Whether you are in debt or simply looking for a plan guaranteed to help you become Financially Free, there are a lot of great resources out there that can help. I have mentioned that I am both a Dave Ramsey certified counselor and a Crown Money Map coach. Both of these programs are designed to help you reach a point with your finances where you are debt free, building wealth and able to serve God through giving whenever He calls.

Dave Ramsey has the baby steps and Crown has the Money Map. Although slightly different both are great tools that will walk you through the steps to reach your goal. For a limited time you can get a free copy of the Crown Money Map.

At some time or another we all need a little help. The problem is that some people have trouble accepting the help they need. Accepting help is a difficult thing for various reasons. Sometimes people refuse help because they feel embarrassed for needing help from someone else. Other times, refusal of help may be due to the fear that they won’t be able to repay the person offering the help.

I came across an article from Stew over at Gather Little By Little entitled Give and it will be given you. In this article Stew discusses how his idea of helping others was impacted when a friend stepped up and offered help.

Each of us have something that we can do to help others. When we help others, without expecting anything in return, we will change the way we look at accepting help. In the post that Stew wrote, he reminds us of the Biblical principle of sowing and reaping. If you feel like you aren’t getting the help you need, maybe the answer is looking for someone that you can help.

Tonight on the way home, my wife and I were discussing how a lot of people are ungrateful for the things that they have. We both agreed that many people no longer feel the need to take care of themselves and expect someone else to clean up after them.

While thinking about our discussion I remembered an article that I found over at Yahoo! Finance that deals with how much you should tip for certain services. Most people do not realize that servers at a restaurant make very little money as a base salary. As a matter of fact, minimum wage for servers is only a little more than $2 per hour. The majority of their income comes from tips. If you are looking for a way to help someone financially, look no further than tipping. Providing a solid tip for a job well done is one way to make someone’s day…not to mention the blessing you will receive from it.

Let me be completely honest about my philosophy on tipping. You do a good job, you get a good tip. Being a Christian, I am always concerned that I not do something that would shine a bad light on Christians. My wife has a philosophy with regard to tipping. If the server sees us praying before our meal and we stiff him or her on the tip, they won’t remember us praying, but they will remember the bad tip. Needless to say I leave the tip amount up to her and when we get really good service the server gets a really good tip.

Below is the list of how much you should tip as provided in the article and to be honest I was more surprised by the explanation of why you should tip someone than I was the actual amount of the tip itself.

• Gas Attendants — Suggested Tip: None
• Shampoo Person — Suggested Tip: $2
• Doorman — Suggested Tip: $1 per Bag
• Skycaps (Airport Porter) — Suggested Tip: $1 Per Bag
• Food Retailers and Coffee Shops — Suggested Tip: None
• Bartenders — Suggested Tip: 15-20% of Tab
• Restaurant Servers — Suggested Tip: 15% of Pretax Bill
• Pizza Delivery — Suggested Tip: 10% of Pretax Bill

For the most part, the list is not very surprising. I guess the one thing that I have never thought about is tipping at a restaurant on the pretax amount. We always tip on the bottom line. I shampoo my own hair so I have never tipped the shampoo person, and I usually take care of my own luggage at the airport. I did think it was interesting that the article gave me a pass on tipping the guy at the coffee shop, even if there is a tip jar on the counter. Here is the thing that I thought was really strange in the article. Again, not how much I should tip for good service, but how much you should tip for bad service. From the article:

Contrary to popular belief, bad service is no excuse to completely skip the tip. Even when the level of service is poor, experts recommend leaving no less than 10%.

I am sorry, you shouldn’t expect a 10% tip for poor service. If you want me to reward you for a good experience then you need to meet me half way. If you are expecting me to tip, then I am looking for a reason. It doesn’t take much to be nice, be efficient and be professional. Those three things will always get you a good tip from my wife.

How do you feel about tipping? Should poor service get a 10% tip? Should they get any tip at all?

We are looking at financial goals for the New Year. MSN Money lists 6 financial milestones to reach before age 30. If you are already over 30, these milestones are still worth looking into, but the real question is whether or not these milestones are good goals. We will be looking at one milestone each day, here is the fourth milestone.

1. Scale back the credit cards

2. Own a home — or have a plan

3. Have skills

“Give money away”

Scott Hanson, founder of financial-planning firm Hanson McClain believes that the good vibes one feels from giving to a cause can also create that feel-good factor — one with more significance than a new CD or an 80% discounted cashmere sweater. “Giving your money away puts it in perspective,” he says.

This is one I feel very strongly about. As a Christian, we are merely stewards or managers of God’s resources. Too often we act like owners instead of managers. If we step back and ask ourselves “What Would Jesus Do” with the money we have, I think we would all agree that He would be helping other people. Even if you are not a Christian or have any religious beliefs at all, I think you will agree that helping someone less fortunate than you, really makes you feel good.

We teach that giving should be a part of your financial plan and it should come before anything else. Just like making savings a priority, if you don’t make giving a priority and wait until all the bills are paid, you won’t have anything left to give. Make giving a line on your budget and find a worthy charity to support. If you are a Christian, you should be giving to your local church, and if you don’t feel comfortable giving to your church because of the leadership or direction of the church, then find a new church and give generously and see how God will bless you. The apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9:7

⁷ So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Ready to have some real fun this year? Make giving a goal and see how fun it is to help other people

With the economy at the top of almost everyone’s watch list, job security is a thought that comes up often in discussions with others. Each day the number of people losing their job increases and for some the idea of trying to go out and find another job is a very scary thought. Depending on what research you read, most people stay only 3 years at a job, before they are looking for the next one, but most of the time they leave because they want to, and they already have another job lined up. For the majority of people, losing their job would destroy their financial life, because they are living paycheck to paycheck. They have not taken the time to ensure financial security.

What are you doing to add some security to your current financial position? If you were let go from your job, how would that impact you and your family financially? I came across an article at Kiplinger.com that lists Eight Keys to financial security. These keys perfectly describe successful personal finance – make good decisions, be patient and get ready to win.

1. Invest in yourself

You are your number one money making scheme. Seriously, whether you are in debt or saving for your next big purchase, you need to be working on making yourself “layoff proof”. If you have been with the same company for many years, and you feel like you couldn’t get a job anywhere else, that is a bad thing. Don’t wait for a pink slip to motivate you to ‘invest in yourself’.

2. Protect yourself and your loved ones

One are that most people never include in their financial plan is insurance. Having the right amount and the right types of insurance is crucial to a firm financial foundation. Check back next week when we look into the differences in Term Life and Whole Life insurance. Probably the most under insured area for most people is disability insurance. What would you do if you became disabled and could not continue in your current line of work?

3. Borrow sparingly

Kiplinger and I disagree on this one. They say to only use credit on things with lasting value and they include education and maybe a car. We have paid cash for our last two vehicles and although we hope they last a long time, they are still going down in value. As far education goes, we are saving for college and will expect our kids to do their part by working during college and going to an in-state school. A couple of scholarships wouldn’t hurt either.

4. Pay yourself first

This one is sort of cliché, but it is true. If you pay all of your bills and then try to save what is left you won’t get very far. We teach that giving and saving are the first two things on your budget; the only exception is when you are trying to get out of debt. If this is where you are, save a small emergency fund and everything else should be going to debt elimination. Once the debt is gone, save like you have never done before. Whether you are saving to finish off your emergency fund, retirement, college or car replacement make it a priority. If you feel like there is no more room to save anything maybe a second, part-time job is going to be required to get things moving. The only way to be financially free is live on less than you make and save the rest.

5. Don’t go for the home run

If it sounds too good to be true, then it is. You can’t get rich quick, it takes time and it usually hurts. Don’t get trapped into bad decisions just because you are tired of things going slowly. Remember how long it took you to get where you are; it didn’t happen overnight, so you won’t be able to get out quickly. The goal is financial freedom and you can get there with a few singles and doubles, it doesn’t have to be a homerun.

6. Diversify, diversify, diversify

As you work yourself out of debt and you begin saving for the long-term, don’t try to be smarter than you are by investing in overly complicated schemes. A few good mutual funds that have been around for 20+ years that have good track records is a great way to spread your wealth building income around. You will also be better protected in the event of a single company or two goes into bankruptcy.

7. Live simply today for a more comfortable tomorrow

If you look in Philippians 4:11, you will be reminded that the apostle Paul taught that we need to be content where we are. If you can prolong the extravagant purchases until you can afford them, you will have a much better retirement. Dave Ramsey says, “If you live like no one else, later you can live like no one else”.

8. Give generously to create a better world

I love giving to others. There are few greater feelings than knowing you have put yourself into a position to be able to help those less fortunate than yourself. However, don’t be guilted into giving to every worthwhile cause. You will have to pick and choose where you help, but remember you can only help from a place of strength. The weak can’t help the strong, so secure your own finances and then you will be able to do great things for others.

If you haven’t settled on goals for this new year, this list is a great place to start

It is the time of year when people generally are in good spirits and naturally find themselves in a ‘giving’ mood. This year is an exception to the rule. Although many people are finding themselves struggling in this uncertain economy, non-profit groups and charities that depend on the generosity of others are finding things particularly difficult. Everywhere you turn there is another need and less people able to fill the void.

Charities all across the U.S. are struggling to meet the added demands brought on by foreclosures, layoffs and an overall slow economy. According to an article in the New York Times online edition, the current demand for services is only going to increase.

“We have seen an increased need from people who are facing foreclosure, job loss and decreased work hours,” the Rev. Michael M. Boland, chief executive of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, said in an e-mail message. “We are seeing a lot of renters forced out of apartments because the owners were foreclosed upon, and we’ve seen an increase in the number of requests for our emergency services, which include food pantries and hot dinners for the hungry and homeless,” he said.

Another area that is feeling the impact of the economic downturn is churches. Churches rely almost entirely on the giving of their congregation and when so many families are dealing with their own financial problems, they often don’t give the way they would like.

So what should you do if you want to give more but are feeling the pinch of the economy? I found this quote from BlackAmericaWeb News

Over the summer, when gas cost more than $4, Herb Ellison said his family cut back on eating out and other expenses so that they could afford the 45-minute drive to St. Nicholas Antiochian Orthodox Church in Beckley, W.Va., for Saturday and Sunday services.

“When we do feel the pinch, it’s just a matter of setting priorities,” Ellison said, “This is the most important part of our week.”