No they can't. That's today's message on this blog. You can clearly watch CNN or FOX, CBS or any on-line portal or mass media and see the "experts" who predict the "bottom" of the stock market or when the economy will turn around. Of course, no one - incuding them - knows the future.

Where does that leave you and me?

Actually, today we are in an urgent situation that requires swift movement and sound commitment. How?

Millions of Americans may be concerned about their jobs or houses, but they haven't really changed. They need to see the current financial crisis for what it is. People's lives will change.

If you put your faith in someone who says they can predict turnaround, you are headed down a potential (and likely) path to a bad experience in your financial life.

Things have changed. Maybe they've changed without anyone noticing (because everyone is focused on the bad news), but the change has come. Now the successful will choose wisely before spending on any major purchase. The smart people will find ways to save money. No - we're not kidding. Even if you barely have enough to pay your bills, you should focus on how to cut expenses and begin putting steady savings away to build an emergency fund that is proper for today's personal financial environment.

You've heard us talk about reviewing the last three months of expenses in your family checkbook. You have seen us talk about starting with baby steps. After reviewing your expenses in the last three months and cutting out the wants vs the needs. Save the amount you have "saved" every month from now on.

If you get a raise (a what?), put that extra money into your emergency savings.

If you get an unexpected refund or bonus (a what?) or find a $5.00 bill, put it in a money market savings account.

Your immediate goals are:

1. Begin contributing to an emergency savings fund (in money market) until you have 15 to 18 months of expenses in this fund. It's okay if you are no where close to this. It is your GOAL. Slow and steady wins the race.

2. Spend one hour a day at least three days a week working for YOURSELF at your home computer. Don't have one? Go to the library. Your goal is to seek information about sites such as ING DIRECT and T ROWE PRICE. You also want to look for ways to save money. On-line coupons. Anything that can create savings for you.

.....but remember this: It's not savings if you leave it in your checking account.

*checking accounts are money laundering accounts for other peoples' money.

3. Spend some of your time looking for or seeking passive revenue streams. These are ways you can make money - even a little money - without directly working for it all the time. BUT if you have to pay someone to start a passive revenue stream, DON'T DO IT. And always check things out with more than two sources. Remember: You want to make money - not lose money.

If you look at today's financial crisis as an opportunity to get your house in order, save money and learn how to generate more money - even small amounts - as passive revenue, you will be better off than those who are not planning right now.

Here's the best part: You are not alone. We are all fighting our way back. This country has been built by people in your family and ours. These are people who pulled themselves up by their boot-strap! YOU CAN DO THIS.

If you have a good job today, you are blessed. Save money from that job. Things may turn much worse and you will always be much better off with EMERGENCY SAVINGS. Those without it will be in deeper trouble.

Start working on this now. Look at the past 3 months. What can you reduce? What can you save? Then, do your research on on-line coupon codes and ways to save your family. Take the money you save and SAVE IT in money market.

Thank you for reading our blog. Good luck!



www.STICKYASSET.com

Lost money in your 401k? Lost money in stocks? DON'T HAVE ANY STOCKS? DON'T HAVE A 401K? NO IRA FOR YOU? You might be losing even more?

The world is full of people who say, "I would love to save money...if only I could...."

Most people are fearful for their jobs, and everyone is seeing that home values are dropping. However, there is an interesting development around the United States. People think: My job is safer than so-and-so. Home prices are dropping - just not mine.

Wake up!

There is no free lunch. There is no easy solution. There is no get rich quick easy weight loss system secret that will boost your results thru a magical short cut. In other words, no matter what you are trying to accomplish from weight loss to building wealth, the truth is still the truth: Slow and steady wins the race. Developing a plan and sticking to it WINS in the LONG RUN!

If you are not saving a percentage of your income today, you are losing money in the financial crisis.

If you don't establish an EMERGENCY FUND, you are losing money in the financial crisis. By the way, it does not have to be much savings. Just start. Establish a pattern. Start with 1% of your after tax income. Save it for an emergency fund. If you can get in a 401k at work - DO IT. You must think about tomorrow - today.

Look at your expenses in the last three months. Find what you can cut out. Save it OUTSIDE of your checking account.

Begin to divorce yourself from the emotion of money. Look at things in black and white.

What do I need? What do I want?

Think in these terms: Is this purchase an asset or a liability? What is the true value of this purchase?

Now is your time. This is a new beginning.

