Welcome back to the life of ya boi, RoddyJ. I work a full-time, part-time and still make time for beats and rhymes and my beautiful girlfriend. With some recent changes in our financial status, I find myself saying/thinking the phrase "Dig Deep" almost everyday. This is a deep concept. Have you ever been in the water waist deep at the beach, with waves just about knocking you over? One of the things you do to counter this is dig deep into the sand with your toes, plant yourself into the beach. Now what happens when you do that and a wave comes? Well, you still get knocked over... but when you get your coordination back and you stand back up, you'll find yourself in the same place, not subject to where the current wants you to be. You don't have to struggle to get back to your starting point.
Now, let's apply this concept to everyday life. Sometimes you know when waves are coming like your rent, car payment, down payments, and other bills. Sometimes they sneak up on you like that unexpected thousand-dollar cell phone bill, auto-repairs, or that last minute opportunity to go to Vegas with your friends. Either way if you haven't dug deep enough, any one of these "waves" could bring your happy-ass back to shore, struggling to get back to where you were.
So how can I dig deep in my everyday life? Saving and budgeting is the key! Of course, right? But how do I do that? First think about this: the ability to make yourself do what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not = self discipline. Ok, here are some things that I do to keep money on me always and dig deep.
1. Connect paychecks. Connecting paychecks means getting paid on the 15th and still having money from the check on the 1st (if you get paid bi-weekly). How? Budget! Find out what you need money for this month: rent, bills, food, and transportation. That's it! The rest of the money pretend as though you don't have it. Remember self discipline. Start connecting paychecks until you find yourself getting paid with a paycheck in the bank already! It's a great feeling.
2. After you've paid your bills, don't spend it unless you will have it. Wait, WHAT!? Haha, it means exactly what it sounds like. Don't spend $50 on that new out-fit unless you will have $50 left. If you want to dig a little deeper, don't spend it unless you have it twice or if you feeling really daring, three times! That means not buying those $70 Jordan's unless you will have at least $140 left (twice) or $210 (three times). It is a simple principle that keeps money in my pocket at all times!
3. Ok, my last tip may sound kind of unexpected, but think about it. Seek Government Assistance. The key here is that sometimes you can't save because you have to spend your last on food. Uncle Sam takes your money from income tax and sales tax to help people just like you with things like food and daycare, so why not get some of that money back?! Applying for food stamps is easy, it just takes a long time and the paperwork can be confusing but that's what your case worker is for. Now days, your funds are deposited on a card. Nobody in line at the grocery store will even know that you are using government assistance. Most cases you don't even have to tell the cashier, they just know. You can also use your EBT card at places like Wal-Mart and Sam's Club as well as some convenient stores! And if you were recently laid off, there are unemployment programs in your state that will pay you weekly a percentage of what you made at your previous employer. The best part is that after you have found another job, you can still draw these benefits up to a certain dollar amount. Now I would not recommend cheating the system as you could end up facing jail time, so any questions call your worker. The secret is to have a plan! As soon as you have dug deep enough it is important to get off of government assistance because at a certain point it becomes a hindrance and you can't imagine life without it, even though you are capable of making much more!
That's it for now, hopefully I've opened your eyes so that EVERY time you open your wallet (or purse) you will have money. Remember DIG DEEP!
_roddyJ
