Video Intro

7 steps to put your stuff on eBay

As part of my de-cluttering process, I unload a lot of my stuff and random items by selling it on on Ebay. If you have never done it before, you will probably be surprised at how easy it is and how quick you can make a little money. Last time I de-cluttered, I made over $200 for only a few hours worth of time. This is a perfect follow-up to some major closet simplification. So, if you have a few hours of spare time, this may be a good way to make a few bucks.

Here are a few more ways to make money selling your clutter…

• How to sell books on Amazon.com
• How to sell old electronics
• Selling Your Gold? Be Careful!
• What to do with old cell phones

1. Open an eBay account

This is a very quick and easy process. Click here to get started.

2. Buy a few items to get some positive feedback

(This step is optional, but it will probably help) -Small items are fine, anything you can find will work. The reason is that your credibility as an Ebay seller is primarily determined by your feedback score. By purchasing a few items and paying for them quickly, you will be able to get some positive feedback, thus giving you at least a little bit of credibility. Think about it, if you are buying an item wouldn’t you rather buy from a seller has feedback proving that he actually delivered his products rather than a seller who has never used eBay before?

3. Decide what to sell

I only sell name brand or easily defined unique items. When selling, you have to think like the seller and ask “how would I search for this item?” If the answer isn’t clear, it may not be a good item to sell. For example, I had a pair of fake leather pants (don’t ask) that weren’t a brand that anyone would care about, but I knew that people would be searching for leather pants, because it is such a unique item. Often times buyers will search for a brand name and a size, and this is why brand name items are good to sell.

Oh, and I also don’t sell items that aren’t in great condition – you can, but one person’s definition of “small hole in sleeve” can be completely different from another’s. I consider it to be dangerous territory, so proceed with caution.

Just FYI, about the fake leather pants, I had gotten them for about $3.00 on a clearance rack and ended up selling them for about $15.00. So, the $12.00 profit helps offset all the harassment I received for owning them in the first place.

4. Get Pictures of your items

Grab your point and shoot digital camera (if you are still taking Polaroid pictures, then see step #2 and make a digital camera one of your purchases) and start shooting. Use a well lit room, with the simplest, nicest looking background you can find; e.g. a hardwood floor or a plain wall. Take a few pictures of each item and get close ups if needed. Check out this article for more tips about Ebay pictures.

5. List your item

Now you are ready to list your items. I suggest doing all of your listings on the same day. This will enable you to do the shipping all on the same day, eliminating wasted trips to the Post Office.

Be as detailed as possible in the listing title. Include as many that apply to your item:

• item names and similar names
• Brand names
• Model names or numbers
• Sizes
• Colors
• Men’s, women’s, or kids
• material
• any other details that stand out about your item

At the time of this writing, if you search for “dress shirt” on eBay it will yield over 12,000 listings. However, if you search for “M banana republic dress shirt blue” we only get 5 results. As sellers, this is what we want – limited competition when people search for our item. If your listing title just said “dress shirt,” then your shirt would now be thrown in the world’s largest bargain bin with 12,000 other shirts for people to dig through. The more detail you put in the title, the easier it is for your buyers to find it.

The first picture is free, but Ebay does charge to add additional pictures. I suggest adding at least one additional picture, unless you are convinced that the item doesn’t need it. Buyers like to see products from different angles and with detail.

Use the description field to fill in any and all detail that you couldn’t squeeze into the title section. The more detail the better. I learned the hard way when selling my wife’s clothes that a lot of the eBaying women like to know the measurements of each item before bidding on it.

A few more things to keep in mind:

• open a paypal account (free, simple, and will make it easier for buyers)
• Check for misspellings in your title (this could dramatically affect sales)
• International shipping can be expensive and time consuming, so you may want to limit your shipping area

6. Answer buyer’s questions

Buyers may email you with questions about the product, it is in your best interest to respond quickly to them. They are clearly interested in buying the product, otherwise they wouldn’t have spent the time emailing you about it. You can respond to their questions and see what each item is going for from your Ebay account.

7. Ship your eBay items

Try to get your items shipped ASAP to get positive feedback from your buyers. Look for old boxes (without writing on them) or for some items you can use brown paper bags to package it in.

I have had the best luck with the good ‘ol U.S. Postal Service. The standard shipping at that Post Office is almost always cheaper than UPS and FedEx. There are some occasions where this is not the case, but from my experience, the USPS is the best way to go.

As with anything, the more you do it, the faster you will get at it. And of course, some items will sell, and some won’t – I just give the unsold items to Goodwill. Good luck!!

Click here to open a FREE eBay account

Technorati Tags: How to sell on eBay, eBay selling, put stuff on ebay

Related Articles:

• How to sell books on Amazon and make money!
• 5 ways to get a deal on Ebay
• Starting an Ebay Business: A Step-by-Step Guide
• How To Make Extra Money with Facebook

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.

When I was about 14 years old, my uncle suddenly and unexpectedly went home to be with the Lord. He had meticulously taken care of the finances for their family and left my aunt on a very solid financial foundation. Obviously, this didn’t take away the pain of him being gone, but his preparation eliminated additional stress that would have been present without it.

It’s one of those things we all prefer not to think about, but it is always better to be prepared. My aunt is still reaping from what my uncle sowed by having his things in order.

Video

My FLOP

Being impacted by my uncle’s premature death and wanting to do everything I can do to help my wife, I decided to create a system for keeping things organized.

