Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Guilt.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear that word? For many, it’s naming the many things they feel guilty about in their lives. Maybe not spending enough time with the family, or moving away from ailing parents to further a career. Or it could be something as simple as not smiling at the doorman at your office building.

What makes you feel guilty?

We are taught to judge ourselves, and usually that judgment is a negative one. Growing up, we watched our friends – and then commiserated with them – about what was wrong with the way we looked. And we had front-row seats to Read the rest of this entry »

It’s the first weekend of November, which means that the holiday shopping season is upon us. Macy’s has had holiday displays up for a while, and pretty soon we’ll start hearing Christmas music. All this leads up to the “most wonderful time of the year.” Yet for many of us, this season of giving is spoiled by the stress of overspending.

With the unemployment rate still hovering around 9 percent, the economy is a major factor in how much people will spend this season. And like the ghost of Christmas past, Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve all been here. We get discouraged when we have to start squirreling away money. We forget that change – real, long-term change – takes more than just a few weeks of work. We get tired or frustrated. We quit, get back on the wagon, and then quit again. But instead of just accepting what we’re doing at face value, we attempt to justify our actions. Or even emphasize the silver lining, completely overlooking the financial sabotage.

Does this sound like you? I’m not accusing you of being weak or frail because permanent behavioral shifts are incredibly difficult to manage, which is why most people fail.

Since Halloween is a few short days away, I wanted you to start thinking about your finances in a different way: trick or treat. But we’re not exactly talking about the money; we’re delving into the behavior. Let’s start by Read the rest of this entry »