Here’s my fun way of thinking about my budget and when I spend or don’t spend according to it. I call it the Brew and Budget mindset.
Here’s a question that often comes to mind when deciding to buy something, did I budget for this? When this question is the first thing that comes to mind, that is what I like to call the Budget mindset. I know I have a budget in place, I know exactly what I planned for in each category. I try really hard to stick to my plan and my decision to spend is based on my budget. My answer will be determined by my budgeting plan.
I am usually really good about sticking to my budget during the week, mainly because I am work majority of that time. My spending typically tends to be light during the week. Most of my spending usually happens on the weekends. I think most people working a typical 9am-5pm can relate to this.
When the first thing that comes to mind without hesitation is, “Yes” or “Let’s go”, or “Definitely”. This is what I call the Brew mindset. It’s when I don’t even think of my budget before I say yes. I am human so having a natural reaction of just saying yes because it’s something I want to do is completely normal.
I don’t think one is better in the other. I am aware that I shift between the two, which I think is perfectly normal. If I was in Budget mode all the time, I think I would be a little miserable living life with the restrictions I put on myself. By taking the time to review my personal finances every week, I have the opportunity to balance anything I didn’t plan for. Since I have been doing this for over 10 years now, I know my spending habits really well. This makes it easy for me to know where I can edit my budget without it having a real impact on my life. I will say, it did take me a few years to figure it out and what helped the most was having those years of data I had been tracking.
Brew
“Let’s go get coffee.”
“Let’s go watch the game and grab some beers.”
“Let’s get another round.” (Guilty of this one on many occasions)
“Oat milk is worth the extra dollar.”
Budget
“Let’s make coffee at home.”
“It’s Miller time.”
“Why do I have to pay extra for iced coffee?”
“Happy hour anyone?”
Both are fun. Both are equally important. Both probably require work in their own way. Both have their own benefits. I am both and I am well aware that both are a constant work in progress.