Happy New Year! Can you believe that it is 2023? If you’re like me, it feels like the years are just flying by! Someone once told me that once your kids hit school age, life just zooms by, and I have found that statement to be very true! With one exception – January seems to drag on FOREVER!! I think a couple of different things make it seem this way:
1) It is a 31-day month
2) There is less natural sunlight (at least here in the Pacific Northwest)
3) We start to realize that we have done it again – overspent during the holiday season…so now we are tightening the proverbial belt to try and make it through to the next paycheck.
One of the other things that you start seeing are the credit card statements coming in the mail. You may not realize how much you have spent during the holiday season until you see the totals on those pieces of paper. It is such a busy time of the year with all the shopping, running around, holiday parties, and eating out, that we frequently do not keep track of what we’re buying, when we’re buying it, or who we’re buying it for.
Whether it is buying a new outfit for a holiday party, filling up the gas tank more frequently because you are going from this place to that place, or eating out because you run out of time to make meals at home, it all adds up, and it all starts to rear its ugly face in January. You add this overspending to an already long month, and it can feel like the perfect storm – and make our finances feel very overwhelming.
One of the things that we never really stop and think about is the emotional roller coaster ride that finances create. The struggle to get to the next paycheck, the sleepless nights worrying about having enough money to pay the bills. Maybe you are arguing with your spouse because you are telling them no they can’t go do ____________ because you don’t have the money for it, making you feel like the parent in the relationship. Or maybe you are telling them they CAN go do it, even though you DON’T have the money, because they are the ones that earn the money and you feel like they “should” be able to go because they ”deserve” it, which can lead to feelings of _____________.
All these things can take a toll on your emotional, mental, and physical health along with your relationships.
If you are ready to step off the roller coaster ride and want to:
1) get your finances under control;
2) pay off credit card debt;
3) create an emergency fund, and/or;
4) save for a vacation
Then schedule your FREE Discovery Call today to start seeing changes tomorrow.
Together we can get a complete picture of where your money is going, and create a personalized budget that pinpoints the changes you can make to reach your financial goals, while working through any underlying money thoughts or beliefs.
Not quite ready to commit to financial coaching just yet?
Download the Top 5 Things You Can Do To Gain Control of Your Finances PDF to take your first step toward learning how to manage your finances, stop overspending, and have enough money for your bills, shopping, and vacations!