YOUR FINANCES: Doesn’t matter if you have $1 million or $1

You must walk to the beat of a different drummer. The same beat that the wealthy hear. If the beat sounds normal, evacuate the dance floor immediately! The goal is to not be normal because as my radio listeners know, normal is broke.

Dave Ramsey.

Finances are one of the biggest worriers and stress points in America today. Never enough is the mantra of many Americans, but apathy and lethargy toward finding a solution may be keeping you bound up in financial prison.

It’s time to break the chains: You can do something about it!

You don’t have to be a worrywart, constantly dependent on others, or succumb to the standards of the world around you. Just as with your health and your attitude, it’s in your hands! Don’t wait for someone else to give you something, and don’t wait until you’re in a full-blown crisis.

You say, “Chip, you make it sound so easy, but you don’t know my circumstances.” Very candidly, the principles are basic and fundamental. They are easy and available to everyone, but they are also essential and a prerequisite to success. It’s the implementation part that stops you in your tracks and holds you back from financial peace.

Here’s the key: The principles work whether you have $1 million in the bank or $1. Financial laws are not a respecter of persons. You and I have both often heard people say: “If only I had a million dollars, I would…”

No, you wouldn’t. Oh, you may pay off a few bills, buy a new car, take a vacation, or give someone a few dollars. But soon, you’d be right back in the same boat. It’s happened countless times. Just look at lottery winners and professional athletes.

But you don’t need $1 million to start. You can have an 800 credit score whether you earn $2,000 a month or $15,000 a month. Believe me, it’s all in your head!

Change your mindset, your attitude, or your perspective on finances, or nothing will change. Nada. Zilch. So, we’re back to attitude! It’s how you think and what you believe that determines how you handle everything else in life, including your finances! That’s where you come in, and that’s where you can make a difference in your own finances!

Most people ignore some key elements of effective and fundamental finances. They don’t give and don’t save, two important criteria for financial success.

Remember, it doesn’t matter whether you have $1 million or $1 in the bank.

Want to read our story? Check out Chip and Elizabeth: Our Finances, Our Story

Winston Churchill was no financier, but he was a brilliant leader who guided the UK through challenging times in World War II. He said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Give and save. Yes, it’s possible! Regardless of the amount of your paycheck, you can put aside something every week, every month. And you can find someone who needs your help! Soon, it will begin to snowball, and you will have that six-month rainy day fund Dave Ramsey recommends.

Live like no else today, so you can live like no else tomorrow.

Dave Ramsey.

Sure, it may take sacrifice, and you may have to change your lifestyle for a while, but it’s worth it. Get creative, think outside the box, try things you haven’t tried before, read a little more, and be open to coaching.

Your mindset is critical, and your decisions are pivotal. Remember, if you want to get different results, you’ll have to change what you’re doing! But first things first: Establish a strong mindset and be determined to see the game through!

Here are some keys you can employ to take control of your finances!

• BUDGET! Gotta do it! At the very least — or as a starting point — put on paper what’s going out and what’s coming in. Often, that’s a huge eye-opener!
• CREDIT CARDS! Put ’em down, cut ’em up, don’t use ’em. You have to stop the bleeding and this is a great place to start!
• TITHE! Yes, this is a spiritual and biblical matter. One of my favorite pastors — Larry Stockstill — was teaching on tithing one Sunday and challenged his congregation to tithe faithfully for 90 days. He said: “After those 90 days, if you don’t find that you are blessed and God hasn’t opened the windows of heaven for you, come see me and I’ll refund every dollar you’ve tithed.” He must be sure of the outcome. He’s been making that offer for more than 20 years but has never had a taker.
• GIVE! Yes, this is different — above and beyond — your tithe. I know people who give when they don’t have it to give! It’s a priority and comes before other expenses for them. If you think you don’t have it, give up a Starbucks, fast a meal, don’t get that new pair of shoes this week, but find a way to give, even if it’s $5!
• PAY YOUR BILLS! This is critical. Yes, at first you may have a challenge, but talk to your creditors and set up a plan. There isn’t a business out there that won’t work with you if you are proactive! Make the call to them today!
• FIND A FINANCIAL MENTOR! This is important! Don’t overlook the significance of having someone alongside to advise you! DAVE RAMSEY is a good one, but there are others. There are free videos and other tools you can use to start the process of taking charge of your own finances!

Too many people spend money they earned..to buy things they don’t want..to impress people that they don’t like.

Will Rogers.

Once again, I’ll remind you: I am not a financial advisor, but I have done what I’ve suggested to you above. It works. Sometimes, you stray from the principles or just forget to send that tithe check or get away from the budget. But it’s always interesting that what you do — good or bad or indifferent — triggers something else. Be intentional. Make your plan. And, most importantly, stick with it and stay at it!

But, as I said earlier this week, the government and society, in general, have trained us to be dependent, blame someone else, and not take care of ourselves. You can no longer afford to be codependent.

Make the break! It’s time to wake up and take the bull by the horns. Don’t wait for life to happen, you happen to life!