Don't allow yourself and your family to lose MORE MONEY in this financial crisis. Prepare now for potentially HARDER TIMES. If they don't come, you will be better off. If harder times DO COME, you will be prepared.

And good luck.



www.STICKYASSET.com

Politicians are like game show hosts (with much better up-to-date research). They love to say things you love to hear. They are busy right now either bailing out, putting more pork on a bailout or postioning themselves as "the only one" with common sense to come out against the bailout.

What about your bailout?

There's only one way to get your bailout. If you have your job, you should be taking some of your income (every time you get a paycheck) and moving that money to savings. If you work for a company that pays expenses for anything, you should work to pay your own expenses. This way when your company pays your expenses, you can take that money and move it to savings.

Get a rebate on something? Put it in savings.

Will you be getting a tax refund? Put it in savings.

But don't just put it in savings. Put it in the highest interest "safe" money market or in some higher interest vehicle where the money is liquid. You want to be able to build savings.

2009 could be worse than 2008. People who have yet to feel the financial crisis with job losses may be hit hard this year. Save up.

Look for ways to "trick yourself" into saving.

In the "old days" (not that long ago), experts would tell you to build 3 to 6 months of expenses in an EMERGENCY FUND. However, in 2009 it is taking longer for people to find jobs and the jobs being "found" are often at reduced income. So, if you have a job, you should consider that things could get worse and you should - you guessed it - SAVE.

You've heard us say this before at www.STICKYASSET.com: You are not saving money unless you take the money out of your CHECKING ACCOUNT and put it in a high interest savings or money market. It may be hard for you to save, but no one knows what to expect in this economic downturn. It is important to take as much control as you can of what you can control: SAVINGS.

Good luck.



www.STICKYASSET.com

We live in a brutal time. It may not have reached your doorstep yet, or maybe you've seen it up close and personal. Savings rates are at an all time low. Credit card balances are at an all time high. We have been on an express train headed to the debt graveyard for thirty years. Smart families are waking up, but changing habits is not an easy thing to do for anyone.

The most important things you can do now is break with the old habits of want and produce a basic philosophy to live by one day at a time. When the economy continues to darken, you should be preparing for the worst while being hopeful for a recovery that may be slower in coming than many are hopeful of now.

How do you do this?

Stop chasing your credit score. Get serious about paying off debt - starting with high interest credit cards. Have some balance to what you are doing. Start by looking at your expenses. Take the last three months and track every nickle you have spent on anything. Bills. Eating out. Cable. Phones. Take a look at everything.

See what you can live without - and cut it.

Do you have an EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND? If not, let's get started right there.

Take the first baby step for yourself. IF you still have your job, count yourself as LUCKY. Do not hesitate to do this. If you have a job and income and cannot figure out where to start, TAKE 1% of your after tax paycheck and put it aside for YOU. Put it in a higher interest money market account. Then, each time you get paid, up the amount you take off the top (first) by 1%. Take that 2% to savings. Repeat this every time you get paid until you are taking 15% of your income to savings.

We are not saying you should not pay your bills. We are saying it is essential that YOU BUILD AN EMERGENCY SAVINGS FUND that you don't take money out of unless you have absolutely no choice. You want to build this fund every time you get paid. Slow and steady wins the race.

Because you have put your bills in order and know what you have been spending over the last three months, put your credit cards in order of the highest interest rate first, the second next and so on. Pay the minimum on each of them, but pay more on the highest one until you get it paid OFF.

Oh, and don't use your credit cards. Did I mention that? You don't own credit cards, they own you. Anyone can get in a mess with a credit card. They are not your friend.

Look at the parts of your life that cost you money. Put your life in order, and pay yourself first.

It will pay off. People with emergency savings have options. It's hard to make yourself do it, but PAY YOURSELF FIRST.

You can do it! You can!

Good luck.


www.STICKYASSET.com

People want the "secret" to getting rich quickly. How many people want to win the lottery? How many people want to chase fame and riches?

True value is build slowly over time and it can be taken away quickly.

What do rich people know that most of us don't?

If you are reading this from the United States, you are very lucky. While the U.S. is in a financial crisis, we have been blessed with opportunity and you at least have a good fighting chance to build a security or safety net under yourself and your family if you apply yourself to some basic guidelines. Here we go:

1. Pay Yourself First. If you pay the bills you owe first, your spending will always increase or decrease based upon what you think you have at your fingertips (or what you make). YOU'LL NEVER SAVE ANY MONEY and you will live paycheck to paycheck. Paying yourself first and living below your means is the only way to overcome poverty long-term. This does not mean we are suggesting that you not pay your bills, but it means you have to find a way to make YOU and YOUR FAMILY the priority 1 in your personal financial life. Simply say: "I'm going to pay myself a little savings every time I get paid." And do it. It adds up quickly over time.

