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finance tips

General

Lower Your Standard Of Living and LIVE

lower your standard of living and LIVEAre you one of those people who have been suckered into the concept of endless consuming? It can happen without your even realizing it. Ads hit you from every direction telling what you need to buy to be good-looking and successful. The “right” list usually includes the right car, the right neighborhood, the right clothes, even the right schools for your kids. Have you ever noticed that the list is endless? And there’s those “easy” payments, so why not?

In our society consumerism has almost become a religion with heaven being that blessed day when we can relax because we have it all and are, therefore, OK. I suggest that you think again and on your own this time.

Those who have maxed out credit cards only to obtain new ones know that something is missing in the plan to “have it all”. Peace, freedom, even individuality are often sacrificed to the need to keep up and hopefully surpass the norm. Working longer hours, getting more competitive jobs, pushing and stretching are ways to try to win the battle. But then there’s that bigger house and hotter car, offering a rush, momentarily.

There is a way out but it involves reassessing priorities. It’s usually a long, slow process to over-extend to the point of disaster. Likewise, there’s a way out that can slowly take you in the opposite direction. It’s called…less. Believe it or not, most of us can live quite comfortably in a smaller home and used, paid for, cars can get us where we want to go. Plain foods don’t cost what prepared foods do, and a smaller, simpler wardrobe can still be attractive.

My kid’s father was a carpenter. That meant lots of work in the late spring, summer and early fall. The other six months were pretty “iffy”. Bad weather often prevailed, housing starts and sales slowed down and our income either stopped or was drastically reduced. The answer to this was to set up a standard of living that used half of the good-weather income and left the other half for the lean months. We did that and sailed blissfully through the tough times.

The same thing can be done when retiring. Moving into a park model trailer in a camping club might sound like a sacrifice. However, once you have looked inside a new unit and toured a well-appointed park, you may change your mind. Hot tubs, indoor swimming pools, senior centers are all part of the camping club I belong to.

Why not rethink how your life is playing out and factor in some peace and satisfaction? Why not lower your standard of living and LIVE! Why not indeed?

About the Author

Luise Volta’s life has included careers in nursing, teaching pre-school, interior design, Real Estate sales, insurance adjusting, and dairy herd testing.

General

Accomplish Your Financial Goals

accomplish your financial goalsWhen setting financial goals, the goals you set must be realistic. Don’t set goals that will overextend you financially or put a hardship on you or your family.

You will find that some of your goals are long-range, such as purchasing a home, and some are short-range, such as establishing good credit. Is your goal to be debt free? Do you desire to invest in your retirement? Would you like to qualify for a low interest rate credit card? You need to evaluate what you want to accomplish financially and set a plan of action. The following steps will help you achieve your financial goals:

Step 1: Write out your goal. This makes a commitment.

Step 2: Visualize your goal. Cut out a picture of what you want to accomplish. It may be a house, a car, a dream vacation or a needed appliance. Whatever it is, cut a picture out of a magazine and put the picture in a place that you can see it for reinforcement.

Step 3: Set a time frame to accomplish the goal. Remember with establishing credit, it can take several months to get approvals. Be realistic on setting dates.

Step 4: Write out your plan of action.

Step 5: Remove the excuses you have for not following through with your goal. Get rid of these phrases, “I’m too busy,” “I don’t have time,” “I’ll do it later.”

Step 6: Anticipate any situation that may arise that will cause you not to accomplish your goal. If you know of anything in your credit portfolio that could cause you a problem, find a way to correct it.

Step 7: Define your motives. Are your intentions to build a credit portfolio for the future, or for only material gain? This must be determined before you send out your first application. If the motive is only for material gain, DON’T DO IT!

Step 8: Look at all your past experiences. Learn from them.

Step 9: Believe you can accomplish what you start out to do.

Step 10: Do first things first. Do not dwell on what you need to do. Just do it! Follow through with your plan of action.

Remember, your goals will change throughout your life. As you accomplish financial goals, set new ones. Careful planning will not only help you accomplish your goals, it will also give you the boost toward building a successful credit and financial portfolio.

About the Author

Deborah McNaughton is an author and credit expert. She is founder of Financial Victory Institute, which specializes in financial education. Deborah has programs to train individuals to become credit consultants and teach financial seminars.