{"id":39944,"date":"2021-07-02T08:39:25","date_gmt":"2021-07-02T12:39:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=39944"},"modified":"2025-09-15T10:13:18","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T14:13:18","slug":"money-or-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/money-or-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Money or Your Life: 9 Steps to Financial Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you feel like you can either have your money or your life? Would you like to break free from that dilemma?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Your Money or Your Life<\/em>, Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez argue that you don\u2019t need to choose; you can have both. They offer nine steps to transform your relationship with money<\/a> and become financially independent. Y<\/em>ou don’t have to work for money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn the nine steps outlined in Your Money or Your Life<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Editor\u2019s note: This article is part of\u00a0Shortform\u2019s guide to saving money<\/a>. If you like what you read here, there\u2019s plenty more to check out in the guide!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The False Choice of “Your Money or Your Life”<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We feel like we must choose between our money and our lives, so we spend time at jobs we dislike to earn money that we don\u2019t have enough time or energy to enjoy. In other words, most of us choose money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But we don\u2019t need to choose; we can have both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How quickly you reach financial independence<\/a> depends on your life circumstances, plus the speed and consistency with which you apply these nine steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1: Understanding the Flow of Money in Your Life<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your Money or Your Life<\/em> proposes that, to begin transforming your relationship with money<\/a>, you need to understand the reasons you choose money, and why they\u2019re harmful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problem #1: Choosing Money Over Life Hurts Our Wellbeing<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We choose to stay in jobs we don\u2019t like, even when it\u2019s harmful to our wellbeing. The more time we spend working, the less time we have to care for ourselves and our families, be involved in communities, rest, and engage in other pleasures. This causes mental and physical stress, yet we have little to show for this sacrifice. People in the US are working more hours, saving less, and taking on debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two main reasons that we choose work over wellbeing are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. We don\u2019t know how to leave jobs we don\u2019t like.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. We don\u2019t know how much money is \u201cenough\u201d for our happiness.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Problem #2: Choosing Money Over Life Hurts the Earth<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    We often consume things we want, but don\u2019t need. When we over-consume, we deplete the planet\u2019s finite resources, robbing future generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This modern consumer culture dates back to the early 20th century, when factories could produce more goods than ever before. But though more goods were available, people weren\u2019t buying them because they didn\u2019t need them. Companies needed a way to convince people to buy goods they didn\u2019t need. Thus, the marketing industry was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Your Money or Your Life<\/em> asserts that, to break this habit, we must break from the myths that drive consumer culture:<\/p>\n\n\n\n