Wednesday, May 04, 2011

The Advantages of De-Automating Your Personal Finances | Houston Small Business Lawyer

By: Kim Hegwood, Houston Small Business Lawyer

Small business owners and those with more complicated incomes know what it is to write checks for quarterly taxes, and, I believe, they have a deeper sense for what they are paying, as a result.

In fact, I think our country would be a different place if everyone had to write a personal check and send in their taxes like this. When people really see what they pay (or don't pay) I think they would feel differently about their tax burden!

This is a common refrain among certain political observers -- but it has me thinking about what it might mean for YOUR family, Amber ...

In fact, this is part of the genius of financial guru Dave Ramsey's "envelope system" for family budgeting (whereby you place cash into specified envelopes, and pay only as much cash as remains in the envelope for different budget categories). "Automating away" our obligations can lull us into financial slumber.

Which is why I now propose that you REMOVE automation from certain checks that you write each month. (Again, this is aside from automated savings, as discussed last week.)

[But a word of caution: The only danger to this approach is that you run the risk of focusing too much on scrimping pennies. I certainly advocate wise budgeting, but it is important to remember that thinking over much about saving money can constrict your mind away from important "risks", which can often be worth taking -- like starting that business, making a new investment, etc. Don't let this technique keep you from expanding your financial mindset!]

So, a few suggestions for what you might DE-automate:
1) Just once, receive your paycheck in cash (instead of ACH'd), or cash the full amount when you receive it. Because, have you ever HELD one paycheck's worth of money before?  It is really hard to fully comprehend how much you are bringing in until you physically feel those stacks of $20s in your hand.  I can guarantee you it's a lot harder to spend it when you are seeing it in person rather than online.  And it hurts frittering it away more, too.

2) Paying your mortgage manually. Feel the burn of this large check, every time you write it. It will trickle into how you think about the other bills which you pay such that even if this is the only bill you take off of "auto-pay", you will be wiser with your remaining funds each month.

3) Only purchase vehicles for cash. If you had to pay outright, wouldn't you end up with a cheaper car?  Probably. Just because many are used to setting up loans and payments for vehicles, does NOT mean it's wise -- in fact, this is one of the primary markers for the "quiet millionaires" (those who are getting ahead financially, even on relatively smaller salaries). Yes, your pride might suffer when you are not rolling around in a 2011 Lexus ... but considering the real cost of that pride-booster does wonders for ameliorating your egotistic tendencies.

In short, paying in cash (or with a manual check) helps you to consider the following questions:

* Is this ____ still WORTH it?
* Is there a way I can cut it down a bit?
* What is the best way to pay for it right now? (c/c, check, cash?)

Again, some of this could literally take seconds, but the point of it all is that you STOP to do it. With automation, you don't get the "ping" every month because it is already doing the thinking for you.  You will learn a LOT more about the financial "you" this way than you would otherwise, I am certain. It is really about paying closer attention.