Archives For Money

The Story of Broke – Video

September 14, 2012 — Leave a comment

Annie Leonard reminds us we’re not broke. We’re squandering our resources.

We’ve been trained to think making more money will solve the problem. I say making more money isn’t the problem. It’s what we do with the money we already make that is the problem.

If we’re unhappy with what we already have, how will having more stuff make us happier? If I stink at managing $30,000 a year I’m going to really stink at handling $300,000 a year. Ouch! The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer?

That may be true, but blaming it on government won’t fix it. And, more importantly, expecting government to change isn’t going to solve anything. Only when we learn to be better stewards of our current finances at home will we be able to expect others to do the same.

Want to change the economy? We should stop giving our money to people (or corporations) who don’t support our values. Before we take that step, how about sitting down and defining our values first?

Resources:
Story of Stuff

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

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The Real Cost of Credit Cards

September 4, 2012 — Leave a comment

Screen Shot 2012-09-04 at 6.18.36 AM
This loan will take 8.3 years to pay the balance. Total interest paid is $7,977.

How does the bank do this? You deposit $8,000 into your CD, checking, or savings account. Your bank pays you a whopping 1 to 2% interest for the use of your money. They turn around and lend it out and charge 19% to their customers.

Those same customers might or might not have $8,000 on deposit with the bank. Your bank is making $8,000 in interest for the use of your money. That’s a 100% return on investment for the bank. And they have the nerve to charge you an overdraft fee of $30.00 if you make a mistake in your checkbook ledger and get overdrawn once in a blue moon.

We are NOT winning this game. It was built so we would lose. Ever wonder why you can never seem to get ahead even if you’re not a spender and are a saver? Inflation is eroding your purchasing power. Inflation is an intentional tax. It’s caused when The Federal Reserve prints more money. And they call is “easing.” Easing what? Easing the pain their profit margin might feel.

The banking system known as The Federal Reserve is the most insidious system of economic slavery the world has ever known. And it’ll be 100 years old on 12/23/2013. I don’t know about you, but I won’t be sending a card or buying a birthday cake.

What to do? Get out of debt as quickly as possible. Learn to barter. Pay cash. That’s a start.

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

In Money, The Economy , ,
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045 DSR – Blinded by The Benjamins?

September 2, 2012 — Leave a comment

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money blindfold

Are we working just for the sake of money? What’s the real reason we are awakened every morning by an alarm clock? Why do we give the best years of our lives to trading labor for currency?

Are there other ways to live? Yes. Start by reducing your debt load and work hours. You’ll find you don’t need nearly as much to live comfortably than you previously thought.

Become less and less dependent on your paycheck over time. It can be done. The money you spend, make sure part of it is going into things you are passionate about.

Don’t be “Blinded by The Benjamins” or doing things you don’t want to do just to make money. We can’t take it with us. And have you ever seen an armored truck at a funeral? I haven’t.

Questions:
Are we blinded by money?
Why do we work?
Why do we pay what we pay for things?

In Money, Psychology , ,
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Living With Less – Book Trailer

August 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

This idea called minimalism is calling me to a higher level of awareness. It’s challenging me to re-think what it means to be prosperous. Watch the video, take the challenge, live with less in just one area of your life.

Are you dreaming of working for yourself? If so, how much money does it take to live? What if you lived with less stuff to maintain? I’m being challenged in my own life to live with less, subtract first. Then I can truly begin to add to my life in a totally different way.

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email.

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038 DSR – Talking About Money: No More Secrets

August 10, 2012 — Leave a comment

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Talking

Show Notes:
What was the money talk when you were growing up?
How do you discuss money with your spouse or partner?
Financial illiteracy is killing America.

Reference:
Financial illiteracy is killing America article

My Response to the above article:
I enjoyed the article. Financial illiteracy is a problem. Have we been dumbed down by technology? Are we producing generations of drooling zombies via TV? Has the intellectual financial backbone of this country become arthritic?

I’ve been an ambassador for financial literacy since 2006. Thank you for taking the fight to your readers and telling them in no uncertain terms ignorance is the problem. I’m very disappointed the bottom of the first page of the article says “sponsored by Visa.”

The last page of your article refers to people as “consumers.” This word means to use up or destroy. Do we believe we’ll never have enough?

Once we realize our happiness and source of life is within ourselves and not in what we can buy with worthless, paper debt instruments (dollars), we’ll once again rise up individually and as a people and discover our true power is within.

Action:
Start a conversation about money at home.
Listen to money talk at work, church, etc.

Personal finance education starts with you.
Ignorance just means lack of knowledge and can be remedied.

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email

In Education, Money , ,
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025 – Interview With Ahyh Maxey

July 21, 2012 — Leave a comment

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We spend an hour with an amazing teacher, author, and intellectual tour de force: Ahyh Maxey.

The practical side of finance as well as the spiritual side are discussed at length. Merging the two is critical to long term peace.

You can find Ahyh at:
yhwh.com

Action:
Buy a small notepad.

Keep it in your pocket for 2 months. Write down every dollar you spend or give. At the end of two months you’ll know exactly where your financial “problem” is. It’s where/how you spend your money. We must ask ourselves, “Do I spend money on the things I truly value?” This is a critical action step toward self discovery.

Book recommendation:
The Creature From Jekyll Island

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email at greg@debtshepherd.com

What you send may be read on the air and used as part of the show.

In Money, Spiritually Speaking
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024 – You Are Not Your Job

July 20, 2012 — Leave a comment

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I’m a………
Defining ourselves by our work.
Why we do it.
Job = money = food.

Questions:
How do you describe yourself?
If I’m not my work, who am I?
Why is it important to understand the difference?

Links:
48days.com
#1 career podcast on iTunes

Action:
Write down “I am……” and see what you get.
Ask yourself why you use these labels.
List all the things the world tells you you’re supposed to be.
List all the things you’d like to be instead.

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email at greg@debtshepherd.com

What you send may be read on the air and used as part of the show.

In Money, Psychology
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023 – Being Thankful for The Basics

July 19, 2012 — Leave a comment

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Gratitude and how it keeps us grounded. Look around

Three questions:
What’ve I got to be thankful for?
Why should I be thankful?
What if I’m not?

Action:
1) Write down 5 things you’re grateful for. If any one of them is a person, thank them.
2) Be mindful next time you enjoy things you’re grateful for. Never feel guilty for having more

Give us a call on our voicemail feedback hotline at 615-200-7189 or drop Greg an email at greg@debtshepherd.com

What you send may be read on the air and used as part of the show.

In Money
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