I LOVE seeing Debt Pay-Off Spectacular's in action!

This one is in action in Wilmington, NC and Jeff Kapusta, pastor of Lifepoint Church is the one paying off his VAN!

Go to

THIS BLOG POST and click on the "Pay This Sucker Off" link to see the picture!!!

Way to go, Jeff!!! Only 67 squares to go by my count!!!

You can get your OWN Debt Pay-off Spectacular FREE by clicking

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

HERE!

You can even get a copy of a Llama Pay-Off Spectacular!!! You never even knew the benefits of reading this blog, did you?

Text is Read recents posts and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recents posts

Text is Subscribe to receive each post in your E-MAIL for FREE and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

Subscribe to receive each post in your E-MAIL for FREE!

By the way,

Text is Jeff Kapusta and Link is http://www.jeffkapusta.com/

Jeff Kapusta is one of the coolest people I have ever met.

Every single month, I update my net worth numbers. It helps me track my investments, plus it helps me understand first-hand what is going on with the market.

For those who are not complete nerds like me, you calculate your net worth by adding up all of your assets (everything that has value like houses, cars, investments) and subtracting all of your liabilities (debts like mortgages, credit cards, car loans, etc.)

Over the first part of this year, it was always a lot of fun updating the numbers, but lately … It has not been much fun!

In fact, over the past two months I have seen my net worth drop by 3.45%!!!

However, I am not stopping investing! In fact, I am investing even more!!! Why? Because I view this like a sale! I can buy shares of

my favorite mutual funds at a discount! They are on sale!

It is not fun watching them drop in value, but this is money that I won't need for at least thirty years!

The great thing is that there are two ways to increase your net worth - INCREASE your Assets OR DECREASE your Liabilities.

Jenn and I are investing every single month - That INCREASES our Assets!

We are also aggressively

Text is paying off our mortgage and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?cat=16

paying off our mortgage! - That DECREASES our Liabilities!

We can't help but do well with money! I am glad this stuff is not too difficult!

Text is Read Recent Posts By Joe and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read Recent Posts By Joe

Text is Receive all posts FREE via E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

Receive all posts FREE via E-MAIL

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

Here is the update.

What went well this month …
We had a great December!! We finished all of our Christmas shopping and paid for every dime of it in cash!! We had extra money come in during December and paid extra on the Discover card, which brought the balance down a lot. We finally got a handle on the cash envelopes and made them last during this month. We are very excited about how far we have come in only FOUR months. For anyone who is on the fence about trying Joe's program…GO FOR IT NOW!!!! We are so happy with our progress, but can't help but to think how far ahead we would be if we had only started sooner. But… we are very proud of our success and are looking forward to being debt free.

Challenges and struggles for this month …
Believe it or not, this month was pretty easy. We planned for everything (trip to Florida, trip to Georgia, Christmas presents, Best Friend's birthday, etc.). Since we try to look ahead each month there aren't as many surprises. I can't think of anything that was a struggle or challenge for December. It is getting easier!!

Here is their updated

Debt Freedom Date calculation …


Month By Month Progress …


Sangl says …
Did you notice that Couple #2 paid off ANOTHER credit card?!!! This couple is experiencing a time of blessing, and they are utilizing it as the opportunity to become debt-free! Another $27 and this couple will have paid off over $10,000 in debt! That is INCREDIBLE!!! They have reduced their debt by 13.9%!!!

I am FIRED UP by the progress this couple is making! They have been at this for FOUR months, but did you notice what is happening to their

Text is Debt Freedom Date Calculation and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?page_id=151

Debt Freedom Date Calculation? It has went down SIX months! They are two months ahead of schedule already! This is why I regularly say that people who commit to becoming debt-free usually achieve it in 2/3 of the time calculated by the Debt Freedom Date Calculation. Why? Because when people are truly committed to accomplishing debt freedom, they will put off some "wants" and redirect that money toward their debt!

Readers …

Are you feeling the momentum that this couple has with them? It is January. Early January. Why not make this year THE YEAR that you take control of your money and start your own Debt Freedom March?

Text is Read Recent Posts and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read Recent Posts

Text is You can receive each post FREE via E-MAIL by clicking HERE! and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

You can receive each post FREE via E-MAIL by clicking HERE!

Introduction

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

What went well this month …

We paid cash for Christmas, and we didn't spend as much this year. Our kids are older, and it is not so much about the gift as it is about showing your family how much they mean to you.

