Author: br_admin

I can’t stop thinking about something my powerhouse friend Dave McLurg said…
(Dave has a brilliant business mind and is exceptional when it comes to strategizing so as to best leverage a business, offer, or a service.)
He said that people move in and out of three states-of-mind: survival, functional, and transformational.
He also said that while a person can move up the ladder, he or she can’t skip steps. So you can move from survival to functional, but you cannot move from survival to transformational.
If your state of mind is focused on surviving, you are thinking about basic needs, like putting food on the table. If you are in functional mode, you are thinking about getting the laundry done so you have something clean to wear to work.
These two phases aren’t very exciting, are they? In fact, “survivor-land” is downright depressing…
But the third area is… well, it’s transformational.
If you are in the third phase, you are considering where you want to go and how you can transform your life into something bigger and better.
This is where I want to spend most of my life.
Of course, we all live in “survivor-land” here and there, but if you are always focused on “just surviving,” you won’t be capable of focusing on transforming your life.
So if you want to limit the amount of time you spend in “survivor-land” and spend more time thinking about how to transform your life, you must find a way to quickly move up the ladder.
In other words, you must develop a method for getting out of “survivor-land” and into functional mode.
When I find myself focusing on the scarcity and “just trying to get by,” I ask myself a question…
What do I have to do next?
This way, I start taking action on things that need to get done. By taking action, I allow myself to stop being paralyzed by the fear of “getting by.”  For me, jumping into “action-mode” puts me in a state of mind that allows me to then shift gears and focus on my future.
For instance, if I’m going through the actions of getting my kids dressed (a functional activity), I can try to turn this function into a transformational moment. I can ask my kids: “What are you going to do today to make the day a great day?”
And then I can tell my kids what I’m going to do to make sure my own day is great.
How about you? How do you shift your focus from scarcity and surviving into transformation and thriving? Share your ideas below.
– Philip Tirone

These three questions are the “catch-all” questions for everything… for parenting your children, for handling your finances, for making professional deals.

Before we get to that, let me back up and tell you how I know Lou Holtz.

One of my mentors is Harvey Mackay, author of five bestsellers, including Swim with the Sharks. As part of our mentoring relationship, Harvey introduces me to his close friends and associates. (I’ve blogged about the fact that success relies, at least in part, on getting physical exposure to people you admire.)
At any rate, Harvey introduced me to Lou Holtz. Aside from being kind enough to take his picture with me, Lou gave me some great advice…

It’s the same advice he gave to his players on the field, to his teammates on projects, and to the coaches he manages.
Anytime you are tackling a problem, ask yourself:

1. Am I doing the right thing?
2. Am I doing the best with the time I have allotted for this?
3. Am I treating others as I would want to be treated?

If you can answer these questions with a resounding yes, you are on the path to success. If you say no to one or more of them, make the proper adjustments, and rework your solution.
Once Lou told me about these questions, I started using them all the time. When I’m disciplining my kids, I ask myself: Am I doing the right thing? Am I doing the best with the time I have? Am I treating my kids the way I would want to be treated?
And when my kids are being unfair to one another, I ask them the three questions…
When dealing with a client, I ask myself those questions. You get the point.
Lou also gave me one other question. Consider it the bonus question.
This person helps a person keep focused when working toward a goal…
The question is: What’s important now?
When Lou was coaching his teams through a season, he kept perspective by asking over and over: What is important now? What is important now?
By doing this, he stayed in the moment and kept his team focused on making the most of that moment.
I pass this advice along because I think it applies to just about everything.
What is important now?
This is a question I can ask myself if my kids are ever in crisis. It’s a question I can ask myself when I’m trying to accomplish something for my business.
In crisis and in success, asking What is important now? stops us from focusing on distractions and reminds us to keep doing our best in the moment…
As always, let me know your thoughts by posting a comment below.
What is important in your life right now? Let me know!

Dear Mom,
When I think back to my childhood, one memory in particular still makes my eyes well up with tears…
While other parents were driving Mercedes and BMW’s, you were driving the school bus. And you did it with a smile on your face!
And work ethic isn’t the only thing you gave me. You are the definition of “Super Mom.” You have taught me that…
1) My word is my wand.
In fact, I can still hear your voice: “Phil, your word is your wand.”
If I was angry and complaining, you taught me that I would attract whatever I was focusing on. If I continued to use words of frustration, I would attract more frustrating things in my life. But if I used words of gratefulness, I would be given other things for which I would be grateful.
And guess what? My word is my wand, and that is why my life is so great right now.
Thank you, Mom.

