Spending Smarter

Seth Godin said " If you're going across town, you're very specific: "188 Fifth Avenue, on the east side of the street please."

On the other hand, when you go on vacation, you tell people, "I'm going to Paris," not "we're going to 8 rue du Cherche-Midi." And if you're going even farther than that, you skip the city and country altogether and just say, "we're going to Africa.

Short version: If you want people to embrace your version of the future, talk about it like it's right around the corner, not on another planet."

SO, when we keep hearing the $700 Billion Dollar Bailout - that might as well be Mars. What does this mean to you and me? What should WE - the general public - be doing now to help lessen the hit we're taking in this market? The Answer: Spend Smarter. Make choices now about where you are putting your money - are you giving it to McDonald's to buy one meal or are you giving it to your local farmer to so you can feed your family for a few days?

Pay yourself first - this rule confused me when I was younger. I thought it meant I could pay myself first by purchasing a cool shirt I saw at Macy's. Then I realized that, when I do this, I am paying Macy's first. Follow the cash. Paying yourself first means putting the money in the bank - yes, the bank - and saving it for the smarter choices you will make when you do spend your hard-earned money.