Lindsay vs her debt: Part 2 – Debt-free without the deprivation

Lindsay vs her debt: Part 2 – Debt-free without the deprivation

by | Mar 22, 2016 | Artist 2 Artist, Debt, Getting Started

Debt-free without the deprivation - From Rags to Reasonable

*The following is part 2 of a year-long series. If you want to start from the beginning, learn about who Lindsay is and check out how much debt she’s starting with…  check out PART 1.

Alright my friends! The first month of my debt-paying challenge is over, and let me tell you, it’s been a roller coaster.

Like the start of any good financial challenge, it began by my going on a 4-day juice cleanse, and taking a purely personal trip to New York City for my birthday.

Wait… what?! (more…)

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You don’t have a money problem, you have a relationship problem

You don’t have a money problem, you have a relationship problem

by | Feb 9, 2016 | Courses, Getting Started

Money Relationship

I knew that I had a problem with my money way before it all blew up in my face.

I’m not dumb (mostly). I was aware of it. 

I just really didn't know what to do about it. 

We’ve all heard many stories that sound like this:

“I lost all my money. I was so in debt, but it wasn’t until my car broke down and my record collection were stolen on the same day by my ex-lover’s new boyfriend that I finally decided to change my life.”

It’s a rock bottom story. Rock bottom sucks, but sometimes it seems like hitting rock bottom is the only thing that forces us to actually do something. 

In my case, I knew there was a problem. I knew that I wasn't handling my money all that well. But my solution was to completely ignore it until I absolutely had to deal with it. 

*Cue rock bottom*

So, was that my fault? Well… I guess it probably was. But I’m definitely not alone in all of this. I’m part of a long, proud tradition of people that knew something needed to change, who wanted to change, and who MAYBE even tried to change a few times (although it never really seemed to catch). 

So why does it always seem to work like this? 

MY NUMBER ONE EXCUSE: I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO START

Knowing that you need, or even want to change something is the first step… but it’s really far from actually doing something. 

Every time I tried to fix my money problems I became instantly overwhelmed. It seemed like all the ‘step ones’ that people were suggesting were already too advanced: 

Just make a budget. 

Okay. I’m going to make a budget. 

Step one… write down your average monthly income...

……

……

Um….

......

*Closes computer and turns on Netflix*

THAT SURE DIDN’T FEEL LIKE STEP ONE. I didn’t know how to average out a variable income. I didn’t really know what I was spending on food, entertainment, and chunky sweaters. It didn’t take much for my lowly resolve to be completely overwhelmed by even the simplest of “step ones". 

My conclusion: I guess I’m just not one of those people who is good at money. I can’t even make a budget… the most ‘basic’ of financial tools (or so everyone made it seem). 

can't make (or stick to) a budget? start here

This 10 day email guide will help you build the fundamentals that make budgeting actually work. 

LEARN MORE

MY MONEY PROBLEM WAS A SYMPTOM OF A WAY BIGGER PROBLEM

The thing that I’ve come to realize is that the money problems that were stressing me out (taxes, spending, debt) were just a result of the fact that I had a terrible relationship with money. 

I didn’t understand it. I didn’t relate to it. I didn’t interact with it unless I had to. 

Money Relationship Problem - From Rags to Reasonable

I was starting in the wrong place, and until I improved that base relationship nothing was ever going to change. 

But how do you do that? That doesn’t sound simple to fix…

INTRO TO YOUR MONEY - A 10 DAY EMAIL GUIDE

Well… I’ve got something that just might help. I’ve developed a little 10-day email guide. 

You won’t learn about budgets, or debt plans, or taxes. You won’t learn financial words or anything about investing. 

It’s all about giving people like me a place to start. 

You’ll learn a few simple habits that will help you start to fix your money relationship. And once the fear, negativity, and stress come out of that base relationship… well… that’s when things can really start to change (and you don’t even have to hit rock bottom first!). 

If any of this sounds like it you… sign up below and you’ll get Day 1 (of 10) right now. 

It’s 100% TOTALLY FREE, will be delivered to your inbox every morning, and includes some daily homework (as well as way more personal information about me than you ever thought you needed to know). 

If you want to learn a little more, go HERE. 

So… If you’re tired of the money stress, if you want a place to start that isn’t completely overwhelming… 

Let’s get started….

sign up for the perfect 'step one'

SIGN ME UP

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE by checking out my SERVICES page.