2. Look At Things For What They Really Are In Your Life. If you "own" a big house, is that an asset or liability? Do you owe money on your home? How much? How much is your monthly payment and what percentage your total income does your house payment represent? Do you owe a lot on a car? Do you have more than one car? Do you really own them or does the bank? Consider paying off what you can and getting rid of any excess. Focus on building real assets FIRST. You can use a simple rule for this: If you own "it" and can sell "it" immediately for a profit, it is an asset. If you owe a lot of "it," it is a LIABILITY and a potential impairment to your family getting ahead.

3. People can tell you how many credit cards they own, but the truth is more simple. You don't own any credit card - credit cards own you. If you owe money on credit cards, that makes your life difficult. Work with steady focus to get away from credit cards and STOP USING THEM.

We know from experience how easy it is to become addicted to credit cards. We have made those mistakes. Credit card companies make it easy in the beginning to addict you to easy credit, but it is a slippery slope. We know you have to break the habit or you will never get ahead. The only way to BREAK THE HABIT of credit cards is to see them as THE ENEMY and develop a system where you pay the most on the credit card with the highest interest rate and get it paid off first. Then, continue with this plan until you have no more credit card debt.

Don't let anyone talk you into only paying off credit card debt. PAY YOURSELF FIRST. Balance is an important feature to a full life. Having balance in your personal life means developing a plan that includes paying off credit cards and your bills along with building substantial EMERGENCY SAVINGS for the really hard times.

Spend an hour a day working for yourself. Research ways to make additional dollars. You must find ways to develop additional streams of income that you can save and use to pay off debt. You really can do this on the internet or at your local library. Just do your research.

Look for coupons and additional ways to save, and remember: IT IS NOT SAVINGS UNLESS YOU TAKE IT OUT OF CHECKING AND PUT IT IN A HIGH INTEREST MONEY MARKET OR CD. At www.STICKYASSET.com, we believe that checking accounts are MONEY LAUNDERING accounts for other people's money. Seek to take money from checking to savings whenever you can give yourself an excuse to do so.

Yes, the economy is tough. Yes, it is hard to save, but if you don't do it....you will be in deeper trouble than you can imagine. We urge you to develop EMERGENCY SAVINGS. We urge you to develop your own plan to boost your personal savings thru automatic and non-automatic ways (like we talk about in The Sticky Asset: How To Survive Any Financial Crisis).

Don't look at the financial crisis, the government and big business and think YOU are getting a bail out. SAVE YOURSELF and YOUR FAMILY by taking action to get your own financial house in order. It does not have to happen overnight.

But it must happen. You must start. Do it today.

Good luck.



www.STICKYASSET.com

Of course, you probably see those banks ads that tell you to keep the change. They are associated with your ATM card and purchases made at retail with these handly little cards. What if - instead of letting the bank put your change in their low interest savings account - you experimented with using only cash for one month for any purchase?

Seriously, they say people who spend cash spend about 23 - 34% less on average than those who "swipe" the plastic cards. If you experimented with cash for one month, you may find that you have a lot more money to put in a money market account (where you will get considerable more interest than a bank savings account).

What if - instead of "keeping the change" - you and your family took a hard look in your own home and car(s) and found every dollar, every nickle, every penny, rolled it and took it to the bank to "cash in"? Take that money and put it in a money market account.

It really adds up.

In the United States, we underestimate what we already have on our way to aquiring new things that we may not need. It's our "lifestyle." Think about this. What if you went through every part of your house with your family and identified the items you have but don't need (or even want) anymore? How much "stuff" is there?

Do you know where we are going with this? You're looking for savings or emergency savings. Here is what you can do to give your savings a little boost:

1. Go to Craig's List and sell it.
2. Go to EBay and sell it.

We must learn to think about reducing what we don't need or even want.

We're not suggesting that you sell EVERYTHING in your house, but we are saying now is a good time to review what you have, what you want and what you need. Once you arrive at those decisions, absolutely SELL THE REST and put that in savings.

Other people will appreciate your "new" stuff, and you will appreciate having more in your emergency savings.