It has been a work in progress over the last few years, but has evolved into a very helpful tool. Simply put, it is a single file or location for all your financial account details. I call it a FLOP (Financial Life on One Page). FLOP sounds a little cooler than FLOOP, but not much

In adding to it over the last few years it has come to have three main purposes. The first being that it is a:

1. Balance Sheet

One of the best pieces of advice I received about 5 years ago, when I started my journey to clean up my finances was to keep a balance sheet. I didn’t really understand why at the time, but I did it anyway. I have updated it twice a year since I started it and it has been a great source of encouragement as I have fought to get out of debt.

The reason it has been such a source of encouragement is because a balance sheet not only takes into account the debt you have been paying off, but all of your good financial decisions. So increasing your savings, paying down debt, making wise purchases all will affect your balance sheet in a positive way.

Also, looking at the size of your debts or assets does not necessarily give an accurate report of your financial condition. To get a accurate picture of your financial situation you need a balance sheet to calculate your net worth. It is very easy to do and is just a big subtraction problem:

Assets  –  Liabilities  =  Net Worth

As with most things, you are either moving forward, or you are going backwards. If you are increasing your assets or minimizing debts your net worth should be growing. If your net worth is getting smaller, then it is an indication that you should re-evaluate how you are spending your money. And even if your situation is not very encouraging, it will force you to see the financial truth so you can make adjustments as needed.

In case you missed it earlier, read how to create a balance sheet.

2. Organize all my login information

In this day in age, where you just about need to login to open your refrigerator, it can be difficult keeping track of all your login information.

After adding all your accounts in the balance sheet section above, you should have all your account information listed already and you can just add a column to add your login for that company. If you use various passwords you could list them in another column as well, but consider using a password hint rather than the actual password. I still come back to my FLOP at least once a week to figure out a login that I forgot about.

3. Financial roadmap for my wife

The third and most important reason for my FLOP is for my wife. In most families, one person manages the finances and has a better understanding of the overall financial picture. I am that person in my family. Are you that person in yours?

If so, would your spouse (or other beneficiaries) know where to find your financial information? Insurance policies, bank accounts, investment accounts, safe deposit boxes?

I know for my personal situation I know a bit more about our financial details than my wife does. I use my FLOP to layout all of the pertinent details for my wife, if she ever needed them. It contains the name, phone number or web address of each institution, our account numbers for those institutions and any other pertinent info that may be needed.

I then burned the file to a CD and kept it in our safe. Every year or so I put a copy of the updated FLOP in there.

Losing a loved one is a terribly difficult process. Having a “roadmap” prepared in advance for your loved ones is a great way to help eliminate unnecessary stress.

Homework

1. Click this link to download a template for my FLOP.
2. Spend some time filling it out.
3. Discuss with your spouse where they can find it if they ever need it.

Related Articles:

• Why everyone needs a balance sheet
• 7 free printable budgeting worksheets
• Protect Your Family: The Importance of Life Insurance – GS16
• How to Calculate Your Net Worth & Why You Should – GS3

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.

Video Intro

What is the best way to start a budget?

The first thing that anyone who wants to make a budget must do is to compare their income versus their expenses. The good thing is that it is quite easy to do.

To get started you can download this free Excel budgeting spreadsheet (or you can look through 10 other budgeting spreadsheets) which will help you calculate how much you spend each month and compare it to your current income.

It’s too bad most of us never learned this in school and had to figure it out on our own – so here is the lesson that we should have learned in 5th grade:

Expenses  >  Income  =  Bad   &   Expenses  <  Income  =  Good

And honestly, as simple as it sounds, that is the key to wealth. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who IS wealthy (I emphasize IS because I am not talking about people who appear to be wealthy, but who are actually in debt up to their eyeballs) spends LESS money than they earn. AKA – their expenses are less than their income.

The great news about this is that anyone can do this – no matter what their income level. If you can do it on a small income, then you can do it on a large income. If you can’t do it on a small income, then you won’t be able to do it on a large one either. Trust me!

If you don’t believe me, just ask all of the lottery winners who went bankrupt within years of winning millions of dollars.

Back to making our budget…

Regardless of how your expenses and income compare right now – get excited, because you can easily change it!! If it is bad you can make it so much better!! If it is good, you can still make it even better!! I will show you how later, but for now…

Let’s make a budget!

Did you calculate what your monthly expenses and income were? Were your expenses less than your income? If so, you are a rare breed who is in great shape, so just sit tight for a minute.

For everyone else, whose expenses exceeded your income – you are not alone. You actually have a lot of company. The problem is that it isn’t good company! Most of our debt-ridden society is in the same boat, but you are one of the bold ones who is jumping out of the debt boat!!

So, if your income is $1000 and your expenses are $1200, that means you spend an extra $200 each month that YOU DON’T HAVE!! What your job is now is to find out what you can get rid of or quit buying each month to save that $200. If you have no idea where to start you can check out these money saving tips or browse other money saving ideas.

I know, I know – this is the part that hurts. Just like pruning a bush – cutting back hurts, but ultimately you are going to yield so MUCH more fruit because of it!!

The goal here is to get your expenses and income to AT LEAST be equal. Once that is accomplished we can work on eliminating wasteful spending or cut other costs to bring the expenses below the income.

Now that you have calculated what your monthly income and expenses are we can start designing our budget. We will first discuss the less effective, but easier method for budgeting…

The world’s easiest budget

There are 2 simple rules to do a simple budget:

1. You can’t spend more than you earn – carrying a balance on a credit card is not allowed.
2. Money must go to the budget categories as soon you get paid.

The way it works:

Rather than having 10-20 different categories of items to be budgeted for you only focus on the 1-3 most important ones and let the rest of the chips fall where they will.