Challenges and struggles for this month …

Only minimum payments were paid this month. That means wasted interest and delayed freedom but our day will come. 2008 will be a watershed year, or should I say a debt shedding year. I am jacked up about it. I plan on sleeping better because I don't have to worry who I am going to pay tomorrow.

Updated Debt Freedom Date …


Month By Month Progress …


Sangl says …

This month Couple #1 has experienced something that every single person who attempts to pay off debt WILL EXPERIENCE - They encountered a

Budget-Busting Expense. They chose (rightly) to AVOID MORE DEBT by paying the minimum payments. This allowed them to PAY CASH for Christmas!

Think about it this way. How demoralizing would it be for you to be attacking your debt and then have to turn back to debt because you do not have money for a budget-busting expense? It has derailed many attempts at achieving debt freedom. Don't let this happen to you! Choose to do what Couple #1 did - slow down enough on the debt freedom march to have the cash on hand for your budget-busting expenses!

Way to go Couple #1! I am FIRED UP by your progress! You guys are inspiring THOUSANDS to take control of their finances! I can't WAIT for your Debt Freedom Party!

Readers …

You too can PAY CASH for next Christmas! Read the series "

Text is Save Money For Next Christmas and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com/series-save-money-for-next-christmas/

Save Money For Next Christmas" to avoid debt during Christmas 2008!

Text is You can receive each post FREE via E-MAIL by clicking HERE and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

You can receive each post FREE via E-MAIL by clicking HERE!

What a year 2007 was! It was my first full year on this crusade to help people win with their money, and I still can't believe what I have seen.

Here are some facts:

* 470 people received one-on-one financial counseling - FOR FREE!
* Wrote the Financial Freedom Class (5 session class)
* Taught the Financial Freedom Class 5 times!
* 413 people attended the Financial Freedom Class!
* Developed the

Financial Learning Experience (2 hour class that travels the nation!)
* Taught the

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

Financial Learning Experience 10 times!
* 1,209 people attended the

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

Financial Learning Experience!
* Completed my first book "I Was Broke. Now I'm Not!" (being released in February 2008)
* Started a weekly newspaper column called "Money Help" in the

Text is Anderson Independent-Mail and Link is http://www.independentmail.com/staff/joe-sangl/

Anderson Independent-Mail
* Initiated a weekly podcast called "I Was Broke. Now I'm Not!" (Listen to the iTunes version

Text is HERE and Link is http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=263126368

HERE, the non-iTunes version

Text is HERE and Link is http://feeds.feedburner.com/JSFinancialFreedom

HERE)
* Spoke/Taught at

Text is NewSpring Church and Link is http://www.newspring.cc

NewSpring Church,

Text is Revolution Church and Link is http://www.therevolution.tv/

Revolution Church,

Text is Crossroads Church and Link is http://www.xroadschurch.net/

Crossroads Church,

Text is Barefoot Community Church and Link is http://www.barefootcommunitychurch.org/

Barefoot Community Church,

Text is Lifepoint Church and Link is http://lifepointnow.com/

Lifepoint Church,

Text is 5 Point Fellowship and Link is http://www.5pointfellowship.com/

5 Point Fellowship,

Text is Oak Leaf Church and Link is http://www.oakleafchurch.com/

Oak Leaf Church,

Text is Word of Faith Christian Ministries and Link is http://wofcm.wordpress.com/financial-seminar/

Word of Faith Christian Ministries,

Text is Little Steps and Link is http://www.littlestepssc.org/index.html

Little Steps, and

Text is Peachtree Community Church and Link is http://www.peachtreecc.org/home.html

Peachtree Community Church)
* Got to

Text is meet Dave Ramsey and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?p=389

meet Dave Ramsey, sit in with him during his radio show, and interview him!

All of that - IN JUST ONE YEAR!!!

I am so blessed and humbled to be a part of this great crusade. I am overwhelmed by the blessings I have in my life.

Thanks be to God for making my life's work imminently clear! I LOVE what I get to do! I am truly living my dream!

Text is Read recent posts and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts

Text is Receive each post in your E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

Receive each post in your E-MAIL

I provide one-on-one financial counseling to over 450 people per year. This helps me accomplish my passion which is "to help others accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances".

Anyway, I met with a couple for the first time 42 days ago - just six weeks ago.

I met with them again for a follow-up meeting and here are some of their accomplishments - IN JUST SIX WEEKS!



