Money matters….$$$$

……."Money is a defense "……..Ecclesiastes 7:12

Sometime ago I got talking with an older friend, who is doing very well  financially in her chosen career, about what motivates her to keep doing what she is doing, and she said,in her words, "I work hard because of  The 4 Ds"-Disease, Downsizing, Divorce and Death…not necessarily in that order.
She said she wants to be prepared for  if and when any of the 4 Ds happen to her or any member of her  family.
Nobody prays for any of these to happen to them or their loved ones, but in reality they do happen.Even though I am not afraid of the future-because I believe in God and I know that whatever happens He will sort me and my family out somehow, but it got me thinking…thinking real hard about how to be "wise' regarding the wages I am blessed with through my job (my only source of income,currently).

So I did some research  about  Investments, Retirement plans, Savings etc. The recurrent recommendations  can be summarized as follows:

1. Cut your coat according to your size: Don't spend more than you earn.The wealthy habit is to separate your spending from your feelings of worth. You are not defined by your possessions. Ask yourself why you spend: Are you satisfying a genuine need or a contrived want?
2. Save,save,save for rainy days, for sunny days, for all days:Develop reserves for the inevitable rainy day and insure those risks you can’t afford to lose. Save monthly from earnings for retirement.
3. Budget and plan:The wealthy habit is to respond proactively to any warning signs of impending financial problems. Living paycheck to paycheck, using credit to pay for living expenses, and stressing over money are all warning signs that you need to take action.
4. Be generous : "Be a giver, a giver never lacks"

My sister-in-law shared an article with me,(The worst money mistakes you can make at any age):  http://finance.yahoo.com/news/worst-money-mistakes-age-000000873.html?soc_src=mediacontentsharebuttons.

The wealthy habit is to run your personal finances like a business with plans and action steps designed to produce a financially secure result.* Words in italics are culled from http://blog.credit.com/2013/02/7-money-habits-that-can-make-or-break-you

I hope someone finds this helpful like I did.