Well, hello there!  It’s been a while I know, but I’m on my way back to a regular involvement with this site.  I’m very excited because I’ve definitely missed having the opportunity to interact with you on a regular basis.  What happened, you say? I’ll explain later.  But right now, I want to talk more about the future plans for the site which I hope you’ll want to be a part of.

Ironically, as I was starting to write this post, I was watching Oprah’s Life Class when she was talking about The Plague of America: Money.  It was an awesome class and it validated the constant pull  that I’ve felt over the last few years to start a conversation to help us all  rise and realize that we can all live an abundant life.  It’s just a matter of learning how.

So, here’s what I have currently in store.  In a few weeks,  February 13, 2012, I will do an official re-launch Personal Finance Notebook.  The following week, I’ll release a free guide that I’ve written just for readers who are interested in becoming a part of this community.  The guide is called, An Escape Route to Financial Freedom: Six Pathways That Will Lead You to Live the Remarkable Life You’ve Been Called to Live.  For those of you who are already a part of the community, I’ve decided to send it to you a few days prior to the site release.  It’s something that I’ve poured my heart into.   I know that many of you have probably created those New Years Resolutions to become better managers of your money so I pray that this guide will help you along your journey to the financial abundance you seek.

SIDE NOTE!  I am in the process of merging all subscribers to one email management system.  I apologize, but for those of you that receive the site updates via Google, please look out for a confirmation email that will be coming to you within the next day or so.  I need you to re-confirm your email with the new system.  If you don’t receive the email, no worries…you are already a part of the main account. 

I have lots more to say, but I won’t bore you with the details at this point.  For now, mark your calendars for February 13, 2012.  If you’d like to participate further in the development of this project, see what you can do below:

• I’m currently very active on Facebook and Twitter.  Feel free to stop in, say hi and start interacting there.
• Leave a comment at the end of this post…all are welcome!  What are your ideas? What’s happening financially in your own life? Do you feel that you are living your life in complete abundance?  It’s o.k. if the situation is good.  It’s also o.k. if it’s a challenging time right now.  We’re here to support each other.  If you would like to share your ideas or story in a more private forum, you can email me at patrenia.spears [@] personalfinancenotebook.com (without the brackets). Information shared via e-mail will not be released, shared or exposed without your permission.
• Read more about my new vision for the site here and the community here.
• Spread the word.

That’s all for now.  Don’t forget to help me get the word out! PUSH…February 2012!!!  Thank you all so much and I look forward to a wonderful year.

Yours in Service,

Hello Everyone,

I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of the two following words together: opportunity cost.  I’ve only become familiar with it over the last couple of years.  If not, no fret.  It’s what the topic of discussion is all about today. 

With each choice we make to spend money, we’re defining our own opportunity cost to travel the world, purchase a home, buy a car, invest for retirement, someday purchase a home, etc.  Think of it like this, if I make “X” choice today, how will it affect my opportunity for “X” in the future?

What about living for now you say?  That’s definitely ok…it’s actually wonderful to enjoy the moment.  I wholeheartedly agree.  But I also agree with preparing for the future and making decisions with the thought of how they’ll affect my purchasing power tomorrow.

You can’t get back money that’s spent, I’ve had to learn that the hard way.  Ninety three thousand dollars?  Where did it all go?  Some of it accounted for; the other portion…well.  I probably should have cashed my paychecks, gotten in my car, rolled down the windows and thrown it out.  Sounds funny, but that’s just the way I feel sometimes.  At least that way I’d know where it all went.

I’m just kidding, but you can see where I’m going with this.  We all are guilty of enjoying today’s pleasures not thinking of how it’ll affect tomorrow’s desires.  Eckhart Tolle calls it living unconsciously…just going through motions with no thought.

For instance, I watched a couple on Property Virgins (an HGTV Network show) look for a home as first time home buyers.  They seemed to be very smart and intelligent, but they had one major issue….NO DOWNPAYMENT.  Why no down payment?  The bulk of it went towards eating out at least 5-7 times a week with friends.  If I remember correctly, they were spending over $10-20,000 per year just eating out.

So now, their payment has to be higher because of past decisions with spending.  It’s cost them the opportunity to have a much better deal when purchasing their home.  I can’t remember the outcome of the show, but needless to say a lesson has been learned.

Of course, swallowing dollars is definitely not the only culprit that can keep our future opportunities out of reach.  For each one of us, our goals, opportunities and costs are different.  But whatever your costs are, remember this:.

One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. ~Benjamin Disraeli

In the end, it’s your life and I’ll leave you to live it.  But if for some reason there is an opportunity you miss due to misguided past choices, don’t beat yourself up.  We’ve all fallen victim.  You’ll just know to make better decisions in the future and next time, you’ll be ready when opportunity arises.

So what do you think?  I love hearing your feedback, so please leave a comment below with questions or your own thoughts about opportunity cost and what it means to you.  Don’t forget to share this post with your Facebook and Twitter friends by clicking on the icons below.  They’ll love you for it!  Thank you for sharing your time with me today!

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Fortune Image by Elle

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