You drag your tired body from the cab of the tow truck. Ah... home, sweet home -- three hours and $65 later.  Who could have known the transmission would call it quits right in the middle of evening rush hour?  Of course, your mechanic has been warning you for months now.

There's no money for a transmission, new or old.  You can't afford new car payments, either.  You just charged the towing to a credit card.

It's not as though you haven't worked hard to save some money.  For over a year now, you've brought your lunch 4 times a week.  You've cut out all long-distance calls, as well as miscellaneous spending.  You'd estimate the money saved at around $3,000.

Plopping onto the sofa, you sip a hot cup of coffee.  Your half-frozen fingers begin to thaw...  Feels good to finally relax.  But then the worry sets in...

All that Work for Nothing

Where is the $3000 you Worked So Hard to Save?  It's not in the checkbook.  No sign of it in your savings account.

Hmmm...

There's a well-kept secret that we're going to expose now. A secret exposed no longer holds the power it once had...

The MONEY SPONGE has been visiting your checkbook while you were about the business of living.

The $3000 you *saved* was not taken out of circulation, put into a savings account, tucked away. It was left high and dry, totally defenseless in your checkbook.  Steadily, quietly, the Money Sponge absorbed it, one bite at a time. There is now NO evidence that you ever saved $3000.

You need that money urgently right now, but it's simply not there. It slowly got spent on other things. Things you couldn't identify if asked. You begin to feel as though you're not any better off than you were a year ago...  All that work -- for nothing!

Take it out of Circulation

Friend, you must put up ALL money saved. If you don't, chances are that you may work hard at *saving,* yet never really get ahead. If the money will not be there when you need it, why are you working so hard to save it? How long will you stay motivated if you never see the 'fruits' of your labor?

If you don't begin putting up smaller amounts of money, chances are that you'll never put up larger amounts. That day simply won't arrive.

The Money Sponge is sitting there quietly, comfortably settled in for the years ahead...  Are you going to let it win?

Now, kick back, finish your coffee.  And while you're at it, figure out *how* you will tuck away that little bit of money, even if it's only $5 at a time.  You earned it by not spending it.  Take it out of circulation!

Darlene Arechederra is author of Rat Race Blues-How to Break the Stranglehold.  Do what you *love* to do for a living, not what you *have* to do!  Darlene offers hope and help in *finding* money, time and energy to support your dreams. Fr*ee weekly newsletter.  http://www.RatRaceRemedies.com