I'm a Financial Handler!

It's truly hard to admit when you live paycheck to paycheck, when you've overspent on your budget for shoes, when you kid wants something and you just can't afford to get it, when you car breaks down and you don't have a credit card "available balance" to pay the bill. What do you do?

My financial life has been a roller coaster, it started out when I was young, right out of the military. You don't realize just how little the military pays you when you're young, because a lot of things in life are taken care of for you. So when you become a civilian again, life is somewhat of a culture shock. I was 18 when I joined and 19 when I got out, sure, you ask how, or why, simple response is, she's 12 now and I wouldn't change a thing!

When I got hired at my first REAL full-time civilian job, I didn't know or realize what money amounted to, I just know that I had none and needed some to take care of my daughter! Hindsight bias tells me that I definitely sold myself short and was underpaid the entire time I worked with that company until the day that they laid me off. Lay-offs (I'm ranting and rambling, I know...) they're a terrible experience, and at this day and age (as young as I am), I've experienced this twice, and have had my hours cut back (which inevitably would've resulted in lay-off #3! But I digress...



What are some things that I've done to make it through, get my baby what she wants, and move through lifes ups and downs seamlessly. Please know that I am not a financial expert nor am I advocating any of you to utilize any of my practices, I've made some grave mistakes, some great accomplishments and massive failures too! I am however trying to be honest with myself, how did I get here, how have I grown and what can I do to get to the next step.

I cannot believe I used to think that somewhere down the line in a month, I'd receive an "extra" paycheck that was "free" money, yes, I believed that! I used to think that I didn't have to pay bills with that extra money because it was more than anticipated for that month. So "free money" once every few months is when I'd go out and get what my baby girl and I wanted! (INSANE)

"Rob Peter to Pay Paul", have you heard that saying before? That means, Peter is not getting paid this money, because Paul was Peter last month and now Paul is threatening to cut me off, so I have to use Peter this month to pay off Peter from last month so Paul this month doesn't get cut off! Did that confuse you? It should have, and that is exactly what this method will do to your finances!

Of course there is the borrow money from friends/family, but that can damage friendships once they realize that the money you borrowed was actually a gift, because they're never getting it back from you without force!

Then there is the use of a credit card to buy groceries, gas, pay a bill...For me that's a big no no, I mean, if I use my card for everyday purchases, and I use my money for bills and everyday purchases, where is my reserve for emergencies?  OOPS I'VE DONE IT AGAIN!

Payday loans (Check out PaydayLoansUK for more information on payday loans) were my friends for a moment there, they were my very best friends, shoot damn near close my lovers and my "connection". With all of my previous practices, I needed a payday loan to put money back in my pocket and in my bank account (that I've managed to overdraft over and over and over again in the past), payday loans can either be your best friend or your drug addiction (figuratively speaking that is) because they're meant to be a short term solution to your immediate financial problems, but for a while there, I can admit, it was a very unhealthy relationship, because I paid it off and got another just to support the missing income, if I was smart, I would've paid it off with that "extra paycheck". Ha.

Yes, I can admit, my financial practices weren't the smartest, but I've learned from them through time, some were a WHAT NOT TO DO NOW and some were I'll revisit if its a dire emergency, I've learned to say NO to my children to their "mommy can I have...?" and keep that little bit of change in my piggy bank for a rainy day emergency.  Which I'll say makes me a better financial handler! That's right, I'm a financial handler! I like it! I keep money in my hand and in the bank baby! HA!

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by PaydayLoansUK, however as usual all thoughts and opinions expressed were of inspiration produced all on my own.



Until Next Time My Darlings,