6 Steps to Healthy Spending. And Forget About a Budget

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This post was originally published on Behavioral Cents.This is THE YEAR you want to get on top of your cash. GREAT! The worst thing you can do is start with a budget. What? Really? Why? (and secretly, you’re probably thinking Yay!!). Money is not logical. Money is fraught with emotion.  And if you force yourself to do something you “should” be doing, you will find some zillion reasons not to do it. Then you’ll feel bad because you “should” be doing it but aren’t, and you’ll start judging yourself, and then feel like a failure.  You’ll quit.To successfully change your money behaviors, you want them to stick. And that means managing your money emotion as well as your money flows. A budget typically defines a forced march, allowing you to spend…
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The Life of an Emotional Shopper

The Life of an Emotional Shopper

Budgeting, Goals / Taking Action, Money in Your 20s/30s/40s/50s/Retirement
Let’s be honest. Spending money is emotional. Finding a “bargain” is very emotionally satisfying, and buying things for loved ones feels good - even when it makes more financial sense not to spend. While it is important to train your rational brain to manage your money, you also need to acknowledge the emotional motivations that drive your spending habits. Understanding why you spend helps guide you to the most effective method for you to change that spending habit. Personally, I have always enjoyed shopping. I love poking around in different stores, finding deals, gifts for friends and family, and little splurge items like candles and nail polish for myself. It was never that I needed those things. Often, I would go the store to buy one or two specific items,…
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