Financial stress is the worst stress that exists! The financial area is a source of daily concern for most parents who would really like to reach financial stability state with their husband, wife and children.
I do not mean people who live in poverty and who have difficulty paying the minimum wage: for clothing, house rent, food, etc.
I mean the majority of us who have enough money to live, but we need all the time. It’s up to you-or rather, to us-who I address in this article.
We have enough money to live, but we need all the time!
However, according to the study of the American Psychological Association, money continues to be the main cause of stress among Americans. Not surprisingly, if we think about taxes, indirect rates and all costs that increase steadily even though official inflation rates remain so low … (I will not abuse the figures, do not panic !)
In this article, I will discuss how parents can overcome financial stress and live better with the money we already have! To fully appreciate our family life.
How to overcome financial stress?
First of all, is it really possible to live without financial stress?
And, in addition, you learn quickly! That is to say, I am not talking about increasing your income thanks to a second job, although it could be an option.
I myself went through this process a few years ago, when I was a compulsive consumer. In fact, I systematically bought a little of everything without worrying about my needs and my priorities … until I got tired of it!
Thanks to the fact that I dedicated myself to work on myself and put into practice some simple strategies, of which I will write later, I became an intelligent buyer. How could I achieve it?
Manage your priority expenses
If you take a few minutes to reflect on your dreams and your goals in life, you can quickly become aware of your priorities. Surely he has realized that bad debts are the ones that cause the most financial stress!
Note: Bad debts are those that have made it possible to purchase non-durable consumer goods, such as restaurant meals, trips, clothes, etc.
To help you and also to motivate you to achieve Zen status in the financial area, I invite you to answer the following questions:
- Do not worry, it will not take more than two minutes, nothing more!
- What do you like most in life? (Write three activities that come to mind as fast as what you should pay this month approximately).
Do you dedicate enough time to these three activities? (If the answer is “NO” for each of the written activities, ask yourself the question “why?”)
Two effective strategies to reduce your financial stress
Here I present two strategies that have helped me a lot to move from impulsive buyer to smart consumer.
I guarantee you that in less than a month, if you put into practice these two strategies that I am sharing with you, you will achieve -as I do- a better financial life.
Strategy no 1: Knowing what you do with the money!
First, do you know how much and how do you currently spend your money? Answering this question is simple and threatening at the same time, I know it!
Because if we know, we cannot pretend not to know why we lack money all the time. And then, fear comes, fear of hearing about budgets … But do not worry, I do not like budgets either.
You may say to me: “I have an idea of my expenses … but that’s fine, because I do not need to know exactly what I spend …”
Hum … It’s what I said a few years ago, before I said to take back control of my financial life.
Could you tell me – without varying the true amount by more than 10% – how much do you spend monthly or annually on food products, restaurants and clothing?
These expenses are the so-called variable expenses. Their variable expenses are those that vary from one month to the next, according to their needs and tastes.
The 2nd strategy: Decide what you would like to do with your money?
That makes you wonder “How would I like to live?” Or “How would I like to spend my money?”
That may seem absurd, but to get anywhere, you need to know where you want to go. Turn on the car, check the fuel level, but it has no precise destination, where do you think it could go?
Something similar happens when we have not reflected enough on our objectives and priorities. When we spend, we often make decisions that seem valid to us, but often we do them without really reflecting on our priorities.
How could we do to align ourselves with our expenses, our priorities and our personal values?
About Complete Controller® – America’s Bookkeeping Experts Complete Controller is the Nation’s Leader in virtual bookkeeping, providing services to businesses and households alike. Utilizing Complete Controller’s technology, clients gain access to a cloud-hosted desktop where their entire team and tax accountant may access the QuickBooks file, critical financial documents and back office tools in an efficient and secure environment. Complete Controller’s team of US based accounting professionals are certified QuickBooks™️ ProAdvisor’s providing bookkeeping, record storage, performance reporting and controller services including training, cash-flow management, budgeting and forecasting, process and controls advisement, and bill-pay services. With flat rate service plans, Complete Controller is the most cost effective expert accounting solution for business, family office, trusts, and households of any size or complexity.