Angelia Williams-Graves, Vice-Mayor of a local city and resource team member (Realtor) of LMLDF, has graciously shared part of her story, along with very valuable financial tips stemming from right choices that she has made in her own finances over the years.  Enjoy…a great story at Christmas that could be life changing for you.

Over the course of my life, I have had some financial challenges.  I didn’t start out with good financial habits and that has cost me thousands of dollars in high interest rates and fees.  What I have learned from two women that I admire is that good financial habits are an essential necessity to life.  Hiding from your mail, not answering your phone and not keeping track of your spending will have you living in financial bondage.  However, you have to be open to changing and you have to take the necessary steps to do so.

Over five years ago, I attended a workshop that Chris Roebuck sponsored at our church and she said something very powerful that I have NEVER forgotten.  She said “don’t let your mail hold you hostage!”  From that point on, I opened every piece of mail that came to my house; whether I could pay the bill or not!  The first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one.  You can’t admit you have a problem if you don’t know what it is.  Once you open your mail, you can begin to tackle the bills one at a time.  They aren’t going anywhere so you may as well deal with them or they will certainly deal with you.

When I observed the way Marion Uzzle my preferred lender at Atlantic Bay Mortgage Group talk about personal finances and credit and watched how she handled her own finances, I started to pay closer attention to my own.  No more $15 lunches and spending money just because something was on sale.  Marion and I often talk about being honest with yourself; in being honest with yourself, you have to recognize your bad habits in order to change them.  I am still a work in progress, but I don’t just blow money hap-hazardly anymore.  If I blow it, I DECIDE to blow and I DECIDE how much I am going to blow.  I buy what I want NOT because it’s on sale and out of impulse, but I’ve made a decision to buy something. Don’t beat yourself up about what you didn’t know.  Learn from my story and the principles and tips from Live My Life Debt Free to do better moving forward.  When you know better you can do better!

Thank you Angelia for this powerful story!  Everyone, avoid being held hostage by your mail during the Christmas holidays; do as Angelia has suggested and take charge.  January will be here before you know it and you will have to deal with the very thing that you can deal with now.

Feel free to leave a comment on how you will manage your finances well during the Christmas holidays.  christineroebuck@livemylifedebtfree.com