Your Ultimate Small-Business Spending Decision Tree

As a small business owner, you have to make a lot of decisions. Most of them are pretty important. Your spending decisions are no different. Especially when you’re getting started or working with a small budget, it’s important to view your business spending decisions as investments. These investments influence the value you offer your customers, and the overall success of your business.

One of the biggest worries I frequently hear from the small business owners I work with is about their spending decisions. Whether they’re concerned they overspending on the wrong things, oversaving and not investing enough, or spending at the wrong time, it all boils down to concerns over spending.

To help diffuse these worries, I’ve created this decision tree to help you make business spending decisions. Turn to it when you need some guidance or are faced with an important decision. Even if this guide doesn’t walk you through everything you may want to consider when making a spending decision, it’s a good resource to get you started!

Keep Your Expenses Low

Let’s start off this guide with a note about where this perspective is coming from. From all my experiences working with solopreneurs and small business owners, I personally can say I believe it’s almost always advantageous to keep overall business expenses low whenever possible. The lower you keep your business expenses, the closer you get to creating a supportive and financially sustainable business. 

Speaking of sustainability I also believe that incremental change is better than radical change and incurring a bunch of expenses all at once. Even if a certain expense doesn’t make sense for you right now, you can always make a new decision or scale up in the future.

What needs have I identified in my business that will be satisfied by this investment? Is this solution the best fit for my business?

Ask yourself: Is there another product/service/offering that is lower cost that could still satisfy my business needs? If you’re not sure, consider doing a bit more research before proceeding. 

Have I had any experience with this solution, direct or indirect? Was it satisfactory?

For example, perhaps you’re wanting to invest in some scheduling software. Maybe you’ve had an opportunity to try a free trial or have spoken to a colleague who uses the same software. Consider what you know from this experience and whether the software would be best for your needs. If the answer is yes, move forward.

Remember not to be a perfectionist here, though! You can always change your mind and make a different decision later, and there’s no harm in trying something out. The goal of these questions is help you make balanced decisions.

Can I afford this expense?

If you’re not sure, take a quick look at your cash on hand. (This is something you can do regularly in a weekly money check-in to stay on top of your business finances.) Refer to your business spending plan for the month and any plans you have for business savings you might have.

Taking all of this into account, can you afford to make this investment right now? And if not, how are you planning to finance it? How quickly will you be able to pay that financing off? Make sure you are comfortable with these spending arrangements and that they make sense for your business before proceeding.

Do I have a reasonable expectation of seeing a return on my investment either financially or in my own personal growth or capacity?

These questions are last, but definitely not least! It’s important to essentially ask yourself with any business expense you’re considering, “Will this help me make more money?”. If the answer is no, this is a good place to stop and reconsider. If your goal is to run a profitable business, then financial concerns need to be considered as a top priority.

If you’re not sure, think about how this expense will affect your work life. If, for example, it’s an investment that will save you time and allow you to do more of the income-generating tasks related to your business, then this could be a great investment. Consider how much time it will save you and try to quantify that when thinking about what your return on this investment will be.

To consider the second part of the question, refer back to your values. Ask yourself, will this investment bring more of what I value into my work and life? It can be difficult to quantify how much money something like this might be worth to you, which is why it’s important to consider your answer to this question alongside your answers to all the others in this guide.

Special Note About Impostor Syndrome and Spending on Education/Training

Especially when it comes to spending on things like trainings and certifications, many small business owners, and particularly women, sell themselves short when it comes to their own expertise and feel like they “need” more training. This same phenomenon can also apply to branding. Some business owners can spend themselves into a hole trying to make sure their business branding looks professional.

This spending behavior often stems from an emotional root of not feeling good enough, commonly referred to as impostor syndrome. If this is something you know you struggle with, I encourage you to refer to a couple more resources along with this guide when making spending decisions. Here’s a great decision tree shared by business consultant Shaneh F. Woods, and my article “Don’t Let Impostor Syndrome Fuel Overspending in Your Business.”

