Four Steps to Financial Success

Over the course of the last several years, my wife and I have spent time with more than 120 families as they have walked through the steps of achieving their own Financial Peace. Here are four steps that I believe will help any family move farther down the road!

1. Get a Plan and Write It Down. A dream is just a dream until you write it down and then it becomes a goal! Every family that we meet with WANTS to improve their financial situation but seldom do they take the initiative to put a plan together, write it down and work together to accomplish the goals! We follow Dave Ramsey’s proven principles of giving every dollar a name by spending it first on paper and on purpose before the month even begins. Write the plan down – your memory isn’t that good!

2. Start Out Slowly. About once every six months, I get motivated to get back to the gym. I write down my workout, head to the gym and always work out too hard too fast! I don’t have enough patience to do it systematically – I want results immediately and see a difference after my first visit. Working your budget is the same process. You must work slowly and methodically in order to win. You didn’t get into this shape overnight, and you won’t work your way out of it quickly. If you try to take shortcuts, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Get a plan, and stick to it.

3. Go Crazy and Get Intense. I am sure that you have heard the old saying: “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” In order to be successful, you must change your behaviors and get a little crazy about it. What stuff can you cut out of your budget that you don’t really need? Can you live without a telephone landline for a while? Do you really need all of those cable channels? Pack a lunch. Eat dinner at home. Do it for a while, and see what a difference it makes. My wife and I have “Crazy Months” where we do anything and everything we can do to save money. What can you do with the money you saved? Pay down a bill? Save a little extra for Christmas gifts? Go crazy and see what can happen if you work together!

4. Get Support. Achieving personal financial success is about 20% head knowledge and about 80% behavioral change. People “know” what they need to do but seldom take the steps necessary to implement the new behaviors. You may need to grab some support to help you make the behavioral changes necessary to get you where you want to go. That is where The Sacks Group can step in and offer some assistance. We have programs specifically designed to help you stay on track. Worried that it will cost too much? Our first consultation is ALWAYS free, and our services are month-to-month – NO lengthy contracts. We want you to be successful, and we want you to win without feeling the constraints of a long-term agreement.