Sometimes you just feel like you can’t get ahead in life. It’s a constant cycle of living paycheck to paycheck
After you pay one bill another one shows up. Once one emergency ends another one comes. Always feeling like if you had just a little more cash then maybe you’d be okay.
Listen up because I am here to solve all your money problems and tell you exactly why you’re still broke. This is not a post for those people who are in denial. It’s also not for people who get offended easily and take the truth to be hard.
This isn’t going to be some more advice that acts like a band-aid and only works for a couple of months until it falls off (until you give up.)
No, this is the straight up, cold hard truth.
If you really want to know why you’re still broke and you can’t get out of that “broke” funk then keep on reading ….
Honestly? You’re really bad with money. There. I said it. What every personal finance whiz wants you to know, you suck at handling money. Once you stop feeling butt hurt then we can go on to how to fix this. NO band aids allowed.
There’s a few reasons why you’re bad with money:
1. You were never taught what to do with it
2. You don’t think you have a problem
3. You know you have a problem but think living in ignorance will somehow make your problems go away
4. You’re too materialistic and feel the need to have whatever you want, when you want because you think you deserve it
5. You seriously need to make more money
For those of you still with me we’re going to go over each of those 4 reasons why you’re bad with money and still living paycheck to paycheck. I’m going to show you just what to do about these little money issues you have.
1. You were never taught what to do with it
Growing up my dad loved to tell me this story about when he first met my mom. When they first started dating she had told him she was rich, or rather her dad was rich. She claimed he was a millionaire. I’m not saying my dad married her for money, but he was totally shocked when he found out that her dad was actually broke. (yes, they’re still together 20+ years later.)
The reason this story is relevant is because this is the terribly vicious cycle of the perceived “rich family on the block”. They’re really not rich, you know why? Because they were so in debt it wasn’t even funny.
Since my grandpa had a Porsche and they lived in a nicer neighborhood she thought they were rich. Never talking about money to my mom was a very sad thing she had to live with. Because now, continually thinking that they had all the money in the world and she could buy whatever without any consequences, my mom gained a wicked spending problem that may still continue today. (Love you mom!)
You see how this cycle can be money threatening?
It may not be your fault that you weren’t taught how to handle your money and finances. But, it’s your fault if you continue on the cycle and:
1. Don’t become educated now
2. Don’t teach your kids
There is absolutely no forking reason why you shouldn’t be able to learn how to handle your money now. All the info you need is at your fingertips. Stop blaming your parents, high school, college, or your neighbor for not helping you. Put a belt on your big boy panties so they stay up and start fixing it now.
How to fix it: Find a finance guru and learn all that you can from them. My personal finance guru? Dave Ramsey. I learned all about his concepts and fell in love. If I’m your personal finance guru that you want to follow then that is totally great and I feel flattered!
Now, you’re probably saying, “But Kenz, I know what to do with my money.” That’s where we come to number 2.
2. You don’t think you have a problem
No wonder you’re still broke. Admit it. Deep, deep down you know you have a problem.
Are you constantly wondering where your money is disappearing? Are you always stressing that there’s another bill to be paid and you hope you have just enough to pay it? Do you lie to yourself all the time and say that you don’t have a money problem, the world just isn’t fair?
I’m calling BS on that. The world is more than fair. And, there’s a reason you’re still broke. Whether A. you just need a little more money (totally easy to do nowadays!) or, B. you spend too much (more than likely what it is.)
How to fix it: If you’re constantly wondering where your money is disappearing to then you know you have a big problem.
There are two things you MUST do here: 1. Figure out where exactly your money is going. If you don’t know where your money is going, how do you know what you need to fix? This is something as easy as tracking your expenses (not as hard as you think it sounds) and creating a personalized spending plan for your family. Because this is such a major problem with so many people, I created an in-depth free mini course to help you find out exactly where your money is going and how to reduce all of your expenses (because you are more than likely overpaying on everything if you don’t know where your money is going!) This course is for you if you find your money disappearing and have no clue where it’s going, just click here to enroll in the free course.
2. You need to create a spending plan. Yes, I know, it’s the same exact thing as a budget. But people get so scared of the word budget so I had to change it to spending plan. And no, you don’t have to sacrifice everything under the sun when you create a spending plan. You just become intentional about your spending, saving you all that money that you’re blindly spending!
Now you’re starting to agree with me, “Okay, I do have a problem. But it’s totally not the spending, I just need more cash, and quick!” Typical, typical. Down to number 3 …
3. You know you have a problem but think living in ignorance will somehow make your problems go away
Stop being ignorant and get your head out of the sand. Before you even look at A you have to look at B. (I know, that’s totally not in order but just go with it.)
