http://financialexcellence.net Normal is Broke and in Debt. Choose to be WEIRD. Be DEBT FREE! Sun, 05 Feb 2012 03:54:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://feeds.feedburner.com/financialexcellence/XEgm Embracing Debt Free Living and Building Wealth the old fashioned way - by working hard and saving money! Tips and Tools for L.I.F.E. - Living In Financial Excellence Matt Wegner clean Matt Wegner matt@mattwegnercoaching.com matt@mattwegnercoaching.com (Matt Wegner) Copyright © 2011 Financial Excellence, all rights reserved Where L.I.F.E. and Money Come Together money, financial freedom, career, small business, investing, budget, debt, free, credit, budgeting, business, finance http://financialexcellence.net/wp-content/uploads/powerpress/Podcast_Cover_Art-217.jpg http://financialexcellence.net TV-G Financial Excellence Studios, Sheboygan, WI Weekly http://financialexcellence.net/083-financial-excellence-mystery-shopping-and-other-extra-income-opportunities/ http://financialexcellence.net/083-financial-excellence-mystery-shopping-and-other-extra-income-opportunities/#comments Tue, 25 Oct 2011 17:26:32 +0000 Matt Wegner http://financialexcellence.net/?p=44066 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/083-financial-excellence-mystery-shopping-and-other-extra-income-opportunities/feed/ 12 Career Development,earning extra money,extra job,financial freedom,Mystery Shopping,paying off debt Episode 83: Is Mystery Shopping Legit? (and Other Side Hustle Opportunities), Oct. 25, 2011. Over the last few months I've been taking on some side hustles to earn extra income and see if they're legitimate ways for our listeners to earn some extra ca... Episode 83: Is Mystery Shopping Legit? (and Other Side Hustle Opportunities), Oct. 25, 2011. Over the last few months I've been taking on some side hustles to earn extra income and see if they're legitimate ways for our listeners to earn some extra cash. Today I unwrap the mystery behind mystery shopping and discuss whether it's really worth your time. At the end of the show I briefly mentioned Living Hope Uganda. This is a cool organization that's doing more than just feeding hungry people. They're teaching transferable skills that help the poor in Uganda create income streams so they can feed their own families instead of waiting for help from charitable organizations. If you teach a man to fish... Check out their ministry at livinghopeuganda.org Don't forget: Living In Financial Excellence airs LIVE every Tuesday at 10 a.m. CST. You can watch live and join the chat at financialexcellence.net/live-show Show notes: Mystery shopping often sounds like a scam and there are a lot of scams out there. You need to make sure you're signing up with a legitimate company. Some of the companies I've found that are pretty legit are: Corporate Research International BARE International Maritz Research National Shopping Service Certified Field Associate Market Force Shopper I break down the ins and outs of mystery shopping and how it works. To avoid scams - never join something that requires an initial investment! If you become a mystery shopper, it's important to remember you're an independent contractor and you need to track that income separately like you would for a business. It's reasonable to expect to make $200-$300 per month doing mystery shops but you'll spend a lot of time earning that $$. It's not hard work but it is time consuming so be prepared to earn as low as $5 per hour. When it comes to other side jobs, sometimes you just have to be open to opportunities and make yourself available. That's how Janelle landed her current temporary (full time) job. There are often some seasonal jobs you can pick up to supplement your income. You can influence what we talk about in future shows. Simply fill out this three-minute survey. Like what you hear? Visit the iTunes store and leave a review or leave a comment below. Or call our listener feedback line and leave a voice message that we can share on the air. As always, we appreciate your feedback!   Matt Wegner clean 48:07 Join the forum discussion on this post Episode 83: Is Mystery Shopping Legit? (and Other Side Hustle Opportunities), Oct. 25, 2011. Over the last few months I’ve been taking on some side hustles to earn extra income and see if … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/debt-is-debt-except-when-it-isnt/ http://financialexcellence.net/debt-is-debt-except-when-it-isnt/#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:17:32 +0000 Matt Wegner http://financialexcellence.net/?p=43016 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/debt-is-debt-except-when-it-isnt/feed/ 19 Debt is Debt no Matter How you Phrase It. I love how there are so many different ideas about debt. Some people say debt is bad. Some people say debt is good. Some people say debt is a tool. Some … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/080-financial-excellence-buy-a-boat-or-buy-a-house/ http://financialexcellence.net/080-financial-excellence-buy-a-boat-or-buy-a-house/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:52:28 +0000 Matt Wegner http://financialexcellence.net/?p=43963 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/080-financial-excellence-buy-a-boat-or-buy-a-house/feed/ 9 buying a boat,buying a house,debt snowball,emergency fund,Financial Excellence,judgments on debts,life insurance for kids,paying off debt,term insurance,whole life in,whole life vs term life insurance Episode 80: From the Mailbag: Should I Buy a Boat (and more) Oct. 4, 2011. Today Guest Steve Stewart from Money Plan SOS joins me to answer questions from