Burying Bones

We have all seen the television advertising where the dog frets over what to do with his bone – and everything is tried, from burying it to putting in a safe deposit box. The inclination to bury food is an instinctive one for dogs, going back to the times when dogs were not domesticated, and needed to save food for the future. Some modern doggie psychologists believe it relates to needing more attention, or to some previous state of want. Fido believes that it is just doggie nature to protect their own resources!

How does Fido see this as a desirable trait? No one, whether canine or human, wants to live in a situation of concern for the future. Like Fido, we can learn to plan ahead, save for our desired material goods, and live for today free from money worries. Fido has some suggestions as to how to make this become a reality for you.

First, Fido suggests you sit down with the family members that are involved with the day to day living in your home. Let everyone have some input, for the greatest chance at success. Start a list of things that you routinely spend money on, gas, food, mortgage, cable TV, internet connection, meals out, clothing etc. Try to assign a dollar amount to each item. Then make a list of items on the master list that are not strictly necessary. (Internet service, for example, may be necessary for your business. Cable TV is usually not a business need!)

Next, start brainstorming for some of the things you would like to include in your life. A family vacation. An addition to your home. College educations for your kids. A retirement life of travel. Even though it may seem like a juggling act, you can have the good things you want in your life by following Fido’s example – she enjoys some in the now, and saves (buries) some for later!

Fido’s Blog (In which Fido Ponders the Story of Snoopy vs The Red Baron

Most of us are familiar with the timeless story of Snoopy (Charles M. Schultz’s memorable beagle) and the Red Baron, Snoopy’s nemesis. In the classic Snoopy story, our intrepid beagle takes to the skies, constantly focusing on shooting down the evil Baron. What we may not realize is that same battle plays itself out in our relationship with our money.

Fido has much wisdom to offer us from her doggy heart in how to live our lives wisely, to the fullest. This includes our money perspectives. Certainly treating money as “the enemy,” (the Red Baron) is counterproductive to creating a life of comfort and ease! Here are some Fido suggestions for Snoopy!

Remember that your money is a tool. It is not a weapon, or a curse, but the means with which you construct the life you want. Moreover, like any tool, there are right and wrong ways to use it. Start keeping a money diary in a small notebook you can carry with you. Jot down every purchase, from the latte in the morning to the quick stop at the grocery store for dinner. As time goes on, you will see patterns develop that can be modified or changed. This method will allow you to make moderate changes, a bit at a time, to use your money sensibly and with your eye on the prize. For Snoopy, the prize was the Red Baron, for you, it may be a new car, some remodeling, or a special trip. Just by eliminating the daily latte (instead, make it a weekly treat) you may be able to add up to $200 monthly to your viable spending money!

Focus on the haves, not the have-nots. So often, we moan about the things we do not have in our lives, things we think we must have to be happy. Instead, think of the things you have, and focus on creating a sense of plenty, rather than always looking to the latest cell phone, fanciest car or largest house as the means to be contented. Our money “frame of mind” needs to reflect the abundance in our lives. Each of us needs to use our bountiful lives to create our own plane in which to soar.

Consider all three elements of your money life when making plans. Fido has always said that our financial plan needs to consist of three parts; Savings, tithing (or charitable giving) and spending (which includes your bills and your day-to-day spending). Each part enables personal growth, as well as a sound basis for your economic future. Fido recommends a 10-10-80 split of your monies into each of these component parts.

Want to learn more? Check out my booklet, “A Seeing-Eye Dog for the Financially Blind – Fido knows more about your Money than you Realize!” on Amazon now.

**Images courtesy of Smart Bomb Interactive, Inc. Snoopy vs. the Red Baron ©2006 NAMCO BANDAI Games America Inc. PEANUTS © United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

As Happy as a Dog with Two Tails

As happy as a dog with two tails – a classic idiom that seems to mean the same thing to almost everyone – when a dog is happy, he wags. If he is VERY happy, he wags twice as fast. Therefore, a dog would indeed be very ecstatic if he had two tails to wag simultaneously to show his delight and pleasure in life.

Yet a dog takes its tail for granted. Short or non-existent like Corgi, or long and feathery like an Irish setter, Fido knows what his tail is for – expression! Happiness and affection radiates from his tail, and he doesn’t care about the size or looks of it...

There is a lesson here from Fido in our money dealings. We are rarely happy with our money picture. We don’t have enough, we are constantly in debt, and we fight with our significant others about where our income should go. The happiness in earning a living, sharing our wealth with tithing and saving for future enjoyments is what keeps our tails wagging, so to speak! How can you regain that joy and peaceful delight that comes with being content with what you have, who you are, and where you are going?

The first step, according to Fido, is to look over your finances with honesty and an open mind. What is your income? What is the necessary outgo? The discretionary spending plan? Start your vision with the idea that you are looking for strong points, not weak ones. Allow yourself the satisfaction of wagging for a moment!

