I had a blast carrying the crusade over to

Gateway Community Church in Goldsboro, NC this weekend!

Pastor

Text is Thayer Stamper and Link is http://www.virb.com/thayer/blog

Thayer Stamper, David Morrow, and the entire team at Gateway made the

Text is Financial Freedom Experience and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/FFE%20Details.htm

Financial Freedom Experience a first-class event!

It took less than one hour to be completely set up for the event and at 6:30PM Friday evening, the FFE launched. It was awesome!

Here is what I LOVE about teaching this material - lives are changed every single time! There were tears and laughter as we progressed through the FFE, but more than anything else HOPE was restored, marriages were encouraged, and dreams were brought front and center.

Every time that I teach, I start and end with stating my passion …

To help others accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances. Why? Because when people are financially free they are much more likely to go do EXACTLY what they have been put on this earth to do - Regardless of the income potential!

Gateway CC - Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to do do EXACTLY what I have been made to do!

This coming weekend, the crusade will continue on to Lumberton, NC where I will be speaking during the Sunday morning services at

Text is Hyde Park Baptist Church and Link is http://www.lovinglumberton.com/templates/cushydepark/default.asp?id=21533

Hyde Park Baptist Church and then teaching the

Text is Financial Learning Experience and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/FLE%20Details.htm

Financial Learning Experience in the afternoon. I can't wait!

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Purchase my book on

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AMAZON.COM or via

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PAYPAL.

A random list of great questions to ask about money …

* Can you offer this to me at a lower price?
* I'm looking for a deal. Can you also include "X" if I purchase this item today.
* If I keep managing money they way I currently manage money, will I be able to accomplish my future hopes/plans/dreams?
* Who can I bless today?
* If my wife or child had to have emergency surgery today, would I be able to absorb the financial impact?
* If I died today, would those who depend on your income be protected?
* Do I really NEED this?
* Do I work for a paycheck or am I doing what I love to do?
* Do you add huge value to your business? Why not objectively ask for a raise. Look, you delivered "X" results that benefited the company. Why not improve the income?
* What could I do with all of this money that I send toward debt payments each month?
* What does life look like without ANY payments. No house payment. No student loan payment. No car payment. No credit card payments. NO PAYMENTS!

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Just 301 days from now, we will be celebrating Christmas again.

How much are you going to spend on Christmas this year?

Will you pay cash for Christmas 2008, or will you finance it?

I highly recommend planning Christmas 2008 on paper! The

Mini-Budget Form (Excel) is a great tool to use to plan your Christmas spending.

Here's an example of how to use the Mini-Budget for planning Christmas. I have entered the amount that we plan to spend on each item for Christmas. This helps me understand the amount needed for Christmas.



You can see that "Cash - Expenses" shows a RED $1,080. To make it GREEN, I enter $1,080 in the "Cash Budgeted" line.





I know that I have experienced sticker-shock when I have put together my initial mini-budget for Christmas! The great thing about planning ahead is that I still have the opportunity to change how much I will spend!

So, go ahead and plan for Christmas 2008. Yes, you will be weird. Yes, no one else in your family is doing it. BUT, you will have a plan and be able to pay CASH for this year's Christmas! How many of your friends and family will be able to say that?

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I recently discovered a new web site that is helping me save money.

It is called

www.RetailMeNot.com.

This web site has discount codes and promo numbers that allow you to save money at thousands of different e-tailers.

Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Victoria's Secret, Barnes & Noble … There are over 10,000 companies represented.

One thing I really like about this web site is it allows the users to rate the promo codes. If it did not work for you, you can communicate that to the next user so that they don't waste their time with it.

Try it out, and see if you can save some money!

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I HAVE HAD ENOUGH!

I had an

IHHE Moment recently.



My family traveled up to Burlington, NC to teach the Financial Learning Experience. We arrived on Saturday evening and went out to get dinner.

My lovely bride spotted a restaurant that does not exist near our home, so we went there.

It did not go well. It was 8:00 PM, but we had to wait twenty minutes to be seated.

I took one look at the menu, and began to employ my hero, Paul Marshall's method of choosing what to eat. I looked for the cheapest item on the menu and decided it was palatable.

