|
|
Section 1 Welcome & What's Included
|
| Life Finances ... Made Simple |
|
Life, Money, Getting Organized and more...
|
|
|
Section 1 Welcome & What's Included
|
some call budgeting !!!
(I
prefer to call
this art a
The Computerized American Heritage Dictionary, 3rd Edition
The Computer Thesaurus states Budget this way:(v.) To avoid unnecessary waste or expense: • economize • conserve • cut corners • save • scrimp • skimp • spare • stint • be frugal • pinch • husband • be thrifty • cut costs • be prudent • squander (antonym) • waste (antonym)
The Computer Dictionary of Cultural Literacy has these three interesting listings: "monetary policy" Business and Economics An attempt to achieve broad economic goals by the regulation of the supply of money. (Compare FISCAL POLICY.) "fiscal policy" Business and Economics The policy of a government in controlling its own EXPENDITURES and TAXATION, which together make up the budget. A function of fiscal policy, along with MONETARY POLICY, is to regulate the level of economic activity, the price level, and the BALANCE OF PAYMENTS. Fiscal policy also determines the DISTRIBUTION of resources between the PUBLIC SECTOR and the PRIVATE SECTOR and influences the distribution of wealth. (Compare MONETARY POLICY.) "All that glitters is not gold" Proverbs Things that appear on the surface to be of great value may be quite worthless.
Welcome
MORE THAN JUST BUDGETING Welcome. This system that you have is much more than "budgeting". It could be the beginning of a new life... if you allow it to. And ... if you put the effort into it. It is time to "rub the sleep out of the eyes" (President Charles DeGualle said that). Time to wake up to see things as they really are.This system and/or program and/or course (it has been called all of those and more) is more a system in how to get organized in life. Based on YOUR goals, YOUR objectives and YOUR time frames and more importantly, YOUR VALUES. It is about how to change FROM being disorganized, constantly in disorder, confusion, chaos fearing what the day will bring or the next phone call. And change TO becoming organized, total calmness, peace, happiness, enjoyment and in self disciplined order. Not just YOU as an individual but your whole family.These are just a few of the potential benefits that this system can provide to you. Am I making a bold declaration without merit? You tell me. Here is my challenge to YOU. After one year of having diligently attempted to follow this system step by step, you tell me whether these declarations were bold or not. Is that fair? Prove me. If you say, no way, then keep the system and I'll reimburse you the entire cost that you paid PLUS give you an additional $20 for your efforts. I DO put my money where my mouth is or in this case, my online word. So please understand, this is MORE than just budgeting. It is getting your life and your family's lives organized the way YOU want and how YOU want. NOT the way I or anyone else demands that you SHOULD be. It is upto you. Totally yours, my friend, as you have to live with the results based on the efforts that you put into it. Like anything worthwhile - cause and effect.
Bottom line after one year of having used this textbook program / system:
*
You will not
be living paycheck to
paycheck then!
Also, please re-visit this entire manual often as it is constantly being added to. There is also soooooooo much in here throughout every page that you CANNOT get it all in one sitting or one time through. I am not saying that to brag, but it is a fact. You want a happy life. Then pay attention, listen, learn and then put into action what you learned. This textbook is filled with factoids - here a little and there a little. Golden nuggets of happiness ... IF ... The first several months, you may want to consider it YOUR main textbook in life (or second next to your Bible). Studies show that you need at least 6 encounters to START to make something a part of you. Hence, the need to re-visit Life Finances ... Made Simple often the first several months especially. Then quarterly for a year or two and then perhaps every December / January thereafter. Your future is in YOUR hands. BUT FIRST Before we begin, please allow me to say something very important up front. It is strongly suggested that you DON'T just jump into this system and race through everything. It IS, however, recommended from past successful experience that you skim through the entire program once getting "the feel" for the entire system. Then ... go back and take one section at a time before advancing into the potentially more fun sections. Read through each section once before going through it again with more thoughtful care using the "funnel approach". To grasp the funnel approach, picture a funnel. Then you can begin understanding the big picture (overall concepts), then gradually progressing down towards more precise understanding of the details for overall faster successful results. Then you become focused for success.
And that is what you are after, isn't it? Successful results? The second reading is for understanding of the concepts leading to precise understanding. This reading puts the learning into practice. The actual doing.
