Are you feeling discouraged about your finances? Do you feel like you’ll never get in a better financial place as a family? Does the future seem hopeless because of how difficult things are financially right now?
If that’s how you’re feeling today, I just want to encourage you today with 3 simple things you can do…
1. Remember you’re not alone.
There are millions of other people out there who are struggling financially and find themselves in a difficult place. Even if it feels like you’re the only one in your friend group who is struggling, you are not alone.
I encourage you to find other people you can connect with and identify with. Seek out community locally or find some spaces online — maybe Facebook groups or blogs — where you can connect with other people who are struggling financially.
Doing this will help remind you that you’re not alone, plus you’ll get encouragement and practical tips along the way!
2. Do the best you can do.
It’s so easy to look at someone else and let comparison take root.
I recently shared how we paid cash for our house. It was 15 years in the making of struggling and saving and working hard, but maybe you’ve been struggling for all of those 15 years and still feel just as stuck as ever.
It’s so important to do the best that you can do. Not the best someone else can do. Or the best you could have done 10 years ago. It’s the best you can do right now, in the season of life you’re in.
And then figure out what that looks like for you — this week, today, this hour.
3. Change your perspective.
Instead of thinking about how much you’re struggling, try thinking about what you can do with what you have. Get creative!
I remember when Jesse was in law school, our money was SO tight, and we had no wiggle room in our budget. We had maybe a few extra dollars every few months.
We spent lots of time at the library or park, because it was free. We checked out books and movies. We didn’t even have the money to go to the thrift store, but the library made me feel like I got a chance to shop a little — even though I really wasn’t!
We also worked so hard to stretch our grocery budget as far as we possibly could. Some weeks, we only had $17 to cover groceries for our family. I tried to find anything for free that could help us make a meal.
I turned it into a game and got really, really creative. We found free ways to do things that made us feel like we had breathing room, even when we didn’t.
(I still remember eating PB&J Sandwiches from ingredients we bought at the Dollar Store while we were on our honeymoon! We couldn’t afford to go out to eat, but we still remember our time together and how creative we had to be to make it work — even on our honeymoon!)
I say this to encourage you to find ways to enjoy what you do have during this season!
I can tell you 15 years later that all of the struggle was worth it. And that perspective has given me so much perspective today. I always think, “What can I do where I’m at right now?” I use this perspective to run my business, teach my kids, and live my life.
Changing your perspective can change your entire outlook on life.
Don’t give up. The best is yet to come!
What is your best advice for someone who is discouraged about their finances?