So, to do this you take your paycheck of say $1000 and right off the top you put the money to your main priorities. For many people this is tithing to their church, retirement savings, college savings for children, etc…

A sample of this would be:

It is absolutely critical that the money gets taken out FIRST for these few budgeted items. If not, I can almost guarantee that the full amount will not make it as intended.

I highly recommend making this process automatic by using direct deposit or some other form of automatic withdrawal. There is just something about human nature that has a hard time staying consistent with things like this.

Why do you think the U.S. government takes our taxes directly out of our paycheck, rather than coming to collect the full sum at the end of the year? It is the same principle – use it to your advantage.

Easy budget, but not very efficient

I think this budget is perfect for people who don’t want to budget. It is simple, doesn’t take up much time, and will help you reach some savings goals. That said, it is still inefficient and leaves the door wide open for inefficient and foolish spending.

I think it should be considered the “lazy man’s budget” – and you are not LAZY and you are willing to work to get your finances in order!! I know this because you are still reading. So, since you are NOT lazy and are hungry for more of a challenge, let’s look at how the pros budget.

The money saving budgeting method

Yes, this method takes a little bit more time and energy, but it also will provide you will long-term financial benefits if followed.

To do this we are just going to expand on the lazy man’s budget mentioned above. Rather than having just 1-3 categories of items budgeted for, we are going to create as many as we need to put a limit on our spending in all areas.

You can use the budget spreadsheet (mentioned at the top of the article) as a guide for tracking your progress. Try to account for every possible expense that you could run into. You will never be able to budget for every possible scenario, but the goal is to minimize surprise expenses. Inevitably, there will still be surprises from time to time – so I suggest creating a category for these surprises (or you can just use your emergency fund).

How to stick with your budget

The almost sure-fire way to make a budget that fails is to NOT budget for any fun stuff. I wrote about how budgeting should be fun and it is a necessary ingredient for success. You need to budget for clothing, entertainment, going out to dinner, or whatever else it is you love to do! The key is to do it in moderation and to set limits and abide by them.

The amazing thing is that by budgeting for fun stuff, it actually liberates you to spend money on these items. When you have money budgeted each month to buy clothes, the money is now sitting there waiting to be used for that assigned purpose. Suddenly you can go clothes shopping without feeling guilty!!

This is how budgeting truly becomes fun. When you have money sitting in the bank waiting to be spent. Or, even better: if you start budgeting for vacation and after a little while you have hundreds of dollars begging to be spent on a vacation!! You go on your trip and come back home and don’t owe any money to a credit card company – now that is how a budget becomes fun and what helps you stick with it!!

I also suggest you check out the envelope budgeting method, or the method that I used to budget with ING.

Other budget options

There are many ways to make a budget work. The key is to finding a system that works for you and sticking with it. This article has gone over a basic method of budgeting, but if you need a little more hand-holding, and are willing to pay a little for it, I suggest YNAB budgeting software.

It is what I use and I would argue that it is the best budgeting software out there (although Mvelopes isn’t a bad budgeting tool) and makes the whole budgeting process as simple as it can be. But be warned, it isn’t a magic tool that is going to eliminate all the work – it will just make it easier to manage the budgeting process.

As far as paying for budget software I think it depends on the user. It is not a necessity by any means, but investing a few bucks could save you some time and make the process a little easier. It just depends on personal preference really.

Either way, I suggest making sure that you are committed to this whole budgeting thing before buying the software  - no one likes to waste their money!  But if you do decide to go with it, make sure you try it out first with their 34-day free trial.

Homework:

1. Create your budget!

I would love to hear what budgeting method has worked for you and what hasn’t. Let us know in the comments below…

Technorati Tags: how to make a budget, budgeting

Related Articles:

• Make Your Own Personal Budget: Articles, Tips, & Resources
• How to budget with ING direct
• 10 Free Household Budget Spreadsheets
• How to Budget: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Begin

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.

Every time I have been late paying a bill, it wasn’t because I didn’t have the money, but because I forgot about it! My hunch is that most late-fees occur for that same reason. Back in those days when I lived in financial chaos, I didn’t have a system in place to help me remember to pay my bills.

For me this was just like playing roulette with my bills – I remembered to pay them sometimes and sometimes I would forget. It goes without saying that paying bills late (especially for credit cards) is terribly expensive. Most credit card companies charge something like $40 each time it is late as well as jacking up your interest rate to 25%.

Batching the Process

Anyone who has ever forgotten to get something from the grocery store realizes that it requires a lot less time to buy everything one day than having to go get something as you need it. It requires a grocery list and a bit of foresight, but it saves you hours throughout the week by NOT having to go back to pick up missed items. Why not implement the same type of planning to the paying of your bills?

Rather than sporadically paying them as they come in, or checking a pile on your desk every few days, you should be able to designate 2 days a month to pay your bills. And of course, if you want to save even more time use your bank’s online bill pay.

4 Steps to Manage your Bills

1. Make a list of all of your bills. Next to each one right the day that it is due. If there is not a due date just leave it blank.
2. Decide on 2 days per month that you will pay your bills. I recommend the 2 days you when you get paid (if you receive a regular bi-monthly check).
3. Organize them by due dates. Assuming the days you get paid are the 1st and 15th – you would then take all of your bills due the 22nd through the 6th and pay these on the 15th. And on the 1st of the month you would pay the bills due from the 7th -21st. This will give each bill at least a week to get to through the mail.
4. Figure out what your monthly dollar amount needed for bills is and divide it by 2. If you get paid $1000 two times each month, then you will want to pay as close to $1000 worth of bills on the 15th and $1000 worth on the 1st. Use the bills that don’t have a due date (i.e. savings accounts) to balance this out as best as possible.

