Get Better at Money with Voice Journaling
Sounding off is a little like keeping an audio journal. All you do is open up the app, hit the sound off button and sound off about your day. I wrote in the past about how audio journaling can help you meet your goals. Elly often writes about the psychological benefits of audio journaling. A practical benefit I soon discovered was its impact on my relationship with money.
I, like many, became interested in minimalism and the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) community back in 2020. I think the pandemic really forced us to reflect on what is important to us, and what we do and don’t need to spend our money on.
A lot of people saved money they would otherwise be spending at the shops we couldn’t visit and in the theatres that were all closed. Some of us were forced to reconsider our spending habits entirely as the pandemic rocked income streams.
YouTubers like Matt D’Avella were swamped with new viewers stuck at home and in search of advice on saving, spending and living minimally.
Let’s break down exactly how audio journaling can help you with money…
Goals
Audio journaling helps you decide upon and define your goals. By thinking out loud, you can reason with your self and process all your money related thoughts and feelings. It’ll help you reach a conclusion you believe in. And once you find your goals, saying them out loud through audio journaling will help refine them.
Accountability
It’s difficult to believe your own made-up excuses. It’s funny how audio journaling suddenly tricks you into holding yourself accountable. There’s only so many times you can tell yourself you didn’t save that week until eventually, you find the motivation to save. If you do find something you want to spend money on, you can talk it through with yourself then spend the money confident you can afford to and you’ll find joy in the thing you’re buying.
Motivation
Start with the why. Something people who journal quickly discover is just how easy it is to find motivation when you fully process why you want to achieve something. There’s a big difference between telling a friend you’re gonna be better with money and making time to audio journal about all the reasons why you want to be better with money. Fully understanding, and appreciating your reasons to be better, will propel you forwards.
Will you try audio journaling?
We’re building a voice journal app, follow us: co-founders Elly, Paavan, & Rory post on the Sound Off publication every week.