Both of these will get you started off in a right direction. Perhaps you’ll find that you can make your own decision tree to encourage yourself to make balanced spending decisions!

If you enjoyed this article, then I bet you’ll love my free E-Book, “Reach Your Life Goals: A Business Owner’s Guide.” Click here or below to download your free copy.

By |2023-09-07T11:44:06-07:00September 7th, 2023|Categories: Cash Flow, Financial Clarity, Money Mindset, Small Business, solopreneurs|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
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Three Tips for Successfully Hiring Your First Employee

Part of scaling up your business is getting the help you need, when you need it. For many businesses, there comes a point when the tasks that need to be done outstrip your capacity, but your time and expertise are incredibly valuable. This could be the perfect time to hire an employee or contractor. Here are my top three tips for getting it done:

Know What You Need

First off, when considering hiring or getting a skilled outside contractor to help you with tasks (ie a VA, a copywriter, a bookkeeper, etc.), it’s important to have a clear idea of what help you need from them. Take some time to identify what you want to take off your plate.

There are probably tasks in your business that are not your area of expertise. These tasks take you longer to complete than they would for someone with a higher skill level. These types of tasks are great to hand over to a contractor or an employee with a specific skill set.

There may also be tasks in your business that you are able to do well, and don’t mind doing, but they aren’t directly linked to the value you provide through your business. Tasks like these are also great to pass on to an employee, perhaps even someone who has similar skills to you and is interested in learning more.

Do the Math

Before striking out on your quest for an employee, it’s important to do the math and make sure you can afford the help. Ask yourself:

  • How much time will it save me to hire?
  • What else could I be doing with that time and how will this benefit my business?
  • How much will it cost me?

Hiring someone to help you in your business is an investment, so think about what you’ll gain. Then, weigh that against the cost. If it seems like hiring will ultimately be profitable and beneficial, do it!

Get Help if Needed

Does writing a job description scare you? Are you feeling too overwhelmed with the prospect to the put the time into hiring? It’s ok if you are – there is help. From business resource centers to getting advice from industry colleagues who have hired employees themselves, to finding a firm to help you, there are many different options here. Personally, I’ve enjoyed working with Ashley of Sprout HR, who helped me get clear and also be legally compliant throughout the hiring process. I also worked with my digital content assistant to put together a job announcement, description, and application form.

Another option in this department is considering partnering with other business owners. Sometimes when you need help with your workload, there’s somebody who might be willing to take on some of your clients. The terms of this relationship can be negotiated between you. As long as you have a good working relationship and hear good things about their working reputation, this can be a great way to get help with tasks!

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By |2023-08-29T15:19:00-07:00August 29th, 2023|Categories: Money Mindset, Small Business, solopreneurs|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments
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Don’t Let Impostor Syndrome Fuel Overspending In Your Business

Here are three tips to help you curb overspending or impostor-syndrome-based emotional spending in your business:

Create Financial Clarity

Oftentimes, an unclear financial situation in your business can contribute to your feelings of impostor syndrome. Whether you’re unclear on whether your business is actually profitable or accidentally underpaying yourself, financial murkiness can lead to several issues that leave you feeling “not good enough.”

The antidote to this is to build a restorative money system for your business and make a habit of checking in with your finances regularly. The more you know about your business’s finances and take action to influence them positively, the more confident you’ll feel about your business overall. This tip also has the added bonus of bringing you more awareness around what types of spending decisions you can or can’t currently afford to make, thus curbing the potential for overspending even further.

Take Stock of Your Goals Before Making a Spending Decision

If you want to make spending decisions from a calm and confident place, it’s important to give yourself a chance to step out of the emotions that impostor syndrome might bring up. This means checking in with your goals for your business and your values for your life. Ask yourself, “Will this investment bring more of what I want for my life and my business?”.

