Photo by Zach Klein on Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/zachklein/54389823/)

Personal finance makes me want bury my money in mason jars and go back the good ol’ trade system. But I’m not a skilled digger and money makes the world go round. If you don’t learn about it, you’ll get screwed over by someone or some corporation that knows more about it than you do. Hashtag truth.

That’s why this year my personal goal has been to learn more about my money and to actually save it. Maybe that’s also why this year has been one of the most frustrating times of my life. 🙂 As I sat on hold with the bank yet again… I thought I’m going to lose it. I’m going to end up yelling at this poor person on the other end and I’m going to pull out all of my money. But I didn’t do that because over the last year I’ve learned some pretty good coping tools for money frustrations.

1. Prepare for phone calls
You may already know that a simple phone call to your service providers could help you to save money on all kinds of bills– cable, internet, maybe even rent! And don’t forget to call your bank to get overdraft fees and other outrageous bank fees leveraged too. Just make sure you always have a plan for the conversations, so they go your way. Above all, remain calm and prepare to walk away, if necessary. You don’t really need cable anyway. (Ramit Sethi from I will Teach You To be Rich has some great scripts for those difficult phone calls.)

2. Keep pictures of your end-goal in appropriate places
Do you get stressed about money when you are sitting at your desk and balancing your checkbook? Keep a picture of your end-goal on your desk. Do you get stressed just looking in your wallet for cash? (I do!) Keep a picture of your financial end-goal in your wallet. By having pictures of that dreamy financial end-goal in strategic places you’ll create a quick comfort, you’ll be reminded of the goal, and it might even curb your spending.

3. Remember that saving is a journey
Patience, in general, is so, so hard. It can be even harder with saving because we don’t see those immediate rewards. Buying your lunch can be so much easier and temporarily more rewarding than saving that $10. By changing your mindset about saving, and learning to recognize that even the littlest bits count, you’ll reach your financial goals much faster.

4. Break up your financial to-do list into manageable chunks
This is a life-tip, but getting super motivated and creating a giant to-do list of stuff to do can actually hinder your progress. Make your financial to-do list manageable by breaking it into smaller chunks. Complete one small thing on your list every day. Be happy that you completed something and avoid being paralyzed by the stress of too many to-dos.

5. Talk about it
For many, money is a taboo talking point, but ya need to get it out. Worrying about money but not talking about it is a sure-fire recipe for a heart attack. Find someone you feel comfortable talking to, whether it be a relative, friend or psychiatrist and let it out.

6. Practice affirmations
Affirmations can seem silly and maybe even a little narcissistic. But don’t discount them! Say an affirmation enough and you’ll start to believe it. (Here’s an example one: “Every day I am attracting and saving more money.” But my favorite affirmation of all time is this little girl’s affirmation. After I saw her video I started adding “I can do anything good!” to my affirmations.

7. Meditate or pray about it
Pray about your money issues, if you are into that. If not, meditate about it. Meditation has made me a calmer and overall nicer person. It’s given me clarity about my money issues that I would have never reached on my own. And the best thing about meditation? It’s free!

8. Recognize your triggers and avoid them
Just going into Target triggers my impulse to spend, so I avoid Target. If I must, must go I bring my husband along and tell him to monitor my spending. Recognize when your finance habits get out of control. Do your spending habits swirl out of control during the holidays? Try a handmade holiday instead. Do you spend a ton of money on beauty products? Find ways cut your beauty routine. Make it into a game if you must! Just avoid those triggers!

9. As my life coach, Suze Orman says, “People first, then money, then things.”
I love Suze Orman, not only does she give sound money advice, she’s also compassionate. I love her sign-off, “People first, then money, then things.” Once you have your priorities straight, your finances are much easier to handle.

So how do you deal with your finances and stay sane? I’d love to hear your tips in the comments!

love,
melanie