The easiest way to save money and be happy

Sometimes I feel awkward giving advice on my blog. I completely understand that what works for me may not work for everyone. I usually feel best saying you do you and I’ll do me.

However, I get really frustrated when I talk to people and they seriously can’t figure out why they are spending so much money and they still aren’t happy. That’s why I figured it’s time for me to dole out the advice and blog about my number one money saving secret that has made me a happier person.

Are you ready for this mind-blowing secret?

You better be!

The easiest way to save money and be happy is to spend (way) less than you make. That’s it. So simple. Mind blowing, right?

If you spend less than you make, then you have extra money for savings. I understand that a savings account doesn’t make everyone happy, but I promise that the security that comes with savings will inevitably bring happiness to your life.

The easiest way to save money and be happy is to spend less. Click To Tweet

People are constantly asking me how Tom and I save money. The answer is simple. We don’t buy a lot of stuff.

My friends comment on our neat and orderly house all the time. Our house isn’t neat and orderly because we worked hard to make it that way. It’s orderly because we don’t own much. We’d rather spend money on other things, like food, travel, and savings.

If you’ve been to my house, you know what I mean. We don’t even have anything on the walls in our living room. And we’ve lived here for almost a year.

I understand that it’s tempting to buy stuff to fill up a home. It’s tempting to buy stuff in general.

Here’s a secret: once you get out of the habit of buying things you don’t need, you don’t even miss it.

I promise you that you can train your brain to want less. You really can! A few years ago I went through a phase where I said, “I want” a lot. Tom pointed it out to me. I was constantly saying, “I want a new purse” or “I want to buy some new clothes” or “I want new dishes”. I was always finding something that I wanted.

Then Tom and I made the decision to work hard to pay off his law school debt. My wants quickly changed from things to financial freedom. Financial freedom doesn’t mean having the freedom to buy what you want, it means you have the freedom to spend on things other than bills.

As we saw our debt go down, we found that we were happy in a new way. It brought us a happiness that material possessions can’t buy. Lowering our debt to income ratio also allowed us to buy a nicer home than we would have been able to afford otherwise. Which also made us happier.

Through it all I’ve learned that I really don’t give a shit about material possessions. Now that we don’t own much, I’ve realized that I don’t need much.

I've learned that I don't really give a shit about material possessions. #minimalism #livesimply Click To Tweet

I know we all have it in us to spend less, it’s figuring out how to do it that is hard. That’s why I’ve put together a workbook called 8 Steps to Think Like a Saver. I’d love for you to check it out and let me know what you think.

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I’m going to jump on this newsletter bandwagon and send out helpful tips to save money once a month. I promise not to clog your inbox with useless emails. I do hope that if we aren’t already friends that we can become friends and that together we can find ways to live a fulfilled life while saving money.

How do you feel about financial freedom? I’d love to hear your thoughts on savings and spending!