Sometimes your main interest in making an investment can be traced back to simply feeling “not good enough.” Reconnecting with your goals and vision for your business can help you release this mindset and instead consider whether a particular spending decision fits well into your overall business plan.

Weigh the Costs and Benefits

I encourage my clients to consider the question, “Will this investment help me make more money?” This is a question that can often easily be answered with some math. I highly recommend reading my article “How Much Should You Invest in Your Business?” which goes into detail on how to weigh the costs and benefits of purchasing equipment or supplies, hiring an employee, and getting coaching or further training.

If you enjoyed this post, you might like to join my newsletter list! Each month I send out a tailored newsletter with business finance tips for the month, solopreneur features, and sometime other fun stuff, like giveaways! Subscribers also receive my weekly blog posts straight to their inbox. It’s pretty great. Click here or below to join us:

By |2023-07-28T15:53:37-07:00July 28th, 2023|Categories: Money Mindset, Profit First, Small Business|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments
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How Oversaving and Underearning Can Affect Your Business

Have you ever considered how your personal money behaviors affect your business? Oversaving and underearning can have drastic effects on your personal finances, but they can also affect your business. 

If you are a solopreneur or small business owner, it’s important to consider the ways these behaviors might transfer into how you interact with your business finances. Let’s take a look at some possible ways your business can be affected, and what you can do about it:

Restriction 

Underearning and oversaving can deeply limit your business from growing. Both can limit the amount of cash on hand to work with, which on its own can have challenging effects on a business. 

With both underearning and oversaving there is often a deep sense of financial anxiety. This anxiety can bring an edge of fear into the way you handle your business. This fear can be deeply restricting, and limit what you feel comfortable doing in your business, while also taking a toll on your mental health. If you identify with this, I encourage you to read my piece on reducing money stress in your business and my article on working with affirmations to influence your mindset. 

Missed Opportunities 

The restriction and anxiety that come along with underearning and oversaving can cause you to miss key opportunities in your business. Web designer and business mentor Yarrow Magdalena often talks about how perfectionism could be costing you money, and my observation is that the same anxiety underlying perfectionism often dovetails with anxious financial patterns. When we block ourselves from trying something new, taking a chance, or accepting a new project in our business, we can miss valuable opportunities to grow and find success. 

One key to overcoming these behaviors can be to think about the opportunities that spending can help you open up to. In my interview with digital marketing consultant Tracey Lee Davis of ZingPop Social Media, she shared that the way she makes spending decisions in her business is by considering the question “Will this investment ultimately save me time in the long run or make my life easier in some way?” She reported that making changes in her business by hiring a bookkeeper, VA, and CPA have all made a huge difference in her business because they’ve freed her up to do client work. This type of investment also gives business owners time to work on their businesses, not just in them. This can create space for strategic decision making and more opportunities for growth, change, and fulfillment in your work life. 

Embrace the Flow

I’d like to share my own personal experiences with oversaving and underearning. My childhood consisted of a fair amount of financial instability, so anxiety around money became something that felt natural to carry around. I would often feel guilty spending money on things that felt “frivolous,” but through the years with all my work around finances, I have been able to neutralize those fears. 

I noticed this one day when booking a massage with Liz Di Guilio of Myomotive (who I highly recommend if you are in the San Jose Area). I realized that instead of feeling guilty and scared because I was spending money, I was thinking, “I’m grateful to be able to support this business owner.”

This thought immediately brought me back to Lynne Twist’s book Soul of Money and the ideas she shares about embracing the flow of money. If you’re curious about her ideas, read my book review here! Embracing the flow can be a great antidote to the fear and insecurity that mark oversaving and underearning.  

If you enjoyed this blog post, you’ll probably really like my free e-Book, 9 Secrets for Financial Self Care. Click here or below to grab your copy today. 

