Whether we like it or not, money does give people power. But with power, there is an element of empowerment. There are times when we sincerely wish that we could help out others, but our own financial circumstances keep us from doing so. However, no matter what situation people are in, we all have the ability to change our lifestyle in order to save money and help others.
One of the first steps to changing your lifestyle is to budget. Figure out your fixed expenses, and have set aside that money to pay for those bills. After that, take 10-20% of your income and put it in your savings account. On a spreadsheet, list out different categories that you tend to spend money on. For example, groceries, entertainment, shopping, gas, and dining at restaurants. On a daily basis, enter what you spend into the spreadsheet . You will be able to see what categories you need to spend less money on so that you can save more. Having this visual will allow you to decide what you need to cut back on, such as eating out. Most people tend to spend money on items that they want, rather than what is necessary. You will be surprised about how much you are able to save after you discern between those two!
By cultivating this environment of change, you can be well on your way to having less financial stress. We all wish that we could live the life of a celebrity at one point in our lives, but sometimes, it’s just unrealistic. However, we can begin to acknowledge areas that we need to work on individually, like our mindset and lifestyles.
When adjusting our mindset, we should be motivated to work hard in order to obtain a job that offers our ideal income. We shouldn’t take our education for granted while we’re in college, since we are attaining knowledge in order to achieve the job that many are competing for. Therefore, we should take this opportunity to gain the most insight we can for our future career paths, so we can make enough money to provide a stable lifestyle, as well as helping others in need.