PIMP

We had some good times together. But like most relationships, when it’s good, it’s really good and when it’s bad, it’s worse. My relationship with money has always been kind of funny. I desperately needed to save money but I just never seemed to have any. I would try to keep a stash of cash for emergencies but I had an emergency every week! My savings was depleted. I think I was in the recession before the rest of the world. I was just a paycheck away from poverty. If I wanted my relationship with money to work, I had to make major changes! You, too, can learn to stash your cash with these 5 money saving tips.

Track Spending – If you’re like me the last thing you want to do is make another list! In order to get out of the living from paycheck to paycheck mode you have to track spending. Tracking will make you more aware of where your money is going. When I looked at my list, I couldn’t believe how much money I was actually throwing out the window! Tracking made me realize that I could cut corners and actually save money.

Take Baby Steps – You don’t need a lot of money to save money. Start small! I was spending $2.00 per day on coffee which totaled about $40.00 per month. Now I take the $2.00 per day I was spending on coffee and put it in a savings jar. At the end of the month, I put it in a savings account. That comes out to $480.00 per year saved. I’ve also started a savings account with a local credit union. Every pay period $25.00 goes to my savings account automatically. $25.00 may not seem like a lot of money but over time it builds up. That’s about $600 per year. No matter how small the amount is, you’re still better off than you were before.

Investigate Employer Benefits – Take some time to discover what your job offers. Check your human resources or Union, if you belong to one. There are tons of money saving benefits associated with unions such as free bank accounts and discounts on auto insurance and other items. I changed my auto insurance carrier to one associated with my union and now I’m saving $300 per year. Employer benefits can definitely help you save money.

Out with the Old… Get rid of things you no longer use. I’m talking about the old clothes, shoes, bags, books, etc. that you’ve been holding on to since forever! Pack everything up and head for your local consignment shop or better yet, sell your old items on EBay or Craig’s list. Your junk could be another person’s treasure and it can put some cash in your pocket, too.

Brown Bag it… You can make a satisfying lunch at home. All it takes is a little preparation. There are tons of easy and healthy alternatives to choose from. For instance, you can pack leftovers, peanut butter and jelly or a turkey sandwich. The choice is yours. You can save money brown bagging your lunch and you’ll probably shave off a few pounds in the process.

Stay Focused - Your relationship with money will get better. It takes time to build a solid relationship. With discipline and foresight, you’re well on your way to a debt free lifestyle. Remember, it’s a process. Be encouraged. You can save money even if you think you don’t have any.

There’s a scene in one of my favorite 70s flicks “A Piece of the Action” with Bill Cosby and Sidney Poiter, where Sidney is schooling a group of troubled black high school students. I can’t recall all of the details but I do remember this line “it’s like masturbation – it feels good for the moment but produces nothing.” He then goes into this deep spill on life, producing to survive, producing to live….real talk. I thought about the time I spent complaining about my job, my life, my finances…you name it. Living for the weekend so I could ‘feel good for the moment’ and before I knew it, Monday rolled back around. I was trapped in a vicious cycle. I wasn’t producing anything just wasting time…..time, the only thing I could never get back. It was time for me to make moves, to make something count, to get a piece of the action! If you’re jacking off, wasting time and producing nothing, here are four practical tips to help you get on the fast track to production.

List – What exactly are you doing when you ‘waste time’? Are you listening to other people’s problems all day? Are you worrying about things you have no control over? Do you spend too much time chatting online, talking on the phone or watching television? Are you whining or complaining about life? What exactly are you doing that gets in the way of production? Whatever it maybe, put it on paper.

Examine – Take a good look at your list. You will soon discover how much time you wasted. The minutes become hours, the hours become years and before you know it, you’ve gotten older and you're still in the same place - nowhere. That thought alone was enough to make me want to change, to do a new thing.

Innovate– Select three items from your list and transform them into something productive. For example, if your list includes hours of chatting online, set a time limit and check out per post forums. Pay per post forums will pay you to respond to discussions. You won’t get rich but you will learn quite a bit and make some new friends in the process. I have personally learned a lot from these forums. You can’t put a price on knowledge. Whatever is on your list, you can make it worth your while. This will take some time but trust me, it’s an investment.

Focus – Monitor your progress and stay committed. You may find a new hobby or passion that can lead to a generous profit. There’s nothing greater than doing what you love and getting paid for it.

Make the most of your time. Be productive in all that you do. Payment isn’t always in the form of money. Sometimes the best things in life are free. It could be peace of mind, or simply knowing you’re doing something that strengthens you mentally, spiritually and physically. Use your time wisely. Time is valuable and it’s promised to no one.

I love blaxploitation flicks, especially Willie Dynamite and The Mack. I’ll admit I was hypnotized by the lavish lifestyle and the word manipulation of these fictional pimps. They were hustlers, preying on weak lost souls with their sophisticated lyrics designed to control the mind. That control resulted in a monetary gain for the pimp and mental anguish for the “trick.” But in the end, even Willie and Goldie both suffered. They were forced to reevaluate their own “games”. The message was loud and clear...when you try to pimp others, you usually end up getting pimped yourself. You can’t make it to the top riding the backs of others or laying underneath them, for that matter. It’s not about sex – its life, a mindset. At some point in life, we all get ‘pimped’…that friend who uses you for what you’re worth, that dead end job that’s going nowhere fast, that high maintenance lifestyle you’re trying to live on a shoestring budget and so on. One thing I know for sure: you can pimp yourself for success in four easy steps.

Plan: Think about where you are and where you want to be and how you plan to get there. Do you want to simply survive or really live? Spend quality time investigating and start preparing for your brand new life.

Invest: Find out what you need to do and do it. Nothing comes without some sort of personal investment. Start reading about what you want to do. Chances are there is someone already doing it successfully read his/her story. Scrutinize what s/he did to attain the goal. Don’t waste time trying to recreate the wheel. Mingle with like minds and lose dead weight. Sometimes we outgrow our circle of friends and they may not support your new endeavors. Don’t worry it happens, if you’re lucky you’re friends may decide to explore a new way of doing things by observing you. Also, join a few groups and learn the art of social networking, make all small talk count for something. If you need to take a class, take it. If you can’t afford it, read about it or volunteer your time for some experience. Set mini-goals and write those goals down.

Monitor: Examine your progress thoroughly. Keep track of your goals and celebrate your growth. Remember, you are a work in progress. This isn’t an overnight process. It’s important to keep your eyes on the prize, no matter how long it may seem.

Prosper: With each step, each goal you reach, know that you are getting closer! Flourish in this, eat, sleep and breathe your dream.

Remember consistency is the key. If you fall off, get back up and keep it moving. Don’t lose sight of your dream. You’re working for self now – Brand You, Inc.! Nothing worth having comes easily or quickly. With discipline, strength of mind and a little elbow grease, you can live a prosperous life. Stop sleeping on your dreams and PIMP yourself.