Saddle Up, Rodeo Cowboy: Time To Master Your Money Bronco
To date we’ve examined the elite annual income of the average American, the monumental impact of simply being intentional with your money, and the phenomenal power of compound interest.
Now comes the fun part – it’s time to start putting all of this new-found knowledge to work.
I’ve been letting you off easy in terms of practical application of the topics covered so far. But like a rodeo cowboy fast losing his grip, that’s all about to change in the blink of an eye because it’s time to saddle up and master your money bronco.
Are you up to the challenge?
From Financial Stable-Hand To Money Champ
This article represents the start of a comprehensive 26-part series in which I’ll be taking you step-by-step through the money management system my wife and I used to achieve our own financial freedom.
In our case that consisted of becoming mortgage-free and financially independent of the need for a paycheck. The system which I’ll be outlining in the coming weeks enabled us to reach both of those goals in just a little over 3 and 10 years, respectively, with just an average household income.
Since we’ve already spent some time addressing the “what” and the “why” of financial freedom, this upcoming series will provide the answers to your questions regarding the “how”. These articles are intended to be heavy on practical application, with each new post containing takeaway action items for you to implement in your own finances.
My goal is to provide you with the specific, step-by-step training and tools needed to grow your money management skills from those akin to a raw stable-hand to those of a deft rodeo champ capable of mastering even the most wild-eyed mount.
Unable To Gain Control Of Your Money?
Have your past attempts to gain or maintain control of your money gone awry, like the plans of the cowboy pictured below?
Perhaps you’ve thought about trying to get a grip on your finances before, but simply had no idea where to start. Maybe you’ve tried to follow a one-size-fits-all money management template, but found it wasn’t specific enough for your situation.
Maybe you’ve attempted to follow a budget, but found it to be limiting rather than freeing. Or perhaps you’ve tried to track your spending, but found it to be way too complicated and time consuming.
Such money management mishaps can be caused by any number of factors. An overly complicated and labor-intensive approach, one-size-fits-all methods, a failure to connect the dots between cause and effect, and a lack of the right tools are some of the more common fail points.
The upcoming Master Your Money Series will be structured and formatted specifically to avoid these frustrating, confidence-sapping, and painful types of failures.
Transform Your Money From A Wild-Eyed & Dangerous Opponent To A Trusty Steed
The forthcoming articles will show you how to create a simple, stress-free, and easy-to-maintain money management system customized to support your own personal goals and ideal lifestyle.
Such a system has the potential to forever change your attitude about and relationship with money.
Once you’ve finished the series and have effectively shown your money who is boss, you’ll find that it will transition from a wild and unpredictable opponent who fights your every move to a trusty steed capable of carrying you to financial freedom.
So saddle up, rodeo cowboy – it’s time to master your money bronco.
love your photos. thinking about MINT but worried about hackers, though I need some control as you say above.
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos.
Are your security concerns related specifically to the Mint platform itself, or to the online banking credentials needed for your accounts in order to use Mint?
It sounds like you may have already read “Personal Finance Made Easy: Master Your Money With Mint”. Have you read the article that preceded it, “Open The Door To Financial Freedom With Online Banking”? I ask because within that article I attempted to address security concerns frequently associated with online financial transactions, including quotes from ID Theft Prevention experts and steps you can take to help ensure your accounts remain secure.
I’m of the belief that if an individual takes the time to educate themselves on internet security protocols as well as steps they can take to keep their accounts secure (Use only SSL-encrypted sites, take advantage of multi-factor authentication, don’t perform online banking over public, unsecured wifi networks, implement transaction notification alerts) they are far better off using online banking (and Mint) than not.
I know that if Mrs. FFP and I did not use both online banking and Mint, the damage from any potential ID theft would likely be far more extensive than otherwise. Currently we receive instant alerts for unusual spending or large transactions, which would enable us to shut an account down if we needed to the same day it was compromised. Without either of those services, we’d be flying blind and any given security issue could completely drain our accounts before we’d receive a monthly bank statement and be any the wiser.
Also, don’t discount the size of the savings you’ll compile by actually mastering your money by using online banking and/or money management platforms. This can add up to thousands per year, potentially far outstripping the potential damage of any security glitch were one to even occur.
Being security-conscious is good, and something that more people should practice. That said, I think there’s a difference between being an informed and security-conscious consumer and letting fear of the unknown paralyze you from mastering your money, potentially missing out on financial freedom.
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read my article on online banking as well as the security section of my Privacy Policy, which also addresses security concerns. I’ve pasted a few additional links below with further information regarding online banking security, as well as Mint’s security protocols in particular:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuD9n-xsVzU
https://www.mint.com/how-mint-works/security#toc
https://www.thefinancialfreedomproject.com/privacy-policy/#Security_of_Site_Content
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rROgWTfA5qE