The One Thing You Need to Control Your Finances

I’ve been sharing money saving ideas for many years now.  Any time I share an article, I am usually met with some type of resistance.  People instantly defend the way that they handle money, just because I may have a different idea than them.

For example, I share that most people should not use credit cards.  I don’t really use them and feel others should not either. This is not shared so to be argumentative.  In fact, any time I discuss credit cards (or any topic for that matter), I always explain why I feel the way I do.

To be frank, I’ve felt this way before too.  I’ve had people share an opinion that may differ than mine. In that moment I will often feel frustrated or angry.  But, am I angry with them, or am I more angry that I might be wrong? Or, is it because I’ve closed off my mind to a new idea?

Over the years, I’ve thought a lot about this.  As a result, I’ve reached great success with our finances. And, it is all because of one simple thing.  There is one thing you need to do to control your finances.

Read More:

• The Secret Method for Sticking to a Budget
• The Ten Truths as To Why You Buy Things You Don’t Need
• Why  Your Budget Is Not Working (and how to fix it)

THE ONE THING YOU NEED BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR FINANCES

An open mind.

That’s it folks. It is not a secret formula or magic trick.  It is simply allowing someone to talk about an idea other than your own.

If you are in debt and getting no where, why would you not want to listen to a new idea from someone who has been there.  If your current plan is not working, it is wise to try something new.  What have you got to lose?

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting a different result.  Are you being insane with your money?

I find that the more willing I am to listen to new ideas, the more I can learn something new.  When you open your mind to concepts and ideas, you are always growing.  You are always learning.  You might even find the perfect solution to your issues.

WHAT I LEARNED

At the beginning of this article, I talk about credit cards and how I would tell people never to use them.  While I still believe that, I’ve actually listened to others and opened my mind to a new idea.

My husband and now have a credit card.  We actually use this to pay all of our regular monthly bills and then pay it off each month.  That’s it.  We don’t really use it for more than that.

When we realized we could make a little cash back by doing this, it made sense.  And how did we figure this out?  We opened our minds and listened to a new idea. We were willing to try it. If it didn’t work for us, we could always stop.

Now, we earn a nice little bit of cash each month on those purchases.  The money is always in our account so we can pay our bill in full each month.  We aren’t waiting for payday to arrive to pay the bill.  We never charge any more than what we would have in our account to ensure it is paid in full.  Being open to a new concept has been good for us.

I challenge you to be open to new ideas to help you learn more about how to control your finances.  Allow yourself to be coachable and willing to try something new.  After all, you’ve got nothing to lose and you might just discover a way of doing things that actually makes more sense.