All change!!
After a lovely summer holiday, it’s time to get back to life as we know it…feeling the holiday blues anyone?!!
But the end of summer can also be a time that brings a sense of new beginnings and fresh starts.
New opportunities and challenges are on the horizon
Perhaps you have moved to a brand-new country for love, a job or your spouse’s new promotion, or perhaps you’ve moved to a new home.
Schools are back and children are starting school for the first time or going to new classes, with new teachers and making new friends. Or maybe your kids have gone off to university, and you’re getting used to the idea of being an ‘empty nester.’
Change is strange and uncomfortable but it does bring new opportunities as well as new challenges. Planning and preparing for possible eventualities is helpful in coping with the new way of life that you are facing.
Containing your spending urges!
Often, when things change, there is a tendency to use spending to ease the discomfort of the unfamiliar. We buy ourselves ‘treats’ or we use it to fill boredom or we go shopping to make sure we have everything we need and more in this unfamiliar time. If that spending isn’t planned and there is no budget in place, things can get out of hand.
It is so easy to take our plastic and credit cards and swipe for things these days but are the things we’re buying actually needed or wanted? Before you swipe, take a moment to ask yourself that question.
A helpful thing to remember is that you are in control of the spending urges, the spending urges are not in control of you!
Breathe new life into old!
If you are feeling lost or overwhelmed by the changes in your life, don’t despair. New beginnings don’t have to cost you a fortune or put you on the road to debt. Take a little bit of time to plan for the adventure ahead, and why not make the process fun and exciting too! Not only will you have a far better experience, but it also puts you firmly in control of your spending, and not at the mercy of it.
If you have moved to a new house or someone has left home, now is a great time for a declutter. As you go through things, make a list of things that you already have that can be upcycled or re-used, so you don’t have to go to big expense. Online platforms like Pinterest are inspiration paradise, filled with the most amazing ideas. With a bit of creativity you can re-use or up-cycle something which you were planning to get rid of and fall in love with it all over again.
When stocking up for a new term, new job or new home, another fun idea is to go to second-hand shops, charity shops or flea markets. There are plenty of hidden gems to be found. I’m a firm believer that one person’s junk is another’s treasure!
Whatever you do, focus on the adventure ahead, rather than what you have left behind and you will soon find, the possibilities are endless.
If you want to become really savvy with your spending, take my Money Type Quiz and get in touch for a free initial consultation.
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