Because whilst being considerate and kind to others is important, it’s equally vital to maintain a healthy balance between pleasing others and taking care of your own financial well-being. Here are some tips to help you with doing that:

→ Check In With Yourself First

Constantly prioritising others’ needs and desires often leads to neglecting our own. And when it comes to our lives and finances, even if we’re generous, we must prioritise ourselves first. It’s like on a plane—your oxygen goes on and then you help. So if you find yourself leaning towards saying yes to things which don’t feel quite right, take a moment to check in with yourself before giving an answer.

→ Don’t Overcommit

One of the ways people pleasers can find themselves in financial trouble is by over-committing financially. Examples of this include saying yes to attending social events, buying expensive gifts, or participating in costly activities just to please others, even if it stretches their budget to the limit.

→ Say No Confidently.

There’s an old saying that “no is a full sentence” and so often we forget this, feeling like we have to justify our reasons for not wanting to do something. But the reality is that we don’t need to because no is a full sentence. If somebody can’t accept that it can be difficult, but stand firm in your boundaries—especially when it comes to your finances.

→ Cut Back on Emotional Spending

There’s nothing that turns a bad day around like a nice shot of dopamine, and shopping can be a great way to do that. The reasons for emotional shopping vary, whether it’s seeking approval or validation, finding a gift that somebody may love or just having an impulsive personality trait. But shopping this way is a great way for your spending habits to spiral. Especially if you have a budget in place. Because by breaking it, you’re breaking a promise that you made to yourself both now and in the future.

→ Don’t Be Afraid To Be Assertive

Sometimes people test our boundaries and we’re comfortable saying no the first time, and the second but by the third, fourth and fifth we start to feel worn down. In these moments it may feel like you have two options: to give in or stand firm, but the reality is that you only have one option: stay true to yourself and don’t be afraid to be assertive. Because anybody who is pushing your boundaries to that extent, isn’t respecting them (or you) and sacrificing your resources for others’ benefit shouldn’t be done if it’s going to have an impact on your own stability.

What else would you add to this list?