Note from Keina: This post was originally sent via newsletter. Newsletter subscribers receive financial tips like this before anyone else. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter!
If you’re reading this in the midst of 2020 you might be wondering if your financial goals are realistic or if your financial goals are worth achieving. Trust me your financial goals are still worth achieving and you can improve your relationship with money with two easy steps. I’ll be digging into how having a money date and tracking your finances for a week can help you see exactly where to start and help you change your relationship with money.
Because of the pandemic (it’s 2020 as I write), I took some much needed time to reflect on my goals for the year because I wasn’t sure they were even relevant anymore. (Maybe you’re feeling that way too?) And when I reflected on my goal to serve 60 women through my 1:1 coaching intensives, I realized I only have two options: I can abandon my goal and fall to the circumstances we’re in or I can acknowledge the fact that we’re going through a pandemic, control my thoughts and reconnect to serving my audience in this unprecedented time.
I’m choosing the second option.
You might be wondering why I’m sharing this.
Wondering if it’s worth it to still work towards your financial goals in the midst of so much uncertainty.
I thought you might have had similar thoughts about your financial goals. Maybe you set a goal to save $500 in six months or pay off a credit card or maybe you wanted to tackle your fear of creating a budget. But these last few weeks have made you think you need to put everything on PAUSE. You might even be wondering if you should stop paying down your debt and save since the economy seems so uncertain.
The truth is that your circumstances do not mean you have to abandon everything you wanted to achieve this year. In fact, I would say putting everything on pause is really just you giving yourself permission to keep your head in the sand. It’s also delaying results that could help you have clarity and certainty for yourself in this season.
I would argue that now is the time to be intentional with your finances. Now, possibly more than ever, is the time to be consistent.
Being intentional with your finances right now will help you….
- Know how much you need to save.
- Decide how to free up money to pay your bills
- Prioritize your desire to save more or pay down debt, and help you have a plan.
And if you’re able to do these three things you’ll learn how to manage your money better.
I am committed to helping you be intentional and consistent during uncertain times so you can change your relationship with money and gain clarity. Here are three steps you can take to keep moving forward with your financial goals continue to change your relationship with money right now:
1. Schedule a money date to help you monitor your money, revisit your goals and make intentional financial decisions.
Whether you’ve wondered how much you’re been saving because you’re not eating out or are wondering if you have enough in savings to meet your needs right now, scheduling a money date with yourself will help you answer the unknowns and get clarity with your money. It will also help you move beyond the anxiety you’re feeling around money and find relief.
Someone in my Facebook group recently shared they, “Finally found time for a money date. Balanced checkbook, reviewed credit card statements and got a handle on what I’ve been spending. You were right! Overall spending down even though there were some major prep purchases. Deep breaths! All will be well.” If you want to feel that relief and you know you need to take the time to have your own money date, check out my money date guide. It will walk you through everything you need to know so you can move forward and be clear with your finances.
2. Change your relationship with money by tracking your spending so you know exactly where your money is going.
But Keina, I’m not spending like I normally would! Yes, but you’re still spending money. Just because there has been a disruption in how you would normally spend money does not mean there’s not a need to track your expenses. I would argue that right now is a great time to start tracking your expenses so you can start to see how your spending habits have shifted in the last few weeks and make sure that the places you’re spending your money are the places you want it to go. A client who recently started tracking her expenses discovered over $200 in recurring subscriptions (that’s over $2400 annually) that did not serve their financial values or goals so she’s been able to use this money towards her goals. To get started tracking your money in just a few minutes a day, check out my financial habit tracker.
| Taking the time to get to know your numbers and gain clarity with your finances is exactly what you need to be doing right now if you desire to be in control. This is the very thing I work on with my clients. If you want to hear the unscripted behind-the-scenes details of how I’ve helped my clients change their relationship with money I invite you to tune in to one of my Money Files series. I created this series to give you a firsthand account of the power of financial coaching. I also recognize you might not know where to start or things may have shifted in such a way that you could use an extra set of eyes on your finances. I invite you to schedule a call and apply to work with me. All the best, Keina |
