THE BROKEN WALLET

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These habits might not feel like a big deal, but over time, they can drain your energy, your motivation, and your money.

Here are eight ways you might be holding yourself back without even realizing it.

1. Treating boredom as a reason to spend instead of rest

It’s kind of ironic because so many people complain about being tired or overwhelmed, wishing they had more time to just breathe.

But the second they have nothing to do… they’re reaching for their phones, scrolling, adding something to their cart, or planning a mall run “just to get out the house.”

It’s like they’re scared to just be still. But sometimes, being still is exactly what you need.

Boredom isn’t a problem you always have to fix, especially if your body is saying, “Hey, I need space to rest.” So instead of filling that time with another form of stimulation, what if you took it as an invitation to slow down?

You could take a nap, read something, listen to music, or literally just close your eyes for ten minutes.

A lot of people confuse “having nothing to do” with “needing something to do,” and that “something” often ends up costing money.

But your brain might just be craving peace, not another purchase.

So the next time you catch yourself saying, “I’m bored,” try asking instead, “What do I actually need in this moment?” You might realize it’s not a new outfit or a snack run – it’s rest.

2. Choosing friends based on aesthetics

This one’s tricky because it’s not something people like to admit.

But some are drawn to those who look like the version of who they want to be (the friend with the nice car, the perfect wardrobe, or the always “put together” lifestyle).

And to each their own. But if you’re constantly trying to keep up with someone else’s vibe, you’re going to exhaust yourself.

You might not realize just how much money you spend trying to belong. You start saying yes to dinners you can’t really afford, trips that don’t fit your budget, or nights out that leave your account crying the next day, all because you don’t want to feel left out.

But here’s the thing: real friendship shouldn’t drain you emotionally or financially.

The people around you should make you feel comfortable being yourself, not pressure you to perform.

If you feel like you can’t show up without a certain handbag, or looking like you stepped off a runway, or if you can’t say, “I’m staying in this weekend to save money,” without it being awkward – that’s not friendship, that’s a pay-to-playship.

So the next time you find yourself drawn to someone’s lifestyle, ask yourself: Do I like who they are, or am I more attracted to their lifestyle?

Because one of those connections will help you grow and the other will quietly keep you broke.

(Related: Download your mindful spending Money Mindset Bullet Journal — it’s your personal spending coach). 

3. Leaving your goals in your head instead of writing them down

When your goals live only in your head, they start to blend in with all your other thoughts – the worries, the errands, the to-dos.

You tell yourself you’ll “remember” or “get to it soon,” but without something concrete to look at, it’s easy to drift.

Writing things down isn’t just about organization, it’s about accountability. When you put your goals on paper, they become real. You can track them, break them down, and actually see your progress. And even though it’s a simple shift, it changes everything.

Even if it’s just a note on your phone or a sticky note on your mirror, getting your thoughts out of your head helps you stop wishing and start working.

4. Putting everything on autopay (and forgetting)

Now, to be fair, I love autopay. But it can also become one of the easiest ways to lose track of your money. When everything is automatically deducted, you might stop paying attention to what’s actually leaving your account.

That’s when little things start to slip through the cracks (a streaming subscription you stopped watching months ago, a free trial you forgot to cancel, or a price increase you didn’t notice because the payment went through without you ever seeing it).

Before you know it, $10 here and $15 there becomes a pattern that slowly eats into your budget – not enough to set off alarms, but enough to keep you wondering where your money keeps disappearing to.

The solution, of course, isn’t to get rid of autopay completely – it’s to stay aware. So set aside time once a month to look at your transactions line by line, and ask yourself: Does every charge still make sense for the life you’re living right now? Are you still using that app? Do you really need both Netflix and Hulu and Max?

Think of it like cleaning your digital wallet. The same way you tidy your space and throw out what doesn’t serve you, do the same with your money.

Autopay should make your life easier, not more expensive. 

5. Comparing your financial timeline

It’s so easy to look around and feel like you’re behind. Someone your age just bought a house, another friend’s taking their second international trip this year, and someone else just posted their new car selfie on Instagram. Suddenly, your progress feels small.

But here’s the truth, you’re comparing chapters from completely different books.

Everyone’s story starts in a different place. Some people had parents who helped them with college or gave them a down payment. Some walked into adulthood debt-free. Others had to create opportunities from scratch. None of that makes one person’s success more valid than another’s. It just makes it theirs.

The problem with comparison is that it tricks you into rushing your own process.

You start making decisions just to “catch up.” You push yourself to upgrade, spend more, or take on debt to look like you’re in the same place as someone who didn’t start where you did. But that kind of pressure doesn’t move you forward, it just moves you further away from your real goals.

When you stay focused on your own lane, you realize progress isn’t a race. It’s not about who gets there first; it’s about who builds something that lasts.

Slow progress doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong – it means you’re doing it sustainably.

6. Pretending “it’s not that bad” instead of facing the truth

Denial feels safe because it keeps you from dealing with reality. But ignoring a problem doesn’t make it disappear, it makes it grow quietly in the background.

Facing your money head-on can feel uncomfortable at first, but it’s also freeing. Besides, you can’t change what you don’t confront. It’s only once you know where you stand (even if it’s not where you want to be) that you can actually start to fix it.

7. Saying “that’s just how I am” 

This is one of the biggest forms of self-sabotage because it sounds so harmless.

You hear people say it all the time: “I’m just not good with money,” “I’m a spender, not a saver,” “I can’t stick to a budget,” or “I’ve always been bad with numbers.”

It sounds casual, but when you keep repeating those things, your brain starts to believe them. And once it does, your actions fall right in line.

The truth is, you weren’t born with those habits. Instead, you built them based on your environment, your upbringing, your past experiences, maybe even survival mode. But just because you’ve been doing something a certain way doesn’t mean you’re stuck with it. You can unlearn almost anything.

Rewiring habits takes time, but it’s not impossible. It starts with awareness. In other words, catching yourself when you say things like, “that’s just how I am,” and then questioning it. Is it really who you are, or just what you’ve gotten used to?

From there, it’s about replacing the story you’ve been telling yourself. When you make one small decision that challenges the old pattern, you prove to yourself that change is possible.

8. Thinking you need to feel ready before getting serious

A lot of people wait for the so-called perfect time to start getting serious about money – when they make more, when things calm down, when life feels more “stable.” But there’s no such thing as the perfect time to start, and waiting to feel ready just keeps you stuck in the same cycle.

You get ready by starting. And sometimes, you have to figure things out as you go.

Financial progress comes from action, not certainty. Most people never felt fully ready to budget, save, or pay off debt – they just got tired of staying stuck.