2) I should always make it fun.

It was late into my elementary school years when I learned that “Energy Balls” were actually pitted prunes and that “Moon Candy” was dried apricots.
I specifically remember a day when I had a friend over, and you said, “Who wants some Energy Balls?”  Lacey and I jumped up and down…
I can only imagine what my friend was thinking, but I still grin when I think about the sick look of disappointment on his face when you brought out the “treat.” After recovering from his shock, he said, “Those aren’t Energy Balls. Those are PRUNES!”
Well, to this day, I still love my Energy Balls… and countless other kind-of-gross things that you made fun.
3) It will come back tenfold.

Perhaps your greatest lesson was this: “Everything you give will come back 10 times, so just keep giving.”
I remember the time you donated enough money to sponsor a pew at church. Money was tight, so I asked, “Why are we giving that much money when we can’t buy what we need for our own household?”
You said, “Whatever we give will come back ten times. Let’s keep giving and believing!” And you were right, Mom. It always came back ten times… and more.

Sometimes, all you have to do is ask.
This is one of the major themes of my credit course. If you want lower interest rates, if you want your banks and credit card companies to wipe away penalties or forgive some debt, sometimes…
All you have to do is ask.
But even though I teach this in my course and in my book, I messed up.
See, I help a lot of non-profit and for-profit companies with their marketing strategies. And I neglected to ask…
I didn’t ask one of them enough deep questions to make sure that our interests were aligned.
So after several months of being frustrated, I finally realized something. I wanted them to make as much money as possible. If they made money, I made money.
But that’s not what they wanted—not in their heart of hearts. They wanted to grow slowly. When it came down to it, they weren’t comfortable with the same explosive growth that I was trying to help them achieve.
There isn’t anything wrong with either of our goals – they just weren’t aligned. If they didn’t make money—and fast—I wasn’t going to make money.
And if I pushed them too hard to grow, the corporate culture they wanted and loved would be non-existent.
So the relationship that we initially established was doomed from the start. We had (and still have) great rapport, and we are trying to find a solution so that we can continue to work together, but it sure would have saved us a lot of time if we had made sure our interests were aligned from the get-go.
So what’s my point?
From now on, I’m going to make sure my interests are aligned every time I enter a professional relationship, create a friendship, or sign a contract.
In fact, if I’m working on a solution with someone, the first thing I’m going to do is make sure our interests are aligned. If they aren’t, we will only be frustrated when working together.
Having aligned interests is a big part of making any area of life work.
It works with professional decisions, personal relationships, and it works with financial decisions as well.
And it also works on a big scale…
Imagine if the banks had disclosed their interests to the people who bought houses pre-2008! If people had known what was in the banks’ “heart of hearts,” would they have entered into an agreement with them?
And on a small scale…
Would you sign up for a retail store credit card if the cashier disclosed the store’s true interests? Imagine that a cashier said, “Would you like to sign up for a retail store card and save 10 percent on today’s purchase? Our goal is to lure you into signing up for the card so that buy more from us over the long-haul and pay a ton of money in interest rates.”
Heck no! You wouldn’t sign up!
So ask away… before you enter a relationship, make sure you know the true interest of the person (or business) you are going to work with.
As always, let me know your thoughts below. Have you recently realized that a relationship isn’t working because your interests weren’t aligned?
– Philip Tirone

It’s true. I’ve written about being a failure here.
And guess what?
My list of non-accomplishments grows longer and longer every year…
So the following quote from President Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship in a Republic” spoke to me. And because I know I’m not alone in stumbling a time or two, I thought I should pass it along…
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.
“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
That’s it for today… short and sweet because I don’t want to try to compete with those powerful words from President Roosevelt!
As always, be sure to share your thoughts below. Did the quote inspire you to rise above some of your stumbles?
– Philip Tirone

