LOOK, MONEY MANAGEMENT is hard.
If it wasn’t, there wouldn’t be countless books written on the subject, and numerous newspaper columns dedicated to the matter.
And while it’s all well and good to suggest following a few simple financial rules, some of us just aren’t programmed that way, and can rarely see past the end of the week, let alone the tax year.
No matter how much we might (or might not) try, our financial situation remains a complete sh*tshow.
And if you’re unsure whether you’re guilty of having a woeful attitude towards money, here are just a few key signs that may help clarify.
1. You transfer money more often than an international banker.
In fact, you’ve been known to immediately transfer money that just landed into your savings account back into your current account.
And why should you feel bad? It’s your money. You can decide where the hell you want it to go, and a savings account isn’t one.
2. You prioritise a round of drinks over items you actually need.
You have gotten buyer’s remorse over a piece of clothing that cost more than 40 quid, but you’ll happily include a randomer in a round you’ve gotten for your mates (and can’t afford.)
3. You think you’re Rockefeller on Pay Day.
No matter how many times you tell yourself to rein it in on payday, you simply can’t see past the first weekend of the month.
And even if you chill it out for the remaining three, the damage has already been done in that monthly blow-out.
4. You’re regularly scared to check your bank account.
In fact, you’ve been known to log in, and then cover the accounts you don’t want to see with your hand.
You know you’ve done this, and we know you’ve done this.
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5. You round-up way more frequently than you should.
You don’t know who you think you’re fooling, but you regularly round up the amount in your accounts to make yourself feel better.
“€237? Well, that’s grand, so. I have €250.”
6. You withdraw your final stash of money from the ATM before a direct debit kicks in.
As far as you’re concerned, you and the bank are in an endless game of cat and mouse, and it’s your job to foil their dastardly moves at every opportunity.
If they think you’re going to let that direct debit exit your account, they’ve another think coming.
7. You have asked family members to transfer a few euro so you can withdraw a €20.
There have been times when you’ve asked a sibling to transfer as little as €2 into your account, simply so you can make use of the ATM.
And there have also been times you’ve begged them to lend you cash in hand because if they transfer it online, your account will eat it.
8. You consider medical requirements an unnecessary expenditure.
If your tooth has been hurting you this long and you’re still alive, what’s the harm in waiting another few years until you secure a better-paid job and can happily dedicate a portion of your salary to medical appointments?
Yeah, we see your point.
9. You’d rather spend money on a bi-weekly Lotto ticket than put that money into savings.
If you find yourself gritting your teeth in anger over the latest Lottery windfall to hit the headlines, you may need to re-think your attitude to your personal finances.
And it might be worth saving the tenner you spend in a furious response to other people’s good fortune.
10. You curse people who have their financial sh*t together.
And yet you refuse to take advice.
11. You find solace in certain films and TV shows.
The scene in Dumb&Dumber when Lloyd leaves a store wearing a sombrero and carrying a bag of crap he doesn’t need speaks to you on an emotional level.
12. You view bank statements in the same way you view supermarket flyers.
They’re something to put in the recycling bin, so you can say you’re regularly doing your bit for the environment.