Also remember: it is not savings if you leave it in your checking account. A checking account is a money laundering account for other people. The best thing you can always do is put pressure on your checking account to remove money to money market emergency savings. Always. Always be careful not to overdraft, but by moving more of your money from checking to savings (money market - not bank savings accounts)....you constantly get your money working FOR YOU. And that's a good thing.

Little things make big differences.

Good luck.

www.STICKYASSET.com

You've heard it, right? "We just can't save!" Really? You cannot find any ways to save money at your house?

Just remember: It is not saving unless you take money saved out of your checking and put it in a money market or CD. Let's take a look at how to "shave a little" and save:

REDUCE AND SAVE:

Set the thermostat at 68 degrees in the winter. Put it on 75 in the summer. Make it a goal to turn the heat down in winter and the air conditioner up in the summer for less comfortable levels when you’re not home or sleeping. This is especially good in the winter (when you are under covers in the night).

Caulk and weatherstrip the cracks in your house. It can make a big difference in what you save month in and month out on heating and cooling.

Insulate everywhere! This can really drop your heating and air bill all year long.

If you don't have ceiling fans, consider them. If you get the reversible kind, you can use them to push the warm air down in the winter.

Even if an appliance is turned off, it still uses a small amount of energy. Unplug if you are not using them.

BUNDLE UP & SAVE:

If you have cable, a landline and an internet provider consider getting all these services through one company. This can save you a good amount.

Have call waiting removed or caller I.D. or have your landline removed all together if you have a good cell phone, but be watchful of the minutes.

Don't use 411. Use 1-800-GOOG-411 instead.

Use your bath towels more than once. Hang them, let them dry and reuse them to save on washing and drying. It sounds like a small thing - but it can really add up.

Close the heater vents you aren’t using in parts of your house where you don't spend a great deal of time.

ENERGY AUDITS:

See if your energy company/power company offers energy audits free. You can probably find someone come out to your house and tell you about changes you could make to make your home more energy efficient. Just use common sense and make sure you know if there is a fee.

DO IT YOURSELF:

Consider taking classes at Home Depot or the local community college to teach you how to do simple home repairs. This can save you a lot of money over time.

Take a close look at your appliances. If they are not energy saving appliances, look to make the change slowly over time. That right - fire the old ones and replace them with savings.

When you keep your freezer full, it uses less electricity. Did you know?

IN THE BATHROOM:

Shorten your showers.

When brushing your teeth, turn off the water. Seriously, do you know how much you will save? It's a lot more than you think.

Got the idea? Make it a sport. Ask your family "How Can We Save?" You can do it!

Why save?

1. An emergency fund (you should build 15 to 18 months of expenses for 2009 standards; it takes a lot longer to replace your income these days).
2. Short-term savings (for things like a car or even educational issues).
3. Retirement (let's not forget about this one. Old and retired beats old and working hard any day of the week).

Good luck.

www.STICKYASSET.com

Millions of American families are watching as the jobs disappear at an alarming rate. People wonder if this will impact their personal lives. The experts are telling us that every household could be impacted in 2009. Some experts are saying the recovery could be as far away as 2016. So, what do we do now to protect our families?

Control what you can control. Network with others. Make yourself as valuable as possible at work. Save money. Begin to make the hard choices about what you want and what you need.

A very good friend of ours said something really wise this weekend:

"As long as I have a roof over my kids' head and I can put food in their belly, that's all that really matters." Having said that, you can allow yourself enough freedom to focus on "what's important now":

1. Paying down credit cards (the highest interest rate first).
2. Building your own emergency fund (so you can keep the roof and the food for the kids).

Who Will Bail You Out? Creditors won't do it. And don't expect the government to help you. YOU are responsible. You can make a difference for yourself and everyone in your family.

Our country has become so focused on credit ratings that we have lost track of a critical fact: Cash is king. No one is saying that it is easy to save, but there are tricks to gain automatic savings and non-automatic savings. Chasing your credit ratings will keep your focus on the wrong track. We're not saying that you should forget about having good credit. We are simply saying that you should have a balanced approach to paying off debt and establishing a proper emergency fund for your family.

For those of you who want to know if the "found money story" is true from the first chapter of The Sticky Asset: How To Survive Any Financial Crisis, it is. The amount we saved and put into a 12 month CD this January was $26.24. That money is already earning us interest.

Whatever you can do to boost personal savings should be done. Instead of chasing a credit rating or keeping up with the Jones', let's ratchet down expenses and save. Understand that when you must make a purchase, YOU are the consumer. Retails needs you more than you need them.

