my wife's sister, who is constantly borrowing and buying just to have more of the same, only bigger and better with each purchase. She and her husband are in a right ole pickle financially, and it's plain to see why! They are continuously spiraling into debt for their 'wants'. Two cars, PC's and TV's in every room, new bikes every year for the kids, latest mobile phones for all the family, state of the art electronics and kitchen gadgets, ad infinitum.

They are convinced we've got a side line that we're not telling them about, but honestly, it's all about managing your money. It starts with a simple sheet of paper with columns and rows. You often find that when you cut back on

When I left school I was semi literate and semi numerate, yet I never missed a day. The teachers used to jest that I was a slow learner and a fast forgetter, and that probably summed me up pretty well. However, although I accept the fact that I'm not the brightest lamp in the street, I'm not stupid either. Not wanting to go through life as a dimwit, I put all my efforts into managing what little money I earned, and as a consequence, I appear to have a developed quite a skill for it. Friends and neighbors don't understand how I can live so well on so little, but it's all about managing your money. Get this right, and the burden of financial fear and insecurity will leave you forever. Let me explain.

Have you ever wondered how the guy you work with who's doing the same job on the same salary seems to have a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, a newer car, and better holidays? The usual whispers probably go around such as he's probably inherited some cash or he's won the lottery. Then there's the usual speculation that he gets handouts from his parents or his wife's folks, and so on and so forth. But the bottom line is more likely to do with how he manages his money. What about you, how are you managing your money correctly?

The first and most important step for me to learn was how to differentiate my needs from my wants. This may sound simple, but it's not always easy! Try it. You could be really surprised at how much money gets wasted on the 'want' products and services.

In my early days of going it alone, I soon realized which foods got wasted each month and adjusted accordingly. I was a heavy smoker too, and here was another golden opportunity to kick the habit, get healthy, and save a stash at the same time. I've always enjoyed a couple of beers of an evening, but now I brew my own. It's great fun, it's super easy, it tastes just great, and it works out at a mere 10 cents a pint. The money I've saved here goes towards my nights out when I'm forced to buy from the taps.

But I just want to make it clear, I don't go without and I don't skimp. I live very well and have a credit rating that would probably be the envy of those on more substantial salaries. I used my credit cards a lot. I always pay them off in full at the end of each month to avoid the interest. I not only get my credit limit increased periodically, but I'm down as a reliable borrower which all goes into the rating system. The only debts I have are mortgage and automobile.

Even when I got married, we made it clear from the outset that my income would be used for living and my wife's for saving and investing. By the time we had our first born, we had no financial worries at all. We could have gone the other way, like my wife's sister, who is constantly borrowing and buying just to have more of the same, only bigger and better with each purchase. She and her husband are in a right ole pickle financially, and it's plain to see why! They are continuously spiraling into debt for their 'wants'. Two cars, PC's and TV's in every room, new bikes every year for the kids, latest mobile phones for all the family, state of the art electronics and kitchen gadgets, ad infinitum.

They are convinced we've got a side line that we're not telling them about, but honestly, it's all about managing your money. It starts with a simple sheet of paper with columns and rows. You often find that when you cut back on

r. Let me explain.

Have you ever wondered how the guy you work with who's doing the same job on the same salary seems to have a bigger house in a nicer neighborhood, a newer car, and better holidays? The usual whispers probably go around such as he's probably inherited some cash or he's won the lottery. Then there's the usual speculation that he gets handouts from his parents or his wife's folks, and so on and so forth. But the bottom line is more likely to do with how he manages his money. What about you, how are you managing your money correctly?

The first and most important step for me to learn was how to differentiate my needs from my wants. This may sound simple, but it's not always easy! Try it. You could be really surprised at how much money gets wasted on the 'want' products and services.

In my early days of going it alone, I soon realized which foods got wasted each month and adjusted accordingly. I was a heavy smoker too, and here was another golden opportunity to kick the habit, get healthy, and save a stash at the same time. I've always enjoyed a couple of beers of an evening, but now I brew my own. It's great fun, it's super easy, it tastes just great, and it works out at a mere 10 cents a pint. The money I've saved here goes towards my nights out when I'm forced to buy from the taps.

