In today’s post I’m pleased to tell you about Sound Mind Investing (SMI) and announce a giveaway contest for The Sound Mind Investing Handbook.  I first learned about SMI through Crown Money Map Coaching as they are a nice compliment to Crown Financial Ministries in that they focus on investing.  SMI comes highly recommended from Crown co-founder Larry Burkett, Ron Blue (Christian financial author) and many others.  They provide guidance to help people invest wisely based on biblical financial principles and to learn a do-it-yourself approach to investing.  Here is an overview of their 3 first-class products:

• Monthly Printed Newsletter:  Learn how to develop a personal financial plan and succeed as a do-it-yourself investor.
• Web Membership:  Get the printed newsletter in electronic form, use of SMI’s 401(k) Fund Tracker, a monthly update of their Fund Performance Rankings, information on their Advanced Strategies, access to content archives, Member’s Forums and the Editors Blog.
• SMI Handbook:  The Handbook is a step-by-step guide to investing and has over 100,000 copies in circulation today.  It offers an introduction to the SMI approach and philosophy and functions as a reference guide for readers who subscribe to the monthly as newsletter or to be used as a stand alone handbook.

How to Win a Copy of the Sound Mind Investing Handbook

To win a copy of the handbook simply leave a comment on this post between now and this Thursday (12/15/11), 7 PM EST telling us your favorite Christmas tradition.  We’ll include all the participants in a random drawing and announce the winner this Friday.

To help Rob celebrate and announce his new book we’re giving away a free copy.  You can get a total 3 entries for the drawing.  I’ll randomly choose one winner on Friday, December 9th and you have until Thursday, December 8th at 7 PM Eastern to enter to win.

Here’s how you can enter the drawing:

1. Like One Money Design on Facebook (1 entry)
2. Follow One Money Design on Twitter (1 entry)
3. Tweet the following (bonus entry):  I entered the Secret of Generosity book giveaway from @onemoneydesign.

Click to follow:  @OneMoneyDesign

Tweet

After you follow One Money Design on Twitter and like us on Facebook, write this in the comments:  I follow on Twitter and like on Facebook.

Here’s a brief book description if you’d like to learn more.  I also conducted an interview with Rob about the book which you can read below.

The Secret of Generosity – Have you ever felt like your pocket has a hole in it?  Big expectations followed only by even bigger disappointments? If so, you are not alone. Knowing that His people felt this way, the Lord spoke into our emptiness. In the only direction we aren’t looking, He pointed the way towards redemption and restoration. Generosity has a secret, a deep, liberating, and life-altering secret. Discovering it will bring life to our souls and hope to our hearts.

Interview with Rob Kuban

What can we expect from your new book that will help us strengthen our relationship with God and learn about living in God’s economy?

My hope for The Secret of Generosity was to connect generosity (as a way of life) to the Christian faith–and doing this at deep, foundational levels.  I take a lot of time to root generosity in the gospel, the “ending” of our selfishness, grace, love, and worship.  I tried to take time to look at what generosity looks for our financial life, for sure, but about half of the book takes generosity to a lot deeper levels of our heart and our walk with Christ.  There is a secret, a life-altering, faith transforming secret hidden within the Bible’s commands for generosity.  Discovering it will change the course of our relationship with God and our relationships with other people.

Why did you decide to write this book?

I wrote this book as part of a “trilogy” I am working on.  I believe the fundamental teachings of the Bible regarding money fall into three core essentials:  Stewardship, Generosity, and Contentment.  I have been attempting to write a book that tackles each of these ideas.  My Contentment book came out last year, and this book is the second in the series.

Did God teach you anything during this writing process?

HA!  That is an understatement!  I am not by nature a generous person.  I am much more comfortable talking about things like handling your money wisely or contently…generosity, on the other hand, is something far from a stingy sinner like myself.  In the process of writing, I found God did a lot of work in my own heart and I saw my paradigm begin to shift.  Because of this perspective, there is a lot of honest confessions throughout the book as I try to put words to the biblical call of living generously.

