3 Ways Minimalism can Help Heal Your Relationship with Money

Minimalism, for many, serves as a springboard from debt.

The reasoning is simple. When you embrace a life with less stuff, you renounce impulse spending and conspicuous consumption. These lifestyle shifts naturally lead to more money in your bank account.

But minimalism has the power to go deeper than solely alleviating the pains of debt. When it comes to your relationship with money, minimalism can foster healing.

And for so many of us, this healing is needed.

“We have a very unhealthy relationship with money in this country,” said Ramit Sethi, author of I Will Teach You To Be Rich, “On one hand, we have a puritanical strain that tells us, do not buy anything and you're a bad person for having debt. On the other hand, we look on Instagram and see our friend is going to be in Bora Bora on Tuesday, so we book a trip even though we don't know how much we have in the bank. What paradoxical beliefs!”

While I never booked Bora Bora, spending blindly—often, while feeling guilty—was second nature for me before minimalism.

After two years of minimalist living, my husband and I had nearly dug our way out of $40,000 of consumer debt. But my relationship with money still felt strained.

As our massive debt pile dwindled, I still selected “no tip” at Starbucks. If hopeful neighbor kids uttered the word fundraiser, I quickly turned them away. When my husband suggested setting up an automatic monthly tithe to our church, I kept “forgetting” to do it.

Once the debt was gone, the need for healing my relationship with money became clear. We were debt free, the goal had been reached, mission accomplished. But I continued to feel guilty spending, I was worried about money, and I resisted opportunities to be generous. It was as though no number in the bank could make me feel safe enough to give. And it didn't make sense.

Minimalism cleared the clutter and debt from my life. With the outer clutter cleared, inner areas of my life that needed deeper healing surfaced. I decided to put in the work.

Today, four years into minimalist living, my relationship with money is healed. The debt and guilt around money have been replaced by freedom and intentionality. And it's a wonderful place to be.

You don't have to wait until your debt is gone to heal your relationship with money. While it's certainly not an overnight endeavor, if your relationship with money is strained, it's worth changing. And minimalism can help.

Here are three ways minimalism can help you heal your relationship with money (and three tools to help you do it):

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Julia Ubbenga is a freelance journalist whose teachings on minimalism, simplicity, and intentional living have reached thousands of people worldwide through her blog. Julia practices what she preaches in her Kansas City home with her husband, two extremely lively young daughters, two-year-old son, and baby girl. You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook.