The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness

Book Preface

What About You?
Do you feel as if you have full control over your money . . . or are your bills controlling you? The amount of control you have over financial matters is often reflected in how you feel about money matters in general.
The same thing is true, of course, when it comes to any area of your life in which a “makeover” might be needed.
If you are in very bad health—or your physician tells you that certain numbers in your lab reports and exams are “abnormal”—you may become highly motivated to undertake a new exercise, diet, or better-health plan. If your spouse tells you the end of your marriage is on the horizon, you may become highly motivated to seek out a counselor to help you revamp the way you relate to your spouse and to improve your marriage. There’s a feeling that hits the pit of your stomach when you finally wake up and say to yourself, “Something’s got to change! I can’t continue to live this way . . . the fact is, to continue this way isn’t really living. It’s just existing, enduring, putting in the time and the miles and hoping I end up somewhere I like.”
Before you are truly willing to embark on a Total Money Makeover, you need to face up to how you feel about your current financial situation. That will tell you how motivated you are to do something about changing your financial situation.
Plain and simple, if you like your current financial situation, you probably feel pretty good about money matters, and you don’t need a makeover.
On the other hand, if you don’t like your current financial situation, you probably feel pretty lousy about your finances. A makeover is for you!

Exercise #1
How Do You Feel About Money?
I challenge you to take the Ten Situations Test below.
Respond to each of the statements quickly and instinctively with a simple “I like to talk about this” or “I don’t like to discuss this.”
LIKE to Talk: The “LIKE to Talk” category includes responses such as “I enjoy getting new ideas about this” and “I don’t have anything to hide on this subject.” “LIKE to Talk” should reflect an enthusiasm—not a reluctance—for talking, and a willingness to be open, honest, and candid. Finally, the “LIKE to Talk” category should not reflect just an “I’ve got a pat answer already prepared” attitude, but rather an “I think this is a good opportunity for a candid sharing of ideas and opinions” attitude.
HATE to Talk: Included in the “HATE to Talk” category are responses such as “I wouldn’t be caught dead discussing this” and “I’d do just about anything to avoid a serious conversation about this.” “HATE to Talk” should be checked if you feel reluctance, awkwardness, or dread.