89 | 3 Mindful Practices to Implement with Your Money

If money feels like a constant source of stress or avoidance, it’s time for a shift! Mindfulness can completely transform your relationship with finances, bringing more awareness, peace, and control. 

In today’s episode, I’m sharing three simple but powerful mindful money practices to help you become more present, intentional, and empowered with your money.

✨ Inside the episode, we dive into:
✔️ The power of conscious spending and aligning your money with your values 
✔️ How to create a supportive money ritual that helps you stay engaged and consistent 
✔️ Why gratitude for money can shift your entire financial mindset 

Want to learn more? Here are your next steps:

Step 1: Join my FREE Facebook Community.

Connect, share, and learn how to master your money with other women just like you.

➡️ Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/941450038160915

Step 2: Grab your FREE Human Design chart

Curious what your Human Design chart reveals about how you're uniquely designed to make aligned financial decisions?

➡️ Get your chart here: https://generatealifewelllived.com/receive-your-human-design-chart

Step 3: Ready to transform your relationship with money and build true financial confidence?

Let’s create a strategy that feels aligned, intentional, and empowering—just for you.

➡️ Schedule your 1-hour Money Mastery Call here: https://generatealifewelllived.com/11-support

Money doesn't have to feel overwhelming. Let's create a strategy that feels nurturing and custom to you.

From my soul to yours,

Erin

Transcript

Erin Gray: 0:00

If money feels like a constant source of stress or something that you avoid thinking about, it might be time to shift your approach. Mindfulness is about bringing awareness, and it can completely transform the way that you interact with your finances. In today's episode, I'm going to share three simple and powerful mindful money practices that will help you feel more present, intentional and in control of your finances. Do you want to create a system to stop avoiding your money? Maybe you're feeling guilt and shame when it comes to finances. Welcome to your Money, your Rules. I'm Erin, a former certified financial planner and CFO, and yet I used to avoid my money and had fear, no matter how much we had. I can't wait to teach you how I overcame my money avoidance and started consistently managing my finances in a really simple way. It's time to get comfortable with money Before we get started. If you're ready to go deeper into transforming your relationship with money, to stop avoiding it, to start managing it and really create a financial plan that actually feels aligned for you and your family, with your values, let's work together one-on-one. You can schedule a call with me at generatealifewelllivedcom. Click on the link work with me and then support and mentoring. Schedule a call and we can make money work for you versus feeling like it's working against you. Money work for you versus feeling like it's working against you.

Erin Gray: 1:27

Okay, so let's talk about, I think, three mindful money practices that we can get in the habit and build up that skillset more. The first, I think, is really practicing consciously spending or I say, circulating our money. So many people spend reactively this was me in the past. You know, basing our decisions on emotions or habits, like the body loves to serve up the same emotions because it is a familiar feeling in the body, but it doesn't mean it's the correct or the best thing for us. And so when we're used to making decisions on a high or a low, right spending our money on a high or a low, we're spending our money based on habits that we're just used to, without actually asking ourselves do we want to use our money for this, versus actually having intention with our money. So reflect on how you are spending and also investing your money in alignment with your goals.

Erin Gray: 2:32

You know, 20 years ago, when I started out and I was learning about financial planning and I was helping clients, you know, part of my strategy for myself was investing in the stock market, but the more that I've dove into the way that the stock market works and who actually controls the stock market and all of this stuff, it doesn't feel aligned for me anymore to be in the stock market. So I've had, you know, me and my husband, over the last year isish, you know, really starting to look at how do we want to invest our money, how do we want our money to grow in alignment with our values. Right, one of them has been investing in ourselves, right In our, in my business, in my brain, like that, I think, is the most important investment we will ever make because we have total control over that. Right, there's not some guy or some woman sitting in a boardroom making decisions on the company that you're investing in. Right, you're if obviously most of you are listening, are, you know, own your own business. So you get to decide. You know how much you want to work, how much you want to grow, how much you, how much value that you want to add to the world. And I think investing in our brain, in our emotional wellbeing, is one of the biggest returns we will ever make, way more than the stock market.

