The first step toward getting control of your money and increasing your enjoyment of life is managing the money you already have. One major myth you have to get out of your head is that your problems are from a lack of income. Unless you have lost your job recently (we have just gone through a nasty recession) you probably have a spending problem, not an income problem. Oh sure, a larger income would be nice and I am all for that goal, but if you can’t manage a small amount of money, you won’t do any better with more money. History and statistics back up these statements. We spend money we don’t have to buy stuff we really don’t need in order to impress people that we shouldn’t care about impressing. We want lifestyles that we can’t afford and instead of waiting until we can afford them, we spend tomorrow’s income by using credit cards and loans. And yet for some reason, when tomorrow comes and we don’t have the money to pay the bills, we wonder where the money went. As the metaphor says, “when you find yourself in a hole, the first thing is to stop digging.” How true and simple that is when applied to money.
OK, now that I have thoroughly yelled at you (sorry about that), let me lay out some topics that are critical to making YOU the master of your money.
- Financial Security: Sometimes you need to see a picture of of what you are working towards so you can stay focused on controlling and managing your money.
- Upgrade Your Thinking: What if I told you that a huge part of dominating your money was changing how you think and look at your money? Something to think about. (Pun intended)
- Budgeting: You have to know how much money you have and where it is going. Once you figure out where your money is going, you can stop the leaks and start putting it where it belongs – working for you.
- Credit Cards: Credits cards are a blessing and a curse. Learn the right way to use them to improve your life, and how NOT to use them so they don’t destroy your life.
- Credit Score: Your credit score carries so much weight these days. Let’s talk about what it is, the importance, and more relevant, how being financially healthy results in a great score.
- Taxes: We need to learn about our taxes so we can proper plan and prepare to make the most of our situation.
- Set Money Aside: While it may not have the same thrill as spending, saving your money is incredibly important and we look at specific areas to focus on.