Continue on to the second step, analyzing where your spending strategy could use improvement. For example, do you spend $100 or so each month on cable or satellite, but rarely watch TV? Trim your programming package, and roll over the regained cash into a rainy day fund. Do the same with each item of your discretionary spending; meals or coffee out, gym membership, extra vehicles etc.

You are doing well now! Let the pleasure in regaining control over your spending bring the joy of accomplishment into your life. If, in your search for ways to trim the fat, you find you have questions or concerns, don’t let them grow to disproportionate levels. Contact Joan, the Debt Relief Queen, for help in making all your dreams become reality.

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Enjoy the Bone!

Have you ever taken the time to watch a dog with a bone? From the moment you hand her the meaty treat, she is thinking about how to make it last. She takes it to a private corner and begins to gnaw on her treasure. However, before too long, she is like the dog in the TV ads, wanting to enjoy her bone and protect it at the same time. Fido knows the flavorful goodness is finite, and won’t last forever. So she plans to make the bone last. How does she do that?

First, she enjoys the bone in the moment, savoring the enjoyment it brings her. Next, she looks for a place to stash it for later, knowing that to a dog, the seasoning is in the age of the bone. She checks her stash frequently, usually not chewing, but just checking to make sure it is still there, and growing ripe for the next nibble. We too can take a lesson from Fido’s care with her treat. How much more pleasure we can garner by using our money wisely, staying out of debt, and keeping some of our “treasures” stashed away for another day?

I can remember the first time I paid cash for a fairly large-ticket item, a living room suite. There was something deliciously perfect about knowing that when the furniture arrived it was mine, paid for, without any aftertaste of debt in my mouth. I had set the goal, and saved my money in order to make the purchase, and like Fido, the joy in the treasure was made to last.

How can you learn from Fido’s joy in a good bone? By taking time to enjoy the process of earning and having money. You work hard, and when that paycheck comes in, paying it out to frivolous purchases on credit cards can be painful. Instead, get those cards paid off, and set money aside in savings for enjoyment later on. As with Fido, you can take pleasure in the money (bone) as well as save it (hide it away like Fido’s bone) for a good future gnaw! Need help in planning out your debt relief, setting up for future wants or getting a good look at your income and outgo? Contact the Debt Relief Queen for assistance. Look for the ~ You Can Get Out of Debt Too! ~ How to Use Debt as a Tool, Not a Crutch Home Study Audio Course Available SOON!

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Take a Lesson from a Dog

DOG QUOTE: "Dogs don't need to meditate. No creature experiences pure joy as does a dog. We should take a lesson from them."
- Richard Wade, contributor, http://www.friendlyatheist.com/

The daily practices of dogs are simply not something they must THINK about. FIDO KNOWS what they are and just does them. No one has to remind her that it is time to take a nap (Murphy above certainly has the nap handled!) nor that it's time to take a walk. In fact, FIDO has an internal KNOWING for these things and like clock-work she nudges you to get the leash out and let's get walking!
However, we humans struggle with this, having to actually remind ourselves to step into a daily practice, even those daily practices that support our well-being! Learn from FIDO to naturally and habitually step into a nurturing daily practice that supports your health, especially your money health!

Money is attracted to and stays where it is welcomed!

Tug-O-War

DOG QUOTE: "No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich" - Louis Sabin

There are so many things playing tug-o-war with your money emotions, pulling you this way and that. Each thing competing for your time, talent, or attention. Sometimes you get so distracted with it all that you end up bringing home something that you never truly wanted or needed, like a Sombrero from Mexico. (Ask for my article on the SOMBRERO SYNDROME - email me today with sombrero in the subject line). It is much like awakening from a deep sleep, you realize you just bought something that truly does not even fit into your lifestyle.

FIDO KNOWS that truly it is the game of tug-o-war that is where all the fun is for her. She plays to win, wants the item strongly enough that she will tug until she has it. It doesn't much matter if it has any value or if once she has it she is even interested any longer. She might run away with it, keeping it all to herself, or she may just drop it and coax others to play again. Whatever the reason, she is bound and determined to have it.

How often do you play at the game of tug-o-war with your money? Do you stop long enough to notice whether you really want the thing or if it truly fits into your lifestyle? I encourage you to learn from FIDO and do the opposite.

A Boy's Best Friend is his Dog

DOG QUOTE: "A boy's best friend is his dog." - unknown

I know it is not just boys who have best friend's as dogs. Us girls have dogs for best friends too! However, the point is not that the dog is our best friend in many cases, the point is that we humans make best friends with other things too, like CREDIT CARDS!

FIDO KNOWS that there is nothing better than a nap, a good bone to chew upon, and a human friend to rub her belly. No where on her list is CREDIT!

If you are so attached to your credit cards that they go everywhere with you, they shop with you, they go online with you, and out to lunch with you, then they are your best friend. Who else goes everywhere with you besides a best friend?

FIDO KNOWS there are far better things to befriend than a credit card! Like maybe a wonderful tree to sniff!