Recently, I have been watching Dave Ramsey on the Fox Business channel. In the program, people call in with their issues, and he gives them a roadmap to get out of debt and achieve their goals. He is simple and straight forward, and is not condescending. He also offers a book and workbooks that might be very useful.

Suze Orman is also a financial guru. In The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, she elaborates on:

• Seeing how your past holds the key to your financial future
• Facing your fears and creating new truths
• Being honest with yourself
• Being responsible to those you love
• Being respectful of yourself and your money
• Trusting yourself more than you trust others
• Being open to receive all that you are meant to have
• Understanding the ebb and flow of the money cycle

In her book, she provides you with ‘practical and spiritual stops so you can stop worrying.’ That’s easier said than done, I must say! In terms of money, the popular book The Secret opens your heart to abundance. I was given it as a gift, and it sat on the shelf for quite a while, as I thought I knew all about ‘the law of attraction.’ But it was a good reminder.

In lean times, I tried to also focus on the smaller issues. Questions to ask yourself, for example, include:

• Can I cut out or down on my daily Starbuck’s coffee?
• Can I take a brown-bag lunch one or two days a week, instead of always eating out?
• Can I cut down on my cable package?
• Can I get a better cell-phone plan, or long-distance plan?
• Are there other monthly expenses that, when added up, become bigger sums?
• Can I cut back on pre-packaged foods? Not only are they usually more expensive, they are generally less healthy.
• Can I gather local berries, rather than buying them, or can I garden rather than purchasing produce?
• Can I keep my car one more year, rather than buying a new one?
• Am I ‘going broke spending money’ by sale-shopping too often for more clothes to fill my closet?
• Am I throwing away food because I buy too much, or do not use up leftovers?
• Can I take a smaller vacation, or no trip at all? Perhaps a weekend getaway can replace a week-long trip. Perhaps a driving trip to neighboring town can be as satisfying as something more exotic. Even exploring your own town or city can be satisfying and rewarding, with the right attitude!
• Are there ways to make my home feel like a vacation? Or are there things I can do to make my home more soothing and hence more inviting? Can I create a mini-spa experience just by changing my mindset or environment?

Category: Financial Struggles · Getting Started · Money · Saving & Investing