Who should read this book?

I think this book is perfect for two groups of people.  First, for anyone that wants a foundational understanding of why and how the Bible makes such a strong argument for generous living.  Secondly, I would encourage anyone who struggles to be generous to pick it up (or anyone who struggles to understand why Christians are supposed to be generous).  As I mentioned before, the book was part of a transformational process for me.  Therefore, I think a lot of people could identify with the struggles I walked through while writing it.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway before Thursday, December 8th at 7 PM Eastern.  You can get three entries and be one of the first to get a copy of The Secret of Generosity.

Here are a few cool features of the Kindle Fire:

• 7″ multi-touch display with IPS technology, 1024×600 resolution at 169ppi, 16 million colors.
• 14.6 ounces
• 8 GB internal memory, with unlimited cloud storage.
• Dual core processor
• Between 7-8 hours battery time.
• Wi-Fi – supports most common Wi-Fi networks.
• Amazon Silk web browser – cloud-accelerated browser that uses a “split browser” architecture to leverage the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services cloud.

How to Enter to Win

You have a couple of ways to enter the giveaway.

1. Like all five blogs on Facebook (1 entry)

These five blogs made the giveaway possible, so to enter, simply click the like button next to each blog. (You might even be a fan already and that’s great!)

After you click like for each blog, write this in the comments on this post: “I like all five”

2. Follow all five on twitter (1 entry)

Follow all five blogs on twitter and tweet the following for an extra entry:

I entered the Kindle Fire giveaway from @onemoneydesign!  

Tweet

Click to follow:

@MoneyMatters

@FaithFinance

@FreeMoneyWisdom

@OneMoneyDesign

@RedeemingRiches

After you follow each blog and tweet about it, write this in the comments on this post: “I follow all five”

Finance Books for 2^nd and 3^rd Place!

One winner will be selected to receive the Kindle Fire, but we won’t forget about 2^nd and 3^rd place! We’ll draw two additional names to receive the following personal finance books:

• 2nd – Root of Riches
• 3rd and 4th – Can I Retire

You can receive a total of 2 entries. Duplicate comments on the other five blogs will not be counted, so only leave your comments here at One Money Design.   

If you want to stop by the other sites for a visit though, that is highly encouraged!  Here are the links to visit their sites:  Faith and Finance, Bible Money Matters, Free Money Wisdom and Redeeming Riches.

Sweepstakes ends on November 21st, 2011 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. One winner will be randomly selected and will be notified via email. Good Luck!

Crown Financial Ministries recently announced the release of Chuck Bentley’s new book:  The Root of Riches.  I recently had the opportunity to conduct an interview with Chuck to learn more about the book and the message he shares with people in the book.  Money and riches commonly take on different meanings for people and often people think the more money you acquire, the richer you will become. Not true.  Chuck challenges this common viewpoint and helps people learn the heart is where you can influence the behaviors that lead to true riches.

I’m excited about the book and think it will greatly influence people and help them discover the true riches in life.  As promised, I’m helping celebrate the release of the book by giving some copies a way.  So, I’m going to purchase and send two free copies to two lucky winners.  How do you enter the giveaway contest?  Visit the OMD Facebook page and leave a comment between now and Monday July 18th (by 8 PM CT) telling us about a personal finance win you’ve had this year (paid off a debt, saved more money, etc.).  Or, just tell us how you’re trying to manage your money better. It’s your story I’m interested in hearing about and it will be encouraging to others.

I plan to announce the two winners Tuesday, July 19th on Facebook, Twitter as well as on this post.  I hope you’ll join me in celebrating the release of The Root of Riches book release and enter the drawing.  The book would also be a great gift for your friends, family or neighbor if you’ve already ordered a copy.  You’re still here?  :)  Click here to go to Facebook!

