FREE!

Aren't these Christmas cards really cute? I love receiving Christmas cards, but sending them out can get expensive, especially postage. This year, I'm thinking about making Sarah Taylor's birth announcements double as our Christmas cards... which also means ordering a ton more than I normally would for regular old Christmas cards. Having said that, when I saw this amazing deal with Shutterfly, I had to jump on the opportunity! I've used Shutterfly several times in the past for photo books and have been really pleased with the outcome, so I knew they were a trustworthy and credible company.Shutterfly’s Holiday Card promotion: 50 free cards for blogging about it! If you would like to participate follow this link. They have a great collection of cards that are so cute! I can' t wait to pick one out and get a super cute picture of Sarah Taylor to go with it!! Thanks Shutterfly!

THAT'S A LOT!

The first day of Business Statistic's class my sophomore year of college, the professor ask me a simple question. A question I answered incorrect, however a question I will never forget. He ask, "The Coca Cola Bottling Company runs a test on fifteen 20oz bottles of Coca Cola. They find that fourteen of the fifteen bottles contained 20.01 ounces of fluid. Is this a problem?" I quickly answered that Coca Cola would not view this as a problem due to the fact they must know that their machines would not be exact. He immediately began to laugh and ask me another question. He said, "Mr. Mac, if I told you that there is 1.6 billion servings of Coke per day?" I told him I would like to change my answer.
The truth in that statement is if the machines where only off by a little, in a very short time it would make a lot. The same holds true for our lives. Think about it:
A little practice each day at a new hobby makes you better every day.
A little time with family each day builds lasting relationships.
A little exercise each day can add years to your life.
A little saved each month can bring you years of financial stability.
We have always heard it's the little things in life. I am not sure there is a more valid statement.
When it comes to our finances, it is definitely the little things that count. Take an audit of your finances. See what little things we can do to stop having Too Much Month. Maybe we could turn the air off during the day, limit our shower times, turn the water off while brushing our teeth, car pool, turn a light off when we leave the room. If we can simply cut our budget by a few dollars each month, before long we will have money at the end of your month.

Thanks.

Starting Back...

After taking some time off to prepare for a speaking engagement and some time off for work, the TOO MUCH MONTH blog will return to full speed next week. I truly look forward to what we have to come. I wish everyone a happy Easter and may each of us realize we serve an amazing Savior. God Bless.

Thanks.

The Bad Egg

Welcome to 2010! It seems like yesterday we were ringing in the new millennium!

I was listening to my talk radio on the way to work this morning when I heard something that I hope will stick with me a long time. A guy said (and he was quoting someone else), "Farmers don't put good eggs under dead chickens, and neither does God." Sit back and let that soak in for a moment. "Farmers don't put good eggs under dead chickens, and neither does God." When you think about this you really see the logic, the power, and the truth in this statement. For every good egg a farmer puts under a dead chicken, you get a bad egg. If God put good eggs under lazy people with bad attitudes, we would seldom if ever have anything positive around us. I truly believe that God always chooses those of us that have the drive and passion to be our best to give the eggs. Notice I did not include knowledge in that list. I believe that those of us that have passion, drive and a good attitude will find knowledge. When we combine the passion with knowledge that is when the eggs hatch and the great ones rise to the top. The statement "Farmers don't put good eggs under dead chickens, and neither does God" will be my theme for 2010... and beyond. I hope for all of you it will play a role, and you will allow the good talents and qualities God has blessed you with to come to fruition. Follow your passion, crave knowledge, and you will be well on your way to never having "Too Much Month."

Thanks

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the birth of our Savior! Have a great day with family and friends!

Thanks

Blind leading the Blind

Let me start by saying I have always enjoyed reading anything by Robert Kiyosaki. His "Rich Dad" series will always be one of my all time favorites. He seems to be able to motivate individuals without even trying. I will also state that I agree with MANY of the things he has said and many of the things he has written. I will always echo his thoughts about becoming self employed.
I always look forward to his articles that appear on Yahoo Finance. However, the latest ARTICLE from him really hit a nerve. In the article he suggest that a 401k plan is not really a good plan at all. I will be the first to admit that there are better ways to retire than hoping with a 401k, however, for many out there the 401k is perfect. The 401k (not to mention the roth 401k) normally comes with a match. Many employers will match around 5 percent of the input. Robert, please tell me where else these people can place their money that will be 1)PreTax 2)Tax Deferred 3) Gain 100% return the second it is invested. GET REAL!
Sure, I see your point that if the market crashes then they lose their money. I see the point that if they need it early they have to take a 10% penalty. I get it. However, you know there are ways to avoid that and for once I think you left these points out because they would not have supported your article.
For those that are freaking out after reading Roberts latest masterpiece, step off the ledge. Walk back over to the 401k and take a look at it again.
If you can find another plan that will match you (meaning double your money upfront) and will give you the ability to do it with pretax money AND defer taxes until you use the money then I would say try it.
If you worry that you will lose all of your money because the stock market is going to crash and burn, then quit putting your money in mutual funds and look at other savings options inside your 401k.
I want to state again that Robert is very correct about fully relying on the 401k. If you are holding a 401k in one hand, SSI in the other and hoping you can have a great retirement using them both then please pass what ever you have been taking. It isn't going to work like that. You will always have "Too Much Month."
I hope you will take this as some type of motivation to research all plans, not just retirement. Many plans that are put in place have many benefits. Many plans will NEVER WORK...such as the latest health care goof and Social Security. If you do your research now, follow the proper plan, later you will never have "Too Much Month."

Thanks

NOW IT'S ON THE FRONT PAGE!!!

Rewind 18 months. You come home and check your mail box. Inside the box you have 8 pieces of mail. As you look through it you realize that in your hand you hold 3 solicitations from your local insurance agents and five 0% credit card offers. You think it is extreme but simply shred and dispose. Down the street, a neighbor with a 450 credit score receives the same mail you did. Around the globe one of Dave Ramsey's listeners checked his box and found a credit card offer for Toby Cocker, his DOG!

Fast forward back to Sunday, December 13, 2009. If you lived in Tennessee you opened your local "Tennessean" news paper to see THIS article on the front page.

First I want to thank Naomi for the research done to write this article. A year and a half ago the large majority of the nation had no idea of the nonsense going on in the financial industry, today it is making the front page of Sunday news papers. For those of us that have been working a plan such as Dave Ramsey or Larry Burkett, this news doesn't really effect us other than it might make us focus a little more. However, if you were someone just floating along, being normal, it might make you check with your card provider...or providers to find out about your rate. The truth is America had become very trusting of their banks and credit card providers. We believed that they would honor the fixed rates they provided us with and would not dare charge us a yearly fee for the ride. Well I would like to thank the banks from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for waking us up. Sure there are a lot that will continue to float through life and trust you snakes. However, many of us were already awake, and many that weren't are beginning to rise. We have found out that as long as you are in our lives we will always have "Too Much Month."

Many of us have made getting out of debt a new hobby. If there is any advise that I can give it is simply this, do not make getting out of debt a hobby, make it a way of life. I have worked in this industry. They do not care about you. You are a number. They will brain wash their "adviser's," who are mostly just sales people with a financial calculator, to give you every form of debt they offer and show you why you can not live with out it. Truth is they can not live with out you. It is time to take our banks back, our money back, our lives back, and our months back.

Thanks.