Vision Journal

In January, 2014 (almost 2 years ago) I led our first FFC meeting of the year.  We talked about the law of attraction.  I had demonstrated an exercise that I had heard about (I believe after reading The Secret?) where you write a journal entry of your future self- all in present tense.  The idea is to create a vision of your future, see yourself at that moment and in that place.  Try to put detail in the entry and let yourself really dream.  You are suppose to start the entry with what you are thankful for, so I made a great list of so many people, talents, situations, and even a the sunshine that I am grateful for. I then wrote my journal entry as if it were years later and I'd like to share a sample of my entry from that day:

I am so happy and so grateful to have such a fantastic family.  My boys are growing to be confident and hayppy.  They are kind and love to serve others.  In fact, this year for Christmas we were able to help some families with food, clothes, toys and more.  The boys were so excited to share the gifts they purchased for them.  They also secretly helped care for the families' homes and we paid for some of the utilities and other expenses.  We also had fun paying for people's meals and groceries without them knowing this month- it's been so fun.
We leave for New Zealand soon.  I have a speaking tour before our big FFC conference.  It has been amazing to see how many women are part of our clubs- throughout the nation and the world!  The groups have helped 1 million people get financially fit.  It has been a great help for us too.  I have fully funded my retirement, it helped our car dealership grow, the extra money has completely paid off our home and funded our college accounts.  It even allows me to hire someone to help with cleaning and yard work...

I re-read this entry two weeks ago.  On that day we were preparing to leave to New Zealand for a 3 month family trip of discovery and adventure.

Just arrived at the Aukland airport

Now I sit at a table in Aukland while my confident and happy (most of the time) boys sleep in the morning hours.  We are here.  Not the way the journal lays out-FFC clubs still amount to just 1.  I haven't paid off my house or fully funded my retirement (working on it!).  I won't be able to pay for a bunch of families' Christmas' this year (NZ is expensive!  We are here on a budget.) BUT we ARE HERE.

View across the street from the house

We went about it a little differently and I would LOVE to have all of these things happen still even if they happen in different ways. Two years ago the thought of traveling so far away from home with a family of 6 seemed absolutely crazy.  Impossible even- to find the money, time, energy, and ambition.  Apparently it wasn't.

Atop Mt. Wellington looking over Aukland

Thank you vision journal.

What Kind of Saver am I?

I think I have an illness.  Maybe an obsession is more like it.  I cannot stop thinking about my savings account.  

The best way I can describe it is wanting to get a "fix" everyday.  I anticipate any small check coming in the mail so I can put it in my $10 jar.  (This month I got $42 back from NY life for a change on our insurance policy and $16 from doTerra) Tiny amounts in the big scheme of things (I spent at least that $42 taking my kids to the movie last night), but a high when it gets put in my jar.  I love getting my $10 "karma" cash.  Every time I'm handed one in change I get excited. 

I sold a water heater online for $250 a couple weeks ago and then I could only think about what else I could sell!  This old table? Video games? Shoes? Anything? I'm a crazy one, I know. 

The best "fixes" come after I close a real estate deal.  SO excited to have helped someone get into a house, find a project they love or a new investment.  Not only am I on a high from the emotional side of a happy client, I also get extra cash to go straight to my savings account.  I play with my calculator at night, adding up the commissions, minus tithing, minus taxes, minus marketing expenses- then BAM I have a chunk for my savings account. 


I found this article on MSN talking about saving addicts.  I think I am a frugalist according to the article, but I've dabbled in all of the 4 personalities they describe.  Thought it would be fun to share.  Is there anyone else out there like me?

Hello, my name is Network Marketer

About six months ago during one of my house flip projects I actually read the newsletter attached to the city utility bill.  The two sided paper full of city happenings appeared dedicated to a new company building their massive headquarters in the city limits.  Their logo and name was all over the place!  Surprised and intrigued by this company's growth and ability to get such fantastic exposure to their public, I decided it would be very fiscally fit of me to buy some of their stock.

DoTerra was a company I had first heard of about five years before.  While sitting in church one Sunday my son's eczema was especially bad on his flaky head. I embarrassingly  tried to shield him from the onlookers behind us as he scratched and scratched the dry patches of skin but evidently failed.  After the meeting a kind woman offered me a small, dark, thick glass bottle with purple writing that said Lavender on it.  She explained it was an essential oil taken from lavender plants and has properties that will help with eczema and dry skin.  She told me she sells them, with a company called DoTerra.

