At a time when there is so much talk of financial crisis, increases in all consumer goods, especially the most basic ones such as food, rising interest rates and consequently mortgage payments, among other things, is it possible to talk about financial happiness?
Being rich is no guarantee of happiness, or as the saying goes, ‘money doesn't bring happiness’ (but it helps, they say), not least because financial happiness is different from financial stability and depends on each individual.
While financial happiness is directly related to our dreams, goals, values, beliefs and priorities, financial balance is a mathematical formula and corresponds to the adjustment between what we receive and what we spend. The balance, positive or negative, defines whether we are financially healthy or more or less ‘unhealthy’.
Theoretically and mathematically, it is possible for any of us to become a millionaire, and it may even seem easy on paper, in an app, or in Excel. However, it takes more than financial calculations to make this happen. To achieve financial balance, you need financial discipline, i.e., planning.
As in other, or all, areas of our lives, the financial choices we make in the present determine our future.
If I want to live a healthy life, I change my diet and think about moving my body and exercising. So if I want to have a healthy financial life, I must think about the best way to look at money and manage it. This way of thinking is not always easy to implement, but it is possible with small adjustments. Sometimes, in the rush of everyday life, we don't even realise where and how we spend our money, and that's where our financial management work begins. Looking at the money we receive and thinking about how we spend it. Difficult?
Perhaps it will be difficult at first and require more thought than usual, but with time it will become a habit, and if we look at the scales and smile when we lose weight, we can also look at our bank account and smile because we have more money available. I always say that more important than saving is knowing how to manage, and for that, more important than what we earn is knowing how we spend it.
Since 2013, I have been working on the topic of Financial Education or Literacy. During these years, I have been working with groups and individuals from different social backgrounds who earn a lot of money, who earn very little, or who rely solely on social benefits (RSI – social integration income).
With everyone, without exception, it is possible to work on money management in such a way that they can achieve greater financial balance or financial happiness. As I mentioned earlier, there are those who are happy with little and those who are unhappy with a lot.
And for those who have come this far, how do you feel when you look at money? Do you have healthy thoughts and smile, or do you feel unhappy? Do you feel that you use money, or that money uses you? If the answer is the former, congratulations, because you are aware of the importance of money and use it in a healthy way. If, on the contrary, you feel sad, it is because you feel used by money.
In this first month of the year, when we take the opportunity to set and define goals, how about thinking of a healthier way to manage your money so that in a few months or years you can be happier and smile when you think about money?
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