Articles/Reviews > More Articles > Give up "I'll save when I have enough'
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Give up "I'll save when I have enough' Two weeks ago I started a series on attitudes about money, where these attitudes (beliefs) come from and how those beliefs influence how you handle money.Your beliefs about money and everything else have been formed in four ways. 1) From the things you hear. 2) From the things you see. 3) From the individual experiences in your lives 4) From your parents, culture, society, media, teachers, and the advertising and lending industries.
You are most probably not aware of what you believe deep down about money because you have never thought about it. If you discover some beliefs that are holding you back financially, I encourage you to write down the old beliefs, cross them out and exchange them for new ones which will help you to be and stay financially well. I also encourage you to think about your thinking, ask yourself questions such as I wonder why I overspend, or why can’t I save anything if that is what you do.
A common thing I hear people saying is “I’ll save when I have enough money”. What they believe deep down is “I won’t ever have enough money to save, so I’m not even going to try”. If you believe that deep down saving will be very difficult for you.
Any amount of money you save no matter how small, is enough to save. The habit of saving money is more important than the amount.
 My sister, who was a solo parent at the time made a decision to put away every 50 cents that came into her hands into a piggy bank for her son. She did this without fail into a paper mache pig she and her son had made. The amount grew and was such a great boost to her son’s bank account and a wonderful example for him to follow.
Habits are incredibly powerful things. When he got his first job, he continued saving and was able to buy a house. He set his mind to fully paying off his home as soon as he could. He achieved this when he was 32 years old. He is now married with two pre schoolers and his wife is able to stay at home by choice with their children because he owns his home without any debt.
My sister had a belief that saving was essential, so this influenced how she handed her money (and subsequently her son). Her belief came from our parents and from the culture at the time which was to save up and pay cash for things.
Sylvia’s book, Parents: How to stop your kids from going broke is available from www.silbo.co.nz, Paper Plus Stores, and Christian Bookshops
Silbo Systems, conduct money lessons for parents together with their children in small groups. For information contact us.
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