InControl Financial Podcast | Get Out Of Debt (G.O.O.D.) | Personal Finance That's: Fun. Uplifting. ...

Whether we are consciously aware of it or not, we cheat ourselves.  We do this by not questioning whether or not there are better opportunities out there for us.  We do the same thing day in and day out without questioning a thing, which makes us passive - and prevents us from taking an active role in our worth - effectively cheating ourselves out of what could be.  We let others influence us one way or another - and we give them direct permission to do so, even if it is completely unintentional.  Tom explains how and why we let others take us off course from our goals.   You need to stay on track and stay on target in order to accomplish your financial (and other) goals.  Don't cheat yourself by doing any less or being influenced by others who might be trying to pull you down, whether they are aware that they are doing this or not.   If you're listening to this show on iTunes, please do the following: 1) subscribe to the show, 2) rate the show, and 3) leave us a r

Whether you are in the process of getting out debt, planning to pay cash for a large purchase, or even getting ready to begin saving for retirement - the best thing to do along the way to these major goals is to celebrate the small wins.  When you do, you allow yourself to feel those reward receptors going off in your noggin!  You get to experience that feel-good sensation of winning!   Aside from that, though, you also get to incorporate some great team-building exercises with those who are on this journey with you - whether that's your spouse, your kids, or all of the above.  Celebrating the small wins allows them to join in on the excitement, plus it motivates everyone to keep going towards that bigger goal.   If you're listening to this show on iTunes, please do us a quick favor and 1) subscribe to the show, 2) rate the show, and 3) leave us a review.  If you can't leave us 5 stars, then let us know why so we can work to improve the show.  We always love to hear your tho

Planning a wedding in the near future?  You'll definitely want to listen to this episode.  Tom talks about the dangers associated with bringing a huge debt into your newly married existence, and why you and your future spouse should get on board now to give yourself the ultimate wedding gift... a debt-free wedding!   If you're listening to this show on iTunes, please do us a quick favor and 1) subscribe to the show, 2) rate the show, and 3) leave us a review (especially for any rating under 5 stars so we know what to do to improve).  We always love to hear your thoughts, and as always, God bless!

Having goals is a good thing.  We're saying this right out of the gate so that we're not unclear on any of this.  However, time is a precious commodity that you can't ignore or get back - ever.  That means that you need to not only focus on your goals but also keep in mind the actual sacrifice given in order to meet those goals when planning for your future.   Perhaps you have young children at home, or maybe you were recently married.  Do you sacrifice time with your spouse and/or your children in order to get ahead?  Will that time that you can never get back being with your children when they are young or with your spouse in those first few years of marriage be worth trading in for the sake of what you have defined as a better future?   Listen, we're not saying that you shouldn't have goals.  We're also not saying that you shouldn't make short-term sacrifices for the greater good.  What we are saying is that it's too easy to fall into the trap of wearing yo

Are you in over your head?  Is your back up against a wall?  Trust me, it happens to the best of us - myself included.  It's nothing to be ashamed of to admit it, and as a matter of fact, admitting to it and reverse-engineering why and how you got there can prove to be a powerful way to get you out of that mess.   We'll be talking about more specifics on that point plus a whole lot more on this episode of the InControl Financial podcast.  If you're listening on iTunes, please subscribe, rate the show, and leave a few words in a review.  We love to hear what you think, and as always, God bless!

Well, we're celebrating episode 50 - a small milestone - with the announcement of a new book!  This book will help you to save a ton of money on groceries, which by the way, is typically one of the largest budget line items in your monthly budget.   We'll be touching on a few golden nuggets of information and tips on how you can reduce what you are currently spending on groceries.  The best part is that Tom is inviting you to be one of the early adopters of his new book, and as an early adopter, you can purchase the book at a significant discount - or maybe even get it for free!   Interested?  Simply go to http://incontrolfinancial.com - then click on the Contact Us button.  Send an e-mail with the words grocery book in the subject line, and we'll add you to the list for interested early adopters.   Are you listening on iTunes?  If so, please subscribe, rate the show, and leave us a few words in a review.  We love to hear your thoughts, and as always, God

This episode is a review of the Ibotta app.  This app is available for both iOS and Android devices.   This is a review of the app itself; InControl Financial is not associated or affiliated with the Ibotta app, its parent company, or any entities affiliated with the Ibotta app.   Check out Ibotta for free: http://incontrolfinancial.com/ibotta (this is a referral link)   Are you listening to this on iTunes?  If so, please subscribe, give us a quick rating, and leave us a few words in a review.  We love to hear your thoughts on this podcast, and as always, God bless!

