Grieving and Spending Money Does Not Mix!

Goodbye Friend

Some time back, a dear and beloved member belonging to the community passed away from pancreatic cancer. A tragic event indeed, as she was only 51 years of age. For a while, this hit me hard and I was not able to focus on my work. I have lost other loved ones in my lifetime. I was emotionally depleted and not logical from those deaths. Emotional stability was not there for me at those times, and I didn’t know when to stop spending money.

The Wrong Time

For many people, the above mentioned scenario is played out time and time again when a loved one dies. Do not feel bad, as this is not wrong and there is nothing wrong with you. Logic relating to money does not exist when you’re grieving. Your brain is not in the right place to make money decisions. If you aren’t careful during this time, you might charge up a ton of debts.

Create a Plan

It’s in this grieving time which you already should have put a plan set up. You will want to create a plan, if you are not grieving at least. The initial part of the plan is obvious. During this time, do not borrow money. Many reasons about why you would do this will pop up quickly in your state of mind, though you think this would not happen.

Next, put away credit or debit cards. You might not be as careful when you’re upset and will end up pulling out a card to buy something. In this time, it becomes too easy to slap down your card and buy something you don’t need. When you are not logical, you must not have access to your cards.

The third part of the plan is related to the second part. Set aside your cash. There is no need to hide all of it. You need to save out enough to buy food or other necessary supplies. Conceal the rest and do not borrow from it.

This final piece of the plan is important. You need to make use of your support network should you have to vent, talk, cry, or even yell. Also, contact them if you’re wanting to spend more money than absolutely necessary. Let those who are still alive and love you support you. Let them help you through this hard time. By doing this, you will save more money.

Go on and Grieve

After someone close to you dies, it’s healthy to feel all the emotions human beings have ever felt in our history. It’s okay to feel these natural grieving emotions. Spend some time to embrace the grieving process. Let go and let it just be there. Forcing the emotions to either be there or leave does not work. Talk it out with someone. Write out your grief, as well as cry it out. You must remember not to spend it out!