Why We Spend Money On Stuff We Don't Need

We all do it - though some more than others; are you a spender or a saver?

But why do we spend money on stuff we really don't need?

How many times have you bought something only to put it in a cupboard, forget about it and never actually use it?!

Several Reasons Why You Are Always Broke

There are several reasons why people are broke. Here is my short list of reasons why people are broke and will continuously be broke. Your attitude towards money began when you were a child. You had great instructors and in most cases, they were your parents. Remember the axiom "from the root to the fruit?" Usually the fruit does not fall far from the tree, meaning that you are usually a product of your parents thinking. Sound Familiar?

Instead of waiting for your fate to magically change. You may want to take a serious look at all the things you are doing that may be contributing to your financial despondencies. That's right. Everything may actually be your own doing. Here are several known motives why people find themselves broke. You may recognize a few of them. If you follow some of the advice I am about to share with you, in time you will be able to dig yourself out of the hole you dug for yourself.

Many people have crutches that hold them back in life. Some people smoke, drink, eat tons of fast food and don't run unless they are being chased by a rabid dog. So maybe your health is not so great, but at least you are having a great time. Chances are, your finances aren't in good shape either. In most cases, bad habits are a big financial drain on your pocket book and there is nothing great about that at all. As a matter of fact, most people that I have come in contact with have many crutches they are depended upon. No one wants to admit they are suffering from multiple addictions. One thing that I am cognizant of is that if people can give up their personal crutches and extinguish their bad habits they can amass large amounts of money in short periods of time.

Just think about it for a second, a pack of cigarettes costs $8.00 on average and that comes out close to $2,900 a year on a pack-a-day smoking habit. Now, as for alcohol, even restrained drinking can add up. Just think of it, two glasses of wine a day can run you over $1,500 a year, and that calculation is based on consuming the cheap stuff at home. If you are a bar drinker and you prefer Bordeaux, you are paying a whole lot more. Wow! And you complain that you don't have money to go anywhere. I wonder why.

Another reason why people go broke would be that they try so desperately to keep up with the Joneses and don't realize in most cases that the Joneses are living a lie. Just because someone is driving a new car or is wearing an expensive gold watch doesn't mean that they are high rollers. Many people are living off credit cards. 70% of the people in the United States are living well over their head. The IRS states that only 5% of the American people are financially independent. That means that 95% of the American people are faking it. You should never try to live a lifestyle you cannot afford.

Instead of purchasing a new vehicle you might want to check out other options like purchasing a used vehicle in excellent condition. No one will know if it is a new vehicle or not, unless you tell them. The raw reality of it all would be that no one truly cares about you anyway. Lets' put my theory to the test. I want you to go outside every day for a month and ask everyone that you know or passes by to help you pay off your mortgage and vehicle loan. At the end of the month I want you to count the small change you have collected. You will find out what I already know. You will be no closer to paying of your home or vehicle or anything else for that matter. You may have enough to purchase a couple cheese burgers at the golden arches. Now, if you are trying to purchase a home, you may want to put down 20% and keep your monthly payment below 30% of your gross income. The golden rule when purchasing a home would be to own the home and not allow the home to own you. Don't become a prisoner of your home due to trying to keep up with the Joneses.

Do you have more month at the end of your paycheck? Are you taking care of an entourage that is not taking care of you? It is time for you to take a good look at the people you surround yourself with. Are you hanging around the wrong crowd? Didn't your mother use to tell you about hanging around the wrong crowd? I know my mother did. She use to tell me repeatedly "birds of a feather flock together" and she was right. I learned the hard way by hanging with the wrong people and yes, it did lead to trouble. The funny thing about what my mother told me back then still applies to me today. You have to be very careful of the people you surround yourself with. Everyone does not wish you well. You have gold-diggers, leeches, and other parasites out there that will latch on to you and strip your wallet or purse clean without leaving prints. They will come around empty handed and help you drink up, eat up, and spend up your money until it is all gone and once everything is gone, you will find no trace of them until the next time they sense you have something they want or need. They never seem to come around when they have money. Anytime you seen them, they have a tall tale to tell.

You have to make a list and check it twice, for you have to find out who's been naughty or nice. You must shun the parasites in your life. There comes a time in everyone's life to where they have to become cognizant of where they stand. They must take out the trash and know that they will be better off for doing so. You must become disciplined if you stand any chance of negating any bad habits you formed while surrounding yourself by the wrong crowd. Let me be the first to tell you. It will not be an easy road to follow, but it is surely probable.

