This is often easier said than done, but you have to stop being a slave to money. You are more than your ability to earn money or put food on the table, despite what society may have led you to believe. And don’t even get started on the pressures you have to endure to unlearn the negative things previous generations have taught you.
The truth is that your main purpose on this earth is to live your best life. You weren’t born solely to work day and night to earn a living. In fact, you should be working to live, not living to work. It’s time to stop putting yourself on a pedestal because you are only human, and you deserve to enjoy spending your money.
Understandably, it’s hard not to feel guilty when you spend money on yourself because you have people depending on you. However, not allowing yourself to enjoy the fruits of your labor can make your life unfulfilling and so much more exhausting than it already is. That’s why you need to allow yourself to spend.
Besides, you don’t have to drain your bank account in the process. You can also spend money on the things, activities, or experiences you want without neglecting your responsibilities. So, stop worrying about the future because it keeps you from living in the present. Here are three ways you can start spending your money better:
Trust in the Power of Good Budgeting
Most people’s biggest source of anxiety comes from not having enough money for their daily needs and sudden emergencies. They’re afraid of spending their money because they fear that they won’t be able to afford the costs of something that may not even happen, and they hinder themselves from living to the fullest.
But you can save and spend money at the same time if you know how to budget. Consider the 50-30-20 rule of budgeting, wherein you spend 50% of your money on needs, 30% on wants, and 20% on savings. Your needs include paying the bills, rent, groceries, education, and transportation, among others.
On the other hand, your wants include anything that you’ve been eyeing to buy for a while. This could be a new phone, a night out, or even a vacation. And the last part of the budget is allotted to your savings. By following this budgeting rule, you’ll be able to cover all your financial grounds without sacrificing anything in the process.
Treat Yourself to Occasional Splurges
Once you learn how to budget your money properly, you’ll have enough left over to spend on your wants. So, don’t be afraid to go on the occasional splurge and buy yourself a new set of clothes or shoes. Or you can even save it up to get something a bit bigger, like the car that you’ve been dreaming of.
The point is that you have to allow yourself to splurge on the things you want. And you don’t even have to pay the full price if you’re still skeptical about spending your money for your personal gain. You can be thrifty by watching out for sales or waiting for the credit card promos that you can take advantage of before you go shopping.
Spending money doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have to use it on expensive things. You can even splurge it on food by treating your family or friends to a dinner to celebrate a momentous occasion. The important thing is that you can give yourself the room to spend when you want to, not just when you need to.
Allow Yourself to Enjoy the Little Things
The last way to stop allowing your life to revolve around money is to spend it on the little things. As mentioned earlier, you don’t have to buy expensive things just because you have the money. But what you should learn is to spend on the little things you want, when you want them.
Imagine that it’s the end of a workweek and you’re too exhausted to walk home. Your options are to deal with the rush hour in the subway or spend a bit more on a cab. On most days, you’ll likely gravitate towards the first option because it’s cheaper, but you’ll be much more comfortable with the latter option.
These little things that make your life easier and less burdensome are what you should be spending on. Granted, not everyone has the luxury to spend on the little things all the time. But once in a while, you need to allow yourself to enjoy it without feeling guilty about spending money on yourself.
Rather than making boatloads of money your life goal, make it so that you earn enough to live a comfortable life without having to worry about what you’re going to eat tomorrow. Who knows? You might become happier and more content with the life you’re living this way.
