My Challenge and Barriers to Savings

Finally a minute to sit down and spend some time with you.  It has been very hectic here lately.  We have 2 birthdays within 3 weeks of each other, plus I have 3 Thirty-One parties to close within the next few days.  

I have had a couple of interesting situations come along concerning my Lenten challenges of "no non-essential spending."  One is on the subject of gift cards.  Can I use a gift card that I already own?  Does that count?  Some people have responded on my FB page that it is already money spent. What do you think?

The other interesting question concerns birthday parties of friends' children.  Is their gift essential or non-essential?  My husband says essential.  I know, I know, we can make a gift and it's the thought that counts, but really?  Would you do that?  Am I being "too" frugal?  I do re-use packing paper as gift wrap and have the kids decorate it so we save on wrapping paper.  I was just thinking I may let the kids make a gift for a close friend.  It would be more personalized that way.  Isn't that an interesting thought process?  We will make a gift for a close friend and not worry about being too frugal, but worry how I will appear to a not-so-close friend....hmmmmmm.....

On to another topic...that one was getting too intense for me to continue to contemplate.  Feel free to express yourself in the comments.  And please feel free to share the blog.

I asked my 22 year old yesterday what one piece of financial advice, that I have given her, she is most thankful for.  She didn't hesitate.  She told me she is grateful that I have nagged her to no-end to start saving.  (truth be told she never said she was grateful for my nagging...hehehe)  She had a flat tire over the weekend and had enough money in her savings account to replace it.  She is getting ready to move into her first apartment this summer and is grateful that she has money to help her get started.  She then went on to tell me how she tells her friends that they need to save some money no matter what.  I started laughing.  This is a girl who I have nagged and nagged to "get it together" and now she is giving financial advice.  I love it!!

One thing I made clear to our oldest is that being fiscally irresponsible was not an option while she lives with us.  If she so chooses that route then she has to move out.  I am not joking about this.  There is no excuse not to know how to set up a spending plan or have a savings account when your mother is an accredited financial counselor.  It has been a long, slow process, but I feel she is finally on board.  

And that is half the battle with anything....are YOU ready?  No matter how hard I pushed our oldest, yelled, nagged, you name it, she wasn't going to start saving money or stop being irresponsible until SHE was ready.  When she finally understood the magnitude of some of the upcoming expenses she had, I think it finally sunk in.  It helps to see such a nice sum in the savings account too I'm sure.

So are YOU ready?  What is preventing you from saving?  I have the opportunity to get published in a newsletter on this very topic and I would love your help in identifying some of the barriers to savings that are out there.  And no, I will not use your name :)