I’m Unable to Save Money; What Am I Doing Wrong?

18 July, 2020
Q Assalamu alaykum.

I need an advice or tip in order to solve my wonderings regarding finances in my life.

Although my job is halal and I'm paying zakat, giving sadaqah, reading and reciting Quran, doing daily adkhar, taking care of my incomes and outcomes, and of course not missing salaat, somehow, every month I have some losses I've never planned to have.

In the end, I end up with 0.

It seems I have a problem with blessings and I don't know why or what to do.

Answer


In this counseling answer:

Alhamdulillah, you have a job and you pay your zakat and sadaqah. In these alone there is barakah.

Write down all your incoming and outgoing and see where it is that you seem to be losing out.

Look to the least necessary thing and try and eliminate it and see how life fares without it.

Try and focus on the positive things you have in your life rather than the negative ones.

Just because you do not feel the blessing now, it does not mean that you never will.


Wa Alaikum salaam sister,

It seems that you should begin by looking at why you don’t believe there is any blessing (barakah) in your finances.

Alhamdulillah, you have a job and you pay your zakat and sadaqah. In these alone there is barakah. It may not be the type of barakah that you feel in this life, but it will be counted amongst your good deeds on the day of judgment.

So, as you can see, in this alone there is great barakah.

I’m Unable to Save Money; What Am I Doing Wrong? - About Islam

Obligatory Duty

Alhamdulillah, you also complete all your obligatory deeds and more and again this will also count in your favor on the day of judgment, biznillah. Just because you do not feel the blessing now, it does not mean that you never will.

Allah will not let all these good deeds go wasted and you need to have faith His Mercy and Justice to be confident in this.

Also, ask yourself whether having 0 at the end of the month is a bad thing. If you have been able to do all you need and want to, is it such a bad thing?

There are another couple of things you can do both psychologically and practically to ease this situation.

Positivity

Firstly, try and focus on the positive things you have in your life rather than the negative ones. Alhamdulillah, you have a job. Many strive to even get this far. Of those who do, not everyone can even afford to give in sadaqah as you do.

You also have the physical and practical capacity to even get to work in the first place, when many do not due to disabilities for example.


In this counseling video:


Conclusion

On a more practical level, write down all your incoming and outgoing and see where it is that you seem to be losing out.

Perhaps you are spending extravagantly on something, or there are some things that you unnecessarily spend on each month. Look to the least necessary thing and try and eliminate it and see how life fares without it.

If you use expensive brands, try switching cheaper ones. Do things to cut the cost of living such as walking instead of driving where possible and reducing electricity and gas use within the house.

May Allah continue to shower you with his blessings and keep you on the straight path.

Amen,

***

Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information provided in the question. In no event shall AboutIslam, its counselors or employees be held liable for any damages that may arise from your decision in the use of our services.

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About Hannah Morris
Hannah Morris is a mum of 4 and she currently works as Counsellor and Instructor of BSc. Psychology at the Islamic Online University (IOU). She obtained her MA degree in Psychology and has over 10 years of experience working in health and social care settings in the UK, USA, and Ireland. Check out her personal Facebook page, ActiveMindCare, that promotes psychological well-being in the Ummah. (www.facebook.com/activemindcare)