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Monday, September 2, 2013

{ Getting my finances in order... }

I am on a mission to get off my butt and take MASSIVE ACTION!  I am reading and researching and attending seminars out the wahh-zoo right now in an effort to educate myself on how to "mind my own business" as they say.  I want to know how to spot a wise investment!  I want to learn how to take the money I work hard for and spend it on something that will give me a return of a steady cash flow with little to no regular effort.  In my research, I have decided to study for three men that have a lot to teach!

Dave Ramsey - master of avoiding consumer debt, getting out of debt, staying debt free... etc.  I am using his methods to clean up my act and stop wasting my money on the WANTS over the NEEDS.
Robert Kiyosaki - Rich Dad, Poor Dad author and genius in acquiring income producing assets to get out of the "rate race" of living paycheck to paycheck only to save just enough for retirement.  Teaches you how to change your way of thinking and make your money work for you.  Investing in income producing assets, owning your own business and knowing how to mind it and grow it or move on.
Tony Robbins - keeping me sane and grateful in life since 2010!  Tony Robbins has an uncanny way to "state the obvious" in a way that lets you focus on moving forward, finding the power drive and will inside each one of us.  His studies in psychology and physiology can be applied to personal and professional goals.  Through focus and action, anything is possible!

Today I have been more into Robert than the other men on my mind because I am actively looking for a real-estate rental property.  I found this article, from BIGG Success Blog...


10 Steps to Get Rich

Cash Flow Quadrant | BIGG SuccessHe started in 1975 with just $700 to his name. Now he’s a millionaire many times over.
He’s the amazing Robert Kiyosaki, author of the #1 New York Times best seller Rich Dad, Poor Dad. And he has a simple message:
“With every dollar in your hand, you have the power to choose to be rich, poor or middle class.”
We found a great post by Robert Kiyosaki over at our friend Josh Hinds’Get Motivation blog. It’s lengthy, but well worth the read.
We’ve provided a summary here for your convenience. Here they are –Robert Kiyosaki’s 10 Steps to Getting Rich:
Step 1: Decide to be rich
“The words you speak and the words you think ultimately become the world you live in.”
Poor people focus on surviving. The middle class focuses on comfort. Rich people focus on acquiring assets. They will exchange comfort today for riches tomorrow.
It’s a state of mind. You may be broke right now. But if you choose to be rich, being broke is a temporary thing. Being poor is permanent.
You choose to be poor, middle class, or rich. So be rich, even if you don’t have the money right now.
To be rich, you have to do those things which rich people do to get rich. “Many times the rich will forsake meals, a steady pay check, a vacation, or the comfort of a nice home, to build or acquire real assets.”
So stop thinking about surviving. Stop worrying about comfort. Focus on thriving.
Step 2: Decide what kind of money problems you want
“There are only two kinds of money problems: not enough money or too much money.”
You know how to work for money. You must learn how to have money and people work for you.
Excess money will create more excess money if you know what to do with it. But you must learn this before you have the problem of too much money.
Step 3: Write your plan and follow it
He suggests setting a few basic goals with your plan:
  • Change the characteristic of your income. Start a business part-time.
  • Change the characteristic of your expenses. Personal expenses should be converted to business expenses.
  • Form a legal entity for your business.
  • Buy asset with your business.
  • Reinvest your profits.
Step 4: Decide on where you want to do your banking
The pawn shop is a poor person’s bank.
Traditional banks are for the middle class. They have also turned to credit cards.
Rich people get there money from investment banks, wealthy individuals, and institutions like pension funds or insurance companies. Or by going public.
If they succeed in business, they can borrow large sums of money relatively easily at relatively low rates.
Step 5: Choose your friends and partners wisely
Spend time with rich people. They will bring you more opportunities to invest than any stock broker or real estate broker.
“What you know determines who you know. If you want to change who you know, simply change what you know.”
So invest in your own education on business, finance, and investing first. The people you spend time with change naturally as a consequence.
Step 6: Give yourself time
“Building a business is not the same as getting a job. With a job, you expect to be paid soon after starting work. With a business, you may not be paid for years, if you are paid at all.”
He cites two reasons why so many businesses fail:
  • Lack of education and experience. “Business is a combination of formal education, experience, and guts.”
  • Undercapitalization. “Many people kill the baby-goose before it’s old enough to lay the golden egg.” You need enough capital to get you to profitability.
Step 7: Start small, dream BIG
“Many people start small and stay small, simply because they have small dreams. In my opinion, big dreams are important because they possess ingredients vital for success: hope, desire, passion, energy, vitality, faith, drive, inspiration and creativity. These ingredients make life worth living.”
  • Don’t compare yourself to others who have more. Instead, look to them for inspiration and mentoring.
  • Map out how you will achieve the wealth you desire.
  • Put it in writing.
  • Review it every day.
  • Talk about your dream with others. Use any criticism to fuel your desire.
Step 8: Before you expand, you must contract
Tighten up so you can expand.
Get ahead by pulling back.
Stop trying to be everywhere and do everything.
Focus. “Begin doing more – of fewer things.” The few things that will help you reach your BIG goals.
Step 9: Get bigger faster
“The people who dream small, think small, and work small, work the hardest and are paid the least.”
When you’re small, you’ll have to do all the work yourself. Once you know the business, work hard to expand so you can bring people in to manage it for you. Then you can grow even bigger!
“The bigger the asset you build, the less you work and the more money you make.”
Step 10: The more you share, the richer you become
“I knew that if I wanted to acquire great wealth quickly, I had to be a person who shared. I had to be generous. If I was greedy, stingy or tight, it would take me longer to attain great wealth.”
Focus on doing more for less money. Focus on serving more people.
Choose to be rich. And choose to share your riches with as many people as possible. It leads to BIG success!


