A whopping 80% of Americans feel some level of anxiety over their financial situations, according to a survey by Discover Personal Loans. Most cite high inflation, everyday expenses, the state of the economy and current income as the primary factors driving their distress over finances.
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Personal finance expert Suze Orman would encourage these individuals to dig deeper for the root causes of their money woes. That was the No. 1 money tip she provided in an interview on GOBankingRates’ “Live Richer” podcast, hosted by Jaime Catmull.
She admitted this advice is “very, very different than anything you’re going to hear any place else” — but that doesn’t make it any less important.
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Money Is a Manifestation of Who You Are
“You have to understand that money is simply a physical manifestation of who you are,” Orman said. “You have manifested it, and if something is going wrong with your money, that means that something is going wrong with you because you and your money are one.”
Orman encouraged listeners “to look within to see why you are doing without, and that is where you will find the answer, because you can never fix a financial problem with money.”
That explains why so many consumers fail to make progress toward their financial goals — or worse, fall deeper in debt — even when they increase their incomes. Termed “lifestyle inflation,” or “lifestyle creep,” this phenomenon illustrates the impact personal decisions and behaviors have on finances.
“Money cannot do anything without you,” Orman said during the interview. But money can do something for you.
“Money can teach you more about yourself than anything else,” Orman said. “And when you have a feeling like something’s going wrong, it probably is, and it also will show up in your money. In what way? Debt. In what way? No emergency funds, all kinds of ways.”
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You Control Your Financial Future
As hard as it might be to face the truth about the root of your financial struggles, it can also be empowering to realize that you — not inflation rates or the economy or even your income — control your financial future.
Tanya Nichols, certified financial planner (CFP), founder and president of the Minnesota-based wealth management firm Align Financial, offered advice for aligning your money with your life in a blog post on her company’s website.
She suggested asking yourself what happiness and financial success look like for you. Nichols called the answers your “enough” and recommended eliminating any spending that doesn’t help you achieve it.
At the same time, celebrate your small wins — the steps you take to ease your financial concerns.
Orman has several recommendations that can help.
Spend on needs, like groceries, but eliminate spending on wants, like restaurant meals.
If you don’t already have one, open an emergency savings account. Orman recommended her Alliant Ultimate Opportunity Savings Account, which offers high yields and rewards you with $100 after you save $100 per month for 12 consecutive months.
Open a Roth IRA and deposit at least a little bit of money into it every month.
Those small steps will free up cash you use to pay off debt or accelerate savings, protect your finances against an unexpected emergency, and put you on track for a secure retirement.
Frugality can be a challenge, but Orman herself is careful about how she spends her money.
“Do I need to be frugal? No, not really. But I love it because when you respect money, when you honor money, no matter how much money you have, then your money turns around and honors you,” she said.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Suze Orman’s No. 1 Money Tip Is ‘Very, Very Different’ From Most Advice You Hear
