by Building your dream requires financing and many times we think we have nothing left over to finance a dream. After the bills are paid and emergencies arise, how do I rationalize pulling more money away from my budget? Well here is one way, identify where your money is going now.
If you are like most of society, there is one thing you must have to make your day start off right. For me that was coffee and pretzels. I know not the best combination for a morning pick me up but nevertheless this was my routine. Each morning on the way to work, I would stop and get a large coffee and a bag of rold gold pretzels. Here was what I spent including taxes:
$1.72 + $1.49 = $3.21 a day
$3.21 × 21 = $67.41 a month
$67.41 × 12 = $808.92 a year
$808.92
$808.92
That is the amount of money I spent last year and part of this year until I evaluated where my money was going. That evaluation saved me:
$1.72 + $1.49 = $3.21 a day
$3.21 × 21 = $67.41 a month
$269.94 for 4 months of coffee and snacks. Four months and $269.94. Do you know what I could have done with that money? Let’s see:
1. Paid for my certification study guide
2. Paid for my certification exam
3. Paid for a night in a hotel to work on my book without distraction
4. Upgraded to a new phone or tablet
5. Contribute to my investments
6. Paid for a professional association
7. Attended a personal development training
8. Attended a professional development training
9. Donate to charity
10. Contribute to my emergency plan
Now I realize that $269.94 may not be a lot of money to some while to others it is like winning the lottery. The amount of money isn’t the point. Recognizing where your money is going and identifying alternative uses for discretionary funding are the point. Sometimes the only funding which may be available exists in your immediate environment. The job then becomes to identify where to get the money from without putting your household in financial jeopardy.
What about you? Are there unrecognized areas of discretionary funds which can be redirected to help your personal growth? Look around, a little extra money could be just a drink away.
Til next time,
“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like” – Will Smith
Great post! I once overheard someone at Starbucks complain that they didn’t have enough money to cover their electric bill! If they watched every dollar, they could probably find a better way to allocate their income. 😉
Simply moving from Starbucks to coffee at home would help their budget