About 3 months into keeping a budget you may tire of “sacrificing”. Go out to eat tonight? Nope, not in the budget. Clothes Shopping? Not this month.
I get it. You got on a budget so you’d have money right?
Most of us have a roof over our head, food to eat, clothes on our back and even a car to get us to work. Modern day Americans have a better standard of living than just about any other people in history.
If you have your family, your health, food, shelter, and clothing – you should probably be grateful. We can be happy with our very basic needs met; and we can be unhappy with more than we need. The difference is a choice.
Here are some thoughts that may make this easier:
1. Focus on what you have, not what you don’t. Often the most important things can’t be purchased anyway. Family, friends, your own health, and the time to enjoy the world around you are all fantastic.
2. Think about where you are going. Keep all this up and someday you will be debt free and living the life you were meant to live. When you consider the freedom that comes from managing your money correctly, little things like having to cook dinner don’t seem so insurmountable.
3. Stop listening to “the world”. TV, magazines, billboards, and social media tell you what you need that you don’t currently have. A fancier car; better clothes; big trips….. We are inundated with materialistic messages non-stop. Just turn it off. Shutdown social media and turn off the TV. You don’t need a new car with leather seats to be happy.
4. Find things that make you happy for free (or close to free). Go for a walk, watch the sunset, go fishing (you don’t have to have a boat). Once you notice the little things, all the distractions created by major corporations and advertisers just seem irrelevant.
Managing your money will get you to a better place. Ironically, one of the best things you can do to have more money is get your mind right about being happy without ridiculous amounts of it.