Tips for Creating A Healthy Relationship with Money

Have you ever considered your relationship with money?  Your financial health is a very important aspect of your overall health and well-being.  Our beliefs about finances began as children.  What is your first memory of money?  What do you remember feeling about money as a child?  Perhaps you were raised in a household that worried greatly about money and providing.  You may remember thinking of money as something that was unattainable and lacking.  Or, perhaps you were raised in a household with an abundance of money.  In this case, you may remember money being free-flowing and always available. Whatever your situation was, it is likely that these early memories have shaped your current relationship with money. Consider these tips for creating a healthy relationship with your finances:

• DO NOT SPEND more money than you bring in.
• CREATE A SAFETY NET fund for financial emergencies or hardships.
• PUT MONEY AWAY from every paycheck for savings, no matter how small.
• CREATE A MONTHLY BUDGET that includes a commitment to paying down your debts.
• EVALUATE your household financial situation.Keep track of all household spending to see where your money goes.Seeing your finances on paper helps to understand where you may be spending frivolously. Watch for household spending patterns to emerge.You will understand much about your financial situation when you understand your patterns and habits.
• RESPECT your relationship with money regardless of where your financial situation is now.
• RELEASE your grip.Holding on too tightly (and with too much control) may be causing you to have negative emotions toward money and your financial well-being.
• COMMIT to a healthy long-term relationship with your finances.

 
Is something holding you back? Does your relationship with money begin with a feeling that you are undeserving of abundance?  Don’t get trapped in the “I’ll be happy when…” mentality.  Change your mindset from “I can’t afford this” to one of “What would make it possible for me to afford this?” Evaluate how your life could be enriched to attain what you feel is out of reach for you - and be honest when you evaluate.  It may be the unattainable nature that is most attractive, instead of the actual purchase and ownership of your desired item.

Take action this week by considering these questions about improving your relationship with money: When do you feel most stressed about money?  What is your biggest struggle in your financial relationship?  How would your life be different if you reached your financial goals?   What is the first step you can take to help alleviate the financial stress in your life?   Now set a financial goal and take a step forward toward financial peace.
 
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Sara Wolfsen is a Certified Health & Lifestyle Coach who specializes in helping people make their own healthy changes by providing private health coaching, nutrition education and wellness classes, and gentle weight-loss guidance and support.  Schedule your complimentary coaching session and learn more online at www.sarawolfsen.com.

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