Financially Enabled or Empowered?

Image result for women money images anne taintor
                                 Awesome image from Anne Taintor on Pinterest

Are you Financially Enabled or Empowered?  If you haven’t read my last post about these two rather powerful words Do You Empower or Enable Those You Love?  it will be helpful to read that first.  Then meet me back here for your ” assessment.” So in the name of making finances fun, here is your “Sassy Financial Bitch” quickie quiz:

Please check all that apply:

  1.   I am debt free.
  2.   I am actively saving 15% or more of my income.
  3.   I use my debit card instead of my credit card.  When I use my debit card it is for budgeted items.
  4.   I have a budget and stick with it.
  5.   I have a plan for my future:  Specific goals and a time table for completion.
  6.   I’ve tried to budget, but, like stuff happens.  Like Christmas and people’s birthdays.
  7.   I never save for stuff.  I just buy it.
  8.   I have boxes of stuff like make-up and body care that I never use or have never even opened.
  9.  Instead of going to a higher education institution I can afford, I took out a student loan and now I owe  $87,000 and my husband owes $50,000.
  10.   I make $200,000 a year and am in debt.

Okay…it’s pretty obvious which check offs are more empowering, right?  And before you scoff at the “I make $200,000 and I’m in debt” scenario I recently talked to a lady who was in just that situation.  She was making all this money but had no idea how to budget.  She was overwhelmed and a little ashamed at her lack of financial acumen. One of the most empowering things you can do for yourself is take care of yourself financially.  Before I give you a great source for financial advice here are a few research items that surprised me and that may surprise you:

  • 76% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck.
  • Student loan debt is at a ridiculous level.
  • 90% of us buy things we can’t afford.

Yeah…that last one was me in the past.  I used to have debt and was having a love affair with my credit card.  I found something that worked for me and it can work for you.  A financial success system I started to listen to on the radio. I’m not making any money off this recommendation.  Just playing it forward.  I did the work and so can YOU.  How I succeeded was by listening to Mr. Dave Ramsey.  He has a radio show, pod cast and website with everything you need to succeed.  You don’t have to spend a dime.  You can if you want to, but I didn’t.  You can start empowering your financial life by clicking on this link:  Dave Ramsey.  So what are the benefits to you?

  • You will have immediate access to pod casts that will inspire you.  It may make you feel better about your situation because of the many people in worse financial trouble than you.
  • Budgeting tools.
  • Investing tool that will show you how much you could have when you retire.
  • Articles, sources and more.
  • 7 Baby Steps to Success.  I am happily on #4!

There is even a section for women who want to start their own businesses.  Love.  So please visit this great source for all things financial.  It empowered me and I desire the same for YOU.  Love, Goddess

Helpful Financial Resources:

The Total Money Make Over:  Dave Ramsey

Overcoming Underearning:  Barbara Stanny

Secrets of the Millionaire Mind:  T. Harv Eker

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© S Stevens Life Strategies

How to Spring Clean Toxic Things From Your Life!


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How to spring clean toxins from your life!
Awesome quote from Toxic Family Quotes

How to spring clean toxins from your life!

Just start.  One baby step at a time…Just do the ONE toxic habit.  When you have conquered that toxic habit then consider taking on another toxic habit.  This is why we are doing this one week at a time.  A client of mine, Pam, was so cute.  She was the inspiration for this post.  During a session she was so edgy!  The Brat was just ruling her life!  After a series of questions from me, she finally fessed up.  She had gone on a diet, started exercising AND quit smoking.  All in one week.  No wonder she was being ruled by the Brat.  So we worked out a schedule.  Now Pam is smoke-free, lost 10 pounds and is enjoying glowing skin.  She took it slow and it made all the difference.

Week One:  Clear the toxic clutter in your inbox, Facebook, Twitter, other social media.  Old lovers, ex-friends? Delete.  Delete anything you follow or follow back that is not empowering.  I recently had to tell someone on one of my business pages to STOP posting negative stuff.  I told her exactly why and she did.  But if she hadn’t? Gonzo. Social media is full of toxic people looking for attention.  Honor yourself by not giving them any of your valued time.  Replace with POSITIVE fun feeds and energy.

Week Two:  Identify ONE toxic habit you would like to stop doing.  Assess what makes you go to the “toxic habit.” Then you will know the trigger.  Then you can deal with the trigger when it happens.  For me?  It’s taking care of myself…mind, body and soul.  You see when I am passionately doing things everything else falls away!  Time flies and I find I haven’t had lunch. Then I’m starving and more likely to eat crap, for example.  I deal with this by always having healthy and yummy food around.