Erin Gray: 3:59

So start with just the awareness of when, noticing patterns. When am I spending reactively? Have I been restricting, restricting, restricting? And then now I'm like, ah, I'm just ready to like, do something fun. I used to have that whipsaw effect versus every time you take out your credit card or you're using cash. Take out your credit card or you're using cash. Is this in alignment with my goals and what I want to create in the world? So, having that mindset shift right Before making a purchase, before you whip out your credit card or your cash, asking yourself does this align with my values and my priorities? How will I feel about this decision a week from now? You know, if you're thinking about acting from your future self, would my future self be making this decision? Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is no, and the only way that we can get really clear on this is if we slow down and we start asking ourselves these questions. You know, am I spending? This is a big one for me and a lot of my clients has been. Am I spending from a place of scarcity, of hoarding, or from true, genuine joy and expansion?

Erin Gray: 5:26

And I think and I've talked about this on previous episodes I really think we need to slow down the buying process, slowing it down in our business, slowing it down in our personal lives. You know one of the boundaries that I've put on myself with my kid when she asks for something, the answer is always I'm going to give myself some time to think about that. I don't ever answer her very rarely. Do I answer her now with yes or no? Because I want to give myself the time to feel into that decision depending on how much it is and things of that sort Right, but I want to give myself some time to really feel in that decision.

Erin Gray: 6:02

So if we're just making impulsive decisions and purchases and or investments right, like this happens a lot in our business I think we can sometimes feel like we're throwing spaghetti at the wall versus really being intentional. Like I think there's so many in the online business world right now. There's so many courses you can take and teachers and and really slowing down that buying process and getting clear like does this align, whether it's business or personal? Does this align with my values and priorities? Is that going to take me closer to where I'm going or further away? So maybe it's giving yourself, you know, 24 hours and delaying a purchase. I have started to do that, even more so depending on the amount of the investment, really like weeks now, of allowing myself to ride my wave something that I will I think I've talked about in previous episode. I'll link that in the show notes. But if you are defined in your solar plexus with human design in your body graph chart, you know us being what we call wave riders. It it takes some time to go through that process of feeling that of of the high to the low, to getting to a neutral place to make a decision, so really slowing down that buying process and then coming back later like I've even started taking pictures. If I'm like at a store I'll take a picture and then I'll go look at it, you know, a day, two days later, and like, do I still want this? Most of the time the answer is no and you can really gain clarity on whether it's truly something you want versus are you just making that decision in the moment.

Erin Gray: 7:49

And in previous episodes you know I talked about creating some type of money ritual when you sit down with your money, like how do you actually want to be with your money? So often we end up checking our. I can't tell you how many people have told me like I don't even wanna look at my money, or I just have my financial planner tell me what to do, or I don't even. You know, that's somebody else, I just want to give it to somebody else. But we're still abdicating responsibility and also from an energetic standpoint, it doesn't feel very good, I think if you would ask money, it doesn't feel very good money to be just pushed away. Right, I don't even want to look at you. Like imagine if money was a person, would you say, like I don't even want to look at you, I don't even want to deal with that, I just want someone else to deal with that. Like, that feels like very abrasive. Put you in the corner, kind of energy, right, versus creating a loving money ritual, and maybe you can't get to the place of loving. Initially, right, I didn't go from hyper vigilance and avoidance to loving my money, but I do care. You know I did have a ritual of sitting down and making it an enjoyable experience. Right, we want, if we want money to hang around with us, if we want money to grow, if we want money to work for us, we have to be kind to money, we have to love on money, we have to treat it with respect.

Erin Gray: 9:11

So most often, so many people just want to check their money and their finances when they have to right, like it's time for a bill to be, you know, paid or something like that. Or, um, you know, tax season rolls around, like I've asked so many women like, well, when do you, you know, look at your books? And it's like many women like, well, when do you, you know, look at your books? And it's like, oh, just when it's tax season. It's like, well, money likes to be paid attention to and and it feels good to know where you are financially. Maybe in the beginning, when you're getting started, you may not like the answers, you may not like the math that you're seeing on the computer screen, and we can change that right we. We don't change that by ignoring it more. We change it by leaning in, by connecting with money more, both energetically and also 3D wise, like actually paying attention to our money. So what is a calm, intentional practice around money that you can start implementing and dedicate?