Links:

• RootofRiches.org
• The Root of Riches Infographic
• Interview with Chuck

Have you filed your taxes yet?  You haven’t?  Well, I’ve got some great news for you!  You may be interested in the One Money Design H&R Block online Premium Edition giveaway contest.

H&R Block has provided me 6 free copies of their online software to giveaway to readers.  I’m really excited about this contest and the ability to give back by helping some people cut the cost of filing taxes this year.  You have to act fast to win.  Read below for instructions.

Online H&R Block Premium Edition

The online H&R Block Premium Edition is the most robust of the four versions of their tax filing software.  It has a $49.95 value and provides all the features of the free, basic, and deluxe editions.  The premium edition covers needs for the basic tax situation, homeowners, investors, self – employed and rental property owners.

All H&R Block products help you get the maximum deductions and credits for your situation, free federal e-filing, free audit report and the ability to import your W-2, 1099 and last year’s information (even if you didn’t do your taxes with H&R Block).  The software provides an easy to use interview to collect your information and help you find tax deductions and credits.  You can discuss your tax questions over the phone with an expert or ask questions of professionals in the online community.

How the Giveaway Works

Let’s have a little bit of fun with this giveaway on Facebook.  Just head on over to the One Money Design Facebook page and leave a comment on this post.  The first six people who comment will be able to use the online Premium edition FREE this year.  If you’re one of the lucky six, I’ll contact you and send you a special key code you’ll enter after completing your online tax return.

Here’s more information and instructions from H&R Block:

Each one-use key code can be used to purchase the H&R Block At Home Premium online version, valued at $49.95 and includes federal tax filing. (The code has a value of $55, which will cover any sales tax for the redeemer.)  The tax filer can start the process of completing his/her return, and upon completion will be prompted for payment—there is an option to enter a key code for payment. The code will cover the cost of the Premium Edition. Each state tax filing is an additional $34.95, if filer wants to also file his/her state taxes.

This Contest is Now Closed

• Will you pay off some debt?
• Give more?
• Do you think you’ll be able to save more?
• Perhaps some of you will increase your contributions to retirement accounts?
• Or, maybe you’ll reign in some bad spending habits and start learning to follow a monthly budget?

So, what’s it going to be?  I’m interested in getting some feedback from you and hearing about all the great things planned for 2011 and your journey to true financial freedom.

How about us?  Well, we’re still working on that emergency savings plan.  This past year saw us increase that savings and pay off our final car note.  Yes, we became debt free except the mortgage and we re now maximizing our emergency fund contributions for the first half of the year.  We hope to increase retirement savings after that.

To provide a little incentive to share your goals, I’m going to buy the first 5 readers who leave a comment a Crown Money Map, so you can get your year started off using a great tool!

How do you plan to improve your financial situation in 2011 and what goals do you hope to achieve?

Photo by jneandd

I recently learned about one of these heroes, Danny Kofke (special education teacher), who not only is making a difference for our children, he is  helping teachers manage their money wisely.  He wrote a book (How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary) about surviving on a teacher’s salary which has helpful tips for teachers and anyone else who needs to know how to manage money wisely on a modest income.

This month, in honor of all elementary teachers and the great work Danny is doing, I’m giving away a copy of his book (details to enter the random drawing below).   Danny provided an overview of his book as well as some links to some of the media which featured him and his tips. 

Take it away, Danny…

Book Overview

According to a recent 2010 report by PayScale.com, elementary education is listed as the second worst paying college degree.  My goal is to show others that one can do well financially even if they don’t make a large salary.

My name is Danny Kofke and I am currently a special education teacher in Georgia.  I am an elementary education major and taught kindergarten and first grade before moving into special education.  I have done something to show others how they can do well despite earning a modest income.

I have written the book “How To Survive (and perhaps thrive) On A Teacher’s Salary.”  I’ve been a teacher for almost ten years and am proud to say that passion for the craft keeps me in the classroom but smart savings and basic understanding of financial principles have kept my wife (willingly!) at home with our children.  

