Dare to Change Life Coaching & Mentoring

Tag: financially empowered

Your Big Badass Dream Plane & THREE Levers to Upgrade Your Financial Life

What would it take for you to feel wealthy?

How many millions?

Or maybe just having “more than enough”?How many homes/yachts/planes?Or maybe just having more choices?How many children/husbands/lovers? (OK, this topic is for anothertime/place… LOL)Or maybe just having more free time, working less?Obviously, being wealthy means different things to different people…And it’s great to have Audacious BIG Badass Dreams.And my question to you is: “Are you actually ready to bring your currentfinances into harmony with your BIG Badass Dreams?”Because dreaming BIG is great! However, in order to take this BIG BadassDream plane off the ground, you’ve got to get very clear about it (is it REALLYworth the efforts?), then map your way forward and learn to pilot it, so youcreate the momentum.Because if you don’t… well, let’s stay positive here.So, what is your “BIG Badass Dream” plane?What do you REALLY want for yourself and your loved ones?

Can you describe it as if you were living it in the present moment?What do you do, what do you feel and see, where do you live, who are youwith?Make time and space for yourself to “normalize” your Big Badass Dream –make it SO NORMAL that you start embodying this dream!Then you can get to map your way forward.How do you map your way forward?By mapping your money according to your desired level of financial fitnessand using three cash flow levers to accomplish your desired results.Money Mapping is about discerning what’s REALLY important to you in life(and this may change as you go through different phases in life) and thendesigning your lifestyle so that it supports your values and your BIG dream.Money Mapping is Budgeting 2.0, because it’s NOT just about counting everypenny you spend on groceries. That’s tedious and unnecessary for mostpeople.Money Mapping is about you focusing on your BIG Badass Dream, translating itinto numbers, then reverse-engineering it into the money map so that yourlifestyle and choices are coherent with your goals.In my programs, I talk about 4 stages of Financial Fitness:1. Less than enough2. Just enough3. More than enough4. AffluenceYOU DECIDE what financial fitness level is next for you. THAT will determineyour spending patterns, your saving patterns and your investing patterns.That’s what the money mapping is for.

My clients come to me at different levels of financial fitness spectrum and withvery different ambitions. And they ALL evolve to much higher but differentfinancial fitness levels. Because they have different definitions of “wealth.”That’s why I asked you at the beginning “What would it take for you to feelwealthy?” Your answer will determine your specific money map.In other words, your answer to this question (which only YOU know theanswer to), will guide your choices and financial decisions.For example, you may have a BASIC money map (to track your money, youcan use an Excel spreadsheet or an app) that reflects just basic needs(groceries, rent, utilities) and paying off debt. This may support a simplelifestyle, living debt-free, in a rural area, and have less pressure…Then you can create another COMFORTABLE money map that will includesome comfort items like massage, mani & padi, trips, restaurants, privatecoaching, etc.Finally, you can create another AFFLUENT money map that will cover allyour intentions and desires – from millions in the bank, to having a personalchef, jet-setting to French Riviera, and having vacation homes in resort-likelocations.Having these money maps will help you “land” your BIG BADASS DREAMplane with concrete numbers that will back it up, support your desired lifestyle.Finally, the time for the HOW question. What levers do you have to controlyour cash flow and upgrade your financial fitness?I invite you to consider these THREE levers to control your cash flow:1. Income2. Budget (pattern of spending)3. DebtAnd here are THREE ways that you can use to improve your cash flow:1. Identify your current ‘financial leaks” and make necessary adjustments.2. Brainstorm and uncover additional long-term sources of in-coming cash.3. Brainstorm and uncover immediate prospects for incoming cash flow.In summary: You Big Badass Dream can be your reality. Being FinancialIndependent is NOT a pipe dream. You’ve got to get your money map inplace, get strategic about your choices and get this plane onto the runway,ready to take off.

