How much money
would make you feel safe?
I was considering this with a colleague recently:
“how much money would make me feel safe?”
I can definitely come up with a number— for example, if I had 100k to just blow in 2026, that might make me feel safe… until October, when I only have 20 left. Now I feel unsafe again: It’s disappearing. I’m losing it. What happens next?
So a constantly replenished 100k account, that makes me feel safe. Until a big expense comes up unexpectedly, takes out a chunk, now I’m unsafe again. This goes on and on.
My colleague reflected on my question about a conversation they had with a young business owner who recently 7x’ed their income and now makes 30k a month. The new business owner’s comments? More money has really just caused more stress. There is more to manage, more to lose. Obviously it does come with great perks and privileges, but the underlying feelings? Similar. Safety is capricious, a fickle friend.
Antidotes
Money is one of the top considerations around the new year. Thinking about bonuses, raises, new habits for the “new year-new me,” and even the budgeting of holiday celebrations, can bring it to mind. The emotions experienced when thinking about money are often, at some level, unpleasant.
What then, can we do when money stress and anxiety creep in?
There are some mental reframes worth doing and some practical steps as well:
Practice gratitude
Grandma’s wisdom of “counting your blessings” really does improve our mental well-being and combats feelings of stress and anxiety. We have a tendency to hyperfocus on things that aren’t going well or where we are falling short of our goals. Spend intentional time considering the things you are thankful for.
Remember financial wins
Taking a little time to remember times you met a huge financial goal, overcame tough times, or even accomplished something difficult outside of finances can recenter you to remember your strengths and resiliency. I once lived for a year in France on less than 1000euros a month. I can figure things out.
Account for the big picture
While we would love for our financial journey to always be up and to the right, most of us know it is full of ups and downs. This post from the MoneyGuyShow is a good reminder that life happens. If we have our habits and trends and intentions in order, things will work out over the long term.
Shore up emergency funds
One practical step we can take is to make sure that we have adequate emergency reserves for when the unexpected arises. This can look like doing an annual check up of our insurance coverages or maintaining emergency savings of up to 6 months of income. When we have a solid safetynet, we can breathe a little easier.
Cut back and increase simplicity
Creating some forced scarcity, even for short periods, can remind you of what you are capable of if times do indeed get tougher. Doing no-spend challenges, cutting certain luxuries, or spiking your savings rate for a time can be a productive way to remind yourself that you’ve got this and this too shall pass. You might even learn that simplicity feels better all around. Maybe I didn’t actually need all 12 of those subscriptions…
Practice creativity and spontaneity
As I learned this year, and wrote about some weeks ago, anxiety runs from creativity like darkness runs from light. When you practice some financial creativity or lean into your free gift of spontaneity, you may experience some of those feelings of anxiety recede. Even wisely stewarding some money toward a creative investment might change your overall attitude and benefit your life in multiple ways. I’m not sure I can identify a time I ever regretted investing in live music.
Reflection on your best spend
What was a $500+ purchase you made this year that added a large amount of value to your life? !- Hit reply or Comment: I’d love to hear about it!
We often focus on the “boring” saving and investing side of money, but spending wisely—trading value for value, is possibly the most important element of money.