There's No Judgment

I'm going to have to stick to some rules with this blog.... 

1.      Write something every day.

2.      Talk about something related to fears

3.      Talk about something related to budget counseling

4.      Don't worry about what people will think

Worrying about what other people think is big with me.  It's always been that way.  That’s where the perfectionist thing comes from.  Waiting for something to be perfect will keep you from getting things done every time.  I have a huge list of things I want to accomplish with this mission.  But I tell myself that things have to be perfect so there won’t be criticism from others.  But there’s always the potential for criticism – especially when it comes to managing money.

That’s the first assumption people make about me as a budget counselor – I’m going to criticize their buying choices. “I know you think I shouldn’t go to Dunkin Donuts that often” or “I realize paying someone to clean my house seems excessive…” I ask people to make a list of their bills, with the amounts and due dates.  All I want are the straight numbers so I can plug them into a little spreadsheet I’ve designed.  But with each number comes a story, an explanation, a justification for the large Visa bill, the money owed for kid’s ice skating lessons, the student loan for the education not being utilized. 

Honestly, I don’t care.  There’s no judgment.  I just want the information so I can get a snapshot of where you stand financially.  Then, once I have the information, I’ll show it to you and then YOU can make the decisions about what you should and should not spend your money on.  You’d be surprised how many people have no idea what they spend their money on.

I don’t want this entry to be too long.  I’ll be talking about this topic a lot – spending less vs. spending awareness.  I don’t care what you buy.   I’m all about the awareness.