With love, health and wealth

P.S. If you feel sick and tired of being restricted by money, feeling worryingabout your retirement, anxious about investing – let’s connect! Here’s the linkto schedule a complimentary Money Breakthrough session with Millen.What do you have to lose? Fear, money anxiety, indecisiveness. What youcan gain? Clarity, direction, specific strategies and concrete steps to moveforward.

April 27, 2019
7 Steps to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #6 – Shop Smart

Women shop differently than men. In general, women tend to love shopping and many see it as an entertaining activity. They are more likely to make impulsive purchases and often take advantage of special offers.

Men mostly buy just what they need right now – they go with a clear idea of what they are looking for and try to spend as little time as possible.

Can you relate?

In order to spend less and save more, especially as a woman, you’ve got to become a savvy shopper. It’s not difficult. And the tips that I’m going to share with you here will help you buy what you need, spend less and save more. That’s what I call smart shopping.

You can save substantial amounts of cash when you become intentional shopper as opposed to emotional shopper.

Ready?

Here are EIGHT TIPS for SAVVY SHOPPING:

1. Plan your purchases in advance

Plan your purchase. Pause and get really clear about: Why do you need it? Where will you put it? What will you use it for? Who will use it?

If you don’t have compelling answers to these questions you will realize that you don’t really need to buy it at this time.

If you feel strong about your decision to buy the item, plan the day to go shopping and enjoy the fact that you made an intentional decision to buy it, not an impulsive one.

2. Have a budget for your purchase

Have an approximate amount that you intend to spend on this purchase. This will help you be intentional about the amount you’re willing to pay and not get carried away with whatever price you see on the label.

Does it require some financial discipline? Yes. And it’s a good habit to have if you want to be a Wealth Builder instead of Wealth Consumer.

3. Pay in full (cash or debit card)

When you are in a store and you see something that you really want or need, it’s easy to pull out a credit card and pay whatever the price may be.

However, if you are using cash or a debit card to purchase the item, you’ll have more awareness about the price that you’re about to pay because your amount is limited by the cash in your wallet or by the amount in your bank account.

4. Buy older iterations of products

Retail price of the latest version of a product is always higher than the previous years’ model, whether it’s a phone, a TV or a car.While the newer version may have more features, you’re paying a premium price for these new features if you buy the product on release-day.

The same model will be priced significantly lower in just a year or two, so waiting a little longer can be quite lucrative. You may save hundreds or even thousands when you weigh the benefits of saving money on buying a good, but not the latest model of the product.

5. Shop for clothing during the end-season

You like to look like a “million bucks”? Great! And it doesn’t have to cost you that much! You can find significant markdowns on clothing prices—50% or more—during the end of the season for clothes.

Retailers cut prices to get rid of things that are going out of season. It may worth your money to wait a few months to buy clothes you like at prices your wallet will love!

6. Don’t be fooled by marketing

Stores are designed to entice you to spend money. Their strategies are subtle and effective.

Most use different lighting effects, colors, music, and items displayed in a certain way to entice you into buying more than you intended to when you came to the store. The same applies to online shopping – additional items are suggested to you when you buy anything.

Don’t fall for any of it. Be clear about what you came to the store to buy so you won’t get dazzled into overspending or buying something you didn’t plan for.

Buy quality items that are offered at discounted price but only if you need and want them, not simply because of the decreased price.

Finally, remember that sales people are trained to make you buy! It’s a good idea to ask questions about products, but don’t let them persuade you into buying it there and then. Take your time to make measured decisions.

7. Negotiate

Very few people realize that you can negotiate many products’ prices with a seller!

Let’s say, you have decided on an item you want. You have found the best price, you chose your timing right, and you are ready to pay for it.

But wait! Always ask for “the best possible price” wherever you are or whatever you are buying. What is the worst that can happen?

Sometimes when the seller cannot offer any additional discount on the product, you may get a discount on a service or another item that you need to buy too! Negotiation is a great skill that you can develop and practice when you shop!

8. Be mindful of timing when you travel

Prices on hotels, vacation rentals, airfare, and even rental cars are often much higher during certain days of the week, school and college breaks, and national holidays.

