Fuel Gauge Recap

Today I’m going to recap the system I have been teaching before getting to step 8 next week. When followed, this system will alleviate financial anxiety and allow you to pursue the dreams that you were created for. 

I notoriously wait until the last minute to fill my gas tank. I just don’t have the patience to wait while the gas trickles out of the pump. On my dash, I look at my fuel gauge and until I see that line resting fully on zero, I don’t stop! 

The problem with that is obvious. At any minute, I could be out of fuel and on the side of the road. I’m going to be completely vulnerable. I don’t know why I don’t fill up sooner, because the anxiety it brings can be overwhelming. When I have a full tank of gas, I don’t need to constantly look at the fuel gauge. But when I am running low, I’m always looking down, worried about how much fuel I have left. 

How much fuel is in your tank? This is the question we have been asking as we have learned how to monitor your fuel level, or your financial health, and hopefully give you confidence. I have given you the first 7 steps in your Fuel Gauge. This Fuel Gauge will ensure you’re not constantly worried about that line hitting empty and it will give you the marks you need to hit to fill your tank full. In our personal finances, there are 8 marks on our Fuel Gauge that give us an indication of what we have in the tank. 

These marks aren’t simply increasing levels of cash in the bank. These marks are financial health indications, they’re targets that, when achieved in succession, provide you the confidence of a full tank! When your Fuel Gauge reads full, which I believe may be sooner than you think, you will have the confidence and financial stability to pursue your dreams without having to constantly look down at the gauge, worried that at any minute you could run out of fuel. So let’s learn the 8 marks on your Fuel Gauge and start working toward having that confidence a full tank provides. 

Here are the 8 marks on our Fuel Gauge: 

Next week, we will finish off the Fuel Gauge by talking about the 8th mark, Housing at 25%. This one is the most daunting and some may even say, unrealistic. But with the right mindset, discipline, and tools, I believe you will achieve this final mark of financial health in no time! 

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Zach Santmier is the owner of Trumble Agency, Inc. and the author of the personal financial course, Increase. He focuses on helping families escape paycheck to paycheck living so they can freely pursue their ideal future.