What makes the money saving ideas I’m about to put down, “holistic”? And what qualifies me, as a coach, to share money saving tips, anyway?
Well, they’re “holistic” in that I’m aiming to help you (or someone you know) to address money from an emotional and practical standpoint at the same time. And, knowing how much grief I went through, when I first shifted from law to coaching, it really matters to me to share anything that helps others to avoid the same pitfalls.

Speaking of law, as ever, I don’t know your specific situation, so please get all the advice you need from professionals, and remember that your decisions are your own, and should be made by you, rather than by relying on this random blogger .

Having said that, I hope that some or all of the following ideas are helpful to you., or someone you know.

1. Start now

The time to begin saving money and re-assessing outgoings is the very minute that your circumstances change. You’ll probably have lots of spending habits that might not be appropriate right now, and if you leave them in place, the situation will only be more painful further down the line.

2. Cut what matters to you least

Yes, this involves making one of those lists of all your outgoings. But after you’ve listed all the outgoings you have to make (eg. mortgage or rent) and you’re thinking about where to make cuts, cut the things that matter to you least, first.

For example, if you have a gym membership, when you hate the gym but feel you “ought” to go, cut that before something you truly love.

3. Replace the things you’ve cut with alternatives that fulfil the same outcome, but for less cost.

Eg, if that cancelled gym membership was actually fufilling its function of helping you keep fit, find another way to keep fit that costs less. Eg. walking, or doing yoga in your bedroom, are free.

4. Find ways to make changes in lifestyle, life-enhancing

Yes, this is possible, even though it took a while to convince myself of this at the time. Taking an example from my own experience, teaching myself to cook instead of always having ready meals, takeouts or restaurant meals saved vast sums, and left me more skilled and more health into the bargain.
Another example of this principle in action might be where eating the same meal together at home, or picnicing, instead of going to a restaurant, could bring a family closer together.

5. Keep taking and creating every opportunity for abundance
This part of your mindset will help you to keep attracting and recognising possibilities that can boost your finances again, instead of losing expansive thinking.

Get into thinking of every circumstance, comment, misfortune, success and piece of experience you have an opportunity for yourself or someone else, and this will keep you in the best state to attract abundance.

 Once you’ve mourned the circumstances you’ve lost, new opportunities will emerge, and the faster you can grab them and take action on them, the faster your finances are likely to turn around.

Remember, finances are often like a super-tanker, and the direction in which they’re turning may not be obvious, either positively or negatively, for a few weeks or months. Keep on saving and grabbing opportunities and saving, and when those months have passed, you’re likely to notice a positive change in your finances rather than any other.

Keep taking these opportunities enough, and you’ll eventually fall into a way of thinking in which a temporary change in income level feels more like, “a chance to explore or create something new”, rather than, ” a cause for fear”.

6. If you have any fear of maths, take action to change that

I can’t tell you how many months of productive action I lost in the beginning by being too scared to confront numbers-any numbers. As soon as my Long Suffering (and very mathematical) spouse came on the scene, things did change, but if I’d taken action sooner, things would have been easier.

Do things better than I did, and be brave enough to admit to a more numerical person around you that you need help, at an early stage. You’re not alone, and you’d be amazed how common it is for people to hide their number-phobia, and how simple the situation is to change.
(As an afterthought…number phobia is often especially common in holistic circles. Remember that however spiritual you feel, it’s always good to have practical and earthy skills and knowledge to complement that).

7. Concentrate on what you have, rather than on that which you’ve lost.

Finally (and this is an far from new, but really does work) make sure that the balance of your thoughts is always directed towards what you still have, rather than what you have lost. If this seems tricky, remember that if you’re even reading this, in global terms, you’re still lucky, as you have access to a computer, and therefore are likely also to be living on more than a dollar a day, even now.

I hope this helps.

NB. If you try these tips and get a result, or if you have other comments and ideas of the same kind, please comment share them below. Many thanks!