* As you can see from the above picture, they have chopped up their credit cards!
* THEY have not used credit for the last six weeks!
* HE is taking his lunch to work every single day!
* THEY shut off their cell phones!
* THEY paid CASH for Christmas!!!
* THEY have put money into their

ING SAVINGS ACCOUNT!
* THEY bought less!
* THEY put their house up for sale to get rid of their huge monthly payment!
* THEY have a written plan that is EZ to follow!
* THEY are going to win big time!

In just SIX WEEKS, they were able to accomplish all of this!!!

I am FIRED UP!!! That is what this whole crusade is about! Freeing up people to be able to go do EXACTLY what they have been put on this earth to do.

I LOVE IT!

Do YOU have a success story you want to share? Click

Text is HERE and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com/2007/11/20/new-feature-success-stories_32191/

HERE to share your successes - both large and small - with the I Was Broke readers!

Text is Read recent posts and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts

Text is SUBSCRIBE to receive posts in your e-mail and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

SUBSCRIBE to receive posts in your e-mail

I just read

THIS ARTICLE on CNNMoney.com. This is EXACTLY why I am on this crusade to help people win with their money.

Read the article, and try not to get too frustrated.

Here are some items that stand out to me (and of course, solutions to them)

1. "I look at how much money we spend and I think, 'Where is it going?'" says Kerri … It is really simple to answer that question! All you have to do is recognize that INCOME - OUTGO = EXACTLY ZERO. By visiting the

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

TOOLS page, you can put together a written spending plan that ensures that you do not overspend.
2. The HELOC (Home Equity Line of Credit) … now often serves as a safety net when they come up short at the end of the month. The balance is almost $50,000. Borrowing to make up the gaps month-after-month is a clear indication of a lack of planning. I wonder when they will have their IHHE Moment?
3. The couple has almost no savings. And that means no emergency fund and not a dime set aside for the children's college. This couple has THREE children ages 4, 9, and 12. It should not be a surprise when the 12 year old goes to college in SIX years! This fact also reveals why the HELOC keeps going up - there is no buffer of cash to protect this family when life happens. I would recommend that they set up a beginner emergency fund of at least $2,500 and start saving for

Text is KNOWN, UPCOMING EXPENSES and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?p=425

KNOWN, UPCOMING EXPENSES that are crushing their monthly spending right now and causing them to run to debt.
4. "One day, I hope Mike will do his Quicken work and say, 'Oh my God, we didn't go over this month,'" says Kerri. "When that happens, he'll be doing backflips." This confirms the lack of a plan. Guess what? Without a plan, this couple will NEVER spend less than they make! It is time to make a change!!! It is also sounds like Mike & Kerri are not working together as a couple to manage their money. There is a good chance that this couple will not be on the same financial page, and that makes it very difficult to win with money. I recommend that they sit down TOGETHER and put together a spending plan BEFORE the month begins!

I would love to help Mike & Kerri put together a plan that works! Mike & Kerri, contact me and I will gladly set up a financial counseling appointment that helps you guys WIN BIG TIME with your money!

Text is Read recent posts by Joe and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts by Joe

Text is SUBSCRIBE and Link is http://feeds.feedburner.com/JosephSangl

SUBSCRIBE

As part of my effort to eliminate my home mortgage, I have been reducing my monthly expenses.

One of the items I reduced was my cable/internet bill. I saved a TON of money - $94 PER MONTH!!!



BUT, with the reduction of my expenses, my beloved ESPN channel has now turned into a bunch of static!

Who knew that when you reduced your spending on cable that they would actually reduce the amount of channels you receive!

I am going through complete withdrawal. I also had to turn in my digital receiver box and remote control. That beautiful remote control worked so nicely. My old crappy remote control has been recalled to full-time duty.

Nonetheless, in two years and eleven months Jenn and I will be hosting a mortgage burning party at our house!

ESPN vs. ZERO DEBT

It's the biggest match-up this season in the Sangl household!

Read recent posts!

Subscribe to automatically receive posts in your

Text is E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

E-MAIL!

Last weekend, my lovely bride was Christmas shopping on-line. On Monday, I went to my bank's on-line site to make an on-line bill payment (I LOVE on-line bill payments!)

Here are some of the charges that I saw …


Now, I knew that she had been shopping on-line, but I didn't know that it was for a new spouse!!! Some of the fraudulent charges were from Match.com and Yahoo! Personals!