Week Three:  Change a negative toxic feeling into a positive one.  This is freakin’ hard. Miss Drama Queen in your head is always messing with you:  Drama Queens Love…  Something happens and whammo!  She starts looking at all the worst case scenarios instead of the bottom line. Solving the problem.  Seeing opportunity in adversity. (Yes, it’s there) This requires re-programming that cute little brain of yours with positive thoughts.  I know…some of you are rolling your eyes.  Don’t blame you.  That’s your Brat talking: Who Controls You Your Bitch or Your Brat?   This action is required practice to slay the negative feeling toxins from your body.  One way to do this is to fall asleep to a positive affirmation video on You Tube.  

That’s enough for one lesson.  When you’re done with these?  Visit the Drama Queen section on this site for more articles so you can remove all the nasty toxins from your life…like the Faux Girlfriend!  Love, Goddess

Suggested Reading:

  1. Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom (Revised Edition): Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing
  2. I Can Do It® 2016 Calendar: 366 Daily Affirmations
  3. Bitch Lifestyle The Manual

© S  Stevens Life Strategies

The Ugly Truth About New Years Resolutions


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Happy New Year Card

Happy New Year image from Public Domain Pictures

The Ugly Truth About New Years Resolutions?

They don’t work if you don’t have a plan.  Resolutions.  Desires.  Wants.  Goals.  How fast are you getting them?  Are they coming at you like lightning or slower than slow? Unless you are doing these 5 steps?  I bet ya it ain’t happening.  Because unless you’re attaching these 5 steps to your resolutions, desires, wants: they are mere wishes.  Work is required.  Focused action and intent. This is nothing new.  I talk about action all the time here.  Intent, focus, action = Success.  So let’s hit the 5 action steps hard:

Step #1:  Get specific.  Example:  Pay off my credit cards.

Step #2:   Make it measurable.  Example:  I will pay off XYZ card in 3 months.  I will do this by making minimum payments of the other ones with larger debt.  When that card is paid off I will give myself a timetable for the next card and direct all my money toward that one. Ideally, you will have a time frame for all the cards in total, say 10 months.

Step #3:  This has to be your want, desire, goal.  If your parents want you to be a dentist and you have NO desire? That same desire (as in none) will go toward that goal.  It has to be something that lights you up, gets you motivated, and enhances your life.

Step #4:  Give it a time limit.  Example:  If you decide to pay off all your credit card debt and don’t give yourself a time limit?  It will never happen.  You’ll keep buying things you don’t truly need, using the card to do things you can’t really afford and dig yourself deeper and deeper.  A time limit makes it real.

Step #5:  Put it in writing.  Then break it down.  Your vision will not happen unless you write it down.  Want to really make it happen? Get support by telling everyone what you are going to do.  It adds accountability.

Nothing sexy here, Bitches!   It’s all common sense stuff that when followed, works.  I’ll never forget the confidence boost I got when I paid off a credit card when I thought I was broke. I really wasn’t as broke as I thought and was rather shocked at a couple of ways I was wasting my hard-earned cashed.  The journey to pay them off was rewarding too.  Each step I took made me feel lighter.  When I made the final payment and saw the statement balance at zero? Freedom.

Freedom.

What will you free yourself from with these five steps?  What will you accomplish, attain, conquer?  Let that thought marinate.  Then make it your intention and with these 5 Steps? Reality. Love, Goddess

Suggested Reading:

  1. Barbara Stanny:  Money Inspiration
  2. Amazon Link:  Overcoming Under Earning
  3. Bitch Lifestyle You Tube

© S Stevens Life Strategies

Now on YouTube

Now on YouTube…Bitch Lifestyle.

When you go to Bitch Lifestyle on YouTube, I want you to relax and enjoy as much as possible.  That’s why I’m keeping my channel ad free (mostly).  If I share something from another channel, I can’t control the ads. (Hence the mostly)  I’ll be keeping my videos short, sweet and ad free.  There will be videos about pleasure, fun, emotions, men.  The usual subjects from Bitch University.  Need a quickie pleasure fix to keep you going?  I want to be the girl for you!

I invite you to view videos, share experiences, comment, inspire and enjoy each other.   For the next couple of full, busy, overwhelming but wonderful months, we will be upping the ante here on Bitch Lifestyle. Lets enjoy every drop of the Holiday Season, 2015.  No matter what you do to celebrate this time of year, there is one thing we can all celebrate.  The gift of life and being woman.

For those of you new to Bitch Lifestyle, here is a quick introductory video:  Why Bitch Lifestyle?

Love, Goddess

© S Stevens Life Strategies