As you remember from a few months ago I wrote a post about all the great things I am doing right with my money and how this will lead me to prosper in the world of personal finance. Well this is the follow-up to that post as I will divulge all the bad money habits I am currently dealing with and will attempt to fix and or correct in the near future. As I mentioned before and you have heard a thousand times in your life, nobody is 100% perfect. But maybe you can join my club and be in the 98% perfect organization.
Category: MyLife101
What makes your World go Round?
OK I have come to the realization that we all go through life for a specific purpose. Problem is that many still do not have an idea of what that may be. If you can just stop checking your Facebook status or Instagram pictures every 10 minutes, then you too can ask yourself what makes my world go round? It can be something within you that you still have not realized or maybe the vision you once had is a bit fuzzy. I think if everyone can just analyze this for 30 minutes a day maybe you can actually have some direction and purpose in life.
2012 Financial Milestones
Hello I wanted to share with you some milestones I was able to reach in 2012. I want to make this post personal without being to revealing with actual figures. I hope I can pull it off and at the same time make it interesting. What I did matters to me so that I can see where I am headed in the New Year. I am ready to attack this New Year with a vengeance, allowing me to be one step closer to reaching retirement. Now I want all the bloggers who happen to read this to take a look at the milestones below and make a similar post on your website as a challenge. I have a feeling that 2013 will be a great year. If you push yourself for something greater you will almost always accomplish more than your thought you would.
What is your favorite pair of Jeans?
Hello I recently asked hundreds of people what is their favorite pair of jeans? I was shocked by the myriad of brands people support and jeans are something that can be pricey, but it is a common necessity in our modern-day fashion society. Jeans are a simple and easy fix to a laid back weekend, and can also be an easy nightlife fashion solution.
The twist of this post is that I will tell you what jeans were selected and what place they fall in by the number of votes each brand received. The objective of this is so that you can be a better informed buyer for what jean brands are the best and therefore save money by buying those brands that can stand the test of time. So what is your favorite pair of jeans?
Is it worth it to spend 90 dollars a month for Internet
This is what I am currently spending a month to access the internet now a days. It consists of two cell phones with data and home based internet usage. This gives me access to surf the web on my cell phones whenever I desire too, and at home on my computer.
The question I am proposing is, is it worth it to spend 90 dollars a month for internet?
Continue reading Is it worth it to spend 90 dollars a month for Internet
What Personalities make up a PF Blogger
Have you ever wondered what personality traits make up personal finance bloggers? Well I will mention 4 below and maybe you can let me know if you feel the same or if you have other traits I didn’t mention that you want to share with all of us. See below for the traits I have uncovered in the personal finance world. Continue reading What Personalities make up a PF Blogger
The Ups and Downs of Life
This idea just came to me like a bolt of lightning and I thought why not talk about some of the good things and bad things that have taken place in life throughout the years. I tend to remember only the major things that have happened to me as a normal person should, and why not share them with all of you as a way to reveal a little more about myself. I will attempt to keep things in a financial aspect, but I might sneak in a few that are not about money.
Life does not revolve around money, but this website is based on perfecting good money management behaviors. So I will list both life goals and money goals.
The Ups of Life and Money:
1. I graduated from 2 Universities – Bachelor’s / Master’s Degrees in Hand.
2. The day I received my Toastmaster’s Competent Communicator for completing 10 speeches.
3. My first non spam approved comment on my blog. (Whoo Hoo)
4. Holding the free and clear title for my cars, thus having them paid for. (Three times)
5. Finally achieving credit card Debt Free Status. (Peace Out Chase and Citi)
The Downs of Life and Money:
1. School Loan Debt for my Master’s
2. Not Investing enough in the 2008 – 2009 market crash. (Could have made a killing)
3. Buying an overpriced gas guzzler for 32K when my income was only 45K.
4. Not finding Dave Ramsey / PF Blog World sooner.
5. Accumulating a bunch of useless stuff. (Wasting income on nothing)
OK I had to think a bit about the downs in life as it is always harder to remember bad things. I tend to sway on the optimistic side of life. Do you always think about the good things or bad things? By doing this you guys now have a greater sense of who I am and what I have accomplished to a small degree. I hope to keep adding to the ups in life in the near future but wish to avoid all the downs.
I wish we all could eliminate or avoid the downs in life, but it makes us in someway better individuals as it builds up character. After a down event you come out stronger in overcoming obstacles in life. Do you agree? Also sometimes a down event leads to a major up event in life. For example rags to riches stories of somebody getting laid off and then starting a crazy money making business. I have read a few of those over the years.
Have you recently gotten over a down event in your life? I hope you get motivated to make your own ups and downs list. If I can recall any more ups and downs later I will do a part two to this post.
Stay safe everybody in the East Coast as a major storm is headed into my neck of the woods.
Rich Uncle EL
Pic credited to Jay Fine.
Money Habits I am Doing Right
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| Life is a balancing act. |
Many times I think back and I re-read some of my past blog posts and think to myself I might have used some harsh words to incite change upon myself and my readers. But my intentions were not to scold down or to say you are doing very badly at money management skills. I get caught up at times with my own short comings that I am my own worst critic, and I admit I use it to fuel the fire for this blog with great content. This time I am trying something different, and it is a post that probably has been around the block more often than not. But I am still going to share with all of you, what things I have been doing right financially speaking. I will answer for you all the money habits I am doing right.
When I do things right I am actually happier, because these things are in my happy go lucky financial rule book. No not really a book, but just good ideas I have in my mind at all times. Did all of you know that finance and money management is 80% behavior and 20% math? If you can maintain this balance in life you will always win with money. Given this I am going to share with you all the behavior rules I use in my life to stay in my personal finance lane.
Money Habits I am Doing Right:
1. I write this blog which keeps me accountable for my actions. (I can’t Believe it’s 1 Year already)
2. I am saving a good portion of my income. (About 15% soon to be about 20%)
3. I am on top of my investments and assets. (Mostly monthly and sometimes daily.)
4. I am thinking in a long term perspective for my money. (Not what can I buy with my next paycheck mindset)
5. I take the advice of other PF blogger’s / financial guru’s if it benefits me or awakens a need to an improvement change.
6. I look at time in a productivity mindset and look to maximize my efforts. (Always finding a balance between family and work)
7. I hate debt and am working on eliminating my school loans while not going into any other future debt.
8. I am always looking for a new book to read on finance as I still find it intriguing to expand my personal finance horizons.
9. I am excited to help others improve while helping myself become a better communicator. ( Face to Face and written)
10. I see options and opportunities that investing gives me now and can give me in the future. (Passive Income)
These are some of the things I am currently doing to better myself every day and improve my finances. I hope I can lead by example with these steps and help any willing person with a desire to improve their personal finance picture in these uncertain economic times. Will these steps increase your income? No, but with time and effort it can help anyone improve financially and with goal setting. Behavior modification is not very easy, including how to manage finances. That can be one of the most important things you can do to help yourself achieve life’s basic money goals. Goals were made to be accomplished and surpassed.
In an uncertain world we have to do our best to help us be better prepared if another recession, depression or emergency were to occur in our lives. A layoff or a reduction in income can pop up at any time for anybody working for somebody else. Can you live on less than you make if it were to happen to you today? If you can just get over living the paycheck to paycheck syndrome you have succeeded in a personal goal that many people find too daunting. I will do another post in the near future and list all the bad things I am doing because nobody is 100% perfect in this life. But remember to keep striving to achieve a better more balanced you in this life.
What are some of the things you are doing right with money behavior that you would like to share?
Rich Uncle EL
Pic is credited to the movie called Man on Wire.