Financial Self Care: Habits that contribute to your economic well-being.

Self care: The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress. The practice of taking action to preserve or improve one’s own health.

When it comes to self care, we usually think about practices and habits that contribute to our physical and emotional well-being, but have you considered financial self care? Financial self care empowers you to take control of your resources, avoid stress and anxiety, and give you financial freedom. Here are a few ways you can practice financial self care:

Have a regular “money date” (alone or with anyone you co-mingle funds with) Light a candle, put on soft music and get cozy with your checkbook. Check in on the balances of your credit cards and see if you are sticking to your budget or if you need to make adjustments. Fiscal responsibility is sexy.

Limit mindless purchases Be honest: are you impulse buying online or at the grocery store (SO many people don’t realize they are doing this)? A world without an occasion treat is unrealistic and honestly–not much fun. But it’s important to keep that impulse in check so it doesn’t interfere with your bigger goals.

Cancel subscriptions Do you really need 15 streaming services? Can you live with the free version instead of the ad-free? Are you using some of those apps and services you signed up for? 5 or 10 bucks may not seem like much, but it adds up when you do it 10 times month after month. Take a hard look at your statements and get rid of or downgrade things that aren’t really adding to your life.

Take the time to negotiate Did you know that your cell phone, internet and many other things can be negotiated? For example, I just shaved $10 a month off my internet and HALF of my home security system just by asking. Most places will only let you ask every 6 months to a year, but by investing a few minutes chatting with customer service, you can save significantly.

It’s time to prioritize taking care of your (financial) well-being. Dedicating some time to get your financial picture focused is an act of self-love!

How do you practice financial self care? Let us know in the comments!