Great example of a collaborative article, Alex and Teri Leigh! Can't wait to see what's up next.
I always flinch when I read about money. I have struggled with my relationship with money since I was a kid. My dad has always carried a scarcity mindset about money, and I believe I adopted that from him--always wondering if we'd have enough, worrying about how to pay an unexpected expense, pinching every penny and being so frugal that the "cheapest" option was always the "best deal."
I still struggle, because I wonder if I tie monetary value with my self-worth. I think I might. That's why it's hard for me to ask for money or charge or even spend on something that seems to be "extra."
It's hard to know what to do when you are living on one income for seven people. Really hard.
This looks great, Teri Leigh. Very excited for you!
I’m so glad you think so, my friend. I’ll admit, this is my first on my publication AND I had no idea what I was doing 😂
You were a great example to follow 🩵
Money is such a flinchable thing. It is a behavior and set of beliefs that are passed down to us. I still encounter so many interesting beliefs that aren’t mine but are my parents every week! It’s hard to sort out!
I think everyone deals with these issues to some degree. That you are managing one income for 7 people is truly phenomenal. The skills you are building with that will serve you exceptionally well in years to come.
I lived on less than $1000/month for about 5 years. Those years were really really hard. And in hindsight, I learned so much and developed some deep values in those years that I cherish now.
After my parents got divorced, we never had paper towels in the house. Or Kleenex. We used cheap napkins at dinner and a towel for the counter and our noses had to survive being blown in to toilet paper. To this day, when I have house guests (or even my own husband) that, in my estimation, have used too many paper towels or Kleenex, irritation sets in. Do they not understand how lucky they are to have Kleenex?!? It's ridiculous, and I can't stop it. We buy both in bulk at Costco. We can absolutely afford them. But my nervous system knows that having paper towels and Kleenex means safety, and should I ever again run out, it will mean something much greater. Thank you both for telling these stories of money that are not about money but about so much more. I am leaning in hard to what they are telling me about myself.
I was the same way about paper towels and kleenex in my "poor days"...there was a span of 4-5 years where I lived off less than $1000 per month. I lived out of my car. When I did get a place, I never bought any of the things other people would consider "essential" like paper towels. I still prefer to use dish towels, cloth napkins, and handkerchiefs.
My husband loves his paper towels, and we can absolutely afford them. a part of me cringes every time he grabs one to simply dry off his hands.
Imagine simply drying off your hands. No thought given to use of not one but two sections of a paper towel. I never want to be wasteful, but my hang up on paper towels is so much more about scarcity than it is about waste. Thanks for creating the space to ask ourselves these questions. And to talk about paper towels. 🤣
Great example of a collaborative article, Alex and Teri Leigh! Can't wait to see what's up next.
I always flinch when I read about money. I have struggled with my relationship with money since I was a kid. My dad has always carried a scarcity mindset about money, and I believe I adopted that from him--always wondering if we'd have enough, worrying about how to pay an unexpected expense, pinching every penny and being so frugal that the "cheapest" option was always the "best deal."
I still struggle, because I wonder if I tie monetary value with my self-worth. I think I might. That's why it's hard for me to ask for money or charge or even spend on something that seems to be "extra."
It's hard to know what to do when you are living on one income for seven people. Really hard.
This looks great, Teri Leigh. Very excited for you!
I’m so glad you think so, my friend. I’ll admit, this is my first on my publication AND I had no idea what I was doing 😂
You were a great example to follow 🩵
Money is such a flinchable thing. It is a behavior and set of beliefs that are passed down to us. I still encounter so many interesting beliefs that aren’t mine but are my parents every week! It’s hard to sort out!
you bring up two very important points.
• the ancestral influence of money attitudes
• the connection between money and self-worth
I think everyone deals with these issues to some degree. That you are managing one income for 7 people is truly phenomenal. The skills you are building with that will serve you exceptionally well in years to come.
I lived on less than $1000/month for about 5 years. Those years were really really hard. And in hindsight, I learned so much and developed some deep values in those years that I cherish now.
After my parents got divorced, we never had paper towels in the house. Or Kleenex. We used cheap napkins at dinner and a towel for the counter and our noses had to survive being blown in to toilet paper. To this day, when I have house guests (or even my own husband) that, in my estimation, have used too many paper towels or Kleenex, irritation sets in. Do they not understand how lucky they are to have Kleenex?!? It's ridiculous, and I can't stop it. We buy both in bulk at Costco. We can absolutely afford them. But my nervous system knows that having paper towels and Kleenex means safety, and should I ever again run out, it will mean something much greater. Thank you both for telling these stories of money that are not about money but about so much more. I am leaning in hard to what they are telling me about myself.
I was the same way about paper towels and kleenex in my "poor days"...there was a span of 4-5 years where I lived off less than $1000 per month. I lived out of my car. When I did get a place, I never bought any of the things other people would consider "essential" like paper towels. I still prefer to use dish towels, cloth napkins, and handkerchiefs.
My husband loves his paper towels, and we can absolutely afford them. a part of me cringes every time he grabs one to simply dry off his hands.
thanks for sharing your story Jess.
Imagine simply drying off your hands. No thought given to use of not one but two sections of a paper towel. I never want to be wasteful, but my hang up on paper towels is so much more about scarcity than it is about waste. Thanks for creating the space to ask ourselves these questions. And to talk about paper towels. 🤣