Numbers we know... The one we don't.

There are many numbers in your life that you know off the top of your head. Your birthday, height, weight (I didn't say we had to necessarily like all the numbers), .406 (?), your anniversary (hopefully!), etc. But there is one number that we should know that most of us don't. Some don't know what it is, some don't know how to get, others have trouble calculating it, and some just don't want to know. Ignorance is bliss!

Cash Flow.

It's a critical number that we should all have a handle on. It can tell you about the present and it can also tell you something about your future. It will tell you if you are sinking or swimming today and it will tell you if you will be able so save a dollar tomorrow.

If your cash flow is positive, things could be going swimmingly at the moment and you should look to save those extra dollars. If your cash flow is negative, you will have to take those dollars from somewhere else to keep your head above water.

Defining your current reality is the first important step to getting your financial house in order. Your Cash Flow number is a good place to start. If you don't know where you are, you will not be able to figure out how to get to where you want to be. (unlike Google Maps, there isn't something free and easy that will tell your current location, or cash flow position, thus giving you a starting point from which to build a good plan!) (calling for directions, what's the first thing they ask you, "Ok, where are you coming from?", next time you call, answer, "I have no idea", see where that gets you!) We all have goals and ideas about where we want to be but without knowing where you are at the moment, you cannot begin to put a good plan together that will guide you that goal. Define your current reality. Know your cash flow number. (In it's simplest form your cash flow number is calculated as Income - Expenses (all of them! That is a trickier exercise that you first think.)

Once you see that number for your household, the wheels start to turn. That's what happened to me. "WHAT?!?" I went through the 7 stages of grief in a weekend and then decided to get to work on Monday morning. I needed to find ways to save money every day to help our family reach our goals!! DailySaving. That's what this blog is about.

I commit to finding and sharing very good, practical, and simple ways to save on a daily basis. There is a lot great information out there, so how do we choose where to start or what to do?

The best plan is the implemented plan. Let's move forward! I hope you will join me and help us all identify and get better at improving our numbers.