Rocha - Pocket your dollars: 5 attitude changes that will help you pay down debt, avoid financial stress, & keep more of what you make

2013 by Pocket Your Dollars

Published by Bethany House Publishers

11400 Hampshire Avenue South

Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

www.bethanyhouse.com

Bethany House Publishers is a division of

Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan

www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

Ebook edition created 2012

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meansfor example, electronic, photocopy, recordingwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

ISBN 978-1-4412-6119-9

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this title.

Scripture quotations are from the Good News TranslationSecond Edition. Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.

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With prices soaring higher than incomes are growing, families everywhere need to learn what Carrie Rocha teaches in Pocket Your Dollars . She knows her stuff when it comes to saving money by cutting the cost of just about everything!

Mary Hunt, author of 7 Money Rules for Life and Raising Financially Confident Kids

Carrie Rocha has hit a home run with Pocket Your Dollars . Not only does she provide a fresh approach to the topic of finances, but she also gives practical advice on how to follow through. Carries words carry great weight because shes been there, done that when it comes to digging out of consumer debt. Whether shes giving advice on stretching a dollar or tracking it, shes right on the money with her timely and sound advice. This is a book for every family who wants to live in financial freedom and have a future that is debt free.

Ellie Kay, Americas Family Financial Expert and bestselling author of Living Rich for Less

This book is a blueprint to financial prosperity. Smart money management is more about mind-set than it is about math, and Rocha shows readers how to change their attitudes toward saving and spending. Its highly motivating for those ready to choose change.

J. D. Roth, founder of GetRichSlowly.org and author of Your Money: The Missing Manual

Carries blog has saved me money. This book will transform your relationship with money for the better... and for life.

Tory Johnson, founder of Spark and Hustle and New York Times bestselling author

I highly recommend Pocket Your Dollars . Its perfect for those who want to fix their finances but dont want another budgeting or money management system. This book addresses the root causes behind most money problems.

Will Chen, co-founder of Wisebread.com

While for many people money is a source of stress and shame, Carrie knows that it is just a tool. In this smart little book, she shows you how to change your money attitudes so you can pocket more dollars and still build the life you want.

Laura Vanderkam, author of All the Money in the World and 168 Hours

This is a must-read for anyone who doesnt know why they cant make their budget work. Carrie will help you figure out what makes you tick when it comes to money. I highly recommend this book.

Stephanie Nelson, The Coupon Mom, www.couponmom.com

Pocket Your Dollars is much more than a personal finance book. Its a wake-up call that shows you how you put your money where your true values are. Engaging and inspiring, it can give you hope, no matter where you are financially.

Gerri Detweiler, national credit expert and host of Talk Credit Radio

Pocket Your Dollars is the most simple and straightforward book on personal finance that I have ever read. Carrie Rocha frankly shares her own financial failures and successes in a way that will encourage you that financial success is possibleand shockingly, it has very little to do with how much money you make.

Robin OBryant, bestselling author of Ketchup Is a Vegetable and Other Lies Moms Tell Themselves

Anyone who has laid awake in bed thinking about money should read Pocket Your Dollars . From her experience, Carrie knows the type of thinking that can get you trapped in a cycle of money worry. Shell show you how to get out.

Sandra Hanna, CEO of Smartcookies.com and popular media personality

The practical part of personal finance is easy: Spend less than you earn. In Pocket Your Dollars , Carrie uses her wisdom and experience to guide you through the more difficult process of changing your mind-set to be able to consistently build and preserve wealth. Get ready to change your attitude about money.

Philip Taylor, founder of the national Financial Bloggers Conference and creator of the popular blog PTMoney.com

To Marco,
whose internal compass
has never led us astray.

contents

the five attitudes that must go

skills you need to change your attitudes

now that youre ready, some simple budgeting advice

my story

I grew up in a home where I never lacked. If I wanted something, I eventually got it. I wasnt spoiled and demanding; it was more like I expressed interest in a new toy, new clothes, or a new food I saw on TV, and my parents would take notice. At my next birthday or a special occasion, Id find that item sitting on the table, wrapped up with a big bow. My mom allowed us to try most new foods that hit the market, no matter how expensive or un-kid-friendly they seemed. I was taken back-to-school clothes shopping every August and given a chance to pick out a set number of brand-new outfits.

My parents met all my basic needs and more during those years. As a result, I never thought about money. Well, I thought about how to spend it. On Fridays my brother and I would get an allowance, then ride our bikes to a nearby gas station. Wed spend every penny, to the penny, on candy, then ride home with our pockets full of treasures.

One time my parents tried to introduce us to the concept of savings. For Christmas they gave me a passbook for a savings account. What is this? I asked. My dad explained that it was a savings account with fifty dollars in it.

I couldnt understand the purpose. I found myself wondering, Why would I leave fifty dollars in the bank with my name on it when I could take it out and spend it? I dont remember how my parents attempted to explain it to me, but I never saw it their way. In a matter of time, they acquiesced and hauled my brother and me to the bank, where we withdrew our money and closed those seemingly useless savings accounts.

My carefree, fun, and prosperous childhood years ended abruptly in August of 1985. For as long as I could remember, my parents owned a secondhand consignment store. It was like a giant thrift store with everything from clothes to furniture, electronics, housewares, books, and antiques, all sold on consignment. When the lease for the space was up that summer, the landlord didnt renew it. He had other more lucrative plans for the building.

I remember the scramble my parents had to try to find a new location. We wanted the same neighborhood, but it had to be zoned properly to allow a retail storefront. They couldnt find one in time, so they sold all the inventory and closed the doors for good.