The 5 books that got me through 2020

2020 was a rough year for everyone.! I was definitely happy to see it end. But, It wasn’t all bad. 2020 did have some good things that happen as well. In 2020, I started Financial Coaching. I saw my daughter, Nalah, through completing her associate’s degree and receiving her high school diploma. I helped my wife launch her Needle & Curves sewing Facebook page (She has since also created a Youtube channel. And, I also finished several multi-book series with my son, Nolan. So, no, 2020 was not all bad. I, for one, will claim it as a win!

As we hit the middle of 2021, I wanted to share the 5 books that got me through the trauma that was 2020. As I started going through each of the books that I completed, I realized there was only one financial book on my list. It didn’t make my top five list, nor was it a book I would consider recommending. So the Bonus sixth book is the financial book that I recommend that anyone read in any year.

I’d love to hear about the books that got you through the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Corey’s Top 5 Books from 2020

  1. The 10X Rule

2. Crush It

3. Cant Hurt Me: Master your Mind and Defy the Odds

4. Greenlights

5 Excuse Limit Zero

Bonus Financial book

6. The Richest Man in Babylon

Spicy Bourbon Rosemary Mixed Nuts

There I was flipping though the latest issue of a Men’s Fitness magazine when I saw a recipe combining my two favorite things, Bourbon and Nuts. Unfortunately there wasn’t a link available so I decided to create one myself.

It was a planter’s nuts advertisement in the latest edition(October 2020) of Men’s Health, the Survival Snack advertisement if you want to find it, that caught my attention. I’m always looking for something new to try. and this fit right up my alley.

2 1/2 cups of mixed nuts

2 Tbsp fresh chopped rosemary

1tsp bourbon

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper. (1/8 if you don’t like spicy)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl combine all ingredients saving the nuts for last. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool! and enjoy!

Budget Meetings

It’s the end of the month. Now is the perfect time to plan for the next 30 days.  I had no idea what I was doing in our first budget meeting. It was way too long and way too cumbersome.  I showed up to the kitchen table with PowerPoint slides and printouts of all of our transactions for the cycle.  By the time we spoke about our actual budget, my wife was exhausted. 

For the next meeting, I kept it simple.  We discussed where we were, what was coming up, and the goals that we wanted to accomplish.  My wife loved it! If my wife had questions, I still had the data available to provide a detailed answer. But, I didn’t start with the details.   And that is how it has been ever since. It does mean a bit of prep work for me, but I’d prepared and analyzed the data prior to the meeting anyway.  When your spouse only wants to know how much money she or he can spend, it is easy for a numbers person to get lost in the details.

So, throw away the PowerPoint slides, here are a few things that you may want to consider before sitting down for your next budget meeting. 

Tips for your next budget meeting

1.  How well did you execute your budget last month?

Take a look at the budget you currently have.  Then take a look at your spending.  Does it match your budget?  If not, you may need to adjust to bring the two closer together.

2.  Did you meet your financial goals last month? 

If yes, then think about what goals you’d like to accomplish next month.  if no, ask yourself why, and determine a course of action to meet the goal next month.

3. Do you have anything big on the horizon?

To answer this question you’ll need to sit down with a calendar.  Look at the next couple of months.  What’s on the agenda?  Do you plan to take a trip, Birthdays, Holidays, etc.  add the cost for those into your budget.  This way when it is time to schedule you can simply pay for it.

4.  Set Goals.

What do you want to accomplish next?  Do you need to save a beginner emergency fund so you can start paying off debt?  Do you need to pay off your next debt?  Set a goal give it an end date, then track it until it is completed. (read more about goal setting)

5.  Schedule the next meeting.

Create an appointment on your calendar for your next budget meeting.  In the notes section place the goals that you have set for yourself, This way you will be able to remember what you were tracking for the next meeting.

Resources