By Porsche Miles-Grant
For those of us who are spiritual, we would like to attribute any sort of success to a higher power (GOD). This is no different when it comes to chasing financial success. A lot of what it takes to achieve financial success is staying faithful in the lord, and putting forth continuous efforts. Money management is also extremely vital. This consist of understating what is considered income, and comparing it to your expenses. When doing so, we must be conscious to maintain a healthy balance, and try our hardest not to live above our means. Constructing a strategic plan of our budget will give us the opportunity to visually see what it is we can afford. Having a budgeting plan keeps us accountable, and aware of our financial state. As a result, we understand whether or not we are able to buy that new shirt, or that IPhone we’ve wanted all year. We also are more effectively able to differentiate our needs from our wants, making more responsible decisions; and choosing our needs every time.
Our goal is to live a happy, healthy life, full with finances needed to help us achieve a higher quality of life. Understand that there are levels to financial success, and it may be a good time to ask yourself, “What level are you on?” You should no longer be satisfied with simply existing in this world living paycheck to paycheck. Yet, you should be determined to thrive in this life with all the things that your heart wants, needs, and desires. But of course, money will not come falling out of the sky. Therefore, it is your job to make little financial sacrifices now that will lead to huge payoffs later. This may include downsizing and down grading, being honest with your spouse and having a real talk about money, sitting your children down and teaching them the value of money and why it is vital to financial success. Tough conversations to be had, but very necessary. Otherwise, you continue to place road barriers in your own way.
Going forward, you should not only have a financial plan, but be eager to actually execute the plan. Stop waiting on a miracle or for encouragement from others. Let your bank statements or lack thereof be that for you. Encourage yourself, as you make steps towards a brighter financial future. Start with small habits such as saving 10% to 20% of your income in a savings account. Set up automatic payments so that you can pay off bills and increase your credit score. Eat out less, and take care of the things you already have. Replace the saying, “I’m broke” with “I’m budgeting”. Start to see the financial glass half full instead of half empty, and always remember to keep God first. If you promise to incorporate these changes, I am positive that the chase to financial success will be achieved.
Porsche Miles-Grant is a Certified Financial Counselor and the CEO and Founder of Financial Success Services, LLC. She can be contacted at 313-753-2696 at Porsche.miles2288@gmail.com. She may also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/financesandeducation/.
Printed in the September 4, 2016 – September 17, 2016 edition