This place sells hamburgers. HAMBURGERS. But not just any hamburger. They sell $10 hamburgers. What a RIP-OFF!

And then I see that the kid's menu has mac-n-cheese for only $4.99.

ONLY $4.99. I can buy AT LEAST twenty BOXES of mac-n-cheese for that amount of money.

I suffered through the experience. And, NO, I did not let my daughter order the ridiculous, outrageous, enormous, cruddy, massively overpriced mac-n-cheese. She had to share my $10 burger.

What a rip-off.

I am really sick of being ripped off by the so-called kid's menus at restaurants.

Who's with me?

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I have been PUMPED by the number of copies of

I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. that have been sold!

Over 460 books have been shipped out in just 27 days! AWESOME!

So I have named my book an official "Sangl Times Bestseller".



Oh, and some book reviews and thoughts about

Text is I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/IWBNIN%20Book.htm

I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. have been surfacing around the web.

* Rob Singleton gives his thoughts about the book and gave a copy of it away

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.robsingleton.net/2008/01/27/dont-say-i-never-give-you-anything/

HERE.
* Paul Neel provides his review

Text is HERE and Link is http://paulneel.blogspot.com/2008/02/book-4-i-was-broke-now-im-not-by-joseph.html

HERE.
* Tally Wilgis provides a review

Text is HERE and Link is http://tallywilgis.blogspot.com/2008/01/i-was-broke.html

HERE.

By the way, you can also purchase I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. on

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AMAZON.

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I am FIRED UP to announce that you can now purchase my book via AMAZON.COM! Click

HERE to view I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. on AMAZON.COM.



You can also purchase my book via PayPal by clicking

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/IWBNIN%20Book.htm

HERE.

Want to read the Introduction? Click

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Volume discounts are available if you are purchasing 10 or more. Contact Joe

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?page_id=2

HERE for more information.

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Have you read the weekly newspaper article that I have been writing for the Anderson Independent-Mail?



It is published each Sunday on the front page of the Business section.

You can read them all by clicking

HERE!

This is yet another opportunity to help people take their finances to another level, and I love it!

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I was running on the treadmill at the YMCA (I'm training for another marathon) the other day, and ESPN was talking about baseball.

They ran the clip of Hank Aaron's 715th home run, and while watching it I saw something I had not seen before.

There, dead-center in the middle of the shot showing the home run ball leaving the park is a huge credit card billboard.

This was April 8, 1974. I remember the home run very well since I was nine days old at the time.



It was 1974 and credit cards were just taking off.

Look closely at the billboard. What does the the "Bank Americard" (now known as VISA) purport itself to be? MONEY

"Think of it as money."

Genius branding. Too many people have viewed credit cards as money, and now realize that it is really BORROWED MONEY.

By the way, you can watch Hank's home run

HERE.

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My first credit card was an Advanta VISA card with a really low limit.

How did I get it? I signed up for a free t-shirt during my first few weeks as a freshman on the campus at Purdue University.

What did I do with it when I received it? I went and charged it up!

It was so easy! Yet, it began a ten year mess of debt. I was a huge loser with credit cards. Maybe you have done better. Maybe not.

So my question today is:

What was YOUR first credit card?

AND

Did it help you or hurt you?

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Introduction
This couple is THROUGH with debt! It has now been five months since they announced that they were breaking up with debt.

Here is this month's update!

What went well this month …
This is month five, and as you can see (from our Debt Freedom Date calculation) we are on the way to debt freedom. Joe's system gets much easier with time! We've really changed our financial lifestyle.

Challenges and struggles this month …
This month was fairly easy. We'd like to pay more than $325 on the Discover, but some other things came up and we had to plan for them. However, we didn't accumulate any new debt! We'll use our tax refund to pay off the Discover balance, and begin working to pay vehicle #1 off about ten months early!

Here is their updated [b]

Debt Freedom Date calculation …[/b]


Month By Month Progress …


Anything else you want to share?
We get paid on the 15th and 30th every month. A few months ago I couldn’t wait for those checks to come in because we were dependent on them.