I’m talking about my business. It’s an ugly, tough, dirty one. Despite the fact that a lot of people desperately need my service, most people think credit is boring…
And those who aren’t bored by credit repair are often scared. They bury their heads in the sand because they just don’t want to deal with their credit problems.
So getting the word out there to the 10 million people who need credit repair?
Well, like I said, it’s a tough and ugly business.
But recently, I had an epiphany that I know will help you get out of a financial mess.
First, some background…
Because I spent so much time figuring out how to spread the word about my program, a lot of my friends and colleagues ask me to help them with their business models…
After all, if a credit guy can do it, a “prettier” business can do it!
So I was recently meeting with a colleague of mine to discuss his marketing strategy. My company has been writing the weekly emails he sends to his list …
And after sending just six emails, he earned an additional $60,000!
Wow! That’s $10,000 per email.
And all he had to do was ask his existing clients and colleagues for referrals.
All he had to do was ask.
Now, this guy is really sophisticated. In fact, he’s one of the smartest people I know.
But he wasn’t asking for referrals (at least not often and not strategically).
When he did, he earned $60,000 in six weeks. And all he had to do was push the “Send” button on his computer.
So what’s the lesson in this?
You have to ask for what you want. If you aren’t calling your creditors and asking them to lower your interest rates or waive the penalties, they aren’t going to.
You have to ask.
That might be all it takes. Call up your credit card company and ask for the hardship department. Then tell them your situation. See what they say.
The worst that will happen? They will say “no.” But I’m willing to bet that 99 percent of them will work with their customers to provide at least a little wiggle room. Maybe they will let you skip one
payment.
Or maybe they will settle your $15,000 credit card bill for 40 cents on the dollar, like they did for my friend.
You will never know unless you ask.
In my program, I teach people to call their credit card companies at least once every six months to negotiate lower interest rates or better terms.
Why not make today the day you call ‘em up and ask?
As always, let me know your success stories by posting a comment below!
– Philip Tirone

How about your home? Your office? Your yard?
I’m a little embarrassed to say “yes, yes, yes, and yes.”
Or, at least, that was the old me. I’m a hyper, busy guy, so everything was a mess.
When was I supposed to find time to organize my stuff when I was constantly rushing to do the next big thing?
But then I started noticing something…
By training my mind to give every physical thing a purpose, I started making better decisions about my time and my finances.
The floor of my car is not a trashcan. That’s not its purpose. Its purpose is to stabilize the car, keep me from falling through, hold the seats in place, etc. It was not created with the goal of holding my garbage.
So I don’t put garbage on the floor of my car. If I must store garbage in my car, I place it in a bag whose purpose is to hold garbage.
Now, you might be thinking that organization and cleanliness are irrelevant to credit or financial problems…
But I disagree.
If your physical space is sloppy, your life will most likely be sloppy…
Training your mind to give everything its purpose and its place allows you to make better financial and spending decisions.
If your mind is not trained to examine everything, decide its purpose, and then put it in the right place, you will make purchases that do not honor your long-term goals.
You will make buying decisions that do not have a purpose.
Your budgeting will be sloppy…
Giving things a purpose, and then placing them where they belong, gives you control over your life. It allows you to immediately eliminate dead weight and garbage.
It also gives you the opportunity to accept things that will improve your life.
Imagine the impact of training your brain to put things in its place.
You can immediately eliminate expenses that are silly. You can immediately accept ideas that will help you become more frugal.
You can immediately stop yourself from making purchases that don’t have a purpose…
What do you think? Am I crazy? Spot on? Let me know your thoughts below!
– Philip Tirone

In last week’s post, I told you about how I do odd things to get exposure to people who can inspire me and help me make important shifts in my life…
My point was this: If you want to change your financial circumstances, you could consider surrounding yourself with people who are going to help you get out of debt, fix your credit score, or increase your savings. By getting exposure to these people, you will naturally be exposed to ideas, habits, and activities that will help you change paths.
These people come in all shapes and sizes. You could decide to start having a weekly conversation with your sister- in-law, who is a master at budgeting and living on a shoestring. If you are a mortgage broker who just can’t make ends meet, you could find a mortgage broker who figured out how to make money in this economy.
Or you might want a mentor who can help you make other important shifts in your financial life or even in your career…
So if you are looking to meet with the Zig Ziglars, Ken Carters, and Rick Carusos of the world, I thought I’d pass along a strategy I use.
It’s called the 7 Magic Words, and I’ve used the strategy to get in front of all sorts of people…
So what are these seven magic words that will help you get exposure to the people you need to meet?
Here they are:
“What can I do to support you?”
These seven magic words open all sorts of doors.
Let’s say you are an employee at a large company. You want to have lunch with the head of the company, but he’s a busy man, and you are just one more face in the crowd.
Imagine what would happen if you sent your boss an email that said something like this …
Dear Steve:

What can I do to support you?

I want to be a superstar employee— someone who is with this company for many years; someone who becomes an integral part of the team. So what can I do to contribute more to the company?

Can I take you to lunch and find out more about you and your ideas for the company?

