Bonjour mes amies! I will never forget how excited I was when I purchased my first home. In fact, it wasn’t just my excitement; it was my entire immediate family.
I was the first in my family to buy a home.
When I began to invite “mes amies” (offline mes amies, I wasn’t a blogger when I purchased my home), some made the same not-so-subtle…condescending remark:
“Oh, I thought you would have purchased a bigger home.”
Oui mes amies! That reaction wasn’t very encouraging; in fact, it was discouraging.
I was a divorced single mom and freshly vetted into my new career, i.e., not making beaucoup money. Versus being excited about my HUGE accomplishment, I began to question, “Was my house too small?”
Even when I didn’t have disposable income, I was always financially savvy. So much so, that people who out-earned me tremendously would consult me for financial advice.
Although I was approved for half a million dollars, I set a strict budget in my head and refused to spend more.
Avec ma humble abode, Jujuthecamerakid, and I (my now fifteen-year-old son) and I enjoyed not only the house we made a home but the world. If you’re interested in reading more about how I set my house budget s’il vous plait, comment below.)
Allowing other people’s perspectives to dictate your spending can have detrimental effects on your financial well-being and personal growth. While it’s natural to seek validation from others, basing your spending decisions on their opinions can lead to beaucoup negative consequences.
Everyone has their own set of values, priorities, and financial situations. What may be considered a wise spending choice pour une personne might not align avec your own goals and circumstances. Letting others’ opinions influence your spending can result in financial decisions that don’t align with your needs and aspirations, potentially causing regret and dissatisfaction.
YOUR (pardon moi for yelling, but I need mes amies to hear this as they read) financial decisions should be based on carefully considering YOUR resources and objectives. Letting external perspectives guide your spending can lead to impulsivity and overspending because you may consciously or subconsciously feel pressured to meet others’ expectations rather than sticking to YOUR well-thought-out budget.
Personal growth and financial responsibility comes from making decisions aligned avec YOUR values and goals. Relying on others to define your spending choices hinders your ability to take control of your financial future. Learning to manage YOUR finances independently helps YOU build confidence and resilience, thus allowing you to navigate unexpected challenges and seize opportunities. Truly, will the friends and family who questioned your home’s size or location pay a few months of your mortgage if you fell on hard times (trying to keep up with the perception they have of you?)
It’s essential to remember that people’s opinions can be fickle and inconsistent. What’s considered fashionable or worthy of spending on today might change tomorrow. If you base your spending on the ever-changing views of others, you’ll find yourself constantly chasing trends and trying to keep up with shifting perspectives, which is not a sustainable approach.
Prioritizing how other people see you financially can lead to a lack of authenticity in your spending choices. Your purchases should reflect your unique identity, interests, and values. When you let external viewpoints guide your spending, you may end up making purchases that don’t resonate with who you truly are.
Financial well-being is ultimately about making informed choices supporting your long-term goals. Instead of seeking validation from others, focus on understanding your own financial situation, setting clear objectives, and creating a budget that aligns with your priorities. Educate yourself about personal finance, investments, and saving strategies to ensure you’re making decisions that contribute to YOUR financial stability and future.
While it’s human to take the opinions of those you love to heart, take charge of your finances, make informed choices, and prioritize your long-term goals over fleeting external viewpoints.
YOUR financial well-being and personal development deserve nothing less.
Have you found yourself altering your spending because of the perception of others?
Ciao for now 💋
Click here to read a bit more about learning to celebrate my accomplishments (home buying and more.)
Click here for life updates (hospitalization, Paris, and NYC.)
This is a great read and yes I would love to hear more on how you set up your house budget.
Yayyy! I considered making this a series 💰
Love this! Yes please a blog on y
how you set your housing buget would be greatly appreciated.
I certainly will! Merci 🙏🏾