Tame the monster - stage four

Stage three - First doubts

I started to be suspicious in about three or four month after all that began. I mean, I was suspicious in the very beginning, but it was just a kind of general suspicion based on books, advises and opinions of other people, but this time it was for real, it was happening to me. And I'd got a strange feeling about what happened at that stage. I think people look pretty much like a bunch of stupid rabbits. Rabbits which see a boa and know for sure they see the death, but still look at him in a kind of sacred horror and move slowly right into his mouth. I saw how my account getting worth and worth, I felt something going on in here, but I still thought I have some time and I can change things fast and easy. If only I knew how badly I was in troubles already because in fact it doesn't matter how much money you own, most important thing is you are delusional, you are keep dreaming and do not do a thing about situation.

At that stage things escalate fast. If you don't have self discipline to stop everything in one fast and firm move you'll be watching yourself going lower and lower down every day. However, this is probably what most of us suppose to came through to better appreciate financial independence and freedom. And despite it might seems not awfully bad for some of us, truth is if we do not stop spend and do not do anything about existing debt, soon enough we might find ourselved at the very bottom, but this is another story...

Tame the monster - stage three

Stage three – First steps, first mistakes

This is the pont where all following problems have their beginning. After I finally got my credit card, and spent some time to cherish myself, first and unfortunately unavoidable step was to test it in action. To be honest at that time I tried to convince myself, that unlike mamy other losers who weren't intelligent enough to keep little plastic thing under control and I definitely have the spirit and ability to do that without much afford. But nevertheless with those thoughts in my head and credit evil in my hand I went to a first shop and made my first purchase, then second, and third after that... Do I need to continue? And at first I was pretty accurate with repayments. In fact I was accuracy and responsibility in one face. But in a short while my alertness was down and cent by cent, dollar by dollar unpaid balance begun to grow. Sometimes when I saw growing balance I payed it out, sometimes I just thought, “Well, there is nothing to wary about, I'll do it later this week or month”. It wasn't too bad at that point, I steel been wearing pink glasses.

If only people could stop at that point and take credit card under control! Actually I personally know a lucky few who managed to escape of temptation to get deeply involved in spending unwellness. But it is such a minority of that kind of people, so I think they even not deserve to be mentioned among us. As I said, at that point I was not lost yet, but my future was already domed and next step downhill was just a matter of time. And that step had been made, but this is another story...

Tame the monster - stage two

Stage two – Pleasure to posses

I remember the precious moment when I opened an envelope and (Oh my goodness, finally!!) took my plastic precious out. It was inspiring moment, it was moment of truth and in that moment I was proud of myself. I spent entire evening to play with this little thing. I put it on a table, looked at it at a different angels, imagined myself to preset my credit card to stunned and speechless sales people. And I think I was not alone in that kind of excitement. I believe any mentally normal person went through that at one stage of their existence or another. I don't blame myself, I don't blame any of us who was there. After all we were just follow the stream, just tried to live “normal” life, life which so deeply advertised in our world.

It is easy to be smart and pretend to be educated now, after all those things which I came through with credit card in my wallet and intolerable desire to use it in my head. Those two things when combined together could be very, VERY dangerous. But I would understand it much letter, for now I was just a stupid little boy, who finally got his precocious toy for a birthday. I can't blame myself actually for all that childish behavior, look, it was quite an achievement for me on that stage and I think I deserve a bit of respect for that. But again, if I only could stop myself at that point and started to money smart straight away. It hadn't happened, and I went through everything all other stupid bustards with credit cards and no brain went. I payed my price, but this is another story...

Tame the monster - stage one

This time I'd like to talk about credit cards. I know, I know it was said enough about that, and it is really difficult to add something new to that matter. But I guess every time some individual makes his (or her) way through “credit cards conspiracy” him (or her) discovers it again and again. This "thing" is probably most painful and difficult to cure among many other money problems. I feel like I just have to talk about that.

However, my goal there is not to describe exact numbers of interest and repayments (I hope to return to that a bit letter). For now I'd like to talk more about what I call “mental fall” which precedes real problems. I know what I'm talking about, believe me, simply because I came trough that. So, here we are, there is a common history of downfall and painful climb to rise:

Stage one - Unstoppable desire

In a places where I came from even a definition of credit card was unknown. Well, may be it's not one hundred percent correct, but nevertheless it was opportunity for a few. And it was quite understandable, when I got there a credit card represented to me all treasures of capitalism and free world I could only imagine. At that point I thought if I only had a chans to have that little plastic beauty my entire life would change forever. I thought after I manage to get this thing I could get access to all treasures of civilization, I thought all doors would be open immediately and all goodness of the world would be in my hands. And I suspect I was not alone in this kind of sweet mistake. I was a newcomer in the world of free economy and enormous opportunities, and I misbehaved, I admit that. However, what surprise me most, people who were born in that side of the universe, who suppose to know everything about tricky world of personal finance, all those people shared the same mistake with me! Well, almost all people of coarse, but I'm sure, I wouldn't be far from truth if I told that majority of us were in that kind of situation. As such I've came to conclusion, people, who for some fanny reasons don't have credit cards yet, want to have ones as much as they want to have sex, and some of them want to obtain credit cards even more then have sex. This phenomenon almost impossible to explain, and best way is to look at it as at a children's disease. It's unavoidable, and to move on we just have to come through it.

Nevertheless, my lucky day finally came. One morning I just opened an envelope and found my card inside. But this is another story...

Instead of introduction

So, let's just get started. First of all I'd like to explain (and probably most important, explain it to myself) what this is all about. At that moment I am a long time rider of different kinds of blogs, web pages, newspaper topics, books and so on, about personal finances, budgeting, managing home income, household economy and other related stuff. I'm quite interested in all that and sometimes it seams to me I got some ideas and flashes in my head about how to manege home money, how to cruise our family to prosperity or at least to relative financial Independence. But usually this kind of attempts did not go further then uncertain desires and semicomplited steps toward uncertain goals. Full box of sins some might say and I couldn't say they are wrong. So one day I just said enough is enough, it is time to do something, and here we are.

To conclude above I think this blog will be (if it will last long enough, of coarse) an attempt to sort out our personal money, to talk to ourselves about that matter, probably to get some ideas from you and if we 'll be lucky enough to get new friends. I know, sounds little bit to selfish, but I hope it will be fun for me, won't be too borring for you and in the end of the days you will never know what you can get if you don't try.

I don't think I will dedicate that little place in the WEB to money related topics only. At least not in a way how most people expect to hear about personal finances from someone who write blog about that substance. I guess if we would talk abot budgeting, savings, investments, interests, deposits, incomes, credit cards, losses, mortgages etc., etc. only, we got bored from each other befor we even startede. I personally like a lot of stuff in my life except saving accounts and retirement fonds. I like travel, I like read, I like photography, and strictly speaking all those things related to money directly. I mean to have fun you need money for God sake! So let's not limit ourselves by discuss how to collect banknotes in our wallets, but let's share how we can get most from what we have.

So, thanks for coming, enjoy yourselves, please come again, and most important, I'm begging you, share! Share your ideas, share opinions, ideas and everything your want to share.