WHAT IS YOURRR LATTE FACTOR???

Dear Blog

One of my Goals for 2011 was to gain better financial stability. Honestly, we all know it is hard to eliminate our spending habits from our daily activities. Most of us are addicted to spending. I tried to use one of the saving techniques, which was writing and planning accordingly, and trying to eliminate unnecessary spending. And trust me; it was not an easy one! So, I have been searching and reading books on financial freedom to help strengthen my mind in the financial realm.

I discovered that we are all programmed to spend what we earn.  The more we earn, the more we spend on lavish things to “try” to live comfortably. We all desire to attain a good job so that we would be able to“save”. So we say! But the truth is, wealth is not built on how much money we earn but how we plan to spend our money and what we invest the money in.

I came across this angelical book called “Start Late, Finish Rich” by David Bach. Believe me, this book is amazing!  I believe this book did not just land in my hands for an irrelevant reason but rather a tool from God to teach me on some of the important techniques to financial freedom. While reading the book, I discovered a financial strategy called “Latte Factor”. Latte Factor is a concept created to enable us to become aware of the unnecessary “little expenditures” that we waste our money on, without realizing how much they add up to.

The purpose of this concept is to allow us to track our daily spending, and become more conscious of the money we waste on little things like, Starbucks coffee, chocolate bars, Spas or Dinning out every day. And while monitoring our spending, we take some of the money and deposit  it into an investment account, example RRSP. By doing so, we will be saving a fortune when we least expect it.

I found my Latte Factor

Before Work

Apple or Orange juice =$ 1.50

Bagel with strawberry cream cheese = $ 1.89

At 10:30

Timmy’s medium fruit smoothie =$3.48

Timmy’s Chicken wrap =$2.59

M&M =$1.00

Noon (No lunch)  

Mr Greek Roast chicken dinner =$7:78

_______________________________________

Average total daily spending  = $18.24

If I take $ 15 a day from my daily spending and deposit it in my investment account, guess how much I would be saving …

Assumes 10% Annual Rate of Return

Daily Investment	Monthly Investment	10 Years	20 Years	30 Years	40 Years	50 Years
$15	$450	$92, 180	$341,716	$1,017,220	2,845,836	$7,795,976

Hypothetically, if I and my significant other or a friend is saving together, in a span of 50 years we will save $ 15,591,952

Over 15 million dollars will be saved if I cut out my little lavish things. 

Dear Blog, It’s really mind blowing.

I really wish they taught this in school…but I’m glad to say, I have now found my latte factor , WHAT ABOUT YOU??

**Express and Reflect on your World**


 Sincerely,

Prissy Birago

IS GOD A VENDING MACHINE???

Oh God, Oh God, Oh God

“I need you right now. I know I haven’t been very good lately, but I promise if you help me pass this exam, I will be really good. I have not been trying my best to study for this exam but God you said we shall ask and you shall give it to us. So God, I am praying and asking you right now, please please please pleaseeeeee help me pass this exam and I promise I will not party before my exams again. Pleaseeeeeee God pleaseeeeeee  . Amen”

This was one of my many prayers during exams period in first year university. Thinking back, I treated God like a vending machine. I constantly expected God to grant me all my “wants” after praying. I finally grasp that God does not work that way. God does not respond to all our prayers instantly. He examines our current situation, and decides if our desires will be beneficial to us at that present time; then he takes action! If it's not beneficial, he would refuse our request until we are in the right position to receive our wishes.

 Imagine how this world would be if every prayer was answered?!

About month ago, I was waiting for the face of God for 15days.During this time, I prayed for certain possessions, however I was aware that not all my prayers would be answered instantaneously.

 

Few weeks after, I was conversing with my male friend and about 15mins into the conversation, he randomly said, “After the 15days of fasting and praying, have you received any results from God yet?  I said yet?!! Honestly, I was shocked he would ask me such an irrational question. I made it clear to him that I am not expecting things to happen right away. Excellent results will come when God is ready to grant it to me.

