Financial Strategy Tips

Starting a budget may seem like an impossible task, especially when the numbers just won’t balance (which means you have less money coming in each month than you have going out) and this continues, year after year. Our family faced the same challenge for many years due to an unfortunate combination of job losses and medical bills.

Our family is living proof that even when your numbers don’t add up you can not only SURVIVE it, but you can also get out of debt, get back on track and finally start building your savings! I suppose that old saying we dread to hear... "What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger!" is actually very true.

We also relied heavily on our personal gifts of faith, patience and determination to persevere when we could have easily given up and thrown in the towel. If you're facing difficult times of any sort or have in the past, I'm sure you can relate. I think these virtues are not to be overlooked and can make the difference between success and failure. You have to hold on to your faith and know you can make it, giving up is just not an option. Accepting that things are never going to get better, is not an option either. Your finances can get better, your life can get better, and you can help make it happen!!!

What is that other saying about when you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on? Maybe you feel like that's where you're at right now; like you have to just hang on and survive. I understand that, we've been there! But while you're hanging on, you can also start planning, start making changes in your life to get your finances to get back on track. And pray, pray a lot! Everything you do (no matter how small it may seem to you right now), can make a difference. You can do this!

Managing your money well does not happen overnight. It is a process that can take many years to work through, but one that is well worth the extra effort, commitment and determination that it takes to succeed.

The changes that each family will need to make to get their budget balanced may be different, but one thing that will likely be the same is the need to take things one day at a time... ONE STEP AT A TIME.

And all you have to do right now is begin!