Money Management is Self-Care

I never really thought about it before, budgeting being part of a self-care regimen. And so I did a bit of research on self-care. There are many different parts to a self-care regimen, physical health, mental health, and emotional well-being are three main pillars. Where would budgeting go? It's not part of physical health, it's an easy one to eliminate. Money can be very emotional and effect your mental health, it could probably be considered as part of either of those pillars.

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When you have a plan for your money, it can greatly reduce stress and anxiety in your life. I remember being in my mid-20s, I thought about money all the time, mostly because I didn't have very much. I could not understand how other people could do it. I was always working to make sure my bank account didn't run dry. There was always more month than money. I was earmarking money for bills but never wrote anything down. My cupboards and refrigerator were basically empty, I wasn't spending money on eating out or alcohol. By the time I had paid rent, made my car payment, paid the student loan, and a couple utilities, I literally had a hundred dollars left for gas and groceries. I would cry all the time, life was not supposed to be this hard, was it? I realize now that I did have an income problem, I didn't have a spending problem. I spent way too much time in the uncertainty. Learning how to do a budget would have made life a lot less stressful.

When I finally did start doing a budget, it changed my life. I didn't have to think about money all the time. I knew that my income was going to cover my expenses, every month. I knew exactly how much money I could spend on food or restaurants or clothes and makeup. I would practice delaying gratification and wait to make purchases until the following month. I didn't appreciate it at the time, but I was living a reduced stress life.

Fast forward 15 years, not only do I keep the budget up to date, I also forecast out for the entire year. I know how much money will be left over after the basics so that we can plan trips and other big purchases. We can enjoy going to a restaurant, ordering whatever we want (within reason) because the budget told us that its okay, the money will be in the account.

Being able to live your life, on your terms, doing the things you love. That's some pretty amazing self-care. If you are getting a massage, paying for it with a nearly maxed out credit card, is that really self-care?

If you are looking to change your life, reduce your stress, and get the self-care that you know you need, set up a call with me. Let's chat. Let's get you on a plan to get you living your best life https://calendly.com/smithfc1210/consultation