My 2Cents!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~A Newsletter all about Living with Abundance, Ditching Debt and Collecting Cash.
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------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Janine Bolon, Editor janine@smartcentsinc.com
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in this issue -- Note From The Editor -- Angels on the Street Corner: Impulse Giving -- Cash, Cars and College is Published! -- Giving Anonymously while Helping Santa -- Reader Tip! -- WHO WE ARE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note from the Editor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Frugal Friends, I absolutely love this time of year! It doesn’t matter if I am in the humid tropics celebrating Christmas in a t-shirt and shorts or all bundled up knee deep in snow walking to a neighbor’s house. I’ve always enjoyed the month of December for the spirit that is quite literally in the air as nations all over the globe celebrate different festivals of renewal and joy. Keeping the spirit of renewal in mind, this issue focuses on the joy of giving. Some of the tips given in this issue discuss the systems on how to give philanthropically while remaining anonymous and impulse giving. These are some of the tricks used by conservers of wealth to receive the spirit of renewal during this busy time of year. Who would have ever thought that by giving money away you could actually decrease your stress? Give it a try. Wishing you wealth and abundance! Janine P.S. Check out the new, free audio tracks available on-line from “Money…It’s Not Just for Rich People! LIVE!” You have the option to listen to three different sessions from the 5-CD set. Just click: http://smartcentsinc.com/cds.html Angels on the Street Corner: Impulse Giving ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There is a major aspect to philanthropic giving that is hidden from most people. This aspect is the numerous opportunities for unplanned giving that the Universe will throw at you to see if you are paying attention. I have been giving money away for almost 30 years, and I started my streak as an “impulse giver” when I was 12 years old. What do I mean? Well, the usual pattern for me is that I’ll be walking down a street, and on the corner will be a guy standing with a sign stating that he needs money so that he can get something to eat. It is so habitual for me to take advantage of these impulsive opportunities that I am reaching for my wallet before I have finished reading the sign. Why? Because I know that the Universe is about to send me money or an opportunity to make money, and I need to prime the pump. This panhandler is actually an angel in disguise, and he is begging on that corner not just to help himself but to help ME! So I walk by the guy and slip a small gift into the bucket – not much, but whatever amount my conscience whispers to me. When I was 12-15 years old my usual donation was 25¢ to $2.00, which was all I could afford at the time. Now, I’m a lot better off and I’ve been known to drop $20-$60 at a time. I always listen to my conscience when selecting the amount. After donating to my “angel,” I will receive within a few days or that same day a phone call with a job opportunity or a check will arrive in the mail or I will be given something that I desperately need for “free.” Now, you may consider me totally naïve for giving in this fashion. You have probably heard plenty of stories about panhandlers who spend their donations on booze, or who beg because they make more that way than they could in an “honest” job. You know my response to that? NOT … MY … PROBLEM! I am not here as anyone’s judge; I am only responsible for giving other people a hand up, in whatever fashion seems best. I give my money to them because that is what I’m supposed to do. What they choose to do with that money once they receive it is so not my issue; it’s theirs. You and I are responsible only for listening to what our conscience tells us to do. So, don’t look at a panhandler with revulsion! See them for what they are, angels in disguise. The Universe wants to bless you with money, but you must prime the pump first, so dig into your pocket the next time your conscience whispers to you, “Hey, give that guy a fiver!” Cash, Cars and College is Published! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ta Da! After 2 years of research and 6 months of beating my head on the keyboard the money book for youth (ages 12-19) is finally available for sale. It was printed up just last week! This book would have been impossible to write had it not been for the willingness of all my students to share their innermost financial lives. Many of you kept me going during the dark days of writer’s block by e-mailing me often, demanding copies of the book yet-to-be-finished, as well as reminding me that I had *promised* to write it for you! I appreciate all the hassling you gave me and the patience you exercised as I told you, “I’m working on it!!!” Go direct to my publisher to look at the free preview: http://www.lulu.com/smartcentsinc Giving Anonymously while Helping Santa ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today I was having lunch with a friend of mine and he mentioned that he had $400 he wanted to give away and was totally stressed about how he was going to do this anonymously. He wanted to give a certain struggling family “a Christmas” he said and how was he going to do this and still remain hidden? “Easy,” I told him. “You become Santa’s Little Helper!” Say what? Here is how it is done. You go to your local financial institution and buy a money order for the amount you want to give. You then sign it as, “Santa’s Little Helper” and then mail it to your intended recipient or give it to an intermediary and instruct them that “I got this from a friend to give to the such-and-such family.” The intermediary does not need to know that you are that “friend” and if they press you for a name, simply respond, “They wish to remain anonymous.” I have used this technique multiple times over the past three years and I still get a thrill every time I shovel cash to someone in the form of a money order. Give Santa a little help this Holiday Season and share your bounty! Reader Tip! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you've got a Reader Tip for the Frugal Friends Network that you'd like to share, please send it to janine@smartcentsinc.com with the subject line "reader tip." Submissions should be 75 words or less.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ WHO ARE WE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SmartCents, Inc. is a company dedicated to bringing the systems of debt-free living to as many people as possible. We wish our students to go out and make their communities stronger by building financial security within their personal lives first and then demonstrating the conserver lifestyle to others.
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Contact Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~email: Janine@smartcentsinc.com web: http://www.smartcentsinc.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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