Guest post by Azhar

The title is a bit over statement. Actually there is no 1 answer for all our financial problems. Currently I still have consumer debt ( credit card debt )  and housing loan. What is important is managing our money and our life. There are a hundreds of blog, website regarding personal finance some a very good and very informative. As for the FINAL ANSWER on how to manage money and life, the answer is YOU. All the people, advice, information that have a round us is a guide. A guide to understand the fundementals of money and life. An example for me to follow or neglect. My final answer for my personal finance is changing and evolve around me.

Here are a few guideline that I use to manage my personal finance.

Financial Knowledge

My journey on financial knowledge started in 2008. I want to know more about personal financial and financial freedom. My favorite blog that I read ” getrichslowly ” It have answer on most of my questions regarding personal finance. Better look for the 2006 and 2007 entry because there are a lot of original content from the author. In malaysia there a a few site about financial but lack personal touch ( I might me wrong here ). Some of them are ” duitmoney, bebashutang, pakdi etc ”

Spend Less Than You Earn

My goal each month to have positive cash flow. I budget my salary each month to have some money save in the bank or increase my emergency fund. I must tell you not every time I was successful, there are month that I have negative balance. Therefore I am using my emergency fund.

Save 10% of my salary

This tips I take very seriously. It is mention in getrichslowly, books that is written by azizi ali, and also a book entitle Rich man in Babylon.

Avoid debt

All debt is dangerous. The most deadly debt for me is Credit Card debt and Personal Loan. I have no personal loan but I carried a balance on credit card from 2001. Hopefully I will debt free early February 2011 except for my mortgage.

Know your strength and downfall

Everybody have their soft spot. After much searching and analyzing. My biggest enemy that brought me to financial ruin is my greed. My greed for riches have cloud my judgement. I venture into FOREX without knowledge ( breaking rule number 1 )  As for now I just venture to the things I know like ASB. Yes it is slow, but it is me. I want to sleep every night without worrying my investment.

Take Action

I used to be lip service and mind service. Thinking and saying without getting anythings done. It is good to plan, but don’t look for perfection. do what is good for you. Eventhough it is so small that you might not remember today. Eventually it will come to help you. Do something and do it now.

Final answer for personal finance is yourself. Do what is good for you and your family.

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Guest post by Dinsha

Lip service is what i called it or maybe I read it some where. The things I said i would do or need to do but never did. Actually lip service never cross my mind until recently. After much thought than I realize I have been lip service to people around me that is very dear to me. This is something that happen without me knowing it. Sometime it is big thing that I forgot but usually it is the small thing that slip through.

It could be hanging my clothes, throw the rubbish, washing dishes and others. I tell you that is some of the small thing that I forgot to do that so small that it should be forgiven. Guess what I’m busted ( ＿|￣|○ )  For all the thing that my wife do such as cooking, cleaning, washing I could not even remember to throw the rubbish ( ＿|￣|○ )  So small things matter too, so much that it is matter the most.

Right now there are few big task that i have to do. Hopefully I will fulfill with flying colors (ﾟ∀ﾟ)

• Clean my reading room ( declutter )
• Fix the curtain ( need some DIY and drilling )
• Clean the ceiling fan

Because I am very attached to my things ( computer periperals, gadgets, etc ) very hard for me to give/throw it away. Although I cannot master any will to declutter my first step is to stop adding new stuff. Stop buying unwanted things.

For the above 3 items I will master the art of lip service no more and actually do it. (ﾟ∀ﾟ)

//Please feel free to share your lip service experience (ﾟ∀ﾟ)

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