LIFESTYLE & TRAVELBUDGETING

Three Tips for Reducing Financial Stress

There is a lot of emphasis on wellness in today’s world. One important component of a person’s wellness is their financial health. It can be difficult to achieve positive mental health or overall health and well-being when money is causing you stress. According to Securian Financial, many Americas don’t feel great about their finances. In fact, 42% say money is negatively impacting their mental health, leading to stress, worry, anxiety and feelings of insecurity. It may be time to change your outlook on money and find ways to lower your anxiety surrounding finances. Read on to learn three tips you can try to reduce your financial stress.

TIP 1: Make finances fun.

You may think finances and fun don’t belong in the same sentence. If that’s the case, it may be time to do some brainstorming to make money more enjoyable. For example, when it’s time to review your budget, create a nice environment for yourself. This could look like putting on cozy clothes and reviewing your transactions on the couch. You could also put on music or your favorite podcast. In addition, you could try lighting your favorite candle or enjoying your favorite drink while you pay bills or manage your money. Another thing you could try is treating yourself with takeout from your favorite restaurant to celebrate finishing your financial tasks for the month.

In addition, think about how you can allocate funds to things you enjoy. Can you buy a coffee from your favorite local spot every Friday or every payday? Can you save $2 biweekly toward something you enjoy — like new books or clothes, live music or travel? Finding ways to feel in control of your money and spend it on things you love is key to making finances fun.

TIP 2: Enjoy a financial wellness night with friends.

Being with friends can make even the most mundane tasks more exciting. If you struggle with motivation to dig into your finances, try hosting a financial wellness night with friends. Engage in conversations about what you all enjoy spending on. Brainstorm categories you no longer want to spend on that you can eliminate to bolster your budget for the things you love. Try creating your own financial vision boards digitally or physically with printed images and old magazines. This could include savings goals for the year, debt payoff goals, travel plans, etc. Your friend group may even have the same goal of taking a vacation together or planning a monthly dinner or activity night that you can all include on your vision boards.

Another idea for a financial wellness night is to create visual savings or debt payoff trackers with the date you want to reach your goal and how much you plan to put in savings or put toward debt each month until you achieve your goal. You can continue to add to the tracker each month so you can see your progress over time. Visual representations can be especially useful in making your financial dreams clear and easier to plan for.

TIP 3: Learn more to make money less daunting.

Financial education can be a useful tool in reducing stress regarding finances. Try out a form of financial education that works best for you. If you enjoy podcasts, find one that’s entertaining to you and discusses topics you want to learn more about. For example, “Wallet Watch” is a podcast by MSU Federal Credit Union and OU Credit Union with episodes on a variety of financial topics including budgeting, credit, investing and entrepreneurship. If you like to read, there are a variety of personal finance books and audiobooks out there, in addition to online articles like this one. Becoming more knowledgeable about personal finance can make money less daunting and will hopefully empower you to make choices that support your financial goals.

In conclusion, determining ways to make finances fun, combining friends and finances, and learning more about personal finance could help you reduce financial stress. Financial wellness is critical to your overall health and wellbeing, so it’s important to be mindful of your relationship with money. Try these tips to discover if they help you maintain a lifestyle with less financial stress.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/financial-wellness/

https://cashasap.co.uk/blog/make-personal-finance-fun.html

https://www.securian.com/insights-tools/articles/relationship-between-financial-mental-health.html#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%2042%20percent%20say,close%20second%20(46%20percent).&text=Credit%20card%20debt%20is%20a%20major%20cause%20of%20anxiety