Blog Category: budgeting

Is your mindset getting in the way of taking care of your own health?

How do you think of things that you know you need for your health even if you can't afford them right now?
No really! I want you to think about this!

Do you hear about something you really want to try for your health but you also know you don't have the money and so you say either out loud or in your head, "I don't have the money for that" or "I can't do that"?

Or do you say, "I don't have the money for that YET" or "I can't do that YET?" 

Do you hear the difference? 

There are many many times when I have known that we needed to invest in something expensive for our health but we simply didn't have the money. Whether it was chiropractic care or a whole house water filter, or buying organic or purchasing quality supplements or getting essential oils! We used to not have the money to even buy organic vegetables. I had to start teaching piano lessons in order to purchase quality essential oils and the non-toxic products I wanted for my family. So I understand being in that place.

Here's what you need to understand though.

When you say, "I can't afford that", you are telling your brain to shut off any creative ideas or opportunities that would allow you to actually invest in that product or therapy for your health! STOP DOING THIS! 

When you instead say in your head, "I can't do this yet but I'm going to figure out how to make it happen at some point," you turn on your brain to start looking for creative solutions to your financial problems and you WILL find the opportunity you need in order to invest in that program, supplements, or therapy you need for your health.

I actually write down everything I want to eventually have the money for. And I write down how much it's going to cost. If I don't know the cost, I will call them up and I will ask them what their prices are. When I do write down the things I want to invest in for our health, my brain starts looking for ways to get that money and make it happen.

I write down other big wishlist/needs too. I make a list with all the things. Even if some of them feel really impossible or unrealistic. And I prioritize which things are the most important even if they are more expensive than something else.

So for example, this is what my list from a couple years ago looked like...
Kettlebells - $45 
Phillip's cavities filled - $900
Phillip's tongue revision - $1200
Scarlett's tongue revision -  $600
Aurora's lip tie revision - $600
PT for Diastasis Recti - $100 an appointment
Whole house water filter - (didn't know what brand or price point)
Digital Piano - $5000

Now that you've written them down, your brain can start thinking of opportunities.
 

Sometimes, the money will come from selling stuff on Facebook marketplace. 

Sometimes, the money will come from picking up an extra shift or doing an odd job here and there.

Sometimes, the money will come from a side hustle. 

Sometimes, the money will come from a gift from someone. 

Sometimes, the money will come from a change in job position. 

Sometimes, the money will come from an unexpected bonus. 

Sometimes, you get an opportunity to save money and you just have to leap in even if you don't know where the money is coming from. Yes, sometimes this has been how it is. I don't recommend doing it all the time but there have been times when that was what we needed to do.

The crazy thing is that when you leap in feet first, you are even more motivated to find that money and pay that purchase off your credit card and you will figure out how to do that! 

It's kind of like a druggie...they are always strapped for cash right? But they will do whatever it takes to get their next fix paid for. And I'm not recommending you do anything illegal to get the money or that you should be trying to get a drug fix...but what I am saying is: where there is a will, there is a way.

If you really really want something for your health, you are going to figure out how to get it. Nothing will hold you back. Stop telling yourself you can't afford it and instead start telling yourself that you will purchase that thing at some point and then figure out what you need to do to make it happen. 

You will NEVER regret investing in your health. EVER. 

That old adage "opposites attract" never proved more true then when you find yourself married to a spender when you are a saver or vice versa. If you have had a marriage anything like ours, the biggest argument and relationship struggle is  usually over money...what to do with it...where to spend it. 

When I first got married, I had no debt and I followed Dave Ramsey's advice of putting cash into envelopes to budget. But my husband was opposed to carrying around cash and didn't like that idea at all. For a very long time, he dug in his heels about doing any budgeting at all!  But finally, I convinced him it was important and so we sat down and we laid out our budget. We figured out exactly how each paycheck could fit into our different budget categories...