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Global Grind’s financial coach, Lynn Richardson, wants to help you get prepared for 2013 by helping you change your mind about money:

If you’ve been following the “Change Your Money Mind” series, then you’ve probably figured out this important fact:  acquiring wealth is hard work, but so is being broke!  So choose to work hard on learning new habits to maintain wealth, rather than working hard to destroy it. 

Previously, you learned that the key to acquiring more wealth is to spend less and earn more, I instructed you to try living by the 10-10-30-50 rule, and I shared that the first 10% of each check is for giving, the next 10% is for saving, and the following 30% is cash in your pocket.   Allocating funds in a separate account will help you stay on track while living below your means. 

Well, the last 50% stays in your checking account for bills.  You can sign up for automatic withdrawal or you can go to your creditor’s online bill paying service to pay your bills manually with the cash available in your checking account.  If there’s extra money after you pay all of your bills, then try to leave it in your checking account for future unexpected bills and emergencies, or you may choose to allocate some of the extra money towards giving or saving for a special occasion.  But if there’s not enough money in your checking account to pay your bills, then cut back on any- and everything EXCEPT giving and saving.  Decrease your food expense by taking your lunch to work.  Give up expensive coffee.  Do your own hair.  Minimize your gasoline expense by carpooling or getting a bus or train pass. 

Whatever you do, live below your means and remember this fact:  more money doesn’t solve a money problem, because if it did, millionaires wouldn’t go bankrupt.  If you want to change your money, you MUST change your mind.