Real Life Solutions

Sometimes it can seem as though daily expenses are getting out of control… you know that you should have enough money to cover everything, but it just never seems to work out that way.

If your financial situation seems to be getting worse with each passing month, don’t despair; with the aid of a household budget you should be able to quickly get things under control again.

All that it takes is a little bit of planning and the self-control to stick to the budget.

What is a household budget? If you’re not entirely sure what a budget is, it’s simply a formal plan for the control of a household’s expenses and spending.

A budget allows you to plan in advance which payments and expenses will be paid at what time, and even decide which payment of your salary will be used to pay individual payments.  It can also be used to figure approximately how much money you have left after all of the bills and expenses have been paid, so that you’ll know whether you can really afford to spend additional money on impulse purchases.

First step in creating a budget: The first step in creating a budget is to determine exactly how much your core expenses cost, and how much money is available each month to pay those expenses.

Make a note of your rent or mortgage payment, and look at old utility bills to determine the average cost of electricity and other utilities. It might be advisable to lean your estimates a little higher than the true average, so as to better cover more expensive months.

You should then write the payment due date of each of these expenses on a calendar, as well as the dates when you or other bill-paying members of the household receive their salary.

Covering all of your expenses: Of course, there are a variety of other expenses that must be met every month that don’t come as standard bills. When working out a budget, it’s important to remember to add in the amount that you spend on groceries each month as well as an amount to pay for incidentals… the various expenses that can come up without you expecting them.

Figure up your total expenses, and subtract them from your monthly income… once you’ve determined how much money you have left, set aside a small portion of this so as to help cover incidentals.

The important thing to remember when working on a budget is that it isn’t set in stone. Many people worry when they get off of their budget, and this makes them skew the budget even more… before long, the budget is gone entirely.

Work on keeping your budget, but don’t worry about it so much that you make it impossible. If you stray, simply get back on next month.

Grab your guide to setting up a family budget Here.

Take Care,

Aurelia Williams

Real Life Coaching

If you have been watching the news, reading magazines, or even overhearing conversations while in line at the post office or grocery store, you may have heard about something called a “personal coach”. More and more people are turning to personal coaches each day; if you have ever wondered what one is and what they can help you with, read on!

Simply put, a personal coach helps you become the best “you” possible. Just like a sports coach helps athletes work out their problem areas and achieve new records with their strengths, a personal coach can help you set and meet goals that apply to many areas of your life.

In today’s society, many people over-book themselves with work, family, and social obligations. A personal coach can help you learn to manage your time effectively, and teach you new ways to calendar your time. You will work with your coach to find a system that works for you, and you’ll be able to meet all of your commitments. They’ll even help you carve out some personal time for yourself.

A personal coach can also help you with your parenting issues. It is no secret that being a parent is the toughest job you will ever have. A personal coach can help you work through any problems you have been having and help you learn new parenting techniques, as well as open the lines of communication between you and your child.

Stress is a common ailment that is shared by almost everyone. Some of the side effects of stress include aches, pain, fatigue, high blood pressure, anxiety and overeating. A personal coach can help you manage your stress levels. This alone can help you in all areas of your life. When you feel less stressed you will be happier and ready to take on new challenges.

Simply talking to a non-judgmental third party can do wonders for you. When people face problems, they are often too embarrassed to ask for help. They may not want their friends or family to know they are struggling with something. This can lead to further feelings of isolation and depression. A personal coach is there to listen and help you find solutions for your problems.

Working with a personal coach is actually more affordable than you think. Most offer free consultations. It is important for you and your potential coach to get to know each other; after the initial consultation, you can decide if this coach is the right coach for you. Likewise, the coach can tell you openly and honestly if they can help you. If they can’t, they will refer you to someone who can.

These are just a few of the benefits of having a personal coach. Think about how great it would be to have someone on your side, rooting for you, giving you honest feedback, and helping you achieve new goals. If you have been struggling with reaching a goal, it is time you experience a free consultation with a coach, and find out how they can help you!

Contact Aurelia Williams today and schedule your free consultation

Family finances are an area that each family needs to examine each year without fail.  If there is no budget in place, a family can quickly find themselves going into debt.  Getting out of debt is a resolution individuals make each year, but as a family, this can be accomplished with more help.

