-Well hello hello and happy day!
 
Today I wanted to pop in and talk about planned spending.
 
We all have expenses that fall outside of our monthly expenses…these are the occasional or seasonal expenses and they are expected (albeit, sometimes forgotten when not “in season”).
 
Some common expenses in this category:
 
- School start
- Christmas and holidays
- Vehicle license renewal
- Driver’s license renewal
- Birthdays
- Anniversaries
- Membership renewals
 
One strategy to reduce the financial stress of the occasional or seasonal expenses is to budget for the expenses that are variable such as gifts and holidays…and another is to save for your planned spending. 
 
School has just started and for many parents this means purchasing school supplies, clothing and so forth. The spending is done for this year, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get a jump on next year.
 
Christmas and holidays are around the corner but you still have time to start saving.
 
Try this:

1. Create a “planned expense” tracker or download one that I have created. 

https://glendabconsulting.activehosted.com/f/22
 
 
2. Enter all your upcoming seasonal and occasional expenses and the amount of each. 

3. Highlight the month it is due. 

4. For each upcoming month write in how much you will be saving. Each month may be the same amount or the amounts may vary month to month but however you do it…it should equal the cost of the expense. 

5. Open a savings bank account for “Planned Spending” and deposit the total amount for each expense monthly. 

6. This money is for upcoming expenses and if you spend the money, you will be back in the same situation again. Scrambling to come up with the money when it’s due. 
 
 
If you want to reduce your money-related stress and would like some help putting together your savings plan…it all starts with a conversation.
 
Book your FREE call with me by using the link below:

 
https://GlendaBarringtonConsultingAppointments.as.me/discovery60
 
 
I know from my own experience there may be some hesitation to get on a call like this...

For me, I think it’s fear of the unknown…
 
I ask myself questions like:
 
Will I be roped into signing up for something I don’t want?
 
Or, will there be some high-pressure sales tactics I’m not comfortable with?
 

I want to alleviate any fears or the hesitation you may have around getting on a call with me…

Basically, I want to know where you are now, financially…where you want to be…and I’ll let you know how I can best serve you.


…..If it’s a fit we work together…if it isn’t…we won’t….easy peasy.
 
Don’t let your unfounded fears prevent you from taking action…this may be one of the most important heart to heart conversations you’ve had about money….
 
Book your FREE call today by using the link below:
 
https://GlendaBarringtonConsultingAppointments.as.me/discovery60
 
On that note, I am outta here.
  
Have yourself a totally fantabulous day and let your awesomeness shine!

Today I want to chat a little about your relationship with your money…or….more specifically…breaking up with your debt. 

Chances are that you know what it’s like to be in a crappy relationship…. whether it’s with a family member, a lover, a friend or someone else in your life.

You know the kind I'm talking about….. the soul-sucking relationship…the one that drags you down and makes you feel like crap. 

Debt can be like that. 

Being in debt can feel like being in a bad relationship. It can drain you mentally, physically, and emotionally but the good news is, even if you can’t see it right now…there is a way out.

.....You can break up with your debt!

It isn’t easy…it takes time, energy, commitment, and investment on your part… and you have to be willing to stick with it for the long haul.

But you don’t only break up with your debt, you want to break up with it and then kick it to the curb so it doesn’t drag it’s sorry ass back in!

Sure, there's gonna be bumps along the way…but you just keep your eye on the prize…life without debt!

One of the most effective ways to stay on track is to know your “why”…the reason or reasons why it’s so important for you to get out of debt. 

Why do you want to get out of debt …..and stay out of debt? 


{    space for the answer to come into your awareness   }


I want you to dig deep on this one because when things are feeling kinda shaky and you’re not feeling motivated ….or you feel like you just want to give up…your “why” is what will keep you focused and moving forward…. even if you trip up along the way!


For many people, it’s not always easy to find their “why”…I mean their real why….

Sure it would be good to get out of debt…but why is it important to you? 

What would debt-free mean for you?

Give yourself a little time to think about it. There are no right or wrong reasons…only your reasons.

In the meantime….

I’m very excited to share with you "8 Great Reasons To Break Up With Your Debt And Kick It To The Curb!"

For your reading pleasure, I’ve packaged them in a handy dandy guide with journal prompts….jussst to help you get those little grey cells of yours working to switch you into a “life without debt” frame of mind.

