Do you keep telling yourself that someday that your finances are just going to sometime magically fix themselves? Do you tell yourself when you get the next raise or promotion that you will finally be able to make ends meet? Are you looking forward to receiving that inheritance, because you can use it to pay off your debt and begin to save for your retirement? Do you dream of the day when you win the lottery and all your concerns will be taken care of?
The reality of the situation is that until you change the way you manage money, your situation will not get any better. The next raise will be absorbed easily into your spending, and you won’t really have the extra money that you think your will. Your inheritance may not come at a time when you really need it. As for the lottery while I do actually know someone who won, chances are you probably won’t win enough to make a big difference in your way of life.
I have also seen the effects of people receiving large windfalls of money. Often people will go a little crazy and splurge on things that they have been wanting, while promising themselves that a certain amount will go toward debt repayment or savings. Meanwhile, without careful tracking they have spent the entire amount if not more on vacations, new furniture, or home repairs.
The only way your financial future is going to change is if you take steps now to change it. Depending on where you are, the steps may be drastic, or they may be little. Either way you will feel a sense of satisfaction as you bring your finances under your control. You will have a future that you can look forward to, and you will be able to live comfortably, because you took the time to manage your money now.
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