The general idea of saving money has always been a classic system. Spending and wanting less, increasing cuts for transactions.
What is the next step when that notion begins to carry a bit more weight? The thought of saving money starts to drain you more than provide peace. It can cause the question to arise: What about my system needs to change?
Frugality Fatigue
In this day and age, incorporating budgeting into your spending is a full-time job within itself. Setting a certain amount fit into different categories, recycling habits that may work better in some times than others, or using different financial assistance methods for practice. The whirl of it all can create a feeling of decision fatigue.
"The more decisions a person makes over the course of a day, the more depleted they become."
Aside from the pressures of the everyday choices in tasks, the approach of financial conversations can cause certain stressors to heighten. This can drive into guilt-driven spending behaviors.
When it comes to this idea, things can fluctuate into unhealthy manners very quickly. Personally, I have come into contact with this in the past and have learned from the experience. When in the process of putting systems in place for these situations, it will take a certain amount of time and understanding of your journey to get in a place of intentional progress. If these habits get to a point of constant exhaustion, it helps to look at the design of your own systems.
A UX Perspective
A large part of the way of life is your financial profile. It plays a role in our user experience in the everyday routine. This can be broken down into a few different principles: Friction, Flow, Feedback.
- Friction: What feels challenging or confusing?
The "Problem Statement" - summarizing what you need from your finances, i.e what needs to be changed or improved - Flow: What feels natural and repeatable?
The "User Journey" - series of experiences we have as goal of improving finances is achieved, occurs through trial and error - Feedback: Is there actual progress or just pressure?
The "Ideation" - reviewing results of what is working for you and what isn't, analyze potential solutions and begin to make choices about best options to pursue
The Financial Journey Map
- A Starting Stance/Pay Day
- Your hard earned funds are available for use, a day that we look forward to with responsibility! - Review Layer/ Responsibilities & Bills
- The bills that have to be paid are part of the first tasks to handle when considering respondibilities. - Savings Account
- Funds that are to be stashed to the side are a contribution to the process of sustaining the friction and building your flow. - Total Overview > Spending Layout
- The part that may be a dread to see, reviewing the total costs that has been spent after expenses can be stressful - having a financial budgeting app can assist with this!
Community as Currency
Something to remember is that you can discuss your financial situation with trusted sources to encourage healthy habits. Whether you have a financial advisor or family member, the practices that you put in daily become socially reinforced as you add them to your routine.
Recently, I joined an online community that explored this idea a bit further. Empower Her Now is a group that encourages financial and mental support with factors of accountability and growth. Adding the addition of individuals who are well versed in this arena can increase consistency and reduce the friction that comes with financial pressures. The right community doesn't just support your growth - it redesigns what feels normal. Everyone has their own financial journeys, discussing the details helps spread knowledge and understanding!
Overall, the idea of organizing your finances can bring a variety of emotions to the forefront. Taking the time to understand the in's and out's of your journey can bring clarity, fulfillment, and a thorough viewpoint of your quality of life overall!
As we continue into the realm of wellness, discussing finances is a part of self-care in this day in age. Stay tuned to receive a bit more information on this matter. Enjoy the spring season -
Happy Easter!