All tagged choosing meaning
Mindfully Spent quietly turned 1 year old in September! This belated recap discusses how the year changed the way we live. While we are celebrating some big financial wins, the greatest gains have little to do with money.
During the first six weeks of spending my money more mindfully, I made significant changes that set me up for success. But the power of habit can be harnessed at any time to keep us building a rich and meaningful life.
Just ten months ago, we were 5 digits deep in consumer debt. We had a department store card balance, general credit card debt, and a car loan payment. Now we have none. But we're not done! How our financial goals and our relationship with money are changing.
Each of us comes packaged with highly variable values and priorities. Just like there is no single standard of beauty, there are a multitude of ways to define what it means to live a good life. It's why we all want different things in romantic partners, household budgets, and political candidates. Building a meaningful life (much like setting big financial goals) requires a deeply moving "Why?" Also... a bit about the evils of external validation.
In a throwaway culture, I want to be different. I want to care for my things, deliberately consider my choices, and make do when I can. I want to be the person driving the 10 year-old car.
Money can't fill a hole. Neither can distractions. Building a fulfilling life requires us to tackle the hard stuff and seek out more than the quick thrill of shallow experiences. (Also, some crazy interesting stuff on Signalling Theory and how it impacts our shopping habits!)
So many experts have said, "To have a successful blog, focus first on writing good content." I took this advice to heart, and it lead to some surprising results.
Now that we've made some great changes in our finances, we can no longer take our inspiration from sheer panic. We've turned the ship and righted the sails, and staying motivated to make smart decisions takes something different.
9 completely free tools that can help you spend less, better understand your finances, set meaningful priorities, and put a few bucks in your pocket.
Some wise words snapped me out of a life where I habitually spent my time and money on unnecessary things that didn't bring me joy or support my long-term goals. In this post, it is an honor to share those words with you.
For those struggling to find a “why?” bold enough to motivate a meaningful change in habits, there is plenty of hope!
Guest Contributor Markus Almond (Brooklyn, NY) shakes us awake in the first post of Mindfully Spent's Series "Doing the (Seemingly) Impossible"; reminding us that "Making life count is a choice."
Homemade things imbue our home with meaning and care (and save us some pennies too!). From ornaments, to gifts, to package wrapping, to decor, we have ideas for you!
Allison turned her side-hustle into a full on small business. Alongside her quirky, minimalist jewelry designs, she boasts a values-based business plan that respects the environment and gives back to the community. Read more about her story! #ShopSmall
While Mindfully Spent usually focuses on minimizing purchases, most of us do spend a few dollars here and there for non-essential items, especially during the holidays. When we do, we can choose to support businesses that inspire us and add value to back to the community. This article highlights one business that does just that. #SmallBusinessSaturday
Our first guest contributor discusses how being more mindful of our thoughts can help us break patterns of worry and negativity and cultivate greater wellbeing.
Once we’ve identified what is essential for a fulfilling life, we can choose to use our money as a tool to get us there instead of it being a source of shame.
Understanding your habits can empower you to take action. Learn how to reveal bad spending habits & their sometimes surprising causes. Plus, tools for managing major productivity killers in order to make more time for the things we love.
The way we live should reflect our deepest held beliefs about who we are and what is important to us. Why I recommitted to spending my money and moments on the things that were truly meaningful.
