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Breaking Through Financial Fog in 5 Steps

To learn more about how saving can help you build stability and confidence, visit Raisin.com. They'll guide you through the various products and help you find the best options!
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Some days, it feels like your money is playing tricks on you. You’ve worked hard, made good choices, and yet your bank account doesn’t reflect the life you thought you’d have by now. The world is shifting at a frenetic pace.  Prices are up, stability feels out of reach, and the financial “rules” keep changing. Meanwhile, social media is busy selling a fantasy: early retirement, second homes, and $500 face creams. This may be someone’s reality, but it doesn’t feel like yours.

Welcome to the era of money dysmorphia.

Here are five practical moves you can take advantage of to help clear the mental fog.

1. Recalibrate Your Reality

Social media can be entertaining, inspiring, and totally overwhelming. If your feed is filled with financial flexes and lifestyle content that leaves you feeling inadequate, it might be time for a cleanup. Most people don’t live the life they’re portraying online – not even influencers. Don’t compare your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel. Unfollow, mute, or limit your scroll time. 

2. Talk to Someone You Trust

Financial planning with Raisin

Money can be a hard thing to talk about. For many of us, it feels taboo or even shameful. But keeping silent often makes things feel worse. A real conversation with a friend or family member might be the first step toward feeling less alone and more in control. You might find they’ve been struggling with the same issues. 

3. Know Your Numbers

This step might be the most anxiety-producing, but it’s like ripping off a band-aid.  Sitting down to do it will be faster and probably less painful than you imagine.  Look at your actual numbers–how much are you earning, what are your necessary expenses, and what expenses can you trim without giving up all joy?  Does your negative perception of your finances come from reality or from measuring yourself against an unattainable standard?

4. Make a Plan (And Loop in a Friend)

Once you have a good idea about how much money you have coming in and your necessary expenses, now would be a good time to set a budget.  And not just any budget.  This year’s “loud budgeting” trend is a perfect example of how to do right by yourself and clear the financial fog.  Don’t be afraid to be honest with your loved ones about how certain plans may or may not fit your budget.  Are you looking forward to a night out with your friends, but the suggested location has a cover charge and mediocre $20 cocktails? Be honest with your friends and suggest an alternative that’s a little easier on your collective wallets.

5. Start Saving, Even a Little

While you can’t fix inflation or the cost of living crisis, there are some steps you can take to improve your financial situation.  Making a budget and sticking to it are powerful tools to get you on a path to financial health, even in the current economy.  And you can set yourself up for further success by saving for your future.  Even if you can only put away 10 or 20 dollars a week, building up a nest egg in a high-interest account like a CD or high-yield savings account will help you be prepared and resilient in an emergency.

To learn more about how saving can help you build stability and confidence, visit www.raisin.com

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