PROVE BY DOING The system works. That has been proven over and over again by many. It is also guaranteed to work. The question remains, will it work for you? To discover that for yourself and how easy it actually is, please follow directions. As much as our human nature doesn't like to follow directions or obey, allow me to say, OBEY the system and it WILL work for you too. The system will work for you to such a point that you too will love it wanting to promote it to others. But YOU have to prove it to yourself first. The only way to do that is by actually following directions. DOING the system as described UNTIL you understand it. Initially, just do it. As someone told me, "Do it until ... you love it. Then... the understanding will come. Then ... wisdom follows in HOW to use is it is finally internalized." So love it. That is what is meant by "prove by doing".
BACKGROUND This all-purpose Do-It-Yourself textbook online manual "budgeting system" you have in front of you has taken years and even decades of trial by error to create and test. Originally, it came about from necessity. The author - me - was just about destitute back in the late sixties (1960s) and early seventies (1970s) living on relatively nothing. I remember those days when a one pound bag of rice had to last a month and to vary the diet; I added things to it. Like a slice of meat cut in half or quarters lasted two to four meals. I remember those years when I was on the road in a new career, stopping along the side of the road many times, open the trunk of the car and prepare peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.
I couldn’t afford anything to drink but rather obtain the free water at service stations’ drinking fountains long before they removed them and replaced them with UNhealthy soda machines. A budget was a necessity. Over the years, not only have I searched and examined everything I could on "budgets", but have tested many of them and discovered the secret reasons why none of them worked for very long. I had to create my own system that worked. And work consistently. Year after year. After many VERY financially lean years of fine-tuning my system, cutting and pasting as I went, I found a simple system that worked and worked consistently. Guaranteed!!! Again, all this was for my own needs. Let’s skip ahead now to much better financial times and experiences. When I joined American Express Financial Advisors (AEFA) as a Personal Financial Planner, part of the advice I was required to provide my clients and referrals was that they ... "should have a budget". It should be part of their financial plan. I had nothing to offer them other than the recommendation ... "have a budget". On a few occasions, I did offer to share my own personal budgeting system, which some readily agreed to try. And it worked for them as well as it did for me. Each client helped me up-grade the system to a more semi-professional appearance, yet it remained basically the same as what I had been using. (The system has since even been used by ministers in counseling others. Recently, it was requested by a very prestigious college for their student library and promoted to faculty during a conference session on personal responsibility. I feel honored and humbled knowing how it originally started.) When I finally left AEFA and joined FSC Securities Corporation as an independent financial planner and later under my own totally independent company AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES, I incorporated "the system" into most all new referrals and clients’ implementation process as a matter of policy. I found that it didn’t matter what income level people were from - poverty status to multi-millionaire - it worked. It worked with all types of people. Many of them exclaimed their amazement at how much money they saved, or how they achieved their goals much faster than they could have without it, or just the education of going through it once was well worth the exercise.Not a one complaint nor gripe. Always a fine compliment. Now, granted, I went through the system line by line asking all the questions filling in the blanks with them. They only had to respond. Then many times we both had to work together to "make it balance". Then, they had their "homework" to maintain it. That system and personal attention was all included in their Comprehensive Financial Planning Package. All new referrals and clients of my planning practice since my total independence from others saying sell, sell, sell when it wasn't appropriate to sell received this personal attention. If nothing else, I indicated to the referrals and clients the purpose was to make sure the figures I was given in the originally interview were accurate. Yet I knew more often than not, they were guesstimates. This system also dramatically demonstrated that the financial planning process had been worth the investment that they paid me. It eliminated "I can't afford this or that recommendation" as we both together walked through their own numbers. They had no excuses and also knew that they could afford the recommended implementation of their plan. It built their confidence in me, their advisor, while seeing that financial planning DOES pay off. They saw quickly how much NO financial planning actually cost them. They had wasted so much money and emotion by not planning before we got together. Often, I would hear, " With what you did for me, I can't afford not to plan now." In one instance, a single lady who had come to me while I was still associated with AEFA told me that she was realizing a $19,000 negative cash flow (spending more than her income) on a $35,000 annual income while saying that she didn’t want to change her lifestyle and asking me, "Could I help?" After asking a few questions and then taking her on as a client, we sat down over five sessions to finally obtain on paper an $11,000 a year positive cash flow. (At the end of her first year, she had managed to make it a small positive cash flow but not the $11,000 we targeted on paper. We both considered this was a huge victory for this system and especially for her not wanting to change...) More recently another single individual with a $43,000 annual income and a $35,000 negative net worth (yes, he is like many I see - he owed more than he was worth, this time by $35K), and after using this system together, as I type this out, he is looking to not only be debt-free in three years but will also have a very healthy 6 months Cash Reserve at the same time. Will he succeed on such a stringent plan? I don’t know. It will depend on his commitment level. But the numbers are there and they came from him. Not me. They never come from me. I just ask the questions drawing out the answers and simply record them. The answers always come from the client. If they came from any other source, they will not work. Or, at least, I’ve never experienced them to work. This is one of the key secret discoveries that I have found over the decades of budget research. Therefore, please keep the following in mind.
