370. Simple Gratitude Hack to Transform Your Spending Habits

Subscribe to Simplify My Money: https://www.debtfreedad.com/newsletters/simplify-my-money

In this episode, Brad Nelson, introduces a powerful mindset shift that can help you improve your spending habits and reduce financial stress. Unlike traditional budgeting tricks, this approach focuses on practicing gratitude to change your financial mindset. Brad shares practical tips on how to incorporate gratitude into your daily life to curb overspending and build financial confidence. Tune in to learn actionable strategies and start your journey towards financial freedom today. 

Support the show

The Totally Awesome Debt Freedom Planner https://www.debtfreedad.com/planner

Connect With Brad

Website- https://www.debtfreedad.com
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/thedebtfreedad
Private Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/debtfreedad
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/debtfreedad/
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@debt_free_dad
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@bradnelson-debtfreedad2751/featured

Thanks For Listening

Like what you hear? Please, subscribe on the platform you listen to most: Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Spotify, Tune-In, Stitcher, YouTube Music, YouTube

We LOVE feedback, and also helps us grow our podcast! Please leave us an honest review in Apple Podcasts, we read every single one.

Is there someone that you think would benefit from the Debt Free Dad podcast? Please, share this episode with them on your favorite social network!

Episode Transcript

Brad Nelson (00:00):
Hey guys, so today we're talking about a simple
mindset hack that candrastically improve your
spending habits.
It can help you save moremoney.
It can help you reduce a lot offinancial stress.
And the coolest part aboutthis, you guys, it's completely
free.
It's already actually insideyou.
And most people sadly justoverlook the power of this
little hack.
And this isn't just some otherbudgeting trick or spreadsheet

(00:24):
or formula that we're going togive you.
It's something that willactually change the way that you
think about money before youever even touch it.
It shifts your mindset fromfeeling like you're always
behind or you don't have enoughto feeling like you actually
have enough to work with.
And that shift alone cancompletely change your entire
financial life and yourfinancial future.

Announcer (00:47):
You're listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast with
Brad Nelson.
Brad and his co-hostsexperience the anxiety of living
paycheck to paycheck beforelearning the fundamentals of
financial success.
They are now on a mission toempower regular people to pay
off their debt for good andenjoy happier, less stressful
lives.
Keep listening forinspirational interviews, tips,

(01:09):
tricks, and practical advice togain financial freedom.

Brad Nelson (01:14):
Hey guys, welcome to today's show.
I am Brad Nelson, founder ofDebt Free Dad.
I paid off about $45,000 indebt.
I've been debt-free now formore than 12 years.
I've also been fortunate tohelp thousands of other people
save and pay off tens ofmillions of dollars with the
work that we do here at Def FreeDad.
Now, guys, after listening tothis episode, if you're ready to
take things to the next level,you're ready to break free from
living paycheck to paycheck, youwant to reduce financial

(01:36):
stress, you want to build yoursavings and finally pay off your
debt for good, but maybe you'rejust not sure where to get
started.
Hey, we've created someincredible free resources for
you here at Defree Dad, and I'llbe sharing some details about
how you can get some of thoselater on in today's episode.
Now, one of the biggest reasonsthat we overspend is because we
start believing that what wehave isn't enough.
We might see what other peoplehave, what they're doing, what

(02:00):
they're driving, what they'reposting.
All of a sudden, we'reconvincing ourselves that we
need more just to feel okay.
But here's the thing gratitudeinterrupts that thought pattern
completely.
You see, gratitude brings yourfocus back to what you do have,
it reminds you that you're notstarting from zero.

(02:22):
It reminds you that your lifeactually has really good things
in it, even right now.
And here's the powerful partabout it you can't feel grateful
and deprived at the same time.
Those two emotions, they can'tcoexist.
So the more you practicegratitude, the less pressure you

(02:42):
feel to go spend money to fillemotional gaps that are in your
life.
And I think this is like theperfect time to actually bring
this topic up because we'reheading into the holiday season.
Thanksgiving is right aroundthe corner.
And man, I love Thanksgiving.
I cannot wait to start cookingup some great food.

(03:02):
And this time of year comeswith a lot of spending pressure,
as we've been talking aboutwith our roots members on social
media and here ever, even hereon this podcast, you know,
things like Black Fridayshopping, holiday sales, family
expectations, the expectationthat you have to, you know, give
your kids and your family theperfect Christmas, the travel,
the gifts, the events.

(03:23):
It's a lot, right?
And it stresses us out.
But if we start practicinggratitude now, before all that
hits, and even guys, if youcould do this on a daily basis,
we can actually start to protectour budget instead of blowing
it out of emotion and thispressure to keep up with what
everybody else is doing.
You see, when you slow down andacknowledge what's already good

(03:45):
in your life, it becomes thatmuch easier just to say, you
know what?
I don't need that.
I'm okay.
I have enough for today.
So let's talk about how you canpractice some gratitude in your
financial life.
And again, this isn't gonna bea hack that's gonna work for you
overnight.
This is gonna take a littlepractice and some patience, but

(04:05):
over time, guys, you'll see thebenefits.
So let's talk about how toactually do this.
Because again, I'm not talkingabout journaling for 45 minutes
a day and writing poetry aboutyour emotions and all that
fluffy nonsense, right?
We want to keep this simple.
That's what we're all abouthere.
Keep it simple, real lifethings, real life practices that
you can implement uh in yourdaily life.

