Can I Afford It? Cashflow and Financial Savviness (Episode 202) ⋆ Mama Says Namaste (2024)

Have you experienced true cashflow in your life? Have you experienced abundance in your life, where you weren't feeling a financial strain? What is that "one thing" that would make everything okay?

For many, that "one thing" justmust be money, right?"If only I had enough money in the bank, THEN I'd be happy and all my problems solved."

Well unfortunately that's not the way it goes. Or maybe that's the fortunate thing! More money definitely does not always equate more ease in your life, and that's where we really look at what our relationship with money is, and what the purpose is for it in our lives.

The "one thing" that made all the difference for us was when we shifted our perspective on money. The game changer was one simple statement.

Starting out in our marriage, I was the budget queen. I could find a deal like no other, and almost everything I bought was on clearance, a crazy sale, or secondhand. My whole perspective was looking at what I could afford.

I could afford anything at the Dollar Store! And I was notorious for wracking up $50 worth of "deals" at the Dollar Store, full of low-quality items that really weren't necessary in my life, and simply added to the clutter.

I would look at deals and literally be thinking "do I have this money in my pocket/bank account" vs if I reallyneededto get something!

My focus was simply on what was possible for me to be - what I could afford.

These magic words changed my life. When I switched from"Can I afford it?"to"Is this a worthwhile investment?"

And it's not just about finances. When I'm looking at getting something now, I am coming from a place of abundance - not that I'm a millionaire, but that we've been strategic with our finances, and are not operating from lack and scarcity in our life.

When I look at something now, I'm assessing -

Is this a worthwhile investment of -

• My finances? Will I get a return on my investment? Can I make more money back on it, or will it save me money ultimately?
• My time? Is this worth me paying attention to and prioritizing in my life?
• My space? Am I willing to take on this item/thing/expense and be responsible for that impact? (Think about the plastic items and packaging we simply "get rid of" that ends up in our landfills. How quickly we fly through things that end up sitting in trash heaps, or pay for subscriptions that suck us into bad habits)

In our first years of marriage, we were figuring out work, and Nathan had been a banker, climbing up the corporate ladder. As our bank account was growing and we were looking at next steps, we wanted to look beyond exchanging hours for dollars and looking at other ways to make an income that would be a better fit.

At this point, it was clear that Nathan wasnot thriving as a banker. He hated putting on that suit and tie every day and feeling the pressure of meeting number goals over the relationships with clients. As he rose up in ranks, he was less and less around the elements of banking that he truly did enjoy.

So we started looking at other options. At this point, we had young children at home, and we made the decision thatnow is the time we wanted to have a more flexible schedule where Nathan could be more present at home as our children grew.

We had the income and the "security" of knowing where Nathan was going to work every day. Yet he also had the stress of workplace drama. He had the discomfort of clothes that felt suffocating to him. My outdoor-loving husband was inside concrete walls day in and day out, and it was slowly sucking the life out of him.

I remember having a conversation with him about his "comfortable misery". He was pretty familiar with this story already, as it's one we often refer to with our 48 Days company.

After one too many days of Nathan coming home stressed out and frustrated, I simply asked him how long he planned on sitting on the nail. When you are feeling stuck, you can stick there for as long as you're willing to sit in that discomfort. That's going to look different for everyone. Yet when it impacts the rest of your family, pay attention. What is it going to take for you to get unstuck?

And from there, we stepped into action.

We had real estate agent friends who had shared with us about investing, and had encouraged Nathan to explore real estate. We had gotten to know two wonderful ladies, Connie and Sheila, and knew they had built themselves quite a cashflow world with rental properties and investments.

So, instead of jumping in blind, we decided it was really important to pay to play. We asked Connie and Sheila to coach Nathan on real estate investing and really help him understand all the ways he could use real estate for making an income - both actively and passively.

We paid $8,000 to have Connie and Sheila coach Nathan.

Yes, this was a big decision. Pay $8000 just to pick the brains of two people who were doing what we wanted to do? Why yes, it was worth every penny.

Nathan learned so much about real estate - how to really look for those great deals, how to spot a lemon, and creative ways to purchase, as his first rental property purchase was actually done through a Roth IRA for a creative cashflow opportunity that may not pay now, but is building a nest egg for the future.

