_{I hope you are all doing well.} 

_{This dirty rocks minute is about budgeting. Having a personal and business budget is the key to success.  To explain my point, let me share a story.  In my career, I have had the opportunity to meet a many great people and mentors, one of my favorite mentors came in my life recently.  Let me share their story.} 

_{Back in the 1970’s a young couple got married and start the lives together.  The husband was a dance teacher and the wife worked part time with him.  They earned a total of $12,000 a year. Throughout their life they enjoy the same career and in fact are still doing what they have always done and love to do.  Since the 1970’s to today the most money they made in 1 year was $30,000.  So basically they live in poverty. They would go get the left-over produce from the farms that would not sell due to it being over ripe or it fell off the plant on to the ground. They would can all kinds of goods, fruit, vegetables. They would pack a lunch to work, they did everything they could to make what they had work for them. They understand the concept of budgeting and using a budget to their advantage. For example:  The wife liked to smoke cigarettes. One day she decided she wanted to go on a cruise.  She realized that she could go on a cruise if she quit smoking for 1 year.  So she quit and a year later they went on that cruise. The day she got back from the cruise she started smoking again.  I asked her why, she said there was room back in her budget to smoke, as she was not saving for a cruise.  Plus she like smoking and it was cool back in the 1980’s. Wow, now that is knowing your budget. They shared may other stories about cutting something out of the budget to get something they wanted.  One time she stopped smoking to get a VCR for her husband.  She referred to this portion of their budget as their play money.  She says you always have to have play money to make the budget fun and exciting. There number one rule, was to pay themselves first.  They took a portion of every check and set it aside to invest. They did this every check, just like the cigarettes. They did miss a few months once in a while, but overall they paid themselves first every check. It took them 2 years to save $100 to invest in the stock market, this was their first investment. By they way: they were only able to by one stock.  That stock went up to $1000 in a few years. They took that money and bought a house.  Today they own 17 homes free and clear and are worth over 3 million dollars. Maybe more, every time I talk to them they tell me about another home they own. I don’t know about you, but this blows me away.  That is some budgeting power.} 

_{If you would like some help getting a budget put together please let me know, or if you would just like a couple template.  If you have a newer computer, they also offer programs you could use.  The key is to make your budget realistic.  One that cuts out the smoking for something more productive. Plus having a mentor you can follow and get some guidance along the way.  I hope you find this as powerful as I do.  Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.  Have a great weekend.}