60 Days to Change: Week 1

(Green Candy.com) - Below is a summary of the first week from the 60 Days to Change Challenge program.  For more specific details on each day of the challenge sign-up here .

Day 1: Gather Your Statements

Most people who struggle with their finances are generally suffering from a lack of awareness. Awareness is all about information, and information is a very powerful tool. It helps you make better decisions. Many people who are unaware of their finances, are purposefully unaware, thus, the decision they make is weak. They make non-decisions and call them decisions in order to feel better.

Day 2: Count Your Transactions

Habits are a funny thing. Whether they are good or bad they become second nature. You become numb to them, and they become part of who you are. As you know, that is why bad habits can be so dangerous. There is one financial habit that I think is incredibly dangerous, yet it often goes undetected. That habit: numb spending.

Numb spending occurs when you become completely oblivious to the inordinate amount of expenditures that you have. In other words, you live in front of a cash register. The problem is that the more transactions that you have, the less discriminating you are in your spending. Smart people consider all of their purchases quite seriously. I’m not suggesting that you get into some sort of Lincoln/Douglass debate with yourself over a pack of gum, but if you are looking for change, then grab the podium, Abe. How many times per week do you purchase something? Go through your bank and credit card statements and count your transactions for three previous months.

Day 3: Evaluate Your Skill Set

Different strokes for different folks, right? You will get something different during these 60 days than your neighbor will. By the way, if your neighbor isn’t in the program, then get them involved. Everyone can benefit from a focused 60 day effort.

Maybe during these 60 days you will take a chunk out of your debt. Maybe you will build an emergency reserve. You may even save hundreds of dollars per month by cleaning up nasty habits. The point is that we need to take some time to examine what you are looking to get out of this program.

Day 4: Deal with Money Stress

 

The worst part of losing weight is the initial step onto the scale. It creates many feelings of stress, embarrassment, and shame. But, it is necessary. People change because of pain and stress. You wouldn’t change if there wasn’t a reason to change. Money stress is one of the worst forms of stress that exists. Many strong feelings are going to come to the surface during these 60 days, and you must learn how to deal with them.

If you are sharing your finances with a significant other, then not only do you have to deal with your stress level, but you need to deal with theirs. The best way to deal with financial stress is to change your thinking. You need to start eliminating the worrying, and embrace the positive.

Day 5: Switching Your Thinking

If you are going to make it through these 60 days with some newfound positive habits, you need to switch your thinking. Here are six concepts that you need to come to terms with.

1. Your life is not about purchases. Americans tend to buy one thing, and then spend the next several moments planning how they are going to get more stuff. We are the U.S.A. (the Upgrading States of America). We are constantly upgrading perfectly good stuff.

Day 6: Do you have a problem with “the new necessities”

 

Life is different than it use to be. We have different expense now-a-days. How do these "new necessities" affect your wallet? I think you will find that they really aren't necessities. They are simply a huge consumer of your income. Ouch! There are two reasons that you should fill this worksheet out. #1 – it’s part of 60 Days to Change. #2 - you will easily save at least $70 per month by completing this worksheet. Take the time to fill it out.

Day 7: Progress Report

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