There Ain't Nothing Going On, But The Rent!

Bill collectors at my door! What can you do for me?

That's the opening line of the classic Gwen Guthrie song, "Ain't nothin' goin' on but the rent". In the chorus she draws the line in the sand and puts her foot firmly down:
"I said no romance without finance!"

 

In our last post, we discussed the simple solution to our financial problems and asked why we don't implement it so consistently.  Gwen's song touches on one reason...

Finance is not an emotional issue

One can say that Gwen was reminding us to "keep it real", so to speak. She's telling her romantic interest; 'Sure, I like you, you look good, and you're a smooth talker but...Mama needs to pay her bills!' She wasn't mixing up her emotions with her finances.

One reason that we don't always stick to a budget and spend less than we earn, is that sometimes emotions can drive our decision making.  Managing our personal finances is an equation involving numbers, not emotions.

 

We know that may sound cold and heartless, yet not liking how it sounds doesn't make it any less true. Remember that famous scene in the movie "A League of their own where Tom Hanks declared "There's no crying in baseball!"?

(Double click to view full screen)

The coach's challenge there may have been more in his delivery than in his message. Yet no matter how we phrase it, if you let fear, worry, anxiety, envy, or even love be the primary driver of your financial decisions, and you continuously choose to spend more than you can afford to?

Financial problems will follow you as surely as night follows day.  

Remember:

• Your financial management should be based on facts, not emotions.
• Spend less than you earn and you eliminate your financial problems. 

Don't get us wrong. We also realize that there are legitimate situations, where the only practical way for you to survive, is to borrow money. Been there, done that, bought the T shirt.

Shite happens sometimes that is beyond our control, or we have gotten so deep in the hole that we can't climb up without help. We are not discounting that.

What we are suggesting is that should be seen as a temporary situation. If this becomes our normal, then there may be more than just a financial issue at play. It's similar to constant overeating...that's not simply a weight loss issue.  The issue may really be "what's eating you?"  But that's another story.

What's your take on financial challenges? Leave us a comment below!