About three months in to this, the “pay days” became regular days.

Any challenges you want to issue to others who are reading the web site?

My wife basically dragged me to our first meeting with Joe. Our finances weren’t horrendous, but weren’t great either. We had a few thousand dollars in savings, but were living pay check to pay check with some debt. I was embarrassed for an outsider to look into our personal business. My first question to Joe was, “What qualifies you to tell me how to handle my money?” Joe briefly told his story and I began to listen and realized I wasn’t going to be judged on my past financial decisions. This put me at ease.

We’ve been doing this for 4-5 months now, and it has changed our lives. I still buy what I want, eat what I want and go where I want, it’s just budgeted. We are paying off debt quickly, and working towards financial freedom.

My point … I know someone out there is skeptical or embarrassed about their situation, its okay. Call Joe!

Sangl says …
I am so fired up by Couple #2's progress! I am ready to CRY!

Couple #2 is ON FIRE! They have been on this journey for just FIVE months, and they have already paid off $11,693! They are experiencing a time of blessing, and they are taking full advantage of this time to knock out their debt! While they did not totally eliminate a debt this month, they did reduce their debt by $1,720. Simply amazing.

Readers - What you are seeing unfold before you with Couples #1 and #2 is what I am seeing literally HUNDREDS of people do! There are HUNDREDS of people who have taken control of their finances, developed a written spending plan, and are absolutely changing their entire financial future!

Couple #2 - You guys are inspiring others to take their finances to the next level! Thank you so much for sharing!

Readers …
Have you had enough? Have you had your "I Have Had Enough" Moment? It's time to put together a plan that helps you win with your finances. You can start by putting together a written plan using one of the budget forms available on the "

Text is TOOLS and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?page_id=151

TOOLS" page.

Want to read my story and learn how to take your finances to a new level? Purchase a copy of

Text is I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/IWBNIN%20Book.htm

I Was Broke. Now I'm Not. I can promise you that it is written at a level you can understand and immediately apply to your finances!

Text is Read Previous Updates For Couple #2 and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com//?cat=20

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Introduction
Couple #1 is THROUGH with debt! They have been married for many years and have two children. They are now five months into their march. Here is this month's update.

What went well this month …
Well, it's January, and we are back on track. I am jacked because this year we are putting a lot of debt in our rear view mirror. Look for next month's update, big things are going to happen. Thank you, Joe, and thanks to all with encouraging words! It is great to do something really meaningful. Now if I can shed about 20 lbs along with my debt.

Challenges and struggles for this month …
The challenge is being impatient. I want to pay everything all at once. I must remember that I did not get here overnight, and I won't be paid up overnight.

I'm Not Broke is big medicine, share it with your friends!

Updated Debt Freedom Date …



Month By Month Progress …


Sangl says …
Couple #1 PAID OFF ANOTHER CREDIT CARD! Couple #1 is making excellent progress. Based upon their update this month, I suspect that they are going to be receiving a tax refund or bonus! They also gained 1.5 months toward debt freedom! This couple are beginning to emerge from the toughest months - the beginning months. Pretty soon this is going to be second nature and this debt will start dropping like flies!

Think about it - Couple #1 has paid off $4,802 in just FIVE months! That is nearly one thousand per month! It is amazing what you can do when you have had your

Text is IHHE Moment and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?p=488

IHHE Moment!

Readers …
Are you receiving a tax refund this year? You might want to read the series "

Text is Best Utilize Your Tax Refund and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?cat=26

Best Utilize Your Tax Refund" before you spend it!

Also, take a moment to consider your own personal finance situation. What would it be like to share it with the world like Couple #1 is? Will you take a moment to thank them and encourage them on their journey?

Read Previous Monthly Updates For Couple #1

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Every month there will be an update of Joe & Jenn's Home Pay-Off Spectacular! The fourth monthly update is TODAY!

Jenn and I are even more fired up about getting rid of the mortgage!!! Why? Because we are one month closer to 100% freedom from debt!!! Jenn and I have shook hands and made an agreement that the house payments will be gone by October 2011. You guys will all get to watch the mortgage leave by watching the "Sangl Family Home Pay-Off Spectacular" turn green! By the way, I have a stretch goal of October 2010. It is a HUGE STRETCH.

