You are an intelligent person. You are accomplished. You know what you should and shouldn’t do in order to save for retirement or pay off a credit card. So why do the same old bad habits keep coming back again?!
Creating and keeping yourself on a budget is like any other habit. Psychology plays a huge role in whether or not you are successful in starting a new positive one or stopping a bad one. Appreciate that emotions and money are intertwined.
To the tips…
Tip #1: Taking care of your emotional health and getting help for issues and fears that are at play in your financial decisions will pay off literally and figuratively. Look to life coaches and psychologists as well as financial planners and CPAs for help managing spending.
Tip #2: Think of your big picture. Create a vision statement and/or a mission statement and then spend accordingly. Budgets should actually empower you. Money is a tool for you to do the amazing things you want to do in your life. Support charities. Give gifts to friends and family. Help your child launch into adulthood. Start a business. You are not at the whim of money. A mission or vision statement can help you keep these things in perspective. Search up mission statement in your favorite search engine and you will find examples and templates to get you started.
Tip #3: Forgive yourself when you make a spending mistake. Grace goes a long way. You will not be perfect about sticking to your budget. You are human so that will happen. Chalk it up to a learning experience and try again. Find a friend (or professional) you can talk to who will commiserate and who will help you try again.
This is worth the work. You can do it, my friend!
Blessings and good luck in your adventures!
Sharon