By |2023-06-22T09:59:13-07:00June 22nd, 2023|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset, Small Business, solopreneurs|Tags: , , , , , |0 Comments
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Underearning and Oversaving: The Mindset Behind these Financial Habits

Are you saving too much money? Is your financial life bracketed by scarcity and insufficient funds? Do you identify as an oversaver or underearner? Then I invite you to take this post as an opportunity to explore your emotions and mindset which may be underlying these financial habits.

This post is inspired by Barbara Stanny’s excellent book, Secrets of Six Figure Women: Surprising Strategies to up Your Earnings and Change Your Life. Explore the ideas below and see if they’re helpful for you to explore your own financial behaviors.

Check In

Barbara interviews six-figure earners and contrasts them with women she dubs underearners.  One of the contrasts that is ever present between the two is a difference in mindset.  In her workshops with underearners, she uses a great exercise that I would encourage you to explore for yourself.  She asks them to complete this sentence:  People with money are _______________.  If this as well as the title of this book bring up negative emotions, you will need to change this story before you are able to change your relationship with your earning potential. 

I don’t believe that we all need to strive for a six figure income, or even that money is a measure of our success. But as business owners, if we are not able to support ourselves through our work, we will find it impossible to continue sharing the gifts that we have to offer. 

Similarly, oversavers are hemmed in by their fear of scarcity. Looking at both of these financial behaviors, I am reminded of Lynn Twist’s ideas in her book, The Soul of Money. The author also remarks on how, when we let go of scarcity and stop going after things we don’t really want or need, this “frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you have. When you make a difference with what you have, it expands.”

Make the Shift

I believe that we need to shift to an abundance mindset. What do you think of when you think of the word abundance?  I feel that this word includes many things: being grateful for what we have now, for what the future holds for us, for the gifts and talents we are able to share, the connections that we have to other people and the money that our society uses as a measure of exchange. 

Including money in our desire for abundance makes it possible for us to increase our earnings and feel deserving of them. An abundance mindset also helps us to navigate the fear of scarcity that often guides oversaving.

My Mindset

I have been exploring my own money mindset recently. While I thought I had a positive relationship with money, I still found that I had some blocks as well.  Because our society seems to measure a person’s value by their salary, it is easy to base your self-worth on your income.  In our household, my husband earns the money that we base our lifestyle on. When I truly began exploring my mindset, I found that I was seeing my earnings as “insignificant” in comparison to his.  When I began to separate the value that I deliver to my clients from my worthiness as an individual, my outlook on my potential impact also changed. 

The Deciding Factor

The path to making this mindset shift towards abundance includes gratitude, affirmations about your worth, and a decision to make a change.  Many of the six-figure women interviewed by Barbara started out with negative feelings around money, but they recognized that fact, made a decision to change and then put their new attitudes into practice.  The fact that you are reading this blog about money already shows your willingness to change. That is a great start!  

By |2023-06-16T17:26:31-07:00June 16th, 2023|Categories: Money Mindset, solopreneurs|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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How to Manage Your Money Like a Pro with Automation

Have you heard of decision fatigue? The idea is pretty simple. According to this article from the AMA, decision fatigue refers to “the idea that after making many decisions, your ability to make more and more decisions over the course of a day becomes worse.” Thanks to this phenomenon, it pays to reduce the number of decisions you need to make in a day. That’s where automation comes in.

Automation = Better Financial Habits

Automation is your money’s best friend. By automating your finances, you reduce your opportunities for decision making and decision fatigue, thereby reducing your chances to change your mind about saving money or paying a bill in full. By reducing your decisions you set yourself up for success! Automation can build up your savings and pay off your bills, without any extra effort on your part. So, how can you use automation as a financial tool?

Automate Your Bill Payments

There are many different facets of your finances which can benefit from automation. Automating your bills is a good place to start. Many banks have online bill pay options available that help you pay your regular monthly bills on time. In particular, automation is a good way to ensure you always pay your credit card balance in full, so that you don’t accrue any interest fees. However, one important thing to be aware of when automating your bills is that you will need to stay aware of your bank balance, to avoid over-drafting your account. As long as you keep an eye on your balance, automating your bills is a good way to avoid late fees, build good credit, and stay on top of your finances.

