Wherever we are on our journey as an entrepreneur, we all know we need to have a certain amount of savings “in case something happens.” Before the Pandemic we were told to have savings for 6 months to a year to cover all of our expenses as if living the same way as a 9-5 employee. 

Does it make sense in today’s world? In my opinion, No. Not anymore, or not entirely at least. Covid threw us a curve ball and God knows for how long it’s going to last. 

This is the reason why I suggest we think about simplifying. This includes changing our consumer habits by thinking about what we really need and focusing on only the essentials. I believe this is very important because when we reduce our needs, it becomes easier to save money while earning less. This in turn allows us to make progress towards our dreams.  

Where to start 

  When you want to make a change, know your “Why”.

  I remember when I started to cut back on  my “needs,” it was mostly due to a  documentary  of Yann Arthus-Bertrand “Human” in which he interviews José Mujica,   former president of Uruguay. He says:

  “ We have invented a mountain of superfluous needs. Shopping for new, discarding the   old…That’s a waste of our lives!”

  In other words, when you buy something, you are not just spending money, you’re     paying with the hours of life you spent earning that money.

Life is one thing money can’t buy. Life only gets shorter.

This, in itself, makes you think twice before you want to buy something.  And if it’s not for this philosophical reason, it can be the “Mari Kondo” type of motivation.  

The Pain of Buying Less (at the beginning). 

This is very personal for everyone, but for me, shopping was always something I was doing without much thought. When I was in my 30s (I’m 42 now), buying stuff was a way to express how independent I was as a woman.

Therefore, when I started to reduce my spending, it was not the beginning of a Fairytale. I truly believed that shopping was an expression of freedom. Beginning to understand my “why” made me realize how much shopping was just a habit, and that I could find other means of happiness.

This is where knowing your “Why”can ease the transition into more mindful spending. 

How do you practice This change in your daily life? 

I am a firm advocate of baby steps because they lead to instant results, which are really encouraging. We need that; when we see results we are encouraged to continue, right? 

In practice, I like to be specific and categorize which aspects of my life I need to make a change in: for instance, at that time, I would have never compromised on going to a luxurious gym club. I was going almost every single day, and it was my way to stop smoking and take care of my health, you see?!).  Here are a few tips I use to help me stay on track.

   Wherever we are on our journey as an entrepreneur, we all know we need to have a certain amount of savings “in case something happens.” Before the Pandemic we were told to have savings for 6 months to a year to cover all of our expenses as if living the same way as a 9-5 employee. 

Does it make sense in today’s world? In my opinion, No. Not anymore, or not entirely at least. Covid threw us a curve ball and God knows for how long it’s going to last. 

This is the reason why I suggest we think about simplifying. This includes changing our consumer habits by thinking about what we really need and focusing on only the essentials. I believe this is very important because when we reduce our needs, it becomes easier to save money while earning less. This in turn allows us to make progress towards our dreams.  

Where to start 

  When you want to make a change, know your “Why”.

  I remember when I started to        cut back on  my “needs,” it was      mostly due to a  documentary      of Yann Arthus-Bertrand                “Human” in which he interviews     José Mujica,   former president       of Uruguay. He says:

  “ We have invented a mountain of superfluous needs. Shopping for new, discarding the   old…That’s a waste of our lives!”

  In other words, when you buy something, you are not just spending money, you’re paying with the hours of life you spent earning that money.

Life is one thing money can’t buy. Life only gets shorter.

This, in itself, makes you think twice before you want to buy something.  And if it’s not for this philosophical reason, it can be the “Mari Kondo” type of motivation.  

The Pain of Buying Less (at the beginning). 

This is very personal for everyone, but for me, shopping was always something I was doing without much thought. When I was in my 30s (I’m 42 now), buying stuff was a way to express how independent I was as a woman.

Therefore, when I started to reduce my spending, it was not the beginning of a Fairytale. I truly believed that shopping was an expression of freedom. Beginning to understand my “why” made me realize how much shopping was just a habit, and that I could find other means of happiness.

This is where knowing your “Why”can ease the transition into more mindful spending. 

How do you practice This change in your daily life? 

I am a firm advocate of baby steps because they lead to instant results, which are really encouraging. We need that; when we see results we are encouraged to continue, right? 

