A few weeks ago I read an article on a concept called "massive daily action". I don't remember the source, but the idea has been running through my mind constantly since I heard about it.

Basically, the idea is that if you take enough steps each and every day, any goal is reachable.

Notice it doesn't say anything about the following:

1. Thinking
2. Hoping
3. Praying
4. Planning
5. Waiting
6. Procrastinating
7. Resting

It is all about taking action. Not that some of the above can't help. But while a good plan gives you a roadmap, the plan itself doesn't get you to your goal. And resting when you are tired might give you the energy you need to put in a good effort, you won't be making any progress towards your goal while you rest. And of course prayer is a big part of many people's spiritual lives, and is a worthwhile action in itself, and can bring you lots of peace of mind and goodwill. But prayer won't bring a big pile of money to your doorstep.

So, what are some examples of massive daily action?

Here's one - this blog. I decided that I would write one post every other day (I know, that's not "daily" but I do other things for my business on the off days) in order to help this blog reach more people, and hopefully help my business grow.

Here are some more:

1. If you own a service business, how about putting up 5 or 10 flyers every day for a week.
2. If you or disorganized and miss payments, how about buying a small file cabinet or organizer and creating a new folder for each bill every day until you have them all in one place.
3. If you have no emergency fund, how about putting your spare change and cash into an envelope every day, and depositing into a savings account once a week.
4. If you have trouble saving money, how about setting up some type of automatic deposit into a savings, checking, or investment account. Even $10 a week adds up, and over the course of the year will save you more than $500!
5. If you are overwhelmed by debt, how about eliminating one expense every day for a month - think of how much money you can save in 30 days!

Your goals could certainly be much more specific. And they can help you work towards any goal, not just financial ones.

Here's another example to show you how powerful massive daily action could become. Let's say you are job hunting - you could send out at least one resume every day for an entire month. I know finding a job these days is tough, so maybe you can't find enough jobs in the newspaper or online. So then why not visit one business and drop off your resume in person. Even if they don't have any jobs posted. Who knows? Maybe you will get lucky. Or maybe you'll meet someone in your travels who will help you find a job. Or will become a friend.

Massive daily action.

What does it mean to you? To me it means taking my action to an entirely new level. I've always worked hard. But I'm usually more of a planner and a thinker than a doer (or do-er, not sure which is correct).

So, how can you use "massive daily action" to help you become more successful?

Running can be an exciting, fun, healthy activity that pretty much anyone can do, even if you don’t have much experience or training. When you think about it, it’s not that different from spending money.

On the other hand, running can be a lonely, painful, even discouraging situation, if you overdo it. Again, not that much different from overspending and getting yourself into debt.

Sadly, I've seen both perspectives…

The highs and the lows…

And it ain’t much fun, I can tell you that much for sure!

But hey, even if you don't run, you can still learn a thing or two from this story. Let me tell you - I'm no expert, long distance runner. Most of my runs are pretty short, and I don't finish anywhere near the top when I race (if you're also a runner, feel free to let me know about your running experience in the comments below). So here’s a little background on how I figured out that running an money are not that different:

Several years ago I got myself way too deep in debt trying to start a sporting goods business. I pretty much did EVERYTHING wrong. But I wanted my own business. So I kept trying. And kept spending. And before I knew it, I was swamped with credit card bills. But I finally came to my senses, and after a few years of misery, finally found a way to pay off all the debt.

A few years later I blew out my back. I did it by not listening to my body. Kind of like what I did while building the business. One day my back hurt, and I knew I should just go back to bed. So of course, I went on a long run instead. The next day I sneezed and ended up with a VERY painful herniated disk. It took several months to rehabilitate it (although more than 3 years later I still feel some numbness in my right leg and foot).

The moral of this story?

Some of life’s most painful lessons can be learned in many different ways. So here are 5 important money lessons that I learned from running, that you can easily learn from too even if you are not a runner:

1) You must have a goal.

When you run, it’s helpful to have an idea how long you are going to run, and where you are going to do it. I guess you can just leave the house and run until you get tired and turn around. But if you want to be safe, or get better, you need to have some type of goal – like run 1 mile, run 10 miles, run a race, win a race. It doesn't matter what it is, but you just need some type of goal.

