How to solve your

money problems

Living according to one's means

What's most likely to cause financial difficulty is undoubtedly the tendency to live above one's means. An otherwise balanced person can have an irresponsible behavior when it comes to his own money. When the budget is tight, when one is already short of money, one continues to spend without counting! Isn't it pure madness to offer oneself a sumptuous meal in an elegant restaurant even though some money has to be borrowed from friends "to finish" the week? What should one think about the woman who is always dressed in the latest fashion, who botches or skips her meals so as to be able to buy a first-class dress? "Eat according to the contents of thy bag of provisions, walk according to width of thy step" (Tibetan proverb) — if you refuse to follow this way of good sense your money will melt away like snow in the sun! Your health, your peace of mind, and even your dignity may have to bear the cost of your unjustified and unjustifiable expenses.

If you indulge in your so extravagant and senseless spending habits, you won't have any more reason to complain about your difficulties at the end of the month. Your uncomfortable situation, it's you who looked for it! Wouldn't it have been simpler to prevent such painful financial acrobatics by being more reasonable?

One cannot but advise you to cut your expenses down to a strict minimum so as to avoid having cold sweats. If you presently find yourself entangled in financial difficulties, it's certainly not the moment to envisage a vacation under the tropics, to change your car, to buy a new hi-fi set, to offer yourself a stylish living room, and so on.

You must also foresee a sufficiently comfortable maneuver margin. Life always involves hazards and one could at any time be forced to make unplanned but absolutely necessary expenses. Don't spend your money to your last dime, don't empty out all your resources, don't waste your last cartridges, but on the contrary always put something by for a rainy day.