Have you ever stared at your bank statement, wondering where your money went, or felt frustrated because you should be saving more, yet want to spend on things that matter to you? Trust me, I’ve been there, too. Especially in midlife, finances can suddenly feel complicated. Between caring for family, navigating career shifts, and building your future self, money starts to feel deeply emotional, too.

That’s why understanding your money values – the principles that guide why you earn, spend, save, and share – is essential. When we align our finances with our deepest values, money becomes a tool for meaning, not stress. Let’s explore how to uncover and live by your true money values.

What Are Money Values – and Why They Matter in Midlife

Money values are the emotional drivers behind our financial decisions. Are you spending on security, freedom, legacy, joy, or a mix of many? As we enter midlife, these priorities often shift:

• Maybe security becomes more meaningful as retirement looms.
• Perhaps legacy emerges if you want to pass something tangible or intangible to loved ones.
• Or maybe what you crave now is freedom, including the freedom to explore, create or simply be.

When we ignore our money values, we wind up living by others’ standards or financial “shoulds”: “You should save more.” “You should invest.” “You shouldn’t be spending on that.” Disconnection and guilt follow.

But when we live by our true values, money decisions become fuelled by purpose and care, not pressure.

5 Steps to Identify (and Honour) Your Money Values

Here’s a personal process I’ve used – rise and shine with tea in hand, journal open – to reconnect with my money story in this season of life.

1. Reflect on Your Feelings Around Money

Start by simply noticing how different money moments feel:

• How does it feel when you save? Secure? Restrained? Proud?
• What about when you spend? Joyous? Guilty? Excited?
• Does paying bills feel like relief or a burden?
• How do you feel when you give?

Be gentle and curious. There’s no right or wrong – just awareness.

2. Write Down Your Priorities

Here’s a list of 10 possible money values – circle up to 5 that resonate most right now:

• Security (peace of mind, emergency cushion)
• Freedom (time, travel, flexibility)
• Comfort (a cosy home, self-care, wellness)
• Growth (learning, personal development)
• Legacy (gifting, inheritance, values passed on)
• Generosity (donating, helping others)
• Joy (experiences, beauty, small pleasures)
• Connection (family time, community, shared rituals)
• Health (nourishing food, preventive care, rest)
• Adventure (exploring, discovery, spontaneity)

Think about which values light you up – and which you might already honour.

3. Tell the Story Behind Your Values

Every value has a why. Dig deeper:

• Why does security matter to you now? (Perhaps after financial upheaval.)
• What does legacy represent? (Passing on family recipes, wisdom, or resources.)
• How do you express joy or freedom with your money?

Write a few sentences for each value. This gives them context and heart.

4. Audit Your Spending Aligned to Values

Take last month’s transactions (or use your banking app) and mentally file them into categories:

• Values-aligned: e.g., paying for a massage (health), buying art supplies (joy), attending a retreat (growth).
• Neutral or value-misaligned: impulse buys, habits that leave you empty.

How much of your money aligned with your values, versus where you spent out of habit or pressure?

CHECK OUT: 30-Day Finance Challenge & 30-Day No-Spend Challenge

5. Create a Values-Based Money Plan

Now it’s time to adjust, baby-step style:

• Allocate a portion of your budget to each core value (e.g., 10% for comfort, 5% for legacy).
• Automate savings: your legacy fund, your security cushion, your joy spending.
• Phone a friend: tell someone about your values and invite them to notice them with you.
• Track and celebrate: recognise each time you spend aligned – or honour your decision to skip what doesn’t feed your soul.

My Personal Money Value Shift

In my own midlife chapter, I realised my core values had quietly shifted. Where I once prioritised growth and achievement, I now yearned for connection, comfort, and legacy. I wanted time with loved ones, a cosy home, and a sense of purpose for the future.

So I reallocated my budget:

• Set up an ‘experience’ fund for retreats or standalone coffee dates with friends.
• Automate savings into a legacy jar, meant for gifts and gifts of time.
• Reduced spending on high-end clothes and instead channelled funds into home comfort (like soft linens and candles).

It wasn’t a sacrifice – it was a reclamation. When aligned with values, money became permission, not guilt.

Midlife Money Values Worksheet

1. Jot your top 5 values:

e.g., Connection, Security, Joy, Health, Legacy

2. Describe each in a sentence:

Connection: “Moments of presence and shared laughter are when I feel most alive.”

3. Audit your last month’s spending:

Which transactions align? Which don’t?

4. Budget intention setting:

Allocate, automate, track.

5. Celebrate wins:

I saved for a friend’s birthday, I bought a solo getaway, and I tidied my space to feel restful.

Living Money-Alignment in Midlife

Midlife is a season full of beautiful tensions: between stability and freedom, between nurturing yourself and giving to others. Letting your money flow reflect your values helps you lean into those tensions with clarity, rather than guilt.

Your values aren’t static – give them breathing room to evolve. Check in seasonally or after big changes. Tuck away the expectations of “should,” and lean into a money life that reflects you in every sense.

So let’s breathe, reflect, align – and let money serve you again, Love.

Come join me on Substack, where I share my Love Notes, a gentle pause in your week to reflect, realign, and reconnect in midlife. It’s not just another newsletter; it’s an intimate circle where I offer fresh intentions, soulful prompts, and simple but powerful shifts to inspire purposeful, creative living. Together, we’ll uncover the small but meaningful changes that help you design a life that feels beautifully your own.