tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90672084116637322072026-07-03T21:08:34.574-04:00Because becoming wealthy has 100% nothing to do with money . . .Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-4029438136841204572012-06-01T10:11:00.001-04:002012-06-01T10:12:37.586-04:00

Kick out the troublemakers and things will quiet down;  you need a break from the bickering and griping!                                          Proverbs 22:10 (The Message)  Every year on December 31st, my good friend, Ashley, takes inventory of the core relationships

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-70284332655751400012012-05-03T10:28:00.000-04:002012-05-19T10:39:03.890-04:00

We can’t help it. Whether we hear Apple, BMW, Coca-Cola or Wal-Mart, we automatically create very specific images in our head about each one of those brands and what they represent to us.  Likewise, very specific images come up when we hear names like Beyonce or Cher or Michael Jackson. Brands don’t only pertain to businesses, but people, as well.  So, it’s important to understand

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-34039595845360387412012-04-04T10:38:00.002-04:002012-04-04T10:47:16.070-04:00

As a small business owner you might agree that coming up with the idea for your business was a piece of cake. . .  Financing the business, however, is an entirely different story!  Sometimes you may only have very few opportunities to present your business for funding, so it's your job to make sure they count!  Here are five strategic steps to help you fund your

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-5911342872314852432012-03-27T11:15:00.023-04:002012-03-27T11:15:00.424-04:00

Tax time: That interestingly peculiar time of year when ordinarily smart people begin to make really dumb financial decisions. Isn’t it amazing to watch what a little extra cash, okay well for some, maybe a lot of extra cash lining the pockets can do? The average tax refund for 2011 may be a little over $3000, but there has to be several thousand dumb things people are doing with the money at any

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-12102217265367345812012-03-13T10:01:00.001-04:002012-03-13T10:01:00.451-04:00

So, the list of the lies that keep you in debt continues. Whether you’re just beginning on your journey toward financial freedom or you’ve declared yourself a certified personal finance sage, I’d almost guarantee you’ve had to say at least one of these to yourself at some point. . . . Well, I know I have! As a reminder, here is a review of Part 1: 1. I deserve it.2. But, this is an emergency. .

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-78163697634303597012012-03-07T17:41:00.002-05:002012-03-08T09:16:57.316-05:00

Making a budget is a marvelous first step, but far too often that’s where the fairy-tale ends for most.  Let’s face it . . . Finding a budget template is not much more than a simple Google search away.  The issue most of us have is figuring out how the heck to stick to it! The reason so many people give up on using a budget is because the one they have created is far too rigid

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-77776433669928432042012-02-28T09:36:00.002-05:002012-02-28T09:36:00.244-05:00

Warren Buffet is known for saying that investing and dieting are alike, in that they’re both simple and yet neither is easy. I couldn’t have agreed about the simple part until reading this book! . . . If I had more than two thumbs, they’d all be pointed upward for Deborah Owens’ A Purse of Your Own.  In this radiant financial read, Owens uses the purse as a metaphor for wealth,

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-2128863338380868922012-02-22T05:33:00.001-05:002012-02-22T05:33:59.354-05:00

We all have those lies, large and small, we tell ourselves to justify why we do the things that we do. The reality is, however, that every single decision we make is either helping us or hurting us. There really isn’t much gray area there. Whether we choose to acknowledge it or not now, really doesn’t matter. Our long-term financial standing will inevitably show us what we found important during

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-32842497160396033762012-02-14T07:48:00.001-05:002012-02-14T07:49:03.222-05:00

This month’s issue of Black Enterprise features a new series on women and money entitled “Think like a woman . . .  manage your money like a man.” For obvious reasons, I couldn’t wait to sit down and read what revelations it would share. The article states that “when it comes to finances women often wind up with the short end of the stick, whether the issue is salary, investing, big-ticket

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-75860413942076046892012-02-07T14:24:00.000-05:002012-02-07T14:24:23.679-05:00

We all want it. We all need it. But for one reason or another, most of us find it difficult to talk about money – especially when the conversation involves our significant other. No matter how hard the talk is to have, the reality is that you can’t create a truly great relationship until you can openly communicate about money. Think about dating relationships. Money is the one subject people will

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-68537000612818275342012-01-31T09:50:00.003-05:002012-01-31T09:50:00.477-05:00

If one of your financial goals this year is to save more money, participating in “No Buy Month” might just be one way to bring you one step closer. February is “No Buy Month” as declared by Natalie P. McNeal, author of the Frugalista Files, a delightful book that chronicles how the blogger got out of debt while maintaining her fabulous life. She also reveals how not spending extra money for just

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-37578081877113838552012-01-24T10:34:00.001-05:002012-01-24T10:46:03.700-05:00

As I shared last week in Part 1 of How to Create Wealthy Habits, we are never in a state of "trying." We are either doing what we need to do or we aren't. Once we recognize that there is no in between, we can begin to take charge and implement the habits that will create the success in our finances and lives we desire.  Here are more ways to create wealthy habits today: SEE AND

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-31756212260415284522012-01-17T09:53:00.002-05:002012-01-24T10:47:31.503-05:00

Most people understand the saying that we are “creatures of habit.”  The part they don’t get, however, is that habits come in two forms: doing and not doing. Many of us can think of the things we actively do each day as habits which may be either good or bad.  But, when you don’t do the things you know you should be doing, then you are practicing the often unnoticed habit of simply not