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The Epic Guide to changing everything in 2016: 6 ways to actually follow through on your resolutions

The Epic Guide to changing everything in 2016: 6 ways to actually follow through on your resolutions

by | Jan 5, 2016 | Getting Started, My Financial Journey

Resolutions - From Rags to Reasonable

It has recently come to my attention that I’m really bad at follow through.

I have big plans. Big ideas. In fact, the last few weeks have been full of statements like:

“I think this year… once a month we should….* insert activity*"

They’re all nice ideas, but since I’m up to a few dozen ‘once a month activities’, at this point my girlfriend is just rolling her eyes every time I send out a new one. She’s the one who very kindly informed me that maybe I should temper my expectations because I wasn’t the best at… following through.

I’d love to argue, but sadly it’s pretty freaking true.

And so, with the dawning of a new year I’m left with a couple of choices. I can toss all my big plans, dreams, goals, and resolutions up against the wall and hope something sticks… or maybe I just don’t commit to doing anything this year.

I’ll just see how things turn out. Go with the ole flow…

OR… I can dive headlong into mystery box number three and figure out how I can get better at actually changing some of the things that I’d love to change.

TO THE INTERNET!!!!!

My initial findings were pretty tepid… a whole bunch of articles on ‘making a list’ and ‘setting a timetable’, which I’m not saying aren’t fine ideas, but we’ve all tried these things (or we’ve read them and decided we don’t want to try them)! And yet still, so many of us dream up these big start-of-the-year goals… that never make it past January (ya, I said ‘us’… I know I’m not the only guilty one here).

But luckily there are a whole bunch of insanely smart people out there doing some really interesting research on this very thing. And so, I’ve put together a few actually useful ways to stick to those new year’s resolutions. (more…)

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I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY: THE INCREDIBLY MUNDANE (AND PROBABLY WILDLY UNSATISFYING) GUIDE TO SOLVING YOUR ‘BROKE’ PROBLEM

I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY: THE INCREDIBLY MUNDANE (AND PROBABLY WILDLY UNSATISFYING) GUIDE TO SOLVING YOUR ‘BROKE’ PROBLEM

by | Nov 10, 2015 | Getting Started, Living on Less

I don't have enough money

“I don’t have enough money”

Sometimes it boils down to something that simple. You have bills. You have things you ‘need’ to do. And you just plain can’t pay for them.

I’ve been there. Lots of us have been there.

It's a problem that always brought me to the great and powerful Google, desperately searching for something I hadn't yet thought of… and if that’s what brought you here, I’m really sorry. I know it's rough.

I’m not going to offer a magic pill, or a 5-minutes-a-day solution. I have searched the world and come to the conclusion that there are only two things that actually ‘solve’ broke:

- Spend less
And/or
- Make more

Mind blown? No? Of course you’ve thought of that… maybe you’ve even tried it a little.

I’m here to tell you that that’s pretty much all there is…

STEP/OPTION 1: SPEND LESS MONEY!

Spending less. Seems like good advice, right? Just cut down on all those frills…

But if you’re broke, you might feel like you’re already hardly spending at all.

So what are you supposed to do? Cut out everything that isn’t a roof over your head and the noodles that keep you alive??? Do you not deserve any kind of fun?

Look. I’m not here to say you can’t have anything fun or pleasurable in your life.

I’m here to say that if you want to … you know… not be broke anymore, you need to make sure that you’re only spending on the things that you really want and need to be spending on.

I don't have enough money - From Rags to ReasonableAnd yes, I said want. Your wants matter, but you’ve got to be real honest about what those wants are getting you.

For example, ten bucks a month spent on Netflix can deliver the gift of sanity better than 10 dollars spent on anything else might. That, in my mind, is money well spent.

But you’ve got to take a really good look at the whole picture. It’s not about spending less necessarily, it’s about spending better.

And you can’t cut back, or spend better until you know how you’re spending now. There are lots of ways to TRACK YOUR SPENDING. You can even get a sense of it HERE by doing a little worksheet.

Once you’re equipped with the sweet juice of knowledge, then you make the tough decisions.

Are you milking every bit out of every dollar? Can you spend less, better, ... differently? Is there anything that you think you could cut back on?

No? Then you’re gonna have to…

how much do you spend? download this free worksheet

GET YOUR WORKSHEET

STEP/OPTION 2: EARN MORE

More money pleeeeeeese!! If only it were that simple right?

