Anxiety over Money

[Guest6093]

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping for some feedback on how to deal with lack of money or not being able to provide the support you want.

Me and my wife are both suffering Anxiety over our money woes, even though we are still keeping our heads above water.

We are parents to two beautiful girls and, at times, we take our situation and struggles out on them and it's not fair.

We both work part-time, I work in Aged Care and she is in Retail. We split our time so we can have our own time with the kids and still have family time too. We both bring in a fair enough income and are supported through Government payments for Family Support.

It just seems like it's overwhelming the amount of bills, payments, etc. that come in that it never seems like we have any money for ourselves. Does anyone else feel like this? Are we selfish to think there's an easier way? Should we be more grateful for what we have rather than worrying when things go wrong?

It also feels like a common occurrence in our lives that this situation keeps coming up. My wife has not been great with money and spending it unwisely. I've set up a budget that many times but that doesn't always help but at least keeps us consistent.

Would appreciate any feedback you guys can give.

Cheers, R.

[Matchy69]

Hi,money is really a stressful thing for a lot of people.I am on a DSP and have two kids with special needs that i find hard to keep up finanially for them as well as pay my other bills that continuously come in.I have been putting money in another account every fortnight for unexpected expenses.Some of my bills come out out of my account monthly.I find a budget is very hard to stick to.I find i spend most of my money on my kids then on my self.

Take care,

Mark.

[romantic_thi3f]

Hi R / Guest6093,

Thanks so much for your post. I agree with Mark in that money is such a stressful thing for so many people; you're really not alone with what you are going through and how you are feeling.

What you are saying completely makes sense. I don't think it's selfish at all - quite the opposite really; it's understandable and relatable. and yes, while there is huge benefits in practicing gratitude - it's also okay to give yourself permission to feel frustrated, defeated or even to have the 'life can be so unfair' moments.

I personally have always struggled with money. I don't ever remember a time where I didn't, or even where my family didn't. Most of the time, it's just keeping my head above water.

Budgeting is so important with money, but the way you budget can be different to everyone. Some people prefer to allocate in the beginning (i.e. x amount of money for groceries), but others may find that doesn't work for them (I'm one of those people). Given that the budget has to be between you and your wife, how do you think you can adapt it to make it work with her spending? Having her involved in budgeting and the financial side is really important, even if it's such a drain at the beginning. I think it's really about finding a solution that works for both of you, and while that might not be a cookie cutter approach, hopefully it can not help with finances in both the short and long term.

rt

[Gambit87]

Hi Guest6093,

I can relate getting anxious about money, its a stressful thing to worry about and it can get very overwhelming.

I keep saying to myself - aslong as I have the bills paid, food on the table and a roof over my head im doing pretty alright. That helps me alot because I don't earn alot of money but the necessities are paid for. I do get kinda down when I don't have enough money to buy nice things but I end up feeling grateful for the things I do have.

Have you heard of the barefoot investor (Scott Pape)? I seriously recommend giving his book a read. I haven't followed everything he writes about - but I have done a few things and that's helps me get a little bit ahead. It may help you out aswell! I also suggest checking out some of the facebook pages people have setup for money saving ideas and tips/tricks.

[Guest6093]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. It’s nice to hear I’m not the only who finds it a stressful situation.

And it’s weird that you find others seem to struggle more than you and it puts your own problems into perspective.

@RT. My wife is terrible with money. She’s the reason I had to make a budget. Though recently I have to give her credit as she has been sticking to it.

@Gambit. I have to finish the Scott Pape. We started doing what he said but situations change. And I need to get my hands on his new book for families.

Thanks everyone.