Download a bill pay template

To see an example, download my bill payment schedule Excel spreadsheet. I also suggest having a designated checking account specifically to pay bills from. That way you can know exactly how much comes out (the monthly total of your bills), therefore you can know exactly how much to deposit.

Of course if your bill paying days don’t balance out perfectly (paying $1000 both days) don’t spend the money! If you paid $700 this time, you know you will have to pay $1300 next time. If you don’t touch it, you know it will be there waiting.

Related Articles:

• Money Mistake #4 – Not having a schedule for bills
• How to Pay Monthly Bills on Time
• 15 Ways to Cut Your Expenses – GS2
• Practical Budgeting Tips to Manage Your Money Better

Bob enjoys dark chocolate, paying off debt, giving, Foosball, loose-leaf tea, helping people succeed, learning, anything God created, playing guitar, Philippians, excellence, Chick-Fil-A, and making his wife smile. He started ChristianPF in 2007 and Co-Founded Blogging Your Passion in 2011. Find him on Facebook & Twitter.

You would not believe how much money we throw away in the trash. Today, while dashing into that big superstore for a new dog collar, I thought I’d see exactly how much money I save by not purchasing paper products. The answer—a lot! You can find ways to save money too.

In fact, if I bought every paper product I could think of to make my life a tad easier, I would spend another $36.60 per month. With that much money, I could sponsor another child with Compassion International.

How To Live without Paper Products

So you can get a better look at how I live without paper products, let’s look at what I don’t buy, and what I use instead!

1. Paper plates

Bottom line: my boys know how to wash dishes.

2. Paper towels

A large family always has a bag of clothes to pass on. But before any clothes go out the door, I pull out stained or faded T-shirts, old socks, and anything else made of absorbent material and cut out the flat sections. I cut the socks down their length to flatten. I have a deep drawer in the kitchen designated as the “rag drawer” that I store them in. I use these rags in place of paper towels to clean up spills and messes throughout the house. And unless they are covered in grease or something else I’d rather not have in my washing machine, I rinse them out and throw them in with the towels. I also recycle bath towels, wash cloths, and old sheets this way.

3. Paper napkins

I like to keep a cotton table cloth on my dining room table. When I quit using paper products, I replaced paper napkins with cloth ones. But before purchasing new ones, I repurposed my stained table cloths by cutting them into napkin-sized squares and zig-zagging the edges. If you do not have table cloths to recycle you can always purchase fabric to make your napkins, and still save in the long run. That’s also a good idea if you want to have a set for company. Napkins too soiled to continue using go into the rag drawer.

4. Swiffer mop/broom sheets and duster covers

I own a broom, a dustpan, a good Pro-Twist yarn mop by O’Cedar and a few micro-fiber towels. My boys know how to use these, too. Enough said.

5. Facial tissues

We use toilet paper. I keep a roll in the kitchen, too; not just for wiping noses, but for wiping out greasy pans.

6. Disinfecting wipes

I keep a cellulose sponge and a spray bottle of vinegar solution in the bathroom. Each morning the vanity and toilet get a spritz and wipe. The sponge is washed out with hot soapy water and set out to dry.

7. Cloth diapers

One more way I encourage young parents to save is to use cloth diapers. All six of my babies enjoyed the feeling of cotton on their bums and I enjoyed the savings in my bank account. Today, a package of quality disposable diapers costs almost $10. According to my sources (because I can’t remember back that far) that package would last almost a week. So by using cloth diapers, a young family could save about $50 a month—if they only had one in diapers.

I could never use cloth diapers and continue using disposable baby wipes with a clear conscience. To replace baby wipes I bought several bundles of low-quality wash cloths at that superstore. I simply tossed the used cloth into the pail with the diapers. Also, if you don’t use baby wipes you don’t need to buy a baby wipe warmer for another $25—because every baby deserves a warm changing experience. Like everything else we wear out around our place, diapers and wipes that need to be replaced go into the rag drawer for cleaning up spills.

That about sums it up. We have an adage around here: use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

I’d love to hear of ways you are doing that in your home; or additional ways you live without paper products. What are some things you don’t buy or for which you don’t pay full price? Feel free to share in the comments.

Crumpled paper image from Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• Amazon Mom: Save 30% Off of Baby Purchases
• How to Raise a Child on Less Than $266,698
• How much does it cost to raise a child & 10 ways to cut the cost!
• Learning How To Live On One Income

The modern world is a cauldron of busyness—in fact if we allow ourselves to run on auto pilot, busy is what we’ll be. There’s always an errand to run, a phone call that needs to be made, a meeting to attend, a “must see” sporting event or TV program. We’re consumed with a life in which we’re “busy being busy”.

What are we getting out of all of that? Plenty, and none of it is good for us. Busyness causes stress and a sense of a lack of control over our lives—we want to do better, but there just isn’t time. Busyness can seem benign, perhaps because it isn’t a single catastrophic event, but rather a daily onslaught of much lesser occurrences. But rest assured it can be every bit as damaging to our lives as cigarette smoking, over-eating or spending money we don’t have.

How Busyness Causes Damage

What are some ways that busyness damages our lives?

It damages our relationship with God

One of Satan’s favorite ways to keep us either from coming to God or from deepening our relationship with Him is through distraction. Busyness is the best kind of distraction at least in part because it doesn’t seem like one.