Start today. Do all you can to save and put the amounts you save in money market with the highest interest rates you can find. You'll be glad you did!

It may be hard to save, but now your priorities should be paying down debt and boosting savings. It will give your family options when others don't have any.

Thank you.



www.STICKYASSET.com

There is a lot of talk about credit meltdown and financial crisis. Banks and auto companies are seeking and gaining huge bailouts, but the cost goes directly to the tax payer. Stores are closing and liquidating. What does all of this mean? How does this impact the common person? What can you do to strengthen your family for what may be coming in the next 18 months to 2 years?

Haven't you see this? Bailouts are for the rich. We will have to bail ourselves out of personal crisis.

Times have just gotten a lot tougher than most Americans yet realize.

Take a moment to admit that the people in charge not only don't have the answers - a variety of these people in business and politics have made choices that have twisted our financial system into a deep and somewhat unstable mess. The value of investments (including 401Ks and IRAs) have dwindled.

Now, let's move forward by developing a plan for short-term and long-term. In a world where the little guy does not control very much, you should seek to make your own situation better to weather the storm ahead.

After reviewing your expenses for the last three (3) months and seeing where you might save some money, make sure you establish a pattern for savings. Start with an emergency fund. Unlike the past, today's emergency savings fund should be approximately 15 to 18 months of expenses in liquid assets that you can use in case you lose your job or have other issues that deeply impact your ability to control your lifestyle. If you don't have this amount set aside, do not allow worry to be your #1 priority. Simply determine what you can save each time you get paid. Put that money aside in a money market savings or CD (nothing longer than 6 months long after you have put away the first 3 months in money market accounts).

Credit cards must be reviewed. If you owe money on credit cards, research which of your cards has the highest interest rate. Pay on each card, but make your extra (above minimum) payment on the card with the highest interest each month. You must work with balance to establish your cushion (emergency savings) and eliminate credit card or high-interest debt. While we recognize that so much focus today is on your credit score or rating, you simply must have balance with what you are doing in personal finance so that you develop a personal emergency savings fund. Without it your life could slip further and further into poverty in the coming years.

After you have established a pattern of automatic savings with your emergency fund, break your savings goals down into short-term (1 to 3 years) and long-term (retirement). Remember: short-term is savings; long-term is investing.

Setting goals for each of these as well as paying off your credit card debt is more important now than it has ever been. Do not simply chase a credit score or ratings. Keep your eyes on the single idea that cash is king. Your goals should align with making your money work for you. That starts with emergency and short-term savings. Then you can add long-term goals and investing.

Do your research. Save automatically. Then, test yourself with additional "tricks" to saving that you can learn through www.STICKYASSET.com and other sites focused on helping you save and strengthen your family financially.

Do this work now. Establish a pattern with your savings. You'll be so glad you did.

You can always share this blog on Facebook or MySpace or other platforms with the {SHARE} button to the right of this blog.

Thank you.

www.STICKYASSET.com

There are two parts to today's blog. The first part is websites to save you money. The second part is what to do with the savings. Remember: Savings is not savings unless it LEAVES your checking account.

First, here are the sites:

G O V E R N M E N T H E L P F O R Y O U

www.mymoney.gov

www.energysavers.gov

S A V I N G M O N E Y

www.couponchief.com

www.mygrocerydeals.com

www.suddenvalues.com

www.rather-be-shopping.com

www.couponmom.com

www.STICKYASSET.com (of course)

R E R U N M O N E Y

www.freecycle.com

We endorse NO ONE. Do your research. The more you know, the better off you are today. Period.

When you must purchase something (from groceries to toothpaste to a car or house), you should always seek the best price. Do this thru the internet and/or negotiate on site. You are the consumer. You control a lot of power. Merchants will often listen to you.

The times are now too serious to lack a sense of urgency about:

1. Emergency Savings
2. Paying off credit cards
3. Learning the "tricks" of automatic and non-automatic savings

FInally, if you save on any item, you must REMOVE the amount you saved from your checking account and move it to a savings vehicle (not just a local bank with low interest rates). Let's take control of our lives and protect our family by using the "tricks to save." Money in your checking account is NOT SAVED money.

We are the consumers. We have the power. Pass it on!

Good luck!



www.STICKYASSET.com

Go talk to someone at work. Bring up saving money. Do the same at your church (if you attend). Now, ask a friend if they save and what the tricks are to saving money in this economy. We bet you will get the same answers.

"It's really hard." "I just can't seem to do it." "My money always goes - I'm stretching to the last penny as it is."

