Struggling to make the ends meet every month is just so stressful and not to mention, mentally and emotionally draining.
After having to quit my office job, I had to face the tough consequences of all those bad money decisions that I’ve made back when I was still working.
Since I was in between jobs, I was stuck in this negative cycle of barely making the ends meet every month and struggling to provide even for the basic necessities.
It was like having to constantly carry this huge weight on my shoulders. It was a gut-wrenching pain that never seems to go away.
Nobody wants to be stuck in this cycle but sometimes the problem is when we are in this situation, it may seem too impossible to find a way out, especially if you’re living paycheck to paycheck and you’re always left with nothing every month.
I know how debilitating and exhausting this feels. I cried myself to bed almost every night worrying.
I wanted so badly for my situation to change but all of it just became too overwhelming for me that most days I just felt like giving up — thinking that no matter what I do, I could never turn my situation around.
But I was wrong. So, if you’re also feeling this way, I’m here to tell you this: It is possible for you to change your financial situation.
It is possible for you to get out of debt and stop living paycheck to paycheck and it’s definitely possible for you to stop being broke.
You just have to recognize the fact that regardless of how difficult your situation is right now, you have to power to change it.
Here are 5 steps I took to finally stop being poor and break free from the cycle…
These are just some of the steps that helped alleviate my financial situation — I’m hoping it will do the same for you!
Determine your Financial Goal and Create a Financial Plan
This was the very first step that I took.
I was working for years, yet I didn’t have any savings, no emergency fund.
I was earning a decent amount of money yet I was still living paycheck to paycheck.
And the whole reason I was stuck living that lifestyle was that I didn’t have any financial goals.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my money.
I was just so busy enjoying the now and just mindlessly spending my money on unnecessary things because I didn’t have any plans for the future.
So, Take the time to sit down and figure out what matters most to you, think about your short-term and long-term goals.
Be as specific as possible and once you have determined your financial goals, prioritize them and remember to set a timeframe for each of them.
Learn to live below your means…
Nowadays, with credit cards available to us, it’s always so easy to spend more than what we can afford — I was definitely guilty of this.
I made bad money decisions and I continued to use my credit cards to make all these unnecessary purchases — purchases that I couldn’t even afford.
Living this kind of lifestyle was exhausting and not to mention the amount of stress that it brought me every time those credit card bills come — it was just gut-wrenching.
I knew that if I wanted to get out of debt and improve my financial situation, the best way to do this was for me to learn how to start living below my means.
So, whether you want to get out of debt, increase your savings or just basically lessen your financial stress, living below your means will help you get there.
Remind yourself that choosing to live this lifestyle doesn’t mean that you’re cheap.
You don’t have to resort to extreme measures just to stretch every dollar, you just have to make wise money decisions and choose to invest your money on things that really matter.
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Stop choosing convenience over savings…
Most people are guilty of this. Whether it’s constantly eating out, choosing to take that Uber ride or even having our groceries delivered, it’s always so easy to go for convenience over savings.
But after taking a hard look at my finances, I realized just how this behavior has cost me.
I know it’s often so easy to ignore these charges, especially since the upfront charge is low and not to mention that it’s convenient but what we don’t realize is that these small charges can easily pile up and cost us more than what we expected.
It’s not bad to choose convenience once in a while but if money is tight and your goal is to save, then it’s definitely time to put a stop to this behavior.
Organize your finances…
I never really knew how important this was until last year.
Last year was by far my greatest financial struggle. I was buried in so much debt, struggling to make the ends meet and my finances were pretty much all over the place.
This made me realized how my spending habits and being disorganized with my finances has left me in financial ruin.
So, don’t make the same mistake as I did.
I tell you, whatever your financial goal may be, organizing your finances is an essential step in helping you achieve that.
Doing this will give you the chance to see opportunities to improve your finances and what actions you need to take to achieve your financial goals.
Stop choosing instant gratification…
I used to live for instant gratification. It was always so easy for me to blow my paycheck on unnecessary things without even thinking twice.
And the worst part is, I would always justify that behavior with the words: I deserve this.
I chose to sacrifice my future financial needs for today’s happiness.
Don’t get me wrong, this is not entirely a bad thing but if you keep on doing this to a point where you’re already burying yourself in so much debt, then that is when the problem starts.
Know what your end goal is and focus on that.
Remind yourself that the little sacrifices that you’re willing to do now will reward you tenfold in the future.
Being broke is not easy. It can cause us a lot of stress and so many sleepless nights but the good news is, this is definitely not permanent. We have to keep reminding ourselves that we can break free from this cycle, we can stop being poor.
You have the ability to turn this around and to improve your financial situation. You just have to take action, be consistent and keep going.
You got this!
Your Turn…
What were the steps that you took to improve your finances and turn your financial situation around? Let me know in the comment section below, I’ de love to hear from you!