What’s Your “Cheap but Makes Me Feel Rich” Habit?

Speaker A00:00:37

What if feeling rich had nothing to do with how much money you spend? What if some of the most refreshing life giving moments cost little to nothing at all?Because let's be honest, sometimes the most expensive part of life is how heavy it feels. And today we're going to talk about how small, simple habits can help you breathe again without breaking your budget. Real practical show today.Hello friend, Ralph Estep Jr. Here. This is financially confident Christian, where my goal every day is to help you break that cycle of financial shame and find confidence.So today's question is what's your cheap but makes me feel rich habit? We got this question. I said, oh, this is perfect. Great question for today.Let's get right to it because I'm super excited about this one today, Ralph. I've been budgeting and trying to be more responsive with my money, but sometimes it feels like life is just bills and responsibilities.Let me just pause for a second. As I get older, I hear you loud and clear. Let's get back to the question.I recently noticed that small, simple things like a long shower or a quiet moment can make me feel surprisingly refreshed without spending much at all. It made me realize I don't need a lot of money to feel a little bit of joy or peace.So I wanted to ask what's your cheap but makes me feel rich habit? Great question. And how do I make space for those small moments without feeling like I'm being irresponsible?I love this question because I think so many people think that if they spend a little money or they're cheap or frugal. I use the word frugal. They're worried about feeling like they're irresponsible because it reminds us of something we often forget.It's gonna be a very deep episode today, but I think we forget about this so many times. Feeling rich and being wealthy are not always the same thing. They're just not.And sometimes the fastest way to feel restored isn't spending more money. It's not spending money at all. It's slowing down life. And I just want to leave you right now with this big idea as we get started.True richness is found in contentment, not consumption. That really is the secret to this whole thing. It's contentment, not consumption. But how do you get to that feeling?You asked me a very simple question. You said, ralph, what's your cheap but makes me feel rich habit? Well, I think you got to start by redefining what rich feels like.If you polled people and I haven't done this. But let's just say you polled people. I think most people think rich means more money. They got baskets of cash.They got big houses and big fancy cars, more comfort, more upgrades. I think a lot of people, you might be one, raising your hand right now. It's what rich is. But what if it didn't mean that?What if rich simply means I feel at peace right now? Interesting thought, huh? I feel at peace right now because it could be a quiet cup of coffee. I don't drink coffee. I drink tea.If you ever see me, it's tea in here. Never been a coffee guy, but anyway, maybe feeling at peace right now is a long shower you mentioned in your question today.Or maybe a walk with no rush to get home. That feeling, that's real. And guess what? It doesn't require higher income to get to that feeling. So start by defining what rich looks like for you.Because I think if we're going to be honest, all of us are rich, aren't we? Second thing, identify your personal reset moments. There's really no right answer to your question today.As I struggled a little bit with the answer today. Your version of cheap but rich might be different from someone else's. Could be completely different. So here's what I encourage you to do.Ask yourself, what small thing helps me breathe again? Maybe it's a simple snack you enjoy. There's some things I really look forward to in the afternoon. I have what I call my afternoon snack.I have a couple nuts and that's for me. I really enjoy that. Helps me just take it all in and feel rich when I do that. Maybe sitting in silence. We talked about this the other day.Maybe you live in a world that's hectic. There's stuff going on all the time. But richness for you is you have that ability to go carve out some silence. I like to go hang out with the cows.And they're not always silent. Sometimes they're kind of yappy. Maybe listen to some music. I talked on the other day on the show about our music, our Christian music.We'll put a link in the show notes. But I encourage you listen to music, whatever music you like. Maybe stepping outside for some fresh air. I think fresh air is underrated.You need to spend more time on the out in the fresh air. I did that this weekend on my motorcycle, got some fresh air. It felt really good. But pay attention to what restores you. That's what makes you rich.That's your rhythm. But in order to live in that, you got to make it intentional, not accidental.And that's something I've really challenged myself as I answered your question, to have planned. I always plan for the episodes ahead of time, but I thought, you know what, Ralph? This is something you can really learn from yourself.Don't make this accidental. Be intentional