Money Matters: Part 1

Step one of my 2010 master-plan in the realm of finance: 'fessing up on all the money mistakes. Now, I'm sure this list won't include everything--no doubt it took A LOT of mistakes for us to get where we are, and it isn't all inclusive. Meaning, I'm not going to get specific here, like "we should have never bought _____." No, I'm understanding now it's not the specific, singular mistake--it's the attitudes and beliefs that went into making those decisions that really matter.

Money Mistakes:

• Believing that getting & using credit cards was "necessary" to build our credit history/give us better chances at buying a car or house.
• Thinking that "leftover" grant, scholarship, or loan money during college was "free" to spend on whatever.
• Believing that it wasn't important to pay off credit cards while in college, because afterall, when we graduate we'll have AMAZING, WELL-PAYING jobs that will zap that debt into oblivion.
• Believing that we HAVE to buy a house NOW, because "renting is like throwing money away."
• Not learning HOW to budget before ever getting a checking account.
• Not learning WHY to budget before ever getting a checking account.
• Believing that a savings account was for whenever we ran out of money in checking, rather than for emergencies or reaching goals.
• Learning, understanding, and respecting the tithe sooner.
• Justifying every purchase.
• Regretting every purchase.
• Just because something you want is on sale, or the best deal, doesn't mean it's the right time, or right thing for your family.
• Just because it's not on sale or not a great deal, doesn't mean it's bad or wrong.
• Just because they're an expert, doesn't mean you should trust them with your money.

What are your money attitude mistakes? What have you learned from bad financial choices?