Reinforcing new behaviors around money is an excellent action to practice. Whether it is posting your bank statement to the refrigerator, writing on the mirror how good of a money manager you are or silently noticing the “In God We Trust” on the backside of a dollar bill every time money exchanges hands, small actions lead to bigger dividends.

Let’s say you want to spend less so you can start a child’s education fund, a vacation reserve or a retirement account for you and your spouse.  It pays to start somewhere, the important thing to do is to start.  No matter how small!

The following actions will serve to reinforce your newly developed self-loving goal.

• Putting on paper what you earn and where you plan to spend it helps to get clear about the reality of what is and distance yourself from possible fears and projections. Believe it or not, reality can be dealt with effectively. Drama, fears, frets and worries are never completed resolved because they only exist in our minds.
• Use the envelope system at first, if you have trouble spending unconsciously.  When that category is empty for the month, quietly reinforce the things that you do have, what you are grateful for, and that you are certainly doing the best you can do.
• When wanting to spend money that isn’t there, take a deep breath, and consider calling someone to talk you down, examining the feelings behind the compulsion to spend in order to feel better.  It also is beneficial to again reinforce that you can have it, just not right now.  Once you keep a wish list and check off what you receive, you can always refer to it when you need to know that if you wait, you will get it and getting it will be without the accompanying drama, anxiety or high.

Once you see and experience the savings account that is growing, even in small increments, you are on your way to feeling better and financially reinforcing growth in the areas that can give you personal freedom.

Lucinda Lintz has spent immeasurable time and energy learning, growing and teaching others about how to make it last, make it count and keep it coming in!  She operates Abundance in Business and is a Business manager, bookkeeper and accountant for individuals, small businesses and the media.

She can be reached at 602/997-7970 or lucindalintz@abundanceinbusiness.com