How to Identify & Improve Spending Habits – EP 181

Everything we do, our actions and behaviors (including the way we spend) begins in our mind. Our minds are responsible for so much, including our habits! These subconscious decisions can be the very thing that keeps us from reaching our financial goals; habits aren’t inherently bad, but let’s talk about how we can make our habits work for us instead of against us!

Sponsors: 

  • Our first live training! 3 Secrets to Pay off Debt Faster (Even Over the Holidays!) We will be covering the three lessons it took us years and tens of thousands of dollars of debt paid off to learn. All in hopes of saving you some time and heartache on your debt free journey. And if you’re not paying off debt, maybe you’re saving for something like your emergency fund or a home, these tips will still be relevant for you. So we’re doing that Sunday Oct 17th at 6pm EST And everyone who joins us live will get a free copy of our Debt-Free Christmas Planner! Seats are limited so head to frugalfriendspodcast.com/training to grab your spot. 
  • Your Brain. Have you ever heard that you only use 10% of your brain? That’s a total myth! Your brain wants you to know that according to science you actually use nearly 100% of your brain every day so give your brain a break once in while!

Headlines

What the Internet has to say:

This article from Money Habitudes helps us understand spending habits, how they develop, and ways to shift these spending habits.

What Jen + Jill have to say:

  • Habits are an acquired behavior pattern that’s almost involuntary
    • Habits are not always bad! We just want to use this to our advantage
    • Given a similar set of conditions, you act similarly each time
  • Person-In-Environment (social work concept)
    • Habits are formed in part by the world around us. We are part of a larger context which shapes us and our patterns
  • Why is it hard to break a habit?
    • Habits are ingrained in us AND they do provide some sort of reward
  • How do we implement change?
    • Put spending habits into context

More from the Internet:

This article from James Clear provides us with more of the social science behind habit formation and effective ways of breaking habits and implementing new and positive habits.

More from Jen + Jill:

  • Process of building a habit (cue, craving, response, reward)
    • Cue – mind looking for a reward (internal or external) – when it senses reward is close…
    • Craving – motivation or desire. What you crave is not the habit itself but the change in state it delivers (You are not motivated by brushing your teeth but rather by the feeling of a clean mouth. You do not want to turn on the television, you want to be entertained)
    • Response – actual habit you perform. Response depends on ability, energy it takes, degree of motivation
    • Reward – goal of every habit
  • 4 laws of behavior change
    • Cue – make it obvious
    • Craving – make it attractive
    • Response – make it easy
    • Reward – make it satisfying
    • *Invert them to eliminate a bad habit

BILL OF THE WEEK – 

 Thank you for sharing your bill about moving out of your home and looking for insight on your cleaning bill

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Thanks Ting Mobile for sponsoring this week’s bill! Bring your phone, your number, and get access to the best nationwide cell coverage in America as well as Ting’s award winning customer service if you ever need help. The Flex plan is just $10 per month per line and you only pay $5 per GB of data you use. Or get unlimited data for $45 per month. Head to frugal.ting.com to get a $25 credit when you switch!

Lightning Round 

Habit we’re adding during the 45-day habit challenge 

  • Jill- flossing!!
  • Jen- reading the bible

Wrap-Up:

Thanks so much for listening! Keep leaving us reviews on iTunes or Stitcher, and sending the screenshot to frugalfriendspodcast@gmail.com AND share our most recent episode on social for a chance to win a copy of the Frugal Friends Workbook!

Thanks for listening! See you next week!

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