Happy Friday, friends!
Have you ever called yourself a spender or a saver?
Or maybe your house a hot mess or dumpster fire?
There’s all sorts of labels we put on ourselves or the choices we make, but what if these labels turn into core beliefs and form the foundation for our behaviors?
And what if the labels are wrong!?
There’s a variety of thinking styles we could be drawn to, either because of the mental shortcuts they provide, or the experiences we’ve had that solidify these perceptions.
While not always negative, there ARE ways these patterns can prove non-beneficial to our lives and spending.
Let’s look at a few examples of common patterns that influence our finances. Which ones sound familiar? 🙃
Thinking Styles: The Breakdown 💭
1. Labeling. This is when you make a global statement about yourself and imply that you will never change your current patterns. For example: “I’m a spender” or “I’m a saver.” While it may be true that your habits tend toward one or the other, the reality is: spending AND saving is a skill. And skills can be learned, improved, and refined.
2. Catastrophizing. When we jump to worst case scenario in any situation. Paid a bill a day late? Catastrophizing would make you believe that it will ruin your credit, and no bank would give you a loan again. In reality, you could just pay the bill and explain the reason for the late payment to the company before they report it to the creditors.
3. All or nothing. With this mentality, there is no gray area. Either you pay off all of your debt or you pay off none of it. Either you save 6 months for an emergency fund or you don’t have one. This thought pattern excludes our beloved practice of the radical middle. Remember—there is no “set in stone” way to manage your finances. The numbers that you’ve established as goals are your choice and can be modified accordingly.
This isn’t a complete list by any means, but we can begin interrupting these unhelpful patterns by practicing mindfulness and curiosity.
Recognizing when you’re in a thought pattern is the first step, and then asking yourself where is this thought coming from? Is it true? will help you to challenge unhelpful thoughts and introduce more beneficial ones!
Tuesday’s episode (Ep 432) was a very special one on How to Afford More of What You Love and gives snippets of goodies from our upcoming book (available for pre-order NOW 😉).
Today, in Ep 433 we’re giving the low-down on Tips for Grocery Shopping on a Budget.
Listen wherever you get podcasts and let us know what you thought of the episode over on our latest Instagram post!
✅ Read: Interested in learning more about thinking styles and how they relate to your finances? Pre-order Jen & Jill’s book: Buy What You Love Without Going Broke for a deep dive 😍
✅ Join: Our virtual BOOK LAUNCH PARTY on Tues, August 20 at 7pm. Show up to receive your freebie (a 90-day Fall meal plan) and to celebrate! PLUS if you pre-order the book before or during the party you get even more goodies!
🔗 Here’s the zoom link to join!
✅ Watch: The TedTalk “Why Having Fun is the Secret for a Healthier Life,” by Catherine Price. It’s a compelling talk on why we should all have fun in our daily lives & what the key components of fun are.
✅ Do: Self-care is IN right now, and there’s no better way to practice it than to go on a wellness retreat! Click here to sign up for a chance to win a relaxing time away. 🧘♀️**
✅ Meal Prep: Listen, I’m from the Midwest. I can’t get through the week without a hot dish of some sort. This tater tot casserole by Allrecipes is a 5-ingredient meal prep win! 🥘
Spending is a skill and you can learn to master it. If you’ve ever struggled with being unable to stick to a budget or felt guilty about spending on something you enjoy, Jen and Jill’s upcoming book is going to be your next favorite read.
Grab your pre-order gifts. Free With EVERY pre-order. 🥳
Happy Friday,
Kim
⭐️⭐️ P.S. Want to share all this goodness with your friends AND earn cool Frugal Friends merch?
**Means this is a sponsored or affiliate section. We may earn a small fee or commission when you choose to try one of our sponsor or affiliate partners. But opinions are still 1000% our own.
