Money is one of the biggest obstacles to people transitioning to a new career, especially one that involves self-employment. The other huge obstacle for people trying to work for themselves is marketing, and marketing at its core is about how to find people to pay you for your work. So money’s a hugely important topic for us.

I used to write about money sometimes when I published my monthly blog-zine, Chasing Wisdom. The archives are available here in the section “Pursuit of Happiness: Money.” Even though I continue to talk with clients and colleagues about money and how to have a better relationship with it, I haven’t written anything about it in a long time.

I realized it’s time to start when I read Seth Godin’s blog post about consumer debt. Partway through it, I though, Dang, he sounds like Dave Ramsey! A few lines later, he was giving props to Dave and linking to an article on Dave’s web site. It’s definitely time for me to share some ideas on getting along with money. I even created a new category to encourage myself to write on this topic regularly.

You get along better with money when you’re in charge. Spend less each month than you make. Save up and pay cash for everything you buy, except your home, and pay cash for your home if you can. Never borrow money to buy things just because you want them. Work, save, and wait. This is the way to show money you’re serious and you’re going to be in charge. Piling up consumer debt says you’re giving up and letting money run wild.

May You Have Everything You Need,

Steve Coxsey