Will this system work for you as it has for countless others? I don’t know. It all depends. There are NO magical results. YOU put YOUR efforts in and see what YOUR results will be. Putting this on a shelf and praying to it to balance your cash flow problems won’t cut it. You will have to do your part. It is a simple system. It is a comprehensive and complete system requiring nothing else but your efforts. It is an easy and generic system for just about anyone at any income and any expense level and any net worth level. It doesn’t take a lot of time, but it does take some. It requires more of an "attitude" or motivation and consistency than time. The most amount of time required will be up front getting started establishing it. As in anything worthwhile, the more time you spend up front setting it up, the less time and the better the results will be implementing it. That is just the way life is. Reap what you sow. Cause and effect. For just about anything. Spend the time up front and reap the benefits later on. Some call it "delayed gratification". Others call it "worked-for" peace of mind. One client wants me to tell all new users that if the system is set up right, then all the time it will take is about 2 minutes a day. He told me to have people do it at night before they brush their teeth and go to bed. It will take less time than it takes to get undressed to go to bed. And the peace of mind will generate a great night's sleep. That is what he wants me to tell all new users. You know what? I agree. Totally. If not done daily, it won't work. More on this later. Again, allow me to repeat myself. This is critical enough to do just that as repetition is excellent at times. It is strongly suggested that you don't just jump into this system and race through everything. It IS recommended from past successful experience that you read through once quickly skimming through the entire program getting "the feel" for the entire system. Then go back and take one section at a time before advancing into the potentially more fun sections. Read through the section once before doing it again with more thoughtful care keeping the big picture or "vision" in mind for faster overall successful results. And that is what you are after, isn't it? Successful results?
"BUDGETING" VS. "CASHFLOW" By the way, this "budgeting" process is also known as "cashflow" in the financial industry. In other words what is left over of the income after the spending has taken place - results in either a positive (with some left over) or a negative (with more spending than income can justify it). Living beyond the means ... and if continued would produce horrendous results. So, even though there are differences between these two words, many interchange "cashflow" for "budgeting".
TWO MINUTES A DAY!!! Finances should be thought of daily like your other daily activities such as your personal hygiene, eating, elimination, breathing, sleeping and other living activities of prayer, reading and studying, dressing, family and social or employment activities, etc. What happens when one of these other daily activities isn't done for whatever reason? Don't problems occur if you stop some other critical daily activity - like breathing? Without attempting to be disrespectful, an internationally well recognized Ambassador without portfolio stated in his autobiography that improper elimination almost killed him. From professional experience, improper handling of your finances will provide extra trials, challenges and crisis situations that you don't need. Do your finances daily! Consider your finances as one of your critical daily habits every day for true peace of mind. It takes only 7 days to establish your foundation. See the 7 Days' Outline to Perfection. Once this initial small amount of time has been invested to set the system up, it only takes two minutes a day to maintain. That’s all! Just two minutes a day. And as you know now, a client told me to emphasize that it should be done daily just before brushing your teeth before bedtime and then it will take only two minutes. Sometimes not even that. Less time than getting undressed for bed. Others have confirmed this recommendation. Do not put off thinking you can get caught up once a week. It WON'T happen! The system must be done DAILY for it to be effective. Consider only two minutes a day at that. It takes 30 days to form a new habit, so the first 30 days are super critical. Be ultra careful and diligent so the correct habits get formed quickly and accurately to keep it under two minutes a day for super sound financial well being the rest of your life. And if two minutes a day is hard to find, don't worry. There is a Time Management section included to assist you in finding those two minutes and more so that your life can begin to simmer down to feel good again. Would you like that? To feel good?
WHAT’S INCLUDED? You have the same complete and comprehensive do-it-yourself textbook and workbook manual system for Cash Flow online that was available in a hardcopy version. (That hardcopy version was for individual big retainer paying clients as mentioned before.) Having said that this is the same, it is actually a whole lot MORE than what ANY of my clients received. So much more has been added. And so much more IS constantly being added. This easy-to-use simple online system is like no other in the world. You also have all of the necessary forms and tools included for a whole year. Replacement forms are also included with this same program so there is nothing else to buy in the future. The system can be started any time of the year. Obviously, the faster you start the faster you will reap the benefits. PLEASE, don't be a lazy and think-you-know-it-all. Or think you can just skim for what you are looking for and skip the rest. Follow the directions as I know what works and what doesn't. There is a proven system with specific steps designed with specific results in mind that can't be achieved any other way. It is interesting to note that many wanta-be successfuls do not spend any quality time studying and following the system as it is laid out and then may wonder why their future isn't as happy as those testimonials that endorsed the system fully. Obey and be rewarded with tremendous joy. Don't follow the system and continue as you are. You choose which you want. Talk is cheap. It is up to you for the results that you receive.
