When Financial Care is Self Care
WHEN FINANCIAL CARE IS SELF CARE
When it comes to self-care, most of us think about going for a mani/pedi, spending time with encouraging friends, or taking a warm bubble bath. But have you ever thought of taking control of your finances as a form of self-care?
Financial expert Dave Ramsey says, “Financial freedom means that you get to make life decisions without being overly stressed about the financial impact because you are prepared. You control your finances instead of being controlled by them.”
Can we get an Amen to THAT?
If you’re struggling to make ends meet, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that 78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. That means that 78% of us, for the most part, are stressed about our financial situation and are being controlled by our finances.
With this being one of the most stressful areas of life, doing something to take your power back and reduce that stress and anxiety, becomes a crazy-amazing form of self-care. Imagine what life would be like if you weren’t burdened by financial pressure.
Knowing Where You’re Starting From
To gain financial freedom, you have to take an assessment of your current reality. You can’t go where you want to go until you know, with certainty, where you’re starting from.
This can be scary.
It means looking head-on at the whole picture of your financial situation–a financial inventory. It will include:
Your monthly bills
Your current debt
Your additional expenses
Your spending habits
Your monthly earnings
We teach you how to conduct your own financial inventory in our free online Financial Freedom course through Shepherd’s Village University. The inventory can be found in the lesson entitled: How to Take a Financial Inventory and Create a Budget: The Ultimate in Self-Care
Once you have taken your financial inventory, we also help you create a budget. Budgets tend to have a negative connotation to them, but looking at your budget as a tool and system for peace of mind can be a game-changer.
In the Shepherd’s Village University course, the steps for creating a budget are specifically designed to be underwhelming meaning – they are specifically designed to not overwhelm you.
You’ve Got This!
To do the hard work of fighting for your financial freedom, you must give yourself permission to feel the feels–ALL of them–and bring a tremendous amount of understanding and grace to yourself. As we work through this process, we will remind you to breathe and be kind to yourself.
You’ve got this Mama!