Thursday, August 31, 2006

THE UGLY SIDE OF MONEY



How concerned are businesses about 5-figure credit card, family debt? Why are families buried in red ink? There are probably two sides to this question.

On the one hand, family members want the latest cell phone, car, clothes and holidays. On the other hand, the business world stays up nights finding ways to entice us to spend, to borrow and to get a better deal.

We all live in a money world. We choose our masters and spend most of our lives chasing money - at super speed on our super highways. In the process, we road kill 50,000 folks yearly. The money chase is a costly matter.

This money chase leads our corporate leaders to condone what they can’t admit to their mothers. We mortgage our homes for the good life. The legacy to our children is red ink.

We live in a world where success is measured by the toys that money gets. We buy into the business pitches that promise the good life. We spend money on experts to manage our money.

Why do we let the money chase have such a destructive impact on our families? No doubt money can be managed much better, but we’re letting the money people control our lives. Are we raising the big questions about the vicious nature of these financial systems?

- Is our family working together to control spending?

- Are we addicted by an urge to spend?

- Have we tried doing with less, delaying spending, making one less trip?

It would be good if we all learned to manage money rather than having money manage us. There must be a better way. Our family could focus one new, money-free goal. www.newhopecovenants.org can help our family with that focus. Until we get hold of the steering wheel, our money chase is taking us on a dangerous trip.

Please join us in dialogue of our THE FAMILY CHALLENGE.