A doctoral student said that families should act now to benefit from financial counseling. She explained its financial and emotional benefits. She was persuasive as she told me ways of saving and spending money.
Winning the lottery (nope); inheritance (nope); selling Aunt Jenny’s house (nope). I became curious when she talked about the financial freedom that could be found in financial counseling. We ended up writing a book on Everyday Financial Therapy.
- Precontemplation
- Contemplation
- Preparing
- Action
- Maintenance
These steps were part of the Transtheoretical Model of Change that was first used to guide drug addicts to stop their drug dependency. It’s been used for a lot of other problems since it was first used in Seattle. It’s come a long way to be used in helping clients with debt reduction.
It was described as someone passing by a shop window, considering the pros and cons of buying what was in the shop window, counting the money necessary to buy the item, buying it, and paying back the money. Financial counseling guides people through the process of leading a financially sustainable lifestyle.
It’s like going to the gym and actually working out. Or like following a budget and saving money. In short, it’s a disciplined lifestyle where you focus on moderation. Yeah, not a whole lot of fun. No thrills and chills.
But that’s not true either. I think that it’s a matter of limiting extreme behavior. For example, a great example of dieting is . . .starvation. I wouldn’t recommend it. I get antsy enough when I go keto and start looking hungrily at anything with carbs. One person told me that she used the phrase “Pause, Plan, and Purchase” as a way of saving money. She said that just to pause before buying was the key for her to not overspend. She insisted that couples and families should act now to benefit from financial counseling. t’s worth a try.