Do You Need a Taser For Your Inner Llama?

June 07, 2013

This article caught my eye as I was doing some Internet surfing and really…. how couldn’t it? How many times do you get to read a story about a runaway llama? I know that for me, it’s a first.

This llama didn’t want to be in his pen. He wanted to run wild and have some fun. Eventually, three sheriff’s deputies and a taser were able to get the llama back home safely. Obviously, this made me think about my inner llama and the inner llama of some of the people I’ve had conversations with lately.

We can try our best to stay “within our budget” on a monthly basis but if we put the clamps on too hard, we tend to rebel and have an inner llama that breaks out of the pen and goes on a rampage. Human behavior is a funny thing. We don’t like being told (even by ourselves in the context of our budget) what we can and can’t do.

So if things get a little too restrictive, we tend to bust out and spend more than we should. And we know it!!! I have a few friends who call it “retail therapy.”

I’ve had people tell me, “I work hard so even though I know it’s not a good thing, sometimes I just need to reward myself.” It’s an amazing thing to see very smart people make decisions that they know are not very smart. But it happens time and time again. How do you make sure your inner llama stays under control and doesn’t need to be hit with a taser?

When you are reviewing your spending habits, know what your challenges, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses are. If you know them, you can plan to keep them under control.
Be realistic! Do you really think you can build a monthly budget that allows for ZERO fun? Most people can’t. They will buckle under that kind of stress and other problems will be created.
If you slip up, don’t compound the problem by saying “oh well, I guess I’ve already blown it” and continue with spending excessively on your “hot spots.” Forgive yourself, acknowledge that you messed up and get back in the game.
Remember that you and only you have control over how you spend your money (usually). So, if you’re looking for the solution, the mirror is your best place to look. Remind yourself that you are in charge and that you are going to make sure that your financial life is in a good place.
When needed, look for help. Does your employer offer a financial wellness benefit? Have you taken advantage of it? Have you talked with a credit counseling service (if your budget has resulted in a high debt load)? Have you gone to your local public library and checked out a few books on personal finances? (It’s free and the info in many of them is excellent)
In today’s world, talking about money still seems like a bit of a taboo. Get past that! If you’re in need of help, look to your friends and family to see if they have any expertise or know someone trustworthy. If your shoulder hurt so badly that you couldn’t shampoo your hair and that pain persisted for several months, you’d probably be looking for help. Financial pain is no different, and it may be worse. Financial pain causes stress, stress causes illness, and illness creates a situation where you may not be productive or lose time from work, which only exacerbates the financial stress. It’s like a dog chasing his tail.

Setting reasonable and realistic goals is a great first step. Getting help with your budget can be transformational if you aren’t living up to your goals. Maybe the goals are not reachable? Maybe your behavior is not allowing you to reach them? That’s where an unbiased observer may be able to see things you don’t. In order to take the next steps in your financial journey, you have to make sure that your inner llama doesn’t wreck your plans. I’d hate to have to see you break out your taser…