It was a big investment for us, and yes, it was a scary one to take. Yet we calculated the risk. and saw the potential if Nathan truly implemented and took action on what he could learn. We saw that, if we wanted to get out of our own "rat race", we had to be willing to "pay to play" and recognize it's worth educating ourselves as the first step. And let me emphasize here that it wasthe first step.

If Nathan hadn't then taken that $8k amount of knowledge he gained and put it in motion, taking action and applying it in our life, that money would have been a fruitless expense.

It became that worthwhile investment due to his commitment to see it through and step up to the responsibility of his own action that was needed.

One night Connie and Sheila had us over to play a game. We knew they were big game people, but had no idea the impact this one game would have on us.

They introduced us to Cashflow.

CAUTION: Now, this is a game created by the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad,Robert Kiyosaki. Quite honestly, there is plenty about Kiyosaki's tactics and focus that I don't care for.Like everyone, take it with a grain of salt - there is some great content, yet use your own discernment for what works for you and your family.

This game really shares a bit more of the reality as to why it can be so hard to get out of a lifestyle you've created. For example, Clara starting out the game as a doctor may seem well and good, as you are bringing in a lot of income. By all impressions, it appeared that she would be starting ahead.

Yet this is another reminder of how we tend to live at our max capacity. We live based on what income we're bringing in - so when you have that six-figure income as a doctor, you may also have your children in the prestigious private schools, the debt from the medical school bills, car loans, house payments and cost of living expenses for that fancy HOA and events to keep up social status.

She made the most money by far when we started that game, and yet she was the last to really be able to get out of the "rat race" where her passive income was higher than her monthly expenses.

Often we create this dualistic model in our mind that we only have either/or options in life. Yet there are so many creative paths and "and" opportunities that will open up new paths.

Recognize that your purpose - your passion -goes beyond just a j-o-b. My purpose is to help people find their inner light (as I continue to explore my own).

That purpose, to me, is greater than one job. While my job right now may be coaching people and providing great resources for families, if that were to go away and tomorrow I choose to deliver pizzas, that doesn't take away my purpose and passion in this life.

Oftentimes work because the huge looming dictator that determines every other aspect of our lives. A game like Cashflow is completely focused on creating the cash that flows in passively so your life isn't being dictated by the work you are doing.

A huge part of my income is directly related to helping people find - or create - work they thrive in. I strongly believe in finding work that doesn't suck the life out of you. I'm not discounting the importance of finding work that is a great fit for you.

Yet the reality is that jobs come and go. Even work ventures have seasons. Check out this blurb from thebalancecareers.com -

Add in all those entrepreneurial endeavors. How many entrepreneurs try multiple businesses until they create that thing that really sings? Even in over 17 years of working with my father at 48 Days, the roles I've played at work have varied tremendously over the years. I have not been stuck in the "daily grind" of a mundane lifestyle because I recognize that EVERYTHING has a season. Even in the same job, roles, responsibilities and perspectives can completely shift from it being a great fit to being time to move on, or to grow with you as you grow stronger in your strengths.

Yet I don't believe that work is the epicenter of a life well-lived. And I don't believe all of my purpose is wrapped up in it. Quite honestly, I could make an income as a farmer, teacher or artist and still very much be living out my purpose of helping people find their inner light. Coming from the entrepreneurial world I lived in growing up, I can think up a ton of ideas on how to make money in these other arenas.

I could also make money just to make money - money through investments, money through some hard work or selling items I have - and it could completely be work that fuels the life I wantand doesn't suck me dry in the process.

I love what I do, and my work DOES align with my passion to help people understand and explore their inner light as they learn to acknowledge it in others as well. That being said, I am still looking for other streams of income that would allow our monthly expenses to be covered.

For us, real estate makes sense. If you know anything about Robert Kiyosaki, he goes deep into all kinds of ways to invest, exploring stocks and trading and the oh so big deal Bitcoin focus.

What makes sense to you? What are you attracted to? Do you know real estate investing? Stocks? Bitcoin? Or maybe you know of certain collector items you're passionate about, or your experience with essential oils has impacted you so much you want to be a distributor?

I can tell you the pros and cons of all of these. I can share how risky it is, how it won't work for everyone, and how you really need to know who you are and if it's a good fit for you and your family.

What I want to do is simply open the door to explore it. How are you making money right now? Is it allowing for the life you thrive in, or are you feeling trapped in the "rat race," simply making money to spend to make to spend, without taking the time to enjoy anything?

Do you have a dream for the future you would be willing to invest in?

How are you going to get there?