Recently, life got chaotic—to put it mildly. Different family members got sick, some were hospitalized—more than once—and almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong. In other words, it felt like Murphy’s Law was in full effect.
When life goes sideways like this, the last thing on your mind is money, finances, or whether you’re sticking to your budget. Budget? Did someone say budget? Yes, I did—and I’ll double down on that. You see, the real test of your financial character is how well you maintain and stick to the fundamentals when things get stormy and chaotic around you. For example, it’s not easy to follow a budget when you have to visit the hospital multiple times in a week and pay exorbitant parking fees. Nor does it get easier when your daily routine is turned upside down—throw in March break with the kids—and you have no time to cook, leading to more spending on takeout.
So, what did I personally do? And did I fail this unplanned test? Yes and no. While things were hectic and my finances were the last thing on my mind, eventually, as I adjusted to the temporary chaos, things started getting back to normal—at least financially. Throughout all of this, I kept reminding myself that setbacks like these are part of life, and no matter what, things always return to normal. If I know they do, why not keep that perspective in mind and try to regain control? You see, as you focus on controlling what you can—starting with your money—other things will gradually fall into place.
Unexpected life events can throw a wrench into your plans and disrupt your routines. And while it’s easy to say this when you’re not in the thick of it—when you’re on the outside looking in—it’s important to keep reminding yourself that things will eventually resolve. So, I told myself: I better do my best to stick to my financial plan and budget. In other words, just because life is chaotic and nothing seems to be going right doesn’t mean I should abandon home-cooked meals in favor of takeout, hurting both my budget and my health. Of course, different people may experience different difficulties in their life: if and when you do, in whatever form it comes, will you be ready? It all depends on your fundamentals, so build them strong!