Does money make you nervous? It can be an intimidating subject for many of us, especially in terms of naming what we’re worth. If this is you, you’re not alone.
Many of my clients consider themselves people for whom money isn’t a primary concern. They’re helpers, doers, not greedy money-grubbers! And I totally respect that. The problem is that, at the end of the day, we all have bills to pay and groceries to buy. And maybe even more importantly, we all deserve to be able to sleep at night without the state of our finances keeping us awake.
So know that you are worth a living wage. You’re worth far more, in fact, but you can start by thinking of it as a living wage. Run through a quick budget so you know what you really need per month. Note the things that are essential (housing, food, medicine), the things that are important but you can do without for the short term (dining out, games, new clothes), and what are the things that you can cut back on (new supplies for a hobby, hardcover books, fancy coffee drinks). Remember that an essential budget leaves room for some fun stuff! It’s not realistic to eliminate the things that just bring you pleasure, no matter the circumstances. When you know your minimum, write it down somewhere you can see it. A visual reminder will keep you from compromising too much, which leads to unhappiness and burnout.
Next, do some research. Sites like Salary.com and Payscale.com will give you information on pay ranges, and will even let you research the pay and cost of living in different areas, in case you’re evaluating an offer outside your state.
If you’re still struggling to come to terms with this, I recommend Jen Sincero’s You Are a Badass at Making Money, a fun and manageable guide to coming to peace with being worth a paycheck.
