Getting started in the right direction with your finances

It doesn’t matter if you’ve made all the mistakes in the book up until this point. The reality is you’re here now because you want to change your circumstances or you want to get started on the right foot.

First things first. Lesson #1:  Don’t spend what you don’t have.

It sounds a little simple but for some it is harder than it seems. If you have no self control, you won’t make the right decisions, period. No matter what you think about yourself, you CAN exert self control. Stop thinking and start doing. Or in this case, STOP doing.

If you are somewhere about to spend your money, ask yourself: “Do I have the full amount in my bank account to cover this entire purchase?” If the answer is “No” put away your credit card and walk away. No one gets rich spending money they don’t have. No one.

If impulse control is difficult for you, cut off all sources of temptation. Don’t go to the mall. Immediately throw away catalogs when they arrive in the mail. And delete promotional emails as soon as you see them. If you are in a real financial crisis, unsubscribe from all store email promotions and newsletters with the unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.

Be proactive! You can take this one step further and start selling YOUR stuff on eBay. You will always get more for your belongings at online auction sites than you would at a garage sale. Save garage sales for the stuff that’s not worth selling on eBay. But definitely do put together a garage sale if you have lots of junk sitting around the house.