Erin Gray: 10:14

I say every week in the beginning to really do a financial check-in and not just, like I said on the previous episode about budgeting, not just to look at your budget but to look at your whole entire picture right. What does your investments look like? How are those performing? Where are they? Do you even know where they are? Um, and really making it a fun and enjoyable experience.

Erin Gray: 10:43

If it was your best friend and you were going to meet them for coffee or go out to lunch with them, would you show up late? Would you be annoyed that you were there? Would you be checking your watch and like, how long does this have to take? Or would you be excited to meet them? Would you, you know, feel expansive and in curiosity, like I can't wait to hear what she's going to tell me? That is the way that we want to start thinking about with money and I know it doesn't happen overnight, but it does happen and the more that we avoid it, the more that we shame and guilt ourselves for not doing the things, the longer it stays exactly how it is.

Erin Gray: 11:27

So think about how do I want to be with my money? You know, if you had the amount of money that you wanted to have, what would you be doing differently and start doing some of those things? So you know, sometimes I have a favorite candle that I'll light. Um, I've even I love piano guys. So I used to play piano guys. Like that's also so soothing to the nervous system as well. What is your favorite beverage, you know? Is it morning time or afternoon or evening? That works better for you. Like, start doing things that really support your nervous system and also you and your money when you're sitting down.

Erin Gray: 12:06

If you're not a morning person, then don't schedule time to do your money in the morning, right? I have a friend her husband does the money like at 7am. That's when he likes to do it. I don't do my money at 7am. I don't like to do that. Right, I like to get up, I like to work out, I like to do my things, and then I like to come in and look at our money, and so it's going to be different for everyone.

Erin Gray: 12:27

But really creating some type of money ritual for you that works for you, and I think we need to get in the habit of celebrating, like celebrate every single thing. Maybe in the beginning it's. You know what? I just sat down with my money when I said I was going to celebrate it. What are you going to do to celebrate yourself? And also you can link this with how is this one thing that you just did, helping you create the life that you want.

Erin Gray: 12:52

So, you know, sometimes affirmations don't necessarily work because our bodies don't believe it. You know, we're telling ourselves we're abundant, we're abundant, we're abundant, and we're like no, we don't really feel like that. Right, but sitting down with your money and then linking it to how is that creating the life that I want? Well, when I sit down with my money, I know where I am and I'm able to, you know, see how my money is growing and that's going to create X, y, z. Give yourself an integral. You know, like reflect on how you're spending and you're investing is actually aligning with your goals. I don't think we give ourselves enough credit.

Erin Gray: 13:27

And then the third thing, I think, is the magic key and you know, when I first heard this I was like oh, I'm so tired of hearing this but is gratitude for your money? What? Whatever, wherever you are, we can be grateful for what we have. And more often than not because a lot of my clients, they come to me with money, so it's never a our brains might tell us that we don't have money. But if someone were to actually look at your account, that doesn't know you. They would say you have plenty of money, but that feeling of never enough manifests in thinking that we don't have enough money right. So, instead of focusing on the lack right Of what you don't have, of what's missing, of what you should be earning or how far along you should be, all of these shoulds really start to shift your mindset to appreciation.

Erin Gray: 14:20

How has the money that you have generated and that you have invested up until now gotten you to where you are? You know thanking your money so much, like these years, that we've taken off from working. I am so grateful for our money. I'm so grateful that it has supported me and my family to be able to travel and to be to live in places that you know were once a dream and to spend time with my daughter. Like I'm so grateful for my money. Like it will make me cry saying that because there was a time when I used to think and beat my money up, which is ultimately right.

Erin Gray: 15:00

I just would do that with myself, but being so thankful and grateful for where you are with your money, one of the things that I do every morning is, when I wake up in the morning, I think about three things that I'm grateful for, and typically two out of the three are always one what with my body am I grateful for? And two with the money. And then the third one I figure out. You know, what do I want to choose to be grateful for? But really spending intentional time of feeling grateful with your money. Right, expressing gratitude when you spend money because you have money to spend. What does that money allow you to do? Right, whether it is I mean, it's cold outside right now it's snowing, you know, like that, when you pay for the heat, that it allows you to have a warm house to come home to, when you put gas in your car that you're able to take your child to and from school, or to meet your friend for lunch, or when you invest in your business, how does that actually support you?

