It seems our culture is obsessed with glitz and glam, which leaves people (especially young adults) constantly wanting more and more. If it's not buying a new fit, it's an insanely priced Louis Vuitton accessory, a new lacefront, the latest smartphone, or custom rims for the whip. All for what...appearances? Careful, careful 'cause I know your momma told you things aren't always as they seem. Think about it; what does having things really mean, if your bank account is overdrawn, your credit card is maxed out, your child support is late, or the rent is two weeks past due?Sadly, far too many young adults are chasing a lifestyle instead of chasing their dreams and aspirations. We’re allowing others to define what success means for us with materialism and digging ourselves into holes, living check to check, and repeatedly missing the mark. And tell me just what does society tell you to do in case of an emergency or some unexpected bill emerges, charge it. As the song goes, “It ain’t trickin’ if you got it,” but using credit is a clear indication that you AIN’T got it. As young adults, we’re at critical stages of our lives that will ultimately shape our future. Accumulating debt and spending unnecessarily will only hinder our growth and the opportunities available to us. For instance, more jobs are looking at how we manage our credit, and finance companies bill us more interest for poor credit history. In addition, you can be denied for a higher credit line if you have a negative credit rating.
Well, I am striving for what promoter Langston Carr calls "The Good Life" by pursuing my goals and living within my means in the process. I’d like to think all strivers, including myself, can elevate and live the lifestyles of our choosing as we grow professionally and our wealth increases. In the meantime, I hope our readers here at JuneBug Talk aren’t so fixated and consumed with fantasy and quantifying their existence with things they cannot afford.
While we're flossin', stuntin', boppin', or whatever you wanna call it these days, let's be certain we're not trickin' ourselves into debt and robbing ourselves of a future.
Money Management is the key to not going into debt ( with the exception of school loan... damn u Sallie Mae lol) but I think the bigger issue is that too many young adults don't know how to manage their funds, there are money management classes out there that young adults needs to take advantage of, trust that 90 minute classe or whatever will be worth it in the long run
ReplyDeleteMs MaShari!
ReplyDeleteYou can say ALL of that...AGAIN! And, what's the deal with 'trickin' anyway?? Does the ability to trick make a person more credible or give them more 'swagg??' Hardly...and the individuals that think it does are just as disillusioned.
We should be more concerned with SAVING and SPENDING on things that produce real wealth...and stop TRICKIN' ourselves into thinking wasting money is what's up.
U Thank Ms Ma Shari, this Blog was very well written and much needed
ReplyDeleteI agree that we should concern ourselves with saving and spending on things that produce real wealth. That is my approach.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do also think that it is important to understand something about our culture: we live in a culture of immediacy (online shopping, like amazon and half.com), of I want it and I want it NOW. Saving delays gratification and some folks can't deal with that, especially folks our age. We are in a different era, with different cultural sensibilities, and that advice from out parents about saving may have to be re-evaluated and/or re-interperated in order to convince folks of this generation.
Likewise, personalities differ: some folks like the idea of saving, while some folks like the idea of enjoying their money while they have it.
Although I firmly believe in saving, I do believe in enjoying life while we're here as well. So I understand folks who spend their money (shopping, traveling, having fun) almost as soon as they get it, trying to enjoy life while they have it. Life is flimsy. ---I say that as long as you pay all your bills first, go ahead and do your thing, and keep trickin.--- Life is too short.
Btw: a lot of us literally don't have enough money in the first place to invest in (or spend on) things that produce real wealth.
Ms. Mashari!
ReplyDeleteI'd love to see tips on how to get the process started on living a healthy life!
Ms Qui~
You're a whole plethora of knowledge ms mashari....
ReplyDeleteshare more
Mz. Kewe, I'm so glad you mentioned Sallie Mae because I can share some info about one of their programs. I beg all Sallie Mae loan recipients to checkout www.upromise.com; it's a savings programs that applies a percentage of your spending at online stores, gas stations, restaurants, and the grocery store towards your student loan debt. Guess what, it's $FREE.99!!!
ReplyDeleteMiss Berneta, I like that you discussed a balance between healthy spending habits and living. However, I disagree and think most of us can tuck a little something something away for a rainy day. Tameka and Samantha are just a few of my success stories, so we might have to add a testimonial section. LOL!
Miss Qui Vive, you make a great point. A lot of young people seem to think material things offer them some type of weight in the world. Um, WRONG!
Ms. MaShari, I know I've already txt'd you a/b this, but I must say it again, you definitely did your thing! Money mismanagement is the downfall for a lot of people. Oh and it's STILL trickin' even if you got it!
ReplyDeleteErica, I LOVED your final thought. Ha!
ReplyDeleteStaci, thanks for the compliment!
JBT Readers, leave a comment and let us know you were here. And before leaving our page, check out our blog roll on the left side of the page. Staci's blog is called "My Journey to Better."
yes she is... this is only th tip of the ice berg
ReplyDeleteWell put Ms MaShari!
ReplyDeleteWhen I finished reading, I wanted to say "YESS!!! Somebody else understands!!!" I refrained, didnt want to scare my dog. However, I did forward a link to a few young adults. Like the old folks say, trickin is trickin whether you turning them or making them.
I have also recommended those with Sallie Mae loans to sign up for the UPromise program. Its almost free help paying for your education.
As far as money management, if you dont mind spending a few minutes linking accounts, check out Mint.com. It teaches both money managment AND proper budgetting. Oh and if you have a bank of america account and use the online banking feature, you can set up a portfolio profile to see where your money is going. AND its FREE. Yes, bank of america has a FREE feature.
The tools are out there, you just have to know where to find them :)
B.C. Foster, thanks for checking out the blog. I'm glad you're enthusiastic about managing your finances because the time is NOW. You're right when you say there's a wealth of information out there, and we will make those resources available to our readers here at JBT!
ReplyDeleteVery well written Ms. MaShari. I couldn't agree with you more. Too often we get caught up in the "wants" and "gotta have's" and "I work hard so I'm gonna get.." instead of what we need and/or tracking our process of being financhially responsible.
ReplyDeleteR.N.Diva
I totally agree with this post. Another thing that folks our age forget is about building things that will last like character and virtues, even communication skills. At the end of the day, you won't know what car I drove, but you will see lives I changed and how I lived my dreams. You could have good credit and paid bills but still have no substance, which is a sad reality for lots. Thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteGood Life Real Life!
ReplyDeleteYou hit the nail on the head! Even with good credit and paid bills, you can still miss the boat completely.
Material possessions are not lasting, just as your credit score won't be...but character and legacy well after life has ended.
Ms Qui Vive
R.N. Diva, I'm glad you enjoyed the post!
ReplyDeletegoodlifereallife, You're SO right when you say more and more young people are so jaded that they miss out on what REALLY counts. While a good credit rating and a solid payment history are not EVERYTHING, I do think they indicate something about one's character such as responsibility and commitment. That's why so many employers look at this information as a determining factor for employment.
Please keep reading 'cause we've got even more in store for young strivers!