Many years ago I started a practice I call "phantom banking". I overstate withdrawals and understate deposits so I never know exactly how much I have in my checking account. This was born out of fear of bouncing checks and ruining my credit rating (a real boogey man). I have just finished Life Lab ll and am having the revelation that the operational word here is "fear". It has worked to the extent that I never have overdrafts but it hasn't contributed at all to fulfillment! Up until now this realization has eluded me.

Another technique I am reexamining is this: Some years ago my girlfriend at the time took an economics course in the local extension of the State University. Her instructor introduced the method of assigning an envelope to each monthly expense, utilities, mortgage, etc., and putting the appropriate amount in it weekly so that by the end of the month all was in order. It has worked very well but I now notice that it has somehow had a limiting effect on my concept of how much wealth I'm capable of creating. When the envelopes are full the biz is done. I started to question it because I have bought an airline ticket to visit my family on the east coast but woke up in a panic one morning believing that I could not manage the excursion financially. All the while the funds have been sitting in the envelope marked "home improvements" which I have been HOARDING for months with no particular home improvement plan. Up til now I have been a slave to the purpose designated to the cash on hand. There's got to be a better life!

I welcome your feedback and I am loving this course. John

quote:

Originally posted by John Houseman:
Another technique I am reexamining is this: Some years ago my girlfriend at the time took an economics course in the local extension of the State University. Her instructor introduced the method of assigning an envelope to each monthly expense, utilities, mortgage, etc., and putting the appropriate amount in it weekly so that by the end of the month all was in order. It has worked very well but I now notice that it has somehow had a limiting effect on my concept of how much wealth I'm capable of creating. When the envelopes are full the biz is done. I started to question it because I have bought an airline ticket to visit my family on the east coast but woke up in a panic one morning believing that I could not manage the excursion financially. All the while the funds have been sitting in the envelope marked "home improvements" which I have been HOARDING for months with no particular home improvement plan. Up til now I have been a slave to the purpose designated to the cash on hand. There's got to be a better life!

I welcome your feedback and I am loving this course. John

Thanks for your post, John.

I, too, recently (within the last year or so) learned the envelope method as part of a larger budgeting class. It has worked amazingly well for me!

However, the method you employ isn't nearly as important as the motivator: your CMI.

The larger budgeting class taught "goal-oriented" budgeting, which was amazingly freeing for me because I could implement and align my budget to express and attract resources for my CMI.

Basically, what's important in your CMI? Then create an envelope for those things. It kind of sounds like you created envelopes and/or set amounts for those envelopes that were not in line with your CMI.

Certainly, create envelopes or make a plan that includes your basic needs (you want shelter, food, and such, I assume) but don't forget to energize and align your budget with your CMI.

It's very exciting when it all falls in line. Budgeting with a CMI is actually fun! An envelope is such a great visual for an open recepticle for the inflow of resources to a particular desire.

For anyone who's interested, the course I took was part of the "Good Sense" (http://www.goodsenseministry.com/) program, but any program that teaches "goal-oriented" budgeting would synergize well with a CMI.

Again, it's not the method, but the motivator.

Enjoy!
SpiritA

Hi John
Welcome to the journey and thank you for posting. Great insight indeed.
You are correct there is a better way and it'scalled " feeling of abundance"
Here is the process.
Step # 1 Ask
Step #2 Given ( this one is not ours to be concern with)
Step # 3 Receive.
Thought create images, images create feelings, feelings manifest in the physical world what was given in the spitritual or thoughts world. Simple isn't it?
When the images in your mind create a "good" feeling your on the right track. Keeping the feeling alive can be a challenge and that's where "gratitude" comes in play. Practice gratitude every day all day long. That will keep the feeling alive thus causing the appearance of what you asked for.
Take care
Bernard