The travel industry knows that most people like to leave for vacation on Fridays and come back on Sundays. That’s why these days the prices on airfare, vacation rentals and hotels are higher.

Be smart and adjust your travel timeline so that you get a better deal. Shop around for plane tickets to fly out on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Saturday to take advantage of lower prices.

Also, the plane tickets usually cost less when bought in advance – plan your air travel in advance. Do price comparison for your favorite travel destinations to reduce your travel expenses further.

The Bottom Line: From shopping for groceries to shopping for a weekend getaway, spending money is a “side effect” of shopping (Get savvy about it!

Next time you’re browsing in a store or online, think about these 8 tips to be a savvy shopper.

To your Health, Wealth and Freedom!

P.S. Have you registered yet for my brand new training – Unpack Your Debt?

This is a 5-day LIVE bootcamp where I’ll share the TRUTH about DEBT and show you the WAY OUT.

You can access this LIVE training FREE if you register before February 25th! Click HERE to Register NOW

February 28, 2019
7 Steps to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #5 – Pay Yourself First

In step #4 we talked about tracking your money, remember?

If you don’t know where your money goes, if you don’t have ANY mechanism (call it budget, call it a money tracker, call it whatever) – you don’t have control over your money. Money controls you!

You may feel that you have to make more and more money to live.

Yes?

What if you could spend less so you won’t need to work more to make more?

And if you feel that you’ve already trimmed your budget to the bare minimum, then it’s possible that it’s time to look for an additional source of income.

Ok, that was a quick reminder of key #4 – Track Your Money

Now the next, step #5, is to Pay Yourself First.

There’re THREE Aspects in this step:

1. Pay Yourself First

So, once you figure out how you can better control your optional spending, your unnecessary expenses (your “wants”), the next important money habit to develop is to pay yourself before you pay anyone else!

For many people, a good way to start saving regularly is to have a small amount transferred automatically from paycheck to a savings account.

In other words, have some savings automatically set aside!

If you don’t see it, you don’t miss it.

How much can you set aside?

The common suggestion is between 5 and 10 percent of your gross annual income.

Of course, this can be much harder than it sounds.

So, if you’re currently living paycheck to paycheck without clear opportunity to increase your income in the near future, begin by paying yourself with WHAT YOU CAN now. It could be one percent of your income, or $20, $50, $100.

ANYTHING is better than nothing. Train yourself to allocate consistent contributions toward your savings. That’s the goal here.

The next question: what is the purpose of these savings?

Here are a couple of suggestions:

2. Maintain an Emergency or “Peace of Mind Fund”

Before you commit your newfound savings to ANY investments (ALL investments involve risk), make sure you have at least three to six months’ worth of your lifestyle expenses saved in an emergency (aka peace of mind) fund.

Life happens to all of us; cars need repairs, houses need maintenance, medical emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances.

Keeping your emergency fund liquid will ensure that you don’t have to panic and sell your investments when their prices are down, and guarantees that you can always get to your money quickly.

If you have trouble deciding how much you need to keep on hand, begin by considering the standard expenses you have in a month.

If you have dependents (e.g. kids, parents, etc.), you’ll want to keep more money in your emergency fund to offset the greater risk.

Once you fill your emergency fund, you can redirect money to your investments.

3. Give yourself an allowance

Here’s the fun part. Once you get to the point that your basic expenses and savings needs are met, you can decide how much money you want to spend guilt-free on anything you want (like shopping, eating out or entertainment).

You and your spouse can have that amount in cash each month but when the money runs out, it’s gone until the following month.

Anything you don’t spend can be carried over.

This may add some fun and money flexibility into your relationship because neither of you can question how the other spends their allowance.

Leave a comment and let me know what resonated with you and what you want to implement into your life right away.

To your Health, Wealth, and Freedom!

