Crush Holiday Debt With Gratitude

There is a season set aside each year for us to celebrate kindness and to participate in goodwill towards others.  There is even a day dedicated to the celebration of gratitude and remembrance of blessings we’ve enjoyed over the past year.  But often the holiday season is reduced to a time of stress, overspending, and regret.  But we can crush holiday debt this year by focusing on being grateful for what we already have instead of the things we don’t. 

Gratitude can help improve our finances because it takes focus away from things we want to buy.  When we purposefully focus on what we already have, and why we are grateful for it, our desire to buy more things lessens.  According to UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, consistently expressing gratitude changes the molecular structure of the brain and makes us happier.  This positive state of mind acts as an immunization when we are in a department store or online.  It makes us naturally resistant to the temptation of spending.  We don’t need to purchase more things to make us happy, we are already happy! 

We often buy something thinking it will make our lives better.  But too much stuff can make our lives more difficult.  The more we own, the more energy and money we must expend paying for, cleaning, maintaining, and repairing it.  Not to mention the time we spend looking for items in our cluttered homes.  Is your house filled with things you no longer use?  Make this an opportunity to declutter your house. Earn extra cash selling these items online, at a garage sale, or a local flea market.  Use this extra cash to pay down your credit card debt.  When you have more time, space and energy, you will have the freedom to build a life you love. 

Gratitude allows us to emphasize our true priorities.  Too often, the clutter of life robs of us the time to step back and acknowledge what is most important to us and build towards that future.  Once we’ve eliminated unnecessary shopping and decluttered, we are free to focus on our long-term goals.  Being content with what you have frees you to make better financial decisions.   Consistent gratitude helps you put your money to better use because you can see how it will affect the important aspects of your life. Instead of an impulse decision to comfort a short-term need, you’ll be able to understand how a purchase affects you in the long-run.  

We are grateful you trust Apprisen to be your financial partner.  We are committed to helping you crush holiday debt and live your most amazing life.  Explore our Debt Management Program to see how we may assist you in becoming debt free.