Analyze Your Spending to Discover Your True Priorities

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ways to spend less moneyI just downloaded The Purpose and Passion Guidebook: 6 Steps to Doing Good, Feeling Good, and Achieving Your Dreams! by Stacy Curnow, aka the Midwife for Your Life. Stacy says the first step to discovering your purpose is find out what makes you happy. And the way you find out what makes you happy is by defining your top values.

Do you know your top values? I mean, do you REALLY know? Are you clear on your true values? Can you actually define them?

Simple Value-Defining Exercise

To find your true top values, just look at your spending. Where you spend your money gives a clear picture of what is important to you. So go through your check register and credit card statements and identify the three things that are obviously your values based solely on your spending patterns. If you frequently use cash, factor in that spending, as well.

Once you have a good idea of how you actually spend your money, figure out your principal spending categories. Once you have the main three categories, look for the underlying values that drive your spending. For instance, significant spending on clothes and shoes points to appearance as an underlying value. Money spent in restaurants might indicate that convenience and/or entertainment is important.

No Wrong Answers

When discovering your values, keep in mind that there are no wrong answers. All you’re doing is finding out what is truly important to you. Once you have the information, you can choose to do with it what you please. If you don’t like what you discover, you’re free to make changes. Just know that where you spend your money IS the best indicator of your values.

So…what’s really important to you? Do you know? If not, analyzing your spending is a simple way to find out. And even if you think you know, go through the exercise anyway – you may be surprised by what you discover!

One More Thing…

You can get your own free copy of the guide at Stacy’s Midwife for Your Life blog.

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