The saga of “living paycheck to paycheck” continues. It’s become so common to hear people complain about living paycheck to paycheck that it just seems kind of normal. Not a good normal, but a “shrug your shoulders because that’s just how it is” kind of normal. When things become “normal”, we rely on our memory of this new normal to feed our perceptions of the world. Jokes are made about the high costs of housing, we give “logical reasons” why we stopped buying name brands, we charge our credit cards again and again, because HEY, when in Rome. We need to stop relying on past memories of our finances and use our imagination to propel ourselves towards our financial dreams!
74% is a huge number! I’m here to tell you that we can break that number.
One thing my mom would always say to me that FRUSTRATED the daylights out of me was “figure it out”. I would come to her with all sorts of questions (I was quite curious) and she would look me straight in the face and ask me what I had done to try and answer the question myself. My little kid brain would always exclaim, “Well, I’m coming to you!” Maybe she knew the answers to my questions and maybe she didn’t, but I learned during those years that answers don’t always come easy.
Living paycheck to paycheck is a problem and WE need to find the answers.
I could go into all sorts of rants about inflation or rising living costs or income not keeping up with inflation. All of that stuff really does suck for everyone. No one is untouched by these things, but are we going to be reactive to them or proactive?
Being proactive requires imagination!
I believe the American people can get beyond living paycheck to paycheck. I believe we all have the determination, the passion, the imagination, and the will to create a better life for ourselves and our children’s children.
We’ve acknowledged that 74% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. Okay. We’ve acknowledged that everyone is feeling the living “pinch”. Okay. So, what are we going to do about it? We can’t rely on the government, we can’t rely on more stimulus checks coming our way, and we can’t rely on our companies to increase our pay all of the sudden. We can only change our own minds, our own perceptions, and our own future.
So, how do we get out of this cycle? Get creative!
- Get on a money plan: See if there is any extra spending you can maneuver around to cover costs or save for future expenses.
- Can you get money for your car and buy a cheaper one?: If your car is worth a decent amount, trade it in for something that is reliable and has 4 wheels. It can save you a ton of money and help you pay off debt quicker.
- Uncover the money under your nose: If my husband can find $900 of stuff to sell just by looking around his work stuff, I know you’ve got stuff to sell in that garage.
- Start the side hustle shuffle: I know “side hustle” is like the phrase of the century, but I have met so many people with hidden talents that I’m like, “You need to show the world this! And you can make money!”
- Continue your education: Your current job does not set the limit for your potential. There are a bazillion job certificates you could learn online in 6 months to a year. Think of the salary you could achieve if you invested in yourself.
- Teach your kids to “figure it out”: Get them reading, dreaming, and creating! Don’t let the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck continue.
Ending the “living paycheck to paycheck” saga is a big dream, but in America…we always do big! So, live up to that! Instead of making our credit card debt BIG, make our financial dreams and the determination to achieve them BIG. We can totally do this. It’s going to take work and effort, but isn’t a better life worth it? Isn’t a better legacy for your kids worth investing in yourself? I know you can do it 🙂 YOU are part of my dream! I want YOU to succeed. Let’s do this today!
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