Dealing With Financial Stress
- charismachatt
- Apr 27, 2015
- 3 min read
Posted by: Rachel Johsnon// Randi Vasquez Photography
"I got Bills I gotta pay
So I'ma gonn' work work work every day"
This top 40 song is speaking into my soul right now. In fact, this post is quite difficult for me to write because it's an issue I'm currently stressing over. It's the first thought I have when I enter the office and contemplate a convenient Starbucks run. It's one of the last things I think about each night when I reflect upon the upcoming events for the week. It's a little word we live on called: money.
If you're an avid Charisma reader, you've more than likely picked up on the occasional Dave Ramsey references I've mentioned in some of my posts. Last year, I did his Financial Peace program and "graduated" with a wealth of knowledge and materials that have been branded into my brain. I started out my "post-grad Dave Ramsey life" with high hopes and a carefully planned budget for my money. However, a couple of months later, I lost my motivation. I beat myself up because I PAID for this program and wasn't even sticking to it. The fact of the matter was that I felt overwhelmed. In fact, I still feel that way.
Like most 20-something-year-olds who haven't been out of college very long, I am loaded with college debt and have monthly rent, bills and donations that must be paid. Unfortunately, I'm having to start building my savings now because any money I made during high school was spent for college. Now, I don't mean to sound all depressing. (Rest assure, no Nickelback was played during the writing of this post.) I want to be authentic because I know you may also have your own financial burdens right now that you're trying to work through.
So if you're like me, then I want you to pause, take a deep breath, and stop stressing. "Haha yeah good one, Rachel." No really. Why? Because we are YOUNG. We have the rest of our lives to worry about money, and these are the years where we have time to enjoy life to its fullest and start preparing for our future! Here are some practical things that I'm trying to do in order to enjoy my life and decrease the money stress:
1. Save a realistic amount from each paycheck.
I'm trying to take $50-$100 from each check and put it into my savings account. It may not seem like much but it's realistic and something that I can do without stress.
2. Give back.
Whether it's your church, a sponsored child, a local organization, or a friend in need, I'm a firm believer that you will always have what you need if you decide to bless someone (or something) else.
3. Don't go out so much.
I love eating out. It's a fun social activity for me, so this is the hardest thing for me to monitor with my money. However, it's better to spend $100 at the grocery store for a week-two week's worth of meals than to get in the habit of eating out for lunch and/or dinner every other day. If you're one who loves buying drinks, it's [way] cheaper to purchase from a liquor store than to continuously buy drinks at bars on the weekends.
4. Pay your bills on time.
If you get into the habit of paying your rent, utilities or cable a week late, it's not going to help your finances in the future. Pay items on time or within the grace period in order to help secure good credit for the future.
5. Control your credit cards.
I actually have never opened a credit card, but I am going to soon in order to help build my credit. I'm nervous because of the horror stories you hear about people getting sucked into debt on accident. The goal here is self-control. Let the credit card be for one specific item (i.e. gas, groceries, one of your bills, etc.) and immediately set aside the money to pay it off right away.
Now I am the furthest thing from Dave Ramsey (*wipes tears from eyes with a tissue*) but these are a few of my personal goals that are realistic to overcoming my financial stress.
What are your suggestions for overcoming financial stress?
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