Financial Responsibility
Today was a very busy day for me. It’s about 5:15pm and I am just now writing an article. I had a conversation with someone the other day and it was the proverbial last nail in the coffin for me. I keep running into a fair amount of people who have no idea how to manage money. I cannot blame them, I never had one either but it’s become a real problem.
The old mentality was that it did not matter what your neighbor did with his money because that was his business. Well, now it is. There have been numerous books written on this subject and far more credible authors than yours truly who have expounded their thoughts on how and why we are in the situation that we are in now.
There are a couple issues at hand that I see. The first is the thought that we are entitled to something. Call it what you want, entitlement to freedom, wealth or even social security. In my early years, I had a company with a couple employees who had that same sense of entitlement (I’m pretty sure they still have it today) and they felt that things should just be given to them for whatever reason. They are not alone in this mindset. Most of the population in America right now is under the belief that they are owed something by society. It’s this simple fact that sets people up for a huge downfall. As I look back over the years I can see a number of factors that contribute to this nonsense. It all is education; the problem is that you can get the wrong education.
I have been accused of having harsh words from time to time. This topic is no exception. If you don’t get off your butt and do something, no one is or should do anything for you. If you work for someone and expect to get a raise, don’t! You only should get what you deserve. When I hear stories of those who intended on getting a raise and then didn’t, I sometimes hear that they spend more than they make. They use the credit cards for things that will never bring them any sort of ROI. Sure you can justify in your head that if you buy nice clothes then you will get a better job and thus the ROI. NO! That’s not the ROI that I am talking about. I am looking for good old hard cash. That’s a topic for another day.
If I am talking about you and your feelings are hurt, good. That was my intention. You need to do something about your problem. It is possible in some cases to go back to your creditors and re-negotiate debts. In some cases it’s not possible. Either way, you need to do something to make a difference. In all cases it starts in your head. Learning how to be financially responsible is a lifelong task and is not something that can be done quickly.
If you look around you and see plenty of others making less than you and yet buying more than you, remember they are not a success. They are a failure until they prove themselves as a success. In many minds a success can be the ability to get back up after a huge failure.
Others call it failing forward, whatever you call it. Take action today and get off your butt.
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September 4th, 2008 at 11:15 am
Great post. Credit card debt and lack of money managment skills are a big problem and a major cause of stress in many peoples lives.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
Hey Clara, thanks! Yeah, I remember someone telling me that they owned their home and vehicles outright. This person was from another country and the first time I heard that I thought they were crazy.
Then I realized my school of thought only thickens the pockets of the financial institutions and not me!