listeners about buying boats, life insurance for children, Episode 80: From the Mailbag: Should I Buy a Boat (and more) Oct. 4, 2011. Today Guest Steve Stewart from Money Plan SOS joins me to answer questions from listeners about buying boats, life insurance for children, and where debts with judgments fit in the debt snowball. Don't forget: Living In Financial Excellence airs LIVE every Tuesday at 10 a.m. CST. You can watch live and join the chat at financialexcellence.net/live-show Show notes: Rita wrote in with a question about a whole life insurance policy on her daughter. She wants to know if she's wasting money on whole life insurance or if she should buy term insurance for her daughter. Matt called in a question about old debts with judgments on them. He wants to know if he should pay them first when he saves up a little money or if he should work the rest of his debt snowball first. Dave Ramsey's advice on debt doesn't make any sense either. That's because his advice isn't based on math or current financial philosophies. It's based on emotions, behaviors, and the advice you'd find in the Bible. My favorite question for the day came from Jackie. She and her husband are debt free and currently renting a house. They live near Lake Michigan and love to spend time on the water. Jackie wants to know if they should buy a house or if it's ok to keep renting so they can buy the boat they want to live the lifestyle they want. They also have retirement and college savings in place, and her husband earns a great income. You can influence what we talk about in future shows. Simply fill out this three-minute survey. Like what you hear? Visit the iTunes store and leave a review or leave a comment below. Or call our listener feedback line and leave a voice message that we can share on the air. As always, we appreciate your feedback!   Matt Wegner clean 49:31 Join the forum discussion on this post Episode 80: From the Mailbag: Should I Buy a Boat (and more) Oct. 4, 2011. Today Guest Steve Stewart from Money Plan SOS joins me to answer questions from listeners about buying boats, … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/072-financial-excellence-the-us-downgraded-credit-rating-you/ http://financialexcellence.net/072-financial-excellence-the-us-downgraded-credit-rating-you/#comments Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:50:25 +0000 Matt Wegner http://financialexcellence.net/?p=43571 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/072-financial-excellence-the-us-downgraded-credit-rating-you/feed/ 6 Double dip recession,paying off debt,Stimulate your own economy,The Great Recession,U.S. Government Credit Rating,U.S. Government Debt Ceiling,What to do in a recession Episode 72: S&P Downgraded the US Credit Rating: What Does it Mean for You?; Aug 9, 2011. Recently Standard & Poors downgraded the US credit rating. The markets are in a panic and people are worried about a double dip in the recession. Episode 72: S&P Downgraded the US Credit Rating: What Does it Mean for You?; Aug 9, 2011. Recently Standard & Poors downgraded the US credit rating. The markets are in a panic and people are worried about a double dip in the recession. Should you be worried? Well, if you're living paycheck to paycheck you have reason to worry. If not, nothing really should change in your situation. Today we talk about what specific steps you can do to be prepared for any fallout from the government's situation. Don't forget: Living In Financial Excellence airs LIVE every Tuesday at 10 a.m. CST. You can watch live and join the chat at financialexcellence.net/live-show Show notes: I mentioned the Rapid City, SD police officers who were shot on duty last week. My friend, officer Tim Doyle, should be coming home today. The other two officers didn't make it. Please keep their families in your prayers. This credit rating change should be a wake up call to our congressional leaders to finally make some tough decisions, but I doubt it will. The stock market is really volatile right now, but it's crazy to jump off a roller coaster in the middle of the ride. Investing is a long-term deal and you need to keep that focus to avoid losing money. With the threat of a double dip, now's a great time to build up your emergency fund. That'll help you navigate a recession with confidence. There's no better time to pay off debt than right now. Paying off debt improves your cash flow situation and protects you from major financial disaster when your income drops. For job seekers, it might be time to try a new approach and stop looking in the paper for jobs. For employees, it's time to start creating your own job security by improving your performance on the job. As always, a written spending plan helps do all these things. Start doing a budget today! The August Financial Excellence Challenge is in full swing. What can you do this month to stimulate your own economy? Work an extra job, do a budget, sell some stuff, invest more for the future? Let us know what steps you're taking. If we all take care of our individual economies, THE Economy will take care of itself. Read some of the comments on the post to see what other people are doing to stimulate their personal economies. You can influence what we talk about in future shows. Simply fill out this three-minute survey. Like what you hear? Visit the iTunes store and leave a review or leave a comment below. Or call our listener feedback line and leave a voice message that we can share on the air. As always, we appreciate your feedback! Matt Wegner clean 46:49 Join the forum discussion on this postEpisode 72: S&P Downgraded