Life has taught me many lessons one being it takes losing everything to develop the habit, passion, and drive for owning everything one desires in life. Suffice it to say that nowadays with the uncertain global economy displaying its bipolar antics from time to time it is imperative that we put measures into place to own our own and develop some entrepreneurial backbone.As the sunrise of January 2019 hit my shore I got a rude wake up call to do an introspection on my financial activities for 2018. Oooh that autopsy was not a pleasant sight to look at. I was not proud of the way in which I mishandled my finances. I butchered it mercilessly. I spent without budgeting as my emotional yoyo was controlling all of the strings to my wallet. Then a voice deep within me jerked me back to economic consciousness and summoned me to take immediate actions. I was up for the challenge!
I know you are ready for me to get to the meat of the matter but before so please permit me to give you a brief insight into my economic literacy. During my scholastic secondary journey I was faced with a choice between pursuing Science or Business courses. I chose the latter because as a fifteen year old back in the 80s I envisioned myself sitting in an office as an accountant. In preparation for the fulfilment of that dream I received instructions in a wide variety of business areas such as office procedures, accounting, and principles of business. Upon graduating in 1991 I immediately landed several business related jobs in Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, the beautiful country of my birth. Few years later I switched my career and embarked on teaching. After successfully completing my University Of the West Indies Teacher Education program I migrated to beautiful Canada and continued my teaching career at Greaves Adventist Academy, Montreal, Quebec, Canada in 2007 - 2011. Here is where my earlier passion for Business got reignited when I was appointed Business Teacher for Grade 10 to 11. I instructed students in four (4) major areas (Economics, Commercial Activities, Entrepreneurship, and Accounting). Most of those students went on to colleges and Universities in Montreal and continued their careers in those respective fields.So now that you have gotten a lil insight into my business background I think you may clearly understand why I would be deemed a little "AHHHRIGHT" to instruct and encourage you along certain financial lines. Mind you I do not claim to know it all but I do have a lil knowledge to give my 2 cents of an opinion on things relating to this side of life. Since I no longer teach as a profession but now works in business it does me absolutely no good to just sit on all this economic knowledge which I've acquired over the years both scholarly and via real life experiences and do not impart it with my audience via this forum.
Now back to my personal wake up call to financial discipline and wellness. So After my not-so-nice introspection about my finances in January of this year I decided to start my exercise with a public statement which I posted n Facebook "Make 2019 a year of EXCESSIVE SAVING $$$ instead of excessive spending $$. #FinancialWisdom." I knew if I engage myself in educating and encouraging others about financial discipline that it will be a double edged sword strategy to getting myself committed to excessive savings for 2019.
SECRET #1
Remove all DEBIT & CREDIT CARDS from your wallet for 1 month. Go to the bank and withdraw just the cash your budget for the month requires. Do not take out one penny more. By doing this you are committed to desire only what that cash can afford. From my personal experience with debit and credit cards it is easier to swipe my card especially for big purchases than it is for me to readily give up my cash from my wallet. This is because when I swipe my credit or debit card I have no immediate physical evidence of the funds leaving my bank account or the credit card's supplier bank account way after the purchase when I am slapped with a bank statement showing that transaction or when I received that 19......% interest on a credit card repayment. In my view credit cards are like a gallows waiting to suck our wallets into its trap and pop us off.
After you try this challenge for 1 MONTH please let me know how this has impacted on your savings account.
SECRET #2
Treat your CREDIT CARD PURCHASE like a DEBIT CARD. Get that money right up front before you swipe that card to take it to your bank to pay that credit card right away. This immediate action prevents the excess accumulation of high interest on that money you borrowed. In most cases we end up paying double or even triple the amount we paid for that item. The reason for this is that we keep putting off that monthly payment or even the minimum interest and before you know it we are in debt over our heads which can negatively affect our credit scores.
SECRET #3
Return a FAITHFUL TITHES & OFFERING TO THE LORD as is stipulated in Malachi 3:8-10 (NKV). DO NOT ROB GOD!
"WILL A MAN ROB GOD?
YET YOU HAVE ROBED ME!
BUT YOU SAY,
IN WHAT WAY HAVE WE ROBBED YOU?
IN TITHES AND OFFERINGS.
YOU ARE CURSED WITH A CURSE,
FOR YOU HAVE ROBBED ME,
EVEN THIS WHOLE NATION
BRING ALL THE TITHES INTO THE STOREHOUSE
THAT THERE MAY BE FOOD IN MY HOUSE,
AND TRY ME NOW IN THIS,
SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS,
IF I WILL NOT OPEN THE WINDOWS OF HEAVEN
AND POUR OUT FOR YOU SUCH BLESSINGS
THAT THERE WILL NOT BE ROOM ENOUGH TO RECEIVE IT."
Most of my Facebook audience are quite knowledgeable about my stance relating to spiritual matters. I am a firm advocate of putting God Jehovah the MOST HIGH 1st and foremost in all things pertaining to this life here on earth. Our finances must be no exceptions. I try to uphold this principle and I must let you know I HAVE TASTED THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD IN ALL SPHERES OF MY LIFE. I invite you to this challenge and see for yourself how your finances can turn around. Trusting the word of God by FAITH and obeying Him in this regard with catapult you into financial prosperity and in all areas of your life. According to the Holy Scripture 1/10 % OF ALL OF OUR EARNINGS BELONGS TO GOD JEHOVAH! Leviticus 27:30 "and all the tithe from the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the trees is the Lord's; it is holy unto the LORD."
DEFINITION OF THE WORD TITHE!
Tithe is defined by Oxford American Dictionary as "one-tenth of the annual produce of agriculture etc. formerly paid as tax to support clergy and church.
I can guarantee that if you make this commitment JESUS WILL TRULY HAVE YOUR BACK AS HE DOES FOR ME!
SECRET # 4
Save! Save! And Save!
I cannot stress this enough. It is so hard to save in a world that fueled by consumerism (an increasing consuming of goods economically desirable). When it comes to money our heart should never take the lead but rather our brain to ensure that every financial activity is well thought out critically and conscientiously so that it does not affect our savings negatively. As we say back in the islands "SAVE SOMETHING FOR THE RAINY DAY."
One of my viewers from one of my live Facebook sessions asked me how is this possible if a person is LIVING FROM PAY CHECK TO PAY CHECK. I said it is possible if that person does a couple overtime per week on his/her job and invest that toward their savings, find a part time job, or even start a business with something they are most passionate about. We need to desist from formulating excuses for not saving. As long as you have the knowledge anything is possible.
Thank you for coming on this ride with me I look forward to continuing this discussion in VOLUME #2 of SECRETS TO FINANCIAL INCREASE.
Clairon Haynes
Owner of this blog.
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