It is here, that frightful time that we call Halloween.  Over the next several days, many will take part in this annual event in an effort to scare or be scared.  For many, when you think of your personal finances you are frightened more than once a year.  Your financial past scares you to death.

Whether it is because you were not managing yourself and your finances well or whether you were convinced by those who wanted to ruin your future – all of us have made financial mistakes.  It is hard, living in the United States, to not make some bad choices when you realize the constant marketing efforts to help you spend your money.

The car that you could not afford, the credit card that allowed you to live way beyond your ability to pay, the house that was bigger than what you needed (size and sales price), co-signing for someone who the bank said was too risky and your disagreed – we have all made mistakes.  Some more than others, but we have all been there and can relate.

If your past is haunting you, why not address it head on?  The only way you get over falling off a horse is winning the psychological battle and getting back on.  The way you win against your financial past is to get on a plan and attack the mess that lies in front of you.

You can get ahead and you can get your past in front of you.  However, you can never get any farther than what you can not get around.

I subscribe, or have subscribed, to several financial magazines.  Early on in my life, I thought these periodicals were made for me to better manage my money.  Over the past few years, I have learned that these periodicals are, for the most part, marketing and sales documents.  I still get them, and the associated emails that come with them, but I just read them with a grain of salt.

This past week, I received and email from one of the magazines I used to subscribe to.  The title scared me (just in time for Halloween) and raises my level of concern when we as a nation are trying to get back to sound financial management.  The title was this – “The Best Credit Cards for Retirees”.  The article pointed out that seniors are swiping cards more often.

The article went on, without really saying it, that you should strongly consider whether you need credit card debt.  While they listed those best cards, they also has tidbits of discouraging statements to, hopefully, make seniors reconsider their need.

One thing that was missing is what all of us have missed – using plastic allows us, psychologically, to spend more than we typically would.  You know, these are seniors that this article is addressed to, I am sure they already knew that.

Or did they?

The holiday season is quickly approaching.  As I write this, we are exactly two months from Christmas.  Some of you have prepared, but most have not.  Many seem to forget each year that Chrstmas comes in December.  While they have all year long to save and prepare that big day always sneaks up on them and robs them of the joys of the season.  This year will be the same.  Or will it?

For those who wanted to get ahead of the debt debacle they started to plan and save early this year.  Some of those same people are well under way to complete their holiday purchasing before the season even begins.

You can be the same way.  Saving may be a little harder, but you can still do it.  Like jolly St. Nick, you need a list and it would be wise to check it more than twice.

• Set a dollar amount for your total holiday spending
• Divide that amount up (or the remaining amount needed) over your remaining pay periods between now and Christmas
• Set aside that amount determined in cash
• Make a list of ALL people you NEED to buy a gift for (that does not include you!)
• Divide the total dollars up across all the people on your list
• Save some for holiday parties, etc.
• Spend your save cash on each person on your list and do not exceed the amount for each person

Sounds simple, right?  Unfortunately, most people will not get it.  While you are enjoying your holidays after a debt free Christmas, most will be watching the mailbox for the credit card bills to arrive.

Whether we left the company or the company decided we should leave, most of us have been affected by a job change.  It can be a dreadful time or it can be a welcome time of a new opportunity.  With all the activities areound the change, you may unintentionally leave something behind – your personal retirement account.

Whether a 401(k), a 457, 403(b) – whatever the magical IRS number, people sometimes leave their retirement account behind at with their former employer.  Many just feel comfortable with the investments that they have made.  Others leave it because they are not sure how to make the move.  Still others did not even know they could move it.

Is this you?  Did you leave your retirement account behind?  You do not need to.  You have options and some of those options are better than others.  Your options:

• Leave it where it is – Not bad, but most likely not the best option.  With limited investment options, your money may not grow like it needs to.
• Take it with you to your new employer – Not necessarily bad, but most people take this option to all ow them a stash to borrow from in the future.  Borrowing is not an option you should be considering.
• Cash it out – NO, absolutely no.  The worst of all the options.
• Roll your account over to a qualified account (IRA Rollover) – As a financial coach, this is the best option.  In the qualified account at a brokerage firm, you can invest your money in the best investment options available.

It is your money.  You need to manage it well.  Make sure when you leave employers moving your retirement money is on your checklist!

Going grocery shopping has definitely changed through the years.  In the last few years it has changed to where you can actually purchase prepared meals that you can take home, heat up, and eat.  Wow – convenience.

Picking up a prepared meal every once in a while will most likely not break you financially.  However, there is another way that you can use your grocery store that is equally as bad and one that could definitely impact your finances.  Many do this and never really realize the impact to their monthly grocery money.  Are you one of these people?

Do you ever go to the grocery without a buying plan?  Most likely it is a quick stop on the way home from work – going grocery store can many times lead you to using the grocery store as a restaurant.  Picking up something quick for dinner can prevent you from succssfully managing your alloted grocery money for the month.

Here is an example.  You go to the store at the request of your spouse because you “have nothing in the pantry”.  With nothing more to go on than, “get something easy and quick to fix”, you are now in a situation of trying to fulfill the request.  Instead of shopping and buying things for your monthly grocery plan, you pick up two potatoes that cost $2.50 instead of the 10# bag for $4.99.  Multiply that across your menu for the night and several times a month will most likely impact your grocery cash.

Without a grocery plan and the execution of that plan you can easily begin to use your local grocery store as a restaurant.

Build your grocery menu.  From your menu, build your shopping list of what you actually need.  When you go to the store limit your trips to 2-3 times for major grocery shopping.  Supplement those trips with trips to only replace perishables.

Stick to a plan.  Don’t use your grocery store as a restaurant and wind up paying more fore groceries than what you really need to.