some people are happy with mediocrity…. Living a safe, comfortable life!

If that’s you, by all means, stay there!!!!

This is for people who want more out of life and willing to take on the challenge to get it!

Educate yourself....Read, attend church workshops, take finance classes, and talk to people...then educate someone else!!!

Learning is so vital for our growth!!!!

7 weeks out... & I'm hungry

Sooo.. Today makes me 7 wks out from my 1st OCB- (Bikini Division) Competition~ Aug 27, 2011.. YAYE!!!

It's beginning to become real to me...As I move closer and closer to my competition date, I keep going over my goals and the reasons why I'm really putting my body and mind through all of this. I know as the weeks continue to decline, it'll only become a lot more challenging!

My main goal is to have FUN!!

The main reason, I guess you can say, is to challenge myself mentally. Mental discipline is something we all must possess in order to succeed in all aspects of our lives!!

Prepping takes a lot out of you physically, yes... but I believe more mentally!!

You must have a deep motivation and mental discipline to get up and go to the gym 2x a day, eat 5-6 small meals a day, control your sugar cravings, prepare and cook all your food.

It can be very draining and time consuming. Most people couldn't begin to understand!!

So far.. The biggest change that was made to my diet was my protein ounce has dropped from 6oz to 5oz. Also, My complex carbs~Brown rice & Sweet potatoes are now in the first 3 meals of my 5 total meals..

My typical 3 day diet...  Note: Im carb cycling~ Which means I have a No carb day, Med carb day & High carb day!!!!


 No carb day

6am-  (Cardio) 

8 am- 5oz Chicken & 3/4cup  of brown rice

11am- 5oz chicken and 1 cup broccoli or 85g of asparagus, 1 tbsp flax, 2 tbsp salsa

2pm- 5oz tilapia  1 cup of broccoli or 85 grams of  asparagus, 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar dressing

5pm- 5oz chicken 1 cup broccoli or 85g of asparagus, 2 tbsp salsa

630pm- weights and cardio

830- 5oz chicken and 1 cup of broccoli,  2tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp flax

*Gallon or more water daily*

 930- 10pm Bed

Med Carb day

6am cardio

8am- 5oz Chicken & 3/4cup  of brown rice
11am- 5oz fish, 1/2 cup brown rice or 2.75oz sweet potatoe 2 tbsp salsa

2pm- 5oz chicken, 1/2 cup brown rice or 2.75 sweet potatoe,  cinnamon,  2 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp flax

5pm - 5oz fish, 1/2 cup of broccoli or 45g of asparagus,  2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6:30 pm weights and cardio

830- 5oz chicken 1/2 cup of broccoli or 45g asparagus, 2 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp flax


High Carb

6am cardio

8am- 5oz Chicken & 3/4cup  of brown rice
11am- 5oz fish, 1 cup brown rice or 5.5oz sweet potatoe 2 tbsp salsa

2pm- 5oz chicken, 1 cup brown rice or 5.5 sweet potatoe,  cinnamon,  2 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp flax

5pm - 5oz fish, 45 grams of asparagus or 1/2 cup broccoli,   2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

6:30 pm weights and cardio

830- 5oz chicken 1/2 cup broccoli or 45 asparagus,  2 tbsp salsa, 1 tbsp flax

xoxoxo

57 Lessons on Elegance

              When I think of elegance, I immediately think of
                                   Michelle Obama

As I become older and more mature, I am beginning to make it a habit to always look for ways to improve my character and my life!

Recently, I stumbled upon a website www.elegantwoman.org that I found to be very unique and inspiring. 


Out of her many post, one particular stood out to me...
           
