Why Do You Spend Money?

In order for us to take control of our spending, it is important for us to be aware of when and why we spend.  Only then can we make necessary changes and improve our spending habits.

What mood are you in when you spend money?

Generally speaking, when you spend money are you in a good mood or a bad mood? Do you spend money to cheer you up after a bad day or do you spend money in celebration of something great that just happened?

What is your motivation for spending money?

Are you spending money in order to keep up with the Jones’ or does spending money make you feel significant?

Why am I asking all these questions?

I often find, at least for myself, that I am not always as self-aware as I should be.  When we increase our self -awareness, we are in a position to positively change in areas of our lives that are in need of improvement.  So, if you are a person who struggles with destructive spending habits, it is really important that you understand why you spend money the way you do.

When it comes to your mood…

If you spend money while you are in a good mood in order to treat yourself, that’s great, so long as you spend money within your means and don’t find reasons to splurge too often.  If you find that you are spending money just to cheer yourself up, you need to find other methods to enhance your mood.  Spending money will ultimately lead to more distress especially if you are going on shopping sprees that you cannot afford.

As for your motivation…

Keeping up with the Jones’ is a futile endeavor and certainly not a worthy cause for spending your hard-earned money.  Instead, increase your self -esteem and find your worth in more meaningful activities such as finding and doing what you love and volunteering in your local community.   Spending money should not make you feel more significant as you are already significant, regardless of how much or how little money you spend.

The desired outcome of all this

Once you have been really honest with yourself, you will learn to develop better spending habits that will allow you to spend money on the things that really matter, without wasting it on things that really don’t make you happy.