My dog Pepper is much better. He hasn't bitten anyone in months.

 

He can see a squirrel without a hysterical meltdown (only a mild anxiety attack) and he only lunges at motorcycles and bicycles (instead of ripping the leash out of my hands and chasing after them).

 

In the first five years of his life, he was physically abused and neglected. When I first met him, his world wasn't a safe place for him.

 

I've owned him for a little over a year now. I can tell that for him, the world is a safer place - but not entirely reliable. I keep him (and people) safe by putting him away if someone new comes to the door, until he can get to know them. If it's a large group of people, I find a safe place for him to be until the mob departs. Safer for him, safer for them.

 

I almost gave him back to the pound. The critical event was when he ran after a child to bite her, having somehow gotten out of his halter and leash to do it. It panicked me because there wasn't a noticeable reason for him to have had that reaction.

 

When I was researching the option of relinquishment, however, I found out that a dog that has bitten more than two people and drawn blood will most likely be euthanized and not re-adopted. Hmmm. I wasn't ready to have him walk that final hallway.

 

So we had a conversation. I talked with friends about how frantic I was feeling, and I talked with him about getting a new attitude. Weirdly enough, he did. And I did.

 

He's not perfect and he'll always be quirky. I'm not perfect and I'll always be quirky, too.

 

I will be vigilant of safety around children, new people and dogs. But we chose to start again and treat the past as history. It seems to be working.

 

The article today is about beginning anew, taking the opportunity to put what's happened up-to-now in the past and create a different money future. September seems to be in our collective unconscious as the month for beginning anew.

 

If Pepper can do it, I bet you can, too. Email or call me and we'll talk...dog stories and people stories. Each are stories of resilience.

 

Until next time,

 

sb  

Starting the Year Anew
By Susan Bross, Money Coach

September is our second chance at beginning the year anew. I for one, feel as though there is a re-birth of possibility, a residue of school-year beginnings so long ago.

 

Back to School

 

Have you noticed as you're doing your shopping in the last few weeks that you pass harried parents pushing carts with children trailing behind, looking for school supplies and clothes? I was in an office supply store in an aisle with one such parent a few days ago and could hear the strain in her voice and the whine in the children's voices as everyone wanted something different.

 

Yes, it's that time of year. Back to school. What I remember most about back-to-school energy was the excitement of a new beginning. What would this school year be like? Would I like my teachers, be challenged by my classes, possibly make new friends?

 

And, yes, I remember the thrill of picking out new clothes for the school year. New clothes didn't happen much in my family. It was restricted to back-to-school shopping, so these were important choices. So much pressure to get the right things and feel good about those choices all during the coming year.

 

But there's also pressure on the parents' pocketbooks. That cash flow blip that back to school causes can be significant.

 

Cash Flow Solution

   

I was talking with a couple that I work with who have two children. Both parents work, so they need to find summer solutions for their kids that usually involve weeks at camp etc. Summer activities for the kids are then followed by Back to School costs. We were at the point in our work together where they were paying close attention to where their money was going, and really noticed the cash flow blip this year.

 

In our conversation, "Rachel" said, "I think we should add these costs to our Set Aside account." This is how she refers to their monthly savings account which is set aside to handle the irregular expenses. Up until this point their "Set Aside" account was used to save monthly for property taxes, vacations, car repairs and registrations, birthdays and Christmas.

 

Her comment may seem like something casual to you, but to me it was music to my ears. Anything that can smooth out cash flow blips is a key to a more stress-free financial life. I am an advocate of using "Set Aside" accounts for any irregular expenses that are sizable enough to cause that kind of blip. "Rachel" had suggested a solution that I would normally bring up. This is proof that her family is "walking the talk" and incorporating strategies that will create a more stress-free money life.

 

Begin Your Year Anew

 

Why not take this opportunity to go back to school yourself?

 

What do you need to learn about money so that your financial life is smooth and easy? What new information or ideas could help you feel less stress around money?  

 

When you work hard to make a good living, you want to see that money grow and flourish while still providing you and your family with a good lifestyle. You may have promised yourself in January that this year would be different, but here it is September. Are you noticing that perhaps not much has really changed?

 

My clients make "good money" and yet, they still struggle to get all their money requirements met: irregular expenses, college savings, and retirement savings let alone the regular monthly costs. I have helped hundreds of couples find those glitches in their money management styles that cause them to struggle needlessly.

 

Take advantage of this opportunity to begin the year again. The professor is in, and she's ready to help you start the year anew with improved money results. Please email or call me. Let's get your transformation underway.

 

  

 

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