Wednesday

Welcome to Wednesday! In today’s newsletter:

• Are you revenge spending?

• How to determine if you’re spending for who you are vs. who you want to be

• An essential tip to reduce stress and save more on auto insurance

• Small financial habits that can add up to create big impacts

Are You Revenge Spending?

Keeping a budget, paying off debt, and living paycheck-to-paycheck can all be stressful.

However, if you’ve ever noticed that when you’re strained financially, it makes you want to spend more, you’re not alone.

This concept, called “revenge spending,” happens when you spend more money than you typically would (and maybe can afford) amid financial hardships or strain.

Revenge spending can manifest in many different ways — whether it’s on material items, trips, food, or something else.

And while it may feel freeing to finally spend some money during or after a period of keeping a tight hold on your finances, it can cause even more stress and put you in a worse financial position down the line.

Experts say one good way to avoid revenge spending is to give yourself some freedom in your budget to spend on things you enjoy. Even if it’s a coffee here and there, giving yourself some wiggle room can help avoid that urge to get spend-happy.

How to Know if You’re Spending for Who You Want to Be Instead of Who You Are

Buying something you’re excited about can be a rewarding experience. But have you ever bought something only to realize a few months later you completely forgot about it?

This can happen when we spend for who we want to be instead of who we are at our core.

Social media can make us feel like we constantly need to buy into the latest trends or keep up with the Joneses. However, we may not even truly want some of the things we convince ourselves we need.

Instead, we may be buying that feeling or a promise of a lifestyle that we feel comes from owning certain items. We may make purchases to try and match something that isn’t aligned with who we are.

Trends move faster than we can possibly keep up — with some micro trends lasting weeks or less. By the time we buy into many of these trends, they’ve disappeared into the abyss, and we no longer get the same excitement from them as we did before.

To avoid spending for you want to be, and instead, shop for who you are:

• Make yourself wait: Instead of buying something the second you see it online, make yourself wait — whether it’s a day, a week, or more! This can give you time to think if it’s something you would genuinely appreciate or if it’s maybe a purchase that is more rooted in trying to “keep up” with others.

• Keep a list of things you want to purchase: This will help you remain focused on the things you truly like instead of falling into the trends of keeping up with what everyone else has.

• Consider an item’s practical use in your life: Consider how much you would truly wear an article of clothing or use an item. Is it something you think you’d genuinely love or use?

Reduce Stress and Save More On Insurance

In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sea of insurance options for your car, home, or pets. We get it—finding the right coverage shouldn’t add to your stress; it should feel straightforward and bring you peace of mind.

That’s where Insurify steps in, making the process easier with its user-friendly platform:

• Save up to $852 a year on your car insurance—seriously!

• No need to jump through hoops or fill out endless forms. Insurify, licensed in all 50 states, lets you compare quotes and purchase your policy in one seamless place.

• With exclusive rates and discounts, Insurify’s partnerships with top insurers give you access to personalized, real-time quotes, just like the 10.4 million customers who have already saved.

So, why wait? In just a few clicks, you can save time, money, and gain peace of mind.

Join us at Note To Self in simplifying your insurance shopping experience—click here to easily compare real-time quotes now and find the best deals tailored to your lifestyle!

How Small Financial Habits Can Create a Big Impact on Our Finances

The saying “a little goes a long way” can ring true for our finances.

Small, mindful habits can add up to create an enormous, positive impact on our finances.

For example, say you eat out every day when you go to work. At an average of $11 a day, this would equate to roughly $220+ a month.

However, if you pack your lunch even twice a week, that adds nearly $90 back into your budget that you can add to savings or investments or put toward debt payments.

Some other small shifts that can create a lasting impact include:

• Automating savings

• Keeping a budget

• Making a plan to tackle debt

• Canceling subscriptions you no longer use

• Committing to not impulse spending

• Shopping sales and searching different stores for the best deals

Small shifts like this may seem daunting or annoying at first, but over time, as they become habits, you likely won’t even notice how things were before — you’ll simply enjoy the positive impacts of those changes!

A Note From Us

Parting Thoughts

• ✅ Did You Know: A budget can help reduce spending! When we know where our money is going, it helps us spend more mindfully.

• 🙋🏼‍♀️ Snapshot Of The Day: We'd love to see moments from our readers lives that they are proud of! If you recently accomplished an achievement, experienced a joyful moment, or are proud of a picture you have taken, be sure to capture it on camera and send it to us for a chance to be featured next week! 

• 💭 Final Self-Care Thoughts for Today: Consider if there are any financial habits you can implement to set yourself up for success.

Enjoying Note to Self?

Know of a great self-care tip or article you'd love to share with the community? Want to send us pictures of you completing one of your self-care rituals? Email us at [email protected]!