Same with money. If you don't have a goal, and you just put all your money in your checking or savings, and spend when you feel like it, you'll probably end up in trouble – either by running out of money, or getting into credit card debt, or both! So set a goal for yourself, so you know where you are going financially:

• Put $100 per paycheck into your savings
• Pay off all your credit cards
• Build an emergency fund of $1,000
• Save for a car, a house, or other big purchase
• Retire at age 50

Whatever it is, make it something meaningful to you!

2) You need a plan to reach your goal.

A plan is like a roadmap. It's great to know where you want to go, but unless you've been there before you need directions. Or you'll end up lost (which for me is a problem because I will NOT ask for directions, which drives my wife crazy!). In fact, the other day I went for a “short” trail run, ended up getting very lost, and it took me almost 3 hours to find my way out of the woods!!! Let me tell you, that was NO FUN!

Do yourself a favor, and write down a plan to reach your financial goal. Make it as detailed as possible, so you know exactly what you are doing each step of the way. For example, if you want to pay off all your credit card bills, here's a sample plan.

Goal:

• Pay off all your credit card bills.

Plan:

• Make minimum payment on all cards except the one with the highest interest rate.
• For that one, add an extra $10, $50, or $100 every month to pay if off quicker. Once that one is paid off, add the money to the next card.
• While working on this plan, NO USING the credit cards unless it is a real emergency.

You can keep going into more detail, but you get the idea. Like the old saying goes “Those who fail to plan, plan to fail”.

3) You need to find a way to have fun – affordable fun, but fun.

There's nothing worse than waking up one morning and your body is sore, and you feel like you have to force yourself to run. Or you get home from work all tired and crabby and you do an “angry” run. Either of these can be real painful, both physically and emotionally. Trust me. Sure, exercise can be a great way to burn off stress. But you need to enjoy it. If you feel like crap, take a day off and go for a walk instead. Or play with the kids, or the dog. Go play basketball with your friends. Or go out for breakfast. Whatever you do, DO NOT let exercise become work. Every once in a while do something fun!

This is even more true with money! When money is tight it’s easy to punish yourself by taking away all your fun stuff. I'm not talking about “the fun” you had in going on spending sprees or ignoring your money problems and piling up large credit card bills. That type of fun got you into trouble. But you can have fun by doing small things, like going out for ice cream. Or picking up a gallon of “cookie dough” ice cream and eating it on your porch. Go play a game of mini-golf. Or take a walk by the beach or lake or forest (but bring a map so you don’t end up lost like me). Go out for coffee with friends. All of these can be done for less than $20, so you don't have to break the bank to have fun!

4) You need to put in the work if you want the results!

Ahh, this is a big one! If you want to run faster, or lose more weight, then you need to train faster, run longer, and work harder. Otherwise the result will be simple - you won't run faster. And you won’t lose weight.

And if you want to retire early, you can't do it on $100 a month. No can you get out of debt by still spending all your money on “extras” you don’t really need. Instead:

• You need to stop spending…
• Work more hours…
• Get a part-time job…
• Shop around before buying…

And if you really work hard enough at it, you can get the results you want. in life there are usually no shortcuts. You know those people who you hate because they always seem to “get lucky”? Well, most of them didn't get lucky at all. They worked hard. And one day, lo and behold, their hard work paid off!

5) The biggest obstacle of all to becoming successful is...

You!

And your fears, your worries, your insecurities - all of these exist mostly in your mind. And they will hold you back more than you can imagine. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about running, working, meeting new friends, starting a new job, getting out of debt - if your mind is telling you it can’t be done, well, then it won’t get done! You can be sure of that.

So, which one of these lessons is holding you back the most? Or which lessons have you learned about money from other areas of your life? Let me know in the comments below.

Whenever I've heard people say "Money can't buy happiness..." my response has always been "...then I'll bet you've never struggled with money."

Because anyone who has ever struggled with money would argue that money can indeed buy happiness. Maybe not in every area of your life. But in any area that is related to money.

Such as having the freedom to:
...Buy a nice car
...Or go on a nice vacation
...Buy a nicer house
...Or fix up the one you already have
...Pay off your credit card bills
...Update your wardrobe
...Give to charity
...Do more fun things with your family
...Sleep better at night not having to worry about money

I know what you're thinking - there are plenty of stories about people whose lives have been ruined by fame & fortune. Those who become child stars on TV, movies, or through music. And those "lucky ones" who hit it big by winning the lottery. And everyone knows some "rich snob" who seems to have it all, but still acts like a jerk.