Now the Pipper has come. Maybe he's not at your house yet, but this economy is darkening. The worst of its' impact is that it is global in nature. We all talk about recession, but the truth is that it's only a recession if YOU are feeling it. The trouble is that everyone will feel this one. This is not like recent past recessions. You are fooling yourself if you think it's not going to hit you.

So, what can you do? If you have a job, you should be saving a percentage of your income. You should be researching your own spending habits and pulling back spending. If there is something you can "live without," don't just cut it out of your spending. Take the MONEY you were spending and put it in savings.

In today's economic environment it should no longer be a goal for you to have three (3) to six (6) months of expenses in savings. DON'T allow this number to overwhelm you, but you should have fifteen (15) to eighteen (18) months of expenses to help you get through some of the rough times that will be facing many millions of American families.

If you don't have savings today, start saving. I know you may have large credit card debt. You may be stretched. However, you have to begin by looking at your actual expenses. What do you spend money on today? Over the last three (3) months?

What can you cut out?

Consider our much talked about percentage plan. Take 1% of your after tax pay each time you get paid and skim it off the top from your checking. Each time you get paid, add 1% to what you take off. Do this until you reach 15% or as much as you can do without creating serious problems.

We are not suggesting that you not pay your bills. We are suggesting that if you don't start building an emergency fund, you WILL BE IN TROUBLE. More trouble than you have seen - and soon.

Begin researching ways that you may be able to save more. Check out resources like www.STICKYASSET.com and www.SUZEORMAN.com. If you zero in on ways to save and make it a game, you will find inventive ways to generate an emergency fund, and you will need one more than most Americans recognize today.

Keep coming back to this blog. Find other blogs that help you save money. And share the information you learn. That is what OUR sticky asset is all about. Learn, pass it on to others......and encourage the development of a specific plan for you and your family as well as friends and family that don't live with you.

We must take control of what we can to protect our own family. Our friends. And, yes, our country.

Good luck.



www.STICKYASSET.com

We are serious at www.STICKYASSET.com about seeking inventive ways to save money. Remember: You are not saving it unless what you save comes out of checking (money laundering) and into actual high-interest savings (your real money). Here's a new little list to help boost your savings in 2009 and get better deals on what you have to purchase:

1. Want to work to payoff your mortgage earlier than scheduled? Check out Bloomberg.com/invest/calculators/mortgage.html and check out the calculator that helps you assess prepayment savings.

2. BillShrink.com - This site helps you save money by helping you find the best deals on credit cards or cell phone plans (two big money killers today).

3. Compare bank yields. www.Bankrate.com.

4. MoneyAisle.com - This is a site that actually gets more than one hundred small and mid-size banks to compete for deposits. Check it out and get the higher rates on high-yield savings or CDs.

5. RetailMeNot.com - They call themselves the world's largest coupon source.

6. SmartHippo.com - If you are thinking about purchasing a home, this site can help you find the kinds of deals people with your risk profile are getting now. As you know, we always believe in being prepared before you start negotiating.

7. ShopItToMe.com - The site says they help you find out when your brands are on sale in your size. Stop driving everywhere and go where you can save on what you want. How do you like that?

As always, www.STICKYASSET.com does not have a relationship with these sites. We ask that you do your research and find what works for you. These sites are "thought starters" for you.

Let's make 2009 a year where you rapidly develop strong emergency savings and a plan for your family during this economic downturn. You can do it!

Don't forget to share this blog with those you love. You can also now share our blog with the "share" tool just to the write of this blog entry.

Thank you for reading and sharing our blog with others. This is a time for renewal. We can do it.



www.STICKYASSET.com

The economy is facing an uphill climb. While this fact alone is not exactly "hot news," this bump in the road is potentially going to be a longer and deeper downturn than we have seen in the past several decades. People are going to get hurt. Really hurt. We hear economic advisors talk about 2003 and 2001 as "lite recessions." We can look back and see 1993 as a stronger downturn and 1983 as a deeper and longer downturn than anything we have seen since in the last several decades. If you want to have real fear, check out what happened to people 1974 and 1933.

Unemployment is 7% and moving on up.

You see economic conditions worsen as companies large and small pull back. The warnings are all around us. If you have not lost your job yet, you should be paying attention to the projections for unemployment that vary from 8.5% to 11% or more. You have to ask: Will I join those numbers?

We have lived on a culture of credit cards and other forms of debt and payday has arrived for the Piper. Our economy is no longer fed by manufacturing. We are a consumer society with high debt.