Automate Your Savings

The other major arena of your finances that definitely deserves some automation-attention is your savings. I touched briefly on automating your savings in an earlier article, which you can read here. The most important thing about automating your savings is that if money automatically gets moved out of your spending account, you have no chance to spend it. That makes saving that much easier! We do this with our retirement savings, and it really helps us keep it up. A great resource for further information about automating your savings is The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach.

If you liked this article and want more tips on financial organization that will make your life a LOT easier, you’ll probably enjoy a free copy of my eBook, 9 Secrets of Financial Self Care. Click here or below to download it!

By |2023-04-27T08:04:53-07:00April 27th, 2023|Categories: Banking, Financial Clarity, Money Mindset, Personal Savings, Personal Spending|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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My Top 5 Best Apps to Track Your Finances

Keeping track of your finances can be life-changing. The impact of paying better attention to your money and spending is not to be underestimated, whether this is in your business or personal finances.

There are several different options that I like to recommend to clients to help them track. Check out my top 5 recommendations below and try out your favorite.

Good old-fashioned manual tracking.

You can do this with paper and pencil or in a spreadsheet. Some people who have a lot of cash transactions in their business or personal finances might prefer this one. Especially in your personal life, it can be nice to keep a notepad or a note on your phone to record cash transactions so you don’t forget about them. However, this is definitely the most laborious way to track your money, and the amount of time you need to put in to do it effectively can prevent people from keeping up the habit. For this reason, I generally don’t recommend it, unless you know you’re someone who will keep up with this system at least once a week.

Mint

I have personally been using Mint for the last five years. It’s free, it connects to all your accounts and automatically imports your spending information, and it’s very easy to use. It has an app, which is really convenient. However, what I don’t like is that in order to get all the info that’s really valuable, I need to download the data into a spreadsheet. I personally do this at the end of every month to wrap-up my finances. It’s also important to note that as a free program, they are keeping (and likely monetizing in some way) data on your spending habits, and they are constantly advertising to you on this platform. It’s important to be wary of the barrage of credit card offers, banking deals, etc. It’s very basic, but it’s a great tool to get started with tracking your spending. 

MoneyGrit.(R)

MoneyGrit.(R) is a software I now use from Karen McCall that I love working with for a couple of reasons. The interface provides a more intentional and hands-on experience when it comes to planning your spending. They actually lead you through a process of reviewing your intentions when setting up your spending plan! This emotional dimension can be really helpful in creating a connection between you and the decisions you make with your money.  The program also includes extras like worksheets to set goals and plan out financial self care action items. Lastly, this software factors periodic expenses into your spending plan, which is something a lot of money tracking software misses completely. MoneyGrit.(R) offers both a personal and a business version of their software.

Your Need a Budget

YNAB does a great job of emphasizing putting your money to work for you by getting you thinking about long term wealth-building. While I’ve personally never used this tool, a lot of people love it for that reason.

Quickbooks Online

QBO is the standard when I’m working with clients on their business finances. The reporting in Quickbooks is second to none and a lot of information can be derived from using their system. Whether you work with a professional like me or DIY, there are a lot of resources available to help you and almost any bookkeeper is going to be very familiar with QBO.  Using QBO can also make tax time extremely easy for you or your tax preparer. This isn’t really a personal finance app, but it’s worth mentioning because your business and personal finances are definitely interrelated! 

If you liked this post and want more pointers towards financial self care, download your free copy of my e-Book, 9 Secrets of Financial Self Care! Click here or below to get yours.

