A few years ago, I decided to set new goals.

It all started when I was introduced to the late Jim Rohn.  He was speaking at an engagement in New Orleans back in 2002.  I’d just become aware of his motivational style of speaking just a few months prior and knew it was a great opportunity to hear him LIVE!!!

My husband, my mom and I excitedly shuffled down to New Orleans for this event.  I was a Mortgage Loan Consultant at a local company here in Baton Rouge and getting motivated was considered a great reason to get a free pass.  Many of us took advantage of the opportunity to skip work and hear Jim Rohn share an inspiring message.

He shared so much and of course I took notes, but what I remember most though was this key point…“Have more than one source of income.” Not sure why this stuck out most.  Maybe it was because I was just starting to establish my career.  I started thinking, but finding ways to diversify my income at that time was difficult.  I worked full time, and was a wife and mother.  My little ones were only about 1 and 2 years old, so my hands were full.

Though my life was challenging, I often reflected on those words and wondered how I could find a way to make income diversification happen in my life.  My thoughts leaned more towards  turning my career experience into an additional source of income.

My answer came as I drew from my own life’s encounters.  I looked at the financial lives of many of my clients…then I took a look at my own financial life.  I didn’t like what I saw.

We were all kind of floating around in the same boat.  I didn’t have the credit issues that many of them faced, but we were all working basically just to pay the bills.  Juggling money, career, and family life.

After my husband and I found our own way to become more financially sufficient, it lead me to, what I believe, a moment where I knew what I had to do.  Help others to do the same.

Using the experience I gained from the mortgage industry and my own personal experience, I set a goal to become a Financial Counselor.  Today, I am thankful to say that I have finished my course.  As of April  14, 2010, I am official.  Patrenia D. Spears – Accredited Financial Counselor and Coach.  I cannot express how excited I am about this opportunity.

So, how does this affect you?   Well over the next few weeks, I will be hopefully putting together a starting process that will help me to those that really want to take control of their lives.  I will at that time probably offer a limited consulting service.  I haven’t really decided how this will be done, so please bear with me.

Just know this, I-WANT-TO-HELP you reach your goals!!!  My passion is serving and making a difference.  I want to help struggling families get on track, couples start their lives winning, young people start their lives prosperous, and everyone to increase their knowledge to build a strong financial house. The possibilities are endless.  I’m definitely open to any ideas while I’m working through this process.  So feel free to contact me here and let me know how I can help you.  I look forward to what’s in store!

If this message is not for you…that’s ok.  I’d still like to hear your recommendations.  I’ve enjoyed having you join me here over the last few months.

Sincerely,

Patrenia Donald-Spears, AFC

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Thank you so much for reading! Please feel free to share this article with your family and friends.  I wish you lots of financial success.  I send you much love!

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My life in 10 years photo by lululemon athlethica

Hello All,

This is a photo taken in my city of one of our lottery billboards.  It’s been a permanent fixture over the last few years and is a nice “enticement” for our state lottery.

Sometimes I pass this billboard and wonder how different life would probably be if I won the lottery.  Would it be a change for the better or a change for the worse?  I’ve told myself that since I’m better at managing my money, it would be for the better.  But most of the lottery stories I’ve heard have been for the worse.

Now,  I don’t play the lottery, so I don’t expect to win anytime soon .  And I also don’t lust for things I don’t have, but each time I pass this sign, I do wonder, “What If?”.

Though not realistic, a girl can have a dream, can’t she?

Have you ever dreamed of or had hopes of being given a fresh start with a large amount of money?

***

Have you heard about my new special report?  Sign up to receive your copy today.  Thank you so much for reading and I really appreciate the time you spend here.  Be sure you are subscribed by Email or RSS so that you can be a part of the very first giveaway that will be happening next week!!!

Today, I’ll talk about a minor problem I encountered recently.  It caused some undue frustration, but the outcome was…well, let me just tell you what happened.

