Disclosure: Thank you Capital One for sponsoring this post! This is a paid endorsement. All opinions are my own and were not directed by Capital One. To learn more about Capital One, visit www.capitalonesharemysave.com.
Can we be honest for a little bit?
I have been on this journey for the past year on learning how to love, care for and pour back into myself. Through a few posts, I have shared with you ways that I’m working on seeing myself in a new light, a better light, and facing habits, practices and fears that I have run from. If you follow me on Facebook, then you would have seen the last FB Live I did talking about National Savings Day with Capital One. Well, this had me thinking a little bit more about another area that I can take better care of myself: my savings.
I am horrible at saving. And let me tell you, this life as an entrepreneur is a fickle one. One day you are flush with the resources you need to live life and then some, and other days you are robbing Peter to pay Paul. Over the years, I have gotten better at it, but there are some seasons that no matter what you do, it is rough. And as I look at ways to relax, process my anxiety and take time for myself, I realize that for my future, I need to do better.
I really want to take a vacation.
BADLY.
It has been 4+ years since I have done so.
However, I have got into this habit of putting every single cent I earn back into the business and not putting anything aside for me, not choosing ME to love on and spoil… I know, it’s bad. In the past, I have found myself quicker to help out others rather than take care of some of MY needs.
BUT! Thanks to my cousin Kris and her incessant ways of building for her and her family, her conversations of living life, her talks of savings, buying a house and life insurance, I realize that there are a few things that I need to do better, to care for me.
I need to learn how to save and do so with a purpose, with intent and with a new mindset.
Learning how to save is just one way to bring me peace of mind with my business and operations. And along the way, learn how to pour into me, just as much as I pour into The Curvy Fashionista… right?
So what steps am I going to take to make this happen? Change does not happen overnight, so this journey, for me, is a process of steps. If I can save every card that I have been given, or save all of the badges from events and conferences I have been to, surely I can tackle these steps into saving money for a better future, right?
Thanks to random conversations with my cousin Kris (seriously, she has been whipping me into shape and giving me inspiration) and the findings from Capital One’s Banking Reimagined Savings Study (revealed on National Savings Day), I think that I have a few ways and tasks that I can implement along the way… Just check out the infographic below to see what I mean!
Now, in baby steps, I hope to create better habits that do not feel like a chore, but with care and understanding… You know, with the reminder that this is for ME.
Three ways I am Working on Taking Better Care of Me:
My goal?
Save up for an amazing vacation.
Away from easy Internet access. Somewhere where the sun kisses my skin. Anywhere where the water is crystal clear and the sand can be felt under my wiggling toes.
For starters, I need to get and create a new savings account AND rename it:
Marie’s Get Your Life Vacation Savings Account
In Capital One’s Banking Reimagined Savings Study, they shared that when you start making personally tied goals, this helps change your mindset around saving — and I am open to giving everything a shot here!
I imagine when I get tempted to use this for something else pressing — to pay a bill or for whatever life calls for — I will be thinking twice about my actions here… right? This is the plan.
One for Me, 10 for Me
To encourage a little bit of self-care along the way, each time that I get paid, I will be allocating 10% automatically transferred to my savings account.
Spoils All Around
Kind of like when you save the change from a bill and place it in a piggy bank, I am going to try to put something aside each time I get my nails done, hair done or get a spa day. Like a double spoil, right? I think this also encourages me to pause, take a break and enjoy life a little bit. I am thinking what I leave for tip, I put away in savings… Fair enough, right?
These are just a few ways that I am going to try to take better care of me and for me to pour just as much into Marie as I do my business and team. I have to say with the help of my cousin and the Banking Reimagined Savings Study results I learned from Capital One, I do not think that I would be as motivated to look at taking care of myself this way…
You can learn more about this study, its findings and other savings tips here.
What are some ways that you are taking better care of yourself? What are a few of your savings tips that you apply to your own life? Let’s discuss this…
I know this is something that we do not always talk about, and I am soooo curious to find out!