Tips for Having a Healthy Relationship with Money

Many of us who have grown up in the western world are taught that in order to get by in this world we must make money. While it is true that money is our medium of exchange, rather than trade and barter as it was in the past, money does not make you who you are.

So, how can you learn to have a healthy relationship with money?

1. Realize that what you make for a living does not define who you are. In other words however much you may make a year for your income whether it is $20,000 or $100,000, if you make $100,000 that does not mean that you are somehow more worthy as person than the individual making $20,000. Money is just a medium of exchange for products and services that's it.

2. Keep track of what you spend money on. Keep a piece of paper or a small spiral notebook with you at all times and when you spend money on something, write both what you bought down as well as what it cost. Then next to that write how you felt about what you spent your money on.

3. Once you have kept track of your spending habits for a month then go back and look at the kinds of things you purchased with your money and how you felt about each one. This is a great way to begin to get a grip on your spending habits and to learn where you can begin saving money. Stop buying things that you feel both ambivalent or bad about, and that you don't really need. We have enough negative issues with regards to money, so if you can get rid of a few of your own negative issues, you are on the way to having a more healthy relationship with your money.

4. Know where all your money is. Sometimes this can be hard if you are married and you and your spouse tend to fight about money. But it is really important whether you are married or in a committed relationship to sit down and have a discussion about where all your money is. Knowing where all your money is reduces stress and worry about your money and where it is and where it is going. This then fosters that healthy relationship with money that you are trying have.

5. Work towards loosening the grip that money has on your self-esteem. Sit down and make a personal inventory of all that is good and wonderful in your life. Things like our spouse, our children and our other loved ones can also be a sign of wealth. You can have all the money in the universe but if you don't have loved ones what good is it?

6. Work towards not feeling guilty when you spend money on yourself. This is another item that has to do with our self-esteem. Many times we don't feel worthy of the money we make and we feel as if we somehow are not deserving of the pleasant things in life that our money allows us to afford. Don't do that to yourself. I'm not suggesting you should go out and spend your entire savings account, but there's nothing wrong with buying a book by your favorite author for example.

7. Pay attention to the exchange between money and services and products. Work on visualizing this exchange and seeing your money turn into whatever it is that you are buying. Teach yourself to enjoy this exchange, because the more you enjoy the exchange, the better your relationship with money will be. If you find yourself unable to enjoy the exchange and it is something that you do not need, then stop buying that item or service and start using your money for things you really savor purchasing.

8. Consider trading services and things with people you know. You'll get a whole new outlook on money if you start trading services and items for other services and items. It can be a real eye opener. The nice thing about trading too is that you can get some very nice things by doing it. My favorite trade is for services. For example, I often give away free books in return for book reviews. Sometimes trading is the best way to go and since it does not involve an exchange of money, trading products and services can actually save you money!

9. When you get paid, pay yourself first. After all, what is the point of earning money if we cannot use any of it on ourselves? If you only feel you are worth it when you spend on bills and groceries and such and that you don't deserve to have money for yourself, then you are probably never going to have a healthy relationship with money.

Learning to have a healthy relationship with money is very important because it also helps you to be more stress free. If you follow these tips you can have this healthy relationship in a matter of weeks!