I called my bank, and they were fantastic! The person who used the card apparently used it as a credit card - they did not know my pin code. They immediately put a hold on the VISA check card and sent a new one to me. They have already reversed the charges and credited them back to my account.

So, I am now officially a fraud victim.

It makes me wonder how many readers have been a victim or know someone who has been a victim of this type of theft!

Read recent posts

Text is SUBSCRIBE to receive posts FREE via E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

SUBSCRIBE to receive posts FREE via E-MAIL!

I have seen

this SNL skit dozens of times, but I still laugh every time!

I also have had some laughs watching

Text is Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping and Link is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxjl2ERhnI

Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping. He is proclaiming to the world that a Shopocalypse is upon us! He actually has a BLOGALLUJAH! that is hilarious!

On a serious note …

* Have you listened to the "I Was Broke. Now I'm Not!" podcast? The latest edition of this weekly podcast was released today! If you have iTunes, you can subscribe to the podcast

Text is HERE and Link is http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=263126368

HERE. If you don't have iTunes, you can download the podcast

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/wp-content/uploads/Blog%202007-11-19%20Podcast%20Bottom.jpg

HERE.
* If you are looking for personal finance books that I have read and recommend, you can find them

Text is HERE and Link is http://astore.amazon.com/wwwjosephsang-20

HERE.
* There are only 12 days left until Christmas! (I still have not bought one single gift. This is NOT good!)
* Invest $100/month for 40 years with 12% annual growth, and you will have $1,176,477! That CRAZY math never fails to BLOW MY MIND! You can run different investment calculations by visiting the

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

TOOLS page and selecting the "Investment Value Calculator".

Have you visited the SUCCESS STORIES link on the left side of the page? The stories of saving and found money are AWESOME! Why not leave your own success story while you are there?

Text is Read recent posts and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts

SUBSCRIBE to receive posts FREE via

Text is E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

E-MAIL!

So many people have problems with the use of their credit cards. I used to be in that number! I ran up my credit cards three different times. I am officially a THREE TIME LOSER with credit cards.

Here are some ideas that could help you stop the use of credit cards:

* Boil them
* Shoot them
* Can them
* Chop them
* Slice them
* Shred them
* Cancel them
* Glue them to the bottom of your shoe
* Attach to firecrackers (at least $1,000) and light the fuse
* Burn them
* Prepare a budget every month BEFORE the month begins and apply the magic formula of INCOME - OUTGO = EXACTLY ZERO!
* Freeze them into a block of ice
* Set them underneath the space shuttle and have them fire up those engines!
* Pour them into a concrete retaining wall

If you are like me (a three time credit card loser), welcome to my club! Do whatever it takes to prevent the use of credit cards.

I personally chopped mine up with scissors and started preparing a written spending plan every single month.

That was December 2002. In February 2004, I became debt-free except for my house. In November, 2010 the house payment will be gone too!

If you needed to get rid of your credit cards to win with money, how did YOU stop?

Subscribe to receive posts in your

http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041...

Text is Read recent posts and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts

www.JoeSangl.com is PROUD to announce that a Llama Pay-Off Spectacular is now available!



Just click

HERE to obtain your very own copy!

Oh, I also added several other Savings and Pay Off Spectaculars including …

* LASIK eye surgery
* John Deere equipment
* House Down Payment (Saving only)
* Musical Instruments
* Overdraft/NSF (Pay Off only)
* Roof Replacement
* Braces

More to come soon!

I always welcome new "Spectacular" ideas!

Text is Read recent posts by Joe and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts by Joe

Text is Subscribe to the feed and Link is http://feeds.feedburner.com/JosephSangl

Subscribe to the feed

It was AWESOME to take the crusade to

Peachtree Community Church in Villa Rica, Georgia!

The people who attended were FIRED UP to become debt-free and go do EXACTLY what they have been put on this earth to do!

For those who attended last night - THANK YOU!

Thank you for allowing me to accomplish what God has put me on earth to do - "help others accomplish far more than they ever thought possible with their personal finances"!

Here are some of the links that I mentioned yesterday:

Text is On-Line Savings Account and Link is http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-2718006-10420585

On-Line Savings Account - currently 4.2% interest - FDIC insured up to $100,000 (remember the maximum you can deposit is $2,000,000 Smile - but you can start with only $1!)

Text is www.SavingFreak.com and Link is http://www.savingfreak.com/

www.SavingFreak.com is a web site that shares a ton of moneysaving tips for frugal living.

