Saving Money is Great!
Saving money
does not have to be problematic. You can actually learn to enjoy
saving money if you have a playful attitude about it. Hard to
understand but read on it need not be a chore! Prosperity is a
state of mind. Lack of it preys on your mind so saving money should
do also but in a positive way.
If the bills are piling up and your income is slipping down,
while you are trying to reconcile your checking account, you should
also find ways to reconcile your attitudes about money, and more
importantly reconcile your perspectives about the "Consumer Credit
Counselingstuff" money buys.
For instance: Do you really need a $95 sweater from Nordstrom's
or could you be just as happy with a $16 sweater from Mervyns's?
This may seem like a question of little consequence, but your
answer to it has vast
implications that run throughout all areas of your life.
Spending money can be
fun, for sure, but is your sense of peace of mind dependent on
purchasing the most expensive item? Is your sense of status
enhanced when you buy something that is deemed more valuable by our
society? What causes your sense of status in the first place? Are
you a snob? Is your sense of status (or success or failure)
independent of the possessions you own, or is it tied up with the
possessions you own?
When you derive your sense of worth, success, failure, or status
indirectly from money and possessions, you will find that saving
money is really hard work, and not a lot of fun. However, if you
derive your sense of worth, character and so on from non-material
goods, saving money can become a fun habit.
Saving money can become a way to "invest in yourself." With
fewer possessions, or less focus on possessions, your mind has more
room to see your own value and worth you will feel more valued and
relaxed.
One of the best ways to save money and to enjoy it is to give
things away. Yes, it is counter intuitive. But it works. Doing the
opposite of what you think you "should" do often creates a powerful
shift into enjoyment of your circumstances.
Try it. It worked for me. In one of my darkest hours about three
years ago, I was extremely worried about saving money. In a sudden
moment of rule-breaking inspiration, I decided to tackle me fear
and give some money away on the Internet!
Crazy? A little. Life-changing? A lot!
I gave money to five random people in a local chat room.
The decision to give money away melted all my money concerns
within two hours. It was amazing. I punctured a hole in my fear. It
was like a light came on: Money does not need to make me worry. I
can give it freely and joyfully.
So remember this: if saving money has become hard, it is your
attitude that makes it so. Shift your attitude and your money
solution may just present itself.
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