There will always be hiccups in life. They’re those types of events, periods or moments that stop you in your tracks, even if ever so briefly, and influence your actions in some way or another from there on out.
In my
opinion, hiccups can be good and bad. Sometimes you need a little change or shift
to shake things up, like marriage or the birth of a child or a job promotion.
Other times, hiccups aren’t so positive and those hiccups, like job loss or
layoffs, illness or injury, will test us and our ability to overcome the
challenges and carry on.
When the recession took hold in 2008, the downturn of the economy with the thousands of job losses, foreclosures and bankruptcies that followed suit set off a massive, almost simultaneous hiccup in the lives of many North Americans. Some recovered faster than others and many are still struggling to get by and to deal with their loss of income or insurmountable debts.
For others, sticking to frugal living strategies and fiscal prudence has allowed them to weather through the tough times. You see, for all of life’s hiccups, whether good or bad, preparedness is key and, if you’re one of the lucky ones who have been following money saving tips, stashing money aside for rainy days and working hard to stay out of debt, you can rest easy knowing that you and your family can survive and thrive in any sort of situation, and that you will be that much further ahead when the dust settles.
Wojciech Kulicki, or Wojo for short, knows all about adjusting and adapting. Having been born in Poland at the end of the Cold War and moving to the United States when he was nine, Wojo and his family adapted to their new environment. He says his parents and grandparents were frugal people, focused on saving and knew how to stretch a dollar and he learned many valuable lessons with regards to personal finance.
In 2009, Wojo channelled his growing interest in personal finances and frugal living into the highly-informative blog, Fiscal Fizzle, where he shares what he’s learned while he and his wife have prepared for and adapted to their share of life’s hiccups.
“Frugality in recent years has not only been a choice, but a need,” he says. “As the recession pushed down, we had no means to push back, other than to adapt the most frugal lifestyle we could muster and hope for the best.”
While Wojo says that the birth of his son was one of the most positive, life-changing events he’s experienced thus far, other events, like when his wife was laid off twice in four years or when the economy spiralled down, have had equally significant influence on the way in which he and his wife handle their money and prepare for the future.
When you
have the tools—money saving tips, frugal living strategies—and a solid
understanding of sound money management with minimal debt and adequate savings,
you are better equipped to ride through those big changes. Unfortunately, it seems there are many North
Americans who don’t even know where to start when it comes to managing money.
“At the top of the list, I would say most of us are completely ignorant of what we should be doing,” Wojo says. “Even more—we simply don't know what questions we should be asking in the first place to get to where we need to go. Without a game plan, we're simply trying to float our heads above water and hope luck comes our way and bails us out. That's not a good way to live. We need to make basic financial education a part of life growing up, both at home and at school. We need to read about and practice good money management, investing, frugality, and more—just like we better ourselves in other areas.”
Whether you know a lot or a little about personal finance or frugality, Fiscal Fizzle is chalked full of valuable, easy-to-understand and highly applicable information on topics like, 11Ways to Stay Positive in a Bad Economy, 6 Financial Mistakes to Avoid at All Costs, and 55 Ways to Simplify Your Finances. Being prepared for whatever life throws at you isn’t hard, but it does require you to act. Learn from people like Wojo who have ‘been there’ and survived to talk about it. The worst thing anyone can do is do nothing.
“Some of us understand what to do, but feel overwhelmed by it all,” Wojo explains. “Instead of breaking down goals into manageable pieces, we simply find it easier to ignore reality, and continue on our way. We can't give into analysis paralysis. We need to make money management simple, easy to understand, straightforward to follow, and able to adapt to individual people's situations without losing its essence.”
What many people find challenging when trying to save more of their money is staying focused on their long-term financial goals and not giving in to the temptation to spend. Wojo says that he has a weakness for expensive electronics and, while it might initially seem hard to go without the new gadgets that interest him, he says knowing that he can achieve his bigger financial goals with a little perseverance and patience is a much greater reward.
When life is going along, tickety-boo, and people start financing their every desire with credit cards and loans, their ability to get by when the going isn’t so good is threatened. Wojo says even though he’s lived in America for 20 years the over-indulgence still astounds him. What people don’t realize is that for every gadget or gizmo they go into debt to buy, they lose a little more of their freedom and flexibility.
“…We are a prosperous nation, and we have the ability and the right to spend as we wish, which is wonderful,” he says. “Given that fact, it's sad to see that with so much freedom and choice, Americans have largely chosen over-spending, over-borrowing, under-saving, lack of financial education, and other poor money habits. This has resulted in actually limiting the choices we have because we're stuck in an eternal rat race with fewer and fewer ways out.
One of the biggest problems is debt—while it has allowed us
to afford large purchases which would otherwise be unreachable for years, it
has enslaved us to unforgiving payment schedules and made credit scores king.”
You won’t always make the best decisions or do things right the first time but children, flooded basements, college funds, braces, layoffs and injuries are a lot less overwhelming when you’re prepared and able to adjust. Successful frugal living and good financial planning require continuous learning and Fiscal Fizzle is a great site for everyday people to learn how to better equip themselves.
“Most of my readers seem to enjoy the fact that I'm just a ‘regular guy’ because they are also just ‘regular people,’” Wojo says. “They are looking for someone to relate to, bounce ideas from, and get inspired by. I don't claim to have all the answers or be the best role model around, but I understand I have a responsibility to try my best every day and share what I learn.”
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