Kids are not left out of the budget process.  Kids who aren’t old enough to have a job spend money, too.  They get allowance money.  In order to receive their allowance money, they need to complete their chores each week.  Uncompleted chores mean no allowance money at the end of the week. 

Set up a family budget at the end of the year.  Use a family meeting time to tackle this big job.  Each family member should come prepared to discuss their spending habits and ways to make changes in order to save money. 

It is never too early to expose children to fiscal responsibility.  Teaching them to manage money at a young age prepares them for life on their own. 

Budget guidelines

Make a list of the monthly family expenses.  This includes any expenses for the kids that occur each month like school lunches and clothing.  Estimate the monthly gas bill and allowances for the kids as well.  Now that you know the expenses you incur each month, you can look at the money coming in to cover those bills.

For a family, there needs to be a “rainy day” fund.  This money is set aside for car repairs, hospital bills, and other emergencies that cannot be predicted but usually happen.  The fund is equal to at least two months salary for the working moms and dads in the household. 

Preparing a better budget

Now that the family knows where they stand, they can move forward.  The first thing to do is to find ways to cut expenses.  Consider the utility bills.  Turning off lights when you leave a room and keeping the thermostat at a constant temperature make a difference in the electricity bill over time.  The summer and winter are the times when the electricity is most expensive.  Use ceiling fans, window fans, and gas log fireplaces to cut cooling and heating bills.

Carpooling is a way to lower the automobile gas bill.  Take turns shuttling the kids to sports practices with other parents in the neighborhood.  Try to make all of the necessary stops while you are already out in the car instead of making several trips in the same day. 

Families with children spend a lot of money on the grocery bill.  Get a list of what everyone’s favorite foods are and plan a trip to the grocery store.  Shop with coupons and buy items on special if you need them.  Purchase enough food for a month.  One trip may cost a few hundred dollars, but visiting the grocery store once or twice each week and the fast food restaurant adds up to more than that if you total the receipts.  Let the cost of the grocery trip be the amount that you budget for food each month to start.

The same tips for sticking to other family resolutions apply to the family budget as well.  Reward the family when they learn to save more money.  Take the family out for dinner and a movie.  No one said that a family couldn’t eat out every once in a while.  When it is earned, the food tastes so much better.  If every family member sacrifices a little, the entire family benefits.

What are Your Family’s Goals and Resolutions for the New Year?

Family resolutions not only keep the family together, but allow for a closer unit. Working, playing, and praying together increases the family bond and affords everyone in the family to have a voice, to look out for each other and to care for each other. No matter what the circumstance, having family goals is a cohesive effort than can truly be the catalyst that effects change.  In addition, when an entire family resolves to make those changes it serves to strengthen the family unit as well.

More importantly, families that commit to resolutions each year will experience a lifetime of memories. 

Visit Real Life Solutions Personal Finances Page – It is your resource for articles and information on managing your business and personal finances, saving money and living debt free. From Grocery Money Saving Tips to Saving for a College education, you will find many resources for your personal finances here financial resources here. 

It’s that time of the year again; when we make a New Years resolutions. If you are anything like the majority of people in this country (83% to be exact), you probably made and broke a resolution before the end of January last year.  But this year is going to be different.  This message is all about how to make a realistic resolution and keep it. We’ll get you to your ultimate goal – whatever it may be one step at a time.

It doesn’t matter if you resolve to loose some weight, stop smoking or carve some more time out for yourself.  Together we will get you there this year.  Here’s to a successful 2009.

===============================
2008 Reflection
===============================

The end of the year has always been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the new year to come.

It’s a wonderful time to reflect on the changes we want and need to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.

Here are some questions to get you started in your reflection.

1)  What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, awareness, etc.)
2)  What did I accomplish? (Create a list of your accomplishments and achievements).
3)  What would I have done differently? Why?
4)  What still feels incomplete or unfinished to me?
5)  What were the top 3 significant events of the year past?
6)  What do I feel especially good about?
7)  What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties?

Carve out some time to reflect, learn and grow from the past year. This will prepare you for a positive New Year ahead.

===============================
Action Steps
===============================

Here are a few action steps for you to take into consideration when working on setting your resolutions.

