It Doesn't Make Cents

How is it that I have gotten this far in life with such poor financial skills? That is the question that has been plaguing me as of late, it literally wakes me up in the middle of the night. I mean, here I am, 30 years old without a penny to my name. At one point that was laughable, but now it is just sad.

At my current job, I work up payment arrangements for people who can't pay their bills. I scold people for not paying on time and getting themselves into a jam. This coming from the person who has a stack of unpaid parking tickets in the glove compartment and thousands of dollars in credit card debt. Thank goodness the phone line cannot betray my hypocrisy.

What separates the born savers from those who are always in debt? Responsibility. I am terribly irresponsible with money and even worse, I am as stubborn as a mule. There are times when I won't pay bills simply out of principle or because the amount of money I have to pay is too painful to think about.

Like most people, I spent most of my early years in the work-force living paycheck to paycheck. However, the difference between born savers and people like me is that born-savers will sacrifice amenities in order to start saving for their future. Meanwhile, I'm buying a $5 latte with a credit card because I don't have enough money in my checking account.

I have refused to sacrifice myself on the altar of financial planning because of my reluctance to curtail my spending and I am not alone. The economy is in the dumps because on a whole, Americans have horrible spending and saving habits. I'm in debt not because I want to be, but because I choose to be.

I have realized, I can't be on my way to earning my second degree and still be this ignorant when it comes to money so it is time to buckle down. How will I do it? Not quite sure yet but if you're wondering if I'm going to go all Suze Orman the answer is no. Oprah may trust her, but that woman's wardrobe tells me she makes some bad decisions.