For more resources on various financial topics, check this page on my website:

WORK WITH MILLEN

For additional real-time support, join my private Facebook group:

WEALTH BUILDING FOR POWERFUL WOMEN

Free Resources:

DOWNLOAD MY FREE WEAL TH PLANNER

February 14, 2019
7 Keys to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #4 – Track your money and identify money leaks in your cash flow

Do you sometimes feel like you’re living paycheck to paycheck and don’t know where your money went by the end of the month? You work really hard to make money but then spend most of it on just…living your life?

Regardless of how high your income is, what really matters is how much you make relative to how much you spend.

In other words, pay attention to how much money you keep every month.

If you’re earning $3k and spending $2k a month, you’d probably be less stressed out about your finances than if you’re making $8k but spending $9k a month.

I recently spoke with a professional single-mom in this situation. She works multiple jobs and takes home about $5,400 per month, which is well above the median household income.

Yet, she spends about $6k a month.

This is leaving her with no savings and a growing mountain of credit card debt.

Since she’s struggling to pay her bills and have been late with payments, she has seen the interest rates on the credit card debt jump to as high as 29%. Even worse, the financial stress has put a strain on health. She started experiencing migraines, anxiety and insomnia.

If any of this sounds familiar to you, you’re not alone.

Many people who have seemingly good income suffer from lack of “intentional money management”. Yes, situations like an unexpected job loss, medical bills or other financial emergencies happen.

But for the most part, it’s how you manage your cash flow – incoming and out-coming – that will make a difference in your financial life.

Here are some simple suggestions to help you track your money so that you get back control over your finances:

1. Evaluate Your Income. How much money do you have coming in?

It may seem like obvious knowledge yet it’s not the case for many people.

You may have several sources of income – from part-time jobs, freelancing, your mate’s income, annuities’ payments, etc.

So, get really clear what you total monthly income is. Using one centralized account for your in-coming cash flow could be helpful.

Then you can decide how much money you want to keep every month (aka “pay yourself first.”)

The difference is what you can now allocate to various lifestyle expenses.

2. Figure out where your money is currently going.

You can’t improve what you don’t measure.

Take a look at the last 3 months of your bank and credit card statements and categorize each of your expenses in a spreadsheet (you can create your own or find money tracking spreadsheets online).

That will cover everything purchased by automatic withdrawal, checks, debit or credit cards.

While you can’t see what you bought in cash, you can at least see how much cash you withdrew.

By looking at 3 months’ spending, you can get an average of monthly variable expenses like transportation/gas, groceries, and entertainment that aren’t always the same every month and monthly fixed expenses like utilities (electricity, water, internet, etc.), rent/mortgage, medical insurance premium, gym membership, etc.

You’ll also capture quarterly or annual expenses like some property taxes, home insurance, personal tax returns, etc.

However, that still leaves some spending that may happen once or twice a year like a summer vacation or holiday gifts.

You can divide what you spend on those annual expenses by 12 to convert them into a monthly amount.

For example, if you tend to spend about $4,800 a year on a family vacation, you would say that you spend $400 a month on vacations.

There are sites like mint.com and yodlee.com that can help you to continue tracking your spending online for free.

This is especially useful if you have lots of different accounts since they consolidate everything on one site. You can even get set up to be alerted by email or text message if you start spending more than you budgeted for in any particular category.

3. Find where you can cut back.

Start with your fixed expenses and think about how you might be able to spend less on each one.

Shop around for lower cost insurance, cable, internet, and/or phone service.

Are you paying for insurance coverage, services, memberships, or subscriptions you don’t really need?

Can you be more efficient with your energy and water use to cut down on utility bills?

Have you taken advantage of coupons or warehouse clubs for groceries?

Can you refinance or negotiate down the interest rates on your debt?

And if you really need additional money, you might even want to consider working a part-time job, moving into a lower rent apartment, getting a roommate, or renting a room in your home.

Always be mindful of where you can cut your unnecessary expenses if you want to save more.

To Your Health, Wealth and freedom!

For more resources on various financial topics, check this page on my website:

WORK WITH MILLEN

For additional real-time support, join my private Facebook group:

WEALTH BUILDING FOR POWERFUL WOMEN

Free Resources:

DOWNLOAD MY FREE WEAL TH PLANNER

P.S. If you like to see a big picture for your financial life and want to start upgrading it beyond “survival”, you would enjoy and benefit from my new Wealth Planner Companion Training.

