For most of my life I’ve lived hand-to-mouth. My parents earned enough to pay bills, put something by, and take an annual vacation, but not much beyond that. I took a consumer education class in high school wherein we had an awful lot of fun learning about the stock market and not much else. Credit cards were distributed along with the text ooks when I went to college (for which I worked two jobs and won a few scholarships), and my math skills were poor enough that couple with a lack of sincere interest, the checkbook suffered not only from malnutrition but ineptitude.
Recently it became glaringly obvious that I can’t live like I have been, skipping one step ahead of the collection agencies, never putting anything by. Unfortunately, I do not earn enough to pay my bills. The eternal optimist in me believes this is not the end of the world. The nagging realist in me knows that it could be if I don’t get a handle on this, soon.
In this series of articles I’m going to explore my financial options, correct mistakes as I find them, and lay out a workable roadmap for gaining financial health. I will share the mistakes as well as how I’ve solved them. I’ll apply what I learn and hopefully be able to move forward toward workable goals.
Here’s to moving beyond saving a few dollars only to dive into them to pay an unexpected expense that I didn’t plan for. Here’s to financial peace, and plenty.
In the first article, to be submitted shortly, I will endeavor to get a handle on my dependence on payday loans. I want to share the experience in order to show first-hand what can happen, and also to show myself that I can move beyond this, recover my monetary footing, and build a firm financial foundation for my own support.
I can do this. Every day is a new beginning, and it’s imperative that I realize the future is now.
