You turn on the news and you can watch the stock market going up and down. Unemployment seems to be both up and down. Interest rates are up and down. Housing starts and real estate prices change constantly. Bankruptcies, government debt, government spending, the price of oil and world events are all reported regularly and all have an impact on the economy as a whole. One of these economic indicators is consumer confidence, which is measured by consumer spending and saving. From everyone’s perspective, a confident consumer is good for the economy – just like it’s good for you.

How do you fuel confidence when you are being bombarded with either negative news or statistics that are not fully understood? Obviously, the answer is not to spend now and pay later. The answer is to pre-plan what and when you will spend your money on and to use cash. This means making a list for everything from groceries to what you’re looking for in a new home. And, it means that if you’re going to use a credit card, you must also have preplanned how and when you will pay for the items purchased on credit. This doesn’t have to be complicated – a simple notebook and pen will accomplish this pre-planning so you can spend more confidently.