Here's this month's update!

Total Squares: 2,426

Paid-For Squares: 709 727

Squares Remaining: 1719 1701

% of House Owned By The Sangl's: 29.2% 30.0%

% of House Owned By Wells Fargo: 70.8% 70.0%



We now own nearly all of the side wall AND we own 30% of the house free and clear! That's exciting! Again this month we sent even more money - more than ever before - to this stupid mortgage.

I am SICK of sending HUGE interest payments to Wells Fargo. I like Wells Fargo, but I would rather they pay me interest! Who is with me?!

Read previous Sangl Home Pay-Off Spectacular Updates

Get your own Debt Pay-Off Spectacular HERE and join the FUN!

Already debt-free? Get your own SAVINGS Spectaculars HERE.

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My

ING Direct On-Line Savings Account dropped it's rates to 3.65% as a result of the Fed lowering rates by 3/4 of a point.

You know that you are winning with money when you are mad that the Fed is lowering interest rates!

I know that Emigrant is currently at 4.05% and HSBC is at 3.55%.

I have money in ING Direct and HSBC. Hey, 3.40% and 3.55% is WAY BETTER than the crappy 0.25% and nuisance fees that my old savings account had. Are YOU earning this type of interest on your savings? If not, you should check out these great banks/accounts.

I think I would probably be motivated to move my money if there was more than 1% disparity.

Are you a rate-chaser for your savings account money? If you are, how much is enough to make you move your money?

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Welcome to the latest series at www.JoeSangl.com - Financial Software!

In Part 1, I shared the reasons that I use

Microsoft Money.

Now I want to share how the use of this software has enabled Jenn and I to take our finances to another level.

First, let me go back a few years to explain how I discovered this software …

It was in early 2000, and I was sitting in a leadership meeting for NewSpring Church. It was me, Perry Noble, and Jason Wilson.

The new church was just getting off the ground (less than four months old), and Perry pulled out these incredible looking financial reports. When I say "incredible", I mean just that. I was floored. I was amazed about two things - (1) the incredible reports and (2) that PERRY had them!

"What …? How …? Where did you get those?", I stammered.

"Your wife printed them out for me.", Perry said.



They were INCREDIBLE! These statements were more professional than anything I had seen in Corporate America.

I asked my wife (who was the church secretary at the time) how she did it. "With Microsoft Money", she said.

I immediately switched our personal finances from my paper-based system to Microsoft Money and have never looked back.

Here is how this software has helped us take our finances to the next level:

* It made me realize how crazy we were spending our money. We were debit card kings! Everything was a debit card purchase. $2.46 purchase. $1.03 purchase. $3.21 purchase. We averaged 90 transactions per month. When we switched to cash envelopes, we cut our transactions by over 60%! We now average less than 30 transactions per month.
* It made me realize that we did not have a plan for our money. When you have to categorize an average of $500 of spending as "Miscellaneous" each month because you don't really know where it went, you have a problem! That is exactly what we were doing. By using this software, I SWIFTLY realized where it was going - the grocery store, restaurants, and impulse purchases on "wants".
* It makes me vote. When I enter paychecks, I enter the gross income and all of the deductions. When you see how much you pay in taxes on an annual basis, it will drive you to the polling booth every time you have the chance! I want to ensure that tax money is managed well.
* It helped me become even more organized. Microsoft Money (and I'm sure other personal finance software) allows you to set up recurring reminders on certain bills. It ensures that I pay them on time! AND if someone ever disputes a payment, I can quickly find the transaction and end that discussion.
* It allows me to track multiple accounts at the same time. I love having all of my financial information in one place. It allows me to quickly see a snapshot of my overall financial condition. That's a good thing!

I highly recommend that you use Microsoft Money, Quicken, or other similar software. Many times it comes already installed on your new computer. Check out your computer and see if you have it. If you do, try it out right!

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Welcome to the latest series at www.JoeSangl.com - Financial Software!

