The Ostrich: Are you avoiding your finances?

I admire people that can put things out of their mind. It’s healthy, to an extent, to be able to put worries aside and just live life a little rather than obsessing about things. “The Ostrich” is someone who has this skill NAILED, often to an unfortunate degree. Rather than facing their finances head on, they ignore credit card balances, due dates, budgets and actively saving. Maybe they assume they have the income to cover whatever they are spending, maybe they are afraid of what the numbers actually are, or maybe they genuinely don’t care (how do you DO that?). Regardless of the reason for the behavior, the consequences are the same. Here are the big three:

Absolute ignorance of financial health

Imagine not seeing a dentist for 20 years and then being shocked when your teeth start falling out. That’s what ignoring your finances does. When it finally comes time to face the music, any problems that have cropped up along the way have become so bad that they are infinitely harder to correct, if they can be corrected at all.

Reaction time

Because you don’t know what your situation actually is, when a problem (or opportunity) arises, you can’t act quickly because you need time to get your ducks in a row. During that time your problem may compound, or that fun opportunity may go away before you can figure things out.

Lack of interest = a lot of interest

The due date on that credit card statement isn’t a suggestion. They are super serious, and even one day late will cost you hundreds in interest and fees. Do that a few times in a row (or perpetually) and you are shelling out a lot of money with zero to show for it. Even if you can’t pay it in full, paying the minimum amount by the due date is non-negotiable.

I get it–finances are scary, and when there’s debt involved it can feel like a bigger monster than you are able to face. It’s natural to want to bury your head in the sand and just hope it’s going to be okay. If you have been ignoring your financials, this is your sign to ask for help. Go to missoulabookkeeper.com/book-a-consult to schedule a no judgement, no shame, no guilt (and no COST) consultation. Let us help you get back on track!