Contentment: An Important Money Principle

“Contentment is the most important money principle.” I saw this in one of my finance Facebook groups and thought it would be an excellent quote to do a post about.

Whenever you see financial advice thrown about, you don’t normally think about contentment, otherwise known as a state of happiness and satisfaction. Most financial advisers are going for the same result, get you to change course.

While this can be a great idea when it comes to plans, when you are looking at purchasing something, contentment with what you have can be one of your biggest allies. Contentment will allow you to do more with what you already have. When you can do more with what you already have, you can put off purchasing new things; saving you money.

What does contentment look like in a financial setting?

• The key to contentment in one’s finances is not the amount one makes, but rather a willingness to live within that amount. (source)
• Financial contentment has less to do with money and more to do with our attitudes, belief systems, and decisions.
• Financial contentment brings peace of mind.
• I’m content with what we have and what God has entrusted to us. On the other hand, I’m not content to sit around and do nothing just because we’ve been blessed. (source)
• Being content does not mean we should cease from becoming more financially successful. Nor does it mean that we will never desire to make another purchase. However, if we allow sin to become a part of our lives or our budget is skewed by indulging in over-purchasing, any hope for contentment is destroyed. (source)

So, what are some ways that you can strive for contentment today?

• Find ways to look at the bright side of the situation you are in. This means being thankful for the house you have and not envious of the one that you are wanting.
• Live within your means. This can be tough when we really get ourselves into a pickle sometimes, but, by continuing to sacrifice to get to a place we want to be, it forces us to be content with what we have. The outcome is our motivation though.
• Find ways to minimize your stuff! Think of ways you can purge your stuff so that it doesn’t weigh you down. When you have less stuff to organize and manage, it can really open the door to being content with what you have, not to mention side effects like more open space and less things to clean up or manage.

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