It’s a step-by-step, easy to follow online program and will only take you 30 mins at most to watch each of the 6 training videos! You’ll get lifetime access to the videos, audios and transcripts for this program. And I made it a complete “no-brainer” for you at only $48! Your return on this investment could be at least 100X of this amount or as high as you allow it to be!

February 9, 2019
7 Steps to Regain Control Over Your Money: Step #1 – Declutter your environments

Let’s get tactical and discuss the steps to regain control over your money.

Having the right environments is super important. That’s why you hear a lot about decluttering.

If you live in a home that is filled with clothes that you don’t wear and don’t like, boxes with magazines and souvenirs, pieces of furniture that don’t add anything to the comfort of your physical space, YOU CAN change it!

If you don’t have an environment that supports what you want to think, feel, create, and experience, remind yourself that YOU CAN change it.

If you have a relationship that doesn’t make you feel supported, loved, and appreciated, that doesn’t spark joy in you – YOU CAN change it.

If you feel that you got yourself into a “money prison” because of accumulated  debt, or unhealthy spending habits, or arguing with your partner about excessive spending and feeling insecure about your financial future – YOU CAN change it too!

You can CHOOSE to be clear and intentional with your choices and change what’s not working for you.

You can move away or towards a different environment, or you can create a new energy in your current environment.

And whatever you want to change, start changing NOW by letting go of what’s not working for YOU!

You want to make a big leap? Great, go for it!

Feel like starting with small changes? Awesome!  Baby steps are great! It’s how you implement BIG changes without feeling overwhelmed.

Life is what you choose to make of it.  Whether it’s your physical environment, relationship, work, or money.

Living with your focus on past mistakes drains your energy, deflates your confidence, blocks the flow of wealth, joy, and new opportunities in your life!

That’s why decluttering your mental space is super important!

I recall the time in my life when I felt that I must change my environments – my work, my marriage, my financial habits (e.g. shopping therapy) – because I felt empty inside…I felt just existing, going through life instead of living it.

BUT I was afraid to change.

“What if”, “not yet”, and “not now” thinking kept me stuck in the environments that felt like desert. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a support system at that time.

My FEAR of “not having enough”, not being able to support myself, feeling financially insecure if I leave my marriage, kept me in a prison of my own making for years.

Until one day…I decided to change.

First, I asked myself “What is the worst thing that may happen?” Once I reconciled with the answer to this question, fear of consequences couldn’t keep me hostage anymore.

Then I asked “Why it may not be true that I cannot be financially secure without a man?” And the answers started pouring from my heart onto my journal.

And then…I asked “What needs to happen NOW so that I feel more ease, joy, and excitement about my life?” And the answer was clear and loud…

DARE TO CHANGE.

If you tolerate environments that make you feel overwhelmed, not capable, not supported; the environments that deflate your confidence and sense of personal power – don’ wait for a better time. Or better circumstances. Or a “prince charming” to save you.

DO NOT WAIT TO BE SAVED. YOU ARE YOUR SAVER.

Change might challenge you. You might need to juggle some things and make a few adjustments…

BUT it’s possible. And often necessary.

So that you step into your full power. Get in control of your money. Charge of your financial destiny.

And the first step is to attend to your environments and declutter your space.

Next I’ll share the next step to regain control over your money.

P.S. And if you can get access to a supportive environment, to like-minded people who would support and encourage you to live your dram life – use it!  Join the Wealth Building for Powerful Women community to get live support and connect with like-minded women. You don’t have to feel alone in this world!

January 16, 2019
Essential #4 for Creating Wealth and Success

What does “Think, Feel, and LIVE Wealthy” mean to you?

You might be surprised…but this is the essential #4 for creating Wealth and Success!

Yep. That’s right. And before you whisper “phew, I know that!”, let me elaborate.

