I WANT A NEW CAR!

In your mind, you might think that a new car says who you are: wealthy, in control, good looking...I have arrived!  In truth, most people are signing for a huge loan that will be their master for the next five years.  If you can delay this pleasure and repair your present vehicle (or purchase a low cost, preowned one), you can put money aside into savings every month and pay cash and avoid the interest rates or the "repo man".  Remember, everything you own outright cannot be repossessed.  Most financially strong people never buy a brand new car as they lose great value as soon as you drive it off the showroom floor. This doesn't mean that you can never have a brand new car, you just can't have one right now.  Get your cash together and totally enjoy your purchase with no strings attached!

Christmas is coming!

If you haven't begun to set aside money for Christmas gift buying and giving, you must do so now.  You only have the remaining months to "get it together".  Compute what you will be spending and divide it with the number of months you have left to have it ready for Christmas.  The longer you wait, the fewer months you have to spread the expenses over IF YOU HAVE DETERMINED THAT CHRISTMAS ISN'T GOING TO FOLLOW YOU INTO NEXT YEAR!  Everyone wants to be generous at the wonderful time of year that God showed us His Ultimate Gift of JESUS.  Begin to concentrate on what people are saying as to their desires - often just a passing comment.  Then look for sales and ideas to accomplish their wish for as little cost as possible.  In everything, plan ahead.  As Dave Ramsey says, "Christmas comes in December every year."     It's a big step to a Merry Christmas.

You have to do this!!

A word to the wise:  You must have an emergency fund ($500-$1000).  Life happens and you will look to anyone or anything to help you out.  Credit cards will catch your immediate slack, but in the end it will cost you in payments and interest.  As an aside, when you charge, you are commiting next month's (or next year's) money that you haven't even earned yet?  Keep your budget on a "pay as you go" basis.  If you order online or can't use your debit card, put the cash to cover the amount in an envelope and set it aside.  When the statement arrives, deposit the cash into your checking account and then write the check or transfer the funds.  You have still paid the bill within that month's money.