Text is www.mymoneyblog.com and Link is http://www.mymoneyblog.com/

www.mymoneyblog.com is a web site where you can find some 0% interest credit cards that you can surf your credit card balances to!

If you have IRREGULAR/SEASONAL/CYCLICAL income, you should read this

Text is series of posts and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com/?cat=13

series of posts.

All of the tools demonstrated are FREE! Just click

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

HERE.

When you have a success story, be sure to share it by clicking the "Success Stories" link on the left!

Text is Read recent posts by Joe and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts by Joe

Text is Subscribe to receive posts automatically in your E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

Subscribe to receive posts automatically in your E-MAIL!

Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to train people on the process I use to provide financial counseling at NewSpring Church.

I LOVE getting to do this!

Whenever I take the

Financial Learning Experience on the road, I always offer to train people on the financial counseling process I use.

Why? Because I KNOW that there are people who need some help in developing a plan to win with their money, and I KNOW that there are people who have a heart for teaching people about money!

I was able to train three people who have a heart for helping people. That FIRES ME UP!

Subscribe!

Have you ever started attacking a debt with more than the minimum payment and thought, "I wonder how much sooner this debt will pay off if I keep making this payment?"

Today, I proudly announce the newest tool in the vast array of helpful personal finance tools on www.JoeSangl.com!

Introducing …

The Early Pay-Off Calculator

You can click the above link directly or visit the "TOOLS" page to see this and the other great finance tools available!

Have fun!

By the way, I used the tool to determine the amount of money I need to send in each month to pay off my house in three years. YIKES!

Let's just say that I need to sell a LOT of books!

Read recent posts by Joe

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 are taking

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 11 months). You guys will all get to watch the mortgage leave by watching the "Sangl Family Home Pay-Off Spectacular" turn green!

Here is the update!

Total Squares: 2,426

Paid-For Squares: 691

Squares Remaining: 1737

% of House Owned By The Sangl's: 28.5%

% of House Owned By Wells Fargo: 71.5%



Another whopping 0.7% paid off! Wow!

I am comforting myself by telling myself that for each $1,000 of principal I pay off, I am saving $62.50/year (5.21/mo) in interest (The mortgage note is 6.25%). That means that I get to save that $5.21/month for the 28 months that it would have taken to reach my new principal balance should I have paid it as scheduled.

With all of the savings going toward additional principal reduction, I am CHOPPING the legs out from under Mr. Compound Interest!

Here is an analysis of the impact paying different payments makes.



Get your own Debt Pay-Off Spectacular HERE.

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

Read Joe's recent blog posts

Subscribe to the feed

You can view my column in the Anderson Independent-Mail by clicking

HERE!

I am PUMPED about being able to help even more people start winning financially!

Read recent posts by Joe

SUBSCRIBE to this feed

E-Trade is offering $25 for any NEW customer who opens one of their new "Complete Savings Accounts"

The link to follow is

HERE!

Here's the great part. You apparently only have to open the account with $1!

So I opened an account with $1. I have to leave the money in the account for 30 days and then the $25 is mine.

According to the link HERE, E-Trade bank is FDIC-insured up to $100,000.

$1 = $25

That's good money!

Read recent posts by Joe

Receive posts like this and other great tips in your E-MAIL!

Introduction
This couple is THROUGH with debt! It has now been four months since they announced to their debt that they are breaking up with it!

Here's this month's update!

What went well this month …
This month was a good month. We planned ahead for things that were going to cost us money (2 weddings, a birthday and a baby shower). We also worked on our Christmas shopping this month…started early…and paid in CASH!! It was GREAT!!

Another great thing about this month is we didn't even realize it was pay day until we saw the money deposited in our bank account. Planning ahead and scheduling all of our bills at the beginning of the month frees us from worrying about when the next check is coming in. In other words, we are not living pay check to pay check anymore.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, we paid off another credit card…3 down, 1 to go!!

Challenges and struggles for this month …
Just like the past couple of months we have struggled with making our cash envelopes stretch until the end of the month. But, it helps us practice saying NO!!

We overspent on our gas this month by about $60. When we planned the trips to the two weddings we did not incorporate the cost of gas; one was in NC and the other in Tenn. And we had Thanksgiving in Georgia. I did not think about the extra gas we would need this month. We have to go to Florida for Christmas and we are going to budget gas money for the trip. I won't forget about the extra gas money from now on, that's for sure!!!

