'Create a Life You Love' Newsletter

ISSUE #32: 'Tame The Financial Beast'

'Life coaching tips on having MORE in your life. More fun, more love, more peace, more excitement.'

David Wood, PCC
LifeSkills Coaching
www.SolutionBox.com
Support Center

Contents

1. Announcements/Offers
2. 'Tame The Financial Beast' (FEATURE)
3. The Personal Touch
4. About the 'Create a Life You Love' Newsletter

1. Announcements/Offers

Have You Heard the Truth About Women?

What are people saying about this ground breaking relationship ebook? Let's hear from some very happy men and women:

To access the startling insights revealed from 30 years of research, and to start improving your relationship today, cl'ick here:

http://www.truthaboutwomen.net

"David, I bought your book because I could not figure out what was missing in my relationship.

I found 'The Truth about Women' on the internet, and read it TWICE that very night. The penny dropped with me, and it was as though my heart sank and lifted at the same time. Sank, because I suddenly realised how selfish I had been. Lifted, because I realised that the man described in the book was actually the man I wanted to be but had somehow lost his way. I see now what an incredibly patient woman my wife has been!

I'm now practicing the tips and tools, and my wife is actually complimenting me which just makes me more motivated to do more! Yesterday she said the 'old me' seems to be coming back and she loves it. This book should be required reading for relationships not yet at their full potential.

David, a sincere thank you."

-->Chris G, United Kingdom
-->

"David, I have to say thank you sooooo MUCH!!! My husband and I seemed to be worlds apart until I found your ebook. We starting reading 'The Truth About Women' together about a week ago and it was as if the light came on. He actually looked at me and said 'I GET IT!” I understand now what you've been trying to tell me all along'. I know this all sounds so stereotypical but it is the truth. Thank you so much!"

-->Tracey Iverson
-->West Chester PA USA
-->

Cl'ick here for The Truth About Women

Listen to Recorded Coaching Sessions Right Now

Interested in hearing some powerful coaching moments - right now? The 'Personal Growth Audio Library' is on'ly $39, and available online now: www.coachingclips.com/public.htm (cl'ick here to see a list of contents)

'Create' Newsletter Moves to Every 6 Weeks

In case you're wondering why it's been a while between issues, I've decided to issue 'Create' roughly every 6-8 weeks, and start cranking 'Mentor Monthly' (for professionals) out every two weeks. So for you die-hard 'Create a Life You Love' fans, I'll keep them coming - just a little less frequently!

2. FEATURE: 'Tame The Financial Beast'

Are holiday bills surprising you? Are you hoping that if you ignore your finances long enough, maybe they will fix themselves?

Let's liken our finances to a garden. If we neglect the garden, weeds will grow and take over. The garden gets so bad we don't even want to look at it! But, with a little maintenance and tending the garden becomes a joy.

The first step towards creating a joyful financial garden is learning to save.

Why bother saving?
Before we delve into the often scary place of finding out how much of the money is going in and out, we need to find a motive to dig deep.

You need to know why you want to save mo'ney. Do you want to own your home, reach financial independence, get a vacation home on an island? Or do you simply want financial peace so you're not worrying about money?

Once you get that vision of what you want to achieve you will have the motivation to examine your finances.

Financial Dream
How much will it cost to fulfill your vision? Work out some figures, and write down your estimation. This is your financial goal.

When do you want to achieve your financial dream? 5 years, 10 years, 20 years? Now you know not only how much you need by when. This tells you how much you'll need to save each year to reach your goal in your required timeframe.

Look at your finances
You can't bury your head in the garden sand of your finances or you will end up with pricker bushes and weeds the size of trees.

You know what you want, when you want it and how much you want to save. Now you get to see if you can save that much. Look at your in'come and expenses. Do you have more coming in, then going out? If you do, you have a great start. If not, we'll look at how to create savings in a minute.

Save first
The biggest mistake people make is to say "I will save whatever is left over." Don't try this at home. Your expenses will expand to use up any money that is there.

Instead, put money in savings first. Many companies allow you to automatically deduct money to put into a savings account. You won't miss it, because you'll never see it.

Now you get to play the "How Can I Live on the Rest" game. Challenge yourself and be innovative. Are we having fun yet?

I can't save that much!
If you can't save as much as your goal, don't sweat it. Start saving whatever you can. The psychological impact of bringing in more than you spend will help motivate you to save even more. And it feels great! Starting with $10 a month is at least something!

Prune those expenses
The easiest and quickest way to save more is to cut your expenses.

First, get rid of cre'dit card de'bt. If you can't use your card responsibly cut it up or put it in a block of ice in the freezer.

Next, list everything you spend money on. For each item ask if this is something that you can cut with no pain. Or will it cause a little pain. Or will it feel like taking off a limb?

Beside each item, list how much you would save each month by eliminating or slashing that cost by 50%. That number is what you could save for your dream. Imagine what you could do with that cash!

Some suggestions for cutting expenses

Get books and magazines from the library instead of buying them
Get rid of things that don't add to your life
Cancel the gym membership and workout with a buddy
Ditch the cell phone till you can start saving
Think about your car- can you get around without it? Do you really need a second car? Can you replace your newer one with an older car? The car is one of the biggest expenses when you include repairs, insurance and depreciation. Selling a car could give you thousands of dollars in savings.
Rent a cheaper place! At least until you have 6-12 months of living expenses stashed away in a savings account. If the mortgage is killing you - give yourself a break. Talk to a financial planner or accountant about selling the place and renting cheaply, or renting out your expensive place and renting cheaply.
Eat out less. Go out for coffee instead of lunch with your friends. Or invite them over to your place.

* * *

OK - there's a blueprint to start taking financial responsibility, and to begin to enjoy your financial garden, instead of dreading being attacked in it! And coaches - feel free to use these ideas with your clients.

Enjoy,

P.S. This article is derived from my original ABC interview on 'Controlling Your Finances'. The recording is just one of the great bonuses that come with your CoachingClips.com SuperPass - available here.

3. The Personal Touch

With some wonderful feedback on 'The Truth About Women' ebook I'm motivated to do some free teleclasses - one for men, and one for women. Fun! And I'm begging my friend Millie Grosse to help me write the equivalent book for women - she's a rare expert (although she'll deny it) and this would be such gift to the world. Hmmmm... "Understanding the Well-meaning Yet Clueless Male"?

For me this month has been less 'hermit', and more 'getting out there'. I did a couple of 45 minute live coaching sessions on national radio this month (ABC), and plan to do a lot more. A good stand-up gig and meeting some cool comedians prompted me to get on the phone and book 3-5 more gigs - woo hoo! Also getting back into squash after a 5 year break, and loving being on the court!

And it's fun planning a trip to Sydney (April 1), Falls Creek for skiing (July 4), and we're flirting with an OS trip including New York and a house exchange in December/Jan.

Love, David

4. About the 'Create a Life You Love' Newsletter

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Support Center
Web site: www.SolutionBox.com

David Wood is a personal and business coach, and a founder of the International Coach Academy - a global company training coaches in nine countries. He is a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation (ICF) based in Washington, D.C.

David has coached people in 13 countries via telephone and email. He helps people tap into their passion and adventure, and get into action! He works with professionals on career direction and personal issues, with small business owners, and managers/executives. He also helps coaches start or accelerate their coaching practice via the CoachStart™ Program at http://www.CoachStart.com/Mentor.htm