Women. Money. Misery. There is another way.

When an article “Why young women are miserable” popped into my inbox, I had to flag for a concentrated read later. I was surprised to find the article actually address an issue friends and I are facing right now, money! This topic immediately ties to our well~being and happiness. Especially when your are referring to money for increasing cost of living and stagnant incomes that haven't moved much since the recession.  

The article talked about stress as it relates to finance and offered the following tips on being less stressed about your finances. Here are 5 amazing tips you should not only read, but share with everyone. Especially other women and young adults.

1. Set at budget and stick to it! It is the fundamental basic of money. If setting a bi-weekly or month budget is something you find hard to stick with, try setting a daily spending limit. It’s much easier to pass up a latte today vs over spending a line item in the budget like groceries or spa trip.
2. Treat yourself, within your means! Key here is your means. Treating yourself is great, but if you’re earning $50,000 a year, treating yourself isn’t a shopping spree at Nordstrom, but more like a movie and cheap dinner out with friends. Shopping at Nordstrom isn’t bad, but those are things we have to save and plan for.
3. Talk to someone. Ahhh, attend a Women’s Well~Being Circle event and share concerns, best practices, and tips with other like-minded women who inspire and support one another without judgement. It’s a save space to realize you are not alone.
4. Look at the big picture. It’s true what they stay, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” You can’t make every event, party, and concert in town. But you can save to have that once in a lifetime experience after you have saved some money and planned for an expense like a weeklong vacation.
5. Seek financial advice from a planner or counselor. If you have tried everything and your money matters are more than you can handle, seek professional help from a trained financial planner or counselor.

Money can’t buy you happiness, but control of your money can. Robert Cummins, Professor Emertius at Deakin University says a sense of purpose, a strong personal relationship and a sense of financial control can help you find happiness. Hiss research found that low income earners who rated themselves at least an 8 out of 10 for being in control of their money were far happier than those who earned substantially more but rated themselves less in control of their money.

Take control of your money and cheer up! You’re not alone, and there are lots of help and strategies for a financial well~being. I personally have cut cell phone usage which afford me a week at a beach front condo each summer, and recently have cut cable. I instead opted for Roku and borrow free DVDs from my local library. Yes, they even have new releases and you can often place holds on materials for a quick pick up.

You can learn other tricks of the trade by sharing, talking to others, and accepting that you are not alone and you can be empowered by money.

To read the full article, “Why young women are miserable,” click here.