Here is their updated

Debt Freedom Date calculation …


Month By Month Progress …


Sangl says …
Couple #2 discovered that they owed less on vehicle 2 and that reduced their debt owed by nearly $3,000, but they still were able to reduce actual debt by nearly $1,800! I am FIRED up to see that the Providian card has left! Another CC bites the dust!

The challenge now is to pay off the Disover card. If they pay $325/month, it will take over a year to pay off this debt! That is a long time and it could really challenge Couple 2 to stick with their plan. I would really like to see Discover leave sooner because regular victories are so key to sticking with this plan!

Here's to hoping that a Christmas bonus or Tax Refund is in their future!

I am also PUMPED up to hear that Couple 2 is no longer living paycheck-to-paycheck! I remember the day that I stopped living paycheck-to-paycheck. I still have that feeling of relief and stress reduction.

Way to go!

Readers …
Couple 2 has made great progress! How is YOUR debt freedom plan going?

Would you share with Couple 2 your thoughts on how their willingness to "put it all out there for the world to see" is inspiring you to embark on your own Debt Freedom March?

Text is View past updates from Couple #2 and Link is http://www.josephsangl.com//?cat=20

View past updates from Couple #2

Read recent I WAS BROKE posts

SUBSCRIBE!!!

SUBSCRIBE to receive posts via E-MAIL!

Introduction

Couple #1 has HAD IT with debt! They have been married for many years and have two children.

It has now been three full months since they embarked on their Debt Freedom March! That means that the hardest months are behind them!

On to the update for this month!

What went well this month …

I can see improvement not just in the numbers but in the actions of me and my family. The kids are starting not to hound me for things that cost so much.

Challenges and struggles for this month …

Christmas is LOOMING and I have not planned ahead. I think what I have decided to do is to pay cash for Christmas and to pay the minimums on the debt just for this month and resume the march in Jan. This will be the last year of a Christmas not planned ahead.

Updated Debt Freedom Date …


Month By Month Progress …


Sangl says …

I am FIRED UP by the progress that Couple 1 has made! In just three short months, they have made two debts leave and paid off over $3,000 in debt!

Even more important, the family is getting on board! The children are realizing how huge of a lifestyle change this is and are jumping on board! There is NOTHING like a united family attacking debt.

I am thrilled to see that Couple 1 is going to start saving for Christmas 2008 in January! It is SO MUCH EASIER to save for known, upcoming expenses over the course of months instead of absorbing the entire budget-crushing expense in a single month.

While they are going to pay less on debt, I am PUMPED to see that they are avoiding Christmas debt by paying cash! This is so important! As you attack debt, you will encounter expenses that threaten your ability to avoid debt. You have to make the decision that NOTHING is important enough to go get debt. Way to go!

Readers …

You can save for Christmas (and property taxes, annual insurance premiums, and other known, upcoming expenses) in advance as well with your own monthly escrow account.

THIS ARTICLE shows you exactly how to do it!

It is encouragement time for Couple 1. Would you take a moment to share your thoughts with Couple 1?

You can receive each article FREE via

Text is E-MAIL and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

E-MAIL by clicking

Text is HERE and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

HERE!

I am back home from speaking and teaching at Lifepoint Church!

What a fabulous weekend!

I can tell you this … God is moving big time in Wilmington, NC and I am fired up about it!

Jeff Kapusta, Daryl Strickland, George Kapusta, and the entire team at Lifepoint Church are obsessed with impacting their community and that FIRES ME UP!!!

Here is a summary …

* Lives were changed as a result of attending the Financial Learning Experience!
* If you attended the FLE this weekend - You CAN do this!!!
* The entire Lifepoint team LOVES Apple products. It was iPhone this and Macbook that and "Joe - you need to see the light and dump that PC" all weekend long. I kept telling them that it is highly logical that Function-F4 and adjusting the visual display properties is very intuitive. I suspect that I helped strengthen their argument.
* The entire Lifepoint church has a "cool" factor that a nerd like me does not have. I wonder if an Apple product would help me become "cool" in some small way. Smile
* God is moving in ways I did not understand until I started teaching these classes at different churches. Churches like Crossroads, Oak Leaf, The Revolution, Barefoot Community Church, 5 Point Fellowship, Word of Faith Christian Ministries, and Lifepoint.
* The calves', calves', calves', calves have calves. The calves', calves', calves' have calves. The calves' … I guess you had to be there. It was REALLY funny!

