Plan to Stash the Cash!
Have you made a New Year's resolution to pay more attention to your spending habits and now just a couple of weeks in are you finding it hard to stay on track? Maybe it's because you have developed a bad habit of not sticking to your plan or not even having a plan at all. Planning any venture will keep you on track and guide you to a successful completion.
One of the worse bad habits to acquire is to not have a spending plan. Mary Hunt, founder of www.DebtProofLiving.com states that "spending money without a plan is like driving blindfolded. You don't know where you are and can't see where you are going, so you don't know when to stop. Prespending your paycheck on paper (it's called a budget) is the way to remove the blindfold so you can see what is going on."
Leave behind the old habit of using your credit or debit card for everyday purchases and plan your day or week by calculating how much cash you will need, put it in an envelope or your wallet daily/weekly. Don't let those cards be so convenient...leave them at home. It will open your eyes to just how frivolous and tempting some of your purchases can be.
Leave behind the bad habit of saving any "left over" cash at the end of the month. (Does someone actually have left over cash at the end of the month?) Suze Ormon suggests that we "pay ourselves" first. In otherwords, no matter how little you have, SAVE 10% of each paycheck for the future.
It is said that it takes 21 days to form a habit. Start now and in less than a month, you will have started a very good habit of planning your spending. You might just end up with some "spare" cash to treat yourself every month. Good Luck!
Colleen Carman
Finance/HR Director
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