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Develop a Positive Money Mindset

Develop a Positive Money Mindset

How you think about money is the single most important factor that determines whether you are wealthy or not.  So, if you want more money in your life it is essential that you develop a positive money mindset.
However, many of us are taught to think negatively about money.  We are told things like, “money is the root of all evil” and “money doesn’t grow on trees.”  It is no wonder that we have such a difficult time thinking positively about money!  You may have even been taught that rich people are greedy and as a result are subconsciously avoiding wealth and missing out on the great opportunities having money can provide. 
As long as you hold on to negative and incorrect beliefts about money, you will never create the wealth you desire or deserve.
To change your money mindset, you must first recognize that money in and of itself is not good or bad.  Money is just a tool.  In fact, more often than not, money is used to good rather than bad.  Think about all of the wonderful charities that have been able to help people all over the world.  Appreciate all the good that money can do and is used for.  It is an important part of life and is used to make positive changes in the world.  Money should be sought after…not avoided. 
Recognize that money is abundant.  When you were young, you were probably told by your parents that money doesn’t grow on trees.  If you are holding on to that belief now, you’re own mindset could be stopping you from attracting money.  Of course money does not literally grow on trees, but there is an abundant amount of it for everyone, including you…even in this challenge economy.  However, if you believe that money is scarce, that belief will help keep it far away from you.
Giving money away is another way you can help develop a positive money mindset.  Wanting to hang on to every cent you have is a stingy mindset and can reinforce that there is not enough of it.  Giving reinforces the concept of abundace.  It doesn’t have to be a huge amount…just a little something is ok.
Finally, be happy for those who are successful and have money.  Many of us were often told, and are still often told today by the media, that those who have money are greedy.  As a result, we are very tempted to thing negatively about them.  In fact, the opposite is usually true.  Rich people often accumulate their wealth by sharing what they have with others and  believing in the idea of abundance. 
When someone else has money…don’t resent their success!  If you have feelings of jealousy, that will only hold you back from achieving your own wealth and success.  You should be happy for them and remember that there is enough wealth for you too and you can work towards making your turn come!
By making these changes in how you think about money, you will be well on your way to developing a positive money mindset.  Once you begin thinking about money in a positive way, you will have taken the first step on the path of achieving your own wealth.
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.

Ideas for a Dwindling Budget

Ideas for a Dwindling Budget

With the current state of the economy and many people getting laid off from their job or getting hours cut, budgets for many are getting tighter and tighter. Even if the current economic crisis hasn’t much affected you personally, you may still be taking proactive measures to be more frugal. You may be wondering how you can start saving some money in various ways that will allow you to free up some space in your budget. Believe it or not there are a variety of do it yourself ideas that you can easily incorporate into your life that don’t cost much at all. Here are some great ideas to try out that will help your budget and free up some money for you.

Learn to Sew your Own Clothes
One excellent do-it-yourself idea that can be a huge help if you have a tight budget is learning to sew your own clothes. Purchasing new clothes is not cheap these days. This is especially true if you have children, who need new wardrobes nearly every year. However, if you learn to sew, you can make clothing yourself and save big time. Even if you have to take a sewing class, it will be well worth it if you are able to sew your own clothes and some clothes for your family. If fabric costs are a concern you can always design new clothes using thrift store finds. For example, you can buy a couple cheap tank tops at a thrift store and sew a twirly fabric skirt onto them, creating low cost sun dresses. If you need new clothes and you don’t know how to fit it in your budget, consider sewing and you may be able to save some money.
Grow Some of Your Own Food
Groceries are getting more and more expensive as well. It’s so difficult when you go to the store and you find that simple food items have doubled in price. Shopping for groceries really costs quite a bit of money, but there is something that you can do to save. Growing your own food can help you to save on your grocery bill. Planting some food in a garden or in a container garden is not expensive at all. You can easily purchase seeds or even plants that have already been started. Start growing them and you’ll soon have some produce of your own. Lettuce, tomatoes, and strawberries are all easy crops to start with. This can provide some nice savings on your weekly shopping bill.
Do More Cooking Yourself
Another simple thing that you can do yourself that will make some room in your budget is to do more of the cooking yourself. If you aren’t a great cook, you can learn. You can read articles and easily get recipes online. Ask friends to share their favorite, simple to make, meal recipes. Instead of spending so much money eating out or spending a lot on pre-made foods at the grocery store, you’ll find that it is a whole lot cheaper for you to buy raw ingredients and make the meals yourself. Not only will it save you quite a bit of money, but you’ll be eating healthier meals as well.
Make Use of Used Objects
Making use of used objects in your home can be helpful. Get creative with making things yourself. Do you have an old pair of jeans lying around your home? If so, use your sewing skills to cut them off and make shorts. Do you need a new handbag? Simply cutting the legs off a pair of old jeans and using the top of the jeans can be used to make a cool handbag that looks like a designer bag. A tin can will look good as a pencil holder or planter. A glass pop bottle can be a flower vase. Look around your home and find things you don’t use. Figure out how you can use them for another use to save some money.
Julianne Alvarez-Wish is a military wife, mother, business owner, professional writer, blogger and legislative advocate. She is the Director of Communications for Our Milk Money, the Colorado State Leader for the National Association for Moms in Business and the owner of Buy By Mom and Buy By Mom Blog. She is the Colorado Springs Stay-at-Home Mom Examiner for Examiner.com. She also blogs at A Wishful Thought. Her passion, purpose and goal is to help parents work from home so they can be home with their children.

What Does Your Milk Money Pay for?

Seriously, I want to hear from you. You’ll be doing me a favor, yes. I am going to use this information for my upcoming book. The publishers apparently need to see proof that this is a trend, and parents really are becoming self-employed as an alternative to daycare and long hours away from home.
So, help me out, and you’ll be helping the movement.
WHAT IS MILK MONEY?
It’s the revenue that you bring in from your home based businesses. Its the funds that help you give to your family, and lead lives of freedom. Milk Money does not make you rich, we all know that, but its filled with value. It’s filled with the freedom to be your own boss and to be able to make your own choices in support of your kids. Leave me your comments. I’ll go first.