A Reason or An Excuse
Posted on June 9, 2006
Were you going to take that vacation to the beach last summer, but the car needed new tires so you couldn’t afford it? Were you going to start an exercise program and get in better physical shape, but you just couldn’t fit it into your busy schedule? Were you going to start a savings program, but one unexpected expense after another cropped up and you just never got around to it? Maybe you were even going to start investing in real estate; you bought an investing course, studied it faithfully, but could never get up the courage to make that first offer. Whatever the scenario, are you one of those people who are always going to do something, but never gets around to it for one reason or another?
If this situation fits you, don’t be alarmed, you’re not by yourself. The majority of people and not just a small majority experience the same things. They all have good intentions, but as the saying goes, “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Have you ever wondered why some people seem to have everything going right for them, while others struggle with one problem after another that keeps them from doing the things they want to do?
I remember when I was a young man, I ran up a several hundred dollar credit card balance and like most of my friends, I made the minimum payment each month and didn’t think a lot about it. That was what everyone I knew did. Finally, I decided I wanted to pay off the balance and get rid of the monthly payment. I started paying an extra amount with each payment, but every time I would get to the point where I could pay it off in the next couple of months, something unexpected would come up and I would have to put it on my credit card. It was frustrating!
When I talked with friends about it the only advice I got was, “Don’t worry about it. It happens to everyone. As long as you can make your payments you’ll be okay.” Well, I didn’t like that response. Although making the payments was not a problem, The feeling it gave me when one reason after another kept me from being in control of my finances, was not pleasant. I knew I’d never be able to get ahead financially if I kept letting unplanned pressures sway my decisions. I wanted to do something about it and I did.
Here’s a tip! When faced with what seems to be reasons to get off track and not do what you really want, start trying what I did. Ask yourself, “Is this a reason or an excuse?” The way to tell the difference is simple. Is it something you can influence or not?
I’ll never forget how I learned this lesson. After several years of making credit card payments, I finally got within a month of being able to pay off the balance when my television went on the blink. I didn’t have the money to replace it, so I said. “Darn it!” Actually I said it a bit more forcefully than that, but there I was, just a month from being out of credit card debt and faced with another reason to run the balance back up�or was it?
I asked myself, “Is this reason to go deeper in debt or is it an excuse to justify doing so?” Sure, I wanted a new television, but did I need one at that moment? When I reviewed the amount I’d been paying each month to get out of debt, a bit of calculating revealed something that changed my view of debt forever. I saw that by putting aside the same amount I was paying each month to get out of debt, in just four months I could pay off the remaining credit card balance and save enough to buy a new TV and pay cash for it. Sure, I’d have to make the sacrifice of doing without a television for a few months, but that was something I could control. I knew I could live without it and that’s what I chose to do. As a result, I paid off the credit card balance and have used this lesson to avoid credit card debt for the past 25 years. I still use my credit cards, but I use them as convenience cards not as a credit line.
Today, I don’t charge things I can’t pay for when the statement comes due.
Would I be in this position if I’d listened to those around me who were doing what “everybody they knew” was doing? I don’t think so. By learning the difference between a reason and an excuse, I’ve taken control of my finances and you can to. When it comes to taking control, just remember; going in debt today commits tomorrow’s income to pay for yesterday’s excesses. A plan of action that enables you to pay cash for today’s purchases sets you free to enjoy tomorrow’s earnings tomorrow. The best way to avoid this trap is to learn how to recognize excuses and avoid thinking of them as reasons.
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