This is the fifth article of the A-B-C's of credit and debt. Today is E for Empower.

So what is the reason for your money problems? So many people these days find it easy to blame something or someone other than themselves. "It's not my fault" they'll say. It's just so much easier to...

Blame your boss.
It's not your fault you didn't get that raise. Or work crappy hours. It's your boss's fault. They hold you back. They treat you poorly. Someone else gets the good hours, the promotions, the nice office. You, well you get the leftovers.

Blame the government.
Taxes are way too high. The Democrats don't know what they are doing. The leaders in your town and state stink too, right? If only they knew what it was like to be the little guy, the person who works hard and never gets ahead.
Blame your parents.
They should have taught you better how to manage your money. Or they should have given you more to help you get started in life. You deserved so much more from them. They made so many mistakes raising you that if only they had raised you properly, you would be so much better off financially.

Blame bad luck.
You're cursed. It's always someone else who gets lucky, and wins the lottery, or marries into money, or gets that good job you wanted. If it wasn't for bad luck, you wouldn't have any luck at all.

Blame lack of education.
Those smart college kids have it all. Bigger houses, better jobs, better benefits. They don't have any money problems like the rest of us. If you just had the money and the motivation to go to college when you were younger, everything would be so much different.

Baaaaaloney!

None of those things above are the reason for your struggles in life. Whether you're talking about money or anything else. Sure, some people get lucky and win the lottery. But only a small handful out of the millions and millions who play it. And no, it isn't fair that greedy bankers and lawyers and politicians make more than hardworking factory workers, or underpaid teachers who work with our kids, or any other average person who works hard for a living.

But stop blaming others. And heck, stop blaming yourself.

Even if you take complete responsibility for your current situation, there's no sense torturing yourself over past decisions, bad mistakes, or steps you never took. Instead, empower yourself to become the person you want to be. Act like the person you want to be. "Be" the person you want to be, even if you aren't quite that person right now.

Here are several ways to empower yourself right now:

Take a class.
It can be a college class if you want to earn your degree. Or a free online class. Or a class with your local adult education program. Or a class about anything that interests you. Challenge your mind to learn something new, have fun, or start learning skills for a new career.

Start a business.
If you've always wanted your own business, start one. You don't have to quit your regular job. Think of something you can do part-time, and either just make some extra spending money, or build towards something full time.

Start saving.
Go to your local bank, set up a savings or money market account, and start saving. If you can do an automatic payroll deduction or automatic withdrawal from your regular bank account, do it. No matter how big or small, just do it.

Go job hunting.
If you're not happy in your current job, check out what's out there. Even if you don't find a job right away, you will feel empowered. And you might figure out some new skill or qualification you need and can start working towards while you keep looking.

Find new friends.
Join a club in your town. Join a chamber of commerce or local group in your industry. Join an online message board with other people who have similar interests. Nothing makes you feel more alive than a new friend!

Start exercising.
Nope, it won't help your finances. But do it anyway. If you have the money you can think about joining a health club, but there are lots of ways to exercise for free - Go for a walk. Start running. Do pushups and situps (here's a great 100 pushup challenge). A stronger body definitely leads to a stronger mind.

So now you have several simple ways to empower yourself. So stop blaming. And put yourself in charge of your own life!

By Kris Bickell