Have you ever asked yourself…

Can I afford it?

It doesn’t matter what the ‘it’ is. Maybe it’s a car. A new pair of shoes. A vacation. Groceries for the week.

Many of us have asked ourselves that at some point in our lives. I know I have, when I found myself at 29, broke, broken, and a single mom having to go on welfare.

But, I also kept asking myself if I could afford various things as I grew my businesses, and as I grew my bank account. I realized that there were things I wanted in life that maybe didn’t fit in with my budget at the time, but I also knew that somehow, I had to get them.

So I started asking myself, “HOW can I afford it?”

What did I need to do to get that car I wanted, the computer I needed, or the house my family deserved?

Did I need to work extra hours? Did I need to raise my rates? Did I need to cut out spending on things I didn’t actually want or need? Could I sell something that would give me a little extra cash, and could I invest that extra cash somewhere?

Understanding what you need to do to get where you want, how much money you need, and planning out all your actions to get there will ensure that you are getting the things in life that you want.

Can you afford NOT to?

Making a big purchase and spending money on a want, not a need, can seem really scary. Sometimes you just need to take the leap. And sometimes, denying yourself the things you want in life can actually hurt you.

I remember investing in a new computer and an Excel class using my girlfriend’s credit card (I had no credit) because I was not hire-able as a bookkeeper any longer without these skills. The One-Write system was gone. Accounting and bookkeeping were no longer done manually, and I had NO education or experience with computers and NO money.

I didn’t NEED the computer or the Excel course. I could have just continued as a waitress. So what would have happened if I didn’t make this investment? If I just stayed working in restaurants and never educated myself and added the skills needed to get back into the workforce?

Well, I can tell you that you would not be reading this post!

I’d still be alive, okay. But I wouldn’t be HERE.

And that flipped me into thinking about the cost of not taking action. Of keeping things how they were when I felt frozen in trying to move forward. This RAPIDLY got me unstuck and into action. I realized I was making the SAME choices that had got me to where I was. I wanted different results, so I knew I needed to take different actions.

And it all came down to the questions I was asking myself.

So, I ask you … instead of asking ‘can you afford it’, WHAT IF you asked, ‘how can I afford it, and ‘can I really afford NOT to do it’?

The choice, as always, is yours.