I know you are busy, and that your time is important. This week, I have $25 in disposable income. I know it isn’t a lot, and it certainly won’t compensate you for your time, but I’d be happy to donate it to a charity of your choice if you could spare an hour for a lunch meeting. And if you don’t have time for lunch, maybe we could grab coffee and talk for 15 minutes.

Sincerely,
Jason
If you promised to give your last $25 to your boss’s charity, do you think he or she would take notice of you? And do you think he or she would be willing to consider you for a raise or promotion when a spot opened up? I know I would!
Of course, if you are up to your neck in debt, you might not want to donate $25 to charity. No problem—let your boss know that you’ll donate five hours to a charity of his or her choice! Or do something—anything—to let your boss know that you are driven and want to move your life forward.
As always, let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
– Philip Tirone

Call me crazy, but I once sent a  seven-day bowel cleansing formula to  President Clinton. He looked  unhealthy at the time, and I was a  concerned citizen …
Another time, I convinced billionaire  Rick Caruso to have coffee with me. I  got Coach Ken Carter (of the 2005 film  Coach Carter starring Samuel  Jackson) to meet with my staff  members and me. And when I was 23,  I persuaded Zig Ziglar to have lunch with me.
I did all these things because I believe  in getting exposure to big thinkers— people who can help me shape my future.
In one of my posts emails, I  suggested that if you are struggling  with debt or credit problems, you could  “change your physical environment so  that you are more likely to create the  psychological shift necessary to fulfill  your financial goals.”
I got several requests asking for more  information about how to do this if you  are deeply in debt, can’t get credit, or  are having to start over from scratch.
So I thought I’d pass along an idea that has worked for me …
Get physical exposure to people you admire.
If you start talking to other people who have been in your circumstances, and who are now living a life you admire, you will get at least a few ideas for changing your circumstances. Plus,
you will build a supportive network of people who are on your side … who want you to achieve your goal.
I know that financial problems can be embarrassing, and you might not want to reach out to people for help. But you can save yourself from years of pain if you decide to reach out to a few strategic (and trustworthy) people who will give you ideas for changing your finances and your future.
So whom should you get exposure to? Basically, you need to find people who have “been there, and done that”—people who have successfully moved past obstacles to find success and financial stability. This might be your sister-in-law, a local businessperson, or a good friend.
Or, you might want to reach even farther outside of your social circle, especially if you are deeply in debt, unemployed, or starting from scratch.
You could start looking for people who can pull you up, a few mentors or advisors who can help you make radical shifts in your situation.
That’s what I did when I got Zig Ziglar to have lunch with me. And that’s what I did when I brought Coach Carter into my office.
So how did I do it?
Well, you’ll have to wait for my next post, but I’ll give you a hint …
I used Seven Magic Words.
Until then, post a comment below and let me know your ideas for getting physical exposure to people who can help you change your circumstances.
– Philip Tirone

Back in 2001 at the non-profit organization Myvesta.org we held a contest and solicited the best cheap meals from people all cross the country. The resulting entries were combined into the Cheapmeals.com Cookbook.
You can download a free copy of this cookbook below.
The Cheap Meals Cookbook is divided into:

1. Appetizers
2. Soups & Salads
3. Entrees
4. Desserts
5. Kitchen Tips & Tricks

But first, here are some great tips for eating cheap meals.

Starting at Home:

1. Get a plan. If you’re always spending more for food than you expected to, then a plan is in order. It doesn’t have to be elaborate, just sit down with your family and come up with a dozen or so recipes that are tried and true. Write down the ingredients you’ll need and stock up well enough that you’ll have plenty on hand. The fact is most people eat basically the same dishes over and over again anyway.
2. Choose just one new dish a week to try. If the family really likes it, add it to your tried and true list.
3. Keep a pad of paper handy on the refrigerator so you can write down what you’ve run out of — it’ll probably save you more than a few trips to the store. (Don’t forget to take the list with you!) Those last minute trips for one or two items often result in a bag of groceries that break the budget.
4. Keep a running tally of what’s in the refrigerator or freezer. You can post this list on the fridge, too. Maybe now you won’t forget about the lasagna you froze last year!
5. Clip coupons but only for items you already buy. Then, if your local store offers double coupon days, time your visit accordingly. Kids can be great coupon clippers, especially if you offer to give them a share of any money you save.
6. One of the biggest reasons we’ve heard as to why people don’t use coupons is that they always seem to be for items that you never buy. Here’s what you do: Clip the coupons for the products you don’t buy, but are made by the same company as a product you do buy. As long as the first 4 digits on the coupon match the first 4 digits on the item’s UPC code, they are made by the same company and you’ll get the discount. So if there is a coupon for diapers, and you buy paper towels made by the same company, you can use the diaper coupon to get the savings on the paper towels. Some stores allow this use of coupons and some do not. Ask the store manager if this use of coupons is allowed at the store where you shop.

