High interest rates on your credit cards and the cost of living are just some of the money problems that might be keeping you up at night. You might be so focused on these, or similar problems that you forget how far you’ve come. It’s at times like these, that you need to celebrate the small wins!

As I was out for my morning walk the other day, I was stressing about some money issues. But when I took a deep breath & realised how far we have come in the last few years, I knew that I needed to stop and celebrate all the things that we have achieved.

We all have money goals that we hope to reach along the way, but it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by the current financial doom and gloom and forget what we have achieved. 

By remembering how far we’ve come, can both motivate and encourage us to keep going. 

Small wins could be anything from talking to your spouse about money, creating a budget and sticking to it, to reducing your fuel or grocery bill. 

By celebrating these small wins, you build a positive relationship with money. You may feel that you don’t have enough money and you’ll never have enough, but by working on small steps towards your bigger, ultimate goal, you’ll be changing your money mindset along the way.

Here are a few things that you can celebrate whilst on your way to achieve your bigger goals. 

Create a budget: 

You may be nervous about creating a budget and that’s understandable. The word budget has many negative connotations. However, by taking time to sit down and create a budget, you get a good understanding of your income and outgoings. You can clearly see where your money is going and after a few tweeks, you can tell your money where to go rather than wondering where it went!

For more information on budgeting, read Why Budgeting Is Essential.

You may also be interested in my super, simple FREE Happy Couple’s Budgeting Tool, I created it for people who are just starting out on their budgeting journey. 

If you’d like 1:1 support to create a budget, you can check out my Create A Budget That Works For You In Less Than 60 Minutes , it’s a great option if you feel totally overwhelmed when it comes to budgeting. 

As you budget, you could see how you want to improve your personal finances, for example, getting out of debt, saving an emergency fund. By establishing SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) financial goals, you will have something to work towards and will feel so good when you have achieved them! 

Moreover, by establishing SMART financial goals, we set ourselves on a path towards tangible progress. Whether it’s climbing out of debt or bolstering our emergency fund, each milestone brings us closer to financial freedom and that’s something to celebrate! 

Establish Financial Literacy: 

In our journey towards financial empowerment, knowledge is our greatest ally. Fortunately, a wealth of resources exists to help us navigate the intricacies of personal finance. From insightful books to informative podcasts, there’s no shortage of wisdom waiting to be unearthed.

Podcasts like Money Box from BBC Radio 4 and The Martin Lewis Podcast offer invaluable insights into consumer rights and financial best practices. By immersing ourselves in these educational resources, we empower ourselves to make informed decisions and move towards financial stability.

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Be thankful:

When you stop and think about it, there are so many things to be thankful for. I have created a Gratitude Journal that will help you to journal what you are thankful for. You can find it in my Etsy Store. Once you focus on being thankful, your mind can have something positive to focus on. 

By applying the above to your life, you can feel more in control of your finances and achieve great things! 

Other small wins to celebrate can include: 

Resisting Impulse Spending:

We can buy almost anything at the click of a few buttons on our laptop or on our phone or even on our watch! By staying away from those shopping apps, or the shopping mall and resisting the temptation to spend, is something to be celebrated! When you resist the urge to spend, you save money! This money could go towards eliminating your debt or putting it in your emergency fund. To find out more about impulse buying, read What Are Your Spending Triggers?

Start an emergency fund: 

Many people don’t have an emergency fund or a rainy day fund. When Murphy comes knocking at your door, they have to take out a loan or pay for the car repairs using the credit card.

If you had an emergency fund, you wouldn’t need to resort to debt. Read about The Importance of an Emergency Fund.

The recommended amount is 3 – 6 months of monthly expenses, which may seem a huge goal to work towards. However, if you don’t start you’ll never get there! So make a start and celebrate that you’re on your way!

  

Meal plan! 

Before you go grocery shopping, create a meal plan for the week ahead.

Check what’s in your kitchen cupboard and make a list of what you need. When you go shopping, try your hardest to stick to the list or get your shopping delivered. I personally love getting our groceries delivered. I know that I have ordered what I need and I won’t be putting anything extra treats in the shopping trolley! 

Celebrate that you can stick to your grocery budget, celebrate that you stuck to the list and didn’t put in any additional items in your shopping trolley!

Saving for Something BIG! 

A few years ago, we decided to save for the holiday of a lifetime – a three week trip to Florida, which included ten days at Disney World. We saved for four years and it was a huge family goal that we worked towards together. At times, it seemed unachievable, but we kept each other accountable and celebrated every time we saved £1000! The holiday was amazing and we made so many wonderful memories. It also taught our teenager daughter the importance of delayed gratification, which can’t be a bad thing! 

Find another income stream

I get it, this one is not always easy. 

But, if you can find another income stream: dog walking or babysitting or something else entirely, another income stream is a great win! 

Case Study

It was only a few years ago that my husband and I started talking about money.

He had his bank account and credit cards and I had mine. Neither of us really new what the other had – or didn’t have.

Thankfully, that’s all changed now. We talk about money without shouting. We budget together and we work as a team to crush our money goals together. I’m not saying that we’re where we want to be in terms of our personal finances. But at least now we’re heading in the right direction.

Take a breath

And it’s at times that I need pause, take a deep breath and remember that. Sometimes, I get frustrated that we’re not able to achieve our goals quicker. But every month, when we sit down to budget, I am able to look at the figures. I can see that progress is being made. It’s not a quick as I’d like, but progress is being made. And that’s what I have to hold onto and celebrate.

In summary, many of us won’t achieve your big money goals overnight and that’s okay. What we need to remember is that as long as we are on our way, that’s the most important thing. 

While we’re on our way to achieving our money goals, we need to remember to celebrate those small wins. Here are three reasons why: it’s motivating, it improves your well being and it also encourages you to keep going! 

So, be sure to set time aside to reflect, acknowledge, and celebrate what you have achieved. Celebrate those small wins and keep your eyes on your big money goal! You’ve got this!

If you are looking to improve your finances send me an email at hello@moneyandmarriage.net to book a free Q&A call and learn about the advantages of having a finance coach on your team.