I have some VERY pleasant surprises for you ...IF... you read on and follow directions. If you do not already have some of the following convenience items, it is suggested that you obtain a pencil or two, a pencil sharpener, an eraser, a calculator, a white 2" three ring binder notebook with a clear plastic cover for an insert sheet, a ream of three hole punched paper, an extra color toner cartridge, 15 tab section dividers such as the Cardinal OneStep #61518, sixteen (8 green 10" x 13" and 8 red 10" x 13") envelopes and a package of 3 X 5 blank index cards. All will be explained later. Unfortunately, these can’t be provided online as they were in the hardcopy edition and yet, many may already have most of these items anyway. These above items might be considered consumables similar to your consumables in your automobile like gas, oil, wiper blades, etc. If you don't already have some of these low-cost items, you may consider your local office supply store. The Life Finances ... Made Simple system is a complete system with no additional hidden fees or costs. Even the updates are yours FREE. Once you have the easily obtained items you do not already possess, please click on the next links and print out the pre-created notebook items for your convenience. An Adobe Reader will be required to view and then print these .pdf files.
If you don't
already have
the Adobe
Reader, you may obtain
the latest FREE
version by
clicking on the
Yes, this system is designed as a comprehensive all-inclusive do-it-yourself textbook-type online workbook manual. Most everything is answered in the manual. Someplace. Most likely, in the instruction pages. Just follow directions and you should be fine. Nevertheless, I have included my address for you to communicate with me any questions you may have. Please make sure that I have your email address as well as your phone number. This you should have provided when you sent in your registration and survey form. If you obtained this program from another professional, agency, or other third party referral resource, please contact that entity for your questions and needs. I do not want to intrude on any one else’s domain as I would not want someone to have done that to me when I had my full service practice. Having said that, should you not be satisfied with their response or assistance, please let me know immediately. YOU ARE MY FIRST PRIORITY. If a third party cannot or won't serve you appropriately, then I DO want to know. Your questions MUST be answered and answered without additional charges. Did I come across as being too serious? I really meant that this topic of your service is really, really, really, really CRITICAL. Where the buck stops with me, if you ain't a gettin it, the service that is, then somethin needs to b done. Ya hear. Thanks. Nuff said.
REGISTRATION & SURVEY FORM Following is a Registration & Survey Form to be sent in. However, I seriously request that you DON'T submit the form and survey until AFTER you have gone through the program at least once. With all due respect 71% of the American population are living paycheck-to-paycheck ... or ... worse. I just do not want to be inundated with the non-serious. If you are NOT serious, I do NOT want your information. No disrespect intended. Hence, my request to go through the program at least once, then submit the Registration & Survey Form.
When you do complete the form and return it to me indicating whom the owner of record of this online opportunity is, you will receive a Thank You gift. Your submission tells me that you are serious and sets you apart from the masses. You should be commended. This Registration & Survey Form helps me know who the serious owners are should there be any updates to send out and I do send periodic updates along with words of encouragement, wisdom, etc. Therefore, if any of your information changes, please let me know immediately. (YOUR PRIVACY IS IMPORTANT TO ME! Again, I do not sell, trade, rent, lease, swap nor provide any information about my clients to any other entity without legal demands by the authorities. It is considered private and shall stay private.) Let your browser filters know that email from either www.agsfinancialservices.com or www.budgetingcashflow.com is acceptable and not spam.
HELPFUL IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND FULL DISCLOSURE The information contained herein is provided solely for general do-it-yourself informational purposes and is NOT intended to be definite recommendations in any specific situation as all your personal or individual circumstances are not known to me. It is general and/or generic educational information for you to learn from and make your own decisions based on your own set of circumstances and values approach. It is also not intended to be a solicitation or an offer to sell in connection with any product or service, nor is the information a complete description of all terms, conditions and exclusions applicable to any other products and services described. Other products and services referenced herein may not be available in all jurisdictions. AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES now serves a specific niche for many of the residents and businesses in the entire country of ours - The United States of America. It may also be useful in other jurisdictions, such as the great country of our neighbor - Canada.Due to various federal and state regulations, licenses and registration requirements as well as current business decisions concerning the personal and specific dissemination of information on advice, insurance, investments, and/or management, AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES is excited NOT to be in conflict with other professionals who market these above mentioned items or services either here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or elsewhere throughout the land. We NO longer solicit nor accept any additional referrals nor potential clients for these items nor services. Other items such as this Life Finances ... Made Simple or the equivalent Educationandmoney system for the home schooled, high school seniors or people going on their own away from mom and dad are available nationwide and/or international. (These systems do use US dollars but they can easily be converted to almost any life situation or currency. The system has already been made available to others internationally per their request.)The information contained herein is believed to be accurate and helpful to many serious do-it-yourselfers. AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES may periodically update the information and expects that it will; however, AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES does not accept responsibility for the timeliness of the information at the time that it may be accessed.