All good points.

But...

Just because money doesn't buy happiness for everyone doesn't mean it doesn't buy happiness for most people. Right? Maybe? Or am I just way off base on this one?

When you look at the list above, you can see that not all of the points I made have to do with money. Some of them simply have to do with having choices. And all of them are related to having freedom. That's my whole point. And the reason for my response to those who save "Money can't buy happiness."

And the reason why some people's lives take a turn for the worse after they come into a big amount of money. It's NOT the money that ruins their lives. It's the power of choice that does them in. And the power of freedom. I know, its just a difference of a few words. If the money gives them the ability to choose, and the freedom to live their lives differently, then it's the money's fault.

But I do NOT agree.

Just like when bad things happen to good people. I certainly don't wish anything bad on anyone, and I don't blame anyone who has been affected by something awful in their life. But we all have the power to choose. Good or bad. Rich or poor.

But that's just my opinion, it doesn't prove anything. So here's proof. It's a study by the Center for Health and Well-being, Princeton University, titled High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being. And it shows that happiness increase with money.

But there is catch, of course. In the study it showed that happiness increased with money - up to an income level of $75,000 a year. After that, money doesn't affect happiness. As with many things in life, "it's all relative".

For someone living in poverty, or someone living in a third world country, $75,000 is rich. And for many Americans, $75,000 is rich. Yet for others (especially for someone like me, who lives in a relatively wealthy area of the country) $75,000 is barely enough to survive!

Yep, it's all relative.

Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong. Maybe I should be thankful for what I have, because of ... well, just because.

So Virginia, maybe money can only buy happiness for some people. For others, happiness is determined by something more than just money. And freedom is about more than just being able to buy "stuff".

What do you think? Do you agree with the study? Can money buy happiness?

The busiest time of year in the debt relief industry is usually from January to March. Why is that? Because of all the people who spent too much money during the holidays and need help! And don’t forget about all of those people who make “getting out of debt” their New Year’s resolution.

I’m not trying to be a Grinch. And ruin your holiday season. But here are the statistics that show people will be spending a LOT OF MONEY this holiday season:

The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend $447.1 billion on holiday-related items in the months of November and December. Wow! And they estimate that almost 30% percent of that will be bought using credit cards. Extra wow!

How long will it take people to pay off this incredible amount? 3 months? 6 months? Longer?

But just because the holidays are known as the season for giving, doesn’t mean it has to be the season of spending.

And I’m not going to tell you that you need to camp outside of your favorite retail store for days just so you can get there early and get in on some of the “Black Friday” bargains.

It's never too early to look for ways to save money, especially with the holidays right around the corner. Here are a few helpful tips to help you get off to a good start, and keep yourself out of financial trouble!

1-Be real with yourself.

Of course, everyone wants to be able to give a lot to those they love. But that’s not always a good idea financially speaking. So unless you are wealthy enough that spending doesn’t matter, you need to be the one to keep your spending under control. Nobody else will do it for you. How do you do this?

2-Make a list BEFORE you go shopping and stick to it.

Retailers LOVE consumers who go shopping without a plan! That’s exactly why they set up all their fancy displays with their “best deals”. If you go shopping without a list, you are destined to spend more than you should. So write down a list of gifts for each and every person on your shopping list. And put a spending limit on each item. That way you can add up all the dollar amounts and know exactly how much you will be spending.

3-Put cash in an envelope and only use that for gifts (no credit cards!)

If money is tight in your household, another good strategy is to get an envelope and put a few dollars in it every time you have some extra money. You can do this throughout the year, it’s a fun, easy way to save for any planned expense (vacations, big screen TV, a night out at a restaurant) or for emergencies (car repairs, home repairs, etc). And it works especially well during the holidays. Whether you use it for some extra spending money or as your entire spending budget for the holidays, it’s a lot o fun using cash instead of credit cards.

4-Make personalized gifts instead of buying more expensive ones.

Not only will this save you money, but it can be really fun! And it will get you “points” for being creative. Put together a gift basket with samples from a theme that the person receiving the gift will like. Know someone who likes movies? You can put some microwave popcorn, a candy bar, and a movie ticket in a basket (and this is a gift that works for people of all ages!) Lots of fun, without spending a fortune! In fact, you can probably do the movie basket for under $25.

