Rich and Grumpy

There is nothing better than having a break away and getting away for a few days.  Leaving behind all the chores, taking time out from the business and instead seeing new places – or sometimes returning to our favourites.  Taking time out is something we really look forward to.

We know not everything is going to go 100% smoothly, life isn’t going to be perfect.  But when you are on holiday/vacation, that is when you are a little more tolerant and make the most of the things that go really well.

Money Worries and Your Intelligence

We know that when we have money worries, they can seem all consuming.  If we go to bed worrying about money, when we wake up the next morning and it’s the first thing that pops into our head.

So, it would seem logical that when we’re in this all-consuming money worries state that we find it hard to focus on other things.  And more importantly, we find it hard to make sound rational decisions about anything (not just money).

You are Screwing with My Life!

“You are screwing with my life!” is not the best way to start any conversation, let alone one about money with your partner. 

Unfortunately, that is how a lot of conversations between partners end up, if one is feeling frustrated and angry at the lack of communication about money in the relationship.

“I thought I was doing the right thing by supporting my wife and family so she didn’t have to go to work” is what one husband said after his marriage of 25 years ended.

Have a Happy Money Marriage

A happy money marriage is a key ingredient to a happy marriage. We all want a live happily ever after with the person of our dreams. The intention is to spend the rest of our lives together. But the sad reality is that 70% – 80% of relationships that break up, blame money.

So, if you want a happy money marriage you need to talk about money and deal with money as a couple.

Here are a few tips for a happy money marriage.

Communicate about money

The Q&A Forum #4

Welcome to the 4th video in our Q&A series where you get to ask the questions.

Today the two questions are from Susan and Jeff.

Susan asks, – I’ve paid off all my debt, now what?

Jeff asks, – My income keeps going up but I don’t have anything left over and I’m not any happier. What’s going on?

Send us any question you have, nothing is too small and don’t even think about it being silly!

We answer all questions by email, whether we cover them here in this video series or not. Send to hello@moneymentalist.com

Financial Infidelity

Financial infidelity tends not to be seen as serious as having an affair.  The reality is, it is a major breach of trust and the damage it causes a relationship can have long term consequences.  And then there’s the financial fallout to deal with.

Financial infidelity can seem harmless enough, buying something that you really know you shouldn’t and hiding it away.  You bring it out saying breezily, “oh, I’ve had this for ages.”  Both men and women do this.  For many couples, financial infidelity stops there.  But for others it can escalate to real financial harm and relationship breakdown.

What’s Holding You Back from Financial Freedom?

What’s holding you back from achieving your financial dreams – your Financial Freedom?  Do you even know?  Well, it is time to find out and to do something about it.

What I would like you to do is to write down (has to be on paper, not computer) a list of 20 things that are holding you back from achieving financial freedom.

Once you have done that, take a break, have a coffee/juice/water and walk around the block, or whatever it is you do to clear your head.  Then come back and have another look at the list.

Will You Have Enough Money to Retire?

A scary question isn’t it.  We meet quite a number of people who don’t want to even think about retiring let alone thinking if they will have enough money when they finally do.

 The answer to the question was the subject of a presentation at a network breakfast I attended.  A certified financial planner used a case study to illustrate the point.

We probably all know this: we are living longer.  But maybe we hadn’t quite connected the dots in terms of having enough money to retire on.

Why Can’t We Make Saving Fun?

Saving money. We all know we should be doing it for retirement and have money tucked away for a rainy day.  But it is harder said than done.

The reality is, if you don’t pay yourself first, you will end up paying yourself last and there won’t be anything left!

But saving money just isn’t as much fun as spending it.  Saving money for retirement is just too far away when you are in your 20’s or 30’s, having the newest and latest piece of technology is much more exciting.

Gerry Mitchel in his recent article for The Meridian Star  ‘The Psychology of Saving’ makes some very interesting points. Here is a snippet.

Three Critical Rules of Money Management

Happy New Year!  We hope that you have had a fantastic time over the Christmas/New Year period and enjoyed a least a few days off.

It’s (late) January, a time for reflection about last year and looking ahead at self-improvement for this year.  Once you have worked through the diet and exercise goals (they always seem to be fairly near the top of my list), there’s the money planning for the year.

Here are the Three Critical Rules of Money Management that you need to incorporate into your planning.