Love and money: Two of the most complicated subjects in existence.
To help you love your money more this year, here are three simple tips to embrace:
Be grateful
It can be easy to lose focus when it comes to your money. Whether you’re struggling to get your bills paid, stressing over retirement, or worried about your kids paying for college — it’s a lot weighing on you and it can bring you down. So as silly as it may sound, be grateful for what you have, including your money. Mom and dad were right. Money doesn’t grow on trees. So whether it’s dinner out with friends or your first car payment, celebrate what you have and your commitment to be wise with your money.
Practice positive affirmations with your money daily
Many of us walk around with negative thoughts about our money. Thoughts like, “I don’t have enough money,” “Money is so stressful” or “I hate budgeting” plague our financial mindsets and keep us from engaging with our money in a positive, fulfilling way. Shifting to positive affirmations like, “There is more where that came from,” “I’ll be good with my money” and “I’m in control of my spending” is something that can truly transform your money relationship for the better. Commit to practicing these daily positive affirmations and begin the process of engaging with your money in a whole new way.
Commit to weekly money “dates”
Date night for couples is every bit as important as setting a date to make time for money in your life. Set up time to review your budget and manage your finances. During your money date, pay your bills (although most should be set up as auto-pay), update and review your budget, and take care of any other financial concerns. By calling this allocated time with your money a “date,” you can begin to bring fun, exciting elements into your financial life to help you stay committed for the long haul and really show your money some extra TLC.
Remember that money is just a tool, and in order to use it effectively, we need to have a good relationship with it. So take time to nourish your relationship with money and start bringing some more money love into your life.
This post originally appeared on Mint and was written by Brittany Castro.