Download your guide by clicking on the button below:

“Don’t wait. The time will never be just right.”
- Napolean Hill

I don’t know about you…but for me, I usually take action, especially on the important stuff, when I feel it’s the “right” time for me to do it.  

 
A great example of this is when I was struggling with money and up to my arse in debt. 

 
I mean yeah, at first it didn’t seem so bad…things were tight but I was keeping the wolves from the door. I kind of had a life…nothing to be excited about, that’s for sure and the bills were being paid on time. Although I was only making minimum payments on credit cards….. but at least I was making ends meet…sort of.

 
If I had taken the time to really look at my situation, earlier in the game. I would have clearly seen something I was refusing to acknowledge…my expenses far outweighed my income and I was using credit to fill the gaps. Not a good idea….

 
I was working three jobs…I was miserable…I was stressed out…I was exhausted mentally and physically but I was hanging in there…until I couldn’t hang in there anymore. 

 
Only then, did I see it as being the “right” time to do something about the state I had gotten myself into. 
 

I guess I was a bit of a sucker for punishment. I mean seriously, when I look back at it, what the heck did I even gain by letting things go that long? Short answer, f**k all!

 
At the time I was more concerned about not ruining my credit score and feeling embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know how to manage my money, I had screwed up, got myself into a mess I couldn't get myself out of… even though I was doing the things I thought I needed to do. 
​
 
I’ve matured a lot since then…I mean after all I was just a kid, not quite 40 years old ….what did I even know?  
​
 
One thing I've learned is that we only know what we know…knowledge and skills don’t magically pop into our heads…we have to make it a priority to learn these things. Investing our time, our energy, and maybe even our money.
​ 
We have to realize that we deserve better. We have to get over ourselves, reach out and ask for help.
​
 
What about you? What does your "right" time look like?
​
Here’s a question to ask yourself: How much pain do you have to be in, financially, before you take action to change things around?
 
There’s no right or wrong answer…just be honest with yourself…

​Have yourself a totally fantabulous day and let your awesomeness shine!
​
Until next time.....
 
​Glenda 

 
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If you were given two choices:

1. You could live a life filled with fear, anger, misery, lack, deprivation and everything else that goes with it, OR

2. You could live a life filled with abundance, gratitude, happiness, joy, peace, love, creativity and everything that goes with that.

Which would you choose?

I’m willing to bet that the odds of you choosing #2 are pretty good!

You may be thinking, "Yeah, it sounds great but that’s not my reality."

Here’s the thing….it is your reality! Believe it or not, you DO have that choice…that’s right, it may sound a little cray cray but you, my friend have the power to choose which life you want to live! It’s in YOUR hands!

It’s all about perceptions, basically, what you choose to "see" and focus your time and energy on.

This is an interesting time that we are going through right now, no doubt about it. As COVID-19 does it’s thing, you have to adapt to new ways of performing your regular activities such as work, grocery shopping, exercise, shopping in general, and so forth.

You can look at these changes in two ways:

1. Focus on how it is negatively affecting you.... bitch about the upheaval in your life or how big your arse is getting from sitting in front of the TV (guilty!)....gripe about how you can’t wait for things to get back to normal…and so forth.
(Reading this, can’t you just feel the negative, "dark" energy??)

                                                                      OR

2. You can use this event, this blip in your lifetime as a teachable moment. What good has come from this? What new (healthy) habits have you created? Which old (unhealthy) habits have you let go of? What great things and lessons learned will you bring with you moving forward, how can you create a better life for you?
(Ahhh…the heaviness is lifting and the light is beginning to shine 😊.)


Instead of complaining about all of the things that you can’t do, take stock of the good things that you have been doing.

For example:

- Instead of complaining about all of the things that you can’t do, take stock of the good things that you have been doing. Personally, I now spend more time walking and hanging out in nature, than I have in a long time!

- By not having the same spending "freedom" as you had before maybe you’ve saved some money.

- Maybe you’ve come to realize that many of the things that you "needed" to buy and spend money on before, turned out to be things you only wanted.

- Now that you have been forced to be more creative about how you spend your time, maybe you’ve taken up a new hobby or revived an old one.

I’m not flitting around, wearing blinders and singing "la la la la la" trying to make light of the situation nor am I ignoring the fact that lives have been lost during the pandemic.


What I am saying is yes, these things happened and it’s OK to acknowledge them, and learn from them but the key here is that you don’t need to hold onto them.