No, this isn't a commercial that promises to save you 15% on your insurance bill if you spend 15 minutes.  Instead, this is a common-sense approach to reviewing your current insurance and comparing it with what's available out there.   Did you know that a large number of people stay with the same insurance company without considering the cost savings if they were to switch to another company?  Did you also know that there are people who can do the work for you if you don't feel like researching insurance rates?  Take a listen and find out about all of this and more and save some money on your insurance!   Are you listening to this on iTunes?  If so, please subscribe, give us a quick rating, and leave us a few words in a review.  We love to hear your thoughts on this podcast, and as always, God bless!

We've all heard of reluctant spouses.  You know, a spouse who doesn't want to get too involved with a budget or a financial plan for whatever reason.  But what about extreme reluctant spouses?  Our definition of an extremely reluctant spouse is one who won't sit down and work on a budget or talk about money at all - ever, yet he or she will still make financial decisions without consulting with the other spouse.    This, of course, makes it very difficult to achieve financial peace in the marriage and is a financial recipe for disaster.  We don't want to play the blame game here, though.  Instead, we want to dig deep and find out the real reasons why your spouse may be on the extreme side of not wanting to get involved with personal finances and through prayer and God's help - bring peace and resolution.   Listening on iTunes?  Please subscribe, rate us, and leave us a few words in a review!  Thank you for being a loyal listener, and as always, God bless!

If you want to take an actionable and decisive role in your finances, you need to take the lead.  Whether you're single or married, you won't get anywhere with your personal finance goals unless you have strong leadership at the helm.   Your chances for success increase significantly when you have a strong leader to point you in the right direction to achieve your goals.  Whether that leader is you or your spouse, someone needs to step up and do what needs to be done!   If you're listening on iTunes, please subscribe to this podcast, rate us using the 5-star rating system, and leave us a few words in a review.  We love to hear your feedback, and as always, God bless!

Do you find yourself having arguments or fights about money in your marriage?  You may be surprised to hear that it's not money that's the problem here.  We're quick to blame not having enough money, spending too much money, or simply not being smart with money when it comes to our spouses - but the real culprit here may surprise you.   Give this episode a listen and let us know what you think.  Go to http://incontrolfinancial.com, click on the Contact Us button, and send an e-mail!   Better yet, if you're listening to this in iTunes, subscribe to the podcast, rate us, and leave us a few words in a review.  We love to hear your feedback as it helps us to craft future podcast episodes.  As always, God bless!

On today's episode, Tom addresses how we should handle the urge to borrow money from a friend or family member - or the reverse - lending money to a friend or family member.  It's important to repeat this message since it truly is one that can save your relationship with a good friend or a relative.   We must resist the urge to borrow or lend money when it puts our relationships with others at risk.  If you're wondering in which circumstances it will put the relationship at risk, that answer is easy - ALWAYS!   Instead, consider giving money to someone close to you in need.  Pray on it.  If you don't want to give money, then help them out by giving them practical and useful advice if you're approached and asked for it.  Both of these are better than the alternative - lending or borrowing money - which can and will hurt your relationship.   If this podcast has been of value to you, please let us know by 1) subscribing, 2) rating the podcast, and 3) leaving

Today Tom talks about how we can stay motivated to win with finances.  He answers the question: what do we need to do in order to motivate ourselves to accomplish our financial goals?     The answer, simply illustrated, is to keep your foot on the gas - don't coast towards your goals!   Here are the four simple steps that Tom goes into more detail about on today's episode:   1. Define the WHY 2. Keep that WHY in the front of your mind (don't let it slide to the back burner) 3. Let that daily reminder of your WHY keep you motivated 4. Take focused action with intensity - every day   If this podcast has been of value to you, please let us know by 1) subscribing, 2) rating the podcast, and 3) leaving a review.  Thank you in advance, and as always, God bless!

