Green with Envy? How to Handle Financial Jealousy

Do you ever find yourself scrolling through social media thinking on how on earth does everyone afford to be on vacation all time? And then feel like a loser because your life isn’t as fabulous? Well you’re not alone. Financial envy is real. Here’s 3 ways you cut that negativity out of your life: 1. STOP SCROLLING ​“Keeping up with the Jones’s” has become exacerbated in today’s social media driven society. We all too often seem to forget that someone’s Instagram is a highlight reel of their life. Don’t judge your behind-the-scenes mess to someone else’s highlight reel. I feel it myself when scrolling – how can she afford to go to Tulum AGAIN?! If you find yourself going down this rabbit hole, stop following or hide those accounts. Out of sight, out of mind. And an added bonus…your budget will thank you for it. Charles Schwab conducted its 2019 Modern Wealth Survey & respondents identified social media as the biggest “bad influence” in their spending habits. Cutting out negative thoughts & unnecessary spending, it’s a win-win. 2. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Let whatever you’re feeling fuel you to make the changes you need to move forward, whether it is looking for a better paying job, asking for that raise, or changing your lifestyle so you can save more money. We don’t have endless amounts of dollars each month to spend. So you really need to use the dollars you do have intentionally. I want you to be living your best life today and in 20 years from now. Think about what that looks like for you – heck, make a vision board – then take a look at your spending habits…do they line up? If yes, awesome. If not, think about that vision board when you make spending decisions. 3. GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK One of the most important things you need to remember about personal finance is that its PERSONAL. Your situation is different than your friends and from everyone else on the planet. There will always be people who have more than you and there will always be people with less than you. That’s ok! Your net worth is NOT your self-worth. Take a deep breath – your student loans or credit card debt don’t define you. So don’t let them.