I knew that I had a problem with my money way before it all blew up in my face.
I’m not dumb (mostly). I was aware of it.
I just really didn’t know what to do about it.
We’ve all heard many stories that sound like this:
“I lost all my money. I was so in debt, but it wasn’t until my car broke down and my record collection were stolen on the same day by my ex-lover’s new boyfriend that I finally decided to change my life.”
It’s a rock bottom story. Rock bottom sucks, but sometimes it seems like hitting rock bottom is the only thing that forces us to actually do something.
In my case, I knew there was a problem. I knew that I wasn’t handling my money all that well. But my solution was to completely ignore it until I absolutely had to deal with it.
*Cue rock bottom*
So, was that my fault? Well… I guess it probably was. But I’m definitely not alone in all of this. I’m part of a long, proud tradition of people that knew something needed to change, who wanted to change, and who MAYBE even tried to change a few times (although it never really seemed to catch).
So why does it always seem to work like this?
MY NUMBER ONE EXCUSE: I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE TO START
Knowing that you need, or even want to change something is the first step… but it’s really far from actually doing something.
Every time I tried to fix my money problems I became instantly overwhelmed. It seemed like all the ‘step ones’ that people were suggesting were already too advanced:
Just make a budget.
Okay. I’m going to make a budget.
Step one… write down your average monthly income…
……
……
Um….
……
*Closes computer and turns on Netflix*
THAT SURE DIDN’T FEEL LIKE STEP ONE. I didn’t know how to average out a variable income. I didn’t really know what I was spending on food, entertainment, and chunky sweaters. It didn’t take much for my lowly resolve to be completely overwhelmed by even the simplest of “step ones”.
My conclusion: I guess I’m just not one of those people who is good at money. I can’t even make a budget… the most ‘basic’ of financial tools (or so everyone made it seem).
can't make (or stick to) a budget? start here
This 10 day email guide will help you build the fundamentals that make budgeting actually work.
MY MONEY PROBLEM WAS A SYMPTOM OF A WAY BIGGER PROBLEM
The thing that I’ve come to realize is that the money problems that were stressing me out (taxes, spending, debt) were just a result of the fact that I had a terrible relationship with money.
I didn’t understand it. I didn’t relate to it. I didn’t interact with it unless I had to.
I was starting in the wrong place, and until I improved that base relationship nothing was ever going to change.
But how do you do that? That doesn’t sound simple to fix…
INTRO TO YOUR MONEY – A 10 DAY EMAIL GUIDE
Well… I’ve got something that just might help. I’ve developed a little 10-day email guide.
You won’t learn about budgets, or debt plans, or taxes. You won’t learn financial words or anything about investing.
It’s all about giving people like me a place to start.
You’ll learn a few simple habits that will help you start to fix your money relationship. And once the fear, negativity, and stress come out of that base relationship… well… that’s when things can really start to change (and you don’t even have to hit rock bottom first!).
If any of this sounds like it you… sign up below and you’ll get Day 1 (of 10) right now.
It’s 100% TOTALLY FREE, will be delivered to your inbox every morning, and includes some daily homework (as well as way more personal information about me than you ever thought you needed to know).
If you want to learn a little more, go HERE.
So… If you’re tired of the money stress, if you want a place to start that isn’t completely overwhelming…
Let’s get started….
sign up for the perfect 'step one'
Want to start getting control of your money? How can I help?
Chris Enns
Financial Planner/Opera Singer
Money never came naturally to me. In fact… I was a bit of a disaster. I remember (very clearly) what it feels like to be ‘financially out of control’.
And honestly, I still get stressed about money… that doesn’t stop… the difference is that now I have the tools to deal with that stress.
And those tools are what’s made it possible for me to build a life full of the things I want: art, creativity, travel, family and more.
If you want to start getting control of your money I’d love to help. You can start with THIS QUIZ, visiting my GETTING STARTED PAGE by checking out my SERVICES page.
