Tag Archives: personal finance

Getting Something for Nothing

Money Reflections, , , , , , , ,

Recently, I received an email advising me that an organisation had recovered funds that they believed had been diverted from my account. If I was willing to confirm my bank records, then I could benefit from the restitution of part of the over US$9 million in stolen assets that they claimed to have identified.

My first reaction to the outrageous email was to laugh heartily, as I wished that my net worth could justify my inclusion in their list of wealthy persons with diverted funds. Then, I thought that there had to be many people who would respond to the spurious message, knowing that they really didn’t qualify.

I believe that scam artists continue to create these fraudulent emails because there are lots of people who regularly fall victim to their improbable stories. If criminals had no success in trying to get persons to reveal their banking information, then they would have stopped trying this method a long time ago. Continue reading Getting Something for Nothing →

How to Change Your Financial ‘Panic’ Into a ‘Plan’

Money & Your Mind, , , , , , ,

You constantly feel sensations of dread and foreboding.
You have a pounding headache that is resistant to strong medication.
You get a stomach ache whenever you think about money.

You jump involuntarily whenever your phone rings from an unknown number.
You wake up suddenly in the middle of the night, or sleep eludes you for many restless hours.
You sometimes even find it hard to breathe as your heart races uncontrollably.

Many persons can identify with these indicators of chronic anxiety. With the incessant increases in inflation, regular reports of redundancies, and deepening dependence on debt, more people are becoming panicked about their financial condition and terrified about what may happen in the future.

It’s dangerous to live in a state of panic, as this can lead you to develop costly health challenges, which will only make your finances more precarious. If you’re tired of living in fear about money, here’s a simple strategy which you can utilise to transform your panic into a workable plan. Continue reading How to Change Your Financial ‘Panic’ Into a ‘Plan’ →

Self-Employed Spending Plan

Budgeting, Business Success, , , , , , , ,

Budgeting is an essential skill for successful money management and it should be practised by all persons, regardless of their income level. Without a clear idea of the real cost of your lifestyle, you may make improper spending decisions and jeopardise your future financial well-being.

Preparing a spending plan is even more critical if you are self-employed, especially if your income is generated sporadically and you cannot predict when your next dollar will be earned. While there is freedom in being your own boss, there are numerous challenges with not having a regular pay cheque.

If you carry out proper planning by utilising a comprehensive budget, it can help you to overcome some of the feelings of insecurity and apprehension that may be triggered by possible income instability. Here’s how creating a spending plan can be advantageous for self-employed persons. Continue reading Self-Employed Spending Plan →

Success Breeds Success

Income Creation, Money & Your Mind, , , , , , ,

Last week we discussed the importance of throwing aside your reservations when it comes to creating independent sources of income. As the saying goes, “Fortune favours the bold;” so if you need to earn more to pay bills and achieve your goals, you have to become courageous in trying to make money.

Many persons are fearful of taking action on their income creation ideas, as they wonder if they can really be successful in offering a product or service to other people. They worry that they will fail miserably in their efforts to sell, and prefer to live in financial distress rather than try something new.

If you have thoughts of failure when you consider your options to earn more money, then you have already set yourself up to be unsuccessful. Let’s look at how you can transform these feelings and develop a more success-centred approach that will help you to attain your financial desires. Continue reading Success Breeds Success →

Fortune Favours the Bold

Income Creation, , , , , , ,

Racquel was finally convinced that now was the right time for her to package her banana bread and try to market it commercially. If she had received J$100 every time she had heard, “Why don’t you sell this in the supermarkets? It tastes great!” she would be a wealthy woman today.

Apart from the fact that she was curious to know if her grand-aunt’s tasty recipe could make her some money, she knew that she needed to have a Plan B for creating income. Her employer’s business was struggling and she knew that it was only a matter of time before he started laying off staff.

Racquel had already registered a business name with the Companies Office and had hired a graphic artist to design a logo. She had made a list of potential outlets and had some ideas on how to market her product on social media. There was just one thing stopping her from proceeding – she was scared. Continue reading Fortune Favours the Bold →

Financial Freedom

Wealth, , , , , , , ,

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights,” and the desire for freedom is entrenched in the hearts of people worldwide. While we may enjoy personal liberties here in Jamaica, how many of us can say that we are financially free?

Freedom is usually defined as being devoid of restraints on thought, speech or actions. To be free, you must be able to make choices for your life without any restrictions, apart from legal considerations. When it comes to money, do you believe that you have the ability to determine your financial destiny?

If asked “What does financial freedom mean to you?” different people will provide diverse definitions. One basic concept of money freedom is the ability to finance your preferred lifestyle without stress or debt. To be financially free, you should have autonomy in your income and time to live as you desire. Continue reading Financial Freedom →

Financial Fears

Money & Your Mind, Risk Protection, , , , , , , ,

Fear has been described in the acronym False Evidence Appearing Real, indicating that very often the thing you fear is not factual, but just based on some perception in your mind. Sometimes you may even be embarrassed about some of the strange thoughts that secretly cause you to be fearful.

Fears about money can leave you feeling vaguely uncomfortable about your finances, intensely anxious about your future prospects, or send you into full-blown panic mode. Even if your fears may be irrational they can cripple you mentally and physically and prevent you from actualising your goals.

Many financial anxieties may stem from your concerns about losing something important that money can provide, while certain types of financial mistakes can be serious enough to warrant extreme distress. Let’s look at some common financial fears and simple strategies which can help you to deal with them. Continue reading Financial Fears →

Financial Mistakes

Financial Literacy, , , , , , , ,

“Success does not consist in never making mistakes, but in never making the same one a second time.” — George Bernard Shaw

UNLIKE most school systems, life doesn’t give you homework and examinations to determine how well you have learned the skills you need to succeed. In the real world, you can often gauge your progress in accomplishing your goals by the type of results that you are currently experiencing.

When it comes to money, there are many mistakes that can prevent you from enjoying the financial life that you desire. If you keep making the wrong choices, you will only continue to feel frustrated with the state of your finances. Let’s look at some of the common missteps that can derail your financial security. Continue reading Financial Mistakes →

Financial Frustrations

Goals, Income Creation, Money & Your Mind, , , , , , ,

If you like to follow the progress of persons who are top achievers in the entertainment or business world, you may marvel at their fabulous lives that most of us can only fantasise about. Whether it’s Beyonce or Buffett, you might secretly envy their ability to accomplish their wildest dreams.

Most stories about the rich and famous usually show these persons enjoying the trappings of wealth, but they hardly ever give the background of what they had to endure to reach where they are today. The end result is celebrated, while the journey with its challenges and obstacles is often ignored.

When asked to share their road to success, many notable persons will reveal that they had to endure tremendous difficulties before they started seeing any results from their efforts. One common trait of those persons who make it big is a determined persistence to keep going despite their frustrations. Continue reading Financial Frustrations →

Financial Priorities

Budgeting, Spending, , , , , , , ,

A Guyanese colleague shared with me her concern about the financial practices of many Jamaicans with whom she interacted. After spending a few years managing a project in our country, she observed that the attitudes towards saving, spending and debt were very different in the two nations.

One major point of divergence, she noted, was that most Guyanese people were very focused on saving to buy a home as their first priority. The consultant remarked that you would hardly see persons in her country driving a car if they did not already own a piece of property.

Another point of difference was that most Guyanese were very embarrassed about having debt that they could not afford to pay. Indebtedness was taboo and there were even cases of persons who attempted suicide because they were so devastated about their unpaid financial obligations. Continue reading Financial Priorities →