But maybe it is…

Broke doesn’t mean you’re not busy.  I know so many people who are working their asses off but are still having trouble making ends meet. If you’re busy every second of the day… why not see if the things you’re already doing can make you a little extra scratch??

That’s going to mean something different for everyone. Maybe it means asking for a raise. Or maybe it means looking at something that you’re already doing for free, and brainstorming ways you can market that skill to bring in something extra.

People always suggest that you sell your stuff to earn some money. That’s fine, if you want. But while you’re turning the cupboard upside down looking for things to sell, why not do the same with your skill set! What can you do that might be worth money to people? Get creative! Something that might seem really easy to you… might be worth 50 bucks a week to someone else.I don't have enough money - From Rags to Reasonable

Or maybe there’s no chance of that. Then, my friend, you’ll need to pick up a side job, or heck… even a day job.

And before you listen to the voice in your head that says that’s selling out, or that means you failed (I have one of those voices in my head too) stop to think for a second. That voice would rather have you sit at home miserable, feeling completely shitty about your situation while not changing a thing… rather than actually facing the situation head on… rather than finding a way, ANY WAY, to pick up some more resources. Not just so you can make better art, but so you can be a happier human being.

CHECK OUT: HOW DO ARTISTS ACTUALLY MAKE A LIVING

Which of those options sounds more like selling out to you..?

A job doesn’t need to drain your soul, but it does need to pay you… because you need some freaking money.

And here’s the thing, if after cutting down your spending as much as you can, and picking up as much side income as you can possibly handle you still just can’t seem to make ends meet, here’s a bit of hard truth for you...

IF YOU CAN’T AFFORD YOUR LIFE, YOU MAY BE LIVING THE WRONG LIFE

I firmly believe that you can live a rich and wonderful life on not a lot of money. But I also believe that that kind of frugally fulfilling life isn’t for everyone. If you’re constantly finding that your needs and wants just can’t be supported by the life that you’re living…

… then you’re probably living the wrong life.

You can spend your time complaining about how that’s super unfair, how you wish it were different, but at the end of the day all the pretending, and overspending, and ignoring the facts… are just going to end you up debt creek without a paddle.

And the worst part of it is, living the wrong life is keeping you from getting awesome at living the right one.

Because there’s nothing wrong with wanting to have nice things, and a stable income, and a defined pension plan. It doesn’t mean you’re selling out, it doesn’t mean that you’ve failed. REAL ARTISTS HAVE DAY JOBS! They really do.

feel like your money is out of control? Start with this free 10 day email guide

TELL ME ABOUT THIS 'EMAIL GUIDE'...

IF IT’S BROKE … FIX IT.

You might not need a lot to be happy. Heck you might even be happy having nothing these days. But if you’re not happy. If you’re struggling. If being broke is breaking your spirit.

Fix it. Change something.

Art may be subjective. Money is not.

You only have what you have. No more. No less. If the math doesn’t add up…

….something has to change. What’s it going to be?

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE by checking out my SERVICES page.

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CAN YOU AFFORD YOUR LIFE?

CAN YOU AFFORD YOUR LIFE?

by | Sep 17, 2015 | Budgets, Getting Started, Worksheet

Afford your life

Getting paid is the sweetest thing in a freelancer's life.

Well, I guess there's that whole "doing what you love" thing... But getting paid for it is pretty great. And so when you start to make some money it's easy to ... TREAT YO'SELF.

You work hard. You deserve it.

And you totally do.... except that sometimes, even though it seems like there's money coming in, a ton of that money is already spoken for.

I've talked about MANAGING DEDUCTIONS FOR FREELANCERS: making sure you remember which money is yours and which money belongs to the government (or your union). But there's also a bunch of money that's already spoken for because... well... your life costs something.

Some of those expenses are ones you think about all the time, like rent and phone bills. But some of them only happen once and a year (like the holidays) so they can be easier to forget.

No matter how in tune you might be with your expenses there's a good chance you haven't sat down and looked at what they all add up to.

Basically... What your life actually costs.

KNOWING YOUR NUMBER

There is no greater piece of financial information you can have about yourself than ‘your number’.

It’s the amount of money that it takes to run your life, however you live it.

