Auszug. © Genehmigter Nachdruck. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.

TIGHTENING YOUR BOOTSTRAPS

AuthorHouse

Contents

Acknowledgments................................................................................ixIntroduction...................................................................................xiChapter 1. Overcome Your Fears.................................................................1Chapter 2. First Things First..................................................................13Chapter 3. Was The Spending Worth It? Spend Less, Make More, And Save More.....................43Chapter 4. Focus, One Bill At A Time...........................................................81Chapter 5. Stick To The Plan...................................................................101The Essence Of A New Day.......................................................................119About The Author...............................................................................121

Chapter One

"The answer, maybe, is going out and doing rather than waiting. If you wait, life will probably pass you by. But if you go out & do the things you want to, take the risks you fear, you may just find that everything slots into place." —Rob E. Geraghty

Tip #1: Face Your Fears.

Have you ever run away from your fears and they become stronger and greater? Running away only leads to more stress and time wasted. Face your fears today and overcome them. If you don't overcome your fears, they will eventually overtake you. The first step to overcoming your fear is to identify what you are afraid of.

If you have this book in your hands, you are probably looking for tips that will help you to decrease the amount of debt you are carrying, increase the amount of money you have saved, and create and implement a working budget. The very first tip that I recommend is for you to face the fear of being in debt head-on. Realize that the debt is present and you have the tools and strategies needed to decrease it. If you are afraid of being in so much debt that you will lose everything later, make sure you learn everything you can on how to spend, save, and balance your budget now. This book will start you off with tips that will guide you on ways to decrease your debt.

Tip #2: Enforce Discipline.

Another useful tip to decrease your debt is to discipline yourself. You need discipline to stay out of the stores, put your credit cards away, and stick to a plan. It is easy to pick up a credit or debit card and go buy a new pair of shoes that you don't need. Figure out the reason(s) behind your spending habits.

Are you bored or lonely? Getting back at your spouse for not showing you attention? Are you stressed out at work or home and find yourself at the mall relieving stress? Put your spending habit under control. Make yourself walk at the lake or talk to your friend to relieve stress rather than going to the mall. Put a stop to unnecessary spending by disciplining yourself and refocusing negative habits into positive ones.

Tip #3: Take Actions to Decrease Your Debt.

"Faith without works is dead" (James 2:17). We have faith that God will cancel debt and line up our finances. Where are the works? Are you doing your part? Expecting God to give you a new job? Have you sent out your resumés? Expecting God to pay off credit card debt? Are you still spending on the cards? Take action and do your part to decrease your debt.

It is easy to talk about how much debt we have and not having the right job, but stop right now and ask yourself, "What have I done this week that will help me accomplish my goal of decreasing my debt?" If you are sitting still, ask yourself why. Are you lacking motivation? Do you not know where to start? Ask yourself these questions to identify the best approach to taking action.

Tip #4: Be Willing to ...

Are you willing to sacrifice now in order to get ahead later? Be willing to downsize if you can't afford your mortgage. Be willing to wear those jeans once more before you toss them in the trash. Be willing to take your lunch to work instead of eating out with your coworkers. Be willing to catch the bus or train to save money on transportation. Be willing to rent from the $1 DVD rental box rather than spending $20 at the movie theater. Be willing to buy groceries from the meat market down the street, as opposed to the expensive name-brand grocery store three miles away.

Be willing to work out on your own rather than paying for a personal trainer. Be willing to cut your own grass, clean your own house, wash your own car, do your own hair, walk your own dog, paint your own nails, and put on your own makeup instead of paying someone else to do it for you. Doing things for yourself now can lead to a better financial situation later.

Tip #5: Be Willing to Say No.

Be willing to tell your family and friends no. If you are used to going out to eat with your friends every week, you may need to cut back from four times a month to once a month. If you are used to buying your children everything they want, practice right now; open your mouth and say no.

Saying yes when you really want to say no will not help your financial situation. Understand that you cannot please everyone. If you are honest with people and inform them of your financial situation up front, they should be willing to understand once you tell them you are unable to commit to something. A real friend will encourage and support you anyway.

Saying no does not have to be painful. Understand that soon you will be in a better financial situation to potentially say yes. Move forward with integrity. Let go of your fears and simply speak the truth. If you don't know how to say no, let's practice. "I wish I could, but I have other financial commitments at this time"; "Maybe next time when I have a couple of dollars to spare"; or "I have some financial obligations, and the budget is a bit tight right now; would you like to come over for a cup of coffee instead?"

Tip #6: Be Willing to Change.

If you are not able to adapt to drastic change quickly, start slow. Start with your spending habits. Instead of buying coffee every day, buy it only three times a week and slowly transition into making your own coffee to carry to work every day. Start putting away the loose change that you receive after breaking a bill instead of finding something to buy with the money; loose change can add up.

Change starts with you—you thinking change, believing change, and seeing change. Change is sometimes difficult to adapt to for many. Changing someone's way of doing things may be a major barrier to overcome. Exercise change daily until you are where you would like to be financially.

Tip #7: Know It's Not Your Permanent Situation.

Know that seasons change all the time. You will not be in a financial disaster permanently. My pastor, John Hannah, often says, "It won't be like this always." When I hear him say it, I immediately see myself in a better situation. Peace immediately replaces the burden. Know that the current situation will get better with faith and works.

Tip #8: It Is Not All About You.

Help someone other than yourself. If you are a...