the US Credit Rating: What Does it Mean for You?; Aug 9, 2011. Recently Standard & Poors downgraded the US credit rating. The markets are in a panic and people … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/are-we-a-free-nation-%e2%80%a6-really/ http://financialexcellence.net/are-we-a-free-nation-%e2%80%a6-really/#comments Sun, 24 Jul 2011 13:37:08 +0000 Matt Wegner http://financialexcellence.net/?p=43426 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/are-we-a-free-nation-%e2%80%a6-really/feed/ 2 Matt’s note: This is a guest post by Sheri Geyer, a Certified Financial & Life Coach at SimpleWisdomforLiving.com How do we spell freedom? Freedom can be the privilege of choosing what to say, when and where. It can be the … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/financial-literacy-month-question-of-the-day-april-13th-2011/ http://financialexcellence.net/financial-literacy-month-question-of-the-day-april-13th-2011/#comments Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:32:44 +0000 Matt Wegner http://financialexcellence.net/?p=40125 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/financial-literacy-month-question-of-the-day-april-13th-2011/feed/ 0 If you had $1,000 to pay down debt, what would you put it towards? A) Pay off a $1,000 Student Loan (and lose the tax dededuction) B) Half of a $2,000 Credit Card balance at 9.99% C) Part of a … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/029-financial-excellence-im-an-idiot-not-a-financial-expert/ http://financialexcellence.net/029-financial-excellence-im-an-idiot-not-a-financial-expert/#comments Wed, 13 Oct 2010 11:00:58 +0000 Matt Wegner http://mattwegnercoaching.com/?p=14197 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/029-financial-excellence-im-an-idiot-not-a-financial-expert/feed/ 0 debt snowball,emergency fund,paying off debt Living In Financial Excellence Episode 29: I'm an Idiot, Not a Financial Expert. Oct 13, 2010. - Sometimes people disagree with the message we teach. We talk about the non-believers in today's show, plus we answer some mailbag questions from a listener. Living In Financial Excellence Episode 29: I'm an Idiot, Not a Financial Expert. Oct 13, 2010. Sometimes people disagree with the message we teach. We talk about the non-believers in today's show, plus we answer some mailbag questions from a listener. Show notes: - I taught some controversial classes during Money Smart Week last Tuesday and Thursday. The information I presented was so controversial that some people not only argued with me but they actually walked out. That's fine with me because I knew the people that were left in the class were there to learn and were ready to receive the message! - Listener Terry asks what to do if you have a major emergency before your emergency fund is fully in place. - We answer another question from Terry about saving money while you are building up your emergency fund. - When broke people make fun of the way you manage your money, you're doing something right. What are you doing to make broke people turn up their noses at you? Leave a comment and let us know! Like what you hear? Visit the iTunes store and leave a review or leave a comment below. Or call our listener feedback line and leave a voice message that we can share on the air. As always, we appreciate your feedback! Matt Wegner clean 44:56 Living In Financial Excellence Episode 29: I’m an Idiot, Not a Financial Expert. Oct 13, 2010. Sometimes people disagree with the message we teach. We talk about the non-believers in today’s show, plus we answer some mailbag questions from a … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/should-i-save-money-while-paying-off-debt/ http://financialexcellence.net/should-i-save-money-while-paying-off-debt/#comments Tue, 05 Oct 2010 16:01:26 +0000 Matt Wegner http://mattwegnercoaching.com/?p=13482 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/should-i-save-money-while-paying-off-debt/feed/ 0 Dear Matt, While someone is doing their debt snowball should they also be saving money? We completed lesson 3 [of Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University] and the class is working on their budgets. Charitable contributions of course is at that … Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/why-i-decided-to-become-debt-free/ http://financialexcellence.net/why-i-decided-to-become-debt-free/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:00:06 +0000 Matt Wegner http://mattwegnercoaching.com/?p=1838 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/why-i-decided-to-become-debt-free/feed/ 1 I was sick and tired of owing someone else. I was tired of making payments to the bank that should have been going into my retirement account. I wanted to be wealthy and in control of my money, and I finally realized that as long as I was sending money to someone else I would never reach my goal. Continue reading → http://financialexcellence.net/yahoo-article-features-matt-wegner-of-financial-excellence-net/ http://financialexcellence.net/yahoo-article-features-matt-wegner-of-financial-excellence-net/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 13:00:45 +0000 Matt Wegner http://mattwegnercoaching.com/?p=1706 Continue reading →]]> http://financialexcellence.net/yahoo-article-features-matt-wegner-of-financial-excellence-net/feed/ 0 Our very own Matt Wegner was featured in a recent article on Yahoo Finance, discussing how he and his wife became debt-free and stayed that way. It's a pretty good article with some other good tips for staying away from debt and credit cards. Check it out by clicking here. Continue reading →