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Build The Habit

Hey Team! How’s the January debt challenge going? How much have you paid off? If you missed my quick how-to guide a couple of weeks ago, be sure to read the post to get your year started on a positive and debt-free note.

I’m no fool (well, most of the time). I know the world is ROUGH right now. There’s nothing but negativity and bad sh*t on our screens nearly 24-7. I wake up and immediately begin worrying about my children, our future, and whether I’m going to need to fight in the Battle of Greenland. I don’t do well in the cold, and I’d rather have a hot toddy with those fine folks if I’m being honest.

It’s all too much, and honestly, it’s affecting my mental health. I know many of you feel the same as I do. I’ve come to suspect our world’s chronic pessimism and negativity are also seeping into our finances and financial decisions.

This is leading to poor financial decisions based on the fact that people feel hopeless. Younger generations don’t feel they’ll ever achieve certain milestones (ummm hello, the median age of the first-time home buyer hit 40!!), so instead they spend for today and save nothing for tomorrow. I get it, I really do.

What I want to do, though, is help you reframe your mindset and to let yourself feel a little hope.

Hear me out: Hope and optimism are a form of resistance. Treating your money with hope and optimism is too. If you feel like this world is too much and that saving or investing money is pointless, I want you to take a step back and remember that those who have hope have not been defeated.

What do I mean by that?

By making good financial decisions, investing and saving your money, you’re telling yourself and your family that you believe in tomorrow. You’re choosing to fight another day.

I’m not asking you to ignore reality, I’m asking you to microdose hope. You can do that by setting up an automatic transfer to your high-yield savings account. You can cancel one subscription and then re-route that money into a Roth IRA. You can begin to pay down your credit card. Read one personal finance book. You can set a small goal and take little actions to put it into motion.

Microdose hope by taking care of your money.

There’s something about these small acts of hope that puts a smile on my face even when it feels difficult. Even better? When you act hopeful with your money, your future self will reap the rewards.

Doom-spending, much like doom-scrolling, is doing nothing for you; the high is temporary and fleeting. You’ll end up feeling lower than when you started. In a way, treating your money in a doom and gloom manner is letting the world dictate the outcome of your life instead of the other way around. Fight back!! Choose optimism in small ways. You’ll feel a little better, and so will your bank account.

Again, I don’t know if you’ll ever be able to buy your dream house. I don’t know how many vacations you’ll get to take. But microdosing joy and hope through small acts like getting your personal finances in order is a great way to prove to yourself you haven’t given up. You shouldn’t give up. You are worth saving and investing for the future.

Anddddd that’s my pep talk for today, folks. Please don’t yell at me if you didn’t like it. I am FRAGILE. Most importantly, if you’re located somewhere that feels like Antarctica right now, remember there are only about 8 weeks left until spring. We can do this!!

As always, I only recommend to readers tools and resources that I actually personally like and use.

Monarch - my favorite tool for tracking your money and spending.

Boldin - a great retirement planning tool to make sure you’re on track.

Greenlight - a safe way to teach your kids and teens about money.

My Financial Organizer/Checklist Template - oh, and I built this cool template for you.