Taking the Right Lesson From Scrooge

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¿ I deserve to spend money on myself, no matter what.

"Very early in life, people begin to internalize messages about money's purpose -- how it works, what it promises, its overall significance -- and develop their relationships to it," the authors write.

So what are the five transforming principles?

¿ Principle 1: Denial inhibits change. You have to recognize a problem to begin solving it.

¿ Principle 2: To heal, you must feel. If you've got a self-destructive financial behavior, it's probably tied to some trauma or neglect in your past, says Ted Klontz.

¿ Principle 3: It pays to be present. By this, the authors mean you have to get rid of your past distorted views of money and live in the present reality of your financial situation.

¿ Principle 4: Awareness of consequences creates motivation. Scrooge changed when he realized what his future would be if he continued his miserly ways.

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