Many find it hard to believe that one teacher can support a family of four, but “How to Survive” explains the steps necessary for others to follow suit and save for life’s journeys.

In my book I show others how to: 

• Retire with a sizable nest egg
• Teach in a foreign country
• Own all of their possessions – including their cars and houses
• Invest in Roth IRAs and 403bs
• Establish a weekly budget
• Live a financially secure life on a modest salary!

I have been been featured in a number of publications including USA Weekend, PARADE, Instructor Magazine, CBS MoneyWatch.com, FoxBusiness.com, The Wall Street Journal, ABCNews.com, Consumer’s Digest, Bottom Line Personal, Your Family Today and The Huffington Post.  I have also been interviewed on over 150 radio shows and on numerous television shows.

Media:

• Interviewed on The 700 Club by Pat Robertson.
• Featured on the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends.
• Interviewed on CNN’s Newsroom.
• Interviewed on MSNBC Live.
• Featured on Fox Atlanta’s morning show Good Day Atlanta.
• Featured on Fox Atlanta’s morning show Good Day Xtra discussing how to teach kids
  about finances and how Danny pays his 5 year-old daughter for her chores (about 50 seconds into the video).
• Interviewed on The Daily Buzz television show (this clip says unable to reach the server but just hit play and it will run).
• Featured on Atlanta’s 11 Alive news  (this clip says unable to reach the server but just hit play and it will run).
• Featured on Atlanta’s 11Alive Way$ To $ave.
• CNN.com
• Featured on Laura Rowley’s Money and Happiness columnon YahooFinance.
• Featured in The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Up Close business profile section.  
• Featured in an article on Bankrate.com.
• Crown’s MoneyLife radio show.
• Profiled on AOL.com’s homepage in a story about credit scores.

A lot of people think that figuring out financial matters and investing are difficult and are intimidated by it.  I want to show others that if this 34 year-old school teacher can figure it out then they can too.

How do you enter the contest?

You can enter the random drawing by doing any of the following free activities:

• Subscribe to OMD’s RSS feed
• Subscribe to the monthly newsletter via email.
• Subscribe to daily email updates

Leave a comment on this post by 9 PM CT August 31st letting us know you’ve completed one of the above activities.  Winners will be announced on this post and Twitter September 1st.

Post Roundup:

And here are some articles submitted by other bloggers for this week’s personal finance roundup:

Omar from Online Accounting Degree submitted 12 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Serious Bargain Shoppers, and says,” if you love a bargain, you will happy to know that your iPhone can help you become a savvy shopper. Whether you love using coupons and store discount cards but hate carrying them, or simply have to find the best price available while out shopping, there is an app for you.”  

Kristia from Family Balance Sheet submitted Perform Your Own Home Energy Audit To Help You Trim Your Utility Expenses, and says, “after a wallk around our home, we had a list of ideas to help trim our utility bills.”

Little House from Little House in the Valley submitted Run Down Towns: A Tale of Two Cities, and says, “a comparison of two cities that sit side by side and how one is deteriorating and the other is flourishing. A look at the economics behind them.”

Craig from Free From Broke submitted What Is A Secured Credit Card?, and says, “a secured credit card is a special case card for those with no credit or a bad credit history who are unable to get a standard credit card.”

Andrew from Money Crashers submitted How to Appeal the Property Tax Assessment On Your Home, and says, ”an inside look including some tips on the steps involved when trying to appeal the property tax assessment on your home.”

Crystal from Budgeting in the Fun Stuff submitted 10 Money Saving Tips to Save $1000 for the Holidays, and says, “here’s a few ways to easily save some money for whatever purpose.”

Nicole from Rainy-Day Saver submitted Is Graduate School Worth the Cost?, and says, “when to go for an advanced career, and when not to.”

