Quick money wins to help you feel more in control of your finances
I cringe when I remember learning to drive. At fifteen-years-old, I was impatient, full of nervous energy, and so short that I could barely reach the steering wheel. (Which is still kind of a problem, but I digress.)
My parents were backseat driving, of course, instructing me on how to drive the rural, dirt road just outside our neighborhood. âLet off the brake,â they said, and the car began to coast, slowly. Cool, I can handle this, I thought. âHit the gas,â they said. Chaos ensued.
I swerved into the other lane, and when I yanked the steering wheel to straighten out, the car jerked in the other direction and I almost hit a fence post. My parents shouted. I screamed. All of us were terrified. I felt completely frazzled and out of control. It was like the car had a mind of its own.
For many of us, managing money feels something like this. We try to make a budget and set some limits for our spending, but our financial situation always seems to have a mind of its own: your bank account overdrafts, you get a pay cut at work, your vet bill is considerably higher than you expected.
But just as when you were learning to drive, developing a sense that you’re in control can make a huge difference. When I finally felt like I was the one controlling the vehicle, driving became second nature.
Research, like this 2014 study, shows that simply feeling powerful inspires people to make better financial decisions. They develop financial confidence. For this reason, Iâm a fan of quick money wins â small achievements that may not make a huge difference on paper, but which do wonders for how you feel about your financial situation. These quick wins wonât make you a millionaire overnight, but they can empower you, and thatâs everything.
Quick wins give you financial confidence, and that helps you make better money decisions in the long run. (As the study put it, âfeeling powerful increases saving.â)
In other words, change your attitude about money and you can change your behavior with it, which can lead to actually being in control of it. Try your hand at a few of my favorite money wins.