Skip to main content

Locate the Emergency Exit Closest to Your Location

I remember the first time I got brave enough to go on a roller coaster. I was 12, and I was at a theme park with some friends. I was nervous. As the line snaked through artificial rocks and trees that were characteristic of the theme of the ride, there were numerous exits half-hearted thrill-seekers could take advantage of if their apprehension got the better of them. Before I got brave enough to make the entire journey, I would take advantage of one of those exits. More often than not, someone else would follow me out. Eventually my friends talked me into actually getting on the ride. Yes, I had a great time, and I’m glad I did it.

What does this experience have to do with finances, you ask? Hear me out. Sometimes it’s alright to go with the crowd, but sometimes, even when it’s hard or uncomfortable, you have to be willing to be the one to say, “No, I’m not doing that because it’s not in my best interest.” It’s possible that no one will go with you, but someone just might.

On your financial fitness quest, there will be things (and when I say things, I mean people) who try to detract you from your worthy goal of total independence. Like when you lose weight, even your best buddies might be jealous of your willpower and desire to change for the better. It might be subconscious or not, but it doesn’t matter. There will be things (people) who will attempt to sabotage you.

You need to have a plan, an exit strategy. List all the potential distractions and your responses to them ahead of time. Write them down. Make them positive. “I’m choosing to spend my money on something else,” instead of “I can’t afford that.” Make sure your children hear you use this kind of language. Practice in front of a mirror. When confronted with this type of situation, you will have already verbalized the response. And who knows, maybe someone else will take a cue from you and get off that insane roller coaster known as the Spending Spree.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Gifts that Matter

When I think about my childhood, there are a few events (some good, some not so good) that really stand out. These specific incidents made big impacts on me, so they really stuck. I bet you can say the same thing. These encounters, good and bad, help shape who we are. As parents, it is our job to teach our children to be honest, upstanding, contributing members of society. This does not happen by accident. Part of this process involves the experiences we give our children–we can orchestrate PEAK moments for our families that will leave lasting impressions on young, impressionable minds. What is a PEAK moment? According to de Jager Meezenbroek, Garssen, van den Berg, van Dierendonck, Visser, and Schaufeli in the Journal of Religion and Health , “Peak experiences are often described as transcendent moments of pure joy and elation. These are moments that stand out from everyday events.” Christmas offers an EXCELLENT opportunity to offer experiences that can become “PEAK moments” in ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Remove the Specs

You have probably heard the phrase, “looking through rose-colored glasses”? If not, allow me to introduce you to this idiom. It basically means seeing things the way you want to see them while putting a positive spin on that. It’s not a bad thing, but sometimes you need to see something for what it really is. How many of us have ever spent impetuously because we were upset or angry? “Gee, my spouse spent $500 on a (insert whatever he might buy to feed his hobby here) without asking, I should be able to spend the same on (insert what you would like to get here)!” I’m sorry/not sorry, but this is NOT a healthy way to look at things. It’s just wrong. And it’s a great example of erroneous thinking when it comes to managing money. According to Kingsford, “Thoughts create the emotions that drive us...” Oh, how true it is! She also points out how events lead to thoughts, which in turn lead to feelings. For purposes of today’s post, I’m going to call this “The Cycle.” If you want to be f...
Post a Comment
Read more

Choose Good

Someone I know recently made a trip to the grocery store. Another shopper thought she was buying too much bread for her family of nine and assaulted her. My friend is shaken but okay. The assailant was escorted from the premises. Unfortunately, emergencies bring out the worst is some. Whenever there is some sort of trauma going on in the world (and when is there NOT these days?) all kinds of crazies are going to come out of the woodwork. Don’t fall prey to one of them. You’re probably going to get phone calls from people claiming to be from different charities that are raising money for this and that. I used to try to tell them “No” politely. Now I just hang up. Or, better yet, don’t answer numbers you do not recognize, even those with the same area code you have. If you can and want to contribute to a charity, use one you have used before. While disasters bring out the scary, they also can bring out the best of us.   Be one of them. We are all spending more time a...
Post a Comment
Read more