Have you ever looked honestly at your money affairs? How did that feel? With a good money mindset you can become richer in all areas of your life.
What is a money mindset? Scarcity vs. abundance
Your money mindset consists of the conscious unconscious beliefs you have about money, according to American entrepreneur and author Marie Forleo. Broadly speaking, there are two ways of looking at money, namely from scarcity or from abundance. The so-called scarcity mindset assumes that you are not good with money, that someone else is always better off, that you have no influence on your situation and that you always have to fight to achieve what you want. The abundance mindset instead focuses on self-confidence, being open to opportunities, wanting to learn about money and the belief that you are always enough. Your mindset determines how you deal with money; how you earn, save, spend and share. “Money can be a source of stress, anxiety and impediment, as well as a wonderful tool for solving problems, living generously and changing the world,” says Forleo on MarieForleo.com.
Let money work for you
Working is by far not the only way to earn money. In fact, your income can make a huge growth spurt by always taking small steps with guts. “When I started creating an overview of my finances, I was still heavily in debt. Nobody helped me, gave me advice or handles. I just started, went on my beak regularly and after a while I started to see results. First very small ones and then bigger ones," says Dutch finance influencer Renée Lamboo of Porterenee.nl on her Instagram account. According to her, there is no such thing as 'not being able to handle money well' and you just start at the beginning:sort out your money matters and take small steps from there.
Learn about it
You do not necessarily learn investing, investing, saving and other handy money matters at school. For those who do not understand it, themes such as the mortgage, paying off debts, cryptos and ETFs quickly become woolly. Where do you start? By reading a book, following interesting money bloggers, or following a workshop, for example. Start reading, and discover from there who and what suits you on your way to financial happiness. You don't have to dive into all themes right away. Start with one goal, for example 'to have 100 euros left at the end of the month' or 'start investing', and look for that. You automatically build a network around you of information, knowledge and inspiration.
Be inspired by others
Find people around you who inspire you to look at your money differently. This can be done in real life and virtually, for example by following 'financefluencers' on Instagram. They share their knowledge for free about how you can use your wealth smarter, even if it is not that big yet.
Dare to talk about money
“The most important thing is that we are open about money. Even in 2020, it seems that people are even more willing to talk about sex than about money. That's a shame, isn't it?', Lamboo said to the AD. Research by Nationale Nederlanden even shows that it is easier to talk about funeral arrangements than about money matters. Like sex, money keeps us busy every day, so why not just throw some money matters on the table? Sharing knowledge will not make you poorer. Check with friends and family whether they are open to it, and if so, start a conversation about how you negotiate salaries, save money or invest, for example.
Text:Emma Verweij
