One way to start uncovering the emotions is to keep track of your spending AND how you are feeling before and after you spend. What are the conversations you are having in your head around the purchase? Are you obsessing over something? Are you rationalizing the purchase? Just get it down where you can look at it later – it can be notes on your phone or old-fashioned pen and paper. Pick a day to go back and look over the list – make a date with yourself. How do you feel about those same purchases now? And then at the end of the month notice any patterns that you see coming up. Are your patterns taking you toward dreams or debt and deprivation? Get curious! Awareness of where you are right now is the first step to shifting those money habits that are not leading you to your dream. Anything you can come up with to break the unconscious habit is a great start!
What is an example?
If retail therapy is your thing…one of the tips I give my clients is to keep the tags on until you wear it and I mean you are heading out the door, not just trying it on to see if you are going to wear it. For every purchase that wasn’t planned, put a reminder in your phone for two weeks from the purchase date and then return the item if you have not used it.
If returns bring up feelings, that’s another place to get curious. Just keep being intentionally curious!