Once you have a number that you know you can survive on, you know:

  1. How much you need to save to get you through dry times (when the phone just isn't ringing).
  2. How much money you need to be making to break even.
  3. How many months a big paycheque will last you.
  4. How much money you have left over to invest in the EXTRAS.

Everybody’s number will be different, and that’s great. The only problem is when ‘your number’ is more than your income. That, my dear friends, is a recipe for unhappiness. But we'll talk about that later... for now let's figure out YOUR NUMBER!!!

5 Minutes of financial fun!

So here's a worksheet to give you an idea of 'your number'.

Sit down and write down your best guess. At this point it's okay if you're not sure about how much you spend on food or Christmas. Don't over think it, it's not about being exact... it's about getting an idea of the whole cost of your life (and how that breaks down into a per month number).

Honestly, it should take you around 5 minutes!

DOWNLOAD A COPY OF YOUR OWN HERE: WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER WORKSHEET (FOR FREE) 

can you afford your life? this 5 minute worksheet will tell you!

Get my worksheet

WHAT NOW?

So... How much does it cost? Does it sound like something you can afford?

If so... that's awesome... but if it ended up being a little more than you'd like there are only two actual options:

  •  decrease expenses
  •  or increase income

Ya... I know. There technically is a third option: ignore it and keep putting things on your line of credit... but I've got to seriously recommend not doing that one.

FACT: Avoidance is expensive.

So don't freak out. Here are a few things you could do right now to start trending in the right direction:

  • You could TRACK YOUR SPENDING to get a better idea of some of the numbers you guessed at.
  • Or BUILD A BUDGET... To make sure you're getting the most out of every dollar.
  • MAKE A BUSINESS PLAN to make sure you're getting the most bang for your business bucks.
  • If increasing your income tickles your fancy check out some SIDE JOBS that other artists have for making sure their bills are paid.

Living a rich life doesn't have mean a big 'number'. Actually you'll usually find the 'richest' people have found ways to keep the cost of their life as small as possible.

Size doesn't matter, and everyone will have different wants and needs in their life. There's no right and wrong there... but there is a can and can't when it comes to your ability to afford it.

Can you afford the life you're living right now? If not, what are you going to do about it?

WONDERING WHAT YOUR NEXT 'MONEY STEP' SHOULD BE? TAKE MY FREE QUIZ

It will help you figure out the perfect place to start getting control over your money. 

TAKE THE QUIZ

Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?

Chris Enns

Chris Enns

Financial Planner/Opera Singer

Money never came naturally to me. In fact... I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be 'financially out of control'.

And honestly, I still get stressed about money... that doesn't stop... the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.

And those tools are what's made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.

If you want to start getting control of your money I'd love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE by checking out my SERVICES page.

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ARTIST KNOW THYSELF (AND YOUR SUPER WEIRD ‘FINANCIAL’ FRIENDS)

ARTIST KNOW THYSELF (AND YOUR SUPER WEIRD ‘FINANCIAL’ FRIENDS)

by | Jun 9, 2015 | Getting Started

Artist Know Thyself - From Rags to ReasonableI have 4 bags of turmeric in my kitchen. Like… big bags of it.

I don’t really use turmeric for anything. Yet… I have soooooo much of it.

Why is that?

Well, because every time a recipe calls for it (probably a grand total of 4 times) I assume I don’t have it. And purchase myself a fresh new bag.

This happens at the grocery store all the time. I end up in the aisle staring at the spices, or the veggies, trying to remember what’s in my fridge. The more I strain to picture whether there’s a green pepper in the drawer, the more my imagination ‘helps out’ by filling out my mental fridge with all the things that I would want.

But… if my actual fridge is as full as the one in my head…. Then why did I even come to the grocery store?? CHECK MATE BRAIN.

And so I just buy everything.

And now I have 4 bags of turmeric. Mystery solved.

The lesson? Before you even think about getting something new, or changing something, make sure you know what you already have.

And the metaphor comes crashing down!! MWA HAHA… I’m of course talking about your finances.

BOOM.

Didn’t see that coming did y… oh… you did? Whatever…. Want some turmeric?

I’ve talked before about how important it is to start TRACKING YOUR SPENDING. And then there’s also FIGURING OUT YOUR NET WORTH. Both important parts of getting to know the ‘financial you’. But there are a few more things to know…. And remember…  just like tracking your spending, or looking at your net worth, this isn’t a judgement-fest. It’s just for your information.

Here are some other financial friends that you should really spend some time with: (more…)

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