05/01/09
MetLife’s 7th annual “Employee Benefits Trends Study” came out a few days ago. It explained to me that more than half of you are living paycheck to paycheck. Almost three out of four of you are very concerned about making ends meet. This news concerns me greatly since that kind of struggle means it’s that much harder to survive the current economic crisis and to prepare for your future. Ok, I know you may think that the future is, well, far in the future. So, let’s forget about the future for a moment and think about the here-and-now. How much fun is it if you live paycheck to paycheck? How much stress do you have when you worry about how you can make ends meet? – I am sure that the here-and-now is not that great if you struggle financially. It never is fun when you have to worry about money all the time. And believe me, if you don’t have a grip on your finances right now it gets worse and worse as time goes on. I suggest that if you are one of the majority of folks in some financial trouble, it helps greatly if you get better control over your money right away. If you haven’t already done so, set up a budget – that’s a great way to start. If you’ve done that, but not the next step, well I’d argue it’s time to start living by your budget. Spend less than you make and start saving so that you don’t have to worry about money all the time. I know from experience that it feels a lot better to have some money sitting in the bank “just in case” than to worry about where I get the money to pay for stuff I need. A budget does two other things for you besides helping you save money. First, when you live by a budget you know how you’re spending your hard-earned money. You will know how much you spend on cell phones, computers, lattes, etc. Don’t you hate it when you look up and all the paycheck is gone, and you wonder how that happened so fast? Knowing the answers to all your spending questions will make it possible for you to change your spending habits, should that be necessary. Second, living by a budget also changes your mindset. You become aware that you can’t spend so freely, that you want to spend your hard-earned money in the best way, and that you can actually set yourself up for a better financial future. You can take that mindset with you throughout your life, even when you stop following a strict budget. Take my word for it. This will benefit you immensely in the long run. You are lucky that you have grown up in an age in which the internet has become part of our daily routine. Take advantage of it. The internet offers you many different kinds of budget planners, some are even free, others charge you a small monthly fee or a one-time payment. Check out some of the sites below. One of these programs should work for you. Best wishes for getting financially organized! Vilkri |
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03:33:24 pm, by vilkri - she 