I thanked her, dabbed some on my son's dry spots, smelled the fantastic aroma, and hurried away.  At home the lavender bottle sat in the cupboard, not to be used until 5 years later. 

In my endeavor to purchase stock of an up and coming thriving company, I contacted my friend, who had moved into the area about a year earlier.  She sold DoTerra essential oils- that was her main source of income.  She never talked to me too much about the company or pushed me to buy any of the products she sold.  In fact, she attended a few FFC meetings and was always happy to contribute, never breaking into a long-winded sales pitch or pressure sale, ever.  It was not until I came to her and asked if her company was publicly traded that she gave me some more information about all of it. 

DoTerra is privately owned. It is growing exponentially all over the world.  Their huge headquarters were built, with more expansion happening, debt free.  My friend lives in a great home, sends her kids to private school, vacations to great places, just remodeled her kitchen, all on the money she earns selling DoTerra.

So I couldn't buy their stock.  I could see their growth, the financial freedom it allowed my friend to have, and the fantastic products the company offered.  The other thing I saw, was that if I wanted a piece of this thriving pie, I would have to become a NETWORK MARKETER. 

A black mark.  A bad reputation.  A person to avoid. 

In addition, essential oils were getting so popular in my little corner of the world that I was not happy about "jumping on the bandwagon".  Being one of those people who lived and breathed oils, never taking their children to the doctor, not believing in modern medicine, avoiding processed food and shunning all who did.  That was not me.  

My friend provided oils, face wash, vitamins, toothpaste, an air diffuser, and many reading materials for me to use.  I took my time.  I just wanted to see how I felt about this stuff without the influence of anyone else.  I used the lavender on my kids at night to help calm down, I put some yummy smelling citrus bliss in frosting and ate cupcakes that tasted like dreamsilces, we put some lemon in the water with apple slices to keep them from going brown, we put some breathe in a diffuser at night to help my congested, coughing kids sleep better, I liked the products. 

I realized my obnoxious stereotypical view of people who used or sold essential oils. I knew how incredibly unfair it was of me to lump every person who enjoyed these products into one group.  I'm sure there are extremes in every industry, hobby, sport or life, but that does not matter to me.  I do not have to be an extreme, I can enjoy essential oils, or alternative health on the level that I want to.

Facing the stereotype of being involved in a network marketing company became easier as I thought of the many finance books I have read over the years.  Over and over leaders in the financial world talk about residual income and multiple streams of income.  Many suggest network marketing as being a fantastic way to grow your wealth and encourage it.

So I did it.

I hope to dispel stereotypes of both network marketing and bandwagon jumping essential oil users.  I plan to share a product and business that is good.  I hope to share it with those who are interested and hope those who aren't know that I still love, enjoy, and respect them. (and hopefully vice versa) 

And now it seems my next step on my Fiscally Fit Chicks path is this:
I am going energetically embrace the name tag, "Hello, my name is Network Marketer."

In Review

So much goes through my mind at the end of a year.  How did I do?  Did I achieve what I wanted with my year? 
I thought it might be fun to inventory my progress in preparation for the year to come- Top 10 financial steps for 2014.

1. Study for and pass my real estate exam

2. Become a REALTOR!

3.  Sell the best flip yet

4.  Buy the worst flip yet-financially speaking

 (trying to sell right now, to hopefully get my money back and start again.)

5. Save my $10 bills

6. Find more affordable health insurance

7.  Read new books! (A couple of favorites)

• "The Willpower Instinct"- Kelli McGonigal
• "The One Thing"- Keller

8.  Had monthly FFC meetings!

(Fiscally fit chicks Susan and Sam, canning salsa from homegrown veggies)

9.  Grew my brokerage account (thank you TSLA and NFLX)

10. DIY my laundry room

I can't wait to see what 2015 brings!  Happy New Year everyone!!

A Personal Challenge Makes Saving Fun

We all know saving money is not the most fun thing to do.  But turning a goal into a mental challenge proved fun (and profitable) for me.

 

My $10 bill savings goal turned into...

$340  

(in just 2 months)

 

I loved my goal I set in the middle of April.  I decided that every time I got a $10 bill I had to save it.  Sometimes I was excited to get $10 in change, other times I would desperately hope my change would come back to me in $5's and $1's.  

