PORTLAND, ME--(Marketwire - November 8, 2010) -  If familiarity truly breeds contempt, then money is the most contemptible thing in our lives.

It's that familiarity with money that prevents us from managing it well, according to Jane Honeck, a CPA and money coach.

"We aren't told much about money when we're young," said Honeck, who is also the author of "The Problem With Money? It's Not About the Money!" (www.theproblemwithmoney.com). "So, when we encounter money problems in later life and try to balance budgets or plan our retirements, the truth becomes clear: money is not easily understood. It's complex, and the only way we can master it is to really think about what money really is."

Her solution is a three-step guide to rethinking our relationship with money.

• Ask ourselves what we think money really is -- As important as money is in our lives, wouldn't it follow logically that we really should have a deeper understanding of money as it relates to our lives? The first step is examining what we think it is, and then moving forward from there.

• Talk about money -- Talking more about money, and not less, not only enhances our understanding of it, but makes us more capable of controlling it instead of allowing it to control us. It's a fact that conflicts over money are the number one cause of divorce, and this phenomenon is driven by dysfunctional communication about money.

• Create a new money philosophy -- Once we are able to see money as the slave and not the master, and work to realign our perspective on money and how our lives interact with it, we can begin setting and living by reasonable rules that put us in charge.

"So many of us lurch from money crisis to money crisis on a regular basis," she added. "Is that because many Americans just can't seem to make enough money to pay the bills, or is it because many Americans just haven't gotten a handle on how to manage their money wisely? We need to start at square one and rethink how we see money in our lives."

About Jane Honeck
Jane Honeck, CPA, specializes in tax and financial planning for professionals, small businesses and individuals.

Contact Information:

Russ Handler
russ@newsandexperts.com