One of the first things to go when we get busy is prayer (“I’ll do it later”), and once that starts to go the dominoes begin to fall. Church attendance becomes infrequent, as do fellowship and Bible study. All of these represent our relationship with God and as they begin to disappear, so does our relationship with Him.

At the time it happens we may not even realize what’s taking place—after all, we’re taking care of matters that need to be dealt with and isn’t that what God wants us to do?

Not exactly. In Luke 10 we have Jesus visiting the home of Mary and Martha, and Martha finds herself “distracted by all the preparations that had to be made”. While Martha runs to and fro, making sure all is just right, her sister Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and just listens. When Martha implores Jesus to make Mary help her, he gives an astonishing reply:

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:41-42

The Savior of the Universe was in her home, and all Martha had to do was to relax and enjoy him, but she chose the route of busyness. We can we fall into the same trap. Our relationship with God is built on quiet, undistracted time with Him; we have to be purposeful about making that happen in a world that’s desperate to pull us in the opposite direction.

It damages our relationships with family and friends

Just as in our relationship with God, we need to spend time with family and friends in order to nurture and grow the bonds. But the time we would spend doing this can easily disappear into a routine of perpetual busyness.

It’s often when we become really busy—and “something has to give”—that what gives is our relationships with the people who are closest to us. That can happen without ever making a conscious decision to do so. Often, we do it under the assumption that our loved ones will “understand”. We should never count on that. It’s not an exaggeration to say that this kind of distance can ruin marriages, sour a parent/child relationship and turn friends into non-friends.

Our schedules are never more important than the people closest to us.

It damages our health

Have you ever gotten off the bathroom scale and sworn to yourself, “I’ll (go on a diet, start exercising, get a physical, etc) tomorrow?” Does tomorrow ever come? When we’re wrapped up in a series of minor “must do’s” the commitment quickly goes into the dustbin with others that we’ve broken with ourselves.

Health is one of those areas where the clock is ticking even though we choose to do nothing. Once health is lost, it may be gone for good—is that worth clearing away some extra time out of your busy schedule?

It damages work and business

Back in high school I had a part-time job in a local grocery store. One night I was commenting on how another worker always seemed so busy, and the assistant manager turned my observation around completely. The co-worker, he said, was a master of “keeping his hands busy to look like he was working” but in reality he accomplished little of any real value. That was a lesson well learned.

When it comes to work, most of us have a great deal of responsibilities, but there are usually one, two—maybe three—that define our success or failure. This is true on just about every job imaginable, and even more so if you’re self-employed. What are those functions that are most critical to what we do?

With work, it’s often tempting to “major on the minors”—working first (or mostly) on what is least essential. A job loss, being passed over for promotion or a business failure are often the result of busying ourselves with what is least important.

Identify your most important function(s), then commit to spending the majority of your time working on them. People who know this and pursue it relentlessly are the success stories. It’s the only way forward.

How to Regain Control of Our Lives

How do we cut back on busyness and get control of our lives and escape?

Prioritize

As we discussed above with work, even though we have dozens – maybe hundreds – of responsibilities and events in life, our success or failure in any one arena will depend on our ability to identify the MOST important ones and to spend the first, best, and largest amount of time on them. You can even put them in numeric order.

Delegate

A good friend of mine used to say (frequently!) “do your best and let others do the rest”. He was one of the most successful salesmen I ever knew, at least in part because he followed that saying to the letter. Sometimes we think we have more control over our lives by handling every detail ourselves, but the opposite is much closer to the truth. Not every job or function in your life needs to be done perfectly or even specifically the way you want. Let go of as much as you can, and free your time up for what’s most important.

Consolidate

It often seems that there aren’t enough hours in a day to do all that we need to do. As much as I hate multi-tasking, it does have its place. If you have several errands to run, try to do them in one trip. I know it isn’t good to talk on the phone while driving, but I’ll often return a phone call when I’m on the way to pick up my son at school. I’ll also put my phone on speaker when I’m cooking or doing some other function at home; I can do my work and still chat with a friend.

Regiment

Where ever possible, try to create an assembly line to handle similar responsibilities. For example, block out a time to pay all your bills, time to call several friends, or time to deal with disputes (medical bills, credit card issues, regulatory compliance, etc). The idea is to handle similar functions in time blocks that free up the rest of your time to do what is most important. It creates greater focus on the job at hand but also minimizes the distraction that comes from trying to handle issues on a piecemeal basis.

Let go of a few things

Most of us tend to carry too much baggage in life. It could be habits, hobbies, obsessions, stuff—you name it. But everything we take on in life takes at least some time and effort. Think about all you have—can you get rid of some of it? Think about all that you do—do you really need to do all of it? Can you pass it on to someone else? Think about all that you worry about—will the world implode if you just let it go? You already know the answer to that one.

Do you ever find that you’re too busy with everything to accomplish your goals or to have better relationships? What are you doing to get control of it? Meet us in the comments!

Image by Kurhan/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• How to Change the World by 5pm!
• How to Remove Idols from Your Life
• Tips On How To Get Along With Your Boss
• How to Successfully Network as a Business Owner

With backgrounds in both accounting and the mortgage industry, Kevin Mercadante is professional personal finance blogger, and the owner of OutOfYourRut.com, a website about careers, business ideas, money and more. A committed Christian, he lives in Atlanta with his wife and two teenage kids.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. – Isaiah 9:6

Christmas is a time of joy and celebration for Christians.  We exchange gifts with family & friends to show our love and appreciation.  If your shopping list is growing into a financial or time-consuming burden, get creative this year!