A few months ago, I got the opportunity to become a part of an amazing group of people by way of a forum.  As you may know, forums are a wonderful way to connect with like minded individuals from anywhere in the world.  Most forums are free to join and participate in, but the administrators of this forum decided to charge a very special, low introductory price because of the well known connections included.  The intro price? A whole $1.95 per month – for life.  Yep, that’s all…$1.95.

The introductory price was to last only for a short while, so I secured my $1.95 per month for life price immediately.  I had nothing to lose.  If I didn’t get any value from it, I could cancel at any time.  Pretty good investment if you ask me.

Well, about two weeks ago, I tried to log into the forum only to find that there was a bit of a problem.  My username and password were not working.  I tried several times, but no success.  Hmmm…

After the unsuccessful attempts, I had the normal questions.  “What in the world is going on?  I KNOW I paid MY bill!”  No, really I did.  It’s an automatic draft through PayPal.  This should be an easy fix, right?  Wrong!

After I logged into my PayPal account, I realized that there had been a problem I was unaware of.  I’m not a frequent PayPal user so I called customer service to get some answers.  This error had to be fixed immediately.  Not corrected, I could lose my introductory pricing and would have to pay the new price which is now $5.95.  Still not too steep, but that’s $4.00 more than what I was paying.

The representative checked my account and could not find any reason why there should have been a problem.  She apologized and stated that there would be another draft attempt within the next two days.

The next draft attempt – successful.  All access granted.  But wait!  There is another problem.  PayPal has deducted $1.95 from both sources of payment I have listed in my profile.  That means I have paid a total of $3.90 for the month. O.k., this has gotten a little out of hand.

The Lesson:  Automating payments is a wonderful practice for those of us who use the service, BUT be sure to verify your monthly statements with your payments.  Double checking avoids two issues:  not paying and over paying.

Note to self:  Call PayPal.  I want my $1.95! <Seriously>

Have a great day everyone!

***

If you have a financial question you would like answered in our “Ask Personal Finance Notebook…” Series, please feel free to do so by clicking on this link: “Ask A Question”.  Don’t forget to subscribe via RSS or Email to receive updates from this site!  If you’ve already subscribed, I want to say thank you.  Education and knowledge about money is power so don’t forget to pass this message on to your friends.  I appreciate you for your support and I send you lots of love!

2010 is here!  WOW!  We are now in full swing and on our 5th day into the new year.  Over the last week or so, I’ve seen a lot of talk on Facebook and Twitter in reference to New Year’s Resolutions.  And I’ve been in thought mode for the last couple of weeks about my own goals for 2010.  I’ll be discussing a few of those here today, but first let me take a step back and talk about the results 2009.

In Reflection…

“Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve”  - W. Clement Stone

At the start of 2009, I set a major goal for myself.  That goal was to start this website:  www.personalfinancenotebook.com.  Shortly into the year, I purchased the domain name, found a designer and was well on my way to reaching that goal.  What I didn’t realize was that the learning curve for this process would be soooooo steep and I still have the normal daily challenges of managing home and family.  But I know that with God all things are possible.  I just have to keep moving forward.  I’m always up for a good challenge anyway.

“Anything worth having is worth working for.”  - Unknown

Now, we are a few days into 2010, the site is up  and I couldn’t be more excited!  This has been such a rewarding experience.  I have learned so much and have met so many wonderful people.  It’s amazing. 

2010 Goals

I have many things planned for 2010.  I’m going to stick my neck out on a limb and put a few of my goals here.  It scares me to death because now I have to be accountable.  It’s different when you make goals and no one knows about them but you, right.

