Achieve Financial Freedom By Becoming Mindful About Your Money

Note: This post was originally published on JackCanfield.com

Most people are unconscious when it comes to their money. For instance, do you know your net worth? Do you know how much money you have in savings? Do you have a financial plan? These are just a few of many questions you should be asking yourself regularly.

If you want to achieve financial freedom, you have to become conscious about your money. Not only do you have to know precisely where you are, but you also need to know exactly where you want to go and what’s required to get you there.

Here are 4 tips to financial freedom that will make you more mindful about your money.

1) Determine Your Net Worth

If you don’t know your net worth, you can work with an accountant or a financial planner to calculate it or use any of the free tools available on the internet. Knowing your net worth will give you a baseline for where you currently are.

2) Determine How Much You Need to Retire

Calculate what your financial needs will be when and if you retire.

Be aware that retirement, by its very nature, requires that you have financial independence. A good financial planner can tell you how much in savings and investments would be required to produce enough in interest, dividend, rental, and royalty income to live your current or future lifestyle without having to work.

Financial freedom frees you up to pursue your passions, travel, engage in philanthropic endeavors and service projects—or do whatever else you might wish.

3) Become Aware of What You’re Spending

Most people aren’t aware of what they really spend in a month. This is a very important step to developing a millionaire mindset.

If you’ve never tracked your expenditures, start with these steps:

1. Write down all your normal fixed monthly expenses such as your mortgage or rent, car payment, any other installment or loan payments, insurance bills, cable bill, Internet provider, health club membership, and so on.
2. Go back over the last 6 to 12 months and calculate average monthly expenditures that fluctuate—utilities, phone bills, food bills, clothing expenditures, automobile maintenance, medical expenses, and so on.
3. Keep a record for 1 month of everything you spend money on during that month, no matter how big or small—from gas for your car to coffee at Starbucks.
4. Add up everything at the end of the month so that you are consciously aware—rather than unaware—of what you’re spending.

Finance apps for budgeting, like Mint or LearnVest, allow you to easily track this information by connecting directly to your bank accounts.

Check off those items you must pay for and those things you have discretion over. This exercise will make you aware of what you’re currently spending and where you could cut back if you chose to.

4) Become Financially Literate

Not only should you stay conscious around money by reviewing your financial goals every day and tracking your spending every month, but I recommend that you also proactively learn about money and investing by reading at least one good financial book every month for the next year.

Some examples of finance books are Phil Town’s: Rule #1: The Simple Strategy for Successful Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week! and Tony Robbins’: Money: Master the Game.

Go online and do some research on books that will teach you about money and help improve your financial literacy. Commit to reading at least one of them this month.

Leave a comment below and share one resource, website, or book you use to stay on top of your money that may be helpful to others.

Finally, I’d like to give you a free gift…

You can achieve your financial goals through the power of daily affirmations. If you want to learn more about affirmations, click the link to get my step-by-step guide. In it, I provide affirmations exercises that will help you achieve all of your financial goals. This free guide will ensure you begin to live your life with purpose, joy, and fulfillment. Click the button below to learn more.