But I just want to make it clear, I don't go without and I don't skimp. I live very well and have a credit rating that would probably be the envy of those on more substantial salaries. I used my credit cards a lot. I always pay them off in full at the end of each month to avoid the interest. I not only get my credit limit increased periodically, but I'm down as a reliable borrower which all goes into the rating system. The only debts I have are mortgage and automobile.

Even when I got married, we made it clear from the outset that my income would be used for living and my wife's for saving and investing. By the time we had our first born, we had no financial worries at all. We could have gone the other way, like my wife's sister, who is constantly borrowing and buying just to have more of the same, only bigger and better with each purchase. She and her husband are in a right ole pickle financially, and it's plain to see why! They are continuously spiraling into debt for their 'wants'. Two cars, PC's and TV's in every room, new bikes every year for the kids, latest mobile phones for all the family, state of the art electronics and kitchen gadgets, ad infinitum.

They are convinced we've got a side line that we're not telling them about, but honestly, it's all about managing your money. It starts with a simple sheet of paper with columns and rows. You often find that when you cut back on

ut it's not always easy! Try it. You could be really surprised at how much money gets wasted on the 'want' products and services.

In my early days of going it alone, I soon realized which foods got wasted each month and adjusted accordingly. I was a heavy smoker too, and here was another golden opportunity to kick the habit, get healthy, and save a stash at the same time. I've always enjoyed a couple of beers of an evening, but now I brew my own. It's great fun, it's super easy, it tastes just great, and it works out at a mere 10 cents a pint. The money I've saved here goes towards my nights out when I'm forced to buy from the taps.

But I just want to make it clear, I don't go without and I don't skimp. I live very well and have a credit rating that would probably be the envy of those on more substantial salaries. I used my credit cards a lot. I always pay them off in full at the end of each month to avoid the interest. I not only get my credit limit increased periodically, but I'm down as a reliable borrower which all goes into the rating system. The only debts I have are mortgage and automobile.

Even when I got married, we made it clear from the outset that my income would be used for living and my wife's for saving and investing. By the time we had our first born, we had no financial worries at all. We could have gone the other way, like my wife's sister, who is constantly borrowing and buying just to have more of the same, only bigger and better with each purchase. She and her husband are in a right ole pickle financially, and it's plain to see why! They are continuously spiraling into debt for their 'wants'. Two cars, PC's and TV's in every room, new bikes every year for the kids, latest mobile phones for all the family, state of the art electronics and kitchen gadgets, ad infinitum.

They are convinced we've got a side line that we're not telling them about, but honestly, it's all about managing your money. It starts with a simple sheet of paper with columns and rows. You often find that when you cut back on

't go without and I don't skimp. I live very well and have a credit rating that would probably be the envy of those on more substantial salaries. I used my credit cards a lot. I always pay them off in full at the end of each month to avoid the interest. I not only get my credit limit increased periodically, but I'm down as a reliable borrower which all goes into the rating system. The only debts I have are mortgage and automobile.

Even when I got married, we made it clear from the outset that my income would be used for living and my wife's for saving and investing. By the time we had our first born, we had no financial worries at all. We could have gone the other way, like my wife's sister, who is constantly borrowing and buying just to have more of the same, only bigger and better with each purchase. She and her husband are in a right ole pickle financially, and it's plain to see why! They are continuously spiraling into debt for their 'wants'. Two cars, PC's and TV's in every room, new bikes every year for the kids, latest mobile phones for all the family, state of the art electronics and kitchen gadgets, ad infinitum.

They are convinced we've got a side line that we're not telling them about, but honestly, it's all about managing your money. It starts with a simple sheet of paper with columns and rows. You often find that when you cut back on

my wife's sister, who is constantly borrowing and buying just to have more of the same, only bigger and better with each purchase. She and her husband are in a right ole pickle financially, and it's plain to see why! They are continuously spiraling into debt for their 'wants'. Two cars, PC's and TV's in every room, new bikes every year for the kids, latest mobile phones for all the family, state of the art electronics and kitchen gadgets, ad infinitum.

They are convinced we've got a side line that we're not telling them about, but honestly, it's all about managing your money. It starts with a simple sheet of paper with columns and rows. You often find that when you cut back on your wants, you get more of what you need and that can only be good for peace of mind and happy people.