Free Real Estate Articles by Damian Lanfranchi and Done-For-You Deals

Find a young couple in love.

Ask them, “Do you think you’ll ever fight or even break up over money?”

Reply, “No, never. Not us. We’re not like that!”

You might even have said the same thing yourself once upon a time.

Yet, sadly statistics show money is one of the all time leading causes of marital stress. Even worse, it’s one of the top reasons for divorce!

Why is it we have cures and treatments for every other long-time killer, like even some cancers, but money problems are continuing to destroy relationships, happiness and even annihilate marriages?

Something isn’t right.

In the US, we arguably have fewer families with not enough food, shelter and clothing – the basic necessities of life – than anywhere on the planet.

Yet with all this excess, why are we always fighting about money?

Let’s be honest – the overwhelming majority of US families who fight about money have more than enough food, shelter and clothing to survive. Right?

So here’s a controversial theory…

Maybe financial stress has little or nothing to do with how much you actually make.

Think about it – haven’t you met families who make more money than you and yet they still fight about not having enough money!

The divorce statistics are all the same. Richer or poorer, money problems still are a leading cause of divorce.

Why, Why, Why?!?

Let’s just stop and look around for a moment.

Take a critical look at the ads and commercials on your TV, radio, newspaper and now the Internet…

When it comes to “having” what you want in life – the message is all the same.

You work hard – you deserve it.

You work hard, you deserve the car of your dreams.

You work hard, you deserve the vacation of your dreams.

You work hard, you deserve a hot flame-broiled Whopper.

You work hard, you deserve (enter indulgence of your choice here).

Hey – while that may be true, you DO work hard and you DO deserve to enjoy life – this make it a sound way to spend all your money, does it?

Does it make sense to apply the same “you deserve” logic to everything from a juicy flame-broiled whopper to a brand new convertible Lexus?

Of course not.

Yet, this is how commercials tell us to live our lives. And we believe it!

In face, the harder things get, the tougher life becomes, the more entitled we feel to buy whatever the heck we want!

With all this poor advice from commercials, maybe schools are teaching some better financial wisdom.

Schools do teach a whole lot about the importance of working hard and making money, but unfortunately little or nothing on how to spend it!

With no idea or the wrong idea on how to use it, no wonder we’re always fighting about money!

It’s really not your fault!

What’s the solution you ask?

Before you go buy a book on personal finances (certainly not a bad idea), the first and most important step is to make a mental decision – a switch in your mind if you may – about what a family really is.

Think about this – colonial times.

Most families ran a farm or possibly a store.

The family and their means of survival were one.

The family was a business unit.

So whether it was a decision to take off work and go on vacation or buy a brand new bigger house, family decisions were business decisions and business decisions were family decisions.

But now most folks work for somebody else and just bring home a paycheck.

The idea of the family unit as a business unit is dead.

But just because the idea is dead, doesn’t mean it’s not the truth.

Stop and think. Isn’t your family just like a business?

Every week a paycheck or paycheck(s) come in (revenue).

There are weekly and monthly bills to pay (expense).

And hopefully there is some money left over (profit).

Plus, it’s not just about how much you make but whether or not your check clears fast enough so you have money to pay the bills on time (cash flow).

Like it or not, your family is a business.

Now this isn’t saying you should assign titles and ID badges to your family members and start thinking of your children as assets and liabilities – not at all.

But since the family unit really is a business unit, don’t you think it’s time you start managing it the same way?

And this is where I’m going to say a NASTY WORD…

A word everybody HATES…

But first…

Would you ever try to run a business or corporation without knowing how much you were making and spending every year, every month and every week?

How long would it be before you went bankrupt?

Not long, right.

In the same way, a family with no clue how much is going out and how much is coming in, is destined for financial difficulties and money problems.

Step 1 to breaking fre.e is to realize it’s time to start thinking of your family unit as a business unit.

And Step 2 –

Time for that nasty word…

Budget.

Remember, no matter what money situation you are facing, big or small, and how difficult it is, you really are not alone.

In Part II we’ll discuss how to make a simple budget that will save you from most your financial stress and eliminate the fear of running out of money and going broke!

(Stay Tuned for How Much Did You Spend!?! Not Again… – Part 2)

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How Much Did You Spend!?! Not Again… Part 2 of 2