Money vs Noney

Some of the fortunate few are born to parents who have figured out how to master their money. Give them $10. these mastering geniuses will use it to gain more. $100 or $1,000 then keep adding to it.

Many financial experts (Dave Ramsey, Robert Kiyosaki, Suze Orman) will tell you of examples they have personally seen. People who win millions in a lottery, go broke within as little as a year or sometimes less. 
Why?
They lacked money management skills. 

Money management is quite often not taught by parents, definitely not taught in school K - 12.

Right here, right now, I can tell you, I was never taught how to manage money by my parents. Many people manage their money by the principle, spend it if you have it!
See how that works for you.  😎

In truth? It's sad for those people who are living check to check. Barely getting by, keeping yourself from getting ahead.
Yep
People keep themselves from getting ahead. Then there are the ones who have learned, like the fictitious Rumplestillskin, these financial geniuses seem to be able to spin straw into gold.

Lucre, Lucre, Lucre.

The flip side of this is people who love money so much, they will lie, cheat, steal, step on anyone to get more money. Thinking they got ahead by ignoring ethics, values, morals. They may have gained money, at a huge cost. They have sold themselves down the river. Moral bankruptcy is very ruinous to the soul.

There is everything right with being wealthy. Ask any wealthy person as well as those who struggle, whom have nothing, they will agree.

The means by which as well as the attitude makes the difference.

If someone wishes to get religious about it, the misquoted passage in the Good Book states that it's THE LOVE of money that is evil.
Having a lot of money is what gives many people who have it, they have more freedom to choose.
It's "The Golden Rule", right?
The one who has the most gold gets to make the rules.
JUST KIDDING!

Although, I have seen many people use it this way.

~ People who "skim off" a bit of that which they are entrusted with, believing it's a good way to get ahead. A shot to their feet.

~ Men who shaft their ex wives, mothers of their children, letting her live in dire poverty because they withheld what they promised to do, what they should be doing. They love their money more than they could ever love the mother of their children. Their guilt eventually catches up to their thinking that their ex spouse didn't know of the evil they did to her. She knows, yep, she knows.

~ Business owners who treat their employees badly, just because they can. They have crosses hanging all over their walls in their business offices & loobies, their homes, even themselves. While they treat their employees badly. They are devoid of the Christian ethics, morals that they claim to embrace.

~ Even tele evangelists who have figuratively been caught with their pants down however, not with their wives. They praised God to get the money to flow in while they let something else flow out.

~ Gold diggers, male & female. All to support their desired lifestyle or start up a business. Yep. I have known, both publicly as well as privately, men and women who played others as well as married maybe 10% for love with the other 90% because of the resources & money to gain.

Yes, I have experienced some of this. 
I will leave it to your imagination as to which.

Dolly downer - wah-wah-waaaah

Although I have become better at money management, there is still so much I can learn. So much improvement to be made.

As a believer in L.O.A. aka Law of Attraction (that's in the Good Book, too! Proverbs 23:7) Every action as well as its outcome begins in the mind of the person involved.

When a person is drowning in a boiling pot of poverty, they have a mindset of "lack", "never have enough."

Those same people are the ones who will win a lottery, end up broke within a year or two.
Why?

No matter how much they have, they kept the mindset of poverty. It seems like being ungrateful for whatever blessing came to them. An innocent squandering while employing an attitude of lack.

Can you say, self fulfilling prophecy?
There ya go, skippy.

Here's the light at the end of the tunnel, it's beautiful!

When a person mindfully, purposely use their resources, they will have enough. Even an abundance.

In 2017, I had "something happen". With that "something', I took a friend on a fun vacation, bought & gave gifts to my loved ones. 
PEEPS!
I could have easily frittered it away. After the vacation, I came back, back to reality. I did some intelligent research, made some financially conscious decisions.
I tied the bulk of it up in investments so that I couldn't touch it, then, I put myself on a budget. Thank you Dave Ramsey!!!!

The most important change I made was my mindset.

After living in survival mode for over a decade, sometimes living with only 1 egg per day to eat. I would cut that boiled egg into 4 pieces, eating a little at a time throughout the day to keep my grumbling stomach from hurting, just barely. Sometimes, I even had oatmeal or popcorn. I kept a smile on my face, most people didn't know.
Many people didn't want to know. Some simply didn't care.

There were people from church who helped me here and there. One friend, particularly, was a godsend to me. 
Can you say, "Fun vacation!" ? Payback is sometimes good.
Being a very independent, self sufficient person, I worked to keep whatever my troubles were, to myself.
Another friend who was the only one who stuck by me when everyone except her, abandoned me for the first 3 years, post divorce, she was there for me!
So, I did have some compassionate help along the way.
Being independent, I rarely ask for help, loathe needing it.

When my "something" happened? I vowed to show gratitude for the blessing by replacing the attitude of poverty with an attitude of, I have enough. 
Replacing the mindset of poverty with an attitude abundance. Sticking to the budget I set up for myself, while still letting my "something" contribute to a feeling of having enough.
In from survival mode, on a path of happiness & gratitude.
In truth, I blew my budget a few times, adjusting to the new circumstances. 
The important part is that I learned.

You might ask what I learned. This blog entry is long enough. Probably because it's something I am passionate about.
Here are just 4 things that I do which helps save resources.

1. I rarely buy water for myself. I may buy it for others occasionally out of kindness & compassion. I keep a reusable water bottle with me. Offering to give someone a sip out of my water bottle is tacky, can be dangerous. Although, if it was someone I know very well & trust, I have done it when there was no other alternative.

2. Eat at home 90% of the time. It's healthier, still, I treat myself from time to time if I'm out with a friend or friends.

3. When I buy food, I buy the items that will expire soon with full intent as to when I will use them. I love my fresh veggies & fruit. Having always told my kiddos that if you are careful with what you have, you will most often have enough. Wasting food is like throwing money into the trash.

4. Carefully watch for those opportunities when you can double save on items you need & can use. Such as buy one get one, the clearance section. The key is, only buy it if you truly need & will use it. A lower price on an impulse buy just because it's a lower price is a waste of resources.

So, there ya go. Now that I have written a book, lol.

I wish you a clear conscience & an abundant life!