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One of Aesop's fables compared an ant to a grasshopper. The ant worked all the time, always carrying food back to the ant hill. The grasshopper, on the other hand, simply ate what he wanted every day and taunted the ant for working so hard. Naturally when winter came and there was no more green weeds and grass for the grasshopper to eat, he starved to death.

There are those people that are like the grasshopper. They can't grasp the concept of tomorrow and live simply for today. It's an easygoing, peaceful life, until "winter" comes. They refuse to think about putting anything aside, but spend whatever money they have while they have it. These people have a problem with delayed gratification. They want what they want now and are not willing to wait for it. Often these same people live beyond their means with charge cards and get themselves deep in debt.

There are other people who feel they can't afford to save. They believe they are scrapping by on a tight income and don't have enough left over to save. They are right in one sense...there is never anything left over. They have not learned to "pay themselves first" and set aside a little bit before they spend any. Often these people think they have to save a lot, therefore, can't afford it. They fail to realize they could start with small amounts, such as $5.00 or $10.00 a week or even a month.

Finally, there are those people who have not learned to prioritize their money or to sit down and make a budget. They will say they can't afford to save, yet will spend money they don't need to. For instance, they will rent a huge TV from a place that charges extra high fees and interest. If they would settle for a smaller TV and purchase it at a different store, they would not only get a cheaper product, but also pay less interest. These are the people that will get very careless with a checking account and bounce checks paying those nasty high bank fees. They may also procrastinate paying bills and get hit with late fees.

To sum up, most people who can't seem to save have a poor sense of money management. Their lack can be changed with training and encouragement.

Learn more about this author, Martha Leonard.
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