For most people “living wealthy” means staying at 5-star hotels, going to fancy restaurants, wearing designer cloth, driving a luxury car, living in a gorgeous house….

Guess what?

You don’t have to OWN it, you can SAMPLE it, then Create it!

You can experience that which you’d like to have before owning it!

Yes, SAMPLE YOUR DESIRES!

You can go to car dealerships and ask to test-drive your favorite car.

You can meet with a realtor and ask her to show you houses that you’d love to live in.

You can visit these houses, FOCUS ON YOUR DESIRE to live in such houses, get super excited and motivated, and start creating your imaginary Wealthy Life though feeling it, sampling it, and…yes, “faking” living it as if you already have it.

What can you do to reinforce that?

The key is to affirm that you belong there and deserve that kind of wealth and abundance in your life.

You possess powerful faculties – AWARENESS, IMAGINATION, ATTENTION, and INTENTION – that you can use to create your NEW WAY of BEING.

Your new way of being could be feeling and having more wealth, or achieving financial independence, or buying a new car, or moving into a new house, or feeling more at peace, successful and confident.

So, what do you think about an idea that you can choose to think, feel and act abundantly to start creating financial wealth?

Frankly, I used to make fun of notorious “fake it until you make it” statement.

But guess what?

It works.

Let me share one examples from my own life.

When we used to live in New York, we would come to the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center around Christmas time, look at the beautiful view on the river, the yachts at the marina, the Christmas tree, the ambiance of wealth and success.

And I would imagine how cool it could be to work here. To be in this environment, this gorgeous place….

Guess what?!

A couple of years later, I got a job with a company in this very building and we had amazing Christmas parties in this exact place, the Winter Garden!

Coincidence? I don’t think so.

So, how does “fake it until you make it” work?

You can put yourself in a state of abundance, fullness, and wholeness by using your

–        awareness (e.g. “I am creating a new way of being”),
–        physiology (e.g. abdominal breathing, adjusting your posture, relaxing your facial muscles and shoulders, eye contact, smiling,)
–        psychology (e.g. shifting your perception about your current situation, focusing on and appreciating what you have, etc.),

and your life experiences will change.

If you’ve been struggling financially, most likely you’ve been blocked by your old conditioning that keeps you focusing on what’s missing, what’s not working…

If you PRACTICE looking, thinking, and acting abundantly, you’ll shift your attention, up level your energetic vibration, and begin to FEEL differently, which will start attracting new opportunities into your life.

And one more thing. The way you look – your outfit, your posture, your hair and facial expression – conveys your physiological and psychological states and your energy.

And people feel your energy without exchanging a single word with you. And most importantly, looking good feels good!

When you FEEL GOOD, YOU LOOK GOOD, and YOU DO GOOD.

Wear clothes that make YOU feel prosperous, confident, cool (and that means different things for different people)!

De-clutter your wardrobe from the old and unattractive stuff – only wear clothes and colors that reflect where you want to be not where you have been.

And it doesn’t have to be super expansive stuff either – just something that makes YOU FEEL GOOD.

Follow your “FEEL GOOD” compass!

Think, Feel, and Live Wealthy.

Deep transformations require patience and practice.

The suggestions offered here may feel like fake for some time…. Keep practicing anyway, keep training your mind without attachments. And have fun with it!

Things will start shifting, your feelings will change, your energy will change, and you will start attracting amazing opportunities instead of repelling them.

I’d love to hear from you! Hit the reply and let me know what you think about the Essential #4.
What resonates with you? What does not?

Until Next time…STAY EMPOWERED.

To your Health, Wealth, and Freedom!

P.S. I want to offer you a 4-week journey a board a (virtual) yacht “Creating Prosperity Formula”.
During this fun and life-transforming 4 weeks training, together with other awesome prosperity creators, we’ll dive deep into specific steps that will help you experience Prosperity in your life.

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Learn more about this training here: http://daretochangelife.com/cpfcourse/

Missed the live mini-class on our Facebook Page? No problem! watch it here.

October 11, 2018