In today's episode, Tom talks about how we deal with medical bills and related expenses and get them under control - before they spiral out of control.  Don't wait until your medical bills go to collections!  Follow the steps detailed here to stay on top of and in control of all of your bills from various medical entities.  If some or all of your medical bills have already gone to collections, there's advice on what to do about that here in this episode as well.   If this podcast has been of value to you, please let us know by 1) subscribing, 2) rating the podcast, and 3) leaving a review.  We thank you in advance, and God bless!

Today Tom talks about the path to financial freedom.  While the definition of financial freedom may differ for many folks, Tom breaks down what he feels are the common parts of financial freedom that most of us are willing and able to strive for.   Of course, Tom opens up the discussion to any questions that you may have by simply going to http://incontrolfinancial.com and clicking on the Contact Us button to send him an e-mail.  Tom will be happy to reply back and keep the conversation going and help as much as possible to provide you with as much value as possible out of this podcast episode.   And as always, if you're listening on iTunes: 1) subscribe, 2) rate the podcast, and 3) leave a review.  Thank you, and God bless!

Tom posted this question recently on social media and received tons of answers in a short time!  He picked three of the responses to this question and addressed each of them one at a time on this particular episode, but the plan is to help you if you want to join in on the conversation!   Simply go to http://incontrolfinancial.com and click on the Contact Us button.  Send an e-mail, and note #1 CHALLENGE in the subject line.  Tom will either respond to you directly via e-mail, or he will batch answer many of the same responses to this question into a future podcast episode.   As always, we invite you to follow this quick process if you are listening to this podcast on iTunes: 1) subscribe, 2) rate the podcast, and 3) leave a review.  Thank you, and as always, God bless!

In this day and age, some companies either aren't giving as large of a raise as they used to or not giving them at all.  You have to be able to be in control of your finances the best way that you can even in these circumstances, and what better way to do this than to give yourself a 10% raise?   The spreadsheet mentioned in this episode is free and can be requested by going to http://incontrolfinancial.com and clicking on the Contact Us button to send an e-mail.  Be sure to include the word SPREADSHEET in the subject line, and in the body of the message indicate whether you want it in Microsoft Excel format or Google Sheets.  We'll e-mail the spreadsheet to you right away so you can get started on giving yourself a 10% raise!   If you're listening to this on iTunes, please follow these steps (especially if this episode was particularly helpful to you): 1) subscribe, 2) rate the podcast, and 3) leave a review.  Thank you for listening, and as always, God bless!

There is no blanket statement that fits all people when it comes to using credit cards versus paying for everything with cash only.  Some folks are responsible and have the discipline needed to properly use credit cards.  Other folks treat a credit card like free money and swipe it with no consideration of consequences.   So, does that mean that every single one of us should always use cash even though we may vary greatly with our actions and behaviors when it comes to our purchases?  What if we want to use credit cards?  Should we be pressured to never use a credit card, even though we have a track record of responsible spending habits and rarely (if ever) carrying a monthly balance?   In this episode, Tom busts the myths propagated by some financial gurus about credit cards.  One of the most common myths is that you will absolutely lose financially if you don't rid yourself of credit cards forever.  While he always advocates a debt-free lifestyle if tha

Unable to decide on exactly which specific topic to focus on for this episode, we're just going to hit record and see where it goes from there!  Apparently, the episode turned out just fine since you're able to download it.   Tom talks about some scary stuff that he's seen this past week on social media, including some stuff about retirement and designer envelopes (what?!?).  Trust me, it's easier to just listen than it is to try to explain it here...   We want to thank you for listening to this podcast, and we urge you to subscribe, rate us, and leave us a review on iTunes!  Doing so helps us tremendously, and we simply can't thank you enough for taking a few minutes to do this.  It helps to keep this podcast going, and it helps to widen the audience so we can get more folks on board to improving their personal finances.  God bless!

An often overlooked category in our budget is the category for utilities.  Most of the time, we find ourselves simply paying the bills without stopping to think how we can save ourselves money.  In today's episode, Tom talks about how we can make adjustments to our utility bills to potentially save upwards of $100.00 per month or more!  What would you do with the extra $100.00?   Please leave a review on whichever platform you are using to listen to this podcast, or simply go to http://incontrolfinancial.com and click on Contact Us to send an e-mail and let us know how we're doing!  Thank you for listening, and as always, God bless!