High debt carries hard results and difficult rebound.

What is the secret to getting on more solid ground? You hear Mr. Obama talking about "getting back to the basics." It works the same way with personal reform. That is why you see so many coaches preach the basics from college football to baseball to basketball. Basic fundamentals can be magic.

Here are some basic fundamentals for personal finance, saving and investing for 2009:

Sit down and see what you actually spent each month for the last three (3) months.

Find out where your money is going on a weekly and monthly basis.

Write out a specific budget with your expenses for 2009.

If you are not saving money right now, this is your opportunity to identify where you can cut back and where you can save automatically each month.

Start by saving only 1% of your after tax income and increasing it once a month by 1 additional percentage. If you've been reading our blog, you know we are big believers in this.

Please remember it is our believe at www.STICKYASSET.com that your spending will increase or decrease depending only on what you think you have available. This is why people that use cash for grocery shopping and clothes shopping spend less than those who flip out a credit card.

When you put your serious attention to what you are spending for each of the last three (3) months, you will see where you are LEAKING MONEY. Use anything you can to establish a pattern of savings (no matter how small at first).

Develop for yourself a two-tier plan where you pay down credit card debt (if you have it) and push automatic money to savings from your paycheck. FIND THE MONEY. Hard times are likely going to be worse than you think. Now is your time to build an action plan and build up emergency savings.

Do your research on the internet. Find out where you can sign up for automatic deductions from your paycheck or checking account. Put that money in a high interest vehicle such as a money market account. After you have built up a significant savings "wall of money," begin putting money in 6 month CDs with someone like ING DIRECT.

We believe any checking account is a money laundering system for other people's money. Don't think about what you make - the truth about your financial viability is WHAT YOU KEEP.

You only keep what is in savings. Savings for EMERGENCY FUND. Savings for RETIREMENT. Savings for college. This is where your true financial picture takes color and shape.

It is hard to save money, but if you begin focusing on it now you will be glad you did.

For years the credit card companies have wanted you to believe credit is king. You cannot own credit cards. Credit cards own you. Pay down your debt, but also build up an Emergency Fund. You can do it with steady goals for savings.

We are also big believers in no or low fees. So, if you are doing any form of investing what-so-ever, check the FEES. Get involved with your money. Be alert. Often times if you are not watchful of people who handle your money they will start to see it as THEIR MONEY.

These are the reasons that we have written and published The Sticky Asset: How To Survive Any Financial Crisis. We launched the website to share this project with others. We think now is our time to contribute to the next Great American movement.

Good luck from your friends at www.STICKYASSET.com.

Thank you for reading our blog. Come back again and e-mail this blog to your friends and family. Tell the ones you care about where to find this blog. Send them an e-mail right now. Let's start a new American financial EVOLUTION now.



www.STICKYASSET.com

We have a saying in our house. Good things and bad things will happen to every single person alive on this planet. Every 100 years, 100% of the people on the face of the planet are new. It has always worked this way. *The key is to minimize the bad and celebrate the good things that happen to you until someone tells you to be quiet (that's when you know you've celebrated correctly).

The purpose of this blog is to help people develop a plan so that when or if they ever get the news in today's headline (Breaking News: You've Just Lost Your Job). In today's environment there is a lot of fear, and you only overcome fear if you set in place a plan to help you and your family should the bad times get....worse.

Smart people are the ones with great jobs, right? Wrong. Smart people trick themselves into:

- Living below their means.

- Generating some kind of automatic savings plan.

- Negotiating on every purchase (and putting what you saved in savings; money is NOT saved unless it goes from your checking account to a savings vehicle).

- Use tricks to get yourself to save additional money (see www.STICKYASSET.com).

It is our goal to generate thinking (and feedback) on saving and investing wisely during this economic downturn. We say it a lot, but we mean it. Everyone (everyone) in 2009 should work to have 15 to 18 months of savings in an emergency savings vehicle (we say this in place of saying "in a bank" because your savings should not be in the lowest interest generating vehicle).

Let's go "take it to the man." Save. Shop and negotiate. Save. Prepare so that IF you are faced with the words "You've been laid off," you don't just panick. You'll have time to recover and get an even better job.

Good luck.



www.STICKYASSET.com

We cannot depend on our jobs or our health or the continuation of stable economy. Yes, we (www.STICKYASSET.com) do think things will improve. We do believe rich people will get richer, but we are for the poor and middle class getting richer, too! That is why we have started our little blog. We want to help engage a national conversation about how to improve our wealth and how to secure our future when so much is against the "average man and woman" today.