about it. These moments shouldn't just happen when you're already overwhelmed. You got to build them in, plan them, protect them.Even if it's just 10 minutes a day. Rest is not a reward. So many people get stuck on that. Well, if I work really hard, I can have rest. No, rest is a requirement.Because if you don't rest, you will break down. Trust me, without rest, you will break down. Let small joy keep you from big spending. Here's something important.When life feels heavy and joy is missing, so many of us try to fix it with bigger, more expensive things. I'm guilty of this. Those impulse buys, those unplanned spending trips.Let's be honest, those emotional purchases, they feel good for a little bit, but they don't last, do they? But those small, little, consistent bundles of joy can actually protect your finances because they make you realize what matters.And finally do this, receive all of this without guilt. This is where so many people struggle. You struggled. In your question, you said, how do I do this without feeling like I'm being irresponsible?Because even when it's small, so many people say, but should I be spending this at all? Ralph, I want to gently remind you of something.If it's planned, if it's within your means, and if it restores your heart, there's no need to feel guilty about it at all, friend. God isn't against your joy. He's actually the source of it. He gave you all of this. He wants you to enjoy it. He wants you to have an abundant life.But you don't need more money to feel rich. You just need more of those moments in your life. So here's your win for today.I want you to choose one simple habit that costs little to nothing, but helps you feel refreshed. We talked about some of those things. Music, showers, walking outside, conversation with a friend.I'm looking forward to holding my grandbaby here coming up in a couple months. I just know that's going to restore me. But when you experience that, be fully present in that. I was talking with my oldest son, the one.His wife is having a baby. I call her my favorite daughter in law because I only have one at this point, so she's my favorite.But I said something to My son, it was yesterday, we were talking and I said, son, one of the things I want to encourage you to do, I said, savor the little moments. Because I look back at it now, My kids are 24, and he'll be my oldest. My youngest will be 25 next month, and my oldest is almost 29.Man, I missed out on so many things because I just didn't savor the moment. So do that. If you hear nothing else I say today, savor the moments that seem silly, because those are the things that truly make you rich.Those small moments can change your whole day. And listen, they can change your whole life. Let's talk about the Bible right now. I always like to put some scripture in this.And we've got a good one today from. Not that they're never good. They're all good ones. But this one, I especially like this one. It's from 1 Timothy 6. Six again, 1 Timothy 6. Six.And it's a very simple, quick verse. It says, but godliness with contentment is great gain. You might be thinking, wait a minute, Ralph, where are you going with this one?But here's where I'm going with this one. True richness comes not from having more, but from learning to be content with what you already have. Friend, we've got so much.We've got a God that loves us even on our worst days. He's right there with us always. Let's pray to him right now.Heavenly Father, I just want to thank you right now for the simple moments to bring peace and rest in our lives. And, Lord, help us all to recognize that joy doesn't have to be expensive, doesn't come with a price tag.Teach us to slow down, Lord, to breathe and to really receive the small blessing you place in our day every single day.Take away the guilt around healthy rest and enjoyment, Lord, and help us to grow a heart of contentment that sees the richness, the true richness and what we already have and what you've already given us. Lord, we just thank you so much for that love. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen. Friend, I want to say something bold. 53 Years old. I really believe this.Now, I don't know if I would have said this 20 years ago, but sometimes the richest moments are the simplest ones. The richest moments are the simplest ones. Just think about that today. When you go about your day today, just think about that.What are the richest moments of your life? And I think you're gonna find they're the simplest ones. So I want to thank you so much for joining me today.If you've got a question for the show, I would love to hear your question. Maybe something's been burdening you. Maybe like Ralph. I wonder how Ralph would handle this.You can go to our website, go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/question We just did a little bit new thing on the Foreigner. Made it super simple for you. We'll put a link in the show notes.But go to financiallyconfidentchristian.com/questionAnd I just wanted to say one more thing today, let's find those rich moments, let's find those simple moments and let's just live in that reality today. God bless you and you have a great day today.