Turning Unexpected Expenses into Opportunities

Unexpected expenses can be a major budget killer, often leaving us feeling frustrated and defeated. It’s natural to react with worry, frustration, or even despair when faced with sudden financial setbacks. However, what if you could change your response to these situations and achieve better outcomes?

A Real-Life Example

Last summer, after returning from a costly trip to the UK, where our flight had been unexpectedly cancelled, we arrived home to find a water-filled basement. The quote to fix the leak was a staggering $7,500. This was a financial blow as we were already on edge about our expenses from the trip.

Instead of tipping into panicked energy, I decided to approach the situation differently. I paused and leaned into acting as if I were being paid to make a decision with someone else’s money. I told myself, “It’ll be really interesting to see how you handle this!”—as if I were employed by God / higher power / the universe (insert whatever you believe). This mindset shift allowed me to detach from the immediate stress and focus on finding a solution from a neutralized energy.

Then something unexpected happened. The day before the plumber was scheduled to fix the leak, they informed me that the city would cover the repair costs as part of an existing initiative to fix leaking lead pipes. All we had to do was wait two weeks. To top it off, due to our flight cancellation and EU regulations, both of our return tickets were fully reimbursed. It was an unexpected win on multiple fronts.

Skeptics may tout this as “lucky girl syndrome”; I know better. Everything is energy and I’m leaning into this notion to alchemize my circumstances. So can you.

Changing Your Response

When it comes to unexpected expenses, it’s easy to react impulsively with feelings of defeat, panic, anger, or sadness. However, by adopting a different mindset – one that is neutralized – we can transform these challenges into opportunities to be surprised at how well things worked in our favor. Neutralization may look like:

• Pretending you’re managing someone else’s finances, so you stay detached and in solution energy. 
• Pausing to box breathe and regulate your nervous system. Do 4 seconds each of: breathe in, hold, breathe out, hold until you feel calmer.
• Envisioning the best-case scenario. Write this down in detail and visualize this occurring. 
• Mindfulness practices, which teach us to be comfortable with the quiet and to remain calm under pressure.

The next time unexpected expenses arise try adopting a new perspective. When the outcome is better than you’d expected, don’t write off as coincidence. You have more power than you think.