The sabbath is a day of rest we were all given. From sunset friday to sunset saturday we celebrate the Sabbath. The 4th commandment states that we are not to do any work on the Sabbath(Exodus 20:8). As time has gone pass many of use have lost this concept entirely. Some have went astray and called Sabbath a burden and even attempted to change it  to Sunday. This action remind me of when Abel sacrificed to Elohim

Financial smarts are a must for every one that sales and buys in any type of economy. Its not just something you do periodically,  its a life style. Did you know that five percent of the people own about ninety-five percent of the nations wealth and the middle class is getting wiped out by the second.  Here are some brief steps  you can put to play in your life that will increase your financial IQ.

STEP 1. INCREASE CONFIDENCE

Confidence is not just important in finance but also in your daily life. Your confidence ofter stems from what you put your faith in. So ask your self what do you put your faith in and is it solid. Is your trust in the falling dollar, 401k, job, friend, or the God of Abraham. Sometimes unexpected events can cause use to lose are focus of what we have faith in. We need stubborn like faith which leads to solid confidence. The strategy is also to focus on the goal and the outcome. Never focus on the current situation which could be good or bad because they both come and go with the wind . Doing that will keep you looking forward.

STEP 2. EARN

One person works forty hours and earns 40k a year and yet the next person doesn’t work at all and earns 180k a year. We are all good at earning money, its just what we put are time towards that counts. Poorer folks in most cases work for earned income and have 401k plans, IRA’s,and stocks. Better off financially folks invest in assets, tax shelters, and leveraged income opportunity’s. Sometimes in order to get assets in the expense column instead of liability’s we have to work a side job at first.  As time goes on and assets become another source of income its just a matter of plug and play from there until you shape it like you want.

STEP 3. PROTECT

PICTURE THIS: What if you came to your bank and asked them for your money back and they told you sorry we can only give 60% of what you put in. This is exactly whats happening to your money only they actually give you the same physical amount back. I call these things predators and your money is the prey. The amount of money you have is the same but the its worth is always on the decline. The biggest predators are inflation, taxes, and even your spending habits. Inflation we can’t control but taxes we can. The best tax shelter is owning your own business. If your thinking that will cost you hundreds of thousands it won’t. Business can be anything from a neighborhood cleaning company to $300 network marketing company. Not much considering you’ll save thousands come tax time. Another thing we have to is increase self awareness. Increasing self awareness will help use realize when we are buying based off of looks and emotions. It’s sad the some companies can put a model next to a crappy product and it sells.

STEP 4. BUDGET

Another phrase I use for budgeting is goal setting. If you budget to meet goals it will be fun. A good free website to use for budgeting you credit card and putting in different scenarios is Bankrate.com. At this website you also set goals for car loans, student loans, and mortgage loans. Another good tool that I personally use is quicken. Make sure if you go the Quicken route that you purchase it on ebay not at best buy our a similar store,  you’ll save $70 on a $100 dollar product. Budgeting is one of those things you all ways have to adjust.  As you earn more or less you some times have to rearrange your budget accordingly depending on how much of a cushion you have and the new goals you set.

STEP 5. LEVERAGE

What is your dollar ratio. When you put $100 in your piggy bank you ratio is 1:1. Keep in mind that does not include the termites/predators explained in step 3. Some use the bank to leverage there money. EXAMPLE: If you put down $10,000 on a $100,00o rental property, the bank has gave your dollar a ratio of 1:10. Big corporations and business’s leverage by using your time. When you have time brain storm and research ways to leverage. Sometimes the best ideas of leveraging come from you or a small group.

STEP 6. INCREASE KNOWLEDGE

I suggest that 2-3 times a week you read or listen to something that increases your financial IQ. Some of the books I suggest are the Robert Kiyosaki series.  You can also download mp3 books or speeches on the area you desire to know about. One of the mentors I listen to is Jim Rohn because I’m big on this type of leveraging. If this is the only thing you take from all the above steps the best thing you can do is read your Bible. Thanks for reading and God Bless.