My best friend told me my budget was actually making me broke

I was so proud of my spreadsheet with every penny tracked down to the cent. Then my friend Sarah looked at it and pointed out I was spending $120 a month on those 'emergency' snack packs from the gas station because I never planned for small cravings. She said my system was too strict and that's why I kept blowing it. So I added a $40 monthly fun money category for random stuff like coffee or a cheap takeout meal. Six months later in Portland, I've actually saved more because I'm not rebelling against my own rules. Has anyone else had to loosen up their budget to actually stick with it?

3 comments

3 Comments

norathomas29d ago

Oh man, I gotta push back on this a little. I mean, if you're spending $120 on gas station snacks every month, that's not a budget problem, that's a discipline problem. Adding a fun category just gives you permission to be loose with your money. I feel like the real fix is just not buying those snacks, not making room for them.

oliver_wilson4929d ago

Gas station snacks are basically a $120 tax on self denial.

elizabethn5629d ago

Did my cousin really drop $40 on Twinkies at a truck stop just because she was "hangry"?