GUARANTEES THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS Life Finances ... Made Simple NOR WITH ANYTHING ELSE THAT AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES OFFERS. The success or failure simply rests with the person and/or persons implementing the system and the timeliness of their implementation.Having stated that, there IS a full 100% and more money back guarantee with this system. Today it seems that most companies just don’t take the time to express their appreciation to their clients for the clients’ business. As I mentioned starting this Welcome section off, I do want YOU to know that I value the trust and confidence you have placed in me by desiring and purchasing this Life Finances ... Made Simple. I assure you that I will do all that I can to satisfy the quality of service that you would expect from your own hired support staff and/or if you had hired me directly.I believe so much in this unique system that almost all of my clients have gone through it with glowing testimonials that I willingly provide an outstanding guarantee for this do-it-yourself TEXTBOOK MANUAL TYPE online version. If within one full year (not 5, 10, 30 days, or even 60 or 90 days, but a full 365 days... or 12 months... or one FULL year...) of this Cash Flow Money system being in your possession, ... if… you are not 100% satisfied, return it to where you bought it. If for some reason they won’t reimburse you 100%, I will buy it back from you at full cost of what you paid!!! As of February 1st, 2005 the retail price is $149 so that is what the guarantee is based on. PLUS I'll pay you an additional $20 for your efforts. No matter where you bought it!!! Guaranteed! (Obviously, I will match your request with the Registration Form and Survey on hand, but this guarantee is for any reason within the first year of ownership.) An unheard of guarantee!!! Only because the system works!
OTHER REFERENCES References to other parties or entities not affiliated with AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES may be included in this material as a service to you. But not as an endorsement. Just a reference for your consideration. Such external references contain information created, published, maintained or otherwise made available by organizations and entities independent of AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES. AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES is not responsible for the content of those services nor does it approve, endorse or certify information available through any external entity to AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES or to Life Finances ... Made Simple contained herein. When you access one of those entities or their web-sites, you are on your own.
LEGAL AND ACCOUNTING ADVICE The material contained in this program cannot be used as an original source of authority on legal matters. References to laws and regulations in this program have been edited and summarized for clarity, and changes in these laws and regulations may have occurred since this program was published. The viewer should always consult legal counsel as appropriate. It is expressly agreed and understood that Life Finances ... Made Simple and/or AGS FINANCIAL SERVICES is not qualified to render legal or accounting advice or to prepare any legal documents for the implementation of anything found in this online textbook manual.Your personal or business attorney shall be responsible for the rendering and/or preparation of all legal advice, legal opinions, legal determinations, and legal documents. Your personal or business tax advisor and/or accountant shall be responsible for any tax or accounting work performed in the implementation of anything you do in regards to this online textbook manual. As you begin your journey in your new textbook and online workbook manual, please keep in mind that even though I don’t know everything (no one does), I do believe that this online textbook manual can help many individuals and/or households that are serious about their finances and that sincerely put the effort in to implement the program.
PRIVACY NOTICE As mentioned before, ALL personal information, including but not limited to names, addresses, phone numbers, etc. will remain private and not released, nor rented, nor leased to anyone without legal demands or specific authorization from the individual parties. My practice is confidential in all respects and I intend to keep it that way.
CONGRATULATIONS By the mere fact that you have this system, you are part of an elite few that take their finances seriously and are willing to do something about them. Studies show huge dividends are paid to those like you that have gone this far. The question is whether you will continue or not. That is up to you and will make you an even greater elite if you do. If at any time, there is something that you would care to share with me, please feel free. You may send it to:
Gary
F. Restall,
Director
and now......
H o w t o E s t a b l i s h
A
workable
Cash Flow Spending Plan
(some call a "B u d g e t")
follows...
|
Copyright
© 2003
AGS
FINANCIAL
SERVICES
P.O.
Box 336
Northboro, MA
01532
www.agsfinancialservices.com
