Spring Ahead

Spring is here. The natural world is waking up from its winter sleep. If you are a gardener, it is time to start cleaning out your garden beds; time to start preparing for what you will grow this summer. An old gardener once told me that it is pushing up against the grit in the dirt that strengthens the plant.

Growing, Creating, Your Financially Fantastic Life.

So maybe you didn’t start at the first of the year, or maybe you started but have backed off a little. Either way – No Worries. Let’s go from here. So roll up your sleeves and prepare to get a little dirty.

$ Clean up your financial messiness.

In any garden there will be old debris – fallen limbs from a wind storm, leaf clutter, old, spent plants, unwanted weeds.

When working with a client, I have them list out all their consumer debt with the following information for each debt:

Institution Owed:
Current Balance:
Original Balance:
Time Frame (if known):
Minimum Monthly Payment:
Interest Rate:

By doing this, it helps you focus on your first target – eliminating consumer debt. It also helps you get reacquainted with your past financial decisions. If you have a lot of consumer debt, this is a difficult process. You may find that some debt is for something that you don’t even own anymore – financing for items that have worn out, broken, or are otherwise, gone. Often times, when cleaning up financial messiness, old ‘forgotten’ debts will resurface. Just take it one day at a time. Don’t let it overwhelm you. You can handle it. Just remember this is a necessary part of the process to be able to grow what you want.

$ What you do today, with your money, will predict what your financial future will look like.

Now you have your list – I often call this your debt kill list. Think of your consumer debt as very nasty, unwanted weeds in your otherwise beautiful garden. Weeds in a garden use up the nutrients and shade the plants that you want to grow. Pull those weeds! Once you have your list, this serves as your target, your main focus. Every extra dollar you have will go to paying your debt off. Every time you get the twinge to go blow some money on an item, think of your list, and put that money toward paying off your debt. If you ‘need’ to shop on-line, go on-line and pay off some of your debt instead. I often remind my clients, ‘If you can’t eat it, you don’t need it.’ This means that until your debt is paid off, you only need the basics: a clean, warm, safe place to live, food, water, and a few cloths to wear. Every time you pull one of your financial weeds, take the money you were using to pay off that debt and apply it to the next. GO, GO, GO! To Grow, Grow, Grow!!

$ Regardless of where you are today with your finances, by making a plan, setting goals, and working through your challenges, you will be strengthened.

This process of paying off consumer debt is not an easy one, but it will strengthen you. You will be more focused and more aware of your money and what you are creating with it. Once your debt is paid off, continue to plan for the future. What seeds do you want to plant? What do you want to grow? Do you want to save for: A down payment on a house? Paying off your home? Retirement? Your children’s college?

Think long-term and plant what you need for your future.

It is the end of the first quarter of the year. I think in quarters ~ I can’t help it, it is the accountant in me! The rest of the year will be here soon. Time stops for no one. Start today and create your financially fantastic life.

Happy Spring!