I have noticed a trend among life coaches and spiritual influencers pushing people to spend money they don’t feel they can afford to spend. They promise that by giving them money you are giving off an energetic match for gaining money and that the rewards will be worth far more than the investment. Spirit or the angels or the stars would not have led you to them if you weren’t meant to take this step. Do it, do it, and you too will become rich. It makes me think of the late-night infomercials I used to watch while I was up breastfeeding my first born in the middle of the night. Give me your money, and I’ll teach you the secret of making money by asking people to give you money so that they too can learn the secret of making money.

Don’t get me wrong, I do fully believe that we can influence our financial wellness with the law of attraction. I believe that it is extremely important to escape a poverty mind-set in order to begin manifesting abundance. I also believe that when we spend money, we are not only sending it out into economic circulation, but also into an energetic circulation and that the energetic loss will be restored to us in some way or other. I believe that these are truths, but I also believe it is very dangerous to encourage people to experiment with these truths by putting up money that they may need for necessities, and that it is just plain wrong to make someone feel that they are their own worst enemy in finding abundance because they are too cautious and careful with their cash.

The truth is, you don’t have to throw your money at some guru to get over your financial blocks. You don’t need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars for a workshop. It’s okay to start small. Here are some ideas that won’t break the bank.

1. Identify your limiting beliefs surrounding money. What kind of thoughts do you have about money? Do you believe it is hard to come by or that you will always struggle financially? Really take some time to think about your beliefs and where they originated.

2. Change those limiting beliefs. Regular use of affirmations can be extremely helpful for this. Turn the beliefs around. For example, if you believe money is hard to come by, use the affirmation, “money comes to me easily.” If the beliefs are very deep seeded, you may need to get some professional support in changing them. This doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Look for books are articles about changing beliefs and practice the exercises they recommend. If you decide to get a life coach, spend some time looking around to find someone with rates you feel you can afford and who will work with you personally rather than investing in an expensive single day or weekend workshop.

3. Be grateful for all the money you have and everything you spend it on. Take time to feel gratitude every time you spend money, especially when it is on bills and necessities. Let yourself feel proud to have gotten them paid and thankful for your resources to do so. Focus on gratitude for what you have and avoid focusing too much on what you don’t have. When you focus on lack, you attract more lack.

4. Circulate your money. As I said above, I do money that when we send money out goes into an energetic circulation and will find its way back to us in some form or another. This doesn’t require you to dig too deep, though. If you have nothing extra to work with after paying bills, then when you pay your bills, do so with the intent of putting that energy into circulation. Even if you shop thriftily, you can do so with the intent of circulating financial energy. Donate loose change to your favorite charities or causes. If you have a little extra and already go out sometimes, try tipping a dollar more than you would have. If you have worked on your limiting beliefs, you should be able to do this with faith that nothing will be lost. That faith is the key here. It doesn’t take spending hundreds of dollars. Start by spending just a little with the faith it will come back to you. Then when it does, try putting out a little more. Work your way up to those big investments and don’t let anyone try to convince you to make them if you don’t feel ready.

5. Listen to your higher self. If you have a nagging feeling that you really need to make an investment, don’t hold back simply out of fear. Listen to the feeling and figure out a way to make it work. If you are given an opportunity that sounds great, but everything in you is saying it is not the right time to be spending the money on it, don’t. You are the greatest expert in your life. You know what you can handle and what you can’t better than anyone else. Pay attention to what your intuition is telling you. Trust yourself.

I hope you find these tips to be helpful and are able to use them to begin to manifest financial abundance. An abundant life does not have to be a financial stressor and it is not something you need to pay someone an arm and a leg in order to achieve.