Tiffany Raiford
We all know that financial problems are one of the leading causes of divorce, but we are willing to bet finances play a substantial role in the leading causes of a number of other factors; therapy, unhappiness, medical needs. We aren’t doctors over here (but we could play one if we had to after years of faithful “Grey’s” viewings), but we do know that stress causes a number of issues and financial concern causes stress. Stress can cause health issues, mental issues, and other issues. It’s not something you want to worry about, but it’s something that everyone worries about at all times.
My husband and I worry about paying for four kids to go to college; buying four cars, paying for weddings. We’re at the stage now where two are old enough to play sports and we are already spending thousands every year on that, and we haven’t even begun paying for all four to play yet. Finances are always just stressful. Even those who are financial stable worry about money; retirement, savings and the like. Those who stress about money all the time because they have financial issues are also at risk for so many other issues; and we like to think that we can help you learn to stop stressing about money. Obviously, you just need millions in the bank to stop worrying completely. However, until you reach that level of success, we can provide you with a few additional tips that might help you learn to stress less about your finances. Give it a go; it can only mean you’ll feel better.
Get rid of comparisons
It’s pretty easy to get caught up in a web of comparison. I see it all the time. Social media, especially, makes it so easy for others to compare their lives to others and it’s not always a good thing. It’s nice to see how well your friends and family are doing when they post photos of their new babies, marriages, homes, vacations, new jobs, successes and so much more on social media. But it’s also discouraging to see those posts at times. Remember this; few people post anything other than the best of the best in their lives on social media. What this means is that when you’re at home on the couch with a sick baby, no makeup on and feeling sorry for yourself, seeing someone else’s photos of their Hawaiian vacation is making you feel worse.
When you compare your life to others, it causes you to feel financially stressed. Do you see someone’s larger home, their new luxury car, their vacations and their expensive shoes and wish you could afford those things? Comparing your tangible items to those of others is not good for your financial stress.
Get rid of the need to keep up
Now that you’re learning it’s not a great idea to compare your life to the lives of others, it’s time to remember you don’t have to keep up with those people, too. At the end of the day, posting a photo of an expensive trip you could not afford to take is more stressful than you realize. Additionally, not that many people care about your life so much as they care about their own. Stop keeping up with people. Live within your means and enjoy what you do have; such as a car you can afford instead of a 7-year loan on a luxury car with an $800 per month payment (who needs that?).
Get rid of your empty savings account
You can save if you really put your mind to it. An empty savings account is quite stressful, and it’s not something you want or need. When you have money in the bank that’s there for other reasons than to pay the bills right now, you feel so much less stress about your finances. If you can buckle down, make a few small sacrifices (that coffee stop every morning, that lunch break every day at your favorite bistro) and put that money away, you will feel the stress lower at a ridiculous pace. Let me assure you that every single time I put money into my savings account, I feel so much better about life in general. It’s amazing what a small amount of savings can do for your life as a whole.
Change your perspective
I remember once having a conversation with another mom who has a daughter the same age as my oldest. Her negativity was astounding as we discussed upcoming vacation plans. She asked if we were doing anything special for our daughter’s first birthday and when I told her we were flying to California for a week in SoCal, her reaction was negative. “I hate hearing about all the great things other people get to do that I can’t do,” she said.
For one, I believe it feels much better to be happy for others and their successes. Secondly, I believe that “Can’t” is an ugly word to use when describing yourself and your life. I think that we call can do things if we really want to, but it’s a matter of perspective. Looking back, I think that if she really wanted to enjoy vacations with her family, perhaps she could have traded in her car for something more affordable than the $600 payment every month she liked to complain about. I think that should could have stopped spending $150 per month on her hair and saved it. I think she could have saved her $75 per week mani/pedi and saved that. I think that she can do things, but she “Can’t” see how she can do them unless she changes her perspective in life.
Getting rid of negative financial stress is a good thing, and it is far easier than you might imagine. Instead of saying you can’t stop stressing about money, figure out how you can. It’s that simple, and we hope we were able to help.
Photo by Getty Images
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