Hello to the readers of Living Almost Large!

It’s hard to believe 2008 is almost over and the last year of this decade is about to begin! My name is Natalie MacNeil and I’m the founder of SheTakesOnTheWorld.com, a blog for ambitious women who are literally taking on the world. I am an entrepreneur pursuing financial freedom so that I can “live large.” I like discussing personal finance because I believe it’s something we don’t talk about enough in our society. I think we can all live larger by being open and honest about personal finance.

Failure to Plan

It’s that time of year again to evaluate your finances, plan for the future, and formulate next year’s budget. 2009 is going to be a tough year for a lot of people so planning is key. “Failing to plan is planning to fail” as the old saying goes. Check the following items off your to-do list before the year is over to start 2009 off right:

1. Get rid of things you don’t need and make some extra cash. I evaluate what could be put on eBay (if it’s valuable), bring clothes to a consignment shop (50% to me, 50% to charity), and the rest go to Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Every season I usually make a couple hundred dollars by getting rid of things I don’t use and don’t need.

2. If you have credit card debt, call the credit card company and ask for a lower interest rate. Let them know you’ve been a loyal customer and that other companies are offering you a lower interest rate. Ask to speak to a supervisor or manager if the customer service representative says no.

3. Ask your bank to eliminate your banking fees or find a bank that will. There are so many banks that now offer “fee free” banking that you shouldn’t be paying fees. Banks make enough money as it is without needing to collect fees!

4. Have a budget talk with EVERYONE affected by your budget. This includes your partner or spouse and children. I think it’s great when you can be open and honest about your financial situation and discuss what everyone can do to play their part. Even if you handle the day to day finances, it’s important for your spouse or partner to be involved with setting the budget. Involving children is as easy as letting them know that they can help bring the cost of bills down by turning off lights that they aren’t using or not letting the tap run while brushing their teeth. This is what my parents used to do and involving kids with the budget sets a good precedent for them to follow when they’re older.

5. Ask questions and get some advice. Most of us aren’t financial advisers and need some help from someone who is from time to time.

6. Check out all the free resources online. For a great list of financial resources I like to visit Suze Orman’s resource page. And of course, keep on reading and following LAL at Living Almost Large as she dishes about personal finance in her pursuit of financial freedom.

I wish you all a Happy Holiday and all the best in 2009. I hope you’ll stop by my blog She Takes On The World sometime.

Natalie

Stop by She Takes on the World a blog for women. I know the year is wrapping up so now is the time to start setting goals and starting fresh. It’s time for a clean slate and do-over. So let’s all get started on trekking to financial freedom!