If you've been reading this blog, you know that we DON'T believe:

1. The government will save us (see "....the worst words you will ever hear. "'I'm from the government and I'm here to help."')
2. Corporations are suddenly going to start playing "more fair" with us.

We do believe it is up to us to save....us and our families.

We can only do this by marking time with money. You see, we believe the system is wacked. Today you are told about improving your credit score. That will "save you." No, it won't. In fact, over the past thirty plus years our country has gotten itself and our people so far OUT OF WACK by chasing credit that we can hardly recognize ourselves anymore.

We are NOT suggesting that you should not have a good credit score or that your credit score is not important. However, we are saying, "Enough is enough!" Let's have some faith in ourselves this year. Let's defy the odds and fight back.

Debt is dumb. Debt is attacking all of us. We must focus on building cash reserves. We must do so in a way that is not overwhelming to us. And we can.

Start right now. Think about what you make each month. Look at your paycheck. It seems like your pay does not go as far as it once did, right? Look at your checking account. Does it appear to have a leak?

Now let's look at the world as it is. You cannot own credit cards; they own you. Cash is king. It always has been. No matter what you see in MARKETING, cash is STILL king. So, treat it that way.

The money in your checking account is MONEY LAUNDERING.

The amount of money you make has NOTHING to do with your VALUE.

Your wealth has to do with your SAVINGS and INVESTMENTS and neither of those things live in your checking account.

So, what can you do?

Start by joining our 1% club. Take 1% of your next paycheck and separate it from your checking account. Put it in a high interest savings account and DON'T touch it. Allow it to grow. Each paycheck you get from now on, add 1% to the amount you are taking away to your "savings." Do this until you reach 15% or until your toes scream, "Wait! Wait! We can't live if you take this 1% away!"

Your expenses will rise or shrink to what your MIND thinks you HAVE. So, start fooling yourself today. Fool yourself to savings. Fool yourself into building an emergency savings fund. (You should have 15 to 18 months of expenses today in an emergency savings fund).

If you do this, you will be AMAZED how quickly it will add up.

Happy New Year, 1% Club!



www.STICKYASSET.com

The "New Year" is here.

The push and shove of jobs, kids, chores (as my 18 year old calls them) and more is back. We've had the holidays. Those days give you moments of reflection and (hopefully) opportunity to reflect on the past and have hope for the future. Well, the holidays are over.

And now the new year will bring good news and bad news. But to be successful, we must minimize the negative and celebrate the positive. Starting now.

Let's start living in the "now." Let's not live in the "now" of the economy or Wall Street only. Let's control what we can. LET'S CONTROL WHAT WE CAN CONTROL. Let's start an actual movement. A new movement for FREEDOM. Freedom from the extra taxes of debt. Freedom from feeling we cannot control our financial lives.

The only way to do that is to take one step at a time. Starting today.

Let's take on the idea of what Americans are and what they can be....again.

Let's assume control of our checking and savings. Let's start to see our checking accounts as "other people's money" and our savings accounts as "OUR MONEY."

Let's get our value from the quality of our lives and not from our things.

And let's take control of the debt culture in the United States and send it "packing."

That means finding ways to save automatically and looking to save on "both ends" (the spending end and the savings account end).

You can change things by:

1. Saving automatically.

2. Creating "tricks" to save additional amounts.

If we don't start saving now, things won't get better. They will get worse.

So, don't let the rush of the new year and the new activities of work and life keep you from taking some control over what you can control. Take this moment. Take a deep breath. Let's make the most of 2009 starting right now.



www.STICKYASSET.com

If you've been reading this blog for a long time or you have read www.STICKYASSET.com, you know it's all about saving and investing wisely, right?

Here is my New Year's Wish for you:


OUT:

Bigger, more expensive.


IN:

BANKRATE.COM

MONEYAISLE.COM

BILLSHRINK.COM

Of course, you know we are big fans of ING DIRECT and T ROWE PRICE, but we endorse no one. We have no relationships with these folks. At www.STICKYASSET.ccom, we teach:

1. Do your research.

2. Find ways to "trick yourself" into taking money from your checking and putting it in a savings vehicle.

3. It's not what you make. It's what you save.

What are your New Year's Resolutions? If they involve saving and investing, we hope you will come back here and ALSO give us feedback on better ways to save and put your money to work - not just you.

Happy New Year 2009.



www.STICKYASSET.com