When it comes down to setting your budget, saving your money, spending your money, and acting responsibly with money overall, you are your own worst enemy. You and only you are responsible for keeping your self-made goals. There are tools that you can use to help yourself, but the only enemy that you need to worry about is yourself.
Your spouse is not responsible. Let’s assume for a minute that you don’t have a spouse that is running around buying up all the $700 pairs of shoes in town. Stop blaming your spouse. He/She is not responsible for the debt that your in, your blown budget, and your lack of an emergency fund. Your spouse, however, is an excellent tool to use to overcome all of those problems. Get on the same team as your spouse. Your spouse can keep you accountable better than anyone else. Discussing the finances with your spouse is a good thing. Get them on your side.
The Credit Card companies are not responsible for your debt and the lack of paying it off. They may hold the note on that debt and encourage you to use your “credit”, but ultimately, it is you that uses it. And it’s you that chooses to sign the receipt. And it’s you who chooses to continue to carry that plastic in your wallet. If you can’t use credit cards responsibly as a tool, get rid of them. No Excuses. Everytime you sign the slip, you accept responsibility for the damage you’re doing.
You have taken responsibility for so many of the things in your life from feeding yourself (I assume) to cleaning yourself (assuming again) and even to dressing yourself (yep, assuming.). Why, then, do you blame everyone else for your financial woes? Would you blame them if you fed yourself cardboard? If you tried to bathe with sewer water? Or if you forgot to put your shoes on and walked on sharp stones? No, you wouldn’t. Stop trying to pass the blame for your monetary faults to someone/something else. Your actions are directly responsible for where you are. The moment you take responsibility for those actions and their results is the moment you are free of their bindings. It’s the moment you can begin to feel free of them and can begin to correct them. And once they are corrected and you have broken those old habits, you will be free to develop new habits that will set you free from that old life.
Take responsibility. Change yourself for the better.
I started this blog to share what I know and what I was learning about personal finance. Along the way I’ve met and found many blogging friends. Please feel free to connect with me on the Beating Broke accounts: Twitter and Facebook.
You can also connect with me personally at Novelnaut, Thatedeguy, Shane Ede, and my personal Twitter.
The root cause of most financial issues explained in a direct, honest way. Thanks for helping to motivate us all to look at what we are going to tie the financial chains of debt tighter. Turn around and take one step in the right direction, then another, then another, and so on until you are FREE!
Personal responsability is one of my favorite topics. It amazes me how many people just don’t have it. I wish the would wake up and face the music instead of hoping and dreaming someone will take care of them.
I agree with you, and I don’t carry a balance on my cards. But I will say that some credit card practices have been a bit predatory of late–like lowering someone’s credit limit, then raising interest rates because their credit score is low. . .then again, it makes me want to not do business with such corporations . . .and I don’t
I always appreciate it when someone reminds us of this. I get so sick of the victim attitude — especially as it revolves around debt and credit.
No one made you buy more than you should (they just provided the means to do it — not the same thing)
No one made you buy too big a house
Etc.
I remember this being the first chapter to one of my favorite books: The Success Principles… It all starts here… without realizing you’re the one building the world around you, you’ll spend your whole life playing the role of victim, financially or otherwise. Nice article.
It’s all on you, baby!
That’s a basic message, but a very important one – and one that is the cornerstone message over at my humble blog.
We’re all adults here. Being personally responsible for our every action is inherent in the job description.
Most folks who find themselves in financial trouble got there by their own doing and as such have to buy into personal responsibility before they can fix things.
All the best,
Len
Len Penzo dot Com