Shifting to Abundance Mindset

All my life I've lived in a scarcity mindset. I've lived with a feast or famine mentality when I have a goal in mind. I've gotten better as I've become more financially secure, but I still remember. I remember times where I'd go hungry rather than buy a chocolate bar from a vending machine because that cost wasn't budgeted. I remember being so frustrated at life's unexpected events if they derailed our savings, even worse if it was Papa Bird incurring it. 

In the last few years though, I've felt a shift happening. I've been moving more into an abundance mindset. I've been able to appreciate spending on little treats for us, not caring that my grocery budget has doubled as I've struggled living through a pandemic. Heck I've even stopped tracking our expenses in this last year.

I still update our net worth monthly (hello date night for us!), but that helps move me further into abundance mindset. It's easy as we've now hit our LeanFI goal and both of us are still happy to keep working. I realize this is probably the period in my life that I'll feel the most free money wise. We have good salaries coming in and most months that the markets increase, they make more for us than we do. Months where the markets are down, I just put off looking.

I do worry I would go back to a scarcity mindset once we quit working and have to start drawing down the investments. Then again, perhaps that's a good incentive to keep looking for some flexible contracts at that point. Keep our skills up, but get our time back. 

Whatever we decide in the future, I am so appreciative of discovering the financial independence movement. It helped me put it all together. We did have good savings rate and frugal mindset when we learnt about it in 2014, but lacked the knowledge of what was possible in a short period of time. It showed me how to focus on what was important and cut the waste. And now, with full financial independence within 3-5 years (market dependent) and a nest egg we need to face any situation I am learning how to enjoy spending without the guilt. I still try to be mindful of what I really need to be happy, but it is nice to enjoy a new project without the guilt, whether it's lots of fabric or a fun lego kit just for me...