Steps To Have A Better Relationship With Money

1. If You Can't Afford It Outright, Wait And Save

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In this day and age, it's so easy (and tempting!) to stick something on your credit card or take it out on store credit. A good rule of thumb to go by if you struggle with money, though, is if you can't buy it outright, then wait and save up until you can. This will avoid the debt and credit piling up.

2. If You Need To Get Credit, Double Check The Interest Rates

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Of course, in some situations this isn't always possible - if your car or fridge has broke down, it's not as easy as just waiting and saving when you need to get by. So if you do need to take out credit, always be sure to check the interest rates - because this is where you could be losing a huge chunk of money without realising.

3. Paying Off Your Debt: Check Your Balance Regularly

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Speaking of debt - if you've got an automated payment coming out every month for your debt, you might think you have it all covered with it happily working away in the background. But it's important to check what's going on regularly because interest fees can be taken and change over time, so you may not be paying what you think you're paying!

4. Pay Over The Minimum If You Can!

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Meeting the minimum required repayment for a debt is good practice and will keep your credit in check - but this will not have you paying off your debts quickly, or avoiding any excess interest rates. It's good to set up the minimum as an automated payment, but if you can, make extra payments here and there - even if it's just $10 - because it'll all make a difference in the long run!

5. Really Think About Your Eating Habits!

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Ah, food. It costs so much money! One area we can all agree we probably spend too much on is food. And the trouble with this is we justify it because we need to eat. But that doesn't mean you can't eat and also have a happy relationship with money. Sit down and be honest with yourself about any bad spending habits you have: how much do you spend on alcohol? On snacks? On larger portions that you always end up leaving anyway?

6. Make A Grocery List

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Now this is really the key to avoiding overspending: making a grocery list. Your grocery list should have only

what you need on it, and you should never deviate from the list! That isn't to say you can't put any treats on there, just think ahead of time for one or two treats, and then you'll avoid putting the whole grocery shelf in your basket when you're there 'just in case'.

7. Consider A Meal Delivery Service If You're Wasting Food

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Another area you could be wasting money with food is if you're throwing out so much of it, because you're over-ordered or over-thought. A meal delivery service is one of the best ways to avoid food wastage, because everything is portioned out and you only ever get exactly what you need.

8. Ditch Any Bad Restaurant Habits

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We know what it's like when you sit down at a restaurant and see that huge menu. You don't really want a starter, but you order one anyway because why not. You're stuffed but you order a dessert because everyone else at the table is ordering one. All these mindless habits soon add up to a hefty bill, and you'll be amazed how much money you'll save if you stop ordering what you don't need whilst eating out!

9. Have A Designated 'Treat' Day

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People who think of saving money when it comes to food might have a negative idea that you have to deny yourself anything fun. But that's not the case - and a better practice can be to have an official 'treat' day (like at the weekend) where you have snacks or something indulgent. If you have a day to look forward to for that, you won't be spending money on treats mindlessly throughout the week.

10. Draw A Set Amount Of Cash Out

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If you're someone who is mindlessly tapping their credit card for payments while they're out all day, you might want to consider drawing physical cash out - not only that, but a set amount you've decided beforehand. That way, you can physically see when you're getting low, and when you need to curb the spending.

11. Or, Only Pay On Card (But Keep Track Of It!)

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Of course, this could also work the opposite way - people with physical cash in their wallet might start mindlessly spending when they don't need to, because they have a couple of dollars left so 'let's buy something frivolous'! If this is you, then only

paying on card can be a better habit - but only as long as you keep track of your spending and know when to stop!

12. The Best Things In Life Are Free

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At the end of the day, spending money doesn't equal happiness as we know - but it can be hard to remember that sometimes with all these new, trendy products shoved in our faces. But you can spend a day with family and friends doing something free, like a walk in the park, and still have as rewarding an experience as you would if you went to an expensive restaurant together.

13. Make A List Of Free Activities That Make You Happy

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This is a good exercise to try if you're someone who spends far too much on going out all the time. Start off with a list (as many items as you'd like, maybe 10 would be a great place to start) of free things that make you happy: sitting in the garden with family, reading at home, going to the beach with friends - anything that doesn't cost money. This is then a ready-made list for when you want to do something, but don't want it to cost anything.

14. Start A Gratitude Journal

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Gratitude is something we often have to remind ourselves of in this busy world, and a gratitude journal can be a key way to do that. It may sound intimidating if you're not really a journaler, but this is a great way to remind yourself of all the things you have that you love, and it'll help your mindset to change into a 'I don't need to buy that, I'm happy with what I've got'.

15. Having A List Of Outgoings Is Key!

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You've probably heard this so many times, but that's because it's so important! This is what online banking comes in useful for, because you can see every item you have coming out every month. The reason this is so key is not only to keep track of your money, but also because you might have outgoings you didn't even know about (like that gym membership you forgot you took out! We're not judging).