One of the keys to maximizing your financial potential is to GET ORGANIZED. Organization helps in so many ways. It helps ensure that bills are paid on time, helps you locate a financial record swiftly, and allows you to focus on "doing" instead of "searching".

I am a huge fan of financial software, and in this series I will be reviewing different types of software that is available.



I personally use Microsoft's Money Software. Microsoft recently changed the name of their Microsoft Money software to Microsoft Money Plus.

I have used

Microsoft Money software since 2000.

The top reasons I use this software are:

* Ease of use. Above everything else, financial software needs to be straight-forward and easy to use. Microsoft Money is exactly that for me.
* Multiple Accounts. I can manage multiple bank accounts and investment accounts within the same program
* Reports. It has tons of built-in reports that allow me to see where my money is going!
* I always know exactly how much money is in all of my accounts! This alone is worth the entire cost. I know my balance to the exact penny, and I know if a transaction has cleared the bank or not.
* When I earn or spend money, I am able to categorize the transaction. For instance, when I pull out money for my cash envelopes, I am able to split the transaction into multiple categories. Let's say I pull out $600. I can split the cash withdrawal into the different categories I will use the money for - $300 for groceries, $100 for clothes, $100 for spending money, and $100 for restaurants.

In the next part of this series, I will share how I use Microsoft Money to better manage my money.

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I ran across an interesting link the other day.

You type in your age and income, and it tells you how you stack up against your peers.

It is ALARMING to see how little Americans are saving!

How do you stack up? Check it out

HERE.

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Written by someone who left their name as "I'm not bitter or anything":

"Our economy, the largest in the world, is driven by consumer spending. I say that you and Dave Ramsey have crusaded us right into a recession with your message of paying off your debts instead of taking that vacation and buying a 60″ flat screen when you get home - all courtesy of the Visa card.

I hope you're happy with yourself and can sleep at night as my 401k has now become a 301k."

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm …

Readers: What are your thoughts?

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I was reviewing my credit card offers the other day, and I just starting laughing out loud! It is a regular comedy act!

Here is what made me laugh:

* The Visa Signature card states "This card has everything you want, even your initial." HA HA HA HA HA!!! It goes on to say, "… it proudly displays your monogram every time you lay it down. Jennifer, this card is YOU!" HA HA HA!
* In the fine print of the above card, it says "We will allocate your payments to balances (including new transactions) with lower Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) (including zero percent) before balances with higher APRs." The REAL credit card personality shows up in super large 2-pt font!
* The Household Bank Platinum card says "Everything you like in a card. Including the design." I don't like anything in a credit card. They never helped me WIN with money.

When you look at your 200 - 250 credit card applications that you receive each year, what stands out to you?

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Are you filing your taxes yourself this year?

I have always prepared my own taxes each year. I have used TurboTax every single year.

This software has been extremely helpful and straightforward to use.

I have considered using TurboTax's competitor, TaxCut (by H&R Block), but I always back out because TurboTax is designed to automatically transfer all of last year's information over to this year's return.

(I wonder if TaxCut can auto transfer a return put together using TurboTax?)

If you have a very simple tax return and plan on using 1040EZ,

TurboTax provides their software and one federal tax filing for FREE!

Otherwise, there is a cost for the software, but it is reasonably priced for such a good software package.

I've never had a problem with a filing I have made with TurboTax.

I am sure it is the same for TaxCut software, but I have not used the product.

By the way, I usually look at the Staples or Office Depot sales ads this time of year before purchasing my TurboTax software. Usually, they will have a special - something like "Buy TurboTax and get a $10 gift card" deal. I like that! Last year, I ended up buying my software from Best Buy, and it came with a free wireless mouse. It is a great mouse! It was backordered and took over two months to get it, but they did ship it to me!

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I have had a crusading dream the last eight days!

Let me recount the last eight days …

Sunday January 20th

Spoke at

NewSpring Church for all four services! You can watch an entire service HERE. You should also check out Perry Noble's site as well.

Friday PM and Saturday AM (January 25th & 26th)

Taught the entire

Text is Financial Freedom Experience and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/FFE%20Details.htm

Financial Freedom Experience at NewSpring Church (over 300 attended!) People drove 5 and 7 hours to come to this class. That absolutely blows me away!

