"Manage Your Money"

"Until you can show that you can handle what you've got, you won't get any more. The habit of managing money is more imporant than the amount." ~ T. Harv Eker

This is an excellent reminder for us all. It is so easy to get caught up in shopping and spending, and so easy to throw budgets out the window! This message is a reminder that the "habit" of managing money is FAR more important than the "amount" of money you manage.

I can hear some of you right now saying, "I'd manage money if I had any!" Well, I am here to tell you IF that is your attitude, you most likely will never have money to manage.

If nothing else, stop spending your change. When you buy a coke at the drive thru window, put the change in a special place. I use my ash tray since I am not a smoker. Don't spend any change throughout the month. Always pay with a bill of some sort. Always throw your loose change into some jar or container. At the end of the month, collect up all of your loose change and MANAGE IT.

Harv suggests you use jars or envelopes to set up 5 accounts. Play jar, Education jar, Long Term Savings jar, Financial Freedom jar, and a Give jar. Using this scenario, I would suggest you take all of your loose change and split it up evenly between your jars (or envelopes, zip lock baggies, whatever you choose to use). That's it. That is all there is to it. Congratulations you have just managed your money!!

Ok, I know it is easy, but here it is again:

Step One: Choose some categories for your accounts (like "play", "giving", etc). You can choose as many or as few as you like. Set some rules for your accounts (long term savings account is for _____________, Play account is for anything I want, not just those things I need, giving account can be for charities or anything you want, etc.)

Step two: Create your collection containers. I have used old spaghetti sauce jars, tupperware jars, even envelopes. The container is not important. Just choose something, anything, and put a label on it. Any kind of label will do!

Step three: Choose a spot in your car, purse, or at home to collect loose change. Then USE IT. I mentioned I use my ash tray in my car. We also have a couple of jars around the house for my hubby to empty loose change out of his pants pockets each day.

Step four: Once a month collect up all of your loose change, put on some peppy music that makes you feel good, and manage your money. Focus on feeling good while you are dividing your money. Have gratitude for what you are putting into the containers. Be careful not to slip into thoughts of "this is pathetic, it is such a small amount, etc.". Remember that where you place your attention you will get more of the same. So keep your attention of the belief that you are "an excellent money manager", how much you "enjoy managing your money" and so forth.

At some point, you may want to open up designated accounts at your bank (be sure to get a free account with no fees). Assign the same labels to your accounts at the bank, then when your jars at home are overflowing, you can transfer that money into your bank accounts. Look at you go, managing money all over the place! (We have 5 accounts in addition to our primary personal account. I can easily access all accounts online and transfer money between them. This is how we 'manage' our money, rather than physical jars at home. So you see, there are numerous ways to do it. You just have to DO IT)

For a more detailed experience, I would suggest you pick up a copy of "Secrets of the Millionaire Mind" by T. Harv Eker.

® 2007 Kathy Karlander.  You may contact Kathy by email at kathy@sacredinsights.com . Feel free to share this article, all I ask is that you do so in its entirety, keeping all links in place.