Its more about using it to optimize your values and priorities.

And the level of pain varies, depending on your situation.

Growing up, my parents had a hard time making ends meet, at least for a few years.

They wanted to move to a better neighborhood with better schools, but that wasnt going to happen.

Others have it even worse.

The authors write:

Scarcity is not just a physical constraint.

It is also a mindset.

When scarcity captures our attention, it changes how we think.

Like it or not, money is powerful.

Most of us are controlledbyit, and thats where personal finance comes in.

Personal finance is about learning to manage money so you might use it to your advantage.

Its about taking control.

Money Itself Is Not The Goal

Its easy to assume that managing money means chasing after it.

And for a long time, I did it wrong.

After I graduated, I wanted to travel.

My goal was to get out of debt so I could afford to go to Europe.

That was a specific, concrete goal, and it motivated me to pay off my student loan.

In a way, I was drifting; my goal was simply to accumulate money.

That goal was vague and boring, because it was just about hoarding pieces of paper.

Theres little point in accumulating moneyif it doesnt have some purpose.

Its about using that tool to live the life you want.

What would you like to do with that money?…

Assign your goals to the reasons you are saving money, not the money itself.

That last sentence pretty much sums up what people think personal finance is versus what its actually about.

Just verify you know why youre pursuing it.

That you see the big picture and allow it to guide your steps.

In short, money is not the focus.

Its about using money to pursue more of what you want in life.

That might even mean saving enough to leave the job you hate and do something you actually enjoy instead.

Most of personal finance is, well,personal.

And sometimes that evenmeans breaking these basic tenetsand doing what works for you.

Id even argue that the focus should be more on behavior than the rules.

People tend to brush off money management because they dont care about money.

Oddly enough, thats exactly why theyshouldcare about managing it.

Photo byDooder(Shutterstock).