2013- The New Year

 2013 – The New Year

    I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas this year.  It is hard to believe that we are at the end of 2012.  There is a lot of wonder and anxiety going into 2013.  We have the fiscal cliff we are facing, struggling economy, the tragedy in Connecticut and basically a divided country.  I wished I could say that I could solve those problems overnight, but no one can and a quick fix usually sets us up for a future failure.  I believe the best way for us to see changes in life that we want is to work on our own life.   I cannot fix the national economy today, but I can make a lot of progress on my personal economy.    I read a blog by Kevin Miller yesterday that was good about pleasure necessity and significance.   I thought this would be a great time to invest more time in the significant things in my life.   We start out this year on fire to change our lives and then we fail to plan , and we wind up in the 92% that do not accomplish their resolutions.  Are resolutions simple? No. Are they easy? No. Is it hard work? Yes.  Is it worth it?  It is to me when I meet a goal.  Well you may ask how can I do it? Attempt to change, and stick to it is the best start.   Feel free to download a goal worksheet from my website (toward bottom of page) and go through it and make plans in the seven different areas that make up your life. Make the goals attainable, but challenging.  You may be like me; you can make the goals and forget to check the sheet monthly to see if you are hitting the marks to attain your goal.  It’s hardly a waste of time when you check your goals because you are changing your life.  Remember to set goals that are possible, such as, if you make 50k a year but you want to make more don’t make the goal 250000!  Remember by the inch it’s a cinch by the yard it’s hard.  Take baby steps to get there.  Speaking of baby steps I am hosting a Dave Ramsey’s financial peace university starting Jan 13^th.  Click here for more information.  If you just hope that your life changes and take no action you will be facing 2014 saying nothing is different from last year. If you quit trying to reach your goals you will fail also and be discourged.    Be Blessed this 2013 and when you change yourself remember you are changing the world!!

Let me know if I can help!

Tim West

Go West Coaching

Learning to live with money Have you ever had a difficult time dealing with a situation or a relationship? The problem you are dealing with leaves you confused and not knowing what to do or where to turn. Then you get to the point of just tolerating the thing and doing the best you can, hoping something changes. I have learned that things will deteriorate worse if you do nothing. We must be proactive if we want things to change. We must have a plan. Don’t wait till the perfect plan comes along. As the great George S. Patton said “A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” Money is one of those things people have a hard time learning to live with. I once heard that rich people and poor people can have the same god, money! Why is money so hard to live with? It is basically addition and subtraction, right? No, as Dave Ramsey says, it is 20% head knowledge and 80% behavior. We would never have a money problem if it was only a math issue. There is not an area of life that money does not touch. We give money more power than it deserves in our lives. You may be thinking, yes it is just like oxygen we need it to live. I guarantee you that most people would give every last penny they had to buy a little extra oxygen if it was needed to live. If we really had to we could learn to live with a lot less than what we have. The things we “think” we need are not really necessities. Determine what is important in your life and use money as a tool to get the important things. Learn to live with money, as a tool, and not as if it is life itself. Money is the medium that we use in exchange for things of value. Money is amoral; it takes on the personality of its owner. We have all probably heard this bible verse in 1 Tim: 6:10- For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. We are familiar with the first part but the second part really speaks to me. You can do some crazy things for money if you do not learn how to live with it. Get a plan, and prioritize it according to what is important to you and your family. Get on a budget and execute your plan, violently, and get your life back. Let me know if I can help. Tim West Go West Coaching 5-21-12

Cost Versus Value

Cost versus Value Most of us have heard the saying we know the cost of everything and the value of nothing. We can apply that to many areas of our lives. Sometimes we have paid more money than we have intended when purchasing something but received a lot of value out of the purchase. To value something, is to esteem and put worth on the item. What are you doing that will or will not bring value to your life now and in the future? Small deposits whether, financially or relationally cost us something. We may deposit a small amount of money to save for something in the future. It will cost us a trip out to eat or a little “thingy” we feel we must have, but it is worth it if you are saving for your golden years or you children s college fund. We fail to plan our lives because it cost to much time and is costly to stick to the plans we make. Sometimes it just doesn't feel good. As Dave Ramsey says “children do what feels good, adults devise a plan and follow it.” It may not be just a financial cost, but a time and energy cost as well. We all have 168 hours a week to invest in our lives. Please if someone can find more than that I need to know where! Subtract 40 hours a week for work, say 56 hours a week for sleep. According to Nielsen Co. we watch 28 hours of T.V. A week! That would leave you 44 hours a week left to live. Our time is very valuable! How you spend it will determine what you value and determine what you get in return. When coaching people we set goals and priorities. Just like when making a budget, telling your money what to do, you can do that with your time and invest in things that will bring you value in your life. So what are you doing now that will bring you value down the road? What do you need to eliminate that is costing a lot and not bringing any value? (28 hours a week of television would be something good to eliminate) Is what you are spending your time on going to bring value to your life? Is your work worth spending your life on? Is your money being spent the best way it can be to bring you things of value in your life? Are things in life costing you everything and bringing little value? Remember you are in charge of you, make the necessary changes. Let me know if I can help. Tim West Go West Coaching 2-20-12

Money Savings Ideas

Money Saving Ideas Last week I talked about creating a plan to save money. We need to learn to make it a habit that we continually do the rest of our lives. Today I want to give you some tips on how to save money when you spend it. It sounds weird, but I want you to, as Clark Howard says, spend less avoid getting ripped off! So here are a few suggestions for you. I may have to do this a couple of times, there is a lot we can do to keep more of our money. Here we go: 1. It is not a bargain if you don't need it! If you don't need something don't buy it. This could be anything from a soda to a house. Don't get me wrong, it is okay to buy something if it is in your budget ,but check your motives. Sometimes we buy things just to get that quick high, of getting something. Getting a bargain is good if you need something, not if you want it. Just thing if you buy lunch everyday at work at a great price of $5.00, that is 1300.00 a year. In a some households that is three months worth of groceries. 2. Ask for a deal. This is a lost art in America. We never ask for a deal, we see the price and think we don't have an option. What if it embarrasses your spouse or kids, as Dave Ramsey says that is just a bonus! There is a lot of competition out there for your money, make them earn it the way you do. Don't just show up and give it to them. Also ask them what they can throw in the deal if they don't want to come off of the price. We need to train the retailers. Besides what is the worst thing they can say, no. 3. When you go out to eat, do you really have to pay over a dollar for soda or tea? Ask for water! Not only is it better for you it will keep the calories and sugar from piling that bulge up on you waste line. I know if refills are free, I will drink more soda. 4. Go generic when you can. I know some things don't taste the same, but the generic is not bad either. You can save a lot when you buy the store brand, try different ones until you find the best fit for you. Also, if you get prescriptions, go generic all you can. Name brand is outrageously priced. 5. Tag team on the big items. Women like the thrill of the hunt, or shopping. Men usually like to just buy it and leaving the store. Ladies if you have to buy a big ticket item find it and let him do the negotiating, unless you are the negotiator. Ladies if he is the one doing the negotiating, and you want it bad, let him negotiate by himself. If the sales person knows you want it all he has to do is say no on the offered price and wait. When momma wants it, they have you hooked! 6. Here is an honorable mention: if you shop at Kroger for groceries and use the points for discounted fuel. Start buying the fuel cards for Shell from Kroger and get more taken off for your gas. Shell now takes Kroger cards for discounts also. You can also find gift cards from places you may normally shop at also and get more points earned. Feel free to share any tips with me. I will probably blog on them from time to time. It helps me to save and I hope it helps you! Tim West Go West Coaching