5 STEPS TO FINANCIAL SELF CARE
What Would Your Life Be Like if You Had ZERO Money Stress?
It’s possible when you have weekly routines built around your finances.
Because, let’s face it, your self-care routines keep you feeling healthy, calm and grounded. Without the financial piece, you continue to deny yourself the balance you deserve (pun-intended!)
Here are 5 Tips for Financial Self-Care
1. Review Your Transactions Weekly
You should have a calendar dedicated to your money. Each week, sit down with your Money Planner and write each transaction on the day it posts. Ask yourself, “How healthy was my spending this week? Was it in line with my goals?”
Woo-Woo Bonus Tip: Forgive yourself for any money mistakes you made during the week.
2. Anticipate What’s Coming Next
The benefit of weekly account tracking is that after the first few months, you have a great idea of where your money is going. Each week, after reviewing transactions, look back at the previous month to see what might be coming up next week. This eliminates the surprises that might have caused stress.
Woo-Woo Bonus Tip: Visualize your perfect week. Imagine how you would happily create income and how you would joyfully spend it.
3. Review Your Monthly Budget
Budgets are not easy to stick to. They are predictions, after all, and who can predict what will happen in our lives? The beauty of a written budget is not in the plan, its in the setting of intentions. So make sure you create one each month and look it over each week as a reminder of your best-case scenario.
Woo-Woo Bonus Tip: Read your “why” for budgeting and FEEL into it! Pretend that it has already happened. What does it feel like? Let out a sigh of relief and smile
4. Create a Meal Plan and Grocery List
Anticipating the items you will need to cook at home and actually having those items on hand will prevent impulse buying and grabbing convenience foods after a long day. A meal plan will also prevent the stress of deciding what to eat. A good meal planner is portable enough to be taken to the grocery store, and pretty enough to be hung on the fridge as a reminder of what’s inside!
Woo-Woo Bonus Tip: Imagine your ideal self, how would she eat? Then eat what she’s eating.
5. Avoid the Temptation of Over-Spending
When you shop, stick to the list. For groceries, we aim to spend about $40 per person per week. (For example, for a family of four, budget for $160/week) Better yet, order groceries and supplies for pick up or delivery and skip the over-stimulation and impulse shopping.
When shopping for clothes, a good trick is to have a limited number of clothes hangers and only shop when replacing an item.
Woo-Woo Bonus Tip: Use an affirmation every time you are confronted with a cute item that isn’t on your shopping list. A good affirmation is, “I have everything that I need.”
Doesn’t that feel good?
As you can see, having a Financial Wellness Plan will give you CHOICES, CONFIDENCE AND FREEDOM.
Choices will be available to you from your position of power, not as a beggar or borrower. You will be able to choose to pay in full, and not always have to finance or make monthly payments.
Confidence will grow as you realize that you know just as much about managing your money as bankers, creditors, and financial advisors. You will begin to trust yourself in making decisions and you ask questions because you are no longer afraid of facing your new B.F.F., CA$H.
Freedom begins as you realize that you work because you love the value you bring to the job, not because you have bills to pay.
This is what I’ve experienced and this is what I see for you. This the year you turn your financial life around. I’m so excited about your financial future!
CONNECT WITH FRAN www.BoldWorldPlanners.com
Fran hosts an awesome free coaching group
