She's Swiping Instagram Splurges for an Intentional and Joyful Money Philosophy.

🟣 Florencia, 27, Mexico & Canada.

Jun 25, 2024

Hello there 💜

How are you feeling today?

🛋️ Come relax in the cozy back seats of this special financial self-care session.

I've asked someone else to do all the hard work of diving deep into their money psychology, philosophy, and habits and share it all with us!

🎙️ I hand the Money Feelings microphone to Florencia Ornelas. I discovered her on Substack through an excellent piece about her no-spending challenge. Her writing, passion, humor, and visuals kept me hooked.

Florencia has chosen the following ten questions from a long list to share her money psychology, philosophy and habits with us.

Enjoy 💜

🟣 But first, if someone forwarded you this email, Money Feelings is your weekly dose of financial self-care designed to:

Kiss your limiting money mindsets and behaviors goodbye.
Grow your financial wisdom in style: less jargon, more emotion.
Increase your financial well-being, one feeling at a time.

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NAME: Florencia Ornelas

AGE: 27

FROM: I was born in Mexico but currently live in Canada.

ASTRO: Pisces!

LOVES: I am the happiest on the days I get to ride my bike to the beach and spend the afternoon reading a book, journaling or drawing. I also really love fashion and it has been one of the main outlets of expression I’ve explored in my late 20’s. I like discovering new independent brands and finding unique pieces at my local thrift stores.

WRITES:

MISSIONS: Such a great question! I am not one of those people who was born with a clear mission in life that translates directly to the work they do every day. For most of my late 20s, I’ve been feeling very lost after realizing that many of the things I’ve done in my life were a result of society's expectations but also self-imposed pressure to be ‘successful’. That is one of the main reasons I created Apartamento 710. I want to share with the world the process of finding my true self and my mission in life.

JOB(S)/PROJECT(S): I work full-time at a tech company. Since I have a background in Marketing, I often do freelance work for small lifestyle brands as well.

SURPRISE(S): Back home, I used to help in the rescue of street dogs and cats by fostering them and finding them a new place to live. The street dog situation down there is very sad and something that at the end of the day leaves you heartbroken. One of my biggest dreams is to have a farm where I can take in rescued animals and give them another chance to be happy surrounded by abundance and other animals to play with!

🟣 If you could have swapped one high school subject for a money management course, which class would you have ditched?

Maths.

🟣 Which one of your money habits do you suspect annoys your partner/family/friends?

When my now husband and I started living together, we realized our money views were totally different and unfortunately, that was something we never talked about when we were dating! He was raised in a very frugal household and was taught the importance of saving, living within your means, and budgeting. In my case, I never saw my parents save and I lived all the consequences of them spending more than we had. When we started our relationship, my husband was definitely annoyed by my shopping habits and my reckless spending. The past few years I’ve made it my mission to become financially literate and build a healthy relationship with money. It is a work in progress for sure but I am nowhere where I used to be.

🟣 What's a purchase that brought you lasting joy?

A couple of things that will allow me to make the most out of this short but sweet Canadian summer: a new cruiser bike with the comfiest seat and cutest basket and the Baggu pop-up tent for the best beach days. That tent in particular was something that I hesitated quite a bit to buy but ended up pulling the trigger because everything Baggu is such great quality.

🟣 Does your spending style resemble your parents, or did you rebel?

Not at all. Unfortunately, my parents didn’t have access to money education and I’ve learned everything I know about money making mistakes and learning from them through my adult years.

🟣 When was the last time money stress had you wanting to scream into a pillow?

Probably a couple of months ago when I looked at my credit card statement and saw the total of all the purchases I made influenced by Instagram ads.

🟣 What or who’s your vision of financial success?

Until very recently, I used to think that the more money I got the happier I would be. It took me leaving a job that I loved for one that paid considerably more to realize that what I value the most in life is being surrounded by good people who make me feel respected and appreciated. Don’t get me wrong – I still think that money is important and when I hear someone say ‘Money doesn’t buy happiness’ I just roll my eyes. What I’ve learned is that as long as I have enough to cover my basic needs and get to invest in activities or things that bring me joy here and there, that is enough.

🟣 What emotions do you most associate with money? (3 minimum, more if it brings aaall the feels)

Freedom

Independence

Peace

🟣 If you could time-travel and stop one money-related mistake, what would it be?

I would say no to the bank rep who offered me a credit card when I was 19 years old. Of course, I had zero knowledge of credit card best practices and went directly to build a huge amount of debt that took a few years (and tears) to pay.

🟣 Do you know how much your friends make in real figures?

I don’t! I’ve had money conversations only with a couple of friends in my adult life. I know that money is a taboo topic around the world but in Mexico, where I come from, is almost rude to discuss it in a group setting. Still, I try to bring up the topic with my closest friends because I believe not discussing it only benefits the system.

🟣 Describe your dream vacation without worrying about the cost. Where would you go? What would you do?

One month in the South of Italy at my favorite B&B, eating big amounts of pasta, reading books, and dipping in the ocean all day!

💜 Thank you for sharing with us, Florencia!

And well done to you all for dedicating 10 minutes of your week to your financial self!

It might not feel like you did much today, but reading about other’s money psychology and philosophy has huge and concrete benefits.

It helps us break out from unhealthy patterns, many of which are rooted in taboos.
It helps us feel understood and less alone.
It boosts our empathy by giving us context for some of our (money) behavior.
It broadens our perspective on societal norms and values, exposing us to a diverse range of cultural insights and financial philosophies and strategies.

On a more personal note, this format also helps me raise awareness about the emotional and mental health implications of our money behaviors.

+ who doesn’t love real stories from passionate and creative humans??

Now if you’d like to explore Florencia’s newsletter, I’d recommend these three pieces: