Personal Finances – How I Achieved More Money Than Month

Are you familiar with the phrase “More Month Than Money?” It means running short of money either before the end of the month or before your next payday. It’s a condition with which most wage earners are familiar. It was my problem for many years.

I’ve been married to Lois Lane for more than forty years. We raised two daughters. I’ve had several “careers,” and, I’ve always had a decent income. What I didn’t always have was an effective way to manage my income. I’m not an accountant; just a breadwinner who, when I first got married, couldn’t make the ‘bread’ go far enough.

The Early Years

For about the first ten years of our marriage, I used trial and error money management. Even though I had a good job with a decent salary, I never seemed to consistently have enough money to both pay my bills and for day-to-day expenses. One payday we would have more than we needed; the next we would run out of money long before the next paycheck. It was a continual financial rollercoaster. Sound familiar?

Like most people, I had not received any kind of formal or informal training to prepare me for the awesome responsibility of managing my income to effectively support a growing family. I was on my own with no financial roadmap as I searched for any type of a money management method that would work for me. I was looking for a way to both pay my bills on time and to smooth out the amount of spending money available between paydays. I’m sure you can relate to my quest.

I tried budgets and found that keeping track of every penny spent was something I didn’t want to do. My budgets started off great, but they didn’t last long. I tried bill consolidation loans and, after doing several, realized that consolidation loans by themselves are not the answer. They served only to increase my debt instead of helping me to control my finances. Keep in mind that this was all happening over 30 years ago; well before the advent of personal computers. There were no software options for personal financial management. I was on my own.

My First “System”

Over the years I gradually, without any premeditated idea of what I was doing, developed a system for paying my bills which also evened out the highs and lows between paychecks. These were the two features of a money management system that I wanted. This “system” was nothing more that a consistent way of looking at my finances twice a month. I was doing this all on scratch paper with no formal structure.

It’s impossible for me to pinpoint when my very simple approach to cash flow management evolved into something I could use consistently. All I can say with certainty is that while I was paying bills one month it dawned on me that what I was doing on scratch paper could somehow be organized into formal records.

After experimenting with forms design over a couple of months, I managed to create a system of forms that replaced my scratch paper. (Remember, this was in the mid-1970′s; several years before the advent of the personal computer.) With my new forms in place, my informal system had matured to the point that I was able to pay my bills when due without financial strain, and I had a consistent cash flow for day-to-day expenses. I was quite pleased with how my own personal money management “system” had turned out. It was a process that I, nor anyone else to my knowledge, had ever seen or used.

A Friend Gave It A Try

A friend of mine at the time, Fred Thornton (not his real name), became interested in my little system of forms. I had been telling Fred how pleased I was with the effectiveness of the process. My friend was also searching for a better financial scheme. He had an excellent income, plus a generous monthly dividend from a trust fund that his grandparents had set up. Despite his above average income, Fred’s financial condition was characterized by “more month than money.” He had large credit card and charge account balances to which he forfeited substantial interest every month. In addition, Fred was constantly concerned about his ability to pay his bills. He was in the same boat I had been in. At his request, I agreed to create a set of my forms for Fred to try.

After I copied the forms and instructed Fred on the methodology of the system, Fred became very dubious that my set of forms would be any help at all. After he initialized his forms to reflect his financial situation, it was painfully clear that Fred’s finances were a disaster. According to the forms, Fred was in very bad financial straits; bad enough that he doubted his ability to ever get his finances under control. In addition to doubting the usefulness of my forms, both Fred and his wife were afraid that using the system would put unwanted restraints on their lifestyle the same way budgets tend to do.

The Turnaround Was Amazing

Despite their concerns, Fred and his wife decided to give my system of forms a try. They had nothing to lose. Their finances were in such bad shape that they doubted my system could make things worse. The results they achieved so quickly amazed all of us.

After using my system of forms for less than three months, Fred’s finances had stabilized. All of his credit card and charge account balances were under control to the extent that he no longer paid interest on any of his credit cards or charge accounts. Furthermore, Fred and his wife were very pleased that their concerns about having constraints on their lifestyle proved groundless. They were actually able to begin pursuing many interests which, prior to using my system of forms, had been too expensive. As Christmas approached that year, the Thorntons were able to do virtually all of their gift buying without incurring any debt. In the eleven years they had been married, that was the first Christmas that they got through with virtually no additional debt.

The amazing turnaround in Fred’s finances was nothing short of incredible. Because of the original set of forms I had provided to Fred, his finances quickly went from “more month than money” to “more money than month.” After using my “system” for a few short months, Fred found that he was consistently faced with the pleasant problem of having excess income every month. His income had not changed, only the way he managed it.

The Word Began To Spread

My and Fred’s success with the original set of forms was difficult to keep secret. It wasn’t long before I was receiving inquiries from both people I knew as well as strangers; some of whom were out of state. Since I couldn’t make copies of the forms and personally instruct everyone on how to use them, I decided to write a how-to book. The resulting three-ring binder, titled Payday Management System, was self-published in 1975.

Without exception, everyone who purchased a copy of that first book had the same success in gaining control of their finances that Fred had experienced. I began receiving letters from very pleased customers. Sales were slow since all advertising was strictly word of mouth. But, it appeared that, given enough time, sales of the Payday Management System could have taken off. So why haven’t you heard about that first book in the last thirty or so years?

At the time I was still very much involved in my military career and had no time to be a book publisher. Shortly after publishing the Payday Management System, I was transferred to my next tour at sea. Before heading for my ship I put the book aside. I went off to sea and forgot about it. I continued to use the money management techniques; I just didn’t have the time to share them with others.

Fast Forward To Today

It’s now more than thirty years since my personal money management system was formalized in a crude set of hand-drawn forms. Since then, the personal computer has become very much a part of a growing number of peoples’ lives. I decided a few years ago that it was time to update the original book and to convert the manual forms into a personal computer program so that I could again begin sharing this powerful money management process. I was now a software developer with much experience and figured I could easily convert the Payday Management System manual workbook to a Windows program. Boy, was I wrong.

After several years and more false starts, I completed the first version of my personal finance program in the fall of 2006. Expressing the simple techniques that comprised the original Payday Management System proved to be a far greater challenge than I first thought. Those techniques are powerful in their simplicity; and I soon discovered that preserving that simplicity in a technological venue was not easy. But, version 1.0 of the software is finally done. I’ve been using the program for several months. It makes managing our month-to-month finances very simple and easy.

Dennis was invited to speak on Channel 8 “Good Morning Singapore” on 3 July 2009 (Friday) 7.30 am to share about some of the concepts in his book “Mastering Your Personal Finance” 如何做个理财掌门人. PS this is the First Chinese/English Book on Personal Finance in Singapore. What are the things he shared? The topics shared include: Can Average Singaporean become Rich? Why Do the Rich get Richer? Can it be due to they have a different mindset from the average person? What is the mindset of the Rich? To ger Richer, you need to increase your Financial Literacy? What is Financial Literacy? Do you need to be very good in Mathematics to have Financial Literacy? The Average person like to DIY, do you know that this can be one reason that actually hinder them from becoming Rich? What are the basic steps a person need to take to start on the path towards Financial Freedom?
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Creating an Effective Personal Finance Budget

A Personal finance software is the most progressive solution that you can get with your limited or extended cash options. The easiest to use personal finance software with which you can manage your personal finances is Desktop Budget. You can create your own customized financial budget using this new accounting software. You can record the monthly as well as annual income and expenditures to keep you focused on your expenses. This will enable you to be on guard against spending outside your means. Be it your retirement plans or your expenses on your children’s education personal budgeting will keep you in sync with your resources. It helps you to analyze your spending and savings habits. You will also be informed of the latest currency exchange rates. As these types of budgeting offers calculators you can calculate the loan amount without depending on others. It offers a tabular representation which makes it easy to process and calculate future payments. Your day to day financial activities are recorded for future references. A Personal finance manager alone can guide you through this imbroglio.

This will help you to stay off from indulging in unwanted expenses. Its effective personal debt management keeps track of your expenses and guards you against falling into debt trap. It will also introduce you to many insurance policies and funds that will enable you to save for a rainy day. A personal finance software is a reliable tool and is like a good friend who will warn you of lurking danger. Your life will be secured if you give the reins to the personal finance manager. Expenses are numerous and it needs the ingenuity of a useful tool to track down. Expenses like house help, grocery, medical help, laundry, basic amenities, phone, mobile, transportation that contribute to the household expenses and the Lifestyle expenses include expenses on newspaper, clothing, entertainment books, personal care, eating out, travel, holiday, and club or gym membership all get incorporated in personal finance.

A Guide On Personal Finance Software

In the good old days, personal finance for most people meant simply balancing their checkbook once a week and making sure they had enough money in the bank to cover the monthly bills.  Of course that was long before the days of multiple credit cards, electronic fund transfers, PayPal, and the dozens of other complicated financial transactions made by even the average person on a daily basis.  These days, keeping track of person finances can be quite a chore and can often overwhelm you, leading to a less than perfect financial situation.

Modern life has created additional headaches in our daily lives, but fortunately it has also provided new tools to use to control them.  Personal finance software is the best option for keeping one’s personal finances organized and up to date.

Personal finance software comes in many varieties, each offering a specific set of financial tools.  The simplest forms simply keep track of multiple bank accounts, including credit card accounts.  The most complete versions offer tax tracking, investment tracking, budget analysis, electronic banking and a long list of other features.  How much you need depends on your situation and how closely you want to track your finances.

Most banks now offer free electronic banking to their customers.  Make sure that whichever program you choose, it is capable of taking advantage of electronic banking.  The vast majority of programs offer this feature as standard so you shouldn’t have to look hard.  With electronic banking, you can easily check your balance, automatically download statements, transfer funds among accounts and have all your information seamlessly transferred into your electronic account register.

The two powerhouses of financial software are Quicken from Intuit Corporation and Microsoft Money.  Both companies offer several versions of the program and generally offer the same features.  The interfaces are slightly different and one’s preference will likely come down to which one appeals to you most.  New editions are released each year to account for changes in banking and tax law and owners of the previous year’s edition will receive discounts to upgrade.

Another option that is growing in popularity is software that is kept entirely online.  You never actually download a program to your computer and can access your information from any computer connected to the Internet, including smartphones.  This is referred to as “cloud computing.”  Some websites offer a low monthly fee to use the software and other sites are free and entirely advertising supported.  Some people prefer this method for its convenience and other people stay away from these programs due to security fears.

Once you begin to use personal finance software you’ll wonder how you ever managed your finances without it.  People become addicted to seeing the computer generated reports of exactly where their money goes each month.  They often find this makes it easier to create a budget and stick to it.  Even if you simply want to keep your basic checking account up to date, personal finance software is worth the small price.

How-To Schedule Online Bill Pay with Quicken. Quicken personal finance software can remind you about upcoming bills so you can forget about late payments and avoid fees. Watch this video to learn how to use the Quicken bill scheduling feature. Visit Quicken.Intuit.com.

Basic Tips on Personal Finance

Planning your personal finances doesn’t always come naturally, and even if you’re just beginning to take your financial matters seriously, then you likely need a few personal finance tips.

Evaluate your current financial situation. One of the most important goals for most people is financial independence. Collect accurate information about your personal financial situation. Calculate your net worth which includes the real estate, saving and retirement accounts, and all other assets. This will help you decide how much money you can set aside for meeting future needs and goals.

A basic personal finance tip is to make a budget. A personal finance budget is information made up of your income and expenses and the more accurate this information is, the more likely you are be able to meet your goals and realize your dreams. A personal finance budget should be made for at most one year at a time and include a list of your monthly expenses.

All expenses must be included. To be sure of that go through all your paid bills, check register and credit card receipts to find expenditures that recur every month and expenditures that happen less frequently. Personal finance budgeting requires some small sacrifices. To be able to make good personal financial decisions and set priorities, you must know where your money is actually going. Start your budget and accomplish your goals.

Get an electronic bill pay. This is a very convenient way to pay your bills. You pay them electronically, by direct withdrawal from your bank account. The transaction is processed immediately. You can even link your bill pay service to your personal finance budget, so that your expenditures are automatically entered in the appropriate category. Personal financial management can be really easy.

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Manage Your Personal Finances Prudently

“As flies to wanton boys are we to gods they kill us for their sport”-everyone at one time or other in their life, when the going gets tough should have praised the bard for these words full of wisdom. But why should we curse our fate, every time when something does not turn out the way we want. You can now avail the help of a personal finance manager to overcome these hurdles. We often blame it on our stars when we fail, without thinking about the possibilities around us. A plethora of opportunities are wasted because of our ignorance. A powerful and flexible personal finance manager could allow you to control your budget using as less time as possible. Nothing helps you as accounting software at a time of financial ailment. Even your most trusted friend may turn you down when you are in deep waters. This is where a little bit of planning by using a personal finance manager keeps you going. Just one week after the payday you will be on the lookout for next payday, even if you are paid a handsome amount. Expenses are on the rise and incomes are falling. Personal budgeting can keep your woes at bay. Personal finance brings about a discipline in our spending habits which hitherto went unbridled. The tools & facilities make accounting and personal finance management easier. Many people are not aware of various features that a personal finance manager would offer. This association with personal finance gets you in touch with these tools and you could direct your finances into investments with returns. If we can spend and save then why should we waste money in areas that do not yield? Choosing the right personal finance manager is not a problem now. Many companies provide you with powerful tools which are adept in helping you handle your money. These tools will give you an estimate of your daily spending and savings and prevent you from overindulging. Prudent spending and saving is the soul of any life. A person might end up in disaster owing to his irresponsible way of spending.