Erin Gray: 16:09

Like all of the ways that these experiences that you have with money, how they actually bring you joy, versus this taking away mentality. And in the beginning you know if you're starting out like one of the things I had to do, because the mind is always going to want to focus on what we don't have, what's wrong, because that is the, that is the thing that kept us safe, but starting a money gratitude journal and I'm not saying to just bypass how you're feeling, right, if you're feeling frustration, if you're feeling anger, if you're feeling shame or guilt or whatever other emotion you're feeling, that does need to be felt. And once it is felt and processed and moved through, coming back to gratitude, so writing down, you know like I do it in my head when I wake up in the morning. But maybe you start a ritual for yourself and your money and like writing down one thing every single day, cause in the beginning this was really hard for me Like I had to really work for what was I grateful for, not just with money, but like with everything. But you know, starting writing down just one thing that's different from yesterday and the day before, that you're grateful for with your money and what has it provided for you. Like, really start to ask your brain these questions so it can find the answers for you. And, like I mentioned, saying thank you when you pay a bill acknowledging you know how much it has supported you and allowed you to have the life that you have.

Erin Gray: 17:48

I've also used this term before. Right, like we're so focused on spending versus investing. You know four. Right, like we're so focused on spending versus investing. You know, every time I invest in myself, I'm not spending money on myself. I'm investing in myself, in my brain, in my emotional wellbeing and my future. So really changing that mindset around investing in yourself, your future, your wellbeing versus I'm spending money is huge. So, to recap, you know the the mindful money practices to get in a habit of doing is practicing consciously paying attention to where your money comes from, where it goes to. Right the conscious spending, creating a loving, nurturing money ritual that supports you, that feels good for you, whether it be the time of day, the type of beverage you have, whether it's lighting a candle, what you decide to wear, where you want to be in the house. Make it fun for you, that it's something that you look forward to and you want to sit down and do like a money date right, that's what I call it versus this have to energy.

Erin Gray: 19:01

And finally, and I think the most important one, is practicing gratitude for everything. Like we want money, we say we want more money, we want to do things with our money, but we don't treat money the way that we want money to treat us right. It feels very, can feel very one-sided. So really practicing, starting out in the beginning. You know every day what am I grateful for with our money, what has our money allowed us to do, and saying thank you, and it's not just doing the thing, it's actually feeling it in your body. Right, and sometimes in the beginning, what I call it is you have to graft meaning, you have to think about another circumstance in your life that you're so grateful for that it could literally make you cry. You might have to use some of that experience and feeling to get to the, to bring it over to money, and that's okay. That's what I had to do in the beginning until I got to the point where I was just like I said I could cry.

Erin Gray: 20:01

You know, um, feeling so grateful for our money and what it has done for us, and showing appreciation, whatever way it's flowing, whether it's flowing to someone else from you or it's flowing to you from someone else. Showing such appreciation gas in your car, groceries you know how often people are like, oh, you know inflation and the grocery bill, and they're just complaining about all the things. It's like yeah, and you have money to buy groceries, you have money to go to the you know grocery store of your choice and pick out what you want, like feeling gratitude for where you are. Okay, that's what I've got for you. You know, mindfulness and money they go hand in hand, right? We sometimes think that they're separate things, but they are intertwined and married, and when you bring awareness and intention and gratitude into your finances, I truly believe everything shifts.

Erin Gray: 21:01

So if you're ready to take this work deeper and build a financial plan that truly supports your life, I would love to support you. You can head over to my website at generatealifewelllivedcom, click on the link or the tab work with me, and then underneath there is support and mentoring, one-on-one, and you can schedule a call. We can transform your relationship with money together in a way that feels so good to you and your body and your finances, and it can be a place of fun and joy instead of dread and guilt. Okay, I'll see you in the next episode. Did you learn something today? Do you know another female entrepreneur who might be avoiding her money? Will you send this episode over to her for me and, if you have it in you, please leave me a review for this podcast. It helps the show grow and I love hearing from you. See you next week.