Managing money is a capacity, skill or ability that can be learned and improved upon. However, the way you think has the power to sabotage your aims and derail your plans. Common ways of thinking that you should avoid are
Money is for spending
It sure is but, do you need to spend it all at once or in one place? Do you have to spend it at all just because you have it? Or do you have to spend it until the minimum balance? The money is for spending attitude will not help you with your future plans and your bank balance. Just because at the end of the month there will be more (assuming you are blessed with a permanent employment contract or other steady income generating activity) is not a green light to go and spend it all. This attitude to spend every bit of money because you have it is a mindset you should curb or stop entirely if you want to be a good money manager.
Money is never enough
Depending on your wants and needs money is never enough but thinking that money has to reach a certain level before you can manage it well is something you should not entertain. Money will never be enough at any point in your life as your wants and needs evolve over time and over income. If you already have this rather negative attitude you will not make the clever step to put some of the money away. You will hinder your capability to manage the money you have at the moment and you will be powerless to prevent yourself from spending money that you should be putting away for future use.
Money can mysteriously appear
The miracle of receiving a large sum of money or your bills being mysteriously paid is the moment you are probably daydreaming about but, besides the occasional gifts and favors that befall us sometimes; money rarely will mysteriously appear. Money usually is earned and once earned it is a good idea to plan how you will spend it. If you plan well for how you spend the money you earn now you will probably not be waiting for money you have not earned to mysteriously appear. Also, your aptitude with the money you earn yourself now will hold you in good stead with the money you are gifted or the money that you receive miraculously. Hopefully, you will not squander it but use the same guiding principles you use with your normal income.
Money favours the rich
Probably because they take control of their finances and are participating in its management. They, like many people around you perhaps did not have the amounts of money they have now at one point. However because they were doing their homework before making purchases, making sure that all their financial paper work was up to date and correct, were paying bills in time and putting the extra in another money generating activity or just saving it; they ended up in a good financial position. Rich people take their money management seriously and actively pursue ways to get better at it. With the right mindset you too can be in this select group.
