My Thoughts on Thursday - "NO" buys you LIBERTY

I've met with a couple of very business-minded, financial planning individuals this week and we engaged in great challenging conversations. I thought for today I would throw out some of the things we discussed. Now, for the sake of my feelings, don't personally attack me, but just hear me out and then think about it for a day or two, and then email me your thoughts.

Now, in no particular order, here are taglines of conversation topics:
1. People are not planning for their retirement.
2. Healthcare WILL be the biggest expense when we retire (there will be no Medicare).
3. People are living longer. (Their meds are keeping them alive).
4. Most seniors are on blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetic meds. (These ailments are preventable.)
5. Young people do not realize they need to save a.s.a.p. for retirement.
6. Most people do not have money to save.
7. These people do not have a written out budget.
8. Most people spend their money unwisely & impulsively.
9. People want fancy things now and will live in debt to have them.
10. People do not have financial goals.
11. People do not have fitness/spiritual goals.
12. People glorify eating bad at buffets, drinking all night, hangovers.
13. When you talk about healthy eating/budgets/self-discipline, many react defensively.
14. 65% of Americans are obese/overweight - fact!
15. Healthy Eating and Exercise can change that fact.
16. All it takes is goals, self-discipline, and the right program.
17. It's necessary to tell yourself 'NO'.

This is just a brief list....and I'll expand on #17: It's necessary to tell yourself 'NO'....Think about it, our parents told us no, we tell our kids no, God tells us no...because if we/or our kids were allowed to do everything we/they wanted, where would that land us. Really, think about it.

Somewhere, when we grew into adults, we decided that doing whatever we wanted, buying whatever we wanted, and eating whatever we wanted was what being an adult was all about. "Now that I'm an adult, I can do things my way". And where has that got us? That's got our nation in debt, into foreclosures, 65% if us obese/overweight, arrested, divorced, etc. Isn't it time that we shift our own mental paradigm and began to say no to our appetites, spending urges, addictions and start making decision that move us closer to true freedom.

Are we really free when we need 3 meds to keep us alive? Are we really free when we have to work 2 jobs to just keep the lights on? There is freedom in the simple life. There is freedom in telling your impulses "no". Tomorrow, I'm going to give you our personal written budget catagories (minus the $ amounts). Use it as an example of how YOU, yes YOU can structure your finances in a way that's uses them wisely. This way you can afford freedom in your life!