It was a GREAT weekend! Lives were changed, and I am more FIRED UP about the crusade than ever before!

Read recent posts by Joe

Subscribe

As part of Google Analytics, I get to see the locations of people who are checking the blog.

Behind the state I live in, Texas and California are routinely in the top four states in the "hit" count.

So, Texas and California, I want to come to your states and teach the

Financial Learning Experience.

Where should I teach it? I have listed a few of the places I think I should teach it below …

Texas - Top Hit Locations

1. Dallas
2. San Antonio
3. Houston

California - Top Hit Locations

1. San Franciso
2. Los Angeles
3. San Diego

Read recent posts by Joe

I can't wait to carry the crusade to Wilmington, NC this weekend!

I will be speaking during the Sunday morning services of

Lifepoint Church - Pastor Jeff Kapusta

They are finishing a series called "ING - A Financial Series" and you can listen to the iTunes podcast by clicking HERE.

On Sunday afternoon, I will be conducting the Financial Learning Experience! This is a two-hour, practical, HOW-TO, LIFE-CHANGING experience! There is one thing I do know about this class - it is changing lives!!! That FIRES ME UP!

The crusade is also coming to Peachtree Community Church - Pastor David Reid in Villa Rica, Georgia two weekends from now (December 9th)! It is part of the "Money For Dummies" personal finance series! I LOVE IT!

Interested in having Joe carry the crusade and the Financial Learning Experience to your church or business? Contact Joe by clicking HERE!

My

blog post about Wants Needs a couple of weeks ago really generated quite a response, and it has been interesting to receive all of your feedback on the steps that Jenn and I are taking to eliminate our home mortgage.

If you recall, we are considering eliminating/reducing our spending on:

* Cable TV
* Spending Money
* Babysitting Money
* Internet
* Entertainment Money
* Gasoline Money
* Christmas Money

Well, here is an update to our discussion.

* Cable/Internet I was spending $126/month on my stupid cable and internet bill. That is ridiculous!!! After forty minutes of phone conversation and talking to six representatives (yes I counted), I have been able to reduce to basic cable and basic internet for $34/month. That is a savings of $92/month! Annually, that is a savings of $1,104 and it will allow us to color in over 15 extra squares on the Sangl Family Home Pay-Off Spectacular PER YEAR!
* Gasoline Money We are starting to take our lunch to the crusade instead of going home. This allows us to save 12 miles of driving each day. This will save us around $36/month! Annually, that is a savings of $432 and it will allow us to color in nearly 6 extra squares on the Sangl Family Home Pay-Off Spectacular PER YEAR!
* Babysitting, Entertainment, Spending, and Christmas Money are all on the docket for this month's spending discussion. PRAY that this goes well!

As I have routinely said throughout my life - Thoughts and talk without action is mere babble!

We are taking ACTION to destroy this stupid mortgage!

I welcome any money saving tips you may have!

Subscribe to this blog

As I have helped people prepare hundreds of budgets, I realize that debt is sometimes hidden from people.

Let me give you an example.

One of the first things I ask when helping a person prepare a written budget is "How much is your take-home pay?

They tell me a number, and we start applying the famous equation: INCOME - OUTGO = EXACTLY ZERO

Everything is proceeding smoothly until we get to the debt column. The "revealing" of the hidden debt happens here.

The statement is made, "I have a 401(k) loan, but it is taken out of my paycheck. Should we include it here?"

The 401(k) loan is taken from their paycheck before it ever gets to them. Ever hear the saying, "Out of sight. Out of mind."?

I usually adjust the "Take-Home Pay" by the loan payment amount and then include the payment in the debt column.

Here are some common "Hidden Debts" that I see:

* 401(k) loans
* Overdraft loans
* Car payments
* Company loans

These hidden loans are "Out of sight. Out of mind." Yet they are eroding one's ability to win financially.

Expose the debts to daylight and ATTACK them!

Oh, by the way, you ought to list out all of your paycheck deductions and see how much you are paying annually for each one. When you see how much you are paying in taxes, it will ensure that you vote every single time you have the opportunity!!!

You can start your written spending plan by using one of the FREE easy-to-use forms on the

TOOLS page.

Subscribe to www.JosephSangl.com

About eight weeks ago and after nearly two years of blogging, I finally established the ability to track the number of downloads for individual forms.

Sometime this week, the

Monthly Budget Form (Excel) will be downloaded for the 1,000th time during that eight week period!

