Sometimes I can't think of a thing to write about. It's not that there's a lack of financial items to discuss, but rather that my brain won't focus on the task.

I just wrote an email to my editor/marketing person to tell her I can't think of anything when I realized that talking about the messages our brains give us is a topic in and of itself.

There are some mornings when I wake up and my brain is in the middle of a conference room full of messages. Things I should be doing, judgments about something I've done, reminders about deadlines, questions about breakfast...endless chatter that is annoying at best.

The really bad times are when it doesn't even wait until morning but rather wakes me up in the wee hours, in full cacophony and surround-sound.

I'm old enough to know that none of it is real. It's like a train that is passing by endlessly. I can choose to get on and take the ride. I can choose to get off at the next station. I can choose not to get on at all.

All that noise, chatter, demands, judgment, blame...whatever...is like my life experiences put through a confetti shredder. Small pieces that don't make much sense when you try to assemble them but seemed so important in the process.

When our brains are giving us repeated messages about spending money, we can find ourselves buying something that we regret later. Our brains can give us perfectly good reasons for doing it...it made such sense at the time.

The article below is about the times that our brains aren't telling us the truth. Sometimes it can be hard to tell, so validating your thinking with someone else can be all you need. Walking away can give you the time to consider it more completely.

I had a friend tell me that when her brain is going full blast, she just tells it to go out and play. Cool, huh? 

Susan

sb  

Not all the time, but some of the time, we can't count on our brains to be telling us the truth.   Our brains are filtering input, emotions and facts, with the bias that we as individuals have developed.

Our biases are based on the attitudes and beliefs that we developed very early in our lives and that we then reinforce unconsciously for years and years.

The math of money isn't the problem. The grace of numbers is the black and white nature of them...one plus one always equals two. Period. It's the filtering of input and emotions that causes us to have wayward thoughts.

Here are some thoughts that may trip you up:

I DESERVE THAT.

You've been working hard. The kids have been difficult. You had a tough week. You had a successful week. Regardless of the reason, your head is telling you it's okay to spend money on "that."

I'm careful myself when I hear the word "deserve" because it has so many ramifications. We deserve to spend our money any way we want, yet we also deserve financial freedom. The fact we deserve it doesn't make it so.

I'LL FEEL BETTER IF I GET THAT

The neighbors have one. I look so good in that outfit. I need something to raise my spirits. I'll have more status if I have that.

You might feel better for a short time, but there's nothing you can buy that will "fix" something that's inside. Talking with someone, sharing an event with a friend, being of service to someone...these are lasting ways to feel better.

I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT

I feel this way about coffee. I know that coffee has some negative aspects, but I'm not brave enough to give it up. Perhaps for you it's a weekly nail appointment, or a trainer, or a massage. You've been doing it regularly and by now it feels like a need.

If it's not working for you financially, then it's time to look at all the habits and re-decide whether keeping them is worth the struggle that you're going through.

IT'S ON SALE

Wow, that's a good price. I can't pass that up.   It's not quite what I was looking for but I can't beat that price.

I'm on board with this. I believe in getting things at a good price... if it's what I'm looking for. If it's on your list, if it's why you went into that store, then it's a windfall to find it on sale. If it's not, then you want to consider whether your brain is doing you a favor. My belief is "when I need it, it will be there (and I'll look for the very best price then)."

EVERYONE ELSE HAS ONE.

I have the oldest phone on the block.   Our TV is too small. Our car is so old. I need to upgrade the computer.

All of those things could be true, and it still doesn't mean that you should go buy something. The key element is whether it fits in your overall plan.

So, back to my first statement, our brains are not necessarily our best friends. They can be giving us perfectly awful advice all dressed up in an acceptable rationale.

Here are your best guidelines:

• Is it the next priority on my want list?
• Will the expenditure endanger any other part of my financial life?
• Does it fit within the overall plan?
• Did I have it on my list when I entered the store?
• Will it add true value to my life or just more clutter?
• Don't I already have something that will do just as well?
• If I go home without it, and still want it, I can always come back.

Any expenditure in isolation can be rationalized. It's only in overview that you can make the best financial decisions, and I'm an expert in helping you find that perspective.

If a brain that won't stop giving you bad advice is plaguing you, give me a call or send an email so we can discuss what your best next step is. Financial freedom is worth giving any expenditure a second look.