1.Decide what you really, really want out of life. Your dreams may look something like this:
–Good health.
–No more credit card debt.
–A bigger/beautiful house.
–Travel.
–College fund.
–Retire in five years.
–Start a business.
–Buy a home in the mountains.
–Quit my J.O.B. and work from home.
What do dreams have to do with saving money?
A lot! To be successful at saving money we need a strong reason–a compelling “why”–to make changes in our lives. Saving money is the power to channel our money where we want it in order to create the life of our dreams.
2. Devise a spending blueprint to get what you really, really want.
I call this a tiered plan as you have three levels of items:
–A. The Gottas: mortgage, insurance, utilities, a categorized emergency fund, debt payments (minimums), medical.
–B. The Dreams: extra debt payment, money toward selling your current house, a deposit in your travel fund. Note: by making these dream or goal categories a priority over other spending you will create what you want. Paying for your dreams first makes your hopes and desires come to life.
–C. What you can control: this is paid for by whatever is left from your first two tiers and includes food, dining out, entertainment, clothes, gifts, etc.
Making a plan for what you really, really want can help you make choices that will change your life.
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