In order to get our finances together we've got to get the related "stuff" together. This is so important but often overlooked. In our quest to improve our financial lives, take a close look at your everyday operational practices. Simple adjustments can make big improvements!
Get control of the paperwork!
There are statements, receipts, and other artifacts that are a part of a healthy personal financial system. These include bank statements, paycheck stubs, W2‘s, purchase receipts, service invoices, bills, discount coupons and insurance declarations and riders. Without taking the time to properly manage these items they can easily end up in various hiding places that can make it challenging to be timely in getting bills paid and completing IRS income tax filings. It never fails that at the end of every year when the holiday decorations go up and family starts to arrive, I go off my routine of dealing with mail and placing these documents in their designated places. If you currently have a system to store and manage these documents, recommit to operate in this system and take this time to get things back in order. Create new files as needed for additional items that you’ve found should be tracked separately. A test that I use is if I can’t tell someone where to locate a document in less than 3 minutes it needs to have a better and more identifiable home.
A simple system that I use for my active paper documents is to store them in semi-opaque plastic food storage containers with lids. I place a visible label inside these containers to note it’s contents and stack these neatly in my home office closet. The containers are inexpensively sold in multipacks in the kitchen storage section at your favorite department store. I have active boxes for several categories including unpaid bills, paid bills, bank statements, insurance docs, flex spending receipts, dependent care, tax documents, investment statements and coupons/gift certificates. At the end of the year I store the full container of docs in gallon size zip-top bags which I label appropriately. Getting your paper records organized does not have to cost a lot of money!
Don't forget the digital assets!
Review the financial online archive policies and your personal record retention needs.
With each of our financial partners, we have the option to “go green” and eliminate paper. Many of the statements and receipts that you get today can be delivered to you digitally or available online. If you take advantage of paperless for any financial documents that you are required to keep you will need to ensure that you have a method to reproduce these docs at will. This involves knowing how long you should retain the document and compare this to the online and archive retention policy of your financial partner. If you will need to maintain your health care receipts for 7 years for tax audit reasons but but you can only see your pharmacy receipts for 24 months you will need to develop a plan to mitigate this difference. If you store your digital receipts on your computer how will you recover this data if your computer hard-drive dies or your computer is stolen? Make a list of the length of time you are required to maintain key receipts and statements and include on that list how you’re going to make sure that you’re covered. Fill in the gaps of things that are not stored online for long periods of time by downloading them to your computer and ensuring that you’re backing this data up for safe keeping. I find that this is a must for my post-tax monthly online brokerage statements
Let this be a call to action. Successful individuals tend to be organized and deliberate in their actions. That's you and me. Let's GO!! (Get Organized)
Do you see a man who excels in his work?
He will stand before kings...
Proverbs 22:29 NKJV
Carolyn
We all sometimes need reminders to do things that are best for us. While appearing on the October 8, 2016 episode of The Marriage Talk Show, I shared with the listners 6 Key Biblical Money To-Do's for Couples.
It was fun to be in the studio with the show hosts Ralph and Shelia Green and hearing from listeners that called in with comments and questions.
Missed the show? 
Carolyn
Our every day life choices have a direct effect on our financial well being, financial security and our financial future. Since we all want to improve our financial outlook, let’s take a closer look at the decisions that we make everyday that could affect us in this area.
Making a decision is the act of selecting when faced with two or more possibilities. We do this automatically hundreds of times a day. Do I answer the phone or let it go to voicemail? Do I brush my teeth this morning? Which route do I take to drive to work today? We all are very good at this. Looking back over the last 24 hours, I’m sure that you can quickly count 20 decisions that you made without any difficulty. If you’ve put a “can’t make a decision” label on yourself, let this serve as an instruction to mentally rip that false label from your thoughts about yourself!
Many of our daily life decisions affect our personal finances in some way. This is easily understood for major financial decisions like deciding to purchase a home, have a baby or start a business. What we may not realize is the fact that we make a larger impact to our overall financial well being as a result of the smaller every-day decisions that we make. Some of these decisions include answers to questions like do I take my lunch to work? Do I buy that toy that my child is crying for today? Should I participate in my company sponsored retirement savings plan?
I've found often times that when we retrace the steps to how we've gotten to an unfavorable financial situation we find that at the point of when we could have made a wise decision, there was no decision to be made. There wasn't an alternative on the table that best aligned with what we say matters most in our lives and in the lives of those that we love. No short-term or long-term plan on the table to oppose the "right now" money-related opportunity. We know what happens then...we go with "Why not??". Opportunity seized!!
When the Lord began showing me visions of how He sees the financial condition of His people, he began a work in me that led me to begin making plans to achieve this vision. I saw visions of His people achieving wealth in a comfortable way that was recognized by believers and non-believers alike. I saw His people using mainstream practices in our everday lives to bring to light the truth that we are a city that sits on a hill that cannot be hidden in the financial arena. I believed it. I began living it with the financial choices that I made. I implemented 3 key financial practices in my life and as a result rarely have a struggle making financial decisions. I have alternatives before me when presented with "right now" money decisions. 95% of the time, I choose to stick to achieving the God-given vision and so far it has paid off! I'm not boasting on myself, but I am boasting in the Lord!
August is a month of great things - including my birthday!
I get free gifts for my birthday. Just by asking, you also can get these same gifts during your birthday month!!
In getting ready for my birthday month, I have a ritual that I perform. For years I've prepared to log, track and plan when to redeem and enjoy the various birthday gifts that I am assured to receive via email.
For the price of registering on the websites of various restaurants, retail stores and spa services venues, I'm rewarded with a host of birthday gifts and offers during the month of August. I've noticed over the years that if I don't redeem the free gifts the offer may not be extended the next year. Oh well... Even with that fact in mind I can say that my email is filled with valuable birthday treasures. Happy Birthday to me!! Happy Birthday to me!!
Wonder what I get as gifts? Items to note are free birthday meals from Rockfish Seafood Grill, Cowboy Chicken, The Keg Steakhouse and a Chamberlains Restaurant of my choice (seafood or steak). If my wellness coach is reading this I must point out that I'm not enamored by the food. Not me!! (wink wink). My favorite gifts are the ones that are NOT food including a free beauty gift from Sephora, $5 off any purchase at DSW and $10 off any Victoria's Secret purchase. There!!
Would you like to get any of these birthday gifts for your special day? If the answer is yes simply go to the websites of those establishments and register for their newsletters and/or birthday clubs. It's free and the gifts will begin pouring in throughout your birthday month.
Interested in watching my log of what gifts are coming in? 
Halftime question: How much have you progressed in reaching your New Year's resolutions? Are you still on track?