Start Late, Finish Rich – HAHAHA! Oh, wait. What?

I’m old. And as Chef Ramsey would say: “Let’s get that right, yeah?”

I’m going to talk – for just a moment – about me and money. Or rather, me and my lack of money.

I believe in reincarnation, or at least, something like it. I think that before I came to earth as the current-day Sheryl, I made a choice to be money-poor. I say this because my life has been one of deprivation.

Understand, it was not my parents… they had their early young-family struggles (as many do) but pulled out of it nicely. My sister and I grew up in a lovely, mid-to-higher income neighborhood. We had what we needed, nice new school clothes every year, braces on our teeth. Christmases rocked big time! We both had cars at 19, weddings/ receptions paid. The last vacation we took as a family was a trans-Panama cruise. Good times!

My sister, the only other sibling I grew up with, was always a saver and in her life and marriage has done very well financially. She continued the tradition of cruises… and I’m so envious. But I’d never want to take it away from her… just wish I had it, too.

The problem was not my first husband, or my current husband… each worked very hard, made good money and at different times of their lives (when I wasn’t a part of it) were able to buy homes and new cars.

Clearly, the problem always was – and continues to be – me.

Pill = Hard to swallow 

At this point in my life, I can look back and see some of the problem. I’m an expansive personality who likes to share and share alike. If I have something, I want you to have it too. That’s a nice quality, right? Or a dumb one, at least when it comes to saving money.

I’ve read a lot over the years and even worked in finance for about a decade in the 1980’s. I was a bank teller, collector and loan secretary. I knew what to do… but somehow, could never translate that knowledge into movin’ on up myself.

As you can tell, I could – quite obviously – write an entire post about this.

I’ve read a lot, as you also know. One of the first books that really made a difference to my financial thinking is the antithesis to the featured title today. It’s called Living Well on One Income in a Two-Income World by Cynthia Yates. What it did was offer options for my lower-income life. It also made me feel better. I mean, yeah, there was (almost always) two people working in my marriages but it was never enough.  (Psst: I still have this book!)

Then I wanted more. Well heck, I *always* wanted more but you know what I mean.

Start Late, Finish Rich by David Back is one in a growing series of books about getting rich. Here’s an article about David Beck, the self-made millionaire. Read at your peril leisure.

Blah, blah, blah, blah. Right?

Wrong!

Here’s the main and BIGGEST thing this man has right… and I say this as someone who never had it right before: PAY YOURSELF FIRST.  There, now you don’t even need to read the book. Kidding!

This book has action plans and success stories and practical advice and … an entire philosophy!

Has it worked for me??

Well. Being honest. I’ve never gotten all the way through it. It’s not that it’s tough reading because it’s not. Unless you’re me.

Me first? Never.

Maybe it should be.

(Maybe it should be YOU!)