Hello UI. This is part 2 of our financial series. I hope you have put the actions of the 1^st week into practice. I have a good news report. A brother that I gave this advice to way before I started UI Financial has now gone from a 417 credit rating to now after only 6 months of my financial advice… A credit rating of 683!!! FYI he only makes about $9.50/hr and was also about 300k in debt. My point in telling you that testimony is that if you make more than him and owe much less then you have no reason to be doing poorly in your financial life. Follow my easy steps toward financial freedom and you will be able to walk with your head high wherever you go no matter what situation you are in. The saying “I know I don’t have much but…” will no longer be your reality. Break free from that state of mind and take control of your financial future.

One of the keys to building any amount of wealth is saving money. This I must admit is a hard one for most people. I can’t even boast all that much about my saving habits. However I know a few tricks that will help you save money for both the long and short term. One short term way to save money is by PAYING UTILITES ON TIME AND IN FULL. I know you are saying that you have other bills and you can’t afford what you are paying now, but consider this… If you make a partial payment or a late payment, your utility company adds a late fee and or other charges for not paying in full or on time. On average a late fee on a utility is about 5-14 dollars. Depending, that’s roughly a about of 120.00 per year for each bill. Considering that you pay electricity, water, gas, and possibly a phone cable etc. you are throwing away roughly 600 dollars a year that you can either save or use to take care of yourself and or family. I know it seems like you are giving them all your money but you are throwing it at them by not paying bills on time.

Eating out can also be a drain on your finances. Yes you should not eat out all the time, but into today’s world it is inevitable. You can however make better financial choices while doing just that. The first thing is CONSIDER WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO EAT. If you like certain foods and you order the meal that comes with sides and an entrée ask your self are you really going to finish the meal> Or are you going to take it home and let the rest rot in the fridge? Order what you are going to eat A La Carte (Buy individual items) instead of the whole meal. Even though it only may save you a couple dollars, those dollars add up saving you big money in the short term and long. Also our portions in the US are grossly in excess. Try splitting a pate with someone else. Sounds like a poor thing to do, but forget that… You have money to save and in a few cases weight to lose. Come on… Do you really need those fries and the soda? Or will the burger and a cup of water be enough? These small decisions will save you money and also save your health in some ways.

Okay here is the elephant in the room that I haven’t addressed and the one that you probably have been waiting for… “I want to save for the future, but how can I when I don’t even make enough money to do it?” This is the eternal question… Saving money… But no money to save. Well it’s more simple than you think. I have a system that has saved me THOUSANDS in the last 6 years. Yes I make a decent wage with my business but that does not matter here. Many others have done the same with much less. Read carefully so that you can have the freedom of this extra money in your life.

This is a 7 day process which costs less than the vices that you may have. You honestly won’t even miss it. Day 1 take $1 dollar… and put it away. Day 2… take 2 dollars and put it away. Repeat this process through day 7 and put away the dollar amount that corresponds with that particular day. The most you will have to put away is 7 bucks which is the price of a pack of cigarettes or a trip to Starbucks. In a year’s time you will have amassed a total of $1,456.00. In 5 years you will have over $7,280.00 which is a great start to buying a house, starting your own business, investing in our community or even simply preparing for retirement. Using an online saving account will give you the biggest yield. Barclay’s Bank is honestly the best for rates and trustworthiness. Or keep it in a place that you don’t have easy access to. All that extra bread is easy to want to spend.

Again I say to you that financial freedom is attainable. It is not some farfetched idea that only whites can enjoy. So can we. Yes we may have to work harder to get it, but so what? Are we to just simply accept poverty and feel complacent in the warm embrace of the “lower” middle class? No. I refuse to do that and so should you. Until next time everyone… Make money… Not excuses.