This week’s book review for On The Book shelf is “Beyond Blessed” by Robert Morris.  I am talking about this book because it is a really good book.  I understand that the author is  in trouble for things he did 40 years ago when he was in his 20’s.  I am not recommending the author I am recommending the book because it’s a really good book.

Half of it is stuff that I teach in my financial fitness class that I wrote in 2017 & 2018.  The methods for sound financial fitness really don’t change.  The economy may change, tools and banking may change but sound financial principals stand the test of time and that’s why I’m talking about this book.

What is do good about Beyond Blessed?  It is the second book to follow up his first book A Blessed Life.

The blessed life has two components to be a generous giver and to be a good steward or (in the business world) a good money manager.  That’s what I’ve spent the last 23 years doing.  I manage cash flwo for my clients, help them make and keep more money and watch horrible “financial advisors” waste it away on junk investments.  But that’s a conversation for another today.

Beyond Blessed has a couple unique viewpoints that I believe everyone needs to understand.

Point one: We don’t give to get, we get to give. 

This is huge.  God owns everything on the earth.  He gave us dominion.  He asked us to manage things on earth.    This includes money, time, people and all resources on the planet.  It is out job to manage them well.

The other thing is: giving is a lot of fun.  It is much more fun to give than to get.  Getting is fun sometimes (when you earn it) but giving produces a joy like no other.  Being able to turn someone’s life around is a huge pleasure.

Giving can be many things: sometimes it’s a smile or a hug, sometimes it’s buying someone’s lunch for them, sometimes it’s giving a big tip and sometimes it’s investing in someone’s business to help them grow.

Giving is fun but in order to give you have to be in a position to give.  You can’t be generous with your money unless you have money.  You won’t have money to give unless you manage your money well.

Money management is a basic skill that everyone can learn.  Anyone can do this but you do have to take the time to learn it and to do it.  Some of you want to skip this part.  You can’t.

In my class I teach that if you can’t handle $80,000 a year, you can’t handle $250,000 per year or 2 million a year.  Start where you are. 

I could go into how many lottery winners go broke and how many people making millions have no savings or investments to show for it but you can read that in my class and in this book.

Point Two:  Put God first and all these things will be added to you.

Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Money makes a very poor God.  Now I’m teaching and preaching more from my class than this book.  We all worship something.  What are you worshipping?  I’ve seen people bust their butts for the love of money which is greed.  It tears their life apart.  They aim for their financial goal and the rest of their life falls apart.

How can you have both?  Put God first.  He is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega.  Build your life and your business on God and everything else will come into it’s proper place.

Which brings me to the third point.  Living within your means.  If you are a horrible manager of $60,000 per year then you will be a horrible manager of $2 million.  If you were a jerk before money you will be a jerk with money.

Living within your means requires that nasty thing that most people don’t want to discuss: the B word – budget.  Like most people I hate that word.  Understand that this book is written from the perspective of an employee or retired person.  It assumes a set income.

To my small business owners out there: most of you do not have a budget.  But you better know what your overhead it and what your average monthly spending is – both for the company and for your personal life.  Yes, I know you can go make more money but sometimes you can’t.  Growing a business takes time, money and energy and a good marketplace. Those don’t always happen as you need it.  So, watch your debt levels.  That has taken out many small business owners.

Back to this really good book.  The author says it really well:

A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

Another snippet of wisdom in this book is how to view a budget. 

A budget is a detailed plan that reflects your values and goals.

Some of you may need to rethink how you view a budget.  It’s a good thing not a restrictive thing.

The author recommends that you have Mr. Budget in your house.  Make the budget and blame Mr. Budget or use Mr. Budget to explain why you can’t meet friends for dinner that night or go on a trip that you can’t afford.

Especially if you are married.  Having Mr. Budget set the rules, stops you from blaming your spouse.  When the kids want to buy something, you tell them Mr. Budget won’t allow it, not your wife or husband.  Come into agreement on your budget and have peace in your house.

There is a great story in this book.  

A family had set their budget and it really didn’t allow for much eating out.  But on Tuesdays, you could go to McDonalds and get a happy meal for $1 but without the toy that usually comes with it.

The Mom in the story was going through the drive through and the little girl in the back seat asked if she could get a Happy meal with a toy. 

The Mom says no, not today.  Mr. Budget won’t allow it. 

There’s a pause for a minute.  Then the girl blurts out: “I wish Mr. Budget would die”.

How far have we come from those days when now people pretty much buy what they want when they want it. 

Which brings me to my last point.  Credit cards are a ponzi scheme.  When you are using credit cards and not paying them in full, you are stealing from your future.

Let that sink in. 

Our country – the USA has an all-time high debt of 36 trillion dollars.  Yes, that is trillion with a T.  We need something drastic like tariffs to fix the problem.  We can’t keep kicking this down the road because that road is going to end very soon.

Personal debt is at an all-time high.  Americans are carrying $18.2 trillion in debt.  Okay, 13.2 trillion is housing debt (mortgages, second homes and rental properties) and 5 trillion in non-housing debt.  Again, this is very unsustainable.

To be financially sound and have a great future you have to get your debt paid under control.  burocarcy

To have a blessed life and a life free from financial strain you need to do some financial planning.  Not with a financial salesperson but your own planning with you or your family if you have one.

The steps in this book are very much like my class:

1. Know where you are right now.
2. Know where you want to go.
3. Have a vision
4. Set goals
5. Make your action plan
6. Get accountability and assistance.

If you need help with this, grab this book or come join me in a free webinar.  Sign up on my website debmousseau.com.

Get financially fit and be free.  God wants you free.  Jesus died so you can have an abundant life on earth.  Debt is bondage.  Financial ignorance is not bliss it’s an accident waiting to happen.

If it’s time for you to get your financial house in order, come join me in my webinar or challenge. If you want a good read and a different perspective on money management grab the book Beyond Blessed.

Take care and God bless you!

Deborah