 

By |2023-04-20T13:11:00-07:00April 20th, 2023|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset, Personal Spending|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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4 Simple Tips for Keeping Your Small Business Finances Organized

 

In the midst of tax season, a lot of us are looking to do better on our finances. Maybe you got a big tax bill and are now wondering where your earnings went. Perhaps you were a little less organized than you would have liked. Or maybe this time just makes you extra aware of where your business is financially.

Whatever the case, mid-points like this are great times to give your finances a makeover! Here are my 4 simple tips for keeping your small business finances organized and intentional.

Review Your Goals

After a big financial event like tax season, the financial goals you set earlier in the year deserve a revisit. Check in with them and ask yourself if they still fit. If not, give your goals a nice update! Make sure what you’re aiming towards is relevant to you. You can check out my article on doing a mid-year review of your finances right here.

If you don’t have any financial goals, now is the time to set them. Harness whatever financial fervor tax season (or whatever other financial situation brought you to this post) has instilled in you.

What are your ideal financial conditions? Dream them up, write them down, and come up with a plan. If you need some pointers, here’s my article “4 Strategies for Setting Doable Financial Goals.”

Set Up a Weekly Money Check-In

So much of creating the life you want is about habits. One of the best habits to adopt, in my opinion, is regular “money time”. Find time each week to check in with your finances. Start with a short chunk, to make it feel more manageable. Fifteen to thirty minutes should suffice.

Use this time to check in with your expenses, upcoming bills, IOU’s, and more as needed. Here are my suggestions on what to look for during your weekly money check-in.

Make a Plan to Stay on Top of Your Books

Especially if organization was an issue this tax round and you run a business, making a plan to stay organized until next tax time is a great thing to do right now. Ask yourself what you need to be able to do this.

Do you need to work with a bookkeeper? Do you need to get some training on how to do your bookkeeping yourself? Identify your needs and take some steps to set yourself on the right path.

Find a Money Buddy

It’s my personal belief that anything can go better when you have an accountability buddy. Find someone in your circle who has a financial goal they’re working on too, and join forces! This might be a fellow business owner, or someone from your church, or another mom from a play group.

“Why You Need a Money Buddy”

Once you’ve found your money buddy, establish the terms of your accountability partnership. How often do you want to meet? How do you want to do check ins? Do you want to learn about finances together, or just trade tips on goals?

These 4 tips will help set you on the right path. If you’re a small business owner looking for more ideas, you might like my free eBook, the Cash Flow Reboot Guide: A Guide to Thriving in Uncertain Times. Click below and get your free copy.

By |2023-04-11T13:53:14-07:00April 11th, 2023|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset, Personal Savings, Personal Spending, Small Business|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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Money Talk Matters: Why Talking About Money Can Help You Learn Financial Literacy

When you read the title of this post, how did you react? Did you nod your head in agreement, or did you start to squirm? We all have different attitudes about money, and different attitudes about talking about it. Although it’s culturally considered a taboo to talk about money, I believe it’s important.

Whether it be with our friends, children, family members, or neighbors, there are many reasons why talking about money candidly can positively impact both you and those you discuss it with. Here are my top 5 reasons to talk about money more.

Gain Financial Knowledge & Skills

Everyone has a different perspective on money. Everyone grew up with different attitudes and assumptions around it, so everyone has different strategies and tools for working with it. This means that the more conversations you start with others about money, the more you will naturally learn about different money styles. This can also be a great way to stay in the know about current financial issues.

Ensure You’re Valuing Your Work

Whether you are self-employed or an employee at a larger company, it pays to talk about how much you make. For self-employed people, it can be very important to learn what other people in your industry are charging and making. This helps you get a better sense of your industry and what you can charge for your products or services. Many people, especially new business owners, have a tendency to undervalue their work. Talking about money with other small business owners can help you avoid this pitfall.

If you’re an employee of a business, talk with your coworkers to ensure you’re not getting underpaid for your work. This can help you gather the information you need to ask for a raise or seek a higher-paying position.

In either situation, I highly recommend reading my article, “To Increase Your Earnings, Take Action” to help inspire your next steps.

