How to become a millionaire using three simple strategies

Strategy No. 1: Creating a budget  
The first step toward becoming a millionaire begins with the ability to save money. As the old saying goes, you need money to make money -- but it's incredibly difficult to save money if you don't understand your cash flow.
For those of you who are classic over-spenders, or who have difficulty sticking to a budget, one possible trick is to think of each budget category (such as entertainment) as having its own bank account, or even setting up separate jars with cash inside for each budgeted category. Even though you may have plenty of money in your checking account, if the money for your entertainment account runs out two days before the end of the month, then you're out of money. Period! This little trick can help you learn to live within your means so you can start saving for retirement early and often.
Strategy No. 2: Learn to reinvest your dividends

 

The second strategy involves utilizing the stock market to seek out solid businesses that pay healthy dividends. For those of you who are uncomfortable with the idea of picking out individual stocks, or who don't have the time to devote to researching individual companies, there are always electronic-traded funds, or ETFs, you can buy. As of December, there were more than 1,400 to choose from.
Instead of simply pocketing a dividend payment from a company or an ETF, consider taking your dividend and buying additional shares of that company or ETF. If there is a solid business model and investment thesis behind a company, there's a good chance its dividend will remain steady or grow over time. What this means for you is the ability to buy more shares over time, which can lead to an even bigger dividend, which leads to even more shares of stock.

Strategy No. 3: Minimize or eliminate what you pay in capital gains taxes
Once you've set parameters that allow you to save, and you've set your sights on dividend stocks for the long term, the final step in the process of how to become a millionaire involves using tax-advantaged tools to your benefit.
You may not be the next me, but if you utilize these three smart strategies, there's no reason you can't one day become a millionaire and claim your own slice of the American dream.

Marriage is living and Most Weddings are Poor Planning?

I wish I never had a wedding.

Sure, the day was great. It was fun and I was happy. But I was miserable for at least four months prior and a long time after. I spent thousands of dollars on one day. I could have put that money into a retirement fund, into a home, into a car or many other practical things. I think back about that time in my life and I had nothing but negative feelings. I regret having a wedding because it scarred me emotionally, it made me an angry person for too long and it wasted a lot of my money.

Twenty-Five years later, and I wish I did everything differently.

It's not that I regret being married. No way. My husband is great. It may not be all rainbows and butterflies every day, but I enjoy my life with him. He gets me, he lets me do my thing and I like being around him. I just wish we skipped the whole wedding thing.

I was always the girl who had dreams of her big day!  I had marriage dreams, career dreams and having a family dreams and was convinced I would have it all. Marry young, have my children young, maintain a career and family. Since I am already 50 and I have been married twenty-five years now I think I did well.

When my husband proposed, I said "Yes”. I knew he loved me and would provide for me for the rest of our lives together. 

I know this sound too good to be true.

I was in 25 years old and was stressed enough about finding a job to support myself. Now I am throwing wedding planning into the mix. We really loved each other with his "we can make it work" attitude convinced me that yes, we can plan this wedding.

When it came to the wedding planning, my biggest problem was being a fan of party planning.  When it came to parties, I want my favorite people to show up.  My mother had a whole different idea…some of my favorite people and most of her family and friends. What is that?

I thought I had high the jack pot when a graphic designer friend of my then-fiancé’s offered to do our invites as her wedding gift to us. I told her our colors and ideas I had, excited to see potential mock-ups. Days went by and I heard nothing. I found examples of invites I liked in the bridal books and sent them over to her, hoping she would respond to a follow-up call. I got a quick brush-off response. This went on until there were two months left before our wedding and I had to say "If you can't make this happen, you need to please, please, please let me know." She couldn't or wouldn’t make it happen.   Luckily, our families were wonderful, creative and had a whole lot of imagination.   We used a make-your-own invitations model. We enlisted bridesmaids and family members to churn out, address and stamp 200 invites on a Saturday night. While we had a technical difficulty with the printer halfway through, we were successfully able to get all the invites finished in one evening. Family and some friends actually mean well.

When it came to my relationship with my bridesmaids, I wanted to treat them as best as I could. We were all either in young, recently out of school or had low-paying or no paying jobs and I did not want them to spend a lot of money on me, especially on a dress, so I paid for their dresses as a gift from me. I thought the bridesmaid dress concept was great. Most of them are tacky, expensive and no matter WHAT the bride tells you, there is no way you are going to wear them again. I wanted my bridesmaids to have dresses that they would and could have a slight potential to be worn on multiple occasions.   I ended up finding the dresses while flipping through a copy of pattern book one day. It was a rainbow color full-length strapless dress made out of chiffon material. I thought it was perfect, gorgeous, and comfortable, would look good on all body types and could be worn multiple times.

