My step-son Johnathan loves to go around telling his friends that we "have a lot of money".
Now, to an 11 year old, I suppose that could very well feel true. And in a way, he does have a point.
However ...
The more money you make, the more money you spend
As illogical as that statement may seem to some, I honestly don't think a more true sentence has ever been uttered.
I got a first hand view of this concept just last night when Justin (my 16 year old), had a school assignment to make a budget. It was suggested that he ask his parents to estimate their own expenses.
At first, he was utterly amazed by how much money we make each month.
Then, just a few minutes later, he was equally stunned by the relatively small percentage that was actually left after savings, taxes and paying all the bills.
... unfortunately, I wasn't as surprised as Justin.
I think I actually have a pretty good handle on bringing in additional income.
However, much like our own US Government, it's the spending part of the equation that tends to get most of us in trouble.
As luck would have it though, I have a few "financial advice" type sites in my feed reader. And one of them recently made a post that could very well keep me busy for days (in a good way).
I’ve compiled a comprehensive collection — organized by category — of 110 personal finance calculators and helpful tools. They’re free, found online and designed to help you find fast answers to your financial questions.
I hope you find it helpful ... or even better, you're already so financially savvy that you don't need any of these tools 
Keep havin FuN!
Todd
Todd Morris
hey Todd,
Saw your comment on another blog and clicked through. Sensible living is near and dear to me. Your title on this post sums it up nicely. I like your part about “the more you make, the more you spend”. I would add, “and the more the government will take.” The key is to live at or below your means, not matter how much (or how little) you make.
~ Steve, the trade show guru
trade show guru’s last blog post..Trade Show Zombies
hey Todd,
Part of what make life great! ~ Steve, the trade show guru
LOL! I nearly fell off my chair on that one. I think my wife and I have that same “confusion” over the definition of “our means”. Actually, I think with wives, there are many words with multiple meanings.
trade show guru’s last blog post..Trade Show Zombies
So much of the word ‘need’ is psychological. If a person has no reason to restrict his expenses, he has nothing to prevent ‘needs’ from running wild with his priorities, especially with non-stop advertising bombardment.
If only there were a way to help people to keep the bigger picture in mind, recognize that the value of a dollar saved today will be so much greater in 20-30 years, and that there are many things you can do that will enrich you so much more than spending that buck today…..
Hi Steve,
Thanks for popping in … glad you liked the post. I just popped over to your blog, and I see a whole bunch of familiar names there. As for living below our means, I’m all for it … sometimes though, my wife tends to way overestimate exactly what our “means” are
Keep havin FuN!
Todd
Hey Steve,
Oh yea, I totally agree about wives and multiple word meanings. The other one that I’ve occasionally had challenges with over the years is the fact that “clean” can sometimes mean entirely different things to men and women … primarily as it relates to bathrooms, closets and especially the inside of My car. But it’s all good … gotta love em anyway.
Keep havin FuN!
Todd