Have you ever had to go without a necessity? Maybe it was food, water, or utilities. No matter which kind of suffering you’ve endured, they’re all not fun and can leave us traumatized.

I grew up poor and had no insight that there was any other kind of life. I thought that was just how things were and life was a constant struggle. There was no one to teach me about finances and I was destined for failure.

However, I ended up crossing paths with an amazing money book that completely changed my life! I learned that life is what we make it and not merely what happens to us. By learning which habits were stealing my dreams, I quickly cut them out! I wasn’t going to allow anything to get in my way of success!

Here are 7 spending habits that will keep you poor and steal your dreams.

Alcohol And Cigarettes

Addictive substances, like alcohol and cigarettes, are extremely dangerous because they cause us to do irrational things. When we ‘just need to smoke’, we can end up spending our last few dollars on cigarettes.

Recently, my husband and I went to a convenience store near our local laundromat. The door had a sign that said $8.68 for a pack of cigarettes. My jaw completely dropped. I cannot believe that people are paying these ludacris prices for something that is killing them!

I think we all know cigarettes are expensive, but what about alcohol? People can get whole cans for a dollar. Surely, something like that isn’t stealing their wealth. Think again! People become reliable on these type of substances which causes them to buy more and more.

I once lived in a very bad neighborhood and the neighbor was an alcoholic. He would get up before nine and begin walking to the liquor store. He was unemployed so he would drink all day. Then, he and his wife would argue almost every night about money and his drinking. It was an extremely toxic relationship and I’m happy to be out of that part of town! Read more