Make Your Money Count (Click here to purchase the book, Make Your Money Count) Chapter 3 -- Powered by Purpose Chapter 4 -- The Blueprint for Financial Success Introduction“Ninety-eight percent of us will die at some point in our lives, so a little planning can go a long way.” —Ricky Bobby, Talladega NightsI could see it on their faces and hear it in their voices. The difference was startling. Two couples, both clients of mine, had daughters who were getting married, but that’s where the similarities stopped. Chris and Robin wanted a nice wedding for their daughter Melissa, but Chris hadn’t saved a dime since he started working after graduate school. He always figured “things would work out,” and someone—his parents, his employer, or the lottery jackpot—would provide any money he and his family needed. But now, wedding plans were in full swing, and he had no money to pay for it. Money, or rather the lack of it, consumed him and his relationships with his wife and daughter. Over and over again, Robin and Melissa made plans, but when they presented them to Chris, he grimaced, shook his head, and then exploded, “You know we can’t afford that! What are you thinking?” Chris contacted me to ask for advice about managing his money… To continue reading the introduction, click here to download a pdf file to your computer. Chapter 3: Powered By Purpose“I don’t want to die for nothing. I want to die for something.” —Jack Bauer, 24A few months ago, I watched one of the most amazing interviews I’ve ever seen. A national conference scheduled U2’s Bono to talk about his commitment to relieving the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. To be honest, I thought he’d be the typical, self-absorbed rock star who mouthed a few platitudes but really didn’t have his heart in it. I was wrong. Really wrong. With crystal clarity, Bono explained that his celebrity status is “insane,” but he wants to use it to accomplish something noble. He said that the church hasn’t been doing its part. He isn’t upset with Christ, he explained, but with Christians who claim to know Jesus but who don’t care about the things Jesus cared about. Bono quoted the passage in Matthew 25 about feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and visiting prisoners... To continue reading chapter 3, click here to download a pdf file to your computer. Chapter 4: The Blueprint for Financial Success“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes...but no plans.” —Peter DruckerRafe and Liz had been dreaming about building a new house since they got married fifteen years ago. When they went on vacations, they often drove through nice neighborhoods in distant cities to get more ideas. They devoured magazines for design concepts for houses and landscaping, and they talked endlessly about the kind of house they wanted to build. Thinking about their dream house was almost a game to them, and they enjoyed it. During those years, Rafe was promoted several times, and each time, they got a little closer to the point of saying “yes” to build their home. Then, Liz received an inheritance from her grandmother’s estate, just enough to give them a sizable down payment. That did it. They were ready! They kicked their planning into high gear. Instead of dreams, they now started making plans. Suddenly, they realized they had to make some decisions—some hard decisions—about what’s most important to them... To continue reading chapter 4, click here to download a pdf file to your computer.
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We’ve made three excerpts from Make Your Money Count available for your convenience. Please feel free to read an excerpt of each section below and then to download the PDF file of the entire section if you wish to do so. – Jim Munchbach 
