Introduction

You’re minding your own business walking along, or scrolling online, not bothering anyone. Until something catches your eye, interrupting your stride. You stop and gaze at the perfect jacket, the sexiest watch, foundation blending right into the model’s perfect little pores… Your interest is piqued.

But you move on, after all, you don’t need it. But suddenly, it’s following you everywhere: every website, every ad, every store. It shows up to interrupt you when you least expect it. 

And now the jackets in your closet look a little bland. Your old watch lost its luster. Your foundation feels like it doesn’t blend quite right. And that shiny new product continues to follow you until it’s etched in the corners of your mind.

They’ve even sweetened the deal: Free shipping! 50% Off!  I mean, look at how many people love it! Hundreds of reviews, and thousands of comments! Person after person, holding it up and smiling like they won the lottery!  And Limited Time Only!? You’ll never see this offer again...

So you buy it! And you love it… for a week. And it's not like you hate it now or anything. You just.. don't think about it. Something that was new and special now blends in the background. The thing that “changed your life” just takes up space.

Ooh, wait! There’s a better jacket! An even sexier watch! A foundation that literally looks like skin!

...the cycle happens all over again.

You can’t hate companies for being good at their job, but something has to change! Are you ready to make your brain bulletproof? And stop overspending on things you don’t need? 

There is a method to help you; you don’t have to rely on willpower alone. TBC is here to help.

So what can Queen B’s 2023 Tour teach you about money management?🤔🤔

Let me tell you a quick story. As you’ve probably heard, Beyoncé is going on tour for the first time in years! Many people are so excited! After all, she rarely goes on tour, it’s like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Who knows when she’ll go on tour again?

But… ticket prices are pretty expensive, you-can-buy-a-new-car-with-that-money expensive. Fans everywhere are venting their frustrations for not being able to afford to see their icon grace the stage.

Enter: Keisha & Jerome, a happily engaged couple. When Keisha heard the news, her heart must’ve burst with excitement! 

Keisha is such a big fan and is dying to go to the concert. Forget Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, or even their anniversary. The one thing she wants this year is to see Queen B live! I’m sure many would agree.

So she texts her fiancé, asking him to buy her the tickets. Jerome politely and lovingly says no, reminding her that they’re saving for their dream home. They’ve been saving for a while, especially Jerome. 

I could imagine him working overtime, canceling on friends, and saying no to the sexy watch in the window every time he walks by. He did it to save for a home, the home, the dream home.

But Keisha still really wants to go to the concert. I mean they can always buy the house later. Beyoncé is here NOW, and who knows when she’ll be back to perform. Keisha has made up her mind, she is going to that concert. So she asks Jerome for the money that she put towards the house back.

Jerome is shocked, he couldn’t believe what she was saying. This is their dream home! They’ve been saving for months. Words are exchanged back and forth, and the argument ends with Jerome breaking off the engagement! Click here to learn more about it.

Now, who’s in the wrong?

Honestly? Nobody.

You may think that Jerome & Keisha broke off their engagement over Beyoncé tickets. And you might say “that’s silly to break up over”. But, it’s much deeper; they broke up because they don’t share similar values.

Okayyy… So what?😒

The lesson we can learn from this is how important it is to be clear on our values. Having financial goals is great, but ask yourself, why do you want more money in the first place? Money itself isn’t the goal. 

Are there things you want to buy? Why do you want to buy them? Are there things you want to experience? Why do you want to experience them? Why do these things matter to you in the first place? 

What value have you attached to them?

We live in a culture of consumption. Everything from media to advertising encourages us to consume more and more. Our social media encourages us to show off the new stuff we buy, and the new things we experience. Everything from huge parties, vacations, gifts, wedding rings & new houses.

Once upon a time, self-care just meant taking quality time to cater to your needs. Now it’s an entire industry. When we say, “Treat yourself” we’re usually encouraging each other to buy that thing we’re not sure we really want or need. 

If we’re not careful, we end up spending the bulk of our money on things that don’t have long-lasting value.

And the more we’re encouraged to consume, the more we feel that we lack. We buy and buy and buy and we’re still left feeling like we don’t have enough. And in today’s society, we’re taught that we are what we have. If you don’t have enough, then you as a human being are not enough. But you don’t have to fall into that trap.

Taking the time to understand what you value most, gives you a guide to reference whenever you make financial choices. Before you buy something, you can ask yourself, is this in alignment with what I truly care about? Will this help me do the things that are important to me?

We have 19 Journal Prompts to help you establish your values and take a deep look at your spending habits.

19 Journal Prompts to Change your Money Mindset 💸💸

~ Your Values ~

• What are the 3 things you care about most in the whole world?
• What are the 3 things you spend most of your money on?
• What are the 3 things you spend most of your time on?
• What are the 3 things you spend most of your energy on?
• What are the 3 things you give your undivided attention to?
• Take a minute to compare the things you care about with the list of things you give your money, time, energy & attention to. What patterns do you notice? 
• Do you feel like you are investing in the things you care most about? If not, how can you start changing that?

~ How you consume ~

Write down a list of the last 3 expensive products you purchased. These are items that you wanted but didn’t need. For each product, journal about the following prompts…

• On a scale of 1-10, how happy were you when you bought it? Why?
• On a scale of 1-10, (1 being never & 10 being all the time) how often have you used the product since?
• On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you about having the product right now? Why?
• How does this product help you in the present?
• How will this product help you in the future?
• When you think about the money you spent on this product, how does it make you feel?

~ Changing your mindset~

• On a scale of 1-10, how often are you making purchases that you regret later?
• On a scale of 1-10, how often are you buying products you don’t use?
• What was the last purchase you made that felt like a really good investment? Why was it a great investment?
• What are some value-based purchases you should make in the future?
• What are some non-value-based purchases you should avoid making in the future?
• What are some quick mental questions you can ask yourself before you buy something from now on?

 

If you liked our article then you will love our Money Mindset Journal. With this free guide, you can answer all the important questions to explore your relationship with money in one organized space. Then you can set goals and change your mindset to have a healthier relationship with money.

In the Money Mindset guide, you’ll explore
- your money values
- how you consume
- ways to change your money mindset
- actions to make money moves

Click here to claim yours now! For Free!

 

Conclusion

It’s easy to get caught up in budgeting, saving, investing, and stocks on your financial journey. But it’s important to be grounded in the goal here. Money is not the goal, it’s not the achievement, it’s not the prize. It is a resource you can use to live a more value-enriching life. 

Value is the real prize here.

To change the way you manage your money, you have to change your mindset. Establish your values and align your money moves with the things that matter most to you, whatever they are. From now on, if a product or service isn’t aligned with your values, don’t buy it. You don’t need it; and if it doesn’t match your values, you don’t really want it as much as you think you do.

And remember, it’s hard to make money moves with people who don’t share your values. You are far more likely to succeed in a community that cares about the same things you do. Start finding people who share those values & find ways to cultivate that community.