How many places have you visited virtually, going broke on emotional currency?
Dubai. Ireland. Phuket. Havana. Scottsdale, AZ.
Timeline destinations can go on and on. We have experienced numerous destinations due to our daily visits on social media. Often, our distant experiences don’t positively motivate us, but rather cause us to mourn over our perceived losses. It seems everyone else is living life to the fullest, and we are missing out.
Social media has an influence on the way we spend money, whether it is from advertisements or those we follow. We compare others photos to their personal finance journey to that of our own.
Here are ways you can stop spending your emotional dollars on what you see on social media:
- Understand ‘What’s Happening‘ With Your Financial Goals
It’s easy to be caught up in the highlight reels others display on social media, rather than create your own goals. When you attempt to compare your life to others, you aren’t measuring anything in particular. You are comparing your desires to others’ doings. Wishes will not help you win. You have to write down your goals, and understand your why.
Your financial journey is your financial journey. The only competition you should be involved in is the one that compares your daily progress to your goals fulfilled.
- Know Your Finances Don’t Need A Filter, But A Fix
Instead of trying to cover-up your finances, it is important to face it in order to fix it. You may try using many filters to avoid facing the reality of your finances, which include:
- Being unfamiliar with your paycheck, and your payout.
- Ignoring your bills.
- Blaming your current income, and not believing in your income potential.
- Using your credit card as a cash reserve.
To face your finances, you have to eliminate each excuse that does not contribute to your progress. It’s not that you don’t have the ability to imagine a new financial state. You just don’t believe it’s possible.
- Record Your Financial Habits, No Livestream
After understanding your why and believing in your ability to conquer your finances, you can start tracking your triggers. What are your spending triggers? Your triggers are those emotional and psychological feelings that cause you to spend money. Triggers may include your desire to:
- Feel important.
- Impress people around you.
- Deal with stress.
- Cover up emotional pain.
- Keep up with social media.
Today, social media plays a critical role in the way you handle your triggers. Social media is a place where everyone posts their best, which can influence the way you handle money at your worst. It is important to take a step back from social media so you can step up your financial habits.
2 thoughts on “Are you spending your emotional currency based on social media?”
I know when I have my head straight, social media inspires me and provides opportunities for learning and financial growth. It’s easy to fall down the rabbit hole, though. One reason why I don’t visit Facebook often is that I don’t want to fall into that trap of comparing my financial successes and failures to others.
I love this post! “Going broke on emotional currency”… Love how you worded this! This post touches on some real issues in today’s world. I love social media to death but I’m so happy I didn’t have to grow up with it… it definitely has a slant and in some cases a false sense of reality. I think the most important thing is to find balance and not get caught up in the hype. “Mind your business” -literally! The mindset should be, “I’m too busy tending to my garden to notice whether or not yours is green.”