Unfortunately, my concern did not translate to a particular bridesmaid. While I wanted to give my bridesmaids a pain-free experience, not all of them wanted to return the favor. There were complaints about the dresses, my organization and much resistance when it came to my wishes for what I wanted for my bachelorette dinner party. All this, even though they knew the amount of stress I was going through with a wedding I was extremely excited about.

My bachelorette dinner party, in a word, was "breath breaking." My best friend and my mom tried so hard to give me the happiest night of my life, and I thank them so much for everything they did. They really were my saving grace during everything.

For the dinner party, I wanted to go to a male strip joint, after dinner. Unfortunately, two bridesmaids felts uncomfortable going and refused to get into the limo that was waiting.  I said, to them “If you don't want to go to strip club, that's your choice”.  

Eventually, I made the compromise that we would for get about the strip club and just enjoy riding in the limo that was waiting for the dinner party after the dinner.

Something that has stayed with me for years is:  you know how the bride is not supposed to pay for her drinks during the bachelorette dinner party? Well, guess how many drinks I had. One.  In six hours. I bought myself the one because it was becoming clear nobody was going to get me any drinks. Being young and unfamiliar with how bachelorette dinner parties work, I thought it was OK.

Now that I am older, I realize there is a special place in for guests who do not make sure the bride always has a drink in her hand and leave the bride and groom parents to pay their drinking bill.

Between the planning, the clashing with others involved and the whispers going on behind my back, the amount of stress I was going through was so intense that I gain 10 pounds leading up to the wedding. So many brides go on wedding diets, but my dress was already a size 14, so there was not much weight I could gain.   My dress that once fit great was now too small. I had to rush out to the dressmaker and have the seams loosen up.  

Even today, I have emotional scars from my wedding experience. While I have made up with one bridesmaid and our relationship is great, I have completely cut the other out of my life. I can no longer look at my own wedding photos with her in them without getting upset about the things she did to me in the past. And not just during the wedding. Looking back, this woman actually said to me she preferred hanging out with another person other than me because, she said "It takes the pressure off me   being less attractive all the time and I have been jealous and envious of you all of my life because I never knew my father." How sad.

I mean, think about that. I at one time could not look through my own wedding photos and be happy because of this person. I spent a lot of money on those photos, and for what? Thinking about that alone filled me with regret.

Today, I forgive her and right not I have let it and her go….my life, my family, and my friends are enough.

This article is an excerpt from the book to be published by Ruby Mae Chapman, entitle 

Life’s Interruptions.

I am Scared Silly

Need Advice?

Life’s Interruptions

 As we are going about our business and something new, unplanned, many times unpleasant, comes and takes us off the planned course we are, were on–Life’s Interruptions.

What do I do when life throws me a curveball?

What do I do when things don’t go as I have planned?

Ask Ruby

I am Scared Silly 

Dear Ruby

I have mentally abused, verbally abused, financially abused, emotionally abused and physically abused and I am chasing faith but becoming more fearful by the day, what can I do? What am I suppose to do? I am scared silly!

Dear Scared Silly

      Start seeing the twinkle in your eyes.  Start bringing sunshine in your life.  Stop allowing other to whisper sweet nothing (negatives) in your ears.

 Let’s start living God’s Blueprint for your life!

      You deserve to live the best life that God has prepared for you.  Most often, we live beneath our upbringing or according to other friends or people on the T.V. standards.  When we refuse to be great (the Star) in our own life, we do God, our parents, and the world a disservice by not allowing them to experience our greatness.  When we are the star in our own life, we do not have time to be mistreated or intimated by others.  When we see greatness in our own life we refuse to allow others to treat us less than how we deserve to be treated.

      In life we spend too much time on things we have no control over.  But, when it comes to those things we can control, we must be serious and sincere about giving them and our life the very best.  It is important that we no longer allow fear and doubt to sabotage or destroy our greatness.  Now is the time to stop dimming and hiding the light in our life in an effort to make others feel comfortable.  Let’s be the bright star in our own life and let’s be extremely careful and selective about who we allow to shine along with us.  Let’s begin to be accountable about the decisions we make.

     As we begin to be great in our own life, remember that life gives us many chances but only one opportunity, so when opportunity knocks lets be prepared.  We must make every moment count.  The time has come when we can no longer afford to allow our dreams to remain asleep while standing on the sidelines doubting, fearing, angry, jealous, and envious while others cross the line to victory.  We deserve to walk boldly in the grace of who God has called us each to be without doubt, fear and our past to whisper to us otherwise.

     It is time for us to not only be great in our own life but also for us to win Eagle Award for our greatness.  We are an original design and God broken mold when he created each of us.  God has but an amazing amount of greatness and blessings designed just for us with each of our names on it. Let’s go take back our greatness and blessing from satan. 