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-38364497225337166212012-01-04T12:47:00.000-05:002012-01-04T12:47:48.322-05:00

So, if you didn’t take my advice in 2011 and use a Christmas fund to complete your shopping or incorporate the returned gift of lay-away to keep your budget intact, there’s a great possibility you might have more debt today than you did about 30 days ago.  So, while you genuinely enjoyed the traveling, gift-giving and extra time spent with family and friends this past holiday season, if

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-69228737508059373532011-12-26T12:20:00.000-05:002011-12-26T12:20:58.895-05:00

Time is winding down, but if you are proactive instead of reactive, it's not too late to take advantage of a few tax tips that can save you big bucks on your tax return!  Any tax professional will tell you that the most beneficial tax preparation won't take place in April; it begins in December.  So, make 2012 less taxing on yourself by getting things together now. 1. Save money by

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-90761179784098587812011-12-14T14:32:00.002-05:002011-12-14T14:34:46.131-05:00

I’m not a fan of debt, but if you lost your job, I totally get it. Or, if something happens with your automobile . . . understandable. But, accumulating debt because of the holidays? Nope; can’t get with it at all. . . . For one, the holidays are not a surprise. We know that Thanksgiving and Christmas are bound to roll around again when we set out on January 1st.  So it couldn’t be that

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-26854095286999681642011-12-01T05:39:00.001-05:002011-12-01T06:08:05.211-05:00

If you’ve already cut down weekly beauty regimens and Friday nights out on the town or totally cut off the luxury of cable television and still don’t feel a little relief, then the problem may not be your “outgo,” but your income. The recipe for financial success is the highest income you can achieve coupled with the lowest expenses you can maintain for your personal standard or quality of life.&

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-10645361343694482492011-11-22T21:32:00.000-05:002011-11-22T21:32:33.948-05:00

As Black Friday nears, some are excited about the deals and steals the day promises to offer, while many others are deathly afraid of the prospect of being pushed, shoved and trampled amidst the frenzy. I tend to side with the latter, but either way, here's your Guide to Surviving Black Friday! Get Your Mind Right Sale or not, if you don't have the money to shop, then don't shop! 

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-50083959557390029022011-11-11T09:30:00.002-05:002011-12-01T06:09:01.049-05:00

Let’s face it. No one adores paying bills. As a matter of fact, most of us downright hate the mundane and tedious task of physically paying multiple bills. That’s why Tiffany Aliche, aka The Budgetnista, author of The One Week Budget stopped paying her bills all together.  Why do something you hate doing when you can spend the same time doing the things you love? Aliche wrote The One Week

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-23429927306331796102011-11-03T15:42:00.000-04:002011-11-03T15:42:03.548-04:00

The reason banks continue to create junk fees is simple: they understand that consumers are creatures of habit; slaves to our own laziness.  Just think about the fees you “agree” to pay when you use an ATM outside of your banks network. Ever paid $4.50 to get $20 out of the machine? Hurts, doesn’t it?  And yet, you do it again and again anyway! I know the thought of trying to move your

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-36630303972202790142011-10-25T13:53:00.000-04:002011-10-25T13:53:12.576-04:00

If you thought Occupy Wall Street (OWS) was just a fly by night initiative, think again.  What began September 17, 2011 as a series of minimally publicized demonstrations in the financial district of New York City has blossomed into a full blown movement which has not only swept the United States, but crossed into international terrain, as well. The participants' slogan "We are the 99%"&

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-28311006179395955872011-10-13T06:57:00.004-04:002011-10-13T07:05:17.629-04:00

The concept of Bank Transfer Day only sprung up this past weekend and already the social media driven initiative has gone viral and gained media attention worldwide. The Facebook campaign is urging Americans to close their accounts at large banks and place their money in local credit unions by or on November 5th in order to show contempt for bank conglomerates, such as Bank of America, who are

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-89811118878096407022011-09-29T11:30:00.015-04:002011-12-01T06:09:41.166-05:00

Just when we were starting to accept that pretty people made all the money, we get hit with yet another study.  First, we were told that attractive people are paid $230,000 more over a lifetime based solely upon appearance and not experience.  If that wasn’t depressing enough, a more recently published study is saying that people who are ruder make more. Does this sound crazy to you?

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-9731623823604470492011-09-20T17:12:00.002-04:002011-09-21T09:14:59.770-04:00

Ever heard the saying, “Stay ready, so you don’t have to get ready?” . . . Well, with the ambush of earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis and tornadoes we’ve experienced since the beginning of the year, you should’ve seen enough by now to know how devastating the effects of any disaster – natural or man-made, can be. Since January, FEMA has confirmed over 80 major disaster declarations in the United

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9067208411663732207.post-15304401320464082082011-09-07T11:35:00.024-04:002011-09-07T11:52:11.372-04:00

If you’re one of those people who seem to be taken by surprise every holiday season, then yes, it’s time to start Christmas shopping! I know, I know. Labor Day is still on the tips of our tongues and you haven’t even thought about the kids Halloween costume yet. It may feel too early, but unless you’re expecting some type of financial windfall between now and December, it’s definitely time

Patrice C. Washingtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14854379974626115080noreply@blogger.com1