Many times we treat God like a vending machine, expecting to press the right button and receive exactly what we requested for.  We select A-6 and expect to receive Hershey chocolate but when we receive the wrong product or receive nothing, we tend to get irate. God does not perform in such manner.  He works on his own will and gives us the gifts he knows we are prepared enough to handle when the right time approaches. God will not respond to our prayers when we are not mature or equip enough to handle it.  

Why do we get angry or lose faith  when we feel like God is not answering our prayers?

 

Is God a Vending machine? NO!! Vending machine has many malfunctions. Sometime it steals our money; it may be out-of-order or run out of products. And when this happens to us, we may try to kick it or even shake it, hoping that the machine will grant us what we wanted.  God does not work that way; he never malfunction when he’s at work. God evaluates our capacity and our current circumstances before he grants us our desires. He ensures our faith is strong and we are prepared enough to handle what he bestows to us.

We should remember to treat God like God and not a mindless machine. There is no price on his endless love and gifts. He’s not a seller but a free giver.  We should operate in confidence and faith and once our capacity is develop to a level that is acceptable to God, we will claim our possessions.

**Express and Reflect on your World**

Sincerely,

Prissy Birago

LITTLE MIRACLES

 I profess; God is changing my reality into a transforming living testimony. One word to describe it; Miraculous! God works in mysterious ways and it always amazes me. Sometime we may wonder why things happen and why it happened to us. We should be appreciative and realize that everything happens for a purpose. God performs “little miracles” in our lives everyday, every-minute and every-second. Often times, we never acknowledge it or recognize the “little miracles” in our lives. For example, being able to wake up every morning, being able to talk and walk and being able to drive home safe are all "little miracles." We take our “little miracles” for granted!! Many times God manifest to us through our "little miracles", but often, we don’t comprehend the new direction the spirit of God is leading us to. As result, the devil discovers a new approach to divert us from God and try to dispossess our destiny.

Heaviness is one of the major distractions the devil uses as a platform to derive us from reaching to the top. Feeling heavy hearted or unhappy is the devils antics to move us from our ordained destiny.

 I was once a victim! Couple of weeks ago, on my sister’s graduation, my heart was excessively heavy. A day of rejoice was transformed into a day of sorrow. I felt my heart was in the wrong place and I couldn’t identify the roots of my sadness. To make matter worse, I went to bed the same night not only feeling heavy but angry as well.  I woke up the next morning feeling worse than before.

While I was on my way to work that morning, my mind started to wonder and make up negative reasons as to why I was feeling heavy. The more I wondered, the more I found myself trenched in depression. I knew this feeling was not from God. So I decided to turn to my everyday therapy, Reading!! The book I was reading for the week was called “In Pursuit of Vision by David Oyedepo. I began to read where I left off. Ironically the chapter I was reading at that particular time was about being free of cares, worries and anxiety. Right there, I knew God was manifesting and speaking to me through this book.  I came across a section in the chapter that was discussing about heaviness.

 I discovered that “heaviness is a spirit (Isaiah 61:3). It is one of Satans strategies for stripping God’s people naked…No reason is strong enough to cast us down as wherever casts us down has succeeded in making us a failure.  The devil steals people’s joy so he can make victims of them.  But we have the gift of joy from the most high God. Heaviness takes us out of our father’s house and places us where the enemy can flog us. But if we see a glorious tomorrow, no devil can cast us down. If we can see what lies ahead of us, we can afford to insult the devil and slap his face."(Oyedepo, 2008)

The moment I read “insult the devil and slap his face” I read it over again and began to smile and laugh out loud because I knew the devil was a lair .I will forever slap and laugh in his face because he has been defeated. My joy was restored back to me after reading the chapter in the book. Some people may not find this as a major transformation, but I consider this to be one of my “little miracles.” God shifted my mind in minutes because he spoke to me through this book, to demonstrate how powerful he is. Reading the book was what I call a therapy from God aka “little miracles.” I was once searching to identify nature or the roots of the heaviness but after seeking the therapy from God, I concluded that the devil is the roots of heaviness. Hence, rejoice and acknowledge the Lord for the “little miracles” in our everyday lives.

