A Reddit user recently asked for advice on ways to stop thinking about money nonstop.
It’s hard, the user explained, to avoid fixating on personal finances. Comparing yourself to others can be tempting, even though doing so doesn’t feel good or productive.
Other users jumped in to offer tips, such as talking to a therapist, finding a new hobby, scaling back on social media and saving enough for a sufficient safety net.
Financial experts say focusing on your own financial plan is the best way to avoid thinking too much about what other people might be doing.
Make a plan
“Something about having a plan in place takes a lot of the stress off,” says Dwayne Reinike, a certified financial planner and founder of Valiant Financial Planning in Kirkland, Washington.
Similar to how writing down everything on your to-do list can make it easier to sleep at night, he says creating a basic financial plan allows you to relax. That plan can include a budget, retirement goals and other savings targets.
You might hear that the markets are down or concerns about a coming recession, “but it’s OK, because you have a plan,” Reinike says.
Pick one goal to focus on
Picking one goal to focus on — such as saving up for a house or setting limits for spending — can give you a greater sense of control over your financial life, says Stephanie Loeffel, a CFP and founder of Ascend Financial in the Boston area.
If you don’t have a goal to guide you, she says, then it’s easy to bounce between different ideas based on the day’s news. If interest rates fall, you might wonder if you should buy a house. If the stock market fluctuates, you may question whether it’s time to shift your retirement investments.
She recommends zeroing in on what you can control: your own spending, saving and other financial habits.
“You take the emotion out of the equation and it’s easier to not obsess about the noise around you,” Loeffel says.
Designate a specific time to focus on money
Setting aside time at least once a year to map your financial plans can ease your mind the rest of the time.
Use that time to think about what you want to achieve with your money. You can also set short-term and long-term goals, says Reinike.
“If you have your emergency fund set up and on auto-deposit, then you can go a year or so without thinking about it,” he says. (You may want to conduct quick check-ins throughout the year to check for any errors.)
Similarly, a retirement savings account with automatic deposits from your paycheck doesn’t need to be constantly monitored.
If unexpected events pop up, such as a new baby or a job loss, then you can revisit those plans and adjust. Otherwise, you can maintain your current course.
“People tend to make changes when they’re really happy or really upset, and that’s not the time to make changes. It’s the time to stick with the plan you already established,” Reinike says.
Build up savings and pay off debt
Another way to gain more control over your finances is to double down on saving money and paying off debt, Loeffel says. Many of her clients are surprised about their expenses once they start tracking them.
Monitoring your cash flow for six months is a good place to start. Then, make adjustments to eventually achieve a goal of putting around 10% into savings. That can help build up an emergency fund.
“Once you have an emergency fund, you’re not as vulnerable,” Loeffel says.
That makes it easier to worry less about negative events that can hurt your finances.
“It takes away that emotional vulnerability because you have a cushion and you have control,” she says.
Similarly, paying off debt is something you can control. You can make a plan for paying off debt — perhaps using the avalanche or snowball method — then watch your progress as the weeks tick by, Loeffel says.
The avalanche method involves paying the debt with the highest interest rate first. The snowball method refers to building momentum by paying off the smallest debt balances first.
Avoid comparisons to others
“Compare yourself to the you of yesterday, not everyone else,” suggests Reinike.
Just as in sports, you should strive for a personal best — not necessarily doing better than others.
You really can’t compare your financial situation to others based on social media. Posts don’t tell the whole story or how people are funding their lifestyle, Reinike adds.
“Everyone’s journey is individualized.”
Reddit is an online forum where users share their thoughts in “threads” on various topics. The popular site includes plenty of discussion on financial subjects like saving and budgeting, so we sifted through Reddit forums to get a pulse check. People post anonymously, so we cannot confirm their individual experiences or circumstances.
