What’s going on with your money?

With all this talk about the impending national debt
default, it brings up so many financial questions in our own lives.  Our personal finances are reflected in the
way our cities, states, federal and countries operate theirs.  We’re spending too much, saving too little,
giving away money without regard to its return. Our personal finances are in
disarray. We feel like we’re working for nothing, living from paycheck to
paycheck and robbing Peter to pay Paul. 
Our children are coming back home sometimes because they can’t make it.  What are we to do?  We all need to look at the future as well as
the present when we organize our finances.

As a coach, I want to help people get their
personal finances organized and profitable. Having your finances together will
relieve stress, enhance relationships with our spouses, children, and friends
and help create purpose in our careers.  Many
great changes in history have started from ground up! Why can’t our
finances?  Let’s look at some ways we can
start to recapture our sanity in relationship to our money.

There is no shame in not having a lot of money. When you carry the
shame it zaps your energy. Makes you feel like depressed.  Makes you want to spend money like you
perceive others do without consequence.  This then becomes a vicious cycle.  I’m a sucker for a sale. But do I need it or do I just want
it?

Most baby boomers grew up knowing their parents may not have been able to “give” them everything. So what we did was PLAN on taking care of ourselves. We knew there may be no help around.

Part of a plan is to

1. Create a Livable budget.
   Livable is the key. Don’t be so strict you can’t follow it.
2. Distinguish between ‘needs’
   and ‘wants’.  Sprinkle your budget
   with reasonable wants. 
3. Track your spending.  You would be amazed at how much money is
   ‘wasted’.  Those cups of coffee and
   bagels everyday can add up.

There are many other things we can do which I will cover in
future blogs. What makes your budget “Livable?”