I know that many people dread hearing about watching TV too much, but if you are watching TV too much you may want to pay close attention to this segment of this article. I get it, there is nothing like coming home from work and kicking off your shoes, getting comfortable on the couch, and cutting on the TV. But if you are falling behind on your financial obligations you may want to re-evaluate your comfort commitments with your TV set and make some major changes to your life-style obligations. Research found that 77% of those struggling financially spent more than an hour watching TV and 74% spent more than an hour surfing the internet for fun. Conversely, the majority of wealthy individuals spend their time engaging in self-development activities, getting involved in alterative income producing endeavors, and/or follow paths of their dreams that could very well lead to hefty financial rewards.

Whatever you do, don't let laziness, uncertainty, or fear keep you from reaching for the stars. Taking baby steps is better than not taking any steps at all when it comes to producing an alternative stream of income. If you have a spare room in your home, you may want to entertain the possibility of renting that room out to make ends meet.

I am sure your parents badgered you about how important it was to get an education. I hate to be a bearer of bad news, but they are right. I found out from experience long ago that your income can't surpass your knowledge. Oops! I let the cat out the bag. Lets' compare life time earnings between a typical high school graduate and a typical college graduate with a bachelor's degree. I am sure you will agree that the statistics are bewildering. Over a 40-year career, a worker with a bachelor's will earn $1 million more than a worker with just a public high school diploma. This is not a misprint. $2.42 million versus $1.37 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau projections. If you have a master's degree, it bumps you up to $2.80 million. That is one world of a difference, wouldn't you agree!

Please keep in mind that going back to school does not guarantee a bigger paycheck, but it sure does not hurt to do so. If you do decide to go back to school, you will want to be cognizant of how much student loan debt you amass. A good practice that you will want to follow would be controlling the student loan amount borrowed. You will not want to borrow any more than you expect to earn in your first year of work.

There are several other reasons why you are always broke but I did mention that this was my short list. Just know that it is possible to turn it all around if you put your mind, heart, and soul into it.

If you would like to learn more about not becoming broke you may want to pick up my latest book "The Essential Keys To Financial Freedom." at http://www.drmarkhuddleston.com What are you waiting for? Do it today!

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Credit Ratings - The Money Advice Service

Do you know what your credit rating says about you? Do you understand why it's important and what effect it can have on your life? Almost a million people have watched this great video by the Money Advice Service explaining just that!

Did this video help you understand your credit rating better?

Differences Between The Rich And The Poor

Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the rich and the poor? Why are some people wallowing in the abyss of poverty while some are swimming in the ocean of stupendous wealth?

Sometimes it may come across to you to say that some people are rich because they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Well, that is not conclusive because there are many people out there that were not born under any silver linen whatsoever, yet they are millionaires today. What happened? What made the difference? Now here is what i have realized.

The difference between the rich and the poor is the mindset. The rich and the poor think in different frequency. The poor do not have that kind of mindset that the rich individuals have. They approach the same issue from a different perspective and stance.

The rich seek out opportunities. The rich are always seeking for opportunity that will grow their wealth while the poor man wallows in self-pity and he is consumed with seeking for sympathy. He engages in the blame syndrome; blaming his relatives, friends, the government, even the rats in his house are not left out, as been responsible for his predicament. Instead of thinking how he could break out of the cocoon of his abject poverty he feeds it by consistently looking for a scapegoat. With such mindset you can't recognize opportunity for wealth when you see one.

The rich acts but the poor just passes along. When the rich sees an opportunity that will accelerate his wealth, he grabs it. Not the man with a poor mindset. He had a thousand and one reasons why what he sees is not an opportunity for getting rich and so his circle of poverty continues, as he will let go of that opportunity. Sorry to say this; it is like casting a gold before a swine, it will not value it.

The rich are ready to take risk and make sacrifices, either it is of time, effort, money etc. The poor mindset considers some risk as being outrageous. They lack the motivation to dare into the world of the unknown. They are satisfied with the world they have come to know. So they keep maintaining the same status throughout their lifetime.

Have you ever wondered why businesses are called ventures? A business man takes risks. I am sure you know about venture capital: that is the money invested in a new company to help it develop, which may involve a lot of risk. But you will find those who have rich mindset take the risk all the same.

A man who does not take risks will end up paying for another man's risk. When you take the risk, others will pay you for it. That is what the rich man knows that Mr Poor mindset does not know.

You need to understand that being wealthy does not mean you lack nothing and being poor does not have to do with the fact that you lack the basic amenities of life. It has everything to do with the mentality you have.

If you are born poor that does not mean you cannot rise to become a millionaire. To achieve financial success you have to change your pattern of thinking. If a poor man thinks the way the rich does and do what they do, he will have the same result and even more.