Here are a few of the plans I have for this year:

1. Release a special report.  This report is something that I have been working on for the past month.  It’s one that I hope will provide you with great value over the course of this year.  Look for it within the next couple of weeks.
2. Mix things up a bit.  I plan within the next few weeks/months to implement video and audio to the site.  I’ll admit now that I have a HUGE fear of this, but…I must “feel the fear and do it anyway.”
3. Implement contests and products.  Everyone loves free, right.  Well, this year is going to be your chance to win products via www.personalfinancenotebook.com.  So, be on the look out and don’t forget to spread the word.  I also hope to release products that will be beneficial to you and your financial success.
4. Expand the topic base.  There is so much to be discussed in reference to personal finance.  Up until now, I’ve focused mainly on money and debt, but I’ll venture into other topics areas and I hope you will enjoy.
5. Become certified as a Financial Counselor.  This has been a goal I’ve been working on for a while.  I was blessed to pass my first course back in October and am now preparing for the next test.  I hope to have this task completed by February 2010.  Wish me luck!
6. Increase the reader base for this site.  I’m not ashamed to say that I need your help with this.  Please help me to spread the word about this site to others.  Ways you can help: 1) Share each article via email, facebook, twitter, or your favorite social media venue.  There is an icon at the end of every article (on the site) to help make it easy for you.  2) Talk about this site to your friends and encourage them to engage in the conversation here.  I’ve realized that education and knowledge in reference to how we handle our money is powerful and I’m passionate about paying the education forward.  It is much needed!
7. Last, but not least…YOU.  HOW CAN I HELP YOU THIS YEAR? and HOW CAN WE HELP EACH OTHER as a community of people?  I put this in all caps because I really would like to know.  I started this site on the basis of helping others and I want to do just that.  What would you like to know?  What financial difficulties have you had?  What financial successes have you had?  What would you like me to research?  How can I help you get to freedom?  Feel free to ask questions.  I don’t know ALL the answers but,  I will do my best to find them for you.  I look forward to helping you in 2010.

So, now that I’ve put a few of my plans out there, the ball is in your court.  What about you?  What are your 2010 New Year’s Resolutions?  Do you have any specific financial plans for the year?  Share them in the comments section.  Also, share this article with your friends and ask them to be accountable here, too!

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If you have a question you would like answered in our “Ask Personal Finance Notebook…” Series, please feel free to do so by clicking on this link: “Ask A Question”.  Don’t forget to subscribe via RSS or Email to receive updates from this site!  If you’ve already subscribed, I want to say thank you.  This website is becoming a success because of you and your support.  I send you much love!

“Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins

Greetings everyone.  As we embark upon the end of 2009, I’ve decided to take a moment to sit back and reflect upon 2009 as well as create my goals and visions for 2010.

After much hard work and sweat equity, this site officially launched last month.  It has been well received by many and I am receiving wonderful reviews from visitors about the information posted here.

This has truly been a learning experience – challenging, frustrating and enjoyable all at the same time.  How can this be?  There are many ups and downs, but the joy comes when the finished product is way better than one could imagine.  I’m still excited about this opportunity, but I’ve realized that I still have to wear many hats.

You see, naively, I embarked upon this task and assumed that it would be an easy one.  But the reality is that it isn’t.  I have so many ideas floating around in my head, but when I sit down to implement, it feels as though the flow isn’t there.

So over the next week and a half, I’m really going to buckle down and create a business of value for you, the reader, as well as for myself.  I have to create a plan in order to convey the ideas I need and want to implement.  I want this site to be more than just talking about taking action to achieve financial goals.  I want there to be action with my husband and I, continuing on our journey, as well as helping others to create financially healthy lifestyles.  This is definitely a work in progress and I continue to learn so much as I go along.

Thank you all so much for your support.  I’m looking forward to 2010.  I know that it is going to be great!  I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Are you taking time to plan for 2010?  If so, can you share some of your ideas?  If not, can you share why you are not creating goals?

*The holiday post schedule will be once a week on Wednesdays.  We’ll be back in full swing on January 4, 2010.  Feel free to browse through the archives.  I love getting your comments!

