By Chinkee Tan
Nobody wants to be poor! Being poor is no joke at all.
Being poor means that you can barely make ends meet and not having enough to spend on very basic needs.
Fortunately for us, we all have dreams and aspirations in life. We want to improve our financial status in life no matter what our background may be.
It doesn’t matter if we came from a family who lived on a meager amount of income. It also doesn’t matter that we did not have much when we started out.
What matters really is that we are willing to do what it takes in order to live comfortably and provide a stable and promising future for our loved ones.
Our generation can dream big and we can work to make them happen. However, it does not really take very much effort to become poor.
The easiest way to become poor is by having bad money habits. Here are the FIVE BAD MONEY HABITS THAT WILL MAKE US POOR:
1. BORROWING MONEY FROM FRIENDS AND RELATIVES
Do you think driving a car on a long trip without a spare is not wise? Likewise, earning money without an emergency fund is unwise. Instead, manage your money in such a way that you will have enough for any financial emergency in the future.
So once hard times come, you will have money to protect yourself from borrowing. May I repeat, the habit of borrowing will make us poor.
2. NOT PAYING DEBTS
If we owe someone money the RIGHT thing to do is to PAY that person what we borrowed. One thing we do not want to lose is TRUST. Let us not get hostile when we are reminded to pay our loan.
Instead, let us work unceasingly and develop the habit of paying it off until we are out of debt. There is nothing as rewarding and fulfilling as living a life without debt.
3. SPENDING ON SOMETHING YOU CANNOT AFFORD
Live below your means. Never live the lifestyle that you can’t afford. If you don’t have money, learn how to wait. Borrowing is not the way to live the lifestyle of your dreams.
When the right time comes, yes, we can treat ourselves to luxurious items. But this is after we have fulfilled our commitment to attend to our priorities in life such as the education of our children, a house we can call our own, securing a retirement plan, having enough savings for a rainy day, and being able to put food on the table every day.
Let us spend on more important things first.
4. BUYING ON IMPULSE
The easiest way to be broke is to buy something without thinking. You got to plan your spending in order to avoid being poor. To avoid spending on something you don’t really need, try not to bring your credit card when making a trip to the mall. Better yet, avoid the mall when you know there is a super sale happening. Plan your purchases so that you won’t be short with your budget.
5. LIVING AN EXTRAVAGANT LIFESTYLE
Just as some people make enough money but they want to live extravagantly. They want to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. They want to keep up with their friends, relatives and neighbors. If you follow this habit, you will end up definitely poor.
Why don’t we try simple living. A SIMPLE life can be also fulfilling. Invest more quality time with your family.
Saying words of appreciation and hugging your spouse and kids.
We do not need expensive things in order to live a satisfied and rewarding life. We can choose to live on simple things and be content with the more valuable gifts of life.
There is no expensive price to pay in order to enjoy a SIMPLE life. A simple life will always be worth living.
THINK. REFLECT. APPLY.
Do you have any bad habits you want to change? How are these bad habits affecting your finances?
What bad habit should you get rid of in order to be more financially responsible?
Parents, want your kids to learn good habit about making money? Join me on May 19 from 1 to 6 p.m. at Oakwood Premier Joy Nostalg Center Ortigas on “HOW TO RAISE ENTREPRENEURIAL KIDS IN 10 EASY STEPS.”
For more info please visit this https://chinkeetan.com/moneywise.
