If you suffer from financial stress and money management issues, you’re definitely not alone. A national survey conducted by Leger on behalf of Canada’s Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC) found that 42% of Canadians rank money as their greatest stress. The survey also found that stress is driving Canadians to “lose sleep, reconsider past financial decisions, argue with partners and lie to family and friends.”
Problem: No Time
The good news is you can decrease financial stress by managing your household finances, but finding the time can be a challenge. Between having a full-time job, long commutes, raising active children, and taking care of aging parents, it can be difficult to set aside time to deal with your finances, to learn how to create a budget, and to manage your spending.
Solution: Get Someone Else to Do It for You
This is where a non-profit credit counselling agency, such as Credit Canada, can help alleviate some of that stress. Within an hour, a certified credit counsellor can review your finances, create a budget, and look at solutions to dealing with debt all for free — which, for many people, is half the battle. After just the first appointment, most clients feel as though a heavy burden has been lifted from their shoulders.
Managing your household finances and everyday expenses doesn’t require a lot of time, but it is a crucial step in avoiding financial regrets and bigger problems down the road. The FPSC survey mentioned earlier found that 87% of Canadians had financial regrets, including not saving enough money, spending more than they should, and wishing they had invested more and earlier.
Put an End to Financial Regrets
Rather than wasting time worrying about past financial mistakes, it’s important to be proactive and use that time to transform your life by taking control of your finances and your future through debt and money management. But what if managing your finances causes you to worry? What if tending to your household budget and facing your financial reality means acknowledging that you can only stay afloat for less than a month if something unexpected were to happen, such as a job loss? Well, then it’s time to get the support and tools you need to make headway on your finances.
Credit Canada offers free credit and debt counselling sessions where a certified credit counsellor will map out your next-steps to achieve financial freedom. Simply call 1-800-267-2272 to book a free appointment.
Get the Right Tools to Make a Change
Any professional counsellor will tell you that tracking your expenses is a first step to managing your finances. You can download our free Monthly Budget Tracker to help get you started. You can also use our free Budget Calculator to find hidden savings in your budget, as well as attend one of our free money management seminars to learn the ins and outs of effectively managing your money and getting rid of debt. Check out some of our other online tips and tools.
Financial Stress Can Spread to Other Areas of Your Life
If you’re riddled with worry and anxiety over money but unwilling to address the real issues causing it, the stress will never go away. What’s worse, that financial stress can lead to mental and physical disorders that can eventually eat away at a healthy life. It also can jeopardize close relationships with family and friends.
Let Go of Financial Stress
The old adage that knowledge is power rings true when it comes to your finances and money management. Speaking with a certified credit counsellor gives you the power to make positive financial changes. If you have debt to contend with, a credit counsellor can look at all of the possible solutions that will help you eliminate it for good. If you don’t have any debt but just lack a financial plan, our credit counsellors will be happy to put one together for you with real measurable goals and timelines. Remember, all of our counselling is free, so you’ve got nothing to lose—just your money problems and stress.