Shopping:

7. Stock up on staples so you’ll always have the basic ingredients for a recipe. If you have the room for storage, buy plenty when the price is right but make sure that they will store well.
8. Also, stock up on your favorite items when they go on sale. If your favorite apple juice normally costs $2.29 and you buy it on sale at $1.50, you’re guaranteed to save 34 percent, taxfree. Stock up and save!
9. Let younger kids pick out one item within a certain price range (say $2) when they shop with you. They’ll learn to compare prices and hopefully won’t bug you to buy everything they see that looks good.
10. Let older kids use their allowances to buy items that aren’t on your list. (But if you want to buy them treats from time to time when they’re on sale, that’s OK, too.)
11. Look high and look low. The more expensive items are usually right at your level of eyesite, says Mary Hunt, publisher of the Cheapskate Monthly (www.cheapskatemonthly.com). The less expensive ones are probably up high or down low on the shelves.
12. Buy cheaper generic or store brands of staples (flour, tomato paste, etc.) Keep in mind that store brands are generally made by the manufacturers of the big name ones — they just slap on a different label.
13. Stick to your list and only buy promotional items when the price is really right and you’d normally buy them anyway. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a case of artichoke hearts that you’ll never use.
14. Alternate where you shop based on what’s on sale. Hit the warehouse clubs from time to time to stock up on good deals.
15. Use unit pricing. These days, most stores display unit prices on the shelf labels (the price per pound or per ounce for example). It may be in tiny type, but it’s usually there. Use that to help you figure out what’s really the best deal.
16. Stay out of stores as much as possible. If you find yourself running to the store for more milk or bread, or because you’ve run out of something, then look at your master shopping list again to make sure you’re shopping for what you need.
17. Buy in season. It sounds obvious, but buying fruits and vegetables in season can be dramatically cheaper than buying out of season. The flavor is usually a lot better, too.
18. Create a price list with the prices of items you usually buy at the stores you frequent. That way, you’ll know which stores have the best deals on certain items. You’ll also know when a “sale” price is a bargain and when it’s not.
19. Bring only your budgeted amount of cash to the store and leave your credit cards, checkbook and ATM card at home. You’ll have no choice but to stay within your budget!

Cooking It Up:

20. When you make a meal, double the recipe if you can. Then save the rest for a meal later that week, or put it in the freezer. You’ll save time and money! You may even want to try making one month’s meals at once and freeze them. This method can save time and money. Get Month of Meals by Kelly Machel or Once a Month Cooking by Marilyn Wilson for details.
21. Join up with others and start a meal exchange. The idea is for four families to share cooking responsibilities. One family cooks a meal one night a week for everyone. Then the meals are either delivered that evening or exchanged at a convenient location once a week. Shopping can be a once-a-month group activity or divided among the group’s members.
22. Become a master at substituting. For example, Nancy Castleman, editor of The Pocket Change Investor newsletter (goodadvicepress.com), substitutes shelled sunflower seeds for expensive pine nuts in her pesto. It tastes delicious. A powdered egg substitute that can be used in place of eggs in most baking recipes is available at health food stores. Keep your eye out for other inexpensive ingredients that can work just as well as more expensive ones.
23. Ask family members to take turns cooking one night a week. You’ll get a break and they’re much more likely to eat what they cook! (You may be surprised, they may be very good at it.)
24. Have a “leftover” night on Friday or Saturday where you eat what was left from the week. Make it a family fun night with plenty of games and conversation and the kids will probably get into it.
25. Start a small herb garden in your window or on your patio. Herbs will be there when you need them and will be much less expensive than buying them fresh at the store (potted herbs also make wonderful, inexpensive hostess gifts).
26. Learn to cook. If your idea of making dinner is to pick up the phone, invest in a few cooking lessons or learn from a friend or relative. You may surprise yourself and your family!

Download the Free Cheap Meals Cookbook

Click on image above.

@GetOutOfDebtGuy
Author: This article was contributed by GetOutOfDebt.org, a site that provides free help and debt advice on how to get out of debt.
Source: Free Cheap Meals Recipes Cookbook