How do you date money?

Do you resonate with these sentences? 👇

• "I'm just trying to get by, I don't have enough money to think about saving or investing."
• "Life's too short, I want to live life now and worry about retirement later."
• "Look at what people with a lot of money have done to the world, I don't need too much."

If you've felt any of those in your soul, two things: First, same. Second, it's not just us.

We can be the financially secure, debt-free, money-growing version of ourselves. This curiosity we have even to learn how we date money is the first step.

Understanding our relationship with money is the next.

“Money is only a tool. It will take you wherever you wish, but it will not replace you as the driver." - Ayn Rand

A Fidelity study found that 49% of 18-44 year-olds they surveyed wouldn't be able to cover an unexpected $1,000 expense. 59% are scared to check their bank account balance, and 61% admit they spend more than they planned for because of FOMO (fear of missing out).

That means there's deeply rooted fear, anxiety, and avoidance with money. This thing that influences the experiences we take part in, the items (and maybe people) in our life, and how we deal with sudden changes or emergencies is literally giving us similar feelings of a bad (or toxic 👀) ex.

How can we turn this bad into good? THERE'S HOPE, I SWEAR.

What are some existing relationship dynamics with money?

According to CNBC, there are four archetypes:

Money Avoidance. This type doesn't want to be associated with money. They may unconsciously self-sabotage your finances because they believe there is virtue in living on less or not being overindulgent.

Money Worship. They want so much money that they won't be able to spend it in their lifetime. They may think it buys freedom or will make their life better, so it is the main factor that decides how their life will go.

Money Status. Money is who they are. They take pride in the (new or expensive, almost exclusively) things they buy and want to flex it too. Even if they can't afford the part, they'll look it.

Money Vigilance. They keep money to themselves. They save as much money as possible and may not tell another soul about it. While they have little to no debt and a higher network, they're extremely money-anxious.

"It's good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it's good, too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven't lost the things that money can't buy." - George Lorimer

What relationship do YOU have with money?

Here are some questions to help you figure out which of those apply to you (and hopefully make you less sad after figuring it out):

• Which archetype do you identify with?
• Do you generally feel positive or negative about money?
• Have you made progress with much within the last year?
• What are your parents' relationships with money?
• Does who you interact with impact how you spend money?

"Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant." - P.T. Barnum

Click on the dropdowns below to see the easy action items:

Some vibes to close us out

Your financial relationship is a unique dance.

Embrace your spending rhythm, set goals, and step lightly through mindful spending.

Celebrate milestones and learn from setbacks.

Dance towards financial freedom!

YOU got this. 💭✨

Sources

1. "Fidelity Study Reveals Nearly Two in Three Young Adults Feel They Should Save More, But Are So Stressed About Their Finances – They Avoid Thinking About Them Altogether." Business Wire (2022).
2. "How to control the unconscious attitudes influencing your money habits." CNBC (2023).
3. "7 Steps For Transforming Your Relationship With Money." Clever Girl Finance (2023).

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