Saturday PM and Sunday AM (January 26th & 27th)

Taught at the weekend services at

Text is Southbrook Church and Link is http://www.southbrookchurch.com/

Southbrook Church, pastor

Text is Rob Singleton and Link is http://www.robsingleton.com

Rob Singleton.

Sunday PM (January 27th)

Taught the

Text is Financial Learning Experience and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/FLE%20Details.htm

Financial Learning Experience at Southbrook Church!

I got to speak eight times and teach both versions of my class in EIGHT DAYS! It is UNBELIEVABLE that I get to do this for a living! Oh yeah, I also see that there are 14 one-on-one financial counseling appointments on our calendar this week!!!!

To all who attended the classes or church services, THANK YOU!

You can see where the crusade will be next by clicking HERE.

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What an amazing journey it has been. Writing

I Was Broke. Now I'm Not has been so worth the time and effort!

For those of you out there who have ever thought about writing a book, I thought I would share some things I have learned.

* You will not sit down and write the entire book at one time.

* Writing the book was the easy part. It was the 28 edits/revisions, cover art design/selection, ISBN/EAN bar code, Library of Congress Control Number registration, crappy image software, copyright … The list goes on for quite awhile!

* You have to be PASSIONATE about the book and have a STRONG VISION for it. If these two items do not exist, you will not finish the book. There are too many competing priorities that will take you away from it otherwise!

* Books don't have hotlinks. This is a bummer! I have been so accustomed to providing a quick-link to something I am writing about. A book doesn't have that. I really like the interactive component, and it has been an integral part of my communication style.

* Self-publishing is a great option. When I started putting pen to paper in January 2006 (yes, two years ago), I thought that I needed a publisher. I found out that there are several GREAT printing companies that produce high-quality books for a reasonable price. My experience was literally a "above and beyond expectations" experience! By the way, I sought advice from very wise people while making the decision of "should I self-publish or pursue a publisher". The wise people? Tony Morgan, Mark Batterson, Paul Marshall, Perry Noble, and Dave Ramsey. I loved Dave's statement … "Self publish … do print it and do sell it - It's worth it, man!"

* God is in control. And when He is, it don't get no righter!

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I am FIRED UP to announce that my first book, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not., is officially released!



In this book, I share how my family stopped being broke and won with money. While telling my family's story, I teach the actual tools that we used and still use to this day!

More than anything else, this is a book of HOPE. I know that you CAN do this! I know that you CAN win with money! I know that you do not have to be a straight-A student to win with money (that's really good news for me!).

You CAN break free of financial bondage and win with money. This book was written to show you HOW to do so in a PRACTICAL way!

If you are looking for theory or philosophy, this is the wrong book. If you are looking for immediate help to take your finances to the next level, this is the right book!

You can PURCHASE YOUR COPY HERE!

To all who are on this crusade with me, thank you for being a part of it! This book is yet another tool we can use to accomplish my life's passion - that is to enable others to accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances. Why is that my life's passion? Because when people are financially-free, they are freed up to go do EXACTLY what they have been put on this earth to do!!!

Want to read the INTRODUCTION? You can read it HERE!

That, my friends, is what it is all about. People doing what they were made to do!

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I am FIRED UP to announce that my first book, I Was Broke. Now I'm Not!, is now in existence. It will be released on January 20th!

On January 20th, it will be available for purchase through this web site. In mid-February, it will be available via Amazon.com!

This is one of my key "Wagon Staplers". It is one key way to help people "stay on the wagon".

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You have GOT to check out

THIS LINK!

I spoke at Jeff's church in early December and taught the Financial Learning Experience!

There is NOTHING like having the pastor of the church lead the way to Debt Freedom!

I'm proud of you, Jeff and Michelle!

Anyone else want to share a success story?

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Yesterday, I was recording the weekly "I Was Broke. Now I'm Not!" podcast (

iTunes;

Text is Non-iTunes and Link is http://feeds.feedburner.com/JSFinancialFreedom

Non-iTunes) at an abnormal location - my house.