5-Donate to a charity in the name of someone else.

What better gift than one to a charity? This sends such a great message. And helps others. Even a $5 donation is worthwhile. Rather than buying a bunch of junk just to fill up a stocking or shopping bag, use that money to buy something meaningful. While it may not save you money, it teaches a much more valuable lesson – both to you AND to the person you are giving the gift to.

So don't let yourself fall victim to a large amount of credit card debt from holiday shopping. If you use common sense, and a little creativity, you can avoid being one of those 30% of people who need help digging out of debt after the holidays!

Often, many people who do suffer from being in severe debt struggle to figure out how exactly to tackle the situation. They must both live and budget for the usual every day expenses of eating, paying rent or mortgage, using electricity and water, all while insuring their belongings and car and so on. Despite these costs, they must still worry about their accumulating debt. No wonder people sometimes just give up under all of the stress. Sometimes they feel like they have nowhere to turn for help or inspiration.

Yes, there are all sorts companies and consultants out there to offer those who are in debt help in dealing with their financial struggles. And blogs, such as this one, offer inspiration to people as well. What I'd like to suggest is that those of us who struggle with our debt also look elsewhere for inspiration. Think of all the people out there who every day must struggle against enormous odds to accomplish their goals. In a way, their tasks are similar to the task of someone working hard to get out of debt. Here are five role models that we can learn from as we clear away our debt and become financially safe once again.

Neil Armstrong:

Neil Armstrong, the man who famously took that one small step onto the surface of the moon, risking everything in order to benefit all of humankind. Had he not taken that risky first step onto the landscape of the moon, he would not have had the glory and success he enjoyed that moment and for the rest of his life. From Neil Armstrong, we learn that the first step to solving our debt problems is to face risk and the unknown, and to fully commit ourselves to solving the problem.

Ray Bradbury:

Ray Bradbury, the famous science fiction writer, once said to aspiring authors, "You must write every single day of your life." Without doing so, how could any writer expect to write a book in his or her lifetime? Bradbury's quote shows us the importance of establishing a routine. If a writer wrote a page of text a day for an entire year, he or she would have a book ready to publish. Likewise, if you can follow the routine of saving some small bit of cash every day, either by depositing it into a special savings account or sacrificing your morning coffee and bagel each day, then your routine would have helped you keep a little money to put towards your debt.

Mother Teresa:

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace Prize for her charitable work in India on behalf of the impoverished of that nation. In order to successfully help others, she had to sacrifice much of her own comfort. From her example, we learn that sacrifice is sometimes necessary if we wish to accomplish the toughest of our goals. Perhaps we should sacrifice and give up some of our modern luxuries, such as cable, and put that money towards paying off our debt. We'll be better able to enjoy those luxuries again when we are debt free.

Wilma Rudolph:

Wilma Rudolph was the first American woman runner to win three gold medals in a single Olympic games, the 1960 games in Rome. Of her sprinting to three victories she said, "I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened." From Wilma those in debt should keep in mind that confidence and the determination to never give up will help us achieve a debt-free life.

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This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes on the topics of best online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com.

Wow, that's a tough question. One I struggled with a few years ago. And one I see discussed occasionally on various blogs, and asked on various message boards, especially Yahoo Answers.

For those who don't know, debt settlement is a process where you negotiate with your creditors to pay off your credit card debts for less than you owe.

But should we even think of money in moral terms? If so, is borrowing money moral? Lending it at high interest rates? Giving credit to people who probably shouldn't have it?

There are lots of ways to think about this. So let me lay out both sides of the debate:

Debt settlement is morally WRONG:

• You borrowed the money, you should pay it back. All of it. As you agreed to.
  (OK, this is a good argument).

• Many debt settlement companies are scams, or will rip you off.
  (This is true. But there are plenty of good, honest companies out there. And even if it is true, that doesn't mean the process is morally wrong, just that some of the debt settlement programs that offer services are dishonest. So this is not really a good argument.)

  Many people are looking for an easy way out.
  (True. In all areas of life, not just with credit card debt. But not everyone who considers debt settlement is looking for an easy way out. People lose jobs, get hurt without health insurance, get overwhelmed and simply need help. Debt settlement is one of those options. Again, just because this is true of some people doesn't make the settlement process immoral).

Debt settlement is morally RIGHT: