financialfocus1: Recession added debt, drained families' savings http://t.co/XveI02XO via USA TODAY
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Feb
02

Money Stories – No New Cars!

By iadmin · Comments (0)

When I was 20, I had saved up $1200 for my first car. A family member convinced me that you never buy used- only new cars and trade them in after 3 years for an even newer car. Stupid me, I believed that. I spent the next twelve years paying for 3 new cars and still had nothing to show for it! Learning a costly lesson, my husband and I payed off the last one four years ago and are still driving it. Read More→

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In 1996, I was a freshman at the University of Tennessee. I knew very little if anything about personal finance. I had a checking account and a debit card. I “kinda” knew how to balance my check book, but I never did it. As a freshman, it was the cool thing to see how many free T-shirts you could get. Organizations gave out free T-shirts for all kinds of reasons. I remember one particular day at the Read More→

Categories : Encouragement
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After my freshman year of college my Dad gave me (for free) my Mom’s old Toyota Sienna mini-van. Having been carless for the first year of college, I was excited to finally get a car, but still felt disappointed that it was a van. After driving it for about a year, I felt like I couldn’t take it anymore and wanted to buy my first car. There was nothing wrong with the van mechanically, but I wanted Read More→

Categories : Encouragement
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Stupid Tax #1. When my ex decided to move out, I pulled money out of my 401(k) to pay off the debt I was left with. I thought the 401(k)company pulled out the taxes AND the penalty before sending me the money. When it was tax time, I learned that wasn’t the case. So, with all my credit cards paid off (but still spending with no budget)… I put my tax bill on a Credit Card that I kept for emergencies. Read More→

Categories : Encouragement
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Stupid Tax #1. When my ex decided to move out, I pulled money out of my 401(k) to pay off the debt I was left with. I thought the 401(k)company pulled out the taxes AND the penalty before sending me the money. When it was tax time, I learned that wasn’t the case. So, with all my credit cards paid off (but still spending with no budget)… I put my tax bill on a Credit Card that I kept for emergencies. Read More→

Categories : Encouragement
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Stupid Tax #1. When my ex decided to move out, I pulled money out of my 401(k) to pay off the debt I was left with. I thought the 401(k)company pulled out the taxes AND the penalty before sending me the money. When it was tax time, I learned that wasn’t the case. So, with all my credit cards paid off (but still spending with no budget)… I put my tax bill on a Credit Card that I kept for emergencies. Read More→

Categories : Encouragement
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I began listening to the Dave Ramsey show here in Southern California when I was 20 years old. I already had two credit cards and a $150,000 mortgage. I really liked Dave’s way of thinking about personal responsibility and living debt free, but with the pride and stupidity of a 20 year old who thought he knew everything finance I thought I could outsmart Dave’s plan. I had been charging to credit cards Read More→

Categories : Encouragement
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Nov
05

Encouragement

By Parkey Thompson · Comments (0)

This past Monday was a big day.  I had been invited to attend the Get Motivated Seminar in Atlanta.  Many were going to be there and the speaker list included Colin Powell, Lou Holtz, Steve Forbes, Bill Cosby and Rudy Guilliani.  My big excitement was that I was going to have the opportunity to meet Zig Zigler.  For years Zig has been motivating people around the world.  As it turns out, I was fortunate to meet not only Zig but his daughter Julie and the Red Head.

Due to an accident a couple of years ago, Zig is not the same person he once was.  However, he still has it.  I think I could have talked to him for hours.

It was interesting that while we had never met that I was treated just like someone he had known all his life – not only by Zig, but with his wife and Julie.  What a great family.

As I came around the corner at what appeared to be the 50-yard line of the Georgia Dome, Zig extended his hand and I introduced myself.  The next words out of his mouth were, “you need to write a book.”.  It was like he had been waiting on me just to tell me that.  Did he really know what I had in my pocket?

I explained to him that the book was in progress and I had a copy to give him.  When I said that he asked me, “does is encourage people and do you use the word encourage?”.  Frankly, I wanted to say yes, but could not as I wanted to make sure first.  His words of encouragement to me were that people today and everyday are looking for someone who will encourage them.  People want encouragement.

After some time together, we parted as he was coming on stage.  As he spoke, I looked around to the 10,000 plus people in attendance and it dawned on me – we are all here looking for encouragement.  The encouragement we were looking for was to come from the leaders speaking that day.  I am not sure who left encouraged, but this ol’ boy did.

How about you.  Do you need encouragement?  Are you encouraging those you are around?

Zig truly encouraged me to keep helping people with their finances, their careers, and with their life goals.

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