7 Secrets to Show Me The Money!

The bottom line is simple. No matter what amount of income you earn or don't earn, you CAN be in control of your finances. But you must first be in control of your choices.

Here are some steps to help you:

1. Determine your level of integrity about money. Do you spend money, then hide the evidence? Do you find yourself trying to justify how money was spent? Having integrity with your money means that you feel comfortable and honest with how it's being made, and how it's being spent.

2. Determine your emotional relationship with money. Ask yourself some difficult questions. Are you spending money to impress or control people, buy love, or to give yourself a rush? Knowing where your money is going will let you make decisions based on what is actually happening in the present, instead of fears or insecurities that you have left over from past experiences.

3. Get real. Create awareness about your money. How much do you make? How much do you spend? Do you have a budget? Do you know where you are spending your money? Do you know how much your credit card interest rate is? Are you shocked at the end of the year when you see how much you earned, yet can't identify where the money has gone?

4. Identify the differences betwee
REAL expenses and the "going-broke-saving-money" monster. Where is money being spent but not enjoyed? The GBSM monster sucks up money for items that look too good to pass up. When this monster is locked up, it frees up funds for spending on something much more worthwhile to you. Would you tear up $500 and throw it into the garbage? Of course not. Yet you throw away the same amount of money on magazines you subscribe to but never read, phone services you don't use, gym memberships you don't attend.

Now that you have identified and corrected any of the problems listed above, you are ready to move into establishing a base from which you can use your money as a tool to get what you want. Make a plan. Stick to it.

5. If you are in a marriage or business situation, negotiation is key. Dr. Phil McGraw of "Life Strategies" says that all decisions between partners require two Yes's and one No. If either party disagrees with a purchase, it doesn't happen. Negotiate what you spend and how you spend it.

6. Define a specific, measurable goal. Don't settle for "save $10,000 for down payment". Instead, decide how much you need, when you need it, and how much you need to save each week to achieve that. "Save $192.30 each week for 52 weeks" is a specific, measurable goal.

7. Understand that it is not a money problem - it is a lifestyle problem. You must set up your lifestyle to support whatever goal you want, whether that be saving money, eating less food, running a marathon, or learning to play the piano. nnn