Be Proactive

The Never-ending Cycle

Do you have a friend that always remembers you with a wonderful gift every December, causing you to feel obligated even if your budget is tight or you have no idea what to give them?

Send a sweet note now to stop the spending-giving cycle.  Mention how you always delight when you hear the pretty wind chimes they sent last year, but this year your family feels so blessed and wants to exchange warm wishes & updated pictures only.

Your friend may secretly appreciate your initiative to take the burden off of them, too!

Secret Santas

Your small group, workplace, or gal pals draw names every year.  One gift for this group and one gift for that party can add up in money & shopping time.  You struggle to find something meaningful within the $10 limit.

Suggest early that Christmas be a little different this year.  Everyone brings a white elephant item from their house for a gift-swapping game.  Items can be random or a theme like a unused jewelry, a scarf, a homemade treat, or a dusty kitchen gadget.

The laughs come from the surprises inside the pretty paper and the swapping. Go a step further and have a fun raffle of white elephant items with the proceeds supporting a local charity or other agreed-upon organization.

The Cash & Gift Card Exchange

The baby that squeezed the stuffed toy with delight & the preschooler that got lost in picture books has grown into a teenager wearing brands you don’t recognize.

If your extended family’s Christmas has morphed into exchanging checks or gift cards, brainstorm about making a collective donation in your family name to the church building fund or sponsoring the hard-to-adopt large families on the Giving Tree this year.

Cashless Gifts: The Thought Really Counts

Teachers

Teachers touch our children’s lives in important ways.  A handwritten Thank You note from you and your child will be treasured more than another apple ornament.  Go one step further and write a formal letter of appreciation to the school principal, detailing the wonderful things your teacher does every day.

Projects of Christmas Past

Got a few projects that didn’t make the December 25^th deadline?  Find that shoebox full of materials and finish the projects for this year.  You receive the gift of space while your friend receives a one-of-a-kind homemade gift. Host a UFO (UnFinished Object) party with other crafty friends now.

Food

Everyone loves food!  The simplest cookies on a plate, with your handwritten Christmas card, makes a wonderful gift.  While your friend is frazzled from a hectic holiday routine, she can recharge with a sweet treat and a cup of tea. Your famous candy is a universal gift for anyone you want to remember, even if you don’t know their favorite sports team or perfume.

Time is Priceless

Children

Make up coupons for playing a favorite game, making a yummy recipe together, serving breakfast in bed, or picking wildflowers in the spring – whatever is special to your kids.

Friends

Print up a coupon for two hours of deep cleaning help, yard work, or babysitting.  For the older folks in your neighborhood, give coupons for rides to doctor’s appointments, the grocery store, or church services.

Aging Family

The eldest are sometimes the hardest to buy for if they are limited in their abilities or living space.  Your grandmother will cherish the time you put into a long letter of your memories of her famous cinnamon rolls, fried chicken, and handmade Barbie clothes.

For a distant relative, promise more frequent phone calls, emails, or pictures next year.  Mark it on your calendar and do it!

Many seniors want to jump into the computer age, but need a patient tutor.  Give weekly lessons on how to use the internet and email.  Grandpa wants to laugh at the kittens on YouTube, too!

The Greatest Gift

The greatest gift of all is God becoming flesh with the birth of Jesus.  This year, you can set an example to your family and friends by simplifying the giving and celebrating the real joy of Christmas.

What is the best creative gift you have given or received at Christmastime? Meet us in the comments section!

Image by Ruth Black/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• No money for Christmas?
• How To Set Your Christmas Budget
• How To Best Save Money During The Christmas Rush
• Getting Ready For Christmas: 7 Things To Do Today

Cherie is a small business accountant with a passion to teach others about personal finance -especially military families through the Financial Peace program. With her son & daughter at college, Cherie enjoys spending time with her husband of 23 years, quilting, and volunteering.

I’m Scottish . . . 1/4 Scottish to be exact.  What do you think about when you imagine Scotland?  Chances are you think about things like rugby, bag pipes, and beer.  How about frugal?  Yeah, believe it not, the Scottish are known to be extremely frugal.  Who knows, maybe this is why I’m frugal!  Yup, I didn’t know about this either.  I just found out about it and did some research.

The Scottish were and still are very frugal to this day.  Did you know that a Scot founded the first commercial bank?  Neither did I.  So, what made them so frugal?  Let’s dig in and find out.

Why outsource if you can do it yourself?

The people of Scotland have never been known to be a people to outsource their work.  They never avoided hard work.  They rolled up their sleeves and got the job done.  This is evident from their great success during the industrial revolution.

This type of fortitude can be applied to repetitive or boring tasks in our daily lives.  Do you have a gardener?  Do you change your own oil or take it to a shop?  How about replacing the wood trim at your house?  A Scot would never hire someone to do these remedial tasks.  A Scot would work on the garden until dusk, change the oil in the garage, and change out the wood trim on weekends.  A true Scot does it himself and doesn’t need any help!

Use one object for multiple uses.

This cracks me up about the Scottish.  During wars, they used a pitchfork instead of a sword.  Why you ask?  Well, a pitchfork can be used for farming and other tasks as well!  A sword is great for killing someone but doesn’t feed your family.  They were fundamentally against having multiple objects when one did the job.  The Scottish did pretty well in wars, so I guess the pitchfork worked pretty darn well!