***

If you have a question you would like to ask, please feel free to do so by clicking on the “Ask A Question” link to the right.  Don’t forget to subscribe via RSS or E-mail to receive updates from this site!  If you have already subscribed, I want to say thank you.  This website is becoming a success because of you and your support.  I send you much love!

Today is the “Official” launch day of Personal Finance Notebook.  I’ve decided to dedicate this day to you and say thank you for stopping by!  I truly appreciate it.  Please say hello in the comments for any post you see here OR on my contact form (if you haven’t done so already).

The construction of the site is nearly complete.  Over the next week or so, I’ll be tying up some loose ends behind the scenes of the site.  We’ve got a long ways ahead of us and I’m really glad you are joining in.

Our Goals

When I say “our” goals, I don’t mean just this site.  I’m speaking in reference to us (me, you and the other readers).  I would like to see all of us achieve our goals together and this will be a place where we can discuss them.

All successful men and women are big dreamers.  They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work everyday toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.”  -Brian Tracy

I have discussed a few of the goals here in reference to the site.  Take a look and let me know what you think.   Although this site is dedicated to discussing personal finance,  my plans are to discuss many different areas which include personal development, careers, relationships, credit, insurance, etc.  If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Important Point

To enhance the community here, we must initially focus on developing a quality readership that will participate in the conversation.  I know that there are others that will be interested in the topics discussed, so I need your help to get the message out.

Below are a few ways you can help:

1. Social Networks – For those of you who are members of Facebook, Twitter, StumbleUpon, Digg, etc. please submit and share the articles you feel are worthy of attention.  There is an icon for each network located at the end of every post.  If you are not into social networks, there is also an icon to share the content by e-mail.
2. Links – If you have a website, please feel free to link to me and share information with your readers. 
3. Commenting – New posts will arrive every Monday and Thursday.  At the bottom of each post, there is a comment section designated for you, the reader.  You may share your own experience by making a statement, asking a question, agreeing, disagreeing, or by agreeing to disagree.  We will all grow and learn through sharing.

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Thanks so much again for visiting today and I look forward to my interaction with you!!!  Let’s build a wonderful network and community of success…

Until we meet again,

Feel free to subscribe to the latest information via RSS or E-mail!

I received a strange text message on Friday.  Forgive me for paraphrasing the message because I erased it later that day, but it went something like this:

You have won a $200 Wal-Mart gift card.  Please call 1-866-xxx-xxxx.  Gift Code: xxxxx

I found this text strange for a couple of reasons:

1. How did this company get my cell phone number?
2. Why are they sending me this message?  I didn’t sign up for any contests.

Initially, I ignored the message, but later on, my curiosity got the best of me.  Everybody likes free, right?

I dialed the number and a young foreign man answered the phone.  The conversation went as follows:

Me:  Hello, I received a text to call this number about a free $200 Wal-Mart gift card and I would like to know what this is all about?

Telemarketer:  Yes, Ma’am.  You have been selected to receive a $200 Wal-Mart gift card.  Please give me the Gift Code and you will be receiving it in the next few days.

Me:  Gift Code Number is xxxxx.  Sir, I’m trying to understand what this is all about.  So, you are just going to send me a $200 Wal-Mart gift card?  What is the catch?

Telemarketer:  Ma’am, there is no catch.  We are going to send you the gift card along with some information for you to review within a 10 day period.

Me:  Is there a charge for this information you want me to review?

Telemarketer:  No Ma’am, there is no charge for the information, we just would like for you to review the information for 10days and even if you don’t like it you can keep it and pay no additional cost.

Me:  (AHA!!! Now, I’m getting closer to the truth)  So what you are not saying is that after 10 days if I don’t call to cancel, I will be charged for this product?

Telemarketer:  Yes, ma’am, but we’re going to send it to you for free and all you have to pay for is shipping and handling.

Me:  (AHA!!!  Now the Real Truth)  No Sir, I don’t want it.

Telemarketer:  Ma’am it’s free.

