$ Money Magic Tricks $

Ever feel like you would be happy to hold onto a few extra bucks of your paycheck once payday hits? Do you perhaps need to work on obtaining some level of self-control? If someone were to hand you $100 right now, what would you do with it first? Here's the helpful DO's and DON'T's of building and managing spending power. In other words, listed below are ways to which you can have more money to spend for later.

DO:

• Create a list of needs and wants. Ask yourself, "Can I sustain myself or anyone else like my children or family without this purchase?" Sometimes this helps us realize what is a strong want and a need.  Hypothetically, it shouldn't be hard to decide what purchase to make if you had to choose between buying disposable diapers or baby formula. Prioritize your "needs" list first.
• Make a list of all your needs and wants and seek for coupons online or in advertisements to buy that specific item for much less than the store price. Some people get to keep so much of their paycheck by not having to spend as much on stuff they already have to buy!
• READ THE FINE PRINT. Reading the small writing is like reading the secret to keeping your money. Everyone wants your money for giving you the stuff you need to sustain yourself. You thin out and they get fat. Do not let someone just get your money. Always ask about potential fees and calculate them in all your heftier expenses like: rent, insurance, car payments, company memberships, utilities, power, medical bills, phone bills, etc
• Keep your proof of purchases and receipts. Sometimes having proof that you paid for something can help you to build credit to make more potential loans available to you. Tax write-offs and returns can be acquired by doing this. The IRS (Internal Revenue Service/Governmental service that regulates everyone's money) will not be as annoying if you do this as well. Your accountant or person filing your taxes will LOVE you for this! Just keep them in a box and pull them all out at the end of the year in case your finances are audited or your bank or tax return needs records to award you more money. If you are going to lose some money-you may as well make it possible to get some extra money to come back later.
• Do your homework! Know the ins and outs of the purchases you make in case they are faulty or have some that come with warranty available. It's comforting to know that you can trade something you have for a new one when something bad happens. Sometimes things are available with a money-back guarantee. Always ask if this is an option. If you decide you don't like something, you can get your money back! I decided I didn't like a digital camera I had and I didn't lose any money on the thing, because I was gifted a digital camera for Christmas. I got my money back and a better free digital camera. Win/win!
• Google search your market and know what to expect so you can redeem your purchases early enough to leave a happy customer.
• SAVE all extra money for another day. It is normal to have seasons of plenty and seasons of famine and drought. It is really difficult to have a consistent income-especially in seasonal work. Save for the lesser income times. Construction workers often experience that they make good money in the summer, but their income drops in the winter. While money is nice in the summer, you have to put it away later, or you could really starve during low-wage times like the winter.
• Make what you already have last longer. The less trips to the store you make, the less temptation and need you will have to buy more than what you have money to spend. This is also a bonus idea because it helps to eliminate wasted spending-so that you can hold onto your savings and not the items that may have expired by the time you got around the time to using something you already paid for a short while ago.
• Keep any items that can be an asset later. For example, if your car does not have a payment you owe, because you paid it off; trading it in- leads to a new car with a hefty payment. Make the car you have last or just buy a new car and keep your former vehicle. If you are going to pay large sums of money, you may as well keep something that doesn't cost you anything. 
• Make a profit of things you do not need. Just giving something away means you eat on the cost. Try to get some money back by selling your stuff. Someone will value what you have if you offer a fair deal for them to pay you. Wouldn't you like someone to be paying you? You know what they say? "Another man's trash is another man's treasure."
• Calculate interest or you may never pay things off and die an indebted person for your kids to fit the bill later and hate you for all the debt you created for them! Not the awesome legacy you'd always hope for.
• Learn a trade and use it. Get an education AND use it! The education stays with you and you can make money to increase your income nicely. You do not have to keep paying "The Man" your entire life. You don't have to be at anyone's mercy financially unless you allow it!

DON'T:

• Do not just spend money and hope you have enough in the end. You are NEVER as rich as you think. Know where your money will vanish before your money is awarded to you from working.
• I know it sucks to have someone tell you how you should spend your money, but it will be worth it to take this counsel seriously and abide by it. Never buy your wants first, they cannot sustain you when you run out of food to eat, water to take a shower, or power to run the computer you use to seek jobs or buy your favorite clothes online. 
• Do not just throw away saving deals on coupons-unless you know you aren't going to use them first.
• Do not just sign payment plans, contracts or hastily go through the motions of credit cards or other such programs or clubs without reading and understanding the terms and conditions. Paperwork such as that is meant to protect the issuer, not you. You can avoid a lot of pain, debt and hidden fees by reading the small fine print. It is worth it! Do not just sign anything because it takes so much time to understand everything. Contracts are lengthy to encourage you to sign something in a hurry. They are unappealing to read for a reason. 
• Do not assume the store you frequent has the best value for something-Google searches can bring up your more affordable options and can often state the condition the item is in, so that you don't pay full-price and shipping on a broken or false item you might have incidentally purchased in store, by catalog or online.
• Do not be wasteful with what you already own. Make things last or use perishable items immediately-like food. If your favorite can of spaghettio's are in the pantry, but your grapes in the fridge are starting to wrinkle and soften-then perhaps use it or lose it. Failing to let the grapes feed you first will lead to starving for grapes later and also not having the luxury of spghettios's when you chose to eat them before your grapes rotted. To top that all off, you will have to go back to the store and pay double for another can of spaghettio's and another bag of grapes when they could have been a nice meal or snack before. You can save twice the money you have by not buying or wasting what you don't need.
• Do not just give stuff away or avoid selling something worth gaining an extra buck or two from.
• Do not just trade-in a vehicle-unless the car is not serving it's function anymore. It is better to avoid the cost of repairs if someone else can fix it themselves or fit the bill.
• Do not lease a car... or anything. EVER. Leasing rarely, if ever, serves anyone but the person taking your money. Leasing a car is almost a legal form of theft. It is designed to take additional savings from you each month, instead of paying things off.
• Do not ignore interest. It piles up way more than you realize. Sometimes it is too late.
• Do not acquire debt you don't intend to invest into. So many people do this and can't understand why they don't have money when they have an education. Be serious about using your talent, skills, and education!