What does this mean for the rest of us?  This could mean using the same cars for multiple tasks.  Do you really need a truck for moving and yard work when the back of an SUV will get the job done?  Or maybe you have too much house.  Downsizing might be a smart move a long with simplifying your life.  The Scottish were all about being utilitarian and keeping things frugal.  Always think twice before you buy something.  If there is a doubt, that probably means you don’t need it!  Make the Scottish proud, don’t give in to waste.

Never buy brand new.

The Scottish were known for their skills in taking used equipment and getting them to work brand new again.  This was crucial during the industrial revolution.  Instead of buying brand new steam engines, a typical route would be to fix-up and modify the existing engine.  This saved the Scottish a large sum of money during that time in history.

Thankfully, here in the United States, there is no lack of secondhand goods or even discounted outlet stores.  Since we are known for waste, there is ample opportunity to grab up perfectly fine products and materials for cheap.  Even pawn shops are on the board these days.  The last one I was in was high class and they actually had some great products for pennies on the dollar when compared to new prices!

You can take this further with used cars.  When you drive a car off the lot, it loses a significant amount of value vs buying a used car.  Don’t give into the American culture of always wanting the next bet thing.  They sure seem to practice frugality better than we do!

Well, I hope this has been as fun for you as it has been for me.  It’s so cool to see how frugality is practiced in different cultures.  I for one have been inspired reading about the frugal Scottish.  Stay frugal America!

So, do you think you’re as frugal as a Scotsman? Meet us in the comments!

Image by Lance Bellers/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• What is the difference between frugal and cheap?
• How to be Frugal and Have Fun
• Is There Such a Thing as Good Debt?
• Make Big Frugal Moves!

Jon is a Christian personal finance writer at Free Money Wisdom. His mission is to help you succeed in your personal finance life with the Bible as your compass. When Jon is not writing on personal finance, he spends time with his girlfriend, lifts iron at the gym, and plays Scrabble. You can subscribe to his site through EMAIL/RSS or you can also find him on Twitter and Facebook.

One of our guilty OnDemand pleasures is “Storage Wars” produced A&E. The show focuses on the bidding wars of four featured personalities and then highlights the treasures & trash purchased in the unpaid storage lockers.

At the end of each show, we turn to each other & question:  Why did these unknown people pay to store junk?  Why did they put priceless family items in a dark space?  Why was the rent delinquent when selling a small portion of the items would have paid it?  Why were the items abandoned at all?

Know Thy Enemy

Scary facts: Self-storage is primarily an American invention.  Last year (2010), self-storage was a $20 billion industry & has been the fastest growing segment of commercial real estate over the last 35 years. Nearly 1 in 10 households use a self-storage unit – an increase of 65% over the past 15 years.  A billion square feet of storage facilities was built between 1998-2005.

Storage companies are slick salesmen. First month’s rent is typically free or just $1 with no contract.  Use of a moving truck is available to drive money from your wallet to their business. Many people start the storage habit thinking they will deal with the overflow quickly.  Months turn into years, and before you know it, the cost is higher than most will admit.

Co-conspirators

There are many co-conspirators that come into play with a storage war:

Gifts of Christmas’ past: Parting with a gift can be difficult –  simply because it was a gift.  Counter attack: Keep in mind it’s the thought that counts and no one would want you to pay a monthly rent to storage their gift.

Memories: A picture from a first apartment, boxes & boxes of baby clothes, a rocking chair from the nursery, the box of games that were so much fun 10 years ago, or inherited furniture doesn’t fit your lifestyle either in function or style.  Counter attack: Take a picture of these items to remember in an album that’s easily accessible at home rather than during infrequent visits to the unit.

Sunken costs:  You paid good money for it!  The original cost is no longer a factor if you aren’t going to use it.  Counter attack: Sell it on eBay, craigslist, or at a garage sale to add to your emergency fund or college savings.  Give an item to someone who will appreciate it.  Donating to your favorite organization is a win-win: you lose the storage unit, you get a tax-deduction, and your charity gets a donation to use towards their mission.

Family members: Sonny boy got married last year and didn’t want to take his childhood keepsakes.  You married late in life and had to combine two full households – resulting in the extras going into storage. Counter attack: If adult children want these items, then they need to take them home. If you aren’t using the item in your household – then perhaps it’s time to let go.

Yourself:  Clothes that are too small are kept in hopes of the diet working, even though they are out of style.  Collections that took years to accumulate no longer have a priority in your life. Counter attack: If you haven’t used it in a year, sell the item on Ebay or donate it.  Admit that your interests have changed and find a new home for your collection.

Casualties of Self-storage

Storing things in general, whether in your closet, your garage, your loft, or a self-storage unit, can be extremely dangerous to your household budget.  Not being able to see things easily can cause overspending.  If you can’t find it, you’ll possibly purchase a duplicate item.

Even if you know you own the gadget or item, sometimes it’s easier to buy another one rather than search through boxes hoping to find it.  Add to the process driving a few miles to public storage, going through the security gate, opening up the locked unit, dragging out boxes into the alley, sorting through boxes – and the odds just increased that buying is easier than playing Hide & Go Seek at Public Storage.

Freeing up space in the closet or garage can encourage new purchases because the feeling of being “stuffed” is now gone. Kind of like how a bigger pair of pants can allow overeating when the feeling of being “stuffed” is removed.

Not all family heirlooms & mementos bring up good memories.  Dealing with these items once and for all can provide an emotional freedom.

A storage unit the size of a closet can easily run $800 or more a year – costing more than the value of the contents inside.

Winning the War

Is one of your monthly bills to a self-storage facility?  Why?  What was the original reason that led to using paid storage?  Does that reason still exist?

