Beyond The B Team

Have you ever looked at an area in your life and thought “Wow, I’m really on the B team with this one!”  I believe that it is safe to say that at some point or another, we all have felt that way from time to time.  Let’s face it, while it would be awesome to automatically excel at everything we do in life, that simply isn’t reality, or at least not for the majority of us!

I was feeling a bit this way in regards to this blog.  It is certainly not near as polished as so many of the other big-name blogs I read, nor do I consider myself to be a prolific writer with endless words of wisdom.  I’m just me…a 50+-year-old woman desperately trying (along with my 50+-year-old hubby) to get out of debt once and for all.  Perhaps in comparison to many of the well-known blog names out there, no doubt I’d be considered to be a B team blogger.  You know what though, that is totally okay and I’m good with it…for now! It doesn’t mean that I feel inferior or even mediocre.  It only means that I have areas in which I can improve!  As an avid reader of personal finance, some of my favorite bloggers aren’t always what would be considered by most to be A team material.  Many are not even self-hosted and (gasp!) some even come with occasional spelling and grammar errors.  If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you can see I’m not in any position to be the spelling or grammar patrol, and I assure you, I am not!  What I enjoy about some of these B team bloggers is the personal aspect that I feel some (but certainly not all!) A team bloggers seem to lack.

However, being on the either team doesn’t mean receiving a free pass!  There are always things one can learn from the other team.  When it comes to A Dime at a Time, I will always be “just me,” but I can (and will!) continue to work on improving my rambling writing.  The same A/B team mentality goes for other areas of my life as well, including managing money!

I feel teams are also very much an element of personal finance.  There are those on the A team who have managed their money extremely well and then there are those of us on the B team who, for whatever reason,  have not.  The nice thing though about life and finance is that we can learn from the other team, and to an extent, this can work both ways!

When it comes to finances, I have a sister who would be considered A team material.  She has always been a saver.  You would be hard pressed to pry even a single penny out of her hand.  While I admire her ability to save, even with our boatload of debt, I still wouldn’t want to trade places with her.  What I have seen of my sibling is that her tightly clenched fist has made her a very ungiving person.  I’m not claiming to know everything about her finances. It is just my take as an outsider looking in.  On the other hand, she may very well view me as a person who gives far too much.  I think this is where finding a healthy balance comes into play.

As for my finances, I still have much to learn!  I do look to members of the financial A team for help.  Obviously, there is a reason they are on that team, and I am not…or at least not yet!  No matter where you are on your journey, the key is to always keep improving and keep learning!  Moving beyond the B team doesn’t mean that you can’t continue to be “just you” it means that you are willing to put forth the effort to advance to the next level and therefore, grow!

Have you moved beyond the B team with the way you manage money?  If not, what do you feel is holding you back?  While we still have much to learn, I feel my hubby and I have come a long way in improving our financial outlook.  Still not A team material, but we are getting closer!