About 18 months ago, I joined a gym. At the time, I’m not quite sure why, but there was a promotion and I was passing by. I used to laugh at what I called the “fitty mcfits” exercising at 7am as I drove past and now I am one of them and I get it.
I work out 6 - 7 days a week, I no longer have to drag myself out of bed, and I love it!
I go to work out, but the real reason is the shower at the end. There’s something indulgent about stepping into a freshly cleaned space, enjoying a hot rinse in a bathroom that I do not have to clean. I have the world’s smallest, darkest, coldest bathroom with dreadful water pressure at home. Even standing outside under a drain pipe would be an upgrade.
That gym shower is my little luxury, and it’s taught me a lot about money, especially when it comes to using other people’s money, in a healthy, positive way.
Exercising every day keeps me grounded. It clears my head. It strengthens my body and my mind. It gives me structure and routine in all areas of my life.
High Income, High Pressure
If you are a woman in your 40s, earning well but struggling with overspending and credit card debt, you are not alone. You are successful, you make huge decisions every day in your professional life. However, when it comes to your teenage children asking for something, you may find yourself being overly generous and not setting healthy boundaries. Is there a guilty voice in your head saying? “I should be able to get this under control.” You may simply be stuck in a cycle.
You are doing the work, but the work is not working.
My favourite part of exercising is that luxurious, hot, uninterrupted shower. I have all the benefits and none of the heavy lifting and you can too.
That’s how credit cards should work.
When you use them with a clear conscious spending plan and pay them off in full each month, by direct debit, you are getting a free short-term loan. You are using the secrets of successful banking, learning to use other people’s money responsibly and ethically.
However, if you are carrying debt, you are not using a clean shower. You’re standing in the one at home that has not been cleaned in three weeks. And you’re still paying for the gym membership on top of it.
Life can get loud and busy. Teenagers push buttons. Online ordering is easier, and that’s ok, I’m a big advocate for ways to make life easier. The trick is using other people’s money to your advantage and making a conscious spending plan.
Just like fitness is about consistency and intention, so is money.
Here is a reset checklist to help you get started
- Know the total balance across all cards if you have more than one.
- Know all the interest rates
- Stop using cards you cannot pay off in full
- Have a “guilt-free” fun fund
- Check your bank balances daily, it takes less than 60 seconds.
- Use those bank balances to create a conscious spending plan. My favourite tool is YNAB, there are other options.
Just like daily exercise helps me feel stronger, clearer, and more in control, so does taking daily action on my finances.
You don’t need to be perfect. You need a system and structure. Ironically, structure gives you freedom.
Credit cards are the enemy. Debt is not failure. You have the power to use other people’s money wisely. And when you do, you free up your mental energy, your income, and your future.
