Close your eyes for a second and think about your current monetary situation. What comes to mind? Are you in control or out of control? I’m afraid that too many of us feel helpless. We feel that we are just trying to stay afloat each month, and hoping that at the end of the month we have more money than bills.

This is the mindset of letting our money reign over us. We feel like we must answer to our money and can barely keep any left for ourselves. This mindset leaves us feeling hopeless and stuck. We stop trying to get out of this viscous cycle that leaves us with less and less money each month. We find ourselvess splurging more often, because we feel trapped and feel like we’ve earned it.

This needs to change. You must learn to be the master of your own money. You are in control, you earn it and you decide how it’s spent. Start to view yourself as the boss of your own life. You work hard and make the money come in. It certainly wasn’t easy, you poured your blood, sweat and tears into earning it. Don’t let it get away from you easily. There are tons of people everyday trying to steal it away from you. There will always bills to pay so start focusing on the big picture.

Take the income level from the Cardinal Rule #1 as make that your ceiling. Start fighting hard to make that amount last, start calling the shots. As soon as you can start learning to take control, you will put an end to the viscous cycle of feeling hopeless with your money.

“Only an idiot keeps stubbing their toe on the same rock” – My high school Spanish teacher

Don’t be that idiot, break the cycle.