If you spend too much and it’s making you broke, getting some more of A (cash) is not going to fix B. Once you get that extra money you’re just going to have more to spend. That’s why people always want more money and never want to look at cutting their expenses. They think they have to “give up” the life they live by reducing a couple of things. That is so not true, and before you start making more money you had better fix your money problems fast or you’re still going to be broke!
If you’re in category 3, maybe you’re not looking for any cash and know you have a spending problem but just don’t want to deal with it. These are the people who think they showed up to the saving party “too late”. These are the people who say to me, “But Kenz, it’s too late for me. I’m already drowning in debt and there’s no way out. There’s no way I can fix it or even control my spending, I’m just a lost cause.”
The longer you keeping thinking you’re a “lost cause” the worse your money problems are going to get. If you like being broke, then stay broke. I choose to be stress free, sipping some lemonade on a beach in Hawaii during Christmas vaca with my family.
If you constantly think that there’s no way to fix it now, I want you to stop it. I know 100% that it’s not too late for you. It’s never too late to change your money habits and stop being broke. It may take a little work but it is so, so doable.
How to fix it: The best inspiration is in Dave Ramsey’s book, Total Money Makeover (affiliate). There are countless stories of families who were more than broke and had money problems up the wazoo. With the right tools and some simple habit changing they’re no longer broke. You don’t have to be either.
Unless you like that broke feeling. You know you should change but you just can’t leave behind the life that you have. You can’t give up your shopping addiction. Which leads to number 4 …
4. You’re too materialistic and feel the need to have whatever you want, when you want because you think you deserve it
Cue the millennials. They are notorious for thinking they deserve everything! (yes, I can say that because I AM a millennial.) You don’t deserve it. You don’t deserve anything. Remember Karma? You get what you put in; you receive what you give.
Yes, you may work hard, but so do I. And guess what? I’m not broke. Guess what else? I love my life and am not giving anything up!
If you think that budgeting is for losers and you’re too afraid to start because you have to change your whole life, then you’re right. Because you do have to change your life. If you didn’t have one of 3 problems above in the first place you wouldn’t have to change anything. But you do. You more than likely have a spending problem.
I’m not lying, you do have to give up some things. But you know what, I will gladly give it all up right now so I can have it all in a few years. Dave Ramsey has an awesome quote that he mentions throughout his book, “If you live like no one else, later you will live like no one else.”
If you go through life broke, hoping for something to change, it’s not going to. You have to change. Sacrificing just a little now can turn into an even greater reward. Maybe one of the things you have to sacrifice is your Starbucks every morning. Yup, I went there. Or, maybe you just simply need to up your income a little. Which connects with our very last one, number 5.
5. You seriously need more money
Sometimes it’s inevitable and unavoidable. If you’re constantly broke, you stick to your spending plan and don’t have a spending problem; you need to up your income. Before you grumble and roll your eyes at me, hear me out. I’m not telling you to take on a second job.
First, evaluate your current job. Are you making what you should be? Are there other people in your industry making more? If yes, then ask for a flipping raise. Stop being a pansy about it and get to it. Most of the time they don’t give you a raise because you don’t ask. Simply just asking can do wonders in your life.
Maybe your job isn’t right for you. Consider looking somewhere else. Yes, I’m serious. If you know you could be making more somewhere else than do it!
I’m still not asking you to get a second job, but if you have a decent job now or refuse to leave it then you need to find some side hustles to make some extra cash. If you’re reading this then you can make extra money. Literally, it’s so easy. There are so many places you can make some extra money online that you can do on your OWN time. If you’re a crafty person then start your crafty business! Any way you make money is a good way (unless it’s illegal).
If nothing on this post has worked at all to help you get out of your broke funk, then get the second job. I don’t care if it’s at your local grocery store, if it’s at the mall, or if you have to wear a chicken suit on the corner. You’re going to stay broke if you don’t change something. Remember what I said about sacrificing? If you sacrifice just a little hard work you’ll get a lot more in return.
Stop living paycheck to paycheck and do something about it!
Stop feeling bad for yourself and get out of your broke funk. There’s absolutely no reason to stay broke, unless you like that. And I guarantee that you don’t like that feeling.
You are in complete control of your life and the outcome. There are plenty of tips + resources to help you stop living paycheck to paycheck and start living a life that you love. Don’t wait for something to happen, make it happen!
What ways are you getting out of your broke funk?
P.S. Think somebody else needs to hear these 5 truth bombs? Be sure to share with friends and family below!
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