Not Enough Money?

01 Jun Not Enough Money?

Not Enough Money? You can panic–or you can take a retreat. Image: “Retreat: Sitting on the floor…,” by Liber the Poet, accessed on Flikr via Creative Commons Search.

Not Enough Money?

Maybe you, like me, sometimes wake up and realize there is just not enough money coming into your life. You need more money. The “normal” thing to do is panic.

Panic is Not the Answer

You won’t have more by panicking because panic just leads to more panic. So panic is not the answer, although forgive yourself if you give into it.

What is the answer?

What is the Answer?

Before you figure out the answer, it’s important to figure out the right questions to ask yourself. For example, when you realize you just don’t have enough money coming into your life, you might start saying mean things to yourself. You might start saying, “how could I be so stupid?” or “Why me?” Or “Why do I never have enough?”

Please stop talking to yourself like that. Money is strange, and can be complicated, and capitalism is just plain weird, let’s face it. Making it in this system is a challenge. Staying peaceful however is less of a challenge–especially if you read this blog! (Just being honest.)

OK: What is the Question?

The question I start by asking is

How much do I need?

How would you find this out? You would start by tracking your expenses. Yup. You can start right now. Just try to go back over yesterday and write out what you brought in and what you spent. (If you get paid monthly, you will only have spending to record. That’s ok!) If you need guidance, read our “3 Essential Habits to Cultivate for Peaceful Money Management.”

What are the Deeper Questions?

Know how much more money you need, and consequently, the deeper questions become:

Do I need more all the time–or just now?

How can I have more?

More Answers Than You Might Think

It’s important to note that there are at least four ways to have more money:

• The first way to have more is to spend less.
• You can also try saving more.
• Alternatively, you can find ways to make more.
• You can exchange goods and services for goods or services. (You might not need money at all to satisfy your need, in other words.)
• And finally, a fifth way to have more resources is to live in community.

Your Retreat

It may sound funny to propose you take a retreat just because you need more money. We think of retreats as expensive. Retreats are not expensive if you take them at home. One thing you can do is sift through the possibilities listed above during a retreat to think about them.

This gives you a break, feels like a break, and is very cheap.

It’s a bit like what is called a “staycation.” In contrast to a vacation, on a staycation, you stay home and take your vacation. It can take a bit of doing, a bit of organization, but it works very well.

What Your Retreat is Really For

On your retreat, you have permission to turn off your phone(s), computers, doorbell, music, any other devices and not to tell anyone you are home. Because it’s your retreat, you can give yourself a set structure, or simply let yourself sleep as long as you like. The most important thing is to give yourself the time to focus on your deeper questions:

Do I need more all the time–or just now?

How can I have more?

and take the time to answer them seriously. You can use part of your retreat to explore options, including on your computer, in conversations with friends, or at the library. It’s fine for you to be online in a focused way.

If you try this, let us know how it goes! We’d love to hear.