Breaking Away - For People Who Want To Transform Their Life
I don't know about you, but I always have time for something that has to do with my personal finances. There are a lot of things that come up in my life, but nothing will drag down my mood more than when I'm frustrated with the way I handle money. When the stress and anxiety of money gets to be too much, I try and think back on how far I've come, so in order to break away from this stress and see where I am now. It usually takes me a few minutes to get myself together. During this time, it's important for me not only evaluate what has happened over the past year but also find happiness within myself at what has happened over time (or what is happening currently). For a better understanding of what I mean, let's take a look at this article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/05/money-emotions-stress_n_1457510.html
We all know that money is stressful, but in this article, the author states "Nearly 70 percent of Americans said they would feel guilty if they spent money on themselves instead of saving it for later." There are many things that don't make sense to me here, but one thing I can grasp is why people are so stressed out when it comes to finances and how it relates to spending money instead of saving it. I could go on and on about the news, what people are saying and how it relates to money, but I've made myself clear.
What I want to talk about is how I overcame these obstacles that pop up in my life and how they distracted me from my main goal: financial stability.
I'm no stranger to the concept of setting goals. In fact, it's all that I've done, other than go back to school for a degree in Civil Engineering, for the past couple years. It's important for me to remember where I am now so that I can have insight into where I want to be in 5-10 years.
I've always been good at finding a balance in my life and being confident that no matter what happens, I'm able to take care of myself. For example, when I was in college, this is what happened:
I was on spring break and needed an hour to get paid and to pick up some things for the weekend. I saw that my bank had a 3% cash back offer so I went ahead and put 250 dollars in there (thinking it would last me at least that long). A few minutes after putting that money in, though, I bumped into a friend of mine at the grocery store. Once we started talking about how everything was going well it became evident that he had more money than me. I wasn't really worried about this (because there was no way he would be getting his money before I got mine), but then he asked me if I was going over to his house at some point during the weekend. I absolutely did not want to accept, but since this was the first time in a while we've hung out, it would be rude to say no. He also made sure I paid for my gas on the way over there and brought snacks for us. The moment he handed me his credit card, I knew that he planned on charging it. My initial reaction was "what am I going to do? It's already in my name and it's useless now. I guess I'll just have to buy some stuff from the store nearby." I was the one who said this, but in my head, I couldn't believe what I had just done.
Well, if you know anything about me then you'll know that it would be impossible for me to pay my bills when I'm out at someone else's house. In other words, it would be hard for me to get gas on my way back home and then make sure everything was paid off on the following Monday. That's why before I leave town all of my bills are paid off, even though they probably don't need to be. This was my goal and I was going to stick to it.
I'll cut the story short but on Monday I had to go into work early, so I was able to go ahead and take care of everything before heading back home. My friend's family will tell you that I'm a good guy and that I'm always there for them, but that day taught me not only how valuable money is, but how easily it can be wasted if you don't put your heart into your goals (that way they can become a reality).
I believe everyone should have proper financial plans set in place before jumping into school, work or whatever else life throws at us. Over the years, I've learned that there are a couple of different ways to get ahead. There are more expensive, time-consuming ways and then there are cheaper, but not necessarily as effective ones.
If you want a way that's free and does not require a lot of money then joining the military (as long as its not mandatory) is key. If the military were mandatory it would be great because you can get some money at the end of your services in exchange for joining for four years or so. Another way is to get a job with benefits such as health insurance companies.
One way I've made sure I'm able to buy the things I want without a lot of hassle is by following some basic steps:
1. Make sure your bills are paid off before you spend money on anything else.
2. Avoid charging anything to your credit card, no matter how tempting it may be at the time.
3. Make sure you're able to make more money than you spend, in order to pay for anything that is not paid for in advance (like what happened during the spring break incident).
4. Pay yourself first before paying anyone else (this will ensure your future).
After going through all this, I learned one important lesson. This lesson is crucial and there is no way of understanding it unless you're in the same situation that I was in. It goes like this:
In order to become financially handicapped or stable, your heart and mind have to be on the same page.
I'm not saying that everyone should have a strict schedule and follow it to a T every time they get paid, but it's important for you (the reader) to understand where I'm coming from.
Conclusion
In my opinion, the idea of "money problems" are brought on by the following things: our mindset, the way we cope with stress and how hard we try to make our lives better.
By having a good mindset you will be able to handle yourself in moments where your emotions may not be at their best. You can apply this mentality whenever difficult life situations occur, both large or small. You should not feel as if these problems will go away if you don't work harder or change your life appearance dramatically. One person's idea of a dream home is another person's nightmare.