Conscious spending is not about limiting ourselves to the things we like and enjoy, but more so, an increased awareness of our spending habits. It’s about thinking twice about our spending choices and assessing whether or not they are in alignment with our financial goals.
Why do we spend frivolously in the first place? What pulls us towards making unnecessary purchases, splurging and over-spending? Yes, we all do it every now and then, but why? Why do we focus so much on the external when we know we can’t buy happiness… We need to do a little more internal work because this is where the magic begins!
Budgeting is one way to practice conscious spending, but let’s face it – most of us are not motivated by our budget. Budget = Boring… and most of the time, it doesn’t work.
While it is important to get clear on our financial goals, it is equally important to evaluate our social and spiritual goals around our finances. Digging deeper allows us to make better decisions during times of temptation, and we can start to experience a new level of satisfaction; one that money can’t buy. Digging deeper = satisfaction, fulfillment, abundance.
Ever since I made the decision to wind down my business of 7 years to pursue my dream career, I knew I needed to cut down my monthly expenses. A part of me died when my business slowed down, and I remember all of the shopping I did during this transition to try and fill the void. Unfortunately, when I got home and the shopping excursion was over, I was back at square one… feeling empty, scared and alone. It was during these rocky few months that I met someone who was part of a Personal Development group. She invited me to her place for coffee and shared her story with me. I’ll never forget the quote she used to express her reason for overcoming her own personal battles and achieving new levels of success…
“Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, it will improve the lives of all those around you.” — Robin S. Sharma
It was then that I took the plunge to join the group, and started to work on the internal. During this fragile time, I managed to pursue my career transition smoothly and with ease, spending very little on things that didn’t grow me. Over time, I noticed how my perspective shifted – it was no longer important for me to have this or to indulge in that, in order to experience bliss. I made peace within myself – and that has made all the difference. BLISS cannot be purchased!
Sometimes it’s easier to overlook our spending habits and to avoid the reality of our financial situation. The hardest part is dealing with the consequences and the remorse we carry after making a “bad decision.” Taking some time to evaluate our social and spiritual goals around our finances stimulate more conscious spending, ultimately allowing us to achieve our personal financial goals.
Getting clear on what is important and WHY we want to practice Conscious Spending is key, especially in times of temptation.
- Am I making that purchase to accomplish a specific feeling?
- Why is it so important to make that purchase?
- Is that purchase in alignment with who I am?
- What am I missing inside that I am trying to fill?
When we start to work on ourselves, we begin to realize that the external world only provides temporary fulfillment – and that learning to love what is inside, is permanent wealth.
As we raise our level of Conscious Spending, we become rich with self-love. This is what Conscious Spending is all about…
Genicca Whitney is our Conscious Spending Editor for PowHERhouse. You can read more about Genicca in her bio and connect with her online at genicca.com, on Twitter @GNIKKA or on Linkedin.
