I came across this post tonight and it rings true for me.  Does it resonate with you?

Hmmm.. let's see.  I have done  one, two, four, five, six and seven.  I guess I can't say that this is TRULY me, right? Considering I didn't do the third sign, right?  Wrong!  You had to know that was going to be my response.  

Read through these 7 signs. Even if you've done one of these and you said you'd never do it again... your finances are probably out of order.  Don't try to convince yourself that you did number six to do/take care of/pay off  _______.  There's almost no real justification to what you've done.

This year I'm committing to putting money into my savings.  That will remove the fourth sign from my list. 

Think about what you can do differently so this year can be better than the last.

Educate. Empower. Economize.

7 Warning Signs Your Finances Are Out of Order

If you're missing bills payments and not saving, it's time for a financial check-up.

by U.S. News Jan 15th 2014 12:55PM

By Sabah Karimi

Nearly three-quarters of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and don't have emergency savings, according to a bankrate.com survey last year.

But you don't have to become part of that statistic. If you want to stay on top of your finances this year, make a commitment to review your budget regularly and take an honest look at your financial standing -- otherwise you could dig yourself deep into financial problems that may not be easy to recover from.

Here are seven warning signs it's time for a financial check-up:

1. You keep missing bill due dates. Late payment fees for services like Internet or cable can seriously add up, and you could get in even deeper financial trouble if you don't pay off your credit card bill on time and in full each month. If you're consistently missing due dates on those credit card bills, utilities or even housing payments, it's time to restructure your budget. Take a closer look at your cash flow, and make sure you are accounting for all forms of revenue and expenses in your budget.

2. You're opening more lines of credit. If you're having a hard time breaking your credit card spending habit or find yourself depending on credit, it's time to focus on your financial health. Opening more lines of credit when you are already carrying a heavy debt load can hurt your credit score. If you find yourself exploring more credit offers or loan options just to get by, stop and re-evaluate your finances.

3. You're making credit card payments ... with other credit cards. While making credit card payments with another card is a convenient payment option, you will set yourself back financially by doing so. Paying off one debt by accumulating more debt -- even if it's lower-interest debt -- will keep you stuck in a vicious debt cycle. Instead, look for opportunities to cut your expenses and earn more money to help pay down your credit card debt.

4. You're not contributing to a savings account each month. Saving at least 10 percent of your monthly income is a healthy goal. However, that's not always possible when you haven't taken the reins on your cash flow or don't have an accurate idea of your monthly expenses. When there's just no room to save money each month, it may be time to review your budget and set some new goals. Even a modest contribution toward a savings account each month will help you develop the self-discipline to save on a regular basis.

5. You have no idea the state of your credit. Even if you don't plan on buying a home or car in the near future, you will want to make sure you have an accurate idea of your creditworthiness. Use annualcreditreport.com to order a free copy of your credit report you are entitled to at least once a year. Checking your credit report can also make it easier to catch signs of identity theft.

6. You have nothing in reserves. If you've been dipping into your savings regularly or have just stopped contributing to your savings and investment accounts, it's time to take a closer look at your spending habits and determine whether you are working with a realistic budget. Having no reserves could set you up for financial ruin in the event of a medical emergency, job loss or other financial crisis.

7. You're paying bills with your 401(k). If you find yourself dipping into your 401(k) just to take care of monthly expenses, it's like you're robbing from your future self -- plus you'll probably have to pay taxes and fees on early withdrawals. Instead of taking money from your retirement account, consider supplementing your income with a second job or scaling back expenses to better manage your money.

Sabah Karimi writes for the financial blog Wise Bread, where you can find resources on how to land more jobs by improving your online reputation.

Fool Me Once...

This is a lesson on assessing the situation.

If you haven't guessed, money to spare is something I don't have these days. Without having a roommate currently, the wallet has gotten extremely lean. This is most likely due to my rash decision to pay the HVAC company $600 to "fix" my furnace by ridding it of "harmful" mold.  I use quotes because: 1. I have lived with this furnace for 4 years now and it hadn't been an issue. There's no mold in the house or on the walls that was a sign of anything wrong.  2. I really didn't have the money to pay them the $1200 they were asking for originally so they "lowered" the price. This should have been the real clue here. 3. I could have cleaned out that damn furnace myself with some soapy bleach water.  I am considering this a $600 (tough and expensive) lesson learned.

Fast forward to last Friday.  I realized my car inspection needed to be done prior to driving to West Virginia for a wedding so I headed to Midas - this is where I get my oil changes and the last three car inspections done. This was a 6 hour drive so I really just figured I'd be in an out with my new inspection sticker.  Wishful thinking.  The mechanic came in and told me that I needed to have the bushings on my sway bars replaced as well as the light bulb that lights up my license plate. I was thinking, "Okay. Bushing and a light blub can't possible be more than $150 bucks." 

The mechanic punched in a few things and then asked, "It's not a hybrid, is it?" and I replied, "No." 

"Good." the mechanic said.  "That would have made the price a lot more", he stated. 

I was relieved.  I knew I was good to go then.

"Well, your total is $302 for everything." he stated.

"$302!?  I don't have that kind of money. I'm going out of town right after all of this and that's all the money I have in the bank."

Then he said, "Well, I can throw in a $30 off coupon for you but that's the best I can do."

I told him I didn't have $272 either and that I will just have to worry about that when I got back from the trip.

The mechanic then stated that I have 15 days to fix the issues and gave me the estimate.

I left the building and got into my car, seeing the white inspection sticker pasted to the windshield. with the large rejection symbol on it.  I opened up the envelop with the estimate and saw the price breakdown.  $19.99 for labor to install a friggin' lightbulb????? You've got to be kidding me.   $172 for the labor of installing the new bushings.  I drove off that morning and continued my trip. I knew there had to be a better way.

I returned from my trip Sunday night determined to find a mechanic with better prices.  Located right next door to Midas  was Merchant Tire.  It is literally about 60 feet from Midas.  I walked in and told the woman what I needed done to pass inspection.  She also asked me if it were a hybrid.  She then stated that it would be $165 to replace the bushings and another $10 to replace the light bulb.

"Are you kidding me?" I said with excitement.  I told her how they were trying to charge me $300 for the same thing. 

She shook her head and said, "It's just bushings and a bulb. It shouldn't be that pricey."

I quickly informed her that she just won a new customer.

The lesson I learned from the situation with the furnace is to always wait to make a decision.  Businesses are always hoping to make something seem like an emergency when in fact, it isn't. An emergency is a flat tire that needs to be fixed. A brake system that isn't working properly.  A furnace that isn't working.

After shelling out $600 for something that I probably could have waited on, I vowed to never be fooled into thinking that everything is an urgent matter.  Everything can be sorted out if you remain calm and give consideration to what really needs to happen.

This lesson has most definitely been learned. And $125 remains in my bank account!

Educated. Empower. Economize.