Health & Fitness
Resolution to Change
The New Year brings renewed hope and energy to change. Create real change by making a resolution to take control of your financial life. Together let's show Springfield and D.C. how it's done !
2012 is around the corner and regardless of your feelings it’s coming anyway. The new year is a great opportunity to challenge your family to gain and hope and strive for change. Not of the political variety, but be hopeful you can grasp control of your finances and bring about real, actual, timely change that will impact your life, not just promise too. It all starts when the pain of bondage (debt) starts to hurt more than the price of credit. With a holiday hangover as your catalyst, make a commitment to a few simple yet life changing financial decisions;
- Put your money on paper, on purpose, before the month begins. Subtract your mortgage/rent, food, utilities, extras ie; cellphone, cable, car payments, etc. from your income. If there is too much month left at the end of your money, cuts need to be made.
- Save $1,000 in an emergency fund, they happen everyday and quickly run households into the red. Do something different in 2012; be ready for Murphy before he knocks on the door.
- List your debts smallest to largest and use your surplus funds found in your budget above to pay off those debts. A bloated financial waistline after the holidays is a great place to start. Commit to a Christmas season free of credit, loans, and excess that makes your head fall into your hands on January 1.
- Start saving for retirement. 15% of your income is prudent. Retirement will be here before you know it, and that $300 car payment could change your financial destiny if it was in the market rather then in the driveway. Use your largest wealth building tool, your income, to change the view in the crystal ball.
- After you’re prepared for life, we can rule our money with an open hand. Clenched fists rarely let dollars go, and they also rarely accumulate more. Open hands let our generosity run rampant, and let our talents dictate how high money stacks. The more we make the more we can give.
As the crystal ball sinks bringing 2011 with it, make a commitment, a commitment to hope and change. Stop depending on Springfield or Washington D.C. to fix our problems, truth be told they are nearly incapable. Only we can affect change, and 2012 is a great time to seize control and start. Happy New Year!
