8 Dimensions of Wellness

@1Freckles, @tilly22 , @Oaktree , @Eden1919 , @Kurra , @MySunrise , @LostAngel , @Angels333 , @Mum6 , @Pollyotter , @Wanderer

@Shaz51

A big part of financial wellness to me means being happy with what we have.

A source of conflict in our family particually since I left full time employment is being happy with what we have. Managing expectations of what is a necessity and a luxury. We are fortunate financially but it is ways a battle to keep things in the black 😕

I am needed for almost full time support around the home then I am useless at the same time because I don't work full time and earn more money.

sending you understanding hugs @Determined

and you may feel useless sometime but you are not useless my friend

you are doing a very very important job being a husband and a father

here with us being self employed is very hard and hardly any income

even with the uninsured money for the insurance ( house fire ) we can not relax , still have to be careful

@Scoo

I hope you don`t mind me copying this my friend

@Scoowrote

I think the way I manage my finances is based on being raised in a family where there was a lack of. My parents fought about not having enough money. So I have always been careful with the money I have.
I live by these principles:
* I have a budget and I stick to it.
* I have an emergency fund.
* I don't go on holidays using credit.
* I have no problem with my old furniture or appliances. I only replace things when absolutely necessary. I look after what I have.
* I don't care about "keeping up with the Jones'".
* I try and keep up with maintenance of my home.
* True friends won't care about the size of my home, how old my furniture is, or what car I drive.
* Small cars are more economical (I admit I am only 5'3 though). I look after my car.
* I think about the environment eg preloved is good, landfill is not.
* I am planning for my retirement now (I hope to retire in about 9 years).
Fortunately hubby has the same thoughts as me on financial matters so we are a good team. He had a similar upbringing.
I'm looking forward to hearing from others $$$

Hi @Determined @love the honesty here do you think a pension will be available in 9 years..?

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@Shaz51 wrote:

What do you think with the heading financial wellness. means to you

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TBH, I considder "financial wellness" to be a matter of lesser importance; and the fact that our society tends to obsess about it - even when the person in question has far greater problems that need to be addressed immediately - makes it a very problematic distraction.

I mean what is the point of obsessing over whether or not you have enough money to feed yourself when you have no reason to live? If there is nothing about your life that makes it worth prolonging, then how can starving to death possibly be a detrimental prospect? It's a zero loss scenario! Just as surely as if a robber broke open a shop's empty till and "stole" all the emptiness inside!

I genuinely do not understand the obsession people have with financial wellness when there are far more grievous forms of poverty afflicting our society.

Why do we freak out about the fact that the lonely single man cannot pay his power bill, yet utterly ignore the fact that he has to curl up in bed all alone every night - as if the emptiness beside him is totally irrelevant? Why is the emptiness in his bank account a five-alarm disaster, but the emptiness in his heart is not?

All I know is that my life is devoid of happiness and love; and my financial situation isn't great. My lack of love is the great disaster of my life; not my financial situation. And when I reached out for help to remedy my lack of love, my lack of happiness, my lack of achievement... what I got was a therapist who only wanted to talk about improving my financials.

What I wouldn't give to be deported to a village of people who are utterly blind to matters of finance. Maybe then I might finally be able to have some productive conversations with people who make sense.

Hi @Shaz51

Financial wellness to me means that you need to be able to earn money from work etc to live a life as best you can. It also means that you have savings for a rainy day. Enjoy life with what you have.

I lost my job 3 weeks ago and our finances have been drastically reduced to now living fortnight to fortnight waiting for hubby's pay. We don't have much left after all bills are paid and groceries are bought. I am very careful in what we buy.

But without a job now - I am feeling responsible for not able to contribute financially. I do worry about money constantly.

It has played a big part in my mental health with a recent stay in hospital. We never use our credit card; when we do go on holidays (whcih won't be for a while now with limited money and covid) we always pay off our accommodation before we go. Once we arrive it's all paid off. We very rarely eat take away.

These dimensions of wellness are for the lucky individuals who are at the top of Maslow's hierarchy, self-actualisation. If you don't know what that means, it's similar to what @chibam refers to in a previous post. An individual has basic needs of shelter, food, water, security/safety and importantly love. If our basic needs are filled we can be fortunate to consider higher dimensions of wellness.

Not to take away from the great thread topic @Shaz51 at all. Just putting it in perspective I guess.

Now the scene is set, for me financial wellness is based on our knowledge, skills and attitudes to managing money and resources. Of course, that'ss bounded by the limits of what is available to us. Attitude is a big one for me since it influences our behaviour. With finances, I value money because I work hard to earn it, and my access to it is limited. So this attitude means I try to think "Do I need to buy this item?" Instead of "Do I want this item?" I'm also fond of the idea of a circular economy so one person's trash can become another's treasure.

If you read all this, thank you and I am interested in your views too.

a therapist who only wanted to talk about improving my financials.---- that is not good @chibam , support and encouragement is what we need in our daily living with life

@BlueBaymy sister you are doing a wonderful job helping to keep your household together and it is natural to worry but it sounds like you have a great idea what needs doing , keep up the great work xoxo

my mum had $1 a week to herself when we had 7 people living here

@Scoo Magnificently put. You've learned all the lessons taught to me and which are a source of great pride to me. I am glad to have trod this path as it has taught me what is important in life. Values to be proud of.

Wonderful topic @Shaz51 Many forms of wellness are derived from our ability to manage on what we have and not on what we want.

Cheers.