Once I used the self check-out at Wal-Mart for items that came to about $14.  I only had a $100 bill left of my cash grocery budget and as fate would have it, I received $80 back in $10 bills!  I was a little nervous to finish out the rest of the month with only $6 to use for groceries!!

It worked out though and within 2 months (I kept my goal going through May) I saved $340.  I deposited it into my account this month and have decided to keep my $10 savings as a rule I live by instead of just a monthly goal, that's how much I loved challenging myself to do it.

Turns out experts agree.  Check out this MSN article, suggesting playing your own mind tricks as a way to become wealthy.  

Now I just need to think of some more...

Another Flip Hard on a Mom

I picked up this 1976 beauty the same week I sold my last one.  This house (nick named "The Tire Factory" because of the old tires used for the back yard retaining walls) took me 5 very intense weeks to complete.  A perfect cosmetic flip. I did this one without a contractor and with a lot of personal sweat equity to go with the money.

 It was hard on me and my kids.

It sold quickly, and the profit was just under my goal, but pretty good for 2 months of time, work and money.


As I consistently dance the line of taking on big adventures to become more fiscally fit and living a life as a full time mom and wife, I struggle.  I LOVE having these projects, at the same time I hate feeling like I fall short at home when I'm so involved with them.  Sound familiar working moms?

Now that it is sold and money is in my bank, I can't help my urge to find another and watch my savings grow.  At the same time, I remind myself of the time struggle involved with flipping houses.

The same week I closed this house, my veteran flipping friend, J(the same friend my hubby and I partnered with on our very first flip in 2000.) asked if I'd partner with him on another little 1893 house- requiring me to do no work whatsoever.  (Just $.) 

So far so good.

I got a text while typing this post showing trees trimmed, demo done, trash hauled and drywall installing.  I get to be here with the kiddos (and their friends...it is summertime of course) while he manages the job.

Keeping fingers crossed as we move forward with this one.  Hopefully the dynamic of not having to take the time, but financing the project turns out profitable for all involved.

5 House Flip Selling Tips I Wish I Followed

I was suppose to close on my 1940's flip March 3rd.  I finally closed yesterday. 

Ten days is a long wait when you are on a schedule and a budget.  With the frustrations of working with buyers, title companies, lenders and realtors-I learned a few things I'll do differently next time.

I really have a lot of tips for women that are taking on a house flip project as an investment, but for today- I would like to share a few that help at the end of the game, when it is time to sell.

1.Never take less than $1000 earnest money.  My home was under contract in the end of January and they gave me $500 earnest money.  They took 6 weeks to close, meaning I still had to pay my carrying costs, utilities, insurance, etc.  As the buyers struggled to get their loan together, I lost money every day.  They were close to backing out and if they had, they would have left me with 6 weeks lost time, over $1000 in extra bills and only $500 to compensate. 

2.  Don't close on a Friday.  Most of the time the buyer will close and then the money will actually show up in your account the next day.  So if I closed on Friday (which was one of my scheduled closing days that they backed out of) I would still pay utilities, interest, etc. for the entire weekend until it funded on Monday.

3.  Get it in writing.  After extending the closing date for the second time, I told my buyer via my realtor that I wanted $500 more in order to keep them under contract.  They agreed they would send me a check overnight (because they went out of town instead of closing when they said they would).  It was not written as an addendum, therefore they never sent the money.  Integrity doesn't really go far for some people. 

4.  Don't assume the deal is done until it is done.  On March 3rd I went into the title company and signed all appropriate documents, was told the buyers were signing that afternoon, and went on my merry way.  I then cancelled insurance and scheduled utilities shut off.  To my surprise they did not sign and I still owned a home that was now uninsured and utilities were about to be turned off.  I re-instated insurance and utilities but it all took more time and money.

5.  Remember the cost of title insurance.  Most real estate sales negotiate some sort of closing costs into their final deals.  In my case I said I would pay $5000 toward the buyers closing costs.  As I did my numbers over and over before I closed, I had in mind exactly what my profit would be.  Unfortunately I was thrown for a $1600 loop when the title company informed me that I would also need to pay the buyers title insurance costs. In Utah, where I live, it is customary for the seller to pay this fee.  So in the future, I will always remember the 2% extra fees from the title companies when I plan out my flip deals.

Hopefully these tips help any of you in the future.  It's good to learn from mistakes-and move forward.

I'm closing on my next flip this Monday.