Fred E. Egba

http://wealthruler.blogspot.com

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10 Strategies to Master Your Money

Whether it is too much debt, damaged credit, lack of savings, or not having enough income, financial challenges can be very stressful and discouraging. It is critical to your success strategy to focus on building a firm financial foundation to support your goals. In fact, it is a strong foundation in every area of your life that empowers you to build the life you truly want more easily.

Ask yourself, "What are the three worst financial choices I have made in the past?" and "How could I avoid making similar choices in the future?" It is easy to beat yourself up for mistakes, but a better approach is to simply acknowledge poor choices and seek to make healthier choices starting today. Here are 10 smart choices that will help you create a stronger financial foundation, less financial stress, and the freedom to enjoy your life more fully:

1. Identify past choices that have led to financial frustration or stress, and stop making those choices, starting today

One of the most important choices you can make with your money is to learn from your past choices. Use failure and frustration as a learning tool for future success.

2. Pay Off Credit Cards Before Other Debt

High balances on revolving debt, such as credit card debt, negatively impact your credit score more than loans that are scheduled to be paid off in a set number of months or years such as a car loan, student loan, or mortgage. One of the fastest ways to improve your credit is to pay down or pay off your credit cards.

3. Stop using your credit cards unless you can trust yourself to pay them in full each month

The average American household carries more than $8,000 in credit card debt with no hope of paying it off in the next 60 days, according to the most recent statistics. Make a decision to live within your means, using the money you have rather than money you have to borrow.

4. Change Your Lifestyle If Necessary

Sometimes building a strong financial foundation requires sacrifice. If you need to "downsize" your lifestyle so that you can become more financially strong, do it! When you have a purpose and vision, and understand the importance of a firm financial foundation, it is empowering to make tough choices such as keeping your old car for a while longer, waiting to buy a bigger house, or curbing the shopping sprees while you save to buy your own home.

5. Get insurance (health, life, home or renters, auto, and disability) that you feel confident will meet your needs in the event you need to use it

No one ever expects a crisis, but it is comforting to know that in the event of one, your finances won't be completely destroyed. An illness, fire, or accident is stressful enough. Make sure you are covered in the event of unfortunate circumstances.

6. Establish A Financial Cushion of Six to 12 Months of Expenses 

Make this a priority goal and begin saving toward it, even if it takes you five years or more to reach your goal. Knowing that financial ruin is not a couple of paychecks away is a very empowering feeling. It will often keep you from making decisions out of fear and empower you to make decisions based on your purpose and vision.

7. Invest Time In Your Own Financial Education

One of the main causes of financial problems is what I call "financial illiteracy." Some companies make a great deal of money off of the financial ignorance of otherwise intelligent people. Spend two hours or more per month learning about wealth building, debt elimination, investing, and real estate. Read books or articles. Attend a seminar. Learn from those who handle their money well. The more financially literate you become, the better off you will be.

8. Refuse To Be An Emotional Spender

Have you ever spent money on your children out of guilt? Or in an effort to win the affection or admiration of others? Do you shop when you are feeling down? Do you buy things you can't afford because they make you feel better about yourself? Have you co-signed on credit cards or loans, even though your intuition told you not to? If so, you have engaged in "emotional spending," an expensive habit. Recognise your propensity to spend emotionally and make a decision to change your behaviour. Wait 72 hours before making a decision about an impulse purchase. Question your motives before spending money. And make sure you spend your money in a way that reflects your vision and purpose.

9. Have A Vision. Set Goals! 

Last week, I challenged you to create a vision for the five key areas of your life. One of those areas is your finances. One of the reasons it is important to have a vision is because it serves as a reference point for where you are headed. When you are building toward something specific, it is easier to tell when you get off track. If you have no vision or goals, you often don't even realise you are on the wrong path until something goes terribly wrong!

10. Put Money Into Proper Perspective

Having money can certainly make life easier, more convenient, and less stressful. But always remember this: If your biggest problems are money-related, consider yourself VERY blessed. Money problems can be fixed. There are other more important things in your life – your relationship with God and the people you care about, your health, and your integrity, to name a few. Don't allow financial frustrations to ruin your relationships, cause you to be angry with God, do things that compromise your integrity, or stress you out to the point of causing high blood pressure, panic attacks, or other health problems. Count your blessings and remember that life's richest rewards will never be found in material things.

Journaling assignment:

What past choices have led to financial stress or frustration in your life? What could you do differently to eliminate this stress and frustration in the future?

My challenge to you this week:

Re-read these 10 smart choices. Then decide what changes you need to make to build a stronger financial foundation for your life. Write them down and take action!

Click HERE for the source!

Link to the original article: http://www1.cbn.com/finance/10-strategies-to-master-your-money

Link to writer profile: http://www1.cbn.com/profiles/burton-valorie