That is ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! I put these tools on my web page for FREE because I wanted to help people start winning with money, and it is working!!!

How do I know that it is working? Read some of the success stories HERE.

Are you one of the many who have started using the budget forms to put together a spending plan that works? Share your success story HERE!

Maybe you have been on the fringe reading the writings of this lunatic named Joe Sangl. Is today the day that you will put together a spending plan that works? Click on TOOLS at the top of the page to start your journey to financial freedom!

Text is Read recent posts by Joe and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com

Read recent posts by Joe

I remember the days that I used credit cards to pay for Christmas.

There were two key reasons that I used these fabulous credit cards:

1. I did not save money for Christmas during the year
2. I overspent on Christmas presents

I solved #1 by creating a Christmas escrow account.

Let's say that I wanted to spend $1,000 for Christmas. By saving $83.33 each month, I magically have $1,000 when Christmas arrives! This takes away a lot of stress, and I highly recommend it! You can read more about creating your own escrow account by clicking

HERE.

I solved #2 by putting together a written plan for my Christmas shopping. I pulled up a copy of the Mini-Budget Form (Excel)on the TOOLS page and entered the names of those I am shopping for this Christmas.

At the top of the form, I entered $1,000 for the "Cash Budgeted".

I then wrote in the amount of money that I plan to spend for each person on the list.

Applying my secret formula for financial success, INCOME - OUTGO = EXACTLY ZERO, I spend the $1,000 to EXACTLY ZERO.

By pulling out cash for the Christmas Shopping, I can ensure that I will not overspend!

I am FIRED UP by all of the success stories that readers are sharing via the "Success Stories" link! Have you shared your successes - both large and small? You can do so by clicking on SUCCESS STORIES on the sidebar or by clicking

Text is HERE and Link is http://iwasbroke.savingadvice.com/2007/11/20/new-feature-success-stories_32191/

HERE!

"I saved $3,000 when I bought this new car!"

"I saved $250 when I bought this new TV!"

"I saved $200 when I bought this new computer!"

I am sure that you have heard people say this. You have probably said this. I know that I used to say this a lot!

The FACT is that - I have never seen anyone save money by spending money!

I have seen them spend less money, but I have never seen them save money.

People want to believe that they are getting a great deal, AND they know that they should be saving money. Marketers are genius to use the phrase "Save money by buying today!"

I will probably use this phrase when my book is released. I will say … "Save $3 by purchasing today!"

I guess there is one way to kill my statement. That is to take the money that you did not spend and actually save it!!! Like physically putting the money into a savings account where it can gain interest. That would certainly put a hole in my rant!

I really like saving my emergency fund money in my

ING Direct account and receiving 4.2% interest (it's current interest rate)!

Read recent posts by Joe

Text is Receive each post via E-Mail! and Link is http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailverifySubmit?feedId=1041637&loc=en_US

Receive each post via E-Mail!

Today, I proudly introduce a new feature - Success Stories!

Beginning today, there will be a link on the sidebar that links to this post. Why? Because this is THE SPOT where you can tell the entire world about your financial successes - both great and small!

Did you save money on car insurance? We want to hear about it!

Did you try out cash envelopes and save money at the grocery store? We want to hear about it!

Did you put together your first-ever monthly budget and actually follow it? We want to hear about it!

I want to hear your stories! We all want to hear your stories! Let's see if we can get 1,000 success stories by the end of the year!

I am going to list one of my recent success stories first! Who's next?

Read recent posts written by Joe

It seems my

post on eliminating expenses out of my life has generated some really strong feedback.

I have gotten comments on the blog, e-mails sent directly to me, and pretty strong feedback from individuals I see weekly.

I have gotten statements like …

* Joe, you have to live a little!
* Way to go!
* Why are you doing this?
* You should also considering cutting …
* This seems extreme
* You should invest all of this extra money instead of paying down the mortgage.
* You're crazy!

Why is it that all of the people who are suggesting that I am a little off of my rocker for doing this all have house payments?

Folks, I am not doing this to be normal. If I wanted to be normal, I would still have car payments, student loan payments, credit card payments, furniture payments, and dog payments. That is what normal is in America - I've lived that way (except for the financed puppy), and TRUST ME I like the debt free life better!

I CHOOSE to NOT be normal!!! As I like to say when teaching my class - you can call me crazy, weird, a nerd, or anything else - just don't call me broke anymore!

Who's with me?