Enjoy Your Money by Changing the Way You Spend It

This article is about transforming your buyer's mindset. You will learn how to feel more comfortable with spending money, and how it can benefit you and change your life.

I'll provide you with a list of principles to renew your buying philosophy, along with an infographic, and a practical approach to achieve measurable results in a short time.

You Are the Obstacle to Overcome

You are the only person responsible for your inner peace. By consequence, it is necessary that you enjoy your wealth. Having to take a decision between paying or not paying all the time is exhausting and it puts a lot of pressure on you.

There is a frontier between saving money and being a miser. You cross it when you prefer money over well-being.

When making a purchase, the questions you (always) have in mind are:

• Am I spending wisely or am I overspending?

• Is it necessary?

• Is it worth?

• Will it hurt my savings?

The answer is simple: You don't care. Get rid of these fears. Being scared of bankruptcy is normal but it's all about the mathematics of your consumption habits.

Long story short: Spend less than you earn.

Extra: Save more if you plan to spend more in the future.

I will teach you how to change your habits, and enjoy your money and your life at the same time.

Spending Money Makes You Richer

Look at your expenses in another way and shift your mindset.

Think different. Spend different.

Avoid looking at what you lose financially but rather focus on what you get as a person and as of the experience you live.

For instance, booking a flight to discover a new city nearby is very cheap for what you get (culture, food, language, people, events, museums, and so on), no matter how much it costs. This experience will have a lifelong impact on you and it will teach you a lot (on yourself, social interactions, culture shock, etc).

It's not about wasting your financial resources. It's about working on the most important thing: you.

Think of spending money as investing in a company, except that you are the company.

Stop thinking of money as an asset that goes off your wallet but as a fuel for your inner peace and your self-development. Actually, you should feel grateful for the 21st century. You can enroll in numerous activities that can change your life, (like traveling, meeting people, learning online) for almost nothing.

The idea is simple: It feels good to invest in anything that makes you a better person.

The consequence is: The more you invest in yourself, the bigger your returns on investment.

The action to take: Invest in yourself and stop being tightfisted.

4 Principles to Enjoy Spending Your Money and Stop Worrying About It

First, you have to understand that what you experience has neither price nor value. There is no point in giving a monetary estimate to what you live. The moments you spend with your loved ones, the feelings you have, and the knowledge you gain define you. What you lived in the past made who you are now and this is worth any amount of money you could think of.

Second, you have to change your buyer's mind. Stop thinking about money, start thinking about emotions. You should stop wondering how much a product costs but rather how good it feels and what happens next. Then, ask yourself whether it is worth your money or not. Finally, refer to the first rule. If you feel happier or if it solves a problem you have, there's no reason not to buy it.

Third, you must consider the non-financial impact of your purchase. Take books for instance, how expensive is $15 for a bestseller? Take clothes, how expensive is $100 for a heavy jacket? All the knowledge you get from a book written by a brilliant author and 5 years of protection against wind and rain and cold are invaluable. These are long-term returns on investment worth more than a punctual pack of bills. They are intangible yet measurable (in terms of self-confidence, courage, psychology, etc) and have a big impact on you.

To be honest, even if a bestseller cost more ($100+) I would buy it. Books taught me life lessons I could never forget, this has no price.

Fourth (usually applies to high-priced products), you must look at the bigger picture. Let's say you bought an expensive laptop ($2000), is it that high? What if you make money out of it? (as a developer, a designer, a writer, a marketer, and so on). If it lasts 2-4 years and fulfills your needs, it is cheap. It gives you access to the internet and all its fancy content (like this article), on a 24/7 basis, without limitations. When you're about to spend more than usual, think bigger and in the long term.

You must apply these principles whenever you make a purchase. Don't find excuses, keep in mind that it all depends on your inner peace, your well-being, and your desire to feel better every day.

The Thinking Process To Adopt

This is a simple infographic you can take anywhere in case you forget a point. It summarizes the 4 principles above.

From Theory to Practice - Make it automatic

Next time you go buying something, spend ten seconds thinking about it.

Anything, like an apple juice at Walmart.

Ask yourself these questions:

• Am I reluctant to buy this product? If so, why?

• Is it too expensive? If so, what's the price of my well-being at the moment?

• Am I seriously about to save almost nothing at the expense of a better experience?

• What will be the total return on investment of this purchase in the long term?

Common situations in which it will help you:

• Going out to a restaurant or a pub with your friends.

• Doing groceries, hesitating between the cheap awful milk (with potential viruses in it) and the fancy one.

• Booking a flight or a hotel.

• Buying a new computer or a new smartphone.

Finally, try to notice every objection that pops into your mind. Then, hold an inner debate on whether these objections are relevant or not.

The point is, put yourself and your joy at the center of your preoccupations.

Let it become your natural thinking process toward money. Every single time you're about to make a purchase, ask these questions and establish what's in it for you.

This mind shift will have a massive impact on the way you enjoy your life.

Side note: Strike a balance between saving and spending but always make your well-being a top concern unless it can endanger you or someone else. Avoid using this philosophy as an excuse to burn your savings.

Personal advice: I find myself blissful when having a coffee outside under the sun, and it's only $2. Being happy with what you have boils down to you and you don't have to be rich to start enjoying your money. Take actions, the sooner. The most important thing is feeling happy all along your transformation.