Me:  No Sir, I don’t want it.  I may forget to call after 10 days and then I’m stuck paying for a product that, at this point, I know nothing about.

Telemarketer:  Ma’am, you can call us back after 10 days to cancel.

Me:  Sir, No Thank You…I DON’T WANT IT!!!  (By this time he’s really frustrated with me because I’m not buying into his “offer”)

Telemarketer:  O.k., have a great day Ma’am?

***

If I had a survey to complete for this telemarketer, I would give him an A+ for politeness.  He always called me “Ma’am”.  But that’s really not the point.  The point is this:  If that text was sent to me, how many countless other people was it sent to?  How many of them didn’t say…NO?  How many of them didn’t ask the right questions?  How many will now have to pay after 10 days because they are too busy to review the information?  I guess we’ll never know.  But what I do know is that I have just saved myself unnecessary aggravation and frustration of dealing with a company looking to get rich off my ignorance and busyness.  Their philosophy is normally, “You win some, you lose some, but we’ll just focus on the wins.” 

In summary, be careful.  Bad dishonest people will try all kinds of sneaky ways to get you to send them your money.  I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “There is nothing in this world for free.”

Until next time…Thanks so much for reading!!!

***

Have you had contact with any sneaky telemarketers?  Share your experience in the comments.  I’d love to hear from you…

Today, I’ve created for myself the task of really thinking about what the purpose, goals, dreams and aspirations of this site are.  At the time of writing this, I haven’t yet launched the site, but I’ve really been thinking about who the target audience should be.  Who will be most touched by the content and take action to create an improved or enhanced financial life?

I can’t predict the future so I don’t know that answer.  But what I can and will do (with your help) is create valuable content that will enlighten  as well as inspire.  Since this is a new site, I have started with the basics, but I will advance to topics that dig deeper into personal finance as well as personal development.   

I hope to meet you on at least one of the three following different levels:

1. As introduction of  information educationally, if you don’t understand how to manage money.
2. As growth, if you understand personal finance, but want to enhance your knowledge by participating is this community.
3. As I learn from you.  I’ll admit it, I don’t know everything.  So, it would be a gift to me and others if you would come and be a part of the conversation. 

The tagline I’ve chosen for this blog is – ideas, education and motivation to create a personal finance portfolio to be proud of.  The goal is that we all learn, develop and grow.  No matter the level of our current knowledge we should do what we can to pass on this message.  Not only to our children, but to our family members and friends so that they may grow along with us.

How Did I Get Here…

When I was a part of the mortgage industry (a few years ago), I helped clients either achieve the goal of homeownership OR payoff debt by way of debt consolidation.  The most common thread amongst many clients was that old habits didn’t die.  I noticed it not only in the lives of my clients, but in the lives of many that were around me.  There was/is a common ignorance about successful money management. 

This experience has prompted me to make a transition into the personal finance area to help raise the level of financial awareness.  I hope that you will help me to spread this message and to transform the lives of many. 

What We Will Talk About…

My husband and I have managed to pay off a substantial amount of debt.  From time to time, I may decide to discuss that journey along with the struggles and the triumphs that we experienced.  But mostly, the information will be less about me and more about empowering your life of financial success.

Join me!!!!

Stay tuned and feel free to subscribe via RSS or E-mail!

This is the first writing of Personal Finance Notebook.  I must tell you that I am extremely excited about this opportunity to share and interact with you. 

My name is Patrenia Donald-Spears and I am the writer of the content here.  What will we talk about?  Personal finance and any surrounding aspects (careers, relationships, psychology, investments, retirement, etc).  With the looming ora of the recession that has been in the air for the last year, I know that it is imperative that we constantly talk about money and obtaining financial freedom.  Feel free to provide feedback and ask any questions to improve the dialogue.  I want to continue growing and helping others become more aware of how money works and to keep more of it.

Stay tuned for more info and feel free to subscribe via RSS or E-mail!