Some of my dearest friends in the world are realtors. And although they are wonderful at what they do, the realty business is a %100 commission business and is consequently very competitive and difficult to make a living in. However, it has very flexible hours, and can be extremely rewarding business. So how do you budget when you might have a $7,000.00 month one month and an $1200.00 month the next? I am going to lay out a plan for you today and I hope is going to help some of you finally come to a place of balance in …
Life on Commission: Feast or Famine
My husband Matt, is gifted at so many things, but sales is not one of them (he will tell you that himself :)). When we first started dating he was working at a Christian telemarketing company in which his paycheck was based largely on commission. He had to sell a certain number of commercials in order to even receive a commission and in the five months that he worked there he hit that commission exactly –once. It was a very difficult five months, but he learned a lot during that time. One of those things being, that he will never …
Every Other Friday
OK, I just need to warn you from the beginning, this blog is going to be a little bit long, but I really don’t see any way around it. But hang in there, because if you are paid every other week, you are going to love me today. The lightbulb is going to come on and by the end of this blog you will understand how to manage your previously unmanageable finances. Being paid every other week is a very common practice, but it can be very difficult to set a budget because your bills come on a certain day… …
Where Your Heart Is…
OK, so I know that I am supposed to be talking about two week paychecks, but I really have something else on my heart for you today, so two week paychecks will just have to wait 🙂 Have you ever wondered what Paul was talking about in the Bible when he wrote to Timothy, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” That verse is often quoted, “Money is the root of all evil”, but that is not …
By the Hour
According to Forbes magazine, more than half of working Americans get paid by the hour. So if that is how you are receiving your income, you are in great company. As far as budgeting goes, it is not too different from receiving a salary in that you roughly know what you are going to make each month. However there are some notable considerations with hourly pay and we are going to look at those today. Now I want you to hold on to your seat a little bit, because I am going to be giving you a lot of information …
Simplicity
Albert Einstien once said, “Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.” There is a lot of complexity to finances, and sometimes it is difficult to find the simple answer. Sometimes the answer is so simple and obvious that you miss it because of it’s simplicity. My heart in this week, as we begin to get more into the details of setting up your budget, is to help budgeting become extremely clear, simple, and accessible to you. So please feel free to ask questions, feel free to comment. I really want to make this as simple as …
Giant-sized Grapes
My Mom shared something last weekend at the women’s retreat that has been stirring in my heart all week. It has been such an encouragement to me that I wanted to pass it on to you on this beautiful Sunday. In the book of Numbers in the Bible, chapter 13, the children of Israel were standing at the edge of their promised land. They had finally reached their destination after a very challenging journey through the desert. God speaks to them and tells them to send men from every tribe to spy out the land which He was giving to …
Fishing Lessons
When my husband and I first started dating, he was in severe credit card debt. Through a series of uncontrollable circumstances he was laid off of his job, found himself in credit card debt, and took the first job he was offered in order to pay his bills. The job paid horribly and left him in a position where he was hopeless of ever paying off his debt and in desperate need of a miracle. His testimony of his deliverance from debt is amazing, and I will get him to write it sometime in the future. In brief summary, he …
The Shovel and the Hole
I received my first credit card solicitation when I was still in high school. I remember thinking they had the wrong person before I ripped it up and threw it away. But in college they began coming in earnest. I would get one a week, sometimes one a day advertising low balance transfer rates, and limited time low APR’s. Even then, I was concerned about messing up my good credit (thanks to my parents), and I never applied. However, many of my friends did apply and without a clue of how to manage the credit cards, they soon found themselves …
Highs and Lows – Changing Seasons
Yesterday was a beautiful day here in Oklahoma. Aside from being a little windy, the sun was shining, the temperature was perfect and I got to work outside in my rose garden. I love spring for so many reasons. I love the signs of life everywhere, my roses budding, and the whole world going green. I love that my children get to play outside after being sequestered for the winter. I love the excitement and anticipation as summer approaches. And I really love that my utility bills drop to nothing because we don’t have to run the air or the …