Finance - Money, Money

Finance is a big word for some of us. It's a little scary. Maybe you immediately go to thinking about "high finance." That's even scarier. But what is the field of finance really about? Money. Okay, so money can be a scary word, too, but it's a little more manageable because we use it more often. In fact, money management is what finance is all about. It can also mean raising the money for something or lending money to someone on credit.

"Finance your dreams," they say.

You read about people in ordinary jobs, with ordinary lives, who manage to save and invest their money so they can do the things they really love. There's a whole book about that. Have you read "The Millionaire Next Door?" It's a good book and it does give us ordinary people some inspiration about going for our dreams. You don't have to become a millionaire, though to finance some of those dreams.

Think about it. What is it you'd really like to have money for?

Do you want to open a coffee shop? Self-publish your own book? Backpack in Egypt? Make jewelry and sell it at fairs? Paint?

Whatever your dream is, it's do-able. Do the math. First you want to know about how much it's going to cost to finance this dream of yours. That's going to take a little research. Get on the web and look for information. Call people who have already done what you want to do and ask them out to lunch. Most of them will be happy and proud to tell you how they did it. You might even make a new friend.

You're going to be surprised in many ways. First, it may not cost as much as you think to get started. Second, once you start thinking in new directions, new ideas on how to finance this dream will show up. Third, most of us could save quite a lot by putting a little bit of money aside from every paycheck. Even 5 percent adds up to a lot in just a year.

So what are you waiting for? An engraved invitation? Here it is "You are cordially invited to have fun financing your dreams!" Now get started!

About this author - Julian Mettaroy is an investment counselor who specializes in helping normal folks finance their dreams. You can read more articles about finance at Diogo Finance