We live in an ever-accommodating society. No longer do we have to go out and look for deals, they are delivered to our doorstep. I can see the credit companies doing a little jig at this wonderful new shopping sensation. Unfortunately our pocket books aren’t necessarily doing the same jig.
I envy people who have no debt. I want to be like them. I really do. I have the skills, I have the desire, yet it seems like a goal floating in the wind. I can see it. And almost touch it but it keeps floating away from my grasp. Oh I’ve made some progress over the years, but unsteady income, child care and investments in my education have all ensured I don’t get too far away from debt. Not yet anyway. But I’m nothing if not persistent!
Financial institutions – banks, credit card companies, etc. have money. And they need to invest this money. And they need to make money on their investment. They do not loan us money because they like us, or we need it and our goals are important to them. (I am speaking from an institution perspective, your loans officer may care about you and your goals – the good ones anyway). They loan us money because they are investing in us
We seem to have this notion that we entered into a “till death do us part” commitment when we opened that new credit account with the bank. The reality is, we entered into a somewhat superficial relationship. I’m not knocking the banks. They provide a specific service to a specific target market. And they do it well. That’s why they are reporting increased profits on a regular basis. What I am saying, is you need to accept that this is a relationship that will serve you well if you don’t hit any major roadblocks along the way.
Budgeting & Money Management / Credit Relationships / Dealing with Debt / Get Out of Debt / Spending Patterns
Is anyone really happy with the amount of income they’re making? I think we all feel that we deserve to have more, we deserve to spend more, we deserve to have less stress worrying...
What comes to mind when you hear the word “Consolidation”? Do you envision all of your debts being ‘paid off’ leaving you with the manageable obligation of one monthly payment? If so, you are thinking about a “Consolidation Loan”. A financial institution loans you money by paying off your debt and you pay them back. With interest, of course. Nowadays, the word “consolidation” is being used in a much more liberal term
I’m in my car. On my way to work. Listening to the radio. And one commercial catches my attention.
A lady comes home with a shopping bag. Her husbands asks what’s in it and then exclaims, “Don’t you have enough dresses?” (Like that’s actually possible). She replies, “But honey, they were 70 percent off”. He pauses and then replies, “That’s a lot.” In reality, this is a general perception. If it’s on sale and I’m getting such a great bargain, I should buy this.
If you step back and look at your finances, you will find that you are in one of three stages of financial being – The first stage is “survival mode”. The next stage is the “breathing room” stage. The third stage, which is where we all strive to be, is the “comfort zone”.
Trimming your budget is a lot like trimming your waistline. Consumers spend millions of dollars every year looking for that magic solution to losing weight. And businesses increase their bottom line while relatively few consumers decrease their bottoms/middles etc. The same phenomenon happens in money management. We tend to look for quick fixes – consolidation loans, second mortgages, payday loans. Neither works for the masses. Why? They do nothing to address the underlying problem…
{“You have got to feel good about money to attract more to you. Understandably, when people do not have enough money they do not feel good about money, because they don’t have enough. But those negative feelings about money are stopping more money coming to you! You have to stop the cycle, and you stop it by starting to feel good about money, and being grateful for what you have. Start to say and feel, “I have more than enough.” “There is an abundance of money and it’s on it’s way to me.” “I am a money magnet.” “I love money and money loves me.” “I am receiving more money every day.” “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”}
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