5 Crazy Simple Tips to Help You Feel Rich

While spending less

Have you ever found yourself overspending to keep up with everyone around you?

Maybe you like the feeling of buying something just because you can, even when you know you don’t really need it.

I will never tell you to stop spending altogether, instead, you can learn to spend on the things that are most meaningful to you, and enjoy what you have right now, wherever you are.

Here are 5 crazy simple tips to help you feel rich while spending less.

1. Pick 1–3 meaningful “indulge” categories, and limit the rest

You don’t need to indulge in everything.

In fact, you might be surprised to realize that there are probably certain indulgences that are much more meaningful to you than others.

Maybe you’re like me and enjoy spending money on travel, clothes, or courses, while others of you like going to concerts, decorating your home, or ordering takeout at least several times per week.

The thing is, if you spend too much time on social media, it’s easy to believe that you need to indulge in everything.

Instead, really get to know yourself and figure out what categories of spending bring you the most joy and meaning.

Helpful tip:

Look over your bank statements for the past 3–6 months.

Do you see any purchases that were fun at the time but you regret them now?

Now that you know this, you can save your money and avoid those purchases (or limit them) going forward.

2. Increase your grocery budget and reduce takeout

Getting takeout multiple times per week can really add up, especially if you are also using a delivery service.

Instead of overdoing takeout, try adding a little extra money to your grocery budget.

By doing this, you’ll have more freedom in terms of what you can buy.

Plus, you can always use Pinterest to find ideas for many of the same recipes that you are used to ordering from a restaurant.

Cooking yourself is much more affordable and can allow you to indulge in some of the fancy meals that you enjoy, on a budget.

Helpful tip:

Maybe you order takeout out of convenience.

Instead, try creating a simple schedule for grocery shopping and meal prep.

For example, I always go grocery shopping on Thursday. This way I have everything I need to cook my meals for the week on Friday-Sunday. Then, I usually eat the leftovers on Monday-Wednesday which makes things easy during the week.

On Thursday, I pick up takeout as a treat after I do my grocery shopping.

3. Soak up stories of people living amazing lives on a budget

Be careful what content you consume and beware of who you’re comparing yourself to.

Realize that how you feel about your financial situation is completely relative.

If you look for it, you can always find people with more than you and those with less.

The key here is to think about how the influences you consume are making you feel. If watching a 22-year-old that makes millions is inspiring to you that’s amazing.

However, if watching something like that makes you feel completely inadequate, then try changing the content that you consume.

Helpful tip:

Don’t watch YouTubers that are making millions and driving luxury cars. Instead, find people you can truly relate to and that will encourage you.

This might look like reading budgeting blogs or websites like Living Well Spending Less.

Or, if you know your obsession with home decor or shopping isn’t healthy, look up videos of Tiny Houses and see examples of beautiful spaces or wardrobes with minimal items.

4. Create a daily mantra to remind yourself to be content exactly where you are today

At 33 years old, I can look back and say that in my 20s I wish I hadn’t spent so much time unhappy with where I was.

Regardless of where you are in your life, there will always be things going well and others that you wish were different.

Today I have more money than I did a few years ago. However, I also can’t help but feel a greater sense of responsibility. Every decision seems to hold more weight than it might have at 23.

Don’t be the type of person who is always waiting to be content once they make more money, start living abroad, get married, etc.

Creating a mantra of your own or finding one that resonates with you will be a grounding piece of your life.

This can also serve as a reminder to appreciate everything that is currently around you.

Helpful tip:

Creating a mantra that I repeat and write daily has been an irreplaceable part of my morning routine.

If you need some inspiration, Thrive Global has a great article with some examples like,

“Love the life you have.” — Tian Dayton, Ph.D., author and psychologist, New York, NY

“Everything happens right on schedule.” — Lois Melkonian, life coach, Denver, CO

“Happiness is a choice, not a condition. I choose to be happy.” — Raina Casbon-Kelts, chief experience office, New Orleans, LA

5. Get creative and access paid resources for free

You might be surprised to find that there are many paid resources you can legitimately access either for free or at discounted rates.

For example, my local library sends out a monthly newsletter with resources we can access through our library account. Some of these include:

• Language courses
• LinkedIn Learning
• Audiobooks
• Seminars

If you’ve wanted to take courses on LinkedIn learning but didn’t want to pay the monthly fee, see if your local library offers this service.

Also, because of the pandemic, the career website, Career Contessa is now offering all of their current and previous webinars for free here.

Helpful tip:

Sign up for email lists of people you admire.

By doing this, I’ve joined dozens of book launch teams and received free books and sometimes even courses too in exchange for giving feedback.

A few years ago, I was on a newsletter for a woman training to be a life coach. Because she needed a certain number of training hours, I could get free coaching for several months as she went through her certification. Had I not been in her newsletter, I never would have known about this opportunity.

Also, try searching on Reddit. You’ll often find people looking for beta testers for apps or other products.