1) Make sure you set goals that you can realistically reach. Striving to be perfect is not a realistic goal. Striving to eat healthier, exercise more..etc. is a realistic goal.

2) Break your big goals up into bite-sized chunks. They key is to take small, thought-through steps to reach your ultimate goal.

3) Write your goals down and force yourself to be very specific about them. You can then refer back to your goals list and you can see how you are measuring up. It is an empowering feeling to set goals and achieve them.

4) Celebrate! When you achieve a goal or overcome a hurdle that brings you closer to that goal, CELEBRATE you and your accomplishment!

5) Get a goal buddy, coach, friend or partner to help you along the way!

You can accomplish just about anything you ask of yourself. Make your goals specific and clear. When you know exactly what you intend to do, you’re well on your way to getting it done.
===============================
New Year, New You Special
===============================

I am offering my subscribers a 20% discount on any of my coaching packages.  You can view the packages here http://www.reallifecoaching.net/packages.shtml Be sure to mention this special when you sign up! 

===============================
Freebies
===============================

Try a Free Session on the house!  I offer free 35-minute consultations (valued at $45); by telephone, instant messenger or in person to help you decide if coaching is for you. If you are interested in setting one up for yourself, simply hit reply to this message and let me know
 

When people think about making New Year’s resolutions, they often think of the big picture and set goals that are unattainable.  Instead of making a resolution to lose thirty pounds by the end of the year, you may want to set five small goals for the new year of losing ten pounds every two months.

Setting smaller goals, no matter what those goals may be, are easier to stick with and accomplish than long range, larger goals.  These smaller goals are like stepping stones along a path.  Follow each one and before you know it, you’ll have reached the end and succeeded in meeting your New Year’s resolution.

Be specific about the goals you want to meet.  The more specific the goal, the more likely you will be to work hard at obtaining it.  Know what you want to accomplish and even why you want to accomplish it.  If your reasons for wanting to do something aren’t strong enough, it will be easier to give up.

Set measurable goals.  If you haven’t been specific about what you want to accomplish, why you want to accomplish it, and how you’re going to do so, how will you know if you’ve actually achieved it?

Write your goals down, being sure to specify the date you hope to achieve it and how you will determine whether you’ve been successful or not.  Hang the list of goals up where you can see them regularly.  When you see your goals written out, you’ll be much more likely to achieve your goal than if they are hidden away in a file folder somewhere.

Keep a journal about your progress and record what you’ve done in reaching for your goals.  Discuss things that have worked and things that haven’t.  Be specific so you know what to do if you have a similar goal in the future.

Don’t be afraid to share your goals with others.  Telling others will help solidify your commitment to accomplish these goals.  Ask your friends and family to hold you accountable by asking you how you’re doing on your goals.

Renew your commitment to succeed in case something goes wrong.  With small goals you can see what you’re doing, know why you’re doing it, and can remain committed even in the worst circumstances.  Celebrate each of your successes and move on toward the next.

When you set five small goals for the New Year instead of one, your chances of success are much higher than having one large goal.  Not only will you be able to measure how you’re doing, you can use the goals as a means to know where you are on the journey. 

P.S. Visit http://www.reallifecoaching.net/free-consultation/ to claim a free ‘Goal Setting & Getting’ consultation today.

Are you tired of hearing all the grumbling and complaining around your house?  Do you ever find yourself just feeling down for no reason?  Maybe it’s time the family has a positive attitude adjustment.  It may take some time to get everyone in the swing of things, but before you know it everyone will be enjoying life more.

Growing up, many of us heard “Can’t died in the poor house”; meaning that saying you can’t do something will get you no where.  How can you bring that phrase to life? Simple –put it into practice. Set up a money jug, and every time someone says something negative, they have to contribute a set amount of money, like a nickel, every time.  You could make it a contest, maybe even between the kids and the adults. Whoever wins by being the most positive, having the least amount of money in their jar after a set period of time, gets both jugs of money.

If you don’t want to deal with using change, you could keep a chart.  Figure out what the reward will be for having a better attitude. Instead of penalizing people when they are negative, you could give a point every time someone is “caught being good” or being especially positive. You could even award bonus points if they are positive despite something disappointing happening, like failing a test at school. 

