Save More Money~Even When it Seems You Cant.

To many, it seems as if everything these days has to do with the mighty (or not so mighty) dollar. In a way, it seems so mundane; so ho-hum. We go to work for it. We barter our valuable time for it. We scheduele any important events in our lives around the time frames when we must work for it (ex. vacation time). When you think about it in those terms, you really begin to realize what power money, or lack there of can have.

One aspect of money, is knowing when to spend it, and when to stash it away for the preverbial rainy day. Alot of people these days feel that they just simply dont have enough income to go around. Many feel as if there is more month that check, leaving them pretty much broke as a joke at the end of the month. We've all heard stories of people getting paid and then not even a full week later needing to ask a friend for just one more financial 'favor'. Or, asking a boss for just one more 'advance' on thier next paycheck. While theres never any one size fits all answer, heres an answer that might be one size fits many.

We need to start saving! Its often said that the hardest part about doing anything is actually taking the first step. Now, im sure alot of you have heard of the two different schools of thoughts..its usually the pennies add up advice, where one saves alot on the small stuff..coupon cutting, keeping spare change, stop eating out, stop buying latte's etc, etc. Then theres the other school of thought; save on the big items. Become one of those super couponing whizzes where the actual total in the grocery store is like $800 but due to coupons gets reduced to like $20, or dont buy a car until the end of the year..or ditch your cable, your cell phone, and lower your thermostat for the biggest savings, yadda yadda yadda. Personally i feel that really whichever one you choose to do will be good for you. Im not here to argue which one you do. However, i dont really consider either of those actually saving.

For some strange reason, weve been brainwashed into believing when we get something for what we percieve to be a 'good deal' weve actually saved. Well im here to help guide you back on track..If you spent your money, then you didnt save anything..you've spent! I wanna bring back the real notion of what saving really is. Its taking a portion of your income and putting it to the side and not touching it. With that being said, all to often we find that when it comes down to it, no matter what we try we cant seem to make ends meet. We just cant understand why we dont have any savings. Sure we may be a paycheck or two away from disaster, but still we cant save. Have a family? Then you are even more at risk without saving.

There are as many different reasons to save as there is different people on this planet. The reasons for saving are important, but more importantly is the fact that you need to start now. For one thing, due to the economy, there are alot more people struggling more than ever before. There are famalies in my neigborhood right now that were sitting pretty with a nice paying jobs in the medical fields and biology fields. One would presume that they would have ample savings. However not so. They are now broke as everyone else and trying to get unemployment. In my same neigborhood, theres also a family headed by a single mother with 5 children under age 11. The thing about her is that she has managed to save a whopping 39% of her sole income, while still paying her mortgage, providing all of the food for the family, and paying her car note. So how is it, that on her modest job as a cafeteria lunch lady can she save that much, when the people who had the better jobs didnt?

Its honestly simple. Please, just make the choice to do it. Im not trying to sound flipp-id at all. The most important thing is that you have to make this a priority. I think personal responcibility has a great deal to do with it. We need to take our power back in relation to money. Realise, that every single dollar that flows through your hand is being directed by YOU. You may say, "But you dont understand! i have a $1500 monthly mortgage, my car note is $600, my insurance must be paid too. I have real credit card bills, i robbed peter to pay paul, and im spending another $500 a month on groceries. I just cant eek out any savings from my budget!" I totally understand that becuase like you, i have real life expensis as well. Heres the thing though~and it took me a while to accept this truth with out feeling blighted. No one told you to get that car with the $600/month payment. Yes it looks good, rides smooth, and is a head turner. But let me ask you..at its most basic root it is still a vehicle to get from point A to point B. So, do you really want to be anchored to that payment for the next year to seven years?! And dont forget the insurace too. And the house? I know its in the perfect neigborhood, with the good schools. Your frineds compliment you for it and your family is amazed with it. However, can you truly say you feel good to continually commit to making a $1500 payment for the next 15 or 30 years?

I want you to realize that yes we all have reasons why we cant save, but at the end of the day we are the ones making the choices. You can get a less expensive car with cheaper payments. Or, dare i say, even buy a older model with cash so you forgo payments all together. You can move to a different neigborhood...yes i hear you. Sell a house in this economy, are you crazy? However, again your choice..if you want to keep giving excuses about why you cant save money, then thats your issue. Its not the amount of money you make, because even the filthy rich often acrew bills that equal up to or go above their income. Its how much you save. Its something to note that there are alot of minimum wage workers that have brought their home~ ableit modest~ with cash. Now thats something, off of a job that pays a mere$7.25 a hr. I know theres always gonna be someone difficult out there that says, yeah that was stupid, id never put all of my money on a house like that! But again, its worth noting that these people who are minimum wage workers took the time to dilligently save thier money becuase they had a bigger goal in mind. Im just saying..if they can do it with $24,000 a year..why cant you?