Fall in Love with Your Finances
Starry eyes, butterflies, no one in the world but you and your boo. While the honeymoon phase can’t last forever, you can learn to fall back in love with another prominent relationship in your life: your finances. Check out these tips for breaking up with bad habits, maturing your financial mindset and getting back on the path to a financially-healthy future.
Avoid Using Money as an Emotional Crutch
A bad day at work, a fight with your significant other – everyday stressors can lead to irresponsible spending to ease the pain. But by establishing a structured budget and knowing your long-term financial goals, you’ll have guardrails in place to help you stay on track.
Differentiate Needs from Wants
Break out that old notepad and create a list of your daily living expenses – things like groceries, rent, gas, etc. – versus the “nice-to-haves” like drinks with friends, going to the movies and that $6 latte. Decide which of those extras are most important to you and treat the rest as special occasion expenses.
Don’t Forget to Give Back
As good as it feels to make money, giving feels better. Find a charity or organization that you really believe in and pledge to give an amount each month, no matter how small. It will help put life into perspective and, as a bonus, make you feel really, really good.
Find a Mentor
A friend, parent or blog (hey, we have a few), can help you figure out where you are with your finances, where you want to go, and how to get there. Remember, you don’t have to go it alone. And don’t forget to check out World Finance resources like our free financial literacy courses from MoneySKILL® to help get you back on track.
The birds are singing. The sun is shining. And you’re one step closer to falling back in love/like/not hate with your finances. Just remember to take it day by day, learn to make a budget and stick to it, and reach out to a World Finance team member whenever you need a little extra encouragement.