I had a couple of really good conversations yesterday. The first was with my new financial advisor. It was our second meeting, and now I feel like I’m back on track with planning for retirement.
I know I’m not alone in being afraid of opening those monthly statements that came from my previous stockbroker. The envelopes stacked up, unopened, for about two years. I knew I had aggressive investments, and what was inside those legal-sized envelopes would show I ended up the loser in a bloodbath. Sound familiar? Well, I’m really happy those days are over.
Just like my health, no one is going to be more responsible for my money and investments than me. And that’s the same for you.
Start Over, Finish Rich is a little book I’m reading right now. I saw the author, David Bach, in an interview on the Today show recently and it piqued my interest. I had heard of Bach before, and in fact, one of his other books, Start Late, Finish Rich, sits unread on my bookshelf 🙁
But now, I was ready to listen/learn. Just like the other transformations that have taken place with me recently, I’ve come to realize that I can’t live in regret, having nightmares about what I could have, should have done. The subtitle of Starting Over, Finish Rich is Ten Steps to Get You Back On Track in 2010. Well, getting back on track is really key for me right now, and I know it should be for you as well. It’s time to get all our houses in order, physical, spiritual and financial. Want to join me?
The second conversation I had been with my brother Jim. He’s getting ready to go on vacation and wanted to catch up a bit. I told him I had just gotten out of a meeting with Alex, my financial advisor, and that I was working on a new plan to get my retirement plans back on track.
Jim told me about three financial blogs he reads often. In the past, I really never followed blogs much, but now that I’m a blogger myself, I’m deeply interested to see how others are using social media as a communication tool. When I got home, I quickly went to check out the sites Jim talked about. They’re pretty comprehensive, and I haven’t spent a ton of time with them yet, but I really liked what I saw. Initially, I can see that they really fit well with my Making All Things New theme. I hope you’ll take some time to check them out with me.
Anyone who knows me personally knows that I’m not driven by money. I’m rich in many other ways, but I know that I have to work hard at being financially secure. I like that term better, and it fits more with my overall plans. Spend Less and Save More is what it’s all about.
One day, I’d like to be financially secure enough to spend more time sitting at that little table in the photo above. Overlooking the piazza in the Italian town of Cortona, I think it would be a fine place to watch the world go by.
2 replies on “A Penny Saved Is A Penny Earned”
Hey Paul,
Enjoyed our coversation yesterday. I want to let everyone know that my wife and I have been following a program called, Financial Peace University by Dave Ramsey. I have to tell you, although it was difficult at first, The financial stress is no longer there because of his teaching. It really allows you to take control of your finances. The biggest surprise was, that we found that once you know exactly what is coming in and what is going out, you have more money then what you originally thought youy had. It all starts by taking ownership of your finances. Thank God for people like Dave Ramsey. The site is daveramsey.com.
There’s tons of great tips out there to help get our finances back on track. The key is to get moving on it. Thanks for this additional resource Darren!