The Bleeding Ulcer: Are you constantly freaking out about finances?

Three dollars and 42.5 cents. That’s what it costs to pack my daughter’s lunch. I know this because I figured it out right down to the ziploc baggie her sandwich goes into. Yeah, I’m that person, and this post hits very close to home.

I’m a bit of a “bleeding ulcer” kind of gal when it comes to finances. I’m always strategizing my spending habits and thinking about cost vs. benefit. A healthy dose of this is smart, but wow…it can get out of hand really fast. There are some major consequences when this thinking goes off the rails, so if you are a financial overthinker like I am, here are some signs to watch out for:

Constantly shifting plans.

Like a game of chess you are only playing with yourself, you’re constantly moving pieces around, but not really getting anywhere. You may not really have a clear idea of what is working in your budget and what isn’t because you never leave anything long enough to give it a shot.

Decision paralysis.

You may become so wrapped up in making the right decisions that you can’t seem to make any decisions at all. All of the reading and planning and research is wasted and you end up just feeling worse because you did nothing.

Lack of balance.

Much of your time is spent reading about, analyzing and deconstructing financial information. Your sleep suffers, your social life suffers, your quality of life is diminished, because every aspect of your life gets boiled down to dollars and cents.

Taking a proactive approach to your finances is wise, but don’t fall into the trap of overdoing it. Balance that level of grownupness with a healthy attitude that allows you to have fun with your money and not take yourself too seriously. And just in case you are wondering, ziplocs are .037 cents apiece.

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