12 Money Habits to Shape Your Financial Future

Assalamu Alaikum, girlie! 🌸

Have you ever looked at your bank account and thought, “Okay... where did my money actually go?” Or felt like no matter how hard you try, you’re always starting over financially… same stress, different month?

Financial freedom isn’t achieved overnight, but it is built one habit at a time. What you do today with your money sets the foundation for tomorrow Inshaa Allah. Think of it like planting seeds for your future success.

Today, I’m sharing 6 habits to build if you want to step into financial peace, and 6 habits to let go of if you’re serious about leveling up your money game. Let’s get into it.

6 Habits to Build (That Build You Back)

These habits don’t just build wealth; they build confidence and clarity.

1. Make Istighfar a Daily Practice

Let’s not pretend money is just math. Rizq is spiritual. Allah told us that seeking forgiveness is a means of being provided with wealth and children [Nuh 71:10-12]. So whether you feel stuck, broke, or blocked? Start with “Astaghfirullah.”

📌 Try this: Say it 100 times daily. Watch what shifts.

2. Start with the End in Mind

Your money won’t follow vibe, it needs direction. Think about what you want to achieve: debt freedom, spoiling your loved ones, or living your best life in a Muslim country.

📌 Make it real: Create a 1-year and 5-year vision. Break it down into quarterly goals and anchor your budget to that.

3. Practice Delayed Gratification

It’s easy to want things now—the new phone, the jewelry, the trip. But constantly giving in to short-term desires that sabotage your long-term vision is an unhealthy move. Delayed gratification means saying not yet so you can say yes to something better later.

📌 Make it real: The next time you’re tempted to impulse buy, pause. Add it to a 30-day wishlist instead. Most of the time, you’ll forget about it or realize you don’t really want it—and your future self will thank you.

4. Create a Budget Every Month (yes, you)

I don’t care how “bad at math” you think you are. Track. Your. Spending. You can’t fix what you won’t face. Create a budget before the month starts, and track your expenses regularly. It’s like your financial diary—it reveals your habits, priorities, and areas for improvement.

📌 Use: EveryDollar, a spreadsheet, or your Notes app. No excuses.

5. Celebrate Small Wins

Big goals can feel overwhelming, but small wins keep you pushing. Every time you pay off a small debt or stick to your budget, acknowledge your success. You go girl!

📌Mindset Shift: Success is a series of small, consistent actions.

6. Give with Gratitude

When you give, you’re nurturing an abundance mindset. You think beyond yourself, you become a problem solver, and you detach your emotions from your ‘hard-earned money’. When you give sincerely, you say: I believe Allah is the Provider and He will replace this with better. 

📌Try This: Give something every month. Occasionally give an amount which makes you uncomfortable.

6 Habits to Leave Behind

If good habits build wealth, bad habits can quietly sabotage it. Here are some to avoid:

1. Avoiding Money Conversations

Ignoring money conversations, especially with your spouse or family, leads to misunderstanding and financial stress. Talking openly about your goals and challenges with people you trust brings accountability and encouragement.

💬 Start with this: “Hey, can we talk about how we’re handling money this month?”

2. Spending to Feel Better (aka Retail Therapy Lies)

The candles, the milk lab matcha, the “I deserve this” haul—girl. We’ve all been there. But spending to cope is like drinking saltwater when you’re thirsty. It doesn’t help. It just numbs.

💬 Replace the Coping Mechanism. Try: Journaling. Going for a walk. Du’a. Crying. Breathing. Talking it out.

3. Relying on Debt for Convenience

Credit cards, Klarna, buy-now-pay-later—it feels like a solution until it traps you. Borrowing for convenience often leads to long-term regret. Especially when you can’t remember what you even bought. I learned that Doordash has a BNPL option- oh my!!🤦‍♀️

💬Transformational Fix: Focus on building an emergency fund to handle life’s surprises. Buy what you can afford.

4. Comparing Your Lifestyle to Others

Trying to “keep up with the joneses” will bring more than financial distress. Comparison will steal your joy and your paycheck (yikes!- credit to Rachel Cruze). Don’t compare the entire picture of your life to a puzzle piece of someone else’s.

Think About this: Make dua for the person and ask Allah to bless you! Define your own version of success and go for it.

5. Neglecting to Plan for the Future

You know how your past self didn’t save and now you're stressed? Don’t do that to Future You. Thinking “I’ll save when I make more” is a trap. You plan now, so you don’t panic later.

💬Action Step: Pick one goal today. Retirement. Hajj. Starting a biz. Save $10 toward it.

6. Believing You’re “Just Bad With Money”

This one’s deep. Many of us were never taught, so we decided we’re just “not good with money.” That’s not true. You’re not bad with money—you’re just under-informed. That’s fixable.

💬 Repeat after me: I can learn. I can change. I am not stuck.

Even reading this far shows you care about your future. You’re trying. You’re reflecting. You’re moving with more intention than you were last year.

So don’t let past mistakes hold you back. Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you start. Choose one habit to build. Choose one habit to let go. And keep showing up for yourself.

Your provision is written. Your effort is rewarded. Your journey is valid.

Rooting for you,

Fatimah ✨ 

Founder, Finance Girlie