It's not how much you make, it's how much money you keep in your pocket.

Bob's Money Mojo

How This Works

My parents loved flea markets.  You could get things for such a small amount of money and there were a lot of them when I was little.  Each year, one took over a large area in the center of a nearby city.

Being a sucker for sparkly things (ooh, shiny!), I would bring my dollar bill to the sale and fall in love with 10 cent glasses and small dishes.  I usually walked away with more than a dollar worth of merchandise and an IOU to my parents for hours of chores to work off what I borrowed.

That is exactly how credit cards work, except credit card companies charge interest and my parents didn’t (thanks, Dad!).  I was also a kid so I had free time to do the chores to pay off my debt.  If you’re already working full-time, you might not be able to work extra hours to pay for things you bought on credit.

Most money troubles are not due to lack of income.  They’re due to a failure to manage cash flow.  The short explanation is that you’re spending money faster than you’re making it.  With a little bit of planning, you can live comfortably on what you make.  Then, you can choose a few affordable luxuries.

My viewpoint is that if you build a comfortable relationship with your income and expenses you can create a life where you’re not worrying about money.  When you’re free of that anxiety, you have a chance to truly enjoy everything so much more.

(I’m the one in the yellow coat.  I’m also surprisingly clean in this photo.  I probably rolled in the snow right before my mom took the picture.)

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