Right now we’re in … week 3? 4? 1 million? of staying at home to hopefully flatten the coronavirus (COVID-19) curve and naturally my brain is on budgeting and finances. Whether you’ve lost your job or are just being intentionally frugal in the face of the unknown (and the general state of the economy, yikes!), you’re likely thinking about money too.
Despite knowing I should save money, I often find myself wanting to spend more or thinking more anxiously about money now than ever before. There’s this interesting thing that happens to humans: when we’re stressed or already facing scarcity, we do the opposite of what we probably “should do.” We spend or consume more than we might in normal times. NPR’s Hidden Brain did a whole podcast about it. You can listen to it here.
So how do you balance the desire to spend all the money right now, when saving might be the best course of action? Obviously not being able to shop helps immensely with actual spending. But obsessing about whether or not you have “enough” can happen even if you’re not out shopping.
Here are a few things that have helped me in recent weeks, and might help you too:
Practice gratitude. Every morning I write in a prayer journal that has a space for recording the things I’m grateful for. By focusing on my comfortable home, stocked fridge, and all that we do have, I’m less likely to obsess about a future lack of resources that hasn’t actually happened.
Donate to a cause you care about. Yesterday, I was feeling especially down, so I made some online donations to our local homeless shelter and food pantry, as well as our church and local Habitat for Humanity. Giving money away does a few things: It reminds me that I have enough, and that hoarding money or supplies isn’t in anyone’s best interest. It helps me remember that while I may feel vulnerable right now, there are people who are facing much more desperate situations than I am. It takes my mind off of my own situation by allowing me to take action now to improve the lives of others. (Note: I feel more comfortable supporting our local Salvation Army as it’s been found to be welcoming of “everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.” Source.)
Spend time in nature. Not only is spending time outside likely to correspond to being more active, which improves one’s mood, but whenever I’m outside, I’m also reminded of Matthew 6: 26-30:
26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you-you of little faith?
Matthew 6: 26-30
When I’m in nature, I also feel more connected to the generations that came before us. To those without electricity or internet or so many other modern conveniences. If they survived the Great Depression, worked the land for the food, or made a life without the things we now take for granted, we can make it through this difficult time. Granted, I’d prefer to live now, but it’s another way to count my daily blessings!
Set a date for your next shopping trip. I start to feel anxious whenever we’re running low on groceries. (I swear my children are like locusts! Graydon informed me yesterday he’d eaten three cheese sticks in one sitting, and we’re going through cereal like crazy!) I worry: What will we eat for dinner? Will we have enough? Instead of panicking, I simply circle a date on the calendar for my next shopping trip, rely on what food we do have, and trust that we’ll have enough to see us through until we can shop again. Bonus points: This date strategy helps in times when we can shop freely, by spreading out the times we spend money.
Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. I’m finding so many ways to be creative with the resources we do have right now. It’s been fun to challenge myself to create new-to-me meals with pantry staples or use up old craft supplies with the kids. By telling myself we’re not going to buy X,Y,Z right now, I’m instead forced to use up what we have. This experience has also helped me realize what items we almost never use and probably don’t need to stock up on in the future.
Accept help from others: A friend of a friend recently offered me an old dresser. I picked it up from her curb and will be able to repair and paint it for use in Margaret’s room. I also picked up an old buffet off the trash (I bleached it well and left it outside in my garage where I’m working on it). Both projects are providing me a welcome distraction from financial worries and are allowing me to use up paint and other supplies I already own.
Remember we’re all in this together. Regardless of your current financial position, we’re all feeling some stress and anxiety right now in the face of these unprecedented times. Reminding myself that we’re all in this together helps me feel connected to all of humanity, and a little less alone.
I hope you are all hanging in there. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have questions, would like me to pray for you, or just need extra support right now. Hugs.