1. Pay yourself first

I first heard the concept of paying yourself first from the book The Richest Man In Babylon by George S. Clason. The simplicity is profound. I really went round and round for years, expecting to save what I had leftover after paying my bills and buying other things for the month. That method didn’t work for me. At times I was able to save a little, but once I started paying myself first, my savings went up way faster.

When you get paid, make your savings the first bill you have to pay. As an extra measure to ensure your savings continue to grow, move that money into another account, so it’s not easy to access.

2. Take care of your stuff

Taking care of your stuff will make your life more enjoyable. There’s something about respecting what you have that improves your whole life. Almost like a universal law that when you respect and take care of what you have, you gain more respect for yourself.

Taking care of your stuff will help it last longer and makes you appreciate what you do have, which reduces the urge to constantly be upgrading your material items.

3. Love yourself

Loving yourself will save you so much money. The majority of marketing is to create a need that’s not there. There are great products that serve needs we have, but most products become “needed” because the marketing department found a way to exploit our insecurities. Make sure what you’re buying is to bring you joy or serve an actual need, not to alter you to look how you think you’re supposed to look.

Our perceptions of beauty can change based on what we see everyday. If you’re struggling with self-love or self-acceptance, try finding confident role models that look like you. Flood your social media feeds with them, watch interviews by them, etc.

It’s magical how our perception can change based off of where we put our attention. Pay attention to the things you like about yourself. With time, you’ll learn to love more and more about yourself.