Another idea is having a time set aside to just share what we’re thankful for. Even though most people do this at Thanksgiving, it is a good thing to do year round.  We tend to take the good things for granted. By being thankful more often, it’s hard to be negative.  Just shifting your focus that little bit can make a huge difference.

A praise board is another way to help the family be more positive.  Set up a bulletin board somewhere everyone will see it.  Give each family member a section of it, or maybe even use small, separate ones for each of the kids on their bedroom doors.  Then everyone gets index cards and they have to write something nice about the person and put it on their board.  Tell each other the things you appreciate about them. Give them compliments.  Encourage them if they are down about something.  When the board is full, take the cards down and put them in a file box. Then if they have a bad day, they can either look at their board, or back through the box of cards with encouraging words just for them.

By just making a few changes, it is amazing how quickly the household’s mood can change.  The little things can really mean a lot.  Once your family starts being more positive with each other, take it a step further and share your good mood with your family and friends.

P.S. Grab your copy of Journey To Joy, your step by step guide to help gain the happiness that you deserve and to help you maintain a positivie attitude visit ALSO stop by Real Life Coaching and sign up for a coaching pagage of your choice and receive a 20% off discount between now and Jan. 31st.

P.O. Box 92439
Washington, DC 20017

If you’re like most families, you all have such busy lives that sometimes it’s tough to connect. It seems impossible to get EVERYTHING done and have QUALITY time together.

And if you’re like many busy moms, you probably constantly find yourself saying, “…as soon as I’m finished” or “maybe later…”

Well, later might just be too late. Don’t let another day pass by like this.

If you’re ready to find easy solutions to organizing your life to have more time together, I recommend picking up a copy of the “Real Life Guidance to Finding More Family Time” report.

This report was created by Certified Life Coach, Aurelia Williams, and is just what you need to get things back on track.

The report gives you practical solutions for:

- Being realistic in your family goals
- How to find balance between your work and life
- Organizing your life to find more time
- Routine and scheduling tips even the most spontaneous families can get into
- Plenty of activity ideas (never say there’s nothing to do!)

This 20-page report is perfect for the busy mom who needs QUICK and EASY help to finding that precious time with family. It’s also available instantly, so even if it’s the middle of the night while everyone else in the sleep, you can all wake up with a plan to reconnect as a family.

Learn more and grab your guide here

1 – Plan a Menu – This does take a little organizing ahead of time but it’s definitely worth the effort. Find a few minutes during the weekend and plan your quick and easy dinner ideas meals for the upcoming week. Write a quick menu, do your shopping and stick the menu on your fridge. Every morning quickly glance at it and take out the foods that need thawing and plan ahead how much time you need to prepare the meal.

2 – Befriend the Crockpot – Okay, this little invention may not be the coolest kitchen gadget around but it can definitely be a lifesaver. With a little planning you can have a nutritious dinner ready before the kids can even say “mom…”

3 – The Casserole is Back – Similar to the crockpot but great for days when you forget to plan ahead. Casseroles work great with leftovers or just about any items you can find in your pantry.

Throw together some pasta, tuna, corn kernels, peas and cream for a quick meal. Casseroles made with rice or potatoes are just as easy. Keep a few easy recipes on hand and add or omit ingredients according to what you have in your pantry.4 – Easy, Versatile, Pasta – By far the easiest way to quickly throw together a healthy family dinner. To avoid boredom try to avoid the usual jar of sauce and pasta dinner. Try this, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over very low heat and add one crushed garlic bulb, stir for about a minute and add a can of drained crab meat, the juice of one lemon and a little salt and pepper to taste, and finally add a little chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve over your pasta with some garlic bread on the side for a delicious meal in minutes.

5 – Eggs Incredible Eggs – Eggs aren’t only for breakfast, they’re also great for quick dinners. Make an omelet and fill with a little ham and cheese, you can also add some chopped tomato, onions or mushrooms. Serve along with a salad and some bread. Or make a Spanish tortilla. Scrub, peel and thinly slice a couple of new or small potatoes. Add to a sauce pan with a little water and boil until soft, about 8 minutes. Add a little oil to a nonstick frying pan, add the potatoes, scramble eggs and a little chopped onion (optional) cook on low until the bottom starts to set. Then stick the frying pan under a hot grill until the top of the tortilla sets. Serve with a side salad.

