The cost of trying to appear cool Many of us feel our appearance is a right, it’s a freedom; we have to look any way we want. This may be true; however, since our appearance is a reflection of us, it comes at a cost. There are many who wear what they see the celebrities wear, or wear clothing in such a way, they feel will look cool to those around them. It’s pretty clear that the way we dress is for the most part extrinsically influenced. It’s understandable that companies and schools have dress codes for us to follow. In some situations, we may even have to wear uniforms. There is usually not an issue with the clothes or the uniforms we wear; a lot of the time, the issue is in how we wear the clothes or the size of the clothes. Just look around; there are many grown males, young and old, who have seemed to have forgotten the basic function of a belt. These males wear pants that appear to have fifty-pound weights in the pockets, which cause their pants to fall below their waist, exposing the whole full crack of their behind. We can also see grown females, both young and old, wearing clothes that appear to have come from the little girls section of the store. The problem is this cost us when we are interviewing for jobs, working on jobs, looking for potential business partners, or looking for potential clients. Companies worth working for, business partners worth having, and clients worth having, will carry and present themselves in a professional, confident, authentic manner. When we are not carrying ourselves in such a manner, it will be nearly impossible to get quality jobs, business partners, or clients. The bottom line is our appearance impacts our bottom line.     The cost of trying to appear rich Like with dressing to appear cool, dressing to appear rich is also largely extrinsically influenced. We often try to mimic what we see the rich and famous do. We see our family, friends, and neighbors with “stuff” that they probably can’t even afford, and we want what they have. These extrinsic influences seem to bring out the inner child in us. We go out and purchase clothes, vehicles, expensive meals, and even houses, all for the sake of looking good. The fact of the matter is; we can look as good as we want on the outside, but if we have poor financial health (financial health series MCS006 – MCS008), it will eventually surface. Going into debt to purchase things we can’t afford for the sake of looking good, is a sign of immaturity on all fronts. We have to exercise emotional intelligence, financial maturity, and a little bit of common sense. Most of the people we see, probably can’t truly afford what you see them with (the only way you would truly know is if you look at their financials), and they probably don’t really care about what you have. So who are we trying to look good for, and at what cost?     Being true to our appearance Okay, no one want’s to walk around looking like a bum. No one wants to drive around in a death trap waiting to happen. The point we want to make is; just be honest with where you stand financially, and from there you can make the best fiscally responsible choices, as it relates to your appearance. There are many alternatives out there for individuals on a tight budget. We can look decent, drive decent, and live decent without committing financial suicide. We don’t have to eat roman noodles every night or live like Oscar on Sesame Street, just because we are on a budget. The take away is we have to remain financially healthy; we don’t go outside and dance in the rain when we have the flu. However, many are pulling their own plug, while on financial life support just to look cool or rich. This is financial suicide. Know where you stand financially, and make every effort to operate within your financial capability.      The Financial Health Series:   www.themikeandcliffshow.com/mcs006 Budgeting Nothing Natural To It

www.themikeandcliffshow.com/mcs007 What Is Your Number? (Creating and Executing a Budget)

www.themikeandcliffshow.com/mcs008 What is it really worth? (Creating a Financial Balance Sheet)

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