In practice, I like to be specific and categorize which aspects of my life I need to make a change in: for instance, at that time, I would have never compromised on going to a luxurious gym club. I was going almost every single day, and it was my way to stop smoking and take care of my health, you see?!).  Here are a few tips I use to help me stay on track.

   Wherever we are on our journey as an entrepreneur, we all know we need to have a certain amount of savings “in case something happens.” Before the Pandemic we were told to have savings for 6 months to a year to cover all of our expenses as if living the same way as a 9-5 employee. 

Does it make sense in today’s world? In my opinion, No. Not anymore, or not entirely at least. Covid threw us a curve ball and God knows for how long it’s going to last. 

This is the reason why I suggest we think about simplifying. This includes changing our consumer habits by thinking about what we really need and focusing on only the essentials. I believe this is very important because when we reduce our needs, it becomes easier to save money while earning less. This in turn allows us to make progress towards our dreams.  

Where to start 

When you want to make a change, know your “Why.”

 I remember when I started to cut back on  my “needs,” it was mostly due to a  documentary of Yann Arthus-Bertrand “Human” in which he interviews José Mujica,  former president of Uruguay. He says:

“ We have invented a mountain of superfluous needs. Shopping for new, discarding the   old…That’s a waste of our lives!”

  In other words, when you buy something, you are not just spending money, you’re paying with the hours of life you spent earning that money.

Life is one thing money can’t buy. Life only gets shorter.

This, in itself, makes you think twice before you want to buy something.  And if it’s not for this philosophical reason, it can be the “Mari Kondo” type of motivation.  

The Pain of Buying Less (at the beginning). 

This is very personal for everyone, but for me, shopping was always something I was doing without much thought. When I was in my 30s (I’m 42 now), buying stuff was a way to express how independent I was as a woman.

Therefore, when I started to reduce my spending, it was not the beginning of a Fairytale. I truly believed that shopping was an expression of freedom. Beginning to understand my “why” made me realize how much shopping was just a habit, and that I could find other means of happiness.

This is where knowing your “Why”can ease the transition into more mindful spending. 

How do you practice This change in your daily life? 

I am a firm advocate of baby steps because they lead to instant results, which are really encouraging. We need that; when we see results we are encouraged to continue, right? 

In practice, I like to be specific and categorize which aspects of my life I need to make a change in: for instance, at that time, I would have never compromised on going to a luxurious gym club. I was going almost every single day, and it was my way to stop smoking and take care of my health, you see?!).  Here are a few tips I use to help me stay on track.

 Clothes :

Freeze spending for a short period

Declutter your closet on a regular basis

Before buying something new, check if you already have something very similar. ( I realized I was buying the same thing over and over :))

Skincare and make-up:

Freeze spending for a short period

Declutter your closet on a regular basis

Before buying something new, check if you already have something very similar. ( I realized I was buying the same thing over and over :))

Apply the method “two out, one in” to reduce the amount of products in your Princess beauty cabinet! 

Start noticing what your skin really needs., For instance, a simple skincare routine might suit you more than one with a lot of products. 

Food:

Apply the method “two out, one in” to reduce the amount of products in your Princess beauty cabinet! 

Start noticing what your skin really needs. For instance, a simple skincare routine might suit you more than one with a lot of products. 

Use what you have in your pantry, declutter, and get rid of expired food.

Be creative, maybe try a new type of cuisine (Mexican, Mediterranean, … )

Always have some basics in your kitchen: Olive oil, flour, good quality sugar…

Apply the method “two out, one in” to reduce the amount of products in your Princess beauty cabinet! 

Start noticing what your skin really needs., For instance, a simple skincare routine might suit you more than one with a lot of products. 

Reduce needs to make an impactful change. 

I would finish by saying that everything takes time. I recommend you don’t try to change your habits overnight, because it will be painful. We become entrepreneurs to earn our own money and become independent. Reducing our needs does not mean we lose our freedom, it actually just means we are going to be even more free than before. No matter what happens in the future, we know we can be happy with a home brewed coffee made with intention and our favorite plate of pasta. Enjoy and savor what you have and truly love.

As always, thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. 

With all my heart, 

Zénaïde