This month is National Credit Education Month. Here in the U.S. March is also when business taxes are due. April being when personal income taxes are due as well. So I thought this was the perfect time to talk about financial health and education. They say there are only two things guaranteed in life, death and taxes. How depressing. But it doesn't have to be.
Educate Yourself
Knowledge is truly power here. Money in its various forms is embedded in almost every form of life. It is how society is structured. That means the information is out there. Google it. If you don't know what you don't know then ask somebody. There are free financial advisers in almost every state that you can see in person, or talk to via the phone or internet. It can be your friends and family not just a financial adviser. Your community brings their life experiences and can advise you since they have probably dealt with similar issues as yourself. With regards to credit, Credit Karma has created a special website just for this month. Check out CreditEducationMonth.com to learn more about how credit works and how it affects you.
Knowledge is truly power here. Money in its various forms is embedded in almost every form of life. It is how society is structured. That means the information is out there. Google it. If you don't know what you don't know then ask somebody. There are free financial advisers in almost every state that you can see in person, or talk to via the phone or internet. It can be your friends and family not just a financial adviser. Your community brings their life experiences and can advise you since they have probably dealt with similar issues as yourself. With regards to credit, Credit Karma has created a special website just for this month. Check out CreditEducationMonth.com to learn more about how credit works and how it affects you.
Analyze Your Current Situation
Ignoring your problems will not make them go away, trust me I have tons of experience with this. So its National Credit Education Month, perfect time to check on your credit and FICO scores. Get free credit reports here, at Credit Karma. See why you have the score you do. Contact any creditors you owe to find out your current status and all the options to pay off any debts that you may have. Write down totals, any interest rates and due dates as well as contact information.
Ignoring your problems will not make them go away, trust me I have tons of experience with this. So its National Credit Education Month, perfect time to check on your credit and FICO scores. Get free credit reports here, at Credit Karma. See why you have the score you do. Contact any creditors you owe to find out your current status and all the options to pay off any debts that you may have. Write down totals, any interest rates and due dates as well as contact information.
Next look at your current income and expenses. That's right, go into your back account and look at your statements. Pull out your pay stubs, log in to PayPal and other other apps or online payments methods you may have. Get your bills out in front of you. Figure out where your money is coming from and where it is going to. Every cent. You should do this regularly. Weekly or monthly to get used to it. For me this is the hardest part because I owe so much and am not bringing enough to do more than survive. But having this and the above knowledge in front of me I can talk to others about my options before things get worse financially. Because there are options. Those negative voices in out heads just tell us otherwise.
Work on Your Relationship with Money
Probably the root of all money issues is how we relate to it. Your money mindset is how you think and feel about money and everything related to having it, getting it, spending it and using it. What's going through your mind when the bills come in? How do you feel when you find out someone makes more money than you? Do you feel better after buying something? What do you think about tax season? How did reading this blog post make you feel? Do you think if I just had more money things would be better or easier? These and other questions are the doorway to getting to the bottom of how you relate to money now. And they are the gateway to working towards a healthier relationship with money.
Probably the root of all money issues is how we relate to it. Your money mindset is how you think and feel about money and everything related to having it, getting it, spending it and using it. What's going through your mind when the bills come in? How do you feel when you find out someone makes more money than you? Do you feel better after buying something? What do you think about tax season? How did reading this blog post make you feel? Do you think if I just had more money things would be better or easier? These and other questions are the doorway to getting to the bottom of how you relate to money now. And they are the gateway to working towards a healthier relationship with money.
I saved that one for last because it is the hardest part and takes the longest time. But putting in a bit of work on any of these steps can positively impact the other two. So in no time you'll be moving toward financial health. These are good goals to work toward and I plan to share more about financial health and self care. Including some of the the things I do.
See you next time,
~Lashette
~Lashette
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