About WorkSaveLive

Welcome to WorkSaveLive: a blog dedicated to changing the way Americans think about money, their lives, and their careers.

Money

The American way: keeping your head above water your whole life and then retiring on Social Security.

Quick Facts
- 70% of Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck

- 65% of Americans don’t have enough saved to cover one month’s worth of expenses if they were to lose their job

- 80% of Americans identify money as a significant source of stress

- 45% of Americans over the age of 55 have less than $25,000 saved for retirement; 30% (of all American workers) have less than $1,000 saved

- 77% of Americans expect to hold a job in “retirement”

Are you normal?

I certainly was. I’ve had days where I couldn’t pay my basic bills. I’ve received 20 debt collection calls a day for months on end. I’ve had credit cards closed because they were too far past-due, bank accounts be negative for 30 days straight, and so many checks bounce that I thought I’d be arrested for fraud. I’ve taken Payday loans and pawned personal items to pay bills and eat. I’ve missed days of work because I didn’t have money to fill my car with gas. I had days where I was scared, defeated, and thought there was no way out.

“Failure is not a single cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Failure is a few errors in judgment, repeated every day.” – Jim Rohn

Fortunately for me I was able to turn things around. I found that the solution to my problem wasn’t making more money. It was really the way I thought about, dealt with, and spent the money I was making. The real issue with our financial troubles has very little to do with income; it’s related to lack of properly understanding how to handle money.

“If you follow the masses, you will end up like the masses. If you dare to be different,your life will have a significant impact.” – Patrick Kelly (Tax-Free Retirement)

The world we live in makes it extremely difficult to win with money, and if you choose to follow everybody else you’re assured to end up broke. My goal is to help one person, every day, take a step in the proper direction. My hope is to help people overcome the reign that money has on their lives.

Throughout the course of my blog posts I will detail my personal financial journey which is meant to provide hope, wisdom, and an insight on what it takes to win.

Careers

Every day, Americans go to jobs they hate because they’re stuck in the rat race of working to live…working to pay bills. We’re told that it doesn’t matter what job you have as long as you can pay the bills and keep your head above water.

I know I fit that description for a long time. I worked jobs that I absolutely hated – all for the large paycheck. I worked in an industry that I cared nothing about simply because I had a few family connections and it was the path of least resistance.

I’ve had bosses that were incompetent, some that were incapable of managing, others that made my job miserable, and ones that didn’t respect me or my capabilities. Like every other American I never had the courage to get up and leave…I couldn’t. I needed the paycheck: my spending habits and financial problems dictated what I could or couldn’t make. I was bound to my miserable existence because of my inability to manage money well.

WorkSaveLive is my opportunity to inspire others to pursue their dreams and passions, but to do it in a way where they don’t put their family, their future, and their lives (financially and relationally speaking) in jeopardy. I bring truth to the old adage: if you enjoy what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. And to add to that: you can make a living doing it!

More Info

I have been married for two years to my amazing wife, Holly. Over the last 5 years we have paid off nearly $60,000 in debt. If not for her sacrifices I would’ve never been able to change my career, pursue my passions, and start this website. Succeeding with money, and in life, takes amazing spousal teamwork and I couldn’t be more thankful for her.

I am the Director of Financial Education at Wise Wealth, LLC in Lee’s Summit, Missouri. I’ve completed the Dave Ramsey Counselor Training program and I’m a Certified Workplace Money Coach. On a daily basis I teach people how to handle money, build wealth, and to be a good steward. My passion is helping people overcome the bounds that debt has on their lives, and show them how to build wealth so they can then transform their family, their community, our country, and our world.

When I was young and free my imagination had no limits,
I dreamed of changing the world.
As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change –
So I shorted my sights somewhat and decided only my country,
But it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me,
But alas they would have none of it.
And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only changed myself first,
Then by example I might have changed my family,
From their inspiration and encouragement I would then have been able to better my country,
And who knows, I might have even changed the world.”
- On a tomb dated AD 1100 of an Anglican bishop in the crypts of Westminster Abbey

Blogging

Are you thinking about starting a business website or a blog? Do you want to know if it is a profitable endeavor?

While I created WorkSaveLive to help people with money and their careers, I also designed it in hopes of it generating some sort of passive income. I’ll blog about practices that I found useful when designing this site – I’ll even recommend some of the products and companies that I’ve used. I’ll also give updates on my progress with revenues through advertising, affiliate programs, and product sales.