**Express and Reflect on your World**

Sincerely,

Prissy Birago

YES YOU’RE FULL OF YOURSELF…SO WHAT??!!

I believe that achieving self confidence is an excellent reward for one's self because it’s an important virtue one can acquire to reach their goals and aspirations in life. When one gains self confidence, they tend to believe in themselves and carry faith knowing that everything they desire is achievable. One's thoughts and actions are engraved in positivity because one who attains self confidence is not consumed in negativity. Self confidence enhances the maturity of the mind, heart and soul because one that achieves this virtue puts their mind, heart and soul in everything they do.

 

You can never attain too much self confidence when it’s in lined with the word of God.
Self Confidence is limitless. There is no desirable level where you can say enough is enough, no more confidence.

 It’s like saying you have too much wisdom. It important to seek for more wisdom from God that can assist you to excels in life. You must always have an open mind to learn and explore new things about yourself. Self confidence paves the way for you to have the courage to take risk in life and makes you much stronger to say no to fear.

So, it is imperative to seek for more.

Because maturing in self confidence in God does not mean that you’re full of yourself.

It means…

You just have more assurance that you’re unique.

You just have more poise that you’re one in a billion!

You just don’t give a thought about what people have to say about you

Because you KNOW God made you this way.

SO, WHO CARES WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY!!! LET THEM TALK

**Express and Reflect on your World**

Sincerely 

Prissy Birago

SELF ACTUALIZATION AND INDEPENDENCE

About 2 months ago, I wrote an article called “Till death do us apart”... This article was about Marriage and Relationships and the importance of knowing who we choose to spend our lives with. I have decided to repost one reader’s comment on the article and my response to the comment. Please feel free to read the comment and let me know your perspective on this topic as well...

Anonymous said... 

This is the year when most of us (those 86ers) turn 25. I am also seeing more and more friends starting to tie the knot, and get engaged. I loved the fact that you mentioned the fine print, I am finding that some folks I know are merely doing these things simply to say "am doing it" - despite ill treatment from there significant others? What do you think about those that get engaged/married despite mistreatment from a spouse? Simply because they are trying to stay enroute with "the plan" that all others are adhering to, that is to 1) finish university 2) get married 3) have kids? what about self actualization, independence etc.. Don't get me wrong, I strongly believe in accomplishing great things, I have completed my Bachelors and Masters before hitting 25, as well as maintaining a relationship, however, I think that such a commitment should be made with a person that truly makes you feel special, and for the right reasons, and not merely as a fashion statement. 

Me …

I think many individuals are too comfortable in their relationships, even when they know it's unhealthy. Many young women are scared to end their relationships because they worry too much of what others are going to say about them. Yes, it understandable if you're in a relationship for long but some individuals want to please everyone, so they would stick with the plan and "do it" despite ill treatment from their partners. There are many factors that may also plays into this . ex// insecurities.

Moreover, I do believe that self actualization and independence is vital. Realizing your potentials and capabilities in life is significant, but sometimes some individuals may achieve self actualization through their significant others. For example, there are some boyfriends/husbands that encourage and support their girlfriends/wives to reach their full capabilities.

I think self actualization goes hand in hand with Independence

However, how long is a woman going to obtain the "independence" status for ? Don't get me wrong, we all say we are independent and strong women because we work, graduated, make our own money and feel like we don't need anyone to satisfy us... but there are times we may need someone by our side just to comfort, encourage , enhance our self esteem and boost self-awearness

So, if we do find someone that support us in everything we do, than it will make us feel special for the right reasons.

**Express and Reflect on your World**

Sincerely,

Prissy Birago