When you think about your finances how do you feel? Do you feel confused, embarrassed or full of angst? If you have really bad feelings about money, you may actually hate it. Have you ever stopped to wonder where these feelings come from? It’s probably due to a combination of issues. It might be because you simply don’t understand personal finances, you feel you don’t earn enough or you’re frustrated due to the inflexible budget you’ve created. Regardless of why it is you feel about personal finance the fact is if you learn to better manage your money you will feel better and have a more fulfilled life. So what would you need to do to fall in love with your personal finances?
Read about finances
A first good step towards falling in love with your finances is to read some articles and books. This will help you understand more about it. Plus, reading about personal finances doesn’t have to be boring and dreadful. There are lots of websites that make money matters fun and enjoyable. Yet, at the same time, they will equip you with practical advice and skills you can use right away.
For example, you might subscribe to sites like Rock Star Finance and get its digest every day for terrific articles on personal finance. For example, its homepage currently has articles titled, “You Weren’t Born to Pay off Debt and Die” and “Should You Do Your Own Taxes?”. The “You Weren’t Born …” article makes some great points like, “You don’t have to spend every month calculating how much you can afford to put towards debt repayment, while continuing to use credit, and staying in the never-ending cycle of borrowing money and trying to pay it back. It’s not an easy cycle to get out of; I know that firsthand. But it is a cycle that will not only control your finances, it will control your mind and your life – and our time on this planet is far too short to let debt control your life.”
Try to boost your earnings
Get one of the worst things about money is that it’s hard to get but easy to spend. It is even more difficult because supermarkets and department stores are actually designed to get us to spend – so the temptation is there. That is according to an article published on BusinessInsider.com. If you are able to boost your earnings this could help you overcome whatever bad feelings you have about your budget. Look for part-time jobs that would not require a huge commitment of your time but would generate fast cash. This would include anything from bartending to waitressing to home repair jobs. If you have skills, you could market you then register at Freelancer or Upwork or just sell “gigs” on Fiverr. If you would rather be with animals than children check out rover.com where you’ll find jobs for dog walking and dog sitting.
Stomp out debt
It’s more than probable that the top reason why you despise personal finance is because of your debt. However, the worst thing you could do is ignore it as this will put you in a far worse position going forward and will stop you from achieving your life goals. Take the pledge now and make a commitment to stomp out your debt. Combine your side hustle income with a reduction in your discretionary spending so that you will be able to put every possible penny towards eliminating your debt. Once you do this you will have a feeling of freedom that will translate into being more affectionate about your personal finances.
Find frugal activities
You can actually go out and have fun even if you’re on a severe budget. There are a lot of frugal activities that will actually make you feel happier than many of those things that cost a pretty penny. As an example of this, just being active outside will help you feel healthier and boost those great feeling endorphins. So, go for a hike, a bike ride, a run or just a long walk. There are lots of zoos and museums that offer days with free admission. You can even take in a movie on the cheap if you go on a discount night when in some cases ticket prices may be as low as five bucks.
Be smarter about your spending
Instead of feeling contemptuous about your tight budget try to find ways to save on the things that you want. For instance, if you love clothes then head to the nearest consignment shop instead of Macy’s where you should find practically new clothing at a fraction of what it cost originally. There are a lot of tools available online that will help you save on stuff so make it a point to find these resources so that you can avoid paying full price.
Never lose track of the big picture
When you’re paying off debt, it is easy to get frustrated because you can’t really enjoy the use of your hard-earned money. When this is the case you need to keep in mind the big picture. Never forget that this is all about the long term and that your lifestyle in the future will be much more enjoyable thanks to what you’re doing now. This should help you understand that the struggles you’re facing now will more than pay off in the end. One thing you might do is create a “vision board” consisting of the things you want to achieve. This can help you maintain focus on those things you’re working on to become financially free.
Gift yourself occasionally
If you want to fall in love with your finances, it’s important to not let yourself get burnt out. This means you need to attain a balance that will include rewarding yourself from time to time. It is okay to treat yourself occasionally. Just make sure you don’t do this regularly as this could negate all the hard work you’ve put in. When you do consider rewarding yourself don’t just buy things. Concentrate on experiences that will provide lasting memories. An overnight camping where you awake to an absolutely stunning sunrise, won’t cost much but it’s something you’re likely to remember forever.
