Reality Check: Motivation To Spend Smarter

I’m not going to tell you to save money because you’ve already heard that. And by now, you know at least one financial advisor or you’ve seen multiple posts about how to take control of your money. What I am going to share with you are tips I’ve used and continue to use to give me financial freedom.

Let’s be honest: shopping is a huge reason why a lot of us have empty pockets. Listen, retail therapy isn’t permanent, it can actually become a serious addiction and there’s no shoe or bag worth thousands of dollars of debt. Stop going to the mall unless you really need something. Next, you can do all the things your friends are doing and treat yourself and enjoy life if you plan better. News flash: you don’t have to stop spending, just simply shift your spending habits. Identify your needs and wants, figure out what you waste your money on then make adjustments. This takes discipline but you're the only one who can create those boundaries. 

So what changed for me? I realized that I actually could do fun things like travel if I spent less money on food and Uber and put it towards a plane ticket. Setting goals, planning out my paychecks, paying my bills first and budgeting helped me immensely. Here’s what I did to allow myself freedom:

 IDENTIFIED WHAT I WANTED:
  • Travel
  • Poetry endeavours
  • Build up my bookshelf
  • Redecorate room

HERE’S HOW I ACHIEVED THEM:

Identify Spending Problems 
How To Solve Them
UBER
DELETE APP
UBER EATS
GROCERY SHOPPING + MEAL PREP
SHOPPING
ONE ITEM PER PAYCHECK
BANK WITHDRAWAL FEES
SWITCH ACCOUNT TO UNLIMITED TRANSACTIONS

*I ended up switching my bank account transactions back to 25 per month because now I spend smarter!

Other ways you can improve your spending habits include:
  • Leave your bank card at home
  • Give money to a trusted person so you don't spend it
  • Change your circle of friends 
  • Use a piggy bank
In all honesty, even being dead broke didn’t change how I spent money; my mentality matured and I wanted to enrich my life with experiences instead of feeling left out or having to rely on my parents. And my desire to travel never left. But don’t get me wrong, I still fuck up. I went through an online shopping phase last year (whew!). I’ve bought outside food even though I had cooked food at home. We rise and we fall. Financial stability isn’t a linear line, at least not right away. Surround yourself with people who understand money + can help you make it. Set goals and be honest about how you can achieve them. Get rid of the materialistic shit. You don’t need the newest shoes each season, you don’t need that shirt in every colour, you don’t need a fancy coffee every morning (coffee lovers, don’t hate me). What you do need is money put aside for a rainy day. Here’s to hoping we can all level up and start spending on experiences not materialistic things. 

All love, always, Shay.💛

Instagram: @financefortheculture

Email: financesfortheculture@gmail.com

Book a FREE financial analysis: https://calendly.com/financefortheculture/financialneedsanalysis?month=2021-07

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