This morning I’m going to talk about… uh, well… something that isn’t your favorite topic. But I want to share tips on how to win in this “awkward” area of your life – debt. I know some people get stressed even thinking about debt or their financial situation. Today, let’s work on taking you from stressed about money to a winning position financially.

I asked a question on Facebook about whether or not people saw debt as just a normal part of life or is it even possible to live without it? What hinders you from getting out of debt and what causes you to live paycheck-to-paycheck? The responses were crazy and I just have to share then with you!

One woman sent me a comment saying, “As long as we are taxed, we’ll always have debt.” WHAT? I was totally shocked how quickly this woman jumped to blame someone else for her debt, as if she has no control over her personal finances whatsoever! Because we’re taxed? Plenty of countries have taxes and are not anywhere near the debt levels of our country.

The issue here is not taxes, it’s you! No matter who you are trying to blame for your debt, the ultimate and final responsibility rests with you. Sometimes it’s simply a lack of knowledge; honestly, it’s not like you had a lot of training growing up. There really aren’t that many good examples of financially-independent, debt-free people out there, after all. Most people who make a lot of money, also have a lot of debt.

And it isn’t because of taxes. As a businesswoman, I am taxed far more than when I first entered the workforce.  And guess what? I don’t have all that debt!

Our entire society is built around this mindset that the more you make, the more you need to spend. It’s called a poverty mentality! It is not only rooted in the habits you saw and learned in your childhood, but also stems from your friends and the media, too. It’s ingrained in us to make more, spend more. That mentality doesn’t generate wealth, financial independence or wise spending patterns.

If you want to score a big financial win, you have to sow into financially wise decisions! CareerBuilder.com states 6 out of 10 people are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Of those 60% of the population, a full 40% are reliant on their credit cards. Wow, if you do the math, that means a full one-quarter of our entire population uses their credit cards just to make ends meet! Do you see this as a financially-wise decision?

You know, 50-60 years ago people didn’t go into debt to buy a car. Or buy clothes or groceries. It was an embarrassment to go into debt! Now, we pull out a credit card for a stick of gum and it’s a prideful thing.  Benjamin Franklin summed up what used to be the traditional mindset toward debt: “Better to go to bed hungry than wake up in debt.” It’s funny how different our founding fathers saw finances then, versus the fast-forward to where our country is now.

The sales pitches for credit cards, credit reports, and debt altogether, is a huge marketing LIE.  They’re making money off of you. When I first started making a lot of money, my real estate agent told me I could afford a million-dollar home. Originally I was looking for a home with a way smaller price tag. But somehow I let him talk me into that huge million-dollar house, not even realizing he was doubling, tripling or even quadrupling his commission off of my stupid financial decision!

Don’t you think it’s about time to take responsibility and take control of your personal finances? Don’t believe the marketing, throw away those credit card applications and ask yourself if these purchases are wise or just adding to your stress!

I hope today’s message gave you something to think about. Leave me your comments below and don’t forget to Like and Share it with your friends and family members!

What are you doing for lunch today? Start the week off right and join me at lunch time today for The Dani Johnson Show at 12 pm ET/11 pm CT. You can tune into the show on either your TV or radio and please remember you can always stream today’s show right on our website.

In great faith,

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