Find an Accountability Buddy

Talking about money goals and spending plans with others can help you stay on track with your financial aspirations. Similarly, you can help provide a level of financial accountability to whoever you talk money with. This is one of many great things you can do with a money buddy. Many people are highly motivated by social accountability, so you may find that this works well for you.

Lower Stress & Anxiety

Talking about money with others can release a lot of emotional burdens. You might have the chance to unpack some shame around your finances, find out that your conditions are normal compared to your peers, or get recommendations for resources that can help you along your financial path. Many people find their stress levels elevate when they think about money. Thinking and talking about it with others can reduce your stress.

Ease Your Relationships

Money can affect your relationships. Talking about money with those close to us in an open, honest way is a skill that pays dividends. You may find that the more you are able to open up and talk calmly about finances, the more at ease your relationships feel.

If you enjoyed this article, you might like to grab your free copy of 9 Secrets to Financial Self Care! Click here or below. Enjoy!

By |2023-02-15T18:14:53-08:00February 15th, 2023|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset|Tags: , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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Is Your Money Affecting Your Relationships?: 3 Tips to Cultivate A Healthier Money Relationship

How we interact with our money can affect how we interact with others, and ourselves. So it’s important to tend to our relationship with money, in order to keep things clear in our other relationships! Today, I’m talking about three different ways that money may be affecting your relationships, and how you can begin to cultivate a healthier relationships with your money. I’ll be referencing The Soul of Money, an amazing book by Lynne Twist, throughout. Check out my book review if you’d like to learn more!

1. Dissolve the Competition

“Money has become a playing field where we measure our competence and worth as people. We worry that if we stop striving for more, we’ll… lose our advantage.” – Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money

As this quote highlights, money in our society is a high-stakes game. The competition and the need to always be getting more, buying more, earning more, and doing more can creep in and take over our lives. This can and does affect our social relationships. The phrase “keeping up with Joneses” is direct proof of how competition around money can affect how we interact with our neighbors, friends, and community members. At the same time, it’s also evidence of how we tend to measure ourselves and our efforts – against our earnings.

To cultivate a healthier relationship with money, and in turn, healthier social relationships, I suggest beginning by removing this element of competition. Work with affirmations or turn to mindset work or journal prompts to find ways to uproot this tendency. Talk openly with other people about your money. That’s a perfect segue into my next point!

2. Practice Transparency

“Our behavior around money has damaged relationships when money has been used as an instrument of control or punishment, emotional escape or manipulation, or as a replacement for love.” – Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money

Find some people who you can really trust to talk to about money. I call this process building a Money Team. In particular, it’s great to have a friend or two who you can open up to about finances.

 

Having a Money Buddy can give you a space to practice financial transparency, and get more comfortable bringing up money in your social relationships. This can be a great way to work on the feelings that come up around money in this arena. Eventually, you might find yourself feeling more comfortable sharing about your financial situation in general!

3. Create a Spiritual Connection to Your Money

“Your relationship with money can be a place where you bring your strengths and skills, your highest aspirations, and your deepest and most profound qualities.”  – Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money

The Soul of Money is definitely an excellent resource in this area. Lynne Twist writes about how money is like water, it’s a resource that’s meant to flow. She encourages us to recognize that money itself is not problematic, and that it is instead the interpretation of money that brings up so many issues.

Doing some personal work around our connections with money can be a great way to prevent it from interrupting our connections with ourselves and others. If you’d like some resources for this pursuit, I have a couple suggestions:

If you enjoyed this article, you’ll probably like being on my newsletter! Click here to subscribe and receive my monthly tailored newsletter full of important financial conversations, and my weekly blog updates.

This post was originally published in 2022. 

By |2023-02-08T15:40:28-08:00February 8th, 2023|Categories: Financial Clarity, Money Mindset, Personal Savings, Personal Spending|Tags: , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments
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