Stressed vs Blessed: The Choices You Make Effect Your Outcome

Sometimes, it seems as though some people have their financial lives all figured out. Whereas others, well, it’s always a disaster. How is this? Why can’t we manage our finances? Well, it comes down to choices. Let’s take a look at two friends of ours.

A Tale of Two Friends

First, we have Susie. Susie is constantly stressed over money. She worries about paying the bills and feels if she just made a little bit more money, everything would work out fine. She has a credit card, student debt, a mortgage and a car loan she can’t afford. Susie does not have a budget, and she spends more than she makes each month, overspending on restaurants, department store clothing and name brand accessories.

On the other hand, we have Barbara. Barbara is much more relaxed about her money. She would say she is blessed. She has a working budget and follows it closely. Although things weren’t always this way, she has made choices in her life that have made her finances run smoothly. She is consumer debt-free and is financially independent. Barbara is confident in her spending and can make purchases freely and easily, without guilt. She has a strong savings account and can give money willingly and easily. But Barbara worked hard to get here. She remembers a time where she was stressed about money constantly.

How did she get here? And how do we get to the point where we are financially independent?

Choices

Well, it comes down to choices. The choices we make determine the financial outcomes we have. The first outcome is choosing to be broke. You can choose to stay in the same job, where you believe you are not paid your worth. You can choose to not manage your finances, and not have a working budget to evaluate your expenses each month. And you can choose to continue to have spending habits that are out of control – credit card debt that won’t be paid down, car payments that are out of income range, and spending sprees that are out of your income range.

On the other hand, you can choose to make a change in your spending. You can choose to live on a budget, and be the one in control of your money, rather than let it control you. Put yourself on a budget, and live on pasta and lettuce (FFL’s version of rice and beans). You can choose to change your spending habits, and get back in control of your money. Sell your junk, and get out of debt. Work extra hours to bring in overtime pay and pay down debt quicker.

In reality, our financial circumstances are the fruit of the choices we make. It has nothing to do with the social classes or being lucky. It’s about hard work, discipline and a choice to be better today than you were yesterday. If  you want to be in a better financial circumstance, put in the hard work. After a while, you’ll find yourself in financial independence. But it’s up to you. Not your “luck”, your parents’ history, or your college education. It’s the choices you make.