Makes Saving Money Fun!
Begin by focusing on one, specific goal. Think of big things (like a new sofa or trip to Australia) and small (a new wallet or an overnight in a getaway not far from home). Think about short term fun and far off goals. Maybe you want a new winter coat or the chance to go out to a nice, relaxed dinner more often. Or maybe what comes to mind is the trip you’ve longed for all your life. Carolyn T. got motivated to begin saving her change because she wanted a scratching post for her cat (or really wanted to preserve her furniture). Take a few minutes to visualize some of the things you want to see, do and have.
Now, while you’re thinking of all the things you like, take the change in your pocket or purse and put it on a surface in front of you. When you actually take the change in your hand for your goal you've started the momentum. You're not thinking or wondering -- you're doing. Keep asking yourself what you want your first goal to be. Something small and more immediate? or something bigger and a bit further down the line? The size or cost of your dream doesn’t matter. What matters is that you want to make this 
happen for yourself.
This is not the time to help make someone else’s dream come true. If you’d like, you can do that in addition to your own goal, but for you to get the boost from this money game you must feel the success. When we attempt to make someone else happy, it too often backfires. We accidently set us both up. They may look at what we did and be disappointed in the color, size or timing of our gift. They may be angry because they wanted to achieve the goal themselves rather than have it handed to them. The only way to guarantee success is to do this for yourself. So, choose a goal that you really want, then you’re guaranteed to feel satisfied when you get it.
Also, you may want to keep your goal and stash of change a secret. Others may criticize or poke fun at what you’re doing, trying to rob you of your enthusiasm and hope. People may say the ¢hange Game is “childish”. Childish? No. Childlike? Yes. The truth is, kids are masters at making boring jobs fun. And that’s exactly why the ¢hange Game works -- because it’s so much fun.
The next step is to take the change you've collected from pockets, dresser or purse and place it in a container (a mug, glass, jar, cottage cheese container, peanut can or actual purchased Dream Box™). Now for the critical step: on a piece of paper print exactly what you are saving your change for, and tape this paper on your container. The reason the ¢hange Game works so dramatically well is that you've written down your goal and posted it on you r Dream Box. The label is as impo
rtant in the ¢hange Game as a key is to starting a car. With your container clearly labeled "Hawaii" or "Evening on the Town" you are focused on what you really want and are motivated to go for it.
The trick at first is to give yourself permission to want what you want. What happens for so many of us is that within moments of feeling the rush of excitement over our goal -- we realize our partner, friends or relatives will criticize what we’ve chosen. We imagine them questioning or poking fun at our goal and we freeze. As we consider the likelihood of others giving us the third degree, we pause, step back and most often abandon our idea. It doesn’t seem worth the criticism and discouragement we’ll get from others.
What I finally realized is that others seem to question and discourage my actions no matter what I do. So I decided I may as well choose something I really want for them to complain about. Most of my life I spent waiting in eager anticipation for others to notice me, approve of me and give me the gifts of time, attention and things that I wanted. I was longing for the feeling of being important and special -- but disappointment was what I usually got. I had given away my power -- the control over my own life and its outcome.
Next, with permission to give yourself something you really want, GO FOR IT! Grab a container, label it with your goal and start dropping in all the change you can gather. No matter how bleak your money situation there’s always change to be found. The most frequent comment I get is, “I love the ¢hange Game because it’s so painless. I don’t even miss the money and I love reaching my goals.” Hawaii, Europe, mountain bike, sofa, dance lessons, dinner out, romantic weekends away, Mexican cruise. . . are a few of the dreams that have come true for people because of the ¢hange Game.
How to succeed at the ¢hange Game:
1) Name a specific goal that really motivates you
2) Label your Dream Box with your goal and
3) Save all your change until you reach your goal
Start today to make your money work for you. You know what you want. You won’t be disappointed because you’re in charge of making certain you succeed.
So, grab any container you can find, LABEL the container with your goal and drop in all the change you can find. Unless you label your container, two things are guaranteed to happen. 1) The money will disappear for this and that, and 2) without a fun vacation or an item you’re excited about to look forward to, there’s no reason to save your change. LABELING your Dream Box box is the crucial step.
Remember, nothing really happens until you act. Although you may have a wonderful new awareness, “Gosh! This is a great idea. I think I’ll save my change for seasons tickets.” Still nothing has happened. Your challenge is to move past lip service and beyond awareness into action: to label the container with your goal and drop in all the change you can find.
Watch out though. Too often, just as we're eager to start a new activity our mind starts to question and find fault with it. Before we know it our head has come up with an endless list of why the idea won’t work. Our excitement’s gone and we’ve lost again. Not this time.
Start today before the idea can be destroyed by your logical mind. This isn’t left brain logical stuff, this is fun stuff. Go for it. Your momentum will carry you all the way to your goal. Will you give yourself permission to go for your goals? Don’t wait for the perfect jar. Don’t wait for the perfect goal. Start.
What day is today? If three days from now you haven’t labeled and started your jar, you probably never will. Do yourself and everyone you know a favor -- act on your dreams. There’s no question about it. When we’re happy and fulfilled, we’re much nicer to be around. Everyone wins. Most of all you.
Each time you find a quarter or a checker gives you change you’ll get pumped. You've built in healthy daily shots of adrenalin. Each dime, penny or quarter means you're that much closer to your labeled goal. There’s no mystery, no investment counselors, no complex graphs. All you do is grab your change each day. Put it in your labeled container each night. Soon you'll have the final result. It’s simple. It’s easy. It works.
An excerpt from Carol Keeffe’s book:
How to Get What You Want in Life with the Money You Already Have
The Change Game!™
Carol Keeffe • 808-990-1153 • Carol@ReachMyDreams.com