Hope this helps!!!

Ta for now...

Lisa

Monday, August 5, 2013

{ I'M GETTING MARRIED! }


Have I mentioned that yet?  I am getting so excited... it's only 2 months away!


I spent quite a while finding the perfect countdown for my wedding website and boy are there a TON out there!  Feel free to visit my wedding website :)

Here are a few of my faves:




  Wedding Website 



WiddlyTinks.com
 These show the months not a day/hour/minute... good for longer engagements or father out...

  Wedding Countdown Ticker



wedding tickers


AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST!!!

This site has one that is by far my favorite { CLICK HERE } ... but it does not embed... for kicks and giggles, click on demo and you will see the bride slide over to the groom for the countdown to 0!


Enjoy!

Ta ta for now...

Friday, August 2, 2013

{ pumpkin cake }

It's is getting to be that time again!  FALL!!!!!  My favorite season... the turning of the leaves, bonfires, sweater weather... { sigh } what's not to like!? One of my favorite things to do is bake, so it's a given that I would make a pumpkin cake!




The trick is to use a bundt cake pan!!!!  You make 2 types of cake and slice them in half... the alternate them.   I chose a vanilla sponge cake (chiffon) and a cinnamon pumpkin cake... and it was soooo good!  I made a vanilla buttercream and a caramel sauce for the layers... can I just say WOW!

Here are the recipes ;)

PUMPKIN CAKE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups pumpkin puree

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups granulated sugar

3 1/4 cups cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F and brush bundt cake with oil.
Mix the eggs, oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla together.
Add in the sugar until well blended.
Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and mix it for about 2 minutes.
Pour batter in prepared bundt cake pan and bake for approx. 45 minutes to an hour. The cake is ready when an inserted wooden skewer or cake tester comes out clean or when cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.
Let the cake cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a knife or metal spatula and invert to a metal rack.



YUMMY SPONGUE CAKE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
 6 eggs
 1 cup white sugar
 1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
 1 cup cake flour
 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
 1/4 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS
Separate the eggs. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks until very thick and lemon colored. Beat in sugar gradually. Add water, vanilla extract and lemon rind. Beat in flour.
In another bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Then add cream of tartar and salt. Beat mixture until whites are stiff, but not until they are dry. Fold this whipped mixture into yolk mixture.
Pour batter into an ungreased bundt cake pan. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for one hour, or until done.

CARAMEL SAUCE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream

DIRECTIONS
Whisk brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in cream and stir until sugar dissolves and sauce is smooth, about 3 minutes.

Ta ta!!!!
Lisa