I experienced a technical difficulty at about 2 minutes 36 seconds into the podcast. The technical difficulty? My stupid cat.

Having never recorded the podcast at my house before, I failed to realize that my cat would show up and request (demand) to be petted. She came trotting in - collar bell ringing and all.

The result? Well, I can't really describe it, but it was all caught on the podcast. I have cut that section out for your listening pleasure

Text is HERE. and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/wp-content/uploads/2008-01-10%20Cat%20Crash%20at%20236.mp3

HERE. A few seconds into it, you will start hearing the cat's jingling bell. You will hear it close in on the microphone and then … well, you will have to listen to it!

Why not

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SUBSCRIBE to the podcast? A new episode is issued every Thursday morning and is less than 10 minutes in length! In each podcast, I share a success story and a question from the www.JoeSangl.com community. I promise you that you will be motivated and inspired by this podcast!

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Ever paid money when you used 411 to find out a phone number? Never pay it again!

I have not paid a dime for a 411 service for at least a year because I use Google 411.

The toll-free number is 1-800-466-4411

Go ahead and save it into your cell phone contact list now! It has saved me money and frustration multiple times!

I bet the Saving Freak will be really proud of this money-saving idea!

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Another great tool to share with readers!

Ever been in the middle of a store about to purchase something and wonder, "I wonder if I am getting this for the best price?"

Now you can KNOW!

Let me set up how this service can be used with a real-life story this last weekend!



One of Jenn's Christmas presents was a new piece of luggage. I wanted her to pick it out - so we went to the store and picked it out. It was a wonderful piece of luggage - expensive - but this brand has lasted for me. I really like this brand, but I wanted to make sure I was getting the absolute best deal possible on it.

How am I able to know? By dialing 1-888-363-7822! It is a toll-free number offered by

FRUCALL.

After you dial the number, it asks you to type in the bar code number. When you type in the bar code number, it will tell you the LOWEST PRICE this item is currently offered for and WHERE you can purchase it for that price!

It comparison shops for you!

When I entered the bar code number, it told me the name of the product and the current lowest price for the luggage. It was $3 cheaper on Amazon. I went ahead and purchased the item in the store. It was worth it to me to pay $3 extra and have it now than wait a couple of days.

Go ahead - try it out! Pick up a book next to you and call the number. Find out the cheapest price it is currently available for!

Readers - Try this out and let me know how it helps you!

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Every month there will be an update of Joe & Jenn's Home Pay-Off Spectacular! The third monthly update is TODAY!

We are even more fired up about getting rid of the mortgage!!! Why? Because we

HAVE TAKEN REAL ACTION to reduce our expenses so that we can send even more money toward principal!

So Jenn and I have shook hands and made an agreement that the house payments will be gone within by October 2011 (Three years and 10 months). You guys will all get to watch the mortgage leave by watching the "Sangl Family Home Pay-Off Spectacular" turn green! By the way, I have a stretch goal of October 2010. It is a HUGE STRETCH.

On with this month's update!

Here is the update!

Total Squares: 2,426

Paid-For Squares: 709

Squares Remaining: 1719

% of House Owned By The Sangl's: 29.2%

% of House Owned By Wells Fargo: 70.8%



Although it does not look like it, Jenn and I mailed EXTRA money toward the house this past month as a result of the gains we made through

Text is our intentional spending cuts and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?p=509

our intentional spending cuts! In two more months, we will own the east wall of our house! I am so excited!!!

By using the "Early Pay-Off Calculator" on the

Text is TOOLS and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?page_id=151

TOOLS page, our house will be paid off in 77 months (6 years and 5 months). In order to achieve our target of 3 years and 10 months (and my own stretch goal of 2 years and 10 months), we really need to start making larger payments. Let's see what next month brings!

I'm predicting a larger payment!

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Get your own Debt Pay-Off Spectacular

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com//?p=442

HERE and join the FUN!

Already debt-free? Get your own SAVINGS Spectaculars

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com//?p=442

HERE.

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For those of you who were wondering …

CHRISTMAS is only 349 days away!!!

Are you going to be able to

Pay CASH for Christmas this year?

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