I am up against a wall! Where is that sledgehammer!

If you are not familiar with Dave Ramsey read his book. Available from my library below, go buy it, I'll wait.....

One of my problems is that I am too analytical. Being a science geek from an early age and having caught the Computer bug early on, has regimented my thinking a bit. Science and Computers use troubleshooting as one of it's main tools.

Try this, do that, poke it this way, hang it from the ceiling. Basically, look a the problem from every angle. In my IT job, I use mental flowcharts and experience to guide me on the path of getting a users problem resolved. the brain starts working like a flowchart.

Brain: "Wow, look at that, that idea didn't work, store it to try again later, but go back and try another step."

Body: "Trying new idea. Wow, it worked, good work Brain"

Brain: " Filing and amending old info"

Silly yes, but that's how my brain usually works! Add to this that I think pretty fast through these issues and try many angles, quickly.

Apply this to my finances I can cause trouble. That's why I like Dave's book, Total Money Makeover, in it he lays out the steps, Baby Steps, mind you, to create wealth in your life. Not by winning the lottery, or creating a new and amazing thing for everyone to buy, but to look at your income and outflow. Create a Budget (I fail here), Find your leaks, and plug them.

Clean out your financial closet.

DO we really need 10 bazillion TV channels? Or that new IPOD?
DO you have subscriptions to magazines that you don't read? CANCEL them.
Are you paying too much for Car insurance, look around for new policies, Every year to year and half have them fight for your business! You CAN cancel them mid policy, if the numbers are better.

Look at the budget and see what has been hanging around for awhile and clean them out if you don't need them.

After the budget is done, you will have a great idea about ebb and flow of your money. Oh and you might be surprised, when you find out how much those trips to the local convenience store REALLY cost you. I latte factored my Coffee purchases up to 50 dollars last month. I found out in full color and glory using Mint and their unrelenting charts. If I ever need coffee int the morning those charts will haunt me! I and coming to work where it's cheaper, and bought in bulk!

Do your budgets. I have found it is tough at first, but there are loads of ideas on the net. But in my case I built one from scratch in excel. It helped me SEE the numbers, and with Mint now I am going to have to be shown the awful truth with every pretty graph.

Go forth and Budget!