16. Really Focus In On Things You Need To Buy Versus Things You Don't

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You don't need to restrict yourself to only what you 'need' all the time, because you're allowed to treat yourself with your hard-earned money. But the problem starts when you don't particularly need or want anything and you just spend money for the sake of it because you feel like a treat. So if you think ahead of time, such as 'oh it would be great to have some new couch cushions' you can better target your reward spending.

17. Put Spending Into Specific Categories

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Think about the things in life which are really non-negotiable for you in terms of spending - and this means hobbies as well as bills. If you're a big reader, a big media lover or anything else, put your spending into these categories so you know money is never wasted. So your four categories could be: books, media system, clothes and music (for example). So when you're spending, pick one of these categories.

18. Staying In Is The New Going Out

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If going out is where you spend the most money - and an extortionate amount of it - for  a night you can barely even remember because a lot

of drinking was involved, then start practising staying in and finding happiness with that. That doesn't mean you can never go out, but a lot of money can be saved staying in - you can invite friends and family round instead of meeting them out, after all.

19. Block Off Certain Days/Months For 'Saving'

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We all know about the popularity of 'Dry January', where you don't drink for a month to save money - and your organs - and this is a good starting point. It doesn't have to be Dry January, it can be any month, like saying you're not going to buy any clothes in July if that's what you usually most struggle with.

20. Arrange Your Bank Accounts Into Bills, Saving And Spend

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Bad relationships from money can come from feeling guilty about spending, or losing track, because your money is all in one account. An easy way to improve this is to have three separate accounts. Put all your bill money in that account at the start of the month. With what you have left, put a comfortable amount into savings, and then put the rest into 'spend'. Then only use the 'spend' account for anything you buy - you'll know you can afford it, and you won't have the guilt!

21. Set Small Goals

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When it comes to money, huge goals can be stressful and overwhelming. Thinking 'I want to pay off all my debts this year' is admirable, but sometimes it simply isn't possible - and this can lead to more stress as well as a rebellious spend when it doesn't work out. Smaller goals are better - instead, think 'I want to have an extra $$$ paid off by the end of this month'.

22. And Practice Manifesting

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Clear goals are all well and good - but they also put a lot of pressure on a person, especially when money is involved. Manifesting is something you may have heard of but not yet tried - instead of big goals, practice manifesting where you think positive thoughts about your life and money: "I'm going to save more money, I'm going to get my bills in order, I'm going to live healthier and spend money on better food" etc.! It's a mindset!

23. Budget, Budget, Budget!

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You might roll your eyes every time someone says, 'Oh, you need to budget!' because budgeting can sound boring, as well as restrictive, but it's not the case. Budgets are there to let you spend, without letting you get into debt. At the start of the month, figure out your outgoings, and how much you can comfortably spend on different things: budget for food, for days out, for alcohol, for hobbies... then you know where you stand.

24. Give Minimalism A Go

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Minimalism isn't for everyone - but it might be for you! People who adopt a minimalist lifestyle only ever buy or have the minimum of what they need. This can help curb extreme spending, especially when it comes to home items, and can also help to adjust your mindset to finding happiness in the smaller things rather than spending to fill a void (we feel ya).

25. Take Note How You Feel After You've Pressed The Online Order Button!

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We all know the guilt of late night, possibly alcohol-fuelled, ordering for items we don't really need. Paying attention to how you feel when you've clicked 'order' is really important - your gut will tell you all you need to know! Do you feel instant regret? Or, 'Actually, yeah, I'm looking forward to that!'.

26. And How You Feel When The Item Has Arrived

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Of course, instant regret could just be because you're worried you won't like the item or what it'll actually look like when it arrives. So it's also important to take note of how you feel when it's delivered. Are you pleasantly surprised, happy you bought it or is it just a big 'meh'?

27. Make A List Of New Things You've Bought - And Whether They've Brought You Joy

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A good exercise is to write down - or even just make a mental list - of things you've bought in the past month, or few months. Then think how many times you've actually used them, looked at them or thought about them. You might even realise they're in the closet or gathering dust. That'll tell you whether spending money on them was worth it or not!

28. Spend Some Time Thinking About Your Money Values

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Put some time aside to sit there and contemplate what money means to you - when you hear or read the word money, what does it make you think of? Security? Big spending? Having more freedom to do things with the people you love? Once you work out your values, you'll know where to best put your money - and where not to waste it.

29. Make Money Habits A Work-Out Routine

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Practising a good relationship with money can be a lot like a new exercise routine - you may not see results at first and it's going to take long-term commitment to reach your goals. You can start off small, but as long as you're keeping up with your money plan every day, week or month, then in the long-term, it'll pay off (scuse the pun).

30. Plan Your Long-Term Money Goals

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It's important to live in the here and now and enjoy life - but it's also important to plan ahead, especially when it comes to money. Once you figure out your long-term goals - you want to buy a house, have X amount saved or book that dream vacation with life savings - then you'll know exactly what to do next in terms of saving!