(04:25):
So the first thing is startyour week by naming one money
win.
You guys know if you've beenlistening to this podcast, we're
all about those money wins.
In fact, the majority of ourepisodes, we are celebrate all
of our members' wins becausethey're super important.
And again, it doesn't have tobe a massive win.
It can be tiny.
It could be, hey, I broughtlunch this week instead of

(04:47):
eating out.
It could be saying, hey, wesaid no to something that we
didn't need or something that wewould normally bust our budget
for.
It could be I paid cash for apurchase that I wanted.
You know, a win is a win.
And uh, we're big on don'tpoo-poo any wins, even if
they're as as small as you mightthink they are, they're still

(05:08):
important in your journey inreducing financial stress.
And also get in the habit ofsaying out loud, I have enough.
I have enough for today.
And this immediately will startto help you ground your mindset
instantly because sadly, guys,in today's day and age with
social media technology,especially just the phone alone,
we are constantly hit withadvertisements and posts and

(05:32):
things that we see that saywe're not good enough or we
don't have enough, right?
And we need more and more andmore.
So it's easy to get wrapped upin that mindset and that
thinking.
So get in the habit ofswitching it.
Prepare yourself for that.
I have enough for today.
Another thing you can do is doa quick gratitude walk in your
home.
I know this sounds kind ofsilly, but seriously, look

(05:55):
around and remind yourself thecouch works, right?
Uh, I I've got good shoes, myshoes work.
I got a phone.
Most people have a phonepowerful enough to do a lot of
cool and crazy things, right?
It's amazing what the phone cando.
Yes, it can be a distraction attimes, but yes, you can use it
as a tool, but your phone works.
You're not starting fromnothing.
So walk around your house, seethe things that you already

(06:17):
have, see the things that youhave purchased.
And again, remind yourself thatwhat we have is enough.
Also, get in the habit ofthanking yourself for good past
decisions.
You know, it's easy as humansto beat ourselves up for
everything that we do wrong.
Trust me, I do it too.
All right.
But if you paid a bill on time,celebrate that.
If you manage to save $10, $15,$20 in your emergency fund,

(06:40):
that counts.
Like, don't discount any ofthose wins.
Get in the habit of celebratingit and being grateful for
making those decisions to betteryour overall financial life.
You see, these tiny practices,they build a mindset of
confidence, right?
And that confidence reducesemotional, impulsive.
I deserve this type ofspending.

(07:01):
And guys, the only ways tobuild confidence is to take
action and actually practicethis stuff on a daily basis.
And the more you do it, themore small wins you build up,
the better and overall yourconfidence gets over time.
Now, guys, I can't tell you howmany people I've worked with in
the past or these last 10years.
And a lot of people say, Brett,I thought initially I just

(07:22):
needed more money or what I wasdoing, I just sucked at all this
stuff.
But when we slowed down and wehelped them start focusing on
the good that they already hadand showed them the opportunity
by making small adjustments intheir daily life that they could
get the small wins, everythingbegan to change as far as their
mindset.
They slowly stopped focusing onall of the things that they

(07:45):
didn't have, and they began torealize, like, wow, I can really
improve my financial life andthe things that I have are fine,
and I should be grateful forthose things right now.
Now, that's not to say that youcan't chase after other things
too and have goals of purchasinga better car or going on that,
you know, dream vacation.
All those things are great andwell and good, but just don't
let those things take over yourmindset and cause you to spend

(08:09):
money and blow your budget andgo into debt.
So here's the takeaway fortoday.
As we start looking at theThanksgiving holiday season, and
really, if you get in thepractice of just doing this
every day, it's gonna benefityou a lot.
But you don't have to wait forlife to feel better.
You can just start feelinggrateful today.
Gratitude is what's gonna makeyour life feel better instantly.

(08:32):
And when you feel better aboutyour life, you make better
decisions with your money, andit really is that simple.
All right, guys, as Imentioned, if you're ready to
start breaking free from livingpaycheck to paycheck, you want
to reduce financial stress, youwant to build savings and
finally pay off debt for good,but maybe you're not sure where
to get started.
Don't worry, we've got youcovered.

(08:52):
Simplify My Money is sent toyou each and every Sunday to
your email.
It is your step-by-step roadmapto better financial control.
You're also gonna learn someeasy-to-follow strategies, just
like you're learning here onthis podcast, to help you manage
your money more effectively.
You're gonna get stress-freemoney decisions and tips that
are gonna help you simplify yourfinancial life with proven

(09:14):
methods that actually work fornormal everyday people, people
just like you and people justlike me.
You're also gonna grain someincredible tools and confidence
to tackle your financial goalshead-on.
Now you can sign up forSimplify My Money by clicking
the link at the top of the shownotes of this episode.
Thanks for joining us ontoday's show, and we will see
you guys on the next episode.

Announcer (09:38):
Thanks for listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast.
Connect with us on Facebook,TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
Just search Debt Free Dad.
If you found value in today'sepisode, please leave us a
rating and review.
We so appreciate it.
For resources, show notes, andlinks mentioned in today's show,
visit debtfreedad.com.

(09:59):
Catch you next week.