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I love money. I admit it, I do. I love it so much, I pay attention to it all the time.
Of course, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, a long time ago, I paid such little attention to my money that I almost ended up bankrupt and in foreclosure.
That seems like a lifetime ago, but it was only 14 years earlier, not as long as one might think.
That was a life changing moment for me starting down the road towards bankruptcy and forecloser. It was certainly a sobering experience and one I vowed never to be confronted with again.
So this Valentine’s Day, if you’re struggling with debt, I’d like you to make a commitment to fall in love with your money, and here’s why.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Learn To Love Your Money This Valentine’s Day
1. It’s The Smart Thing To Do
This might be obvious, but it bears saying: Don’t be a dummy.
The world is full of dumb people who do nothing to better themselves financially. Don’t be one of them.
Instead, vow to be a smartie pants. Vow to do things differently than the countless others out there who ignore their money and just keep going about their life, scratching their heads wondering how they got into their mess and how they’ll get out of it.
Read: 11 Habits of People Who Are Debt Free
2. You’ll Get Educated
Don’t understand how to balance your checkbook? Find someone who can show you and start doing it. Don’t know how to read your bank statement? Stop by and ask the branch manager to explain the details of your statement. Don’t know how much you should be saving monthly? Send me an email and I’ll help you figure it out.
There’s no shortage of resources out there for people seeking answers to questions. All you have to do is google something, and you can find countless videos, blog posts and articles on any given subject. Use the internet to your advantage and start educating yourself.
The Love Your Money Series is a great place to start. In this series we cover all the bases: saving money, using prepaid cards vs. debit cards, identity theft, the ins and outs of credit, and even things to consider as you get older and are heading into retirement.
I’m listing them here to make it easier for you to read them all and get a good handle on all aspects of your money.
How To Love Your Money Series
How To Love Your Money: Saving Smart
How To Love Your Money: Developing A Spending Plan
How To Love Your Money: Managing Your Debit Card
How To Love Your Money: Using Prepaid Cards
How To Love Your Money: Using Credit Cards
How To Love Your Money: Managing Debt
How To Love Your Money: Protecting Yourself Against Identity Theft
How To Love Your Money: Plan For The Unexpected
3. You’ll Make Better Choices
Once you start getting educated about your money, you’ll naturally start making better decisions.
Of course, this won’t happen overnight, but instead little by little as you grow in your understanding of money you’ll make more informed choices that fit with your overall goals and objectives.
One of the first choices you’ll be confronted with is whether or not to convert to the cash only method.
From my personal experience, I can tell you it will be one of the most eye-opening experiences to revert to a cash only system, and it will have a profound impact on how you use money moving forward.
Read: Why Using Cash Only Is Crucial When Getting Out of Debt
4. You’ll Find Peace
There’s nothing quite like getting out of debt and putting an end to the harassing phone calls, the dread, worry and anxiety that debt creates. The idea that you can pay your bills on time because you understand your finances, have created a spending plan, know what’s coming in and what’s going out is liberating.
Don’t you want that for yourself?
If you do, but you haven’t yet made a move to get out of debt, the only question that remains is why not?
5. You’ll Find New Meaning In Relationships
When you’re in debt or in the process of getting yourself into debt, things seem to take a front seat over relationships. The stuff you want compels you to put aside other things that could bring you far greater joy if you could just open your eyes and realize it.
Once you make the commitment to free yourself from the chains of debt, relationships begin to take on more meaning. You now have the time to cultivate your relationships and to enhance your personal life by spending quality time with people over possessions.
[tweetthis]Your meaningful relationships will always bring you greater joy than anything you can buy. [/tweetthis]
Are there other benefits to learning to love your money? Sure, but these are the most significant and personal changes that will occur when you get your head out of the sand and learn new habits.
People who are serious about getting out of debt eventually realize that in doing so they’ll have to acquire new skills and habits. These tools transform their relationship with money, themselves and even sometimes other people.
The benefits truly outweigh the growing pains of doing so.
So this Valentine’s day, take the plunge and learn to love your money. You won’t regret it.
