Money Questions: Finding Out The Why?

Posted on | February 22, 2012 | No Comments

When it comes to money, we often do not stop to think through before we act. The answer to why holds the key to why we do the things we do, and consequently get the results we get. If we are not getting the results we desire, it means we may be doing something wrong. If you are perpetually broke, it means you have violated some important financial laws. When it comes to attaining financial freedom, the most often violated law is spending below your income and paying yourself first. Deciding to do something different often is not enough. You may decide to do the right thing, but find yourself doing the wrong thing over and over again. We need to find out why

Saving before spending makes common sense on the intellectual level. Actually doing it is another ball game entirely. We mean to save, but we find ourselves spending first before saving what is left, which is often nothing, rather than saving first and spending what is left. Until we find out why we do the things we do, we may find ourselves meaning to do one thing, and actually doing something else.

We often think that we save money when we buy something on sale. Buying an item that is not on your list means less money in your pocket, no matter how steep the discount. A lot of folks have “saved” themselves to financial difficulty. You cannot save by spending. The word “Save 50%!” is deceptive. The truthful word is “Spend 50%!”

Why do you spend the way you do? What is your money reflex?
What is the first impulse you feel when money gets into your account or you get a credit alert or advice?
Is it spend, or save and invest?
Why do we buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like?
What do we gain by doing what everyone else is doing?
Why the pressure to conform. Why do we emulate the poor and middle class when we desire to be rich?

What is our feelings towards money?
What is money to us?
Why are we addicted to working for money rather than having our money work hard for us?
Why do we allow the fear of not having enough money trap us in jobs we hate rather than be courageous enough to follow our heart and go for our dreams?

Why are you working with that company?
Why are you living in that neighborhood?
Why are you driving that model of car?

My daughter asked a couple recently – “Daddy, where do you go every morning?
Why don’t you come home early and play with us?”

Reminds me of the story of the piglet that grew up to find Mummy digging the mud every blessed day. One day, she had to ask Mummy why. “When you grow up, you will understand”, her Mummy told her.

Until you find out the why, you will keep doing what everyone is doing, and getting the results everyone is getting, and keep wondering why you are part of the 99% that make do with the left over after the rich have helped themselves. The answers lies deep in the inside of us, often traceable to childhood conditioning with respect to money, how our parents handled money and what they told us about money. Until we lay to rest finally our financial ghosts from the past, we will keep driving with our eyes on the rear view mirror. Until you fix the why, you will keep pouring new wine into an old wineskin.

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