Money Values: How to Be Financially Mindful

Finnish psychologist Lassander makes her English-language debut with a measured guide to how money influences daily routines, relationships, and happiness, in which she argues that aligning one’s finances with their values can improve overall well-being. She demonstrates how financial habits, like saving and attitudes toward debt, are often learned from one’s family and culture, and examines the complex role emotions play in financial decisions. A person, for example, might find security and pleasure from shopping and turn to the activity when feeling low, but this can lead to shame and regret when the credit card bill arrives. Lassander encourages readers to identify and understand their core values and let them guide financial decisions. To do so, she offers mindfulness exercises, like closing one’s eyes and asking, “What does a balanced and good relationship with the economy look like in my life?” as well as values-based money management tips, like “Enjoy your home as a home.... Ownership is not the most important issue.” Elsewhere, she shows readers how to deal with financial setbacks and how to determine personal notions of financial success. Readers seeking concrete financial instruction will find the advice more conceptual than tactical, and the book’s breadth occasionally dilutes its focus. Still, the author’s emphasis on values-driven decision-making offers a distinctive alternative to performance-oriented wealth-building programs. (Apr.)