I happen to be adept with money. In point of fact, I am a sort of money saving expert and revenue direction guru -at least when it concerns pragmatic advice. Even so, not everyone I know walks the financially responsible straight and narrow. I happen know several people who are nothing short of horrendous in the realm of personal finance. Alas, many of these folks are too sheepish to ask for the help they urgently need. For them –and for numerous others– money is a forbidden subject. Yet, I am not the type to throw in the towel. I rallied three subtle, yet herculean techniques without fluffing any feathers along the way –and without trampling too harshly on the taboo of personal finance.
Making Personal Finance Less Personal
When I am around someone whom I suspect is dreadful with money, I aerate my opinions about everything having to do personal finance. I pioneer discussions about what I’m doing with my cash, where I’m saving it, how much I love my financial consultant and I will even open up about my plans for the future. I do this in such a way that it does not feel as though I am “rubbing it in,” but rather, starting a dialogue with my subject about money and encouraging them to ask questions. From there, the rest is a piece of cake.
Finance 101
I truly believe in putting my money where my mouth is. I run an openhearted, personal finance 101 for hard cases. I teach people how to shop more effectively. I supply literature on how to economize more by doubling down utilizing rewards programs combined with cash back portals and coupons. I have even gone so far as to take my most problematic cases shopping with me so that I can show them, trusting my frugalness to rub off. It works far better than you might guess.
Finance 101 – Second Act
If you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. I believe this age-old parable applies to the domain of personal finance as well. After talking with somebody about money and once I have given them circumspect shopping advice, it’s time for me to hand off the baton to someone smarter than I am.
I routinely give the gift of financial independence to those that I think need a boost and I do this in the form of good, outmoded books. Since I am a Dave Ramsey adherent, I tend to give (or loan) my “Total Money Makeover” book to whomever I feel might need it, and I can honestly say that it has altered more lives than I can figure both of my hands and both of my feet combined. I have seen people wipe out debt, start investing in real estate and build wealth from a foundation of chronic impulse buying and overspending. Watching these people morph into responsible adults is the best reward I could ask for. Because I believe that my gift in being good with money is one that I am supposed to share with my fellow man.
If I learned anything in my travels with the human race, it is this: Money advice does not have to be solicited in order for it to be powerful; it has to be powerful for it to be solicited.
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