Years ago, my bank account was constantly near zero.

几年前，我的银行账户余额总是接近零。

Strangely, I kept wasting money on small impulse buys.

奇怪的是，我总把钱浪费在一些小额的冲动消费上。

When money stress is high, it occupies our mental bandwidth.

当金钱压力过大时，它会占据我们大脑的认知带宽。

I cut fixed costs and saved a tiny emergency cushion first.

我精简了固定开支，先为自己存下一笔小小的应急备用金。

With quiet breathing room, impulse buys naturally stopped.

当心里有了余地，冲动消费就自然停止了。

Now, I always protect my mental space before deciding on money.

如今面对任何金钱问题，我都坚持先守护好自己心智的从容余裕。