Transform Your Financial Wellness with Weekly Money Dates 👩❤️💋👩💰
Guest Blog by Money Healing Club Moderator, Melissa Jensen
In the journey to get better with money, I discovered a self-care practice that has significantly changed my relationship with finances: weekly money dates. This simple yet powerful habit involves dedicating a set time each week to engage with your finances, a cornerstone technique promoted by The Money Healing Club in their financial therapy sessions. I have found that the secret to a successful money date habit is to make them frequent, short and pleasant.
I have four simple tips for you:
📅Set the Date & the Vibe
🥰💰Get to Know Your Money
💐Make it Pleasant
Before I joined the Money Healing Club, I would set a monthly budget, put it in my budget app, but then when I started to overspend I would stop checking it and just hope for the best. Spoiler alert: this is not a good way to manage your money! But the stress of overspending made me feel physically ill, so I just ignored that I was doing it.
When I first started doing money dates, it was hard. I would have to take breaks to calm my stress. But it forced me to be honest with myself and see what I was really doing with my money. It wasn’t always pretty or easy. And I still will go into the occasional date knowing I’m not going to like what I see. But since money dates have become a regular practice in my life, I fear my money less. And that lets me be in control.
A great thing about money dates is they’re totally adaptable to your life. Here are some tips, but choose practices that work for you and your money healing journey!
📅Set the Date & the Vibe
Literally, put it on your calendar. Block off the time. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb. This is a date!
The Money Healing Club emphasizes the importance of creating a calm and inviting atmosphere for these dates, suggesting activities like enjoying a special beverage, drawing a doodle, putting on music, or engaging in a calming breathing exercise to reduce the anxiety that often comes with financial management.
I always start my money date with a fun drink (see recipe below), my money journal, and a breathing exercise. For really stressful weeks, sometimes I also use CBD to help keep my anxiety in check throughout the hour.
Find a quiet spot with good vibes. I wouldn’t recommend your work from home office; rather go to the kitchen table, outside on the porch, or in your favorite spot on the couch. You want to feel comfortable and calm.
🥰💰Get to Know Your Money
“The point isn’t to judge my purchases, but to let me see patterns that I can address.”
For me, the top activity is to review my spending. As someone who once struggled with impulse shopping, it can be very easy for me to use online shopping as a coping mechanism. So I go through all my purchases and write down in my money journal how I feel about them. This helps me see that actually, a lot of my purchases are necessary! But I also review the less necessary ones and if they were really worth it, or if I somehow spent $20 on Diet Cokes in a week (been there). The point isn’t to judge my purchases, but to let me see patterns that I can address.
It’s also time to get honest about my budget for the next week. If I went over my planned spending last week, then it’s time to scale it back, nothing major, just be extra mindful.
I also look to see if I have any big purchases coming up that I need to plan for (a friend’s birthday dinner, an upcoming trip, a holiday, a piece of furniture). If I know I’m about to buy all my gardening supplies for the season, then it’s not a good time to try a new eye cream. During the last money date of the month, I also look to see if I have extra money to into move into savings.
Since I’m single, there’s not a lot of conversation on the money date, but I keep a money journal nearby. It’s a small notebook that I got for free at a work conference, and I use it to write about all the big feelings money gives me. Here I might note my feelings towards a specific purchase, set goals, or any breakthroughs I’m having.
If you are having a money date with a partner, it’s important to have open and respectful dialogue. Talking about money is hella uncomfortable and you probably have different values and backgrounds. This needs to be a space where you can both speak honestly and feel free from judgment. And the more you have these conversations, the easier it will get! Don’t try to get everything done in one sitting.
More money date ideas:
Pay upcoming bills
Categorize credit card charges, flag anything that doens’t seem right
Initiate returns
Cancel subscriptions
Follow up on money owed to you
Research best prices and value for home necessities (even looking at consumer product reports has been worth the money for large purchases)
Do taxes
Open a high Yield Savings Account (HYSA) and fund it — $10 counts!
Review or open 401ks, IRAs, and other retirement funds
Review savings goals/progress for large purchases (a house, a car, a trip)
Make donations to important causes
Make plans on how to save an emergency fund amount
Enroll in life insurance
Check your credit scores and credit reports
Create a debt repayment plan
Plan for future expenses for children or other dependents
Change your banking passwords to something reeeeeally long & secure
Discuss/journal money values
💐Make financial self-care pleasant!
“Hot tip: Associating something less pleasant (money) with something really pleasant like this drink can queue your nervous system that this is a safe thing to do. After time, you may find that your flight/fight response around money goes down! 🧘🏽♀️”
It’s important to keep the dates relatively short, even if there’s a lot to do — believe me, a long money date can ruin your day. I aim for 30 mins, but my hard stop is an hour. I also end it on a positive note, usually I write down a win for the week and set an easily achievable goal. This makes sure I stay on the right track and build my confidence. If you were working with a partner, make sure both of you are leaving feeling assured and positive.
Bonus Recipe: 🪻“The Money Date” Homemade Lavender Cold Foam Bevvie
Like I said, I like to start my money dates with a fun drink, something that makes me really happy. Right now, that’s lavender cold foam, it doesn’t take long to whip up, but it adds a delicious touch.
Ingredients:
1 tbsp lavender syrup
2 tbsp milk of choice (I’ve had success with oat and soy)
3 tbsp heavy cream or half and half
Red and blue food dye (optional)
Equipment:
Milk frother or mason jar
Frothing cup (optional)
Directions
Add the syrup, milk, and cream into a frothing cup or mason jar.
If you would like to color it lavender, add 2 drops of blue food coloring and 4 drops of red.
If you have a milk frother, froth the mixture for about 60 seconds.
If you don’t have a milk frother, tightly close the mason jar and shake vigorously until foamy.
Top your drink! My favorites have been lattes, matcha, dirty chai, and black tea.
By integrating these practices into your routine, you’ll embark on a path to financial wellness, guided by the principles of The Money Healing Club. Through financial therapy, understanding how to work with impulse shopping habits, and learning how to get better with money, you gain not just financial stability but also peace of mind and a sense of empowerment.
Ready to transform your financial wellbeing? Join The Money Healing Club today and start your journey to financial healing with our comprehensive support system, including weekly live coaching calls, personalized financial roadmaps, and a community that understands and supports your journey.
