Thinking Of Financial Wellness As Self Care

What comes to mind when you hear the words self-care? Probably not money management. We think this may be an oversight. After all, your money is deeply personal and can be a source of tremendous stress so keeping your finances in order will be good for all areas of your life!

So, we want to help you reframe your way of thinking about money to help you change the way you manage it.

Let’s start by asking some questions.

1. How often do you feel stressed about money?
2. Why is money stressful? Do you have enough to pay your bills? Do you have a lot of debt? Do you frequently pay bills late?
3. What do you wish were different about your relationship with money?

If you are feeling stressed about money or wish that you handled it differently, finding a fresh perspective is exactly what you need. Financial wellness is a type of self-care just as important as physical or emotional wellness. Here are some things to strive toward while on that path to financial wellness:

Know Your Money Intentions – What are your priorities where money is concerned? Make a list of those priorities and post it where you can see it. That constant reminder is vital to staying on track. Look for spending trends. Are you shopping a lot or blowing money on things you don’t use? Do your spending habits align with your intentions? Journal about your intentions and goals to help you feel more comfortable.

Know Your Bills Are Paid – Setting up Online Bill Pay is the perfect way to insure your regular bills are paid on time each month. The peace of mind that comes with not having to pay late fees is priceless.

Know Your Savings Will Be There When You Need It – Set up an extra savings account for your emergency fund or for those priorities we talked about above like travel funds or saving for the house of your dreams. Then set up regular auto transfers from your checking to your savings so that nothing is left to chance.

Know How Much Money You Really Have – If you always know how much money you really have, you’ll be less at risk of overspending so we have some tools to help with this. With Online Banking and VCNB Mobile, you can check your balance, confirm deposits and transfer funds at any hour of the day or night. Direct deposit means your payroll will be automatically deposited so you can easily see and access your funds. Another big piece of the puzzle is having a budget that helps you understand where your money has to go and what’s leftover for other things. Click here for help with that. 

Know Your Bank Will Be There – Having a relationship with your community banker will give you more peace of mind than you realize. Even if you don’t need something right now, stop by your local branch to meet our bankers and let them get to know you a bit. That way, you’ll know who to talk to if you have a question, need help with a loan or would like some help opening a new account.

Know Your Boundaries – You set your own boundaries when it comes to your life and how you spend your money. Those intentions you are mulling over and journaling about will inform how you do this. Say no to expenses you don’t want and to activities you don’t enjoy. Say yes to treating yourself once in a while and say yes to prioritizing the things that matter to you!

Know How To Get A Little Extra – Savvy VCNB customers know how to stretch their resources and get a little extra just for spending their own money. These customers use their Rewards Checking account and their Visa® Platinum Card to earn uChoose® Rewards Points that can be used for extras like gift cards, cash back, travel and more! Save up those rewards for a trip, for a small treat or to pad your emergency savings.

Whatever you do, remember that financial wellness will go a long way toward your all-around wellness and that keeping your money in order is one of the best kinds of self-care.