 You can choose to let go of the 'darkness'. 

You don’t need to make it the constant topic of your conversations or spend time listening to every report from a dozen different media sources, you don’t need to give negative subjects your constant focus and energy. …you can choose to let go of the "darkness".


You get to choose your perception of a situation.


The same applies to improving your financial situation. Many people think that following a spending plan or budget could be a light form of torture, depriving them of all things great; putting them in a position where the purse has been glued shut, leaving them to scrimp and save until their debt is paid off.
(Hello "darkness" my old friend….that is, the friend I want to ditch.)


Instead, following a spending plan can be looked upon as a way to help you live a life you love!

Wow! That sounds like a pretty heavy load for a spending plan to carry, right? But it isn’t…

Look at it this way…

First of all, if you have debt, that is one relationship that you need to be getting out of a.s.a.p. because it’s holding you back! The money that you are paying on debts (and interest) could be better used elsewhere. Getting out of debt is probably one of your most important financial goals.

Secondly, while you’re paying off your debt, your life does not go have to go on hold. Realistically, depending on your situation, it may take you a while to get out the debt but this doesn't mean you still can't live a life that you love! As your Money Coach…I want you to be loving your life …right now! I don't want you to make it a reward that you can only access AFTER you kick your debt to the curb.

What?? Can this be??

It sure can, and here’s one way to make it happen: instead of buying things to fill a space (inside of you or outside of you), you create a spending plan based on your values and what’s important to you.

Yes, debt repayment is a part of the plan but when you determine what your values are, you spend money only on the things and experiences that reflect what's important to you ...this is how you start to live a life you love!

How friggin’ awesome is that!??

You DO have the power of choice, it's one of your greatest superpowers!

Obviously there is more to it than that and it does take time to re-wire old thought patterns, but you DO have the power of choice. It's one of your greatest superpowers.

You can choose to live a life filled with darkness ( Fear, anger, misery, lack and deprivation and everything that goes with it) or

……. a life filled with light (abundance, gratitude, happiness, joy, peace, love, creativity, and everything that goes with that.)


It’s much easier for us mere mortals to default to the darkness but by making small changes and being patient and mindful, you can spend more time living your life in the light.

​Chances are, at some point or another you’ve spent a little (or a lot) of time daydreaming of the life you desire.

Daydreaming is awesome! Not only do you see the picture of what you want to achieve but you feel the emotion that goes with it. I mean, what’s the point of hanging out in a daydream if you don’t feel some level of happiness or joy about it, right?

But what if your daydreams had a purpose other than that of passing time or escaping reality?

What if you used these daydreams in a more strategic way, as a tool to help you achieve your financial goals and make your desired life a reality?

This my friend, is where visualization comes in, it's a bumped up version of daydreaming or as Bo Bennett puts it, "Visualization is daydreaming with a purpose."


You don’t need a crystal ball to see your future…you can design it instead!


It all starts with your value-based goals and the things that are important to you. Maybe your goal is to get out of debt. That's a great start, but why? What does getting out of debt mean for you?


What does it look like? Be specific, you want to see all of the details. What are you doing? Who is with you? What do your days look like? And so on.

What emotions can you attach to your goals? How do you feel when you imagine achieving them? Are you excited? Filled with joy? Happiness? Pride?

Use your senses in your visualization. What do you see? Are there any specific sounds you hear? What can you taste? What aromas can you smell? Is there anything you can touch?

Write down as much detail as you can. You want to be able to create a vivid mental picture of it, so vivid that you feel like you are living it!

Maybe reading your description is enough to get you motivated and to keep you motivated, but if you want to be more, create something more visual, a drawing, or a painting or a collage of pictures. Or maybe you would prefer to put it in a song!  

It’s up to you, let your creative juices start flowing and do whatever you need to do to help you keep a clear mental picture of your goal, with all of the emotion and the sensuality of it!

The next part is to visualize the process of reaching your goal. What steps do you need to complete to reach your goal?

"See" yourself completing each step, how does it feel? Which of your senses is being engaged?

As Frank Niles, Social Scientist puts it, "It is a powerful way to achieve positive, behavioral change and create the life you desire."

Visualization can help you stay focused on your destination,  but it alone does not guarantee success in achieving your goals. There is more to the process than just thinking and dreaming about reaching your goals, you also have to engage in the activities that are aligned with them.


So what do you want? What does your desired life look like?