by Joe Kirkpatrick

Financial success is not rocket science.  I'm not saying it is easy to achieve, but I am saying most people can have it if they plan properly.  "Plan" being the keyword.

Sure, there are some people who just hit the "right idea" and become filthy rich over night, but they are the exception.  Don't "plan" to be like them - because if you don't hit the right idea at the right time, it just isn't going to happen.

View your financial future like a football game.  When Phil Fulmer sends the Vols into a game, do you think he just says "go out there and do whatever you want to?"  Welllll, maybe that's what he did in the Peach Bowl game, but we won't go there!  I can assure you before every game, the coaching staff has assessed the opponent and come up with a game plan.  That is exactly how you must approach your financial future.

Very few people get long term financial stability with their job.  Eighty percent of all adult Americans DO NOT have $1000 in some sort of savings account.  That means 80% of Americans live week to week, or month to month.  These people basically spend everything they make between pay days, with nothing put back for the proverbial "rainy day."  What happens if they have a "rainy day?"  They borrow money to cover it, the most popular way by getting an advance on their credit card, or a check advance "pay day" loan.  This, of course, is the most expensive way to borrow money.

Okay, you've maxed out the credit cards and there is no better paying job in your immediate future, so how will you ever have a chance of financial

stability?  As I said before, it's really quite simple - get a part time job.  I don't care how demeaning:  it can be flipping burgers at a fast food place, or pushing buggies at Wal-Mart.  Trust me, this is your only way to a financially stable future.  Now, there is more to the plan than a part time job, but you have to start there.  The next part of the plan is commitment.  Don't take the part time job and say, "this is just until I catch up on my bills."  If you go into my plan with that attitude, it's not going to work.  You have to face it - the part time job is from now on.

The third part of the plan is discipline.  You can never look at your part time job as a way to have more money to spend each week.  You are going to continue paying your bills and budget your finances based on your day time job.  Your part time job is for one reason - to save money.  If you can take home $80 per week at a part time job, and save all of it, in one year, you have over $4000 in savings!  If you read my column regularly, you know how I feel about smoking.  I don't have any moral objection to smoking, I have a financial objection to smoking.  A one pack a day habit on average is $1400 per year.  Quit smoking and save that money too, and instead of having $4000 at the end of the first

year, you can now have $5400.  If your spouse smokes and they quit with you, add that to your savings, and you now have $6800 at the end of one year.  Do it for two years, and you have now saved $13600!  Want to save more?  Start taking a sack lunch every day and save $15 - $20 more a week (or another $780 - $1040 pr year).  Do it for 20 years, and you have $136,000, not counting interest.  Have it invested in a mutual fund that has an average return, you could have $250,000 in 20 years.

Here is the biggest problem with my plan:  Getting started.  I admit - it's tough to start, but once you ever do and the money begins to accumulate, you get excited!  If you really get into the plan, instead of being tempted to spend your new found money, you will find you tend to tighten up in other areas of your life so you can save more. 

How do I know the plan works?  It's the exact plan I formulated for myself 30 years ago when I was working a day job making $520 per month.  I can assure you, it does work!