MR from Money Reasons submitted Living With Your Parents While Being Young, Successful And Married, and says, ”a very successful young couple I knew were living in their rich parent’s basement, saving for a million dollar house.”

Thanks to OnlineCollege.org for featuring OMD in 100 blog posts every college senior should read!  

Blog Carnivals

Here are some recent blog carnivals in which you’ll find articles from OMD.  Thanks to the hosts and sorry for the delaying linking back to some of you!

• Carnival of Personal Finance:  My Journey to Millions, Funny About Money, NerdWallet, Ultimate Money Blog, Miss Thrifty, Provident Planning
• Best of Money Carnival:   Budgets are Sexy, PT Money

As an aside, I think reading is an important part of thriving in personal finance.  You can’t become more informed, learn new tips or even grow on your journey without reading a good book or an occasional article.  I think that’s why so many personal finance bloggers have reading lists or mention favorite books on their websites.

Personally, I like the idea of setting a goal and reading one article per week that interests me.  Of course, I usually end up reading a lot more. 

What about you?  Have you establish a good reading habit to learn as much as you can to improve your finances?  Well, I want to help you start or improve that goal with this month’s Money magazine giveaway!

How do you win the one year subscription to Money magazine?

I’m interested in building more community and interacting with people on Facebook!  After all, it’s the most popular social network in the world and I think it’s just as good of a place as any to chat and learn about personal finance.

So, all you have to do to be entered into the random drawing is leave a comment on our Facebook page today thru August 5th (8 PM ET).   Feel free to comment on any of the articles or asides posted to the OMD Facebook page each day.  Also, consider asking a question or providing your own personal finance tip.

Winners will be announced right here on this post, Twitter and of course, on Facebook August 6th.

Go to the One Money Design Facebook page.

To be honest, I think reading this book and following Dan Miller through his newsletter is what got me so passionate about starting One Money Design. I knew I had a passion for learning more about personal finance and helping people achieve true financial freedom via my Money Map Coaching ministry. I decided to take that passion to the web and start this blog. I know you’ll learn a lot from Dan and will definitely find the motivation to do the work you love!

Amazon Product Description

48 Days to the Work You Love is not about finding a new job. It is about finding out what you are going to “be.” According to Dan Miller, failing to make that fundamental discovery is why so many people find themselves in jobs they hate. But the great news is this book will lead you to the vocation you will love. Dan Miller will help you see clear patterns form from which you can make successful career and job decisions by understanding your God-given skills and abilities, personality traits, values, dreams, and passions. These patterns create a compass for you. Finding the work you love is finding the fulfillment of your calling.

About the Author

Dan Miller is president of 48 Days LLC, specializing in creative thinking for increased personal and business success. He holds a masterÕs degree in psychology and draws from his business experience to help others develop more focused, balanced, truly successful lives. Dan and his wife live in Franklin, Tennessee.

How do you win a copy of 48 Days to the Work You Love?

It’s easy!  Tweet or retweet the following:

Giveaway @onemoneydesign: 48 Days to the Work You Love! RT to enter. http://bit.ly/9hXFda #OMD48Days #48DaysDan

You have until 12 PM ET Thursday, May 3rd to tweet or retweet the message. The winner will be announced on this post as well as Twitter on Friday, May 4th.

Crown offers many equiping tools and resources to help you along your financial journey. But probably the most well known and practical is the Money Map. The Money Map is a step by step guide to reaching true financial freedom. As an aside, you can read a little bit about true financial freedom on the about page. There are 7 destinations on the Money Map that provide practical steps from setting up a spending plan all the way to paying off your mortgage and giving more of your time and resources.

I’m excited to share that for a limited time Crown is offering a free copy of the Money Map. If you’re new to Crown, you can receive a paper copy in the mail, or download an electronic version. If you’re not new to Crown, you can still download an electronic version. All you have to do is complete a form provding some contact information which is completely worth it because this is a ministry you want to be connected with. Go get a copy now!