Custom Lifestyle Budget Plan
Best Decision We Ever Made
About three weeks ago, we were talking with one of our “long-time” clients about our relationship and how they initially came to contact us and engage our services. We do try to sit down with our clients periodically to make sure we are all pulling in the same direction with regard to plans, goals, trends, processes, etc.
I will have to say this meeting opened my eyes in a very different way.
This family is very typical of most of our clients. They both work. They have kids and are very busy with school and kid-related activities as well as in their church and community. I asked them what initially drove them to contact us and inquire about our services. I was a little surprised to find out the wife was very interested in asking for help but her husband was totally against it.
He talked about his feelings in depth and said that asking for help with his finances was almost embarrassing and felt that it showed a sign of weakness and defeat. He went on to explain that he was very worried about letting go and letting someone else look at his checkbook. He felt he would feel “judged” or told he had to stop doing activities he and his family enjoyed like going to restaurants or playing golf!
As he described these feelings, my mind raced back to our first couple of meetings with these clients. He was a bit tense and didn’t talk much. Now, I know why he was so reserved! I didn’t really put “2 and 2” together but it all made sense to me now.
He went on to say the first couple of months were a little rough for him because he was concerned how things would go; would everything run smooth, would the bills be paid on time, would he lose track of what was happening. When asked about his feelings now, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “After a couple of months, I never looked back. It was one of the best decisions we ever made!”
Many people feel embarrassed or afraid
As I reflected on this conversation later, I realized that many people may feel this same way; awkward or even embarrassed about their finances, afraid to ask for help, afraid…period. We take a very personal approach with all our clients and never judge them for the financial situation they may find themselves. We work together to create a lifestyle budget plan for “them” that reflects their goals and plans. Every plan is as different as the lifestyles of our clients.
Sometimes crazy things happen and life throws a curve ball. There have been many times we’ve gotten a call or email from a client needing immediate help with their curve ball. After the initial, “take a deep breath”, then we go to work to figure out our strategy for calming things back down and getting back on track.
No judgement – ever! There’s no time for that. We see our clients, these families, in need of a support system. We step in and establish “order” in an extremely sensitive and many times, chaotic area of life.
Does this sound familiar? Let us be your financial support system that can provide some calmness in your already crazy life. The value of knowing all the bills are paid…on time…every time… PRICELESS!