Proper Perspective about Money
A lot of people believe that Money is the root of all Evil. It is true that more than 50% of marriages in America end in divorce. There is also the fact that most divorces are either caused by unfaithfulness or arguments about Money. I will have to say that I agree that money is a terrible necessity. You have to have it in order to live, but the more you have, (usually) the more money you spend. The more money you spend, the more money you need. The more money you need, the more debt you could get yourself into. It is just a horrible circle that nearly everyone gets into.
So, now you are going to ask me, “How do I keep Money from ruling my life? How do I get out of that circle?” The only real answer that I can give you is, “Don’t spend more than you earn.” I know, it’s easier said than done, but I strongly believe that if you can get to the point where you are only spending 80% of your paycheck every month, you will pretty much be set for life.
The reason that most people get into a circle that allows money to rule over them is because they spend it on things they really cannot afford. Then they spend the rest of their life trying to pay for that one thing that they really didn’t need in the first place. For instance, don’t buy a brand new $24,000 Mustang, when you can get a year old used Focus for $11,000. It will still get you from point A to Point B like the Mustang would and you will have it paid for in a lot less time. Then you can save the money every month that you would be normally paying for the Focus and then you can buy that Mustang in cash.
Buy what you can afford, not what you want. If you always bought what you wanted, then you would be in debt up to your eyeballs.
Pay off your credit cards. If you have to stay home with no cable, no internet or no cell phone for a year to do it, then that is what you should do. It may be a difficult sacrifice, but it will be worth it when you don’t have to make payments every month on a pizza you bought six months ago. Who knows, maybe you will be able to get that novel written that you have always wanted to write, sell it to a publisher and get royalty checks for the rest of your life.
I know, I have rambled on about nothing, but it seems that too many people out there are a slave to their finances. I don’t want to see people having to work till they’re dead because they spent more than they ever earned. Hold back and give yourself time to think before making any purchase. You will be glad that you did.
Go back to the How to Eliminate Your Debt Page.
