Relationship with Money
- 1. Activity Sheet: Your Relationship With Money NAME: Mirnell D. Gonzalez Your Relationship with Money Getting a handle on money anxiety starts with an honest examination of how you relate to it. BUILD BASIC SKILLS. Analyze yourself as a money manager. Look back to Key 11.1 on page 297 for a description of what influences how people handle money. Make notes about your personal specifics in the following areas. I most value spending money on… Honestly, I love buying new clothes. I consider this my weakness. I also like to go out to new restaurants or even get a little present for family, friends or love one. As a money manager, I would describe myself as… I will describe myself as someone that knows how to spend her money well. My culture tends to view money as… They tend to view money as something they can’t live without. I know money is important for us to be able to do things we want that requires money. However, there are lots of things that money can’t buy or give me and one of those things is, LOVE. Also, the precious things of life like, family, friends, love one and even God are more significant and important than money. They all go beyond and above money. In handling money, my family and friends tend to… Honestly, I don’t work =). However, my dad does and every time he gets his pay check he separates $20 or more just for me. I have never has problems with handling money in my family. TAKE IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL. Generate ideas about what you want to do with your money. If you had enough money for your expenses and then some, what would you do with the extra? Would you save it, spend it, or do a little of both? Imagine what you would do if you had an extra $10,000 to spend this year. Describe your plan here: If I have enough money I will: • If I had an extra $10,000 I will • Visit my family on Christmas at chose to save it. I think that it is P.R. important to save at least a 20% • Buy my parents a new car. of what they pay you at work. In • Help out people in need. case of any emergency I know I • Buy myself a car. have back up and won’t be • Pay my whole studies. worry. Also, you can multiply • Pay my singing career. and make more while you save. • Help my brother fulfill his You can finally have your dream vacation someday. MOVE singing career too. TOWARD MASTERY. Look for practical ways to move toward the scenario you • And more… imagined. Realistically, how can you make that $10,000 a reality? You may need to change how
- 2. you operate as a money manager. You may need to make some sacrifices in the short term. Come up with two specific plans here about changes and sacrifices that will move you toward your goal. 1. If I want to be able to make $10,000 real in my life, I need to give up some things. For example, I need to understand the meaning of “Wants and Needs”. I need to stop spending my money in so many clothes when I know I might have already enough at my closet. 2. Another will be, to start saving. Like I mentioned before, by saving money you can multiply it and in the blink of an eye, you might find yourself having more than before. The important thing here is learn how to manage and save money. Part II Answer the Following Questions: 1. Nearly 3 out of 4 people in the U.S. cite money as the top stressor in their lives. Do you spend now or save for the future? – I do both. I mean, even if I don’t want to spend at some point I will be doing it. However, maybe not on things I want, but on things I need. Moreover, it is also important to plan always ahead (future) and have things ready for whatever might come. 2. How good are you at differentiating between needs and wants and on prioritizing needs? - I think I am pretty good differentiating between needs and wants. However, I can’t question my parents and God because, thanks to them I have everything I need in my life and I know that whatever I might need later on they will provide. 3. Everyone has a weak spot; some people like new clothes, others like fancy restaurants. What can you do to make financial sacrifices seem worth your feelings of deprivation? – Well, I don’t think that going out sometimes to a restaurant will hurt you, as long as you don’t make it your priority thing to do. I understand that there are more important things than this one and I will never make it “First” on my list. We need to learn to work with our needs first and once they are covered and we have some left we can work it out and have fun. When you put these ideas to work, save or invest the money to reach for your goal. CHAPTER 11: Managing Money