If you know you need to stop using paid storage, make an action plan to deal with this financial drain in the next week!  You might also need an action plan if your storage problems exist in your closet, spare bedroom, basement, or garage.

Get help from a spouse, neighbor, friend or family member to spend next Saturday battling your way through the boxes and make tactical decisions to win your war!

Have you used self-storage? Tell us your story! Meet us in the comments!

Image by TK Edens/Shutterstock

Related Articles:

• 4 Financial Black Holes to Avoid
• 3 ways to sell your old electronics that are collecting dust
• Are You Wasting Money on Food?
• How much are you really getting paid?

Cherie is a small business accountant with a passion to teach others about personal finance -especially military families through the Financial Peace program. With her son & daughter at college, Cherie enjoys spending time with her husband of 23 years, quilting, and volunteering.

When was the last time a single sentence changed the course of your life? A few years ago, my wife said eight words to me that have affected every choice that I’ve made since. She looked me in the eyes and said, “Even though you’re home, you’re not really home.” I knew exactly what she meant and not another word needed to be spoken.

I was guilty – I knew it – and it broke my heart to hear her say it. I had been working three jobs for the past couple of years in order to provide for her and our three little girls. We prayed and decided early on that she would stay at home with our kids and I would provide the sole income for our household, so I was committed to doing whatever it took to make sure that she had every opportunity to stay home and not worry about having to go back to work. We had no debt, the bills were being paid, and our children were well taken care of. With a steady, full-time job and a couple of side businesses, everything seemed to be working out just fine. That was, of course, until God graciously used my wife’s heart as the acid test for my priorities.

Instinctively, I had work on my mind constantly and was always thinking about what I needed to do next so that we could “stay ahead.” Ultimately, it left her with a tank that was running on empty and me with a major decision to make. I could either downplay it, standing on (or hiding behind) the principle of “providing for my family,” or I could see it for what it really was: a time to walk the talk I talked. I always boldly defended and declared that my family came first, but my actions (and thoughts) clearly said otherwise. Seeing the look in her eyes made my decision very easy. I promised she would never have to say those words again.

And that’s when I met Andy Stanley. Somewhere along the way, we’ve all heard or read something that was so powerful that it forced us to redefine the way that we lived our lives from that point on. For me, it was the book, “Choosing to Cheat: Who Wins When Family and Work Collide?” by Andy Stanley. The title is what instantly grabbed my attention and piqued my curiosity. I mean, what kind of self-help book encourages you to cheat?! While never really considering myself a “cheater”, I instinctively knew that I had to read it because it seemed like my work and family life were always on a constant collision course. To my relief, Stanley powerfully redefined the word “cheat” from being something negative into being “the decision to give up one thing in order to gain something else.” You see, we all cheat. We have to. But it’s where we cheat that reveals our deepest motivations and highest priorities. Stick with me and you might be surprised to find out that you are (or want to be) a bigger “cheater” than you think!

How to Use Your Most Precious Commodity

Time. It can be our greatest ally or our worst enemy. We’re only given so much of it, we can’t buy more of it, and we are given only one chance to spend it before it’s gone. So how does one balance their desire to focus on what matters most to them in our fast-paced world with so many commitments and responsibilities pulling them in every direction? Here are three easy principles to follow:

1. Inventory Your Priorities

Stating the obvious, right? Me telling you this would be the equivalent of you telling the contractor building your house, “Hey, make sure you pour the basement first!” They’d look at you and laugh! The point here is to make sure that your foundation is firmly established. What’s important is that you take time to physically write down what (or who) matters most to you. It doesn’t matter whether the list is long or short. What matters is that there IS a list that serves as your filter through which every choice is determined. Not taking the time to do this would be like putting up the walls of your house first, instead of pouring the foundation. It’s going to fail before it starts!

2. Determine Your Goal

This is where you will find out what you’re made of and it’s where the list of priorities that you just made is going to be put to the test. What is your goal? Is it more quality time with your children? Retirement? Mission work? No matter what it is, you need to determine that you are going to let every single decision that you make flow from that one goal. You are going to pick your end point and take only those actions that serve the purpose of achieving that goal.

3. Cheat Everything Else

That’s it, plain and simple. It sounds crazy until you actually step out of your comfort zone and do it! I understand that we all have to work in order to live and provide for our families and ourselves. But the goal here is to do more with the time that we have! For me, I chose to cheat extra overtime hours or shut off my cell phone in order to be home with my wife so that we could invest in each other and in our kids. Once I determined what matters most, the decision to cheat anything that got in the way of that was easy. The list of how this plays out is endless and what matters most is that you have a plan and stick to it.

Following these profoundly simple, yet often sacrificed principles has changed my life in more ways than I can write down. In the end, cheating other areas in my life instead of my family has allowed me to remain true to the three things that matter the most: honoring God, honoring and spending time with my family, and staying true to myself and my passion. Are there areas in your life that you have a hard time balancing? Did any of my experiences or mistakes resonate with you or offer encouragement?

Meet me in the comments section and let me know where you’ve “cheated” to win in your own life!

Related Articles:

• 3 Ways to Make Money: By Time, Task, or Potential
• Set a Time Goal to Get Out of Debt Faster
• How to Pay Monthly Bills on Time
• How to Make Time to Deal With Your Finances

Adam Simon is a devoted Christian, husband, and father of four. At age 19, his life was dramatically changed by God, forever transforming his life to one of unwavering passion and service to Christ. Today, through his writing, speaking, and love of God, Adam shares his personal message of faith and family with people everywhere. You can reach out to Adam directly at asimon126@gmail.com and through Facebook & Twitter.