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Financial Journey
(featured column)
Tips
to Help with the "Budget Blues"
by Karen
Kuebler
We are all
susceptible to some feelings of deprivation when we are sticking to a tight
budget for a sustained period of time. It’s
kind of like the feelings you get when you’re dieting and feel like you
can’t enjoy any of the fun foods. It’s
natural to feel this way from time to time, and it’s also natural to start
throwing yourself a little ‘pity party’.
I know, I’ve been there from time to time. More...
There are some
effective ways to deal with your feelings without blowing a lot of money.
You don’t really want to wreak havoc on your spending plan, or do
things that will ultimately affect you from achieving your financial goals.
Following are
some constructive ideas:
 | Start
a gratitude journal. Write
three things you are thankful for each day.
When you are feeling down, pull it out and read it.
It will remind you of the many things that you really do have in your
life to be grateful for.
| Plan
low cost social events with friends.
Get together to enjoy a potluck dinner and play a game afterward.
When you are having fun, you don’t have time to think about feeling
deprived.
| Fill
your calendar with free or low cost events that are going on all around you.
There are school plays, games, and other events to enjoy at nominal
costs. Local museums and zoos
often have free days each month. During
the summer there is a free event every night of the week on our
Courthouse Town Square
. If you do some research,
you’ll be able to find lots of events locally that you can enjoy for free.
| Get
creative with food in your freezer and pantry and get busy making some fun
dishes. That will keep your
mind away from negative feelings.
| Distract
yourself by doing something.
Get involved in one of your hobbies.
If I pull out some beads and start making a pair of earrings then
I’m very focused on the enjoyment of creating something and that leaves
little room for negative thinking.
| Go
to your library and get a good biography or autobiography about someone who
became successful after starting with nothing.
You’ll find this to be very inspiring and motivating.
Many successful people had to really struggle to achieve their
dreams.
| Focus
on what you’ve done right – the things you have done to achieve your
goals. Making a list of
what you have accomplished will turn negative thinking into positive
thinking.
| Do
something energizing – go for a walk, play music, call a friend.
If you decide to call somebody, make sure it is someone that lifts
you when you are finished talking. There
are some people that wear me out when I’ve hung up the phone.
That isn’t what you need if you’re feeling down.
Also, don’t underestimate the power of music on lifting your
spirits. And exercise is always
a great alternative – it’s often the thing we don’t feel like doing
that will help us feel better in the end.
| Treat
yourself to a small splurge. The
other day I was trying to decompress from a very stressful situation so we
took a drive and went to a dinner about 50 miles from home.
Later I was lamenting the fact that we spent the money on the dinner
and the gasoline! It ended up
having the opposite effect of what I was trying to achieve.
Maybe instead of going out to dinner you can treat yourself to a nice
dessert or go to a movie you’ve wanted to see.
Splurge using a small calculated amount of money on something you
enjoy.
| Help
somebody else with a need. Maybe
a friend needs help on a project. Helping
others always takes our mind off ourselves and leaves us with positive
feelings.
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Remember that
“this too shall pass.” It is a
normal part of everyday living to feel down from time to time.
Don’t let a funk lull you into spending money and deter you from your
overall goals of saving. Hopefully
there are some ideas here that can help. Make
your own list of activities that would create a positive distraction for you and
then refer to it and pick something from the list when you need it!
* * *
Copyright
© 2005 by Karen Kuebler. All rights reserved. Want more
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