6 – Sandwich Bar – Some days you just don’t have the time or energy to cook a hot meal, but you can still feed your family a nutritious meal in the way of sandwiches. Put out some bread rolls (whole wheat is best), add a platter of cheese, ham, turkey, tuna or any other favorite fillings. Add another platter of chopped lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and any other favorite veggies. Now let your kids put together their own sandwiches. Serve with some pretzels, a salad or cut up veggies and dip, a little hopeful but worth a try.

7 – Wrap It – Wraps are great for quick dinners. You fill them with just about anything. For a Mexican wrap cook a little ground beef, drain and fill wrap. Add some chopped tomatoes, grated cheese, sour cream or guacamole. You can also fill it with a little heated tuna with some corn kernels and a little mayonnaise or try scrambled eggs, chopped ham and tomatoes. Leftover chicken with cheese and lettuce works great too.

Hopefully these quick and easy dinner ideas will help you save time and energy.

Healthy Menu Mailer: Your Very Own Personal Assistants That Plan the Meals and Make out the Grocery List For You While You’re Spending Time with Your Family! You will get delicious, healthy meal ideas by e-mail each week.

If you’re like many people, you have more items in your home than you need and you are very busy and struggle to find time to organize your home. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has launched the National Get Organized Week from Oct 5th-11th.

As families become more involved in various activities, they have less time to put things away where they belong. This leads to clutter and stress as families go through piles of papers to find their child’s permission slip for the field trip. Worse yet, they may have lost a bill that needs to be paid.

You may have heard that the best way to get organized is to start somewhere. Find the area in your home that bothers you the most. In 15 minute increments, begin going through one pile or drawer at a time.

If the top of your desk is your biggest frustration, begin by taking one piece of paper off at a time and either read it, file it, or throw it away. Keep taking one sheet of paper off at a time and before you know it your desk will be clear! If there is an important deadline or date you need to remember, mark it down on your calendar now.

After you’ve cleared off the top of your desk, start digging in the drawers. Go through each file folder and purge anything that is no longer needed. Stop and take a break after you finish going through one file folder. Don’t try to tackle the whole project at once or you may give up altogether.

Clothes closets and drawers are another problem many homes have. Use the same process for purging. Create piles on the floor or across your bed. One to keep, one to give away, one to fix, and one to throw away. Go through each piece of clothing and put the clothes in one of the four piles. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn something in six months, you probably won’t and can get rid of it.

Children’s toys can also take over a house. Have the children help you go through all of their toys. The ones they never play with, those they’ve outgrown, and anything broken can be gotten rid of. If you have toys in your home that are in good condition but arent being played with you can also donate the toys to others. The rest that they love and they play with can be put in bins or otherwise stored in their bedroom.

Wouldn’t it be great to have your whole house organized once and for all? You can do it with some time and a little bit of elbow grease. Use this strategy for each area of your home that is cluttered and for each room of your house.

Take advantage of National Get Organized Week and let’s get organized this year!  Run over to http://reallifesolutions.net/personal/getorganized.html today and grab your free organizational resources.

I know that many moms dread trying to get their children involved in doing some household chores and it can be a never ending battle. Well, I am here with a few tips and insight on this matter that hopefully will make the weekend chores go a bit more smoothly.

Many of us have chores that must be done on the weekend and with a little incentive and the right attitude, you can get your child happily involved in them (Ok, well maybe not happily, but involved). Even young toddlers can play a significant role in participating in household chores. Your children can help separate the laundry, sweep the kitchen, dust off furniture and even help prepare meals.

Explain to your children that chore time can be family time. You can turn on the music in your home, assign the household members a task and get busy. For children, they feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment and for the parents we now don’t have to do it all on our own and we can relish in the fact that our children are being responsible.

Be sure to limit the number of chores that you assign to your children and try to build in some fun into the process or offer small rewards for a job well done.

Be sure to check out my friend, Nicole Dean’s awesome article titled ‘Chaos, Children and Chores’ for more wonderful information http://www.reallifesolutions.net/family/chores.html

P.S. Grab more free parenting tips here: http://www.reallifesolutions.net/family/parenting.html