photo courtesy Theis Kofoed Hjorth
Have you ever gone out and bought something knowing that very shortly you were going to be getting a check that would cover the cost? Maybe a tax return check or a bonus from your employer? That’s never a wise financial move.
We don’t know what tomorrow holds for us. What happens if you suddenly find out there was an error in your taxes and now you’re not getting that check? What if your water heater goes out the day your bonus check arrives and you’ve already bought that new big screen?
It’s okay to PLAN what you are going to do with that check before it arrives. In fact, I highly encourage it. You should ALWAYS have a plan for your money, otherwise it tends to get spent unwisely, and you end up wondering what happened to it. Just don’t enact that plan until you’ve got the money in your hands, or in your bank account.
The same is true for longer term situations. Let’s say you’re expecting a big inheritance from your grandmother when she passes. Does that make it wise to not count on that and not plan for your retirement or the kids’ college? Of course not. You need to provide for yourself. Never count on others for that. Who knows what could happen. What are you going to do when Grandma runs off to Las Vegas and marries someone half her age who now has rights to “your” inheritance?
The old adage “don’t count your chickens before their hatched” is just as true today as it has always been. It even applies to your money.