Do you struggle with money? Do you find that no matter what you do, you can’t break the debt cycle or get ahead? I was in your shoes. After I graduated from college, I quickly found myself in debt to the tune of more than $10,000. I tried multiple times to pay off my debt, only to find myself adding more to it rather than paying it off!
But then I had my ‘aha’ moment and it made me change the way I viewed money and how I spent it. I was able to change and you too can change your finances. Now I spend a lot less money and am happier than ever.
Lessons Learned to Change Your Finances
What is it that I learned? Is it some insider secret no one tells you about? While it isn’t an insider secret, it is something no one tells you about.
And if you are willing to try it, you will be amazed at how it changes your life. Don’t worry, it’s not difficult to do and it won’t cost you any money either!
Interested? Let’s talk about how to change your finances.
Why Most People Are In Debt
If I were to ask you why are you in debt, what would your answer be? For many people, the reason you are in debt is because you are spending money on things you think are making you happy.
You buy the brand new luxury SUV. You buy the designer clothes. Yet, you are no closer to happiness than you were before you bought these things. All that you have are depreciating assets and debt that is charging you outrageous amounts of interest.
In order to get out of debt and get ahead financially, you need to stop falling for these advertising tricks and start spending your money in a way that aligns with who you are and where you want to be one day.
The Power Of Knowing Your Values
You spend less and get ahead by knowing what you value. If you take the time to understand what you value, you will find your spending greatly decreases. While this is happening, you will find you are just as happy, if not more so.
For me, this was an incredible experience. For years I was spending money on designer clothes and the latest electronics. But I wasn’t happy. I thought buying these things made me a better person, but they didn’t.
One day at work, I noticed a co-worker with a nice shirt. I was curious where he bought it. I was expecting him to name a new retailer that was on the cutting edge. But he didn’t. He named a department store. My jaw hit the floor.
It was at this moment I realized that the only person who knew or even cared that I was buying designer clothes was me. I didn’t need to impress myself.
That night I started to think about my values and what made me happy. I wrote these out and kept them in mind when I was tempted to spend money.
I quickly found I was spending less money and saving more. As a result, the app I use to track my net worth was showing me that my finances were improving at a rapid rate.
I was happier than I was before. Not solely due to me spending less and saving more, but because I was doing things that made me happy.
I was spending more time outdoors and with friends. The result was I didn’t feel like I was missing out by not buying the latest tech gadgets or the designer clothes.
It was the opposite. I loved life and started to work to improve myself in other ways too.
How To Learn What Your Values Are
Now it is your turn. If you want to make a change in your finances that will last a lifetime, I encourage you to take some time and understand what your values are.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- When are times you are the happiest?
- What were you doing and who were you with during these times?
- What hobbies are you excited to do?
- If money was not a factor, what would you do for a living?
- If money was not a factor, how would you spend your days?
- What were you happiest or most excited doing as a child?
- What would you miss the most if it was taken away from you?
Alternatively, you can take a free online assessment. There are many options out there for you to try. A quick online search will yield many results.
Once you know your values, it is time to put them into practice. In the beginning, you will have to do a little work here. This is because advertisers are good at convincing you to think you need their product.
As a result, it helps to keep a reminder of your values in your wallet or on your phone so you can quickly access them at the moment. By reviewing your values before you buy something, it will help you to stop wasted spending.
Final Thoughts on Change Your Finances
There are ways to start making progress to change your finances. Understand what your values are so you can begin.
The process of doing so isn’t difficult, it just takes some time. In fact, I’ve found the hardest part is coming to terms with all the junk I wasted my money on!
Once I realized what I valued, I started seeing all of the stuff I bought that didn’t bring me any joy. This was a real eye-opener.
I encourage you to take the time to understand your values. You have nothing to lose, other than the poor state of finances you are currently in.
Author Bio: Jon helps people pay off debt and start investing their money so they can achieve their dreams on his website, MoneySmartGuides.com.