                          57 Lessons on Elegance

1. Elegance first comes from inside. It comes from excellency of the heart.
2. Sophistication and elegance is not the same thing. It is possible to be both sophisticated and elegant and also sophisticated but not elegant.
3. The elegant woman does quite a fair bit of thinking, consideration from what she says, how she spends her time to how she presents herself.
4. The elegant woman loves herself and secure within herself that allows her to be generous and unselfish.
5. The elegant woman is kind.
6. The elegant woman seeks to understand herself, who she is and is not. You'll never find her following trends blindly.
7. She embraces her feminine nature.
8. She is gentle with her words.
9. She is never in a hurry.
10. She does not rush.
11. She plans and organizes herself and her life so that she'll never be in a frenzy.
12. She realizes the importance of good posture and aims to improve it.
13. She also realizes to have a good posture, one must also make effort to strengthen the core (of her body) which involves certain exercises.
14. The elegant woman values health and takes care about what she puts into her body.
15. She prizes her body and will not feed junk or let her weight get out of control.
16. She also realizes the benefits of exercise, better health, more energy, a brighter face, fights aging, self confidence and esteem.
17. She does not do what she doesn't like.
18. In the exercise arena, she finds things that she enjoys doing - e.g. cycling, going for walks, dancing, ballet, yoga, ball room dancing etc. 
19. The elegant woman finds a way to keep her home elegant which means clean and neat injected with some of her personality in decorations.
20. She realizes the harmful effects of clutter. She sets up routines that work for her, and house rules.
21. The elegant woman does not have many things. She learns to do more with less.
22. The elegant woman invests in good shoes. Good shoes affect your walk and your posture. It also affects your feelings throughout the day.
23. The elegant woman prides herself in quality. She buys the best that she can afford. She would sacrifice quantity for it.
24. Education is high in priority in her life. She seeks to educate herself in matters that interests her.
25. She lives for a greater cause than herself. She finds ways to give service to others, church, charity or a life's mission, wherever her heart finds compassion.
26. She is always polite and remembers her manners.
27. No one is born with good manners. It has to be learnt. Environment is a strong influence factor, but she knows she has the ability and responsibility to learn them.
28. The root of manners is kindness.
29. Having manners is simply the kindest way to do something.
30. Etiquette is the result of an organized way of doing things.
31. An elegant woman is like everyone else, with feelings and emotions of excitement, hurt, and even anger. She just chooses to control them and the appropriate time to express them.
32. She speaks in a calm manner whenever possible, especially when she is angry. She keeps her words to the point and as unbiased as possible.
33. She assumes the best in everyone and every situation. She gives everyone the benefit of the doubt.
34. She knows how to end a conversation and does not linger.
35. She does not talk too much.
36. She knows it is okay to not like a person. But she will treat that person politely anyway.
37. The elegant woman does not talk down to waitstaff, nor does she gush and fawn over someone 'higher up'. She treats everyone in the same polite, friendly manner.
38. The elegant woman is the first to smile when meeting someone.
39. She keeps things light and friendly at every social situation.
40. She is always impeccably groomed but keep things simple.
41. Her life is never stale, because she is always thinking about other people and her interests, hobbies and skills which she actively pursues.
42. The elegant woman is not outwardly ambitious, that is not to say that she isn't.
43. The elegant woman values someones feelings over materials.
44. She appreciates the finer things in life, and may uses the finer things like everyday things. She does not get too precious about it. She will not get upset if it breaks, because "they are just things."
45. She does not need the finer things, she has an inner happiness and a peace that makes the best of whatever situation she is in.
46. The elegant woman reads.
47. She is not afraid to say she does not know something. She realizes that it is impossible to know everything. She asks with the simplicity of a child, "So tell me more about English roses, I'll love to know."
48. She never expresses heavy opinions, such as "oh I hate cats etc.." She is always diplomatic because someone in the group might like them. She only talks about positive things and if specifically asked about cat, she'll say, 'I was never as fond of cats as I am about dogs.'
49. In conversations, she focuses on you. She seldom talks about herself.
50. She never monopolizes or hijacks a conversation.
51. She realizes having good manners is having to put up with other people's bad manners.
52. The elegant woman values 'the natural', she keeps everything about her as natural as possible and eats food that are as natural as well.
53. She keeps her life simple and is careful not to overload herself.
54. She is peaceful.
55. She finds little joys and pleasure in the everyday life.
56. She not self conscious.
57. She does not get embarrassed. If she spills her coffee, she'll just smile and brush it off and move on. If someone else spills her coffee, she makes nothing of it and moves on.

http://www.elegantwoman.org/how-to-be-elegant.html