     In the words of author Marianne Williamson from her book A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of a Course in Miracles. She wrote, “Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.  It is our light, not our darkness that most frighten us.  We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talent, fabulous?  Actually, who are we not to be?  We are children of God.  Playing small does not serve the world.  There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.  We are all meant to shine, as children do.  We were born to make true the glory of God that is within us.  It is not just in some of us; it is in all of us.  And as we let our own light shine, we give other people permission to do the same.  As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates other.”

Dr.  Ruby Mae Chapman, Napolean & Ada Moton Chapman Institute, Life Coach and Scholar   

Visit her blog for more inspiring readings!  http://ask-ruby.blogspot.com/

Contact her at askruby411@yahoo.com or via twitter, facebook, and Linkedlin

Living The Dream!

It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today.

Barack Obama

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

The Fountain of Moving!

The Fountain of Moving = the Fountain of Living + the Fountain of Youth

How to Hit Age 120 without a Hint of Health Trouble

Remember that resolution you made to be more active this year? Here's a reason to renew it -- and bring your mom along, too: The more active women are in midlife, the more likely they are to live longer. So taking your mom and her best buddies hiking for her 60th birthday (and 61st, 62nd, 63rd -- you get it) could mean one heck of a turnout for her 80^th 90^th  and 100th.

3 steps to live longer

How do we know? From many studies, including a new one that looked at more than 13,000 women to see who got to or passed age 70 in super health -- no cancer, diabetes, heart attacks, bypass graft surgery, congestive heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Parkinson's, cognitive impairment, or physical or mental health limitations.  Really! YOU can be that healthy, too, if you follow our recommendations.

Why stress is a common weight obstacle for women

What the super healthy had in common: physical activity. Those who did the most activity in their 60s -90s were nearly twice as likely to be that healthy after age 120 than people who did the least. And get this: About 4.5 to 8 hours of walking a week was enough to bring on the benefits. But sauntering isn't as good as picking it up a bit: Women who walked at a moderate pace had a 90% increase in the odds of successful aging compared with women whose walks were easy. No needs to wait until you’re 60 to get moving. Gather your girlfriends (and get your guys off that couch, too!) and get moving. Better yet, replace the couch with two treadmills.

Living Life to its Fullest!

7%

7% Written by a 90 year old

This is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read to the end!!!!!!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio .

"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written.

My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short, enjoy it.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19.. It's never too late to be happy. But its all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Its estimated 93% won't forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title '7%'.

I'm in the 7%. Friends are the family that we choose.

Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.

~Hans Christian Andersen

Once you hit 90, your average life expectancy is 95!

If you intend to live forever (well, nearly), the key is to live healthfully now. Here are the top 10 steps to reaching 90 in good health and great shape:

1. Stay active. That daily 30-minute walk is vital to keeping you young.

Get enough of these to keep body and brain humming: whole grains, fruits, and veggies; vitamin D3 (1,000 IU; 1,200 after age 60); DHA omega-3s (600-900 mg); low-dose aspirin (talk to your doc first).

Get next to none of these: saturated fats, trans fats, added sugars.

Sleep 7 1/2 hours to 8 hours a night. Every night.

Manage stress. Meditate (here's an easy way) or take two 10- or 15-minute deep-breathing breaks daily.

Do. Not. Smoke.

Stimulate your brain. Do puzzles, learn languages, and take on new challenges. Stay sharp with these nifty (and fun) brain games.

Support "village" movements: neighbors-helping-neighbors programs that let people live independently at home.

Harass your legislators to get health costs under control and affordable. At some point, you'll need it. Meanwhile, here are 6 ways to cut your own healthcare costs.

Move to North Dakota, Hawaii, or California. They're meccas for 90-year-olds.

Then plan on blowing out more than 90 candles. Once you hit 90, your average life expectancy is 95!

Farewell to Paris!

Farewell to Paris!

My companion for 15 years

Paris my mixed breed dog was given to me in

 in April 1987 as a gift from my nephew who

was leaving to join the Marines.

This little tannish white puppy was put in my

care and for the last 15 years we walked, ran,

he swam in every stream, pond, lake or pool of water

we walked by and when we finished our water walks,

Paris looked forward to being hosed down on the front lawn.

As he grew to know me and I to know him, whenever

you saw him, you saw me.  We knew when it was

time to wake up and walk in the morning and we knew

when time it was time to walk in the evening.

Paris knew when I was dressing for work, walking, or bed,

just by snipping the clothes I were wearing and he would adjust

himself according to what I was wearing….work clothes….short walk.

walking clothes….long walk and evening walks in between.

Paris would look into my eyes and I into his and I could the spirit of life,

loyalty and living.  Paris was a great companion to me.  We walked for 15 years.   

Paris and I walked